tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-342268252024-03-07T16:16:16.634-05:00A View from the Cheap SeatsA forum for all things Washington Capitals - the Good, the Bad, and the Ovie!CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.comBlogger833125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-63452126403604270192008-06-10T05:51:00.001-04:002008-06-10T05:55:48.651-04:00Moving DayThe Cheap Seats are moving to swankier digs!A View from the Cheap SeatsThis site will remain up for the foreseeable future but will no longer be updated after today, so please adjust your bookmarks and site readers as necessary.Special thanks to friend of the Cheap Seats, Geneen for all her help and support in making the jump.CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-75031535486151062462008-06-05T22:23:00.006-04:002008-06-06T16:46:36.886-04:00Fleury's CabooseIf you watched last night's Cup-clinching win by the Red Wings or saw any of the highlights you probably noticed that Detroit's third goal was a little...odd - going from the stick of Zetterberg, through a maze of players in front of Fleury, and landing between his pads.Then he sat on it, propelling the frozen rubber disk over the goal line.It would be a painful goal at any time but you almost CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-74854683917755957752008-06-04T23:18:00.007-04:002008-06-04T23:37:57.338-04:00A New Champ is CrownedCongratulations to the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions,the Detroit Red Wings!Certainly a thrilling end to a thrilling 2007-08 NHL season....is it September yet?CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-54509359756636185372008-06-04T16:07:00.002-04:002008-06-04T16:14:14.186-04:00Osala SignsMore good news on the prospect front - the Caps have signed 2006 draft pick Oskar Osala to an entry-level two-way deal, beating the deadline to sign picks from that year by a little more than a week. Osala is a physical left-winger who played two years in the OHL before returning to his native Finland last year to play for Espoo of SM-liga, where he was named the rookie of the year.If you read CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-11498880321584553382008-06-04T01:08:00.002-04:002008-06-04T01:50:37.013-04:00This Day in Caps HistoryTen years ago today, Joe Juneau sent the Caps somewhere they'd never been before - the Stanley Cup Finals. Do you remember where you were?CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-1613098991279739932008-06-03T15:40:00.004-04:002008-06-03T17:38:20.675-04:00Refs in the Penalty BoxIt's time for the NHL to take a serious look at the officiating.Forget about tweaking the rules or playing with the goalie pads to make them 1/184th of an inch smaller or deciding what undeserving location gets an outdoor game. After the Cup is handed out this week there should be only one topic of discussion for the rest of the summer, and that is the state of the penalty call in today's CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-9187583504492927232008-06-01T14:13:00.010-04:002008-06-01T15:09:44.485-04:00Season in Review: EntertainmentIt's impossible to go to a hockey game at any level these days and not find yourself bombarded with music, strange sounds, flashing lights, stupid audience participation games and feeble attempts at getting the crowd to cheer. It is, as some have mentioned in the past, the death of the pure hockey experience. The mantra of NHL arenas these days seems to be "keep them stimulated at all times", andCapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-79860539327103945022008-05-31T00:25:00.000-04:002008-05-31T00:29:56.803-04:00Season in Review: DefensemenAh, the Caps defense - a ragtag bunch of guys who ranged from the magnificent to the mediocre (said with love, of course). How did they fare this year?Steve Eminger - Poor Emmy. He was so frustrated this year as he found himself inexplicably exiled to the press box night after night, even after a coaching and systems change that seemed perfectly suited to his style of play. When he did manage to CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-65010467013661664462008-05-29T16:13:00.001-04:002008-05-29T18:19:58.553-04:00Season in Review: Forwards (Pt 2)Completing our look at the forwards...Viktor Kozlov - Kozlov took a lot of heat from Caps fans throughout the season for what was seen by some as a lack of production. But as easy as it is to dismiss someone who only had three goals by January 1, it's important to look at the whole picture. What he lacked in goal-scoring he gained in his ability to provide a solid linemate for Ovechkin - like CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-38180175210765630412008-05-27T16:21:00.005-04:002008-05-27T16:45:48.412-04:00Brads is Sticking AroundFirst and foremost, that "Yippee!" sound you just heard was the collective cry of joy of Matt Bradley fans everywhere - including yours truly. The gritty RW inked a three year, $3 million contract that will keep him in DC and avoid the whole messy becoming a UFA thing July 1.It's just another one of those great signings - keeping a key piece of the team in place, making sure the team chemistry isCapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-42135310244248224682008-05-24T12:18:00.006-04:002008-05-25T16:33:56.120-04:00Season in Review: Forwards (Pt 1)Time to do what we do best as fans - judge, analyze, and at times mock our favorite players. How did they perform this year? Did they disappear in the playoffs or step up? Underachieve or exceed expectations?Up first, the forwards - Backstrom to Gordon.Nicklas Backstrom - Backstrom's journey this year may not have started with the instant spark of his teammate Alex Ovechkin; his skills were CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-52338231487105163182008-05-20T17:41:00.004-04:002008-05-20T17:44:58.828-04:00Party On, AlexWant a preview of what the Caps' locker room could look like in the next few years? Check out this footage from right after the Russians captured the gold, complete with bad Russian music and worse Russian singing from our very own #8.CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-5848733198455797562008-05-18T20:09:00.010-04:002008-05-18T21:33:17.010-04:00Russians Are GoldenThere's been hockey aplenty this weekend, with international play colliding with NHL conference finals in an all-out battle for hockey supremacy and the attention of hockey fans everywhere.Without a doubt, though, the most exciting (and least painful, unless you're Canadian) of these games was today's World Championship gold medal game. It was the ultimate game, a clash of the titans, two CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-39493929835810117422008-05-14T20:42:00.003-04:002008-05-15T21:02:58.426-04:00Defining MomentsOkay, that does it. No more moping.It's been an emotional few weeks around here - the Caps are out, the Habs are out, Olie is out, and sadly Sid's playoff beard continues to be missing in action. Tough times all around.Rather than wallowing in misery and trying to pretend hockey doesn't exist right now, it's better to admit that the daily Redskins report on Washington Post Live just isn't doing CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-72165307111798752502008-05-09T18:10:00.005-04:002008-05-09T19:09:43.144-04:00Farewell, OlieIt's a sad day for Caps fans.No, it may not be unexpected or surprising. But hearing the news that Olie Kolzig is cutting ties with the organization that drafted him, whether it's for another team or retirement, makes official something that always seemed an abstract thought, a "what if", a someday...and it's sad. Heartbreaking.Sure, he's lost a step or two over the years and he's no longer a CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-20044917891717907202008-05-01T10:32:00.006-04:002008-05-01T11:12:27.200-04:00So Much to SayWhew. And we're back. I'll tell you, there's nothing like a heartbreaking first round loss to the Flyers followed by a soon-to-be heartbreaking second round loss to the same damn team to almost make a girl lose her mojo, scrap it all and take up the NBA.So...how 'bout those Wizards, huh? Huh?Okay, no. I have no idea what's going on with the Wiz these days and honestly I couldn't care less, CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-51803142864306104612008-04-25T14:29:00.004-04:002008-04-25T17:13:29.278-04:00Hitch Up the BandwagonAs the second round of the playoffs gets underway and we are left watching it from our couches, we suddenly find ourselves with a wealth of time to talk about this season - what went right, what went wrong, and what we can expect next year.But we'll get to that later.Right now, though, I wanted to discuss something that is among my top five pet peeves, right behind the moron who gets up to use CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-16056954885809341202008-04-23T07:01:00.001-04:002008-04-23T07:06:48.203-04:00A Door Closes, A Window OpensAs I watched Alex Ovechkin embrace each of the Flyers with the class and dignity of someone ten years older, one thought kept running through my head: They deserved better. This hurts because they deserved better, each and every one of them.It does hurt. In the aftermath of this game there will be things Caps fans can complain about, things they can point to that could and should have gone the CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-66233793298695596472008-04-23T06:57:00.003-04:002008-04-23T07:02:38.313-04:00Winners Even In DefeatWhen you get knocked out of the playoffs in a year like this has been, it's understandable that the local papers will pay homage to the magical journey that it was, and rightly so. But when both the NHL's official website and ESPN come out with articles about how much the Caps achieved, how bright the future is, and how amazing they've been...you know you've got something good on your hands.From CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-70053102735413051392008-04-22T15:24:00.003-04:002008-04-22T16:07:20.622-04:00Hero TimeGame 7 is a time for heroes, both expected and unexpected.So who is it going to be?You've got your usual suspects on both sides - your Ovechkins, your Semins...if you're pessimistic, your Brieres. But as is so often the case, it's not the big-name guys who become the story the day after a Game 7.This series has had many unsung heroes who are due for a little spotlight, and the odds are just as CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-37258408189406618282008-04-22T14:11:00.001-04:002008-04-22T14:13:05.833-04:00Journey to the CupHow did we get here? The NHL Network has our Journey to the Cup all ready to go (although I think our journey involved playing teams outside of Canada...and poor Cris!):CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-33170339122490702702008-04-22T01:07:00.001-04:002008-04-22T05:40:22.898-04:00Gameday Preview: Playoff Edition, Round 1 GAME 7Who: Caps-Flyers...the final showdownWhere: DC, home of the free and the brave, the nation's capital, and birthplace of the best fans in the NHLWhen: Tonight, 7:00 pm; Rock the Red!And so the long and winding road leads us here, to Game 7 - what seemed like the unlikeliest of places just three games ago. Where there was once a two-game deficit and an almost impossible uphill climb, there is now CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-56604086570943551152008-04-21T22:13:00.004-04:002008-04-21T22:22:00.774-04:00Waking the Beast...Game 7 AwaitsNo words necessary.CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-15959797023737711002008-04-21T01:11:00.003-04:002008-04-22T05:39:10.303-04:00Gameday Preview: Playoff Edition, Round 1 Game 6Who: Caps-Flyers, you know the drill...Where: Wachovia Center, home of the worst orange shirts in the worldWhen: Today, 7:00 pm. Bring your protective cups.We all know that there's no time to pat ourselves on the backs and celebrate that one win because it's just that - one win. Two more are needed to move on, or so it says in the NHL rulebook. So two more it is.And to get those two more they CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34226825.post-43699294667974803002008-04-20T01:40:00.000-04:002008-04-20T03:47:59.217-04:00It Isn't Over YetIn more ways than one.The Caps did what they had to do - they played hard, won Game 5 and avoided elimination. They were physical. They were well-positioned. They were opportunistic. They were, for forty minutes at least, a dominant playoff team.That's step one.Step two comes tomorrow night in Philly where an orange-clad crowd would like nothing more than to watch their boys land the knockout CapsChickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12842304975138438055noreply@blogger.com1