Green's Storm Before Calm
Capital Rides Out Emotion of Game 1

By Tarik El-Bashir
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 13, 2008

Mike Green, like many of his teammates, was nearly overcome with nerves early in his NHL playoff debut Friday night.

The 22-year-old defenseman's heart pounded as the capacity crowd at Verizon Center roared during introductions. His mind raced when he hopped over the boards for his first shift.

Simple plays, all of a sudden, didn't seem so simple.

"I usually don't get nervous," Green said after yesterday's practice. "But I was. There were a lot of feelings and emotions going through me. Things didn't come naturally. I kind of had to force things. And that's not the way to play the game."

But by the end of the second period, the jitters had subsided, and his confidence was rebounding. By the start of the third period, the player who had led all NHL defensemen with 18 goals in the regular season was back.

One of the smoothest skaters and best stick-handlers in the game, Green scored twice in the opening 6 minutes 26 seconds of the third period to key the Capitals' 5-4 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is today at Verizon Center.

"That's what happens when you have a week to prepare," Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Green's early uneasiness. "You go over all this stuff, and you want to be so perfect. You don't want to make a mistake, but you forget to play. Mike was trying to be perfect. But Mike has to be Mike."

Green benefited from the return of Shaone Morrisonn, his usual partner on the blueline. Morrisonn, who had missed the final two games of the regular season because of an upper-body injury, had some calming and reassuring words for Green after a rough opening period.

"I missed Shaone there for a few games," Green said. "It took us the first period. It was myself, too. I needed to calm down. But once we clicked again, it just felt natural. He yells a lot out there and keeps me in line."

Added Morrisonn: "A lot of us were nervous. It was the first NHL playoff game for [12] of us. Green did a great job in the second half of the game. You saw again: He's a great player. He's a game-breaker."

Despite the fact that Alex Ovechkin scored the winner late in the third period, Flyers Coach John Stevens thought his team did a decent job of neutralizing the NHL's leading scorer, who was limited to three shots on goal and none in the opening 40 minutes.

Stevens now has something else to worry about: Green.

"We allowed him to beat us up the ice too much," Stevens said of the Capitals' freewheeling defenseman. "He was great at eluding the forecheck. He was great spinning off the guy who was on him.

"He doesn't rest. He's on the attack all the time. He skates just as fast with the puck as he does without it."

What concerned Stevens most was the number of times Green mustered a shot. He fired a team-high six on goal. Four other attempts were blocked, while another three went wide.

"Thirteen times he had the puck going toward our net," Stevens said. "That's too many."

One of the blocked shots was absorbed by Flyers' left wing Patrick Thoresen. The Capitals were on the power play when Green unleashed a slap shot. Thoresen went down to block it and was struck in the groin area.

Thoresen lay on the ice writhing in pain as Green scored to tie the game at 4. He was later taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he remained overnight before being released yesterday morning. He did not require surgery as originally feared and could be back in the lineup today.

"My groin area is sore and swollen," Thoresen told reporters. "I can't really walk properly right now. It hurts."

Green didn't know how seriously Thoresen was hurt until a staff member informed him after the game. He immediately reached out to Thoresen, leaving a message for him on the cellphone of Flyers trainer Jim McCrossin.

"He wished me well," Thoresen said. "That was very classy of him."

It all made for an emotional night Green won't soon forget: the jitters; the two big goals; potentially injuring an opponent seriously; the sight of dozens of fans sporting Mohawks as a tribute to him (Green started wearing the spiked hairdo in the postseason two seasons ago in the American Hockey League).

"I know there was that section that I'd seen on the JumboTron," Green said, referring to 45 fans with Mohawks who were seated together in the upper deck after winning tickets to the game from a radio station. "That part was awesome."

But he is also happy it's all behind him now.

"I'm glad the first game is done and over," he said. "It was a long time coming, but I don't think I'll feel nervous anymore."

Capitals Note: Green earned a $150,000 bonus for leading the league in goals by a defenseman, and a total of nearly $300,000 in incentives for finishing among the leaders in several other statistical categories.