That is apparently the play the Washington Capitals are drawing up.
The Caps are clearly unhappy about the suspension of Nicklas Backstrom, and while they say they're letting it go and moving on, their words seem to indicate otherwise.
First, it was head coach Dale Hunter.
"It's disappointing, but he's suspended, so it's in the history books, so we have to concentrate on [Thursday]," Hunter said on Wednesday.
However, when asked about Game 3, Hunter was more than happy to circle back and speak about the physical nature of that game, perhaps lobbying for a tighter-called game in Game 4.
"[The Bruins] were after the whistles and before the puck was dropped, they were doing stuff off the draw like [Milan] Lucic trying to go after [Backstrom's] head. We just have to play through it. It's up to the referees to do their job and protect players on the ice. So we just have to play."
Hunter was also asked about whether or not his team will try to play a little bit tougher, especially with the prospect of John Erskine being added to the lineup for Game 4.
"We can't take bad penalties either. You gotta be responsible and play the game the right way. The rules have always changed through the years and you have to adapt to the new rule changes. If stuff's not called properly, it gets chippier. There's more frustration. They do miss stuff. Just like other night, the winning goal was offside. … It's important to get the calls right."
Of course, Hunter wasn't alone in his crusade for calls. Caps owner Ted Leonsis took to his blog to get the word out as well.
"Complaining may make us feel better but it won't help us in our preparation for Thursday's game –- it is all about focus and attention to detail for us in this coming match up now," Leonsis wrote about the Backstrom suspension.
Apparently, however, that thought lasted just one paragraph.
"We can't let the officials play a role in our game planning — we need to remain disciplined and remember that the defending Stanley Cup champs will always get the benefit of the doubt; we need to rise above the noise and focus on signal; play tight defense — capitalize on Boston's mistakes — score when we get a power play; continue to rely on strong play in net. Don't retaliate to plays after the whistle."
Leonsis also insisted that the Caps "can't be distracted" while linking to a Washington Post story about the Backstrom suspension.
So much for letting it go.
