Capitals can't match Detroit's depth
Posted: Friday June 12, 1998 12:53 AM
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Yzerman (left) scored a pair of goals on six shots (AP) |
DETROIT (AP) -- The Washington Capitals have
Olie the Goalie and a 52-goal scorer. But they don't have Steve Yzerman, and
they couldn't match Detroit's depth Thursday night.
Yzerman scored two goals, but clutch goals by third- and fourth-line
players lifted the Red Wings to a 5-4 overtime victory and a 2-0 edge in
the best-of-7 Stanley Cup finals.
Detroit, down 4-2 early in the third period, came back on goals by Martin
Lapointe and Doug
Brown to force the overtime. Kris Draper, with his
first goal of the playoffs, won it 15:24 into the overtime.
The Red Wings' depth has been their key all season and it seemed crucial
in the extra period. Because they could roll four lines, the Red Wings
seemed to have fresher legs than Washington.
The Red Wings had 11 players with 10 or more goals during the regular
season. Washington had just six in double figures.
Still, the Capitals, in the playoffs for the first time in their 24-year
history, made Detroit work for it.
Yzerman scored early in the first period and Joe Louis Arena was rocking.
He scored again in the third and the crowd of 19,983 threatened to raise
the roof.
But the joy didn't last. Washington charged back with three second-period
goals, allowing goalie Olaf Kolzig to take
over, then withstood a wild third-period shootout.
The series moves to Washington for Game 3 Saturday night and Game 4 on
Tuesday night.
Yzerman gave Detroit a 1-0 lead at 7:49 of the first period. Then the Red
Wings, trying to become the first team to repeat as Cup champions since
1992, threw everything they had at Washington in a hard-charging, furious
offensive assault.
During one 10-minute span, Detroit outshot the Capitals 10-1. Still, that
might have been an ominous sign. The Red Wings had a 14-8 edge in shots,
but the hits were even at 14, and Detroit had only a one-goal lead.
The Capitals didn't waste any time showing they were for real in the
second period. Peter
Bondra scored 1:51 into the period. Chris Simon and Adam Oates quickly
followed and in a span of 9:12 the Capitals had a 3-1 lead.
Yzerman and Joe
Juneau traded goals 28 seconds apart -- shorthanded and power play,
respectively -- early in the third period. Lapointe scored at 8:08 and
Brown broke in unassisted to tie it 4-4 with 4:14 remaining.
Notice a trend?
Except for Yzerman, all the Detroit goals were coming from third- and
fourth-line grinders. The Capitals, meanwhile, were getting goals from the
players they have counted upon all season.
Bondra had 52 goals and 78 points during the season. Oates had 18 goals
and 76 points. Juneau had nine goals and 31 points.
In the playoffs, Bondra has seven goals and five assists; Oates has six
goals and nine assists; Juneau has seven goals and seven assists.
Heroics by Yzerman are nothing new. The veteran Detroit captain was third
in team scoring this season with 24 goals. Granted, that's not a lot of
goals, but the talent-rich Red Wings tend to spread the scoring around.
Ant it cost the Capitals, who had won five straight overtime games.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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