If Only Words Won Cups Mtl 1, Wash 0

Tomas Plekanec seems to have scored the first goal in the parallel series that is the verbal bandy played off ice. He offered a searching shot, a sort of snap shot from behind the goalpost:

"It’s not like we’re going against Brodeur or Miller. They don’t have a dominant goaltender. When you look at the goaltending matchup in this series it favors our team. I just believe that our goaltending is more solid than theirs. I’m not saying their goalies are bad. I’m just saying our goalies are better."

Washington got wind. Bruce Boudreau responded, but I think we can outright disregard comments that say a coach would prefer having Theodore to the Vezina frontrunner and a man who the trophy would be named for had he played 80 years earlier.

Theodore responded too. But his technique was reminiscent of his displays when opponents tried on the high shot in Montreal:

"Tomas who? Jagr? Oh, Plekanec. OK. I thought you meant Jagr."

Jose might have been able to save the innocuous shot had he any semblance of wit. instead, he offered a nonsensical comment about Jagr, or Jagr's lesser known cousin Tomas.

It's a goal and a win for Mtl.

For the next round of banterball, Theo might do well to take some tutelage from his namesake Mourinho in Milan who once replied to

"Is Mourinho up for my job at Milan? We’ve already found someone to replace [Alessandro] Costacurta, but if we’d known earlier, we could have found him a job. Helping the goalkeeper coach? No, he’s never played football, he wouldn’t be capable of shooting on goal."

not with:

"Carlo who? Lagerfeld?"

but the more apt and cutting:

"My dentist is great, even though he’s never had a toothache."

Maybe it's a lot to ask a hockey player to say something interesting. Whatever the case, it seems that in this series, simply having the shot reach Theodore will be enough to score points. If only hockey were so straightforward.


The great unsaid

No one on the Caps would say it, but it's the great unspoken truth. The Canadiens may not need to worry about Theodore (maybe they do). One thing is for sure though, the Caps didn't lose in 20+ straight games in regulation when he was in. What the Canadiens must worry themsleves about here is that even if the Caps do have a weaker goalie to face, they have shown repeatedly that they can win, and win well, despite him.

In no other city would the name "Three-or-more" be thrown around with such affection as Washington, they the city where seeing 4 goals scored at home is cause for a refund.