Thrash/Caps Simulation, Game I

The Thrashers really frustrated me with the 8-1 drubbing at the hands of the Capitals. I know the Caps are an elite team, but I feel like the Thrashers could have, nay, SHOULD have had a better game. In response to such frustration, I decided to simulate a 7-game series (I had originally thought a 10-game series like one might would discuss between two fighters, but I don't particularly feel like watching the extra three games), using NHL 2k8 for XBOX 360 (my most current game... I'm working on that), between a semi-accurate Capitals roster and a Thrashers roster consisting only of current Thrashers Jim Slater and Ilya Kovalchuk, the rest of the Thrashers roster being filled out by players who are or were journeyman NHLers at best, including the goalies. And oddly enough, there are a couple of (old) former Thrashers on the roster for this, including some (busted) draft picks. Here are the teams.

Washington Capitals
Alexander Ovechkin - Sergei Fedorov - Alexander Semin
Matt Cooke - Brendan Morrison - Chris Clark
Tomas Fleischmann - Brian Sutherby - Eric Fehr
Matt Bradley - Jakub Klepis - Ben Clymer
Tom Poti - Mike Green
Brian Pothier - Jesse Schultz
Steve Eminger - John Erskine
Jose Theodore
Brent Johnson

Atlanta Thrashers

Ilya Kovalchuk - Jim Slater - Peter Ferraro
Milan Bartovic - Simon Gamache - Brad Tapper
Matt Ellis - Tommi Santala - Brad Leeb
Quintin Laing - Ben Simon - Petr Kanko
Jeff Jillson - Dan Smith
Marc Moro - Peter Ratchuk
Alex Brooks - Tomas Kloucek
Philippe Sauve
Jean-Marc Pelletier

Game Settings
Nothing fancy here. Period length of 10 minutes for expediency, fighting turned all the way up so as to see some tensions released, and shot accuracy turned down just a little so that not every shot is right on target.

Game I

The Thrashers rang 1 shot off the post; the Capitals, 3.

Hardly a surprise, but turnovers in the neutral and offensive zones caused the Thrashers much duress, but they were able to cycle the puck for sustained pressure on several occasions, much like the real Thrashers. Also like the real Thrashers, they fell to 2-1 before equalizing and forcing overtime, during which the Thrashers seemed to be playing for the shootout, as they played dump and chase, made frequent line changes, bunkered up in front of the crease to keep shots and opposition players out. Shots seemed to be heavily in favor of the Capitals in the OT period, and I only recall two shots attempted by the Thrashers in OT, one going very wide and the other deflecting into the stands, but I didn't take a count so I can't really be sure.

Shootout
Kovalchuk shoots first, hits post. Miss.
Ovechkin shoots first for the Caps, hits post. Miss.
Gamache shoots second for the Thrash. Takes it right into the goalie. Save.
Fedorov shoots second for the Caps. Misses wide.
Slater shoots third for the Thrashers. Takes it right into the goalie. Save.
Semin shoots third for the Caps, shoots 5-hole. Save.
Santala shoots fourth for the Thrash. Shoots it right into the goalie's right leg pad. Save.
Poti shoots fourth for the Caps. Goes 5-hole. Save.
Bartovic shoots fifth for the Thrashers. Shoots 5-hole, stick save.
Fleischmann shoots fifth for the Caps. Dekes, goes 5-hole. Save.
Ferarro shoots sixth for the Thrash. Leg pad save.
Morrison shoots sixth for the Caps. Shoots wide. Miss.
Leeb shoots seventh for the Thrash. Leg pad save.
Fehr shoots seventh for Caps. Leg pad save.
Jillson shoots eighth for the Thrash. Goes backhand, leg pad save.
Green shoots eighth for the Caps. Dekes goalie out of his pads, fires wide and high. Miss
Ratchuk shoots ninth for the Thrash. Goes backhand, rings it off the post, then back off the goalie. It trickles in for the goal.
Pothier shoots ninth for the Caps. Goes backhand, leg pad save.

Thrashers win, 3-2.

Three stars
3rd Star Ilya Kovalchuk
2nd Star Alexander Semin
1st Star Peter Ferraro

Game Stats:
Shots: 16 apiece
PIMs: 20 apiece, 4 fights (
No powerplays/penalty kills in this game.
Hits: 39-27 Capitals
Faceoffs Won Percentage: 53-47 Capitals
Passing Percentage: Capitals- 89%; Thrashers- 85%
Breakaways: Capitals-0/3; Thrashers-0/1
One-Timers: Capitals-0/8; Thrashers-0/8
Offensive Zone %: Capitals-22.0%; Thrashers-22.9%
Neutral Zone %: Capitals-12.3%; Thrashers-10.9%
Defensive Zone %: Capitals-17.8%; Thrashers-14.2%

Goalies:
Capitals - Theodore: Overall 82 Minutes 65:00 GA 2 GAA 1.85 SOG 16 SV 14 SV% .875
Thrashers - Sauve: Overall 65 Minutes 65:00 GA 2 GAA 1.85 SOG 16 SV 14 SV% .875

Thrashers of note in this game were Jim Slater and Ilya Kovalchuk, though neither potted the SO goal.

Slater: 1a, 2 shots, 50% faceoff success, 100% passing, 2 hits, missed in SO, 5th in TOI with 26:14 on 11 shifts, even +/-
Kovalchuk: 1a, 4 shots, 66% passing, 2 hits, 2 fights (both losses), missed in SO, 6th in TOI with 25:28 on 12 shifts, even +/-

Thoughts: A pretty heroic effort from Video Game Kaptain Kovy, picking up to fighting majors, an assist, competent passing, and generally creating some scoring chances while playing reliable, if not above-average defense. Video Game Slater played pretty much like Slater in real life. I counted many more collisions, but that particular video game only counts it as a hit if you knock the other guy down. Slates was very effective in this game. If the Video Game Atlanta Thrashers play this well the whole series, they could Cinderella the Video Game Washington Capitals and end up taking the series in a massive upset.