Can I get a hell yeah?
You have to love the increase in attention and respect paid to the Caps over the past few weeks. It's definitely well-deserved and long overdue. I guess losing only once in regulation over your last 9 games tends to make people sit up and take notice, huh?
Of course, we have to take these power rankings with a grain of salt. They've got us all over the board, some listing us at 15th or 16th, others at 12th or 13th, and my personal favorite, ESPN, who place the Caps at 9th place. That's top ten, baby!
What can be taken from all of this is the fact that the Caps are seen as an increasingly talented, tough team to play against. It's a team that goes beyond the glow of one superstar, consisting of a squad of hard-nosed youngsters who can score goals almost as pretty as Alex and Alex...all while laying out some serious body checks and the occasional punch to the nose.
I would like to say that the days are gone when players will make comments like "we can't underestimate our opponent" when referring to the Caps, or when teams losing to the Caps will use the excuse of being tired or looking past the game to a tougher opponent to explain their fall. But I know we'll continue to read those types of quotes until the ultimate validation - that shiny silver trophy at the end of the rainbow.
Still, it's nice to see this little scrappy team from the District is making people pay attention...
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
No Longer an Also-Ran
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Lightning
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Where: Verizon Center
601 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
When: Tuesday, December 19, 2006, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN, SportsTalk 980; Sun Sports TV, WDAE 620 AM
Media Notes:
WashingtonCaps.com
TampaBayLightning.com
NHL.com
Washington Post
St. Petersburg Times
2006-2007 Season Series: Caps 1-1-0, Lightning 1-1-0
2006-2007 Standings: Caps 15-10-7, 27 points - 2nd in division, 6th in conference; Lightning 14-17-2, 30 points - 4th in division, 13th in conference
Last Game: November 28 in Tampa Bay, Caps won 5-2
- The Caps snapped their season high 6-game losing streak with a win in Tampa, putting an end to the Lightning's own winning streak of 3 games.
- Coming off a strong performance in a loss to the Islanders a few days earlier, the Caps were actually dominated for most of the game but would score 3 goals in the 2nd period to take the lead 4-0 and Tampa Bay would be unable to get back into it.
- Olie Kolzig stopped 48 of 50 shots in a dominant goaltending performance, essentially giving the Caps the confidence and support needed to win. TB Coach John Tortorella, not one known for gushing about goaltenders, called it "[o]ne of the best performances I've seen in a long time by a goaltender..."
- Tampa goalie Johan Holmqvist, who had previously won 8 of his last 9, was pulled in the second in favor of Marc Denis after giving up 3 goals on 13 shots. Denis didn't fare much better, allowing 1 goal on 7 shots before the Caps added an empty-netter in the last 2 minutes of the game.
- Alex Semin returned from a shoulder injury and ended the night with the game-winning goal and an assist. Ovechkin also added a goal and an assist, while Matt Pettinger had 2 assists
- This was probably a game the Caps didn't deserve to win - they registered only 5 shots in the first and 5 in the third, ending the evening with a grand total of 20 compared to Tampa's 50 shots...
Things to Look for:
- These two teams have seemingly changed places since their last meeting, as the Caps have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 and have won 2 straight, while Tampa is 2-7-1 in their last 10 and have dropped 4 in a row. It would be nice if the Caps avoided another Freaky Friday moment and kept chugging right along while forcing Tampa Bay further into the Southeast cellar. It could happen.
- Tampa's goalie troubles continue - offseason acquisition Marc Denis has lost 10 of his last 11 starts after starting the season at 5-3-0, while Holmqvist has dropped 3 straight and allowed 11 goals during that stretch.
- The Lightning have struggled on specialty teams this year - they are ranked 21st on the power play and dead last on the penalty kill with just over 75% effectiveness.
- Another issue facing the Lightning is the inability to shut down teams in order to pull out the win - when leading after 2 periods, they are ranked 25th with a winning percentage of 75%.
- Both teams have had 2 days off since their last game, so rest is not a factor for either team. The Caps will need to jump on the Lightning early, though - they currently have the second most goals in the first 20 minutes, trailing only Toronto, while Tampa is ranked 28th and has allowed the 6th most in the first period. However, the Lightning are ranked in the top ten in scoring for the last two frames. Oddly enough, both teams are in the top 10 when it comes to goals allowed in the final two periods.
Forwards:
8-Alex "the Greater" Ovechkin, 9-Dainius "Swing and a Miss" Zubrus, 17-Chris "Hannibal Lecter" Clark
28-Alex "Hot Hands, Slippery Feet" Semin, 24-Kris "Full Circle" Beech, 18-Matt "King" Pettinger
16-Brian "Soooo Close" Sutherby, 15-Boyd "Killer" Gordon, 27-Ben "Social" Clymer
87-Donald "the Bodyguard" Brashear, 21-Brooks "Gordie Howe" Laich, 38-Jakub "Back in the Saddle" Klepis
Defensemen:
2-Brian "the Assistant" Pothier, 26-Shaone "Gotta Go to Mo" Morrisonn
47-Bryan "Scratched No" Muir, 44-Steve "...Erskine??" Eminger
6-Jamie "Scarface" Heward, 52-Mike "Babyface" Green
Goaltenders:
1-Brent "the Wanderer" Johnson, 37-Olie "the Well Rested" Kolzig
Possible Lineup for the Lightning
Forwards:
4-Vincent "Gamer" Lecavalier, 9-Eric "Lea &" Perrin, 26-Martin "Midget" St. Louis
19-Brad "It's a Glitch" Richards, 20-Vaclav "Live Long and" Prospal, 34-Ryan "CJ" Craig
29-Dmitry "Rinse Your Dishes" Afanasenkov, 27-Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor, 15-"La Femme" Nikita Alexeev
74-Nick "Short Shift" Tarnasky, 36-Andre "Lady Byng" Roy
Defensemen:
22-Dan "Oh Danny" Boyle, 54-Paul "Mighty Morphin Power" Ranger
3-Doug "Blogger" Janik, 71-Filip Kuba
21-Cory Sarich, 44-Nolan "What a Bloody" Pratt
7-Luke "the Bench Warmer" Richardson
Goaltenders:
30-Marc "Swiss Cheese" Denis, 40-Johan "Five" Holmqvist
Monday, December 18, 2006
Corey Hart is a Caps Fan
For one game, we all wear sunglasses at night.
All Quiet on the DC Front
- It's very strange when the Caps get back-to-back wins on back-to-back nights - everything goes silent. It's an interesting phenomenon; reporters, bloggers, everyone is exhausted after previewing the games, watching the games, breaking down the games...whew.
At least that's why I've been quiet. I'm worn out.
But it's a good worn out - the Caps pulled off two great wins this weekend, both solid team performances with a sprinkling of Alex magic to make them sparkle ever so slightly. It's nice to just sit back and reflect on these games, reflect on that satisfied feeling that comes from beating two of our biggest rivals, past and present.
We'll have to do it quickly, because as Vogel points out today, things are going to start ramping up over the next few weeks. These two days between games will become one day, which will become zero days. Throw in travel and the fact that the Caps will be facing teams all fighting for a firmer grip in the conference standings and you have the potential for a very tired team.
Which makes me thankful for a lot of things:
- An average age of just under 27, with 17 players under the age of 30 and 10 players 25 and under...fresh faces mean fresh legs and resiliency on consecutive nights
- A strong goaltending tandem, with Johnny and Olie both putting in consistently great performances on any given night
- Recently consistent offensive production from players not named Ovechkin, which enables Hanlon to keep Ovie's minutes per game under 60...
- A team that is able to respond well after being soundly beaten, which if we're being honest with ourselves may happen once or twice during this stretch
- Lately the Caps seem to be going with a rotating corps of youngsters mixed in with some more established veterans to make up our checking and fourth lines. The result has been scoring and scoring chances throughout the ranks, including improved performances from Brooks Laich and Boyd Gordon.
And so we have a problem, albeit one every team would like to have - too many guys playing well. When you get your injured guys back (Zednik, Bradley), who do you bench?
A tougher question and one I don't like to think about as much is this: if the Caps eventually trade for a solid veteran center or defenseman as many people think they should and will do by the deadline, who gets the hook? Who is used as trade bait? Who gets waived or sent down?
If I ran the team (and I'm sure you're all thankful I don't), I honestly don't know that I would change a thing...not yet, at least.
I am not among the majority who thinks the Caps are missing another first/second line center or another puck-moving defenseman. And that's not because I have a whole-hearted love for each and every single one of these guys and don't want to see them leave.
(Okay, that may be part of it...but it's not the only reason.)
I think too many people are seeing the progress of this team and getting overly excited - they want to pick up a rental player or two to catapult the Caps into the postseason right away. We have to be careful with that kind of thinking, though. There's a bigger picture, a long term plan that seems to be going well so far, if not ahead of schedule. The Caps need to learn how to nurture players through the development process if they want any kind of shot at a consistently competitive team. Sometimes experience is the only way to do that, and they've gotten that so far - with pretty good results, might I add. Throw in a veteran player who eats up minutes and you lose that development path. It's harder to learn when you're only seeing the ice for less than 10 minutes a night.
Players are gaining confidence in themselves and each other. Chemistry is good but still developing. It's dangerous to mess with that kind of thing. Look at something as simple as removing Beech from Semin's line - all of a sudden the hottest player in the league couldn't buy a goal, and people were wondering why. Put Beech back, and voila - suddenly we have two lines that can burn you instead of one.
I really am on board - I think we're on the right track, and I'm willing to drink the kool-aid for a little while longer. Let's see how things go at the deadline...there's a lot of hockey to be played until then.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
All Men Present and Accounted For
The Caps admittedly came out a little flat tonight. Maybe a bit of fatigue from a hard fought overtime win last night, and understandably so. The Flyers seemed to have more jump, enlivened by the return of their captain upon completion of his worldwide skate search.
But a stronger performance in the last 5-10 minutes of the period and a late goal by Dainius Zubrus to cap off the frame would propel the Caps towards one of their finest performances of the season. Semin's goal, his first of two, would give the Caps the lead and control of the game - and they wouldn't let go for the rest of the night.
That's right, they actually played the second period, and the third period too. I'd say that's a good 50 minutes...getting closer, boys!
You have to love the low shot count - 22, which must be some sort of low for the season (any of you stat geeks out there can look that up, I don't know if that's right). You have to love the performances of Alex Semin, with 2 goals and an assist, and Alex Ovechkin, with 1 goal and 2 assists.
But most of all you have to love the way the whole team just stayed in there and played a tight, controlled game. They picked up two points against a team they need to be able to beat, in decisive fashion no less, and have officially won the season series with Philadelphia. They'll get a chance to sweep the series for the first time ever when the Flyers return January 9.
There's really no need to breakdown this game all that much. If you disregard the first half of the first period, everything else seemed to be clicking - power play, penalty killing, offense, goaltending, defensive positioning, faceoffs...and it was against the Flyers. Doesn't that just make everything seem ten times sweeter?
The Caps are playing some seriously great hockey right now, which is good because the next three games come against teams jamming up the Eastern Conference - Tampa, New Jersey and Toronto. These are of course followed by the much ballyhooed rematch with the Sabres in Buffalo. (Ah, hype - I'm sure that will play out exactly the way people are predicting it will...)
With the win, the Caps move into 5th place in the conference and maintain 2nd place in the division, but with the Thrashers getting creamed tonight they are now only 5 points back of the division lead. They also earn wins in back to back games for the first time since this point last year and are 7-1-1 in their last 9 games.
Now I know we were all offended by the predictions during the offseason about the Caps finishing dead last, and I know it's probably too early to get overly cocky about this, but 5th freakin' place - did anyone see this coming?
Now here it is, your moment of zen...I mean, here are your recaps:
WashingtonCaps.com
Washington Post
Happy Caps Fans:
Kevin Hatcher Fan Club
Bleatings from a Caps Nut
Off Wing Opinion
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Flyers
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Where: Verizon Center
601 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
When: Saturday, December 16, 2006, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Info: CSN, WTEM 980 AM; CSN, WYSP
Media Notes:
WashingtonCaps.com
PhiladelphiaFlyers.com
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Daily News
2006-07 Season Series: Caps 2-0-0, Flyers 0-2-0
2006-07 Standings: Caps 14-10-7, 35 points - 2nd in division, 7th in conference; Flyers 8-19-4, 20 points - 5th in division, 15th in conference
Last Game: December 9 in Philadelphia, Caps won 5-3
- This game turned out to be much more entertaining as it went on, although not in a good way if you're a Caps fan. The Caps took a 2-0 lead early in the second period only to see the Flyers jump back into the game with 2 goals of their own. They then traded goals to knot the score at 3 after 40 minutes.
- Brooks Laich scored his first career shorthanded goal less than two minutes into the second period, giving him his second goal of the season and his second in 3 games.
- The Caps were finally able to put this one away off a goal by Bryan Muir, followed by a power play goal by Matt Pettinger in the last minute to put it out of reach.
- Ovechkin finished the night with a goal and 2 assists, while Chris Clark had a goal and an assist.
Things to Look for:
- The Caps have alternated wins and losses over their last 5 games but have gone 6-2 in their last 8 games. The Flyers, on the other hand, come in to tonight's game on a 5-game losing skid which ties their season high. Among those losses - an 8-4 mauling by the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night.
- The heroics of Ovechkin in last night's win aside, the Caps have seen a number of solid individual efforts over the last few games, most notably the recent play of Brooks Laich and Boyd Gordon. Their names may not be well known outside of the DC area, but both have been playing exceptionally well of late and have been consistently doing the little (and big) things needed to get a win. It's starting to show on the scoresheet, too, as Gordon and Laich have combined for 3 shorthanded goals already this season.
- Assorted stats and goodies: Washington remains atop the league in first period goals with 37; The Caps have the 8th most shorthanded goals in the league with 5; the Flyers have allowed an verage of 3.81 goals per game, 30th in the league.
This is a somewhat abbreviated gameday preview - see the last Caps-Flyers gameday preview for nicknames. My brain is far too fried for back-to-back games this weekend...
Forwards:
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 18-Pettinger
16-Sutherby, 15-Gordon, 27-Clymer
87-Brashear, 21-Laich, 38-Klepis
Defensemen:
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
4-Erskine, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 52-Green
Goaltenders:
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Possible Lineup for the Flyers
Forwards:
12-Gagne, 27-Robitaille, 22-Knuble
19-Calder, 20-Umberger, 24-Kapanen
29-Fedoruk, 11-Potulny, 9-Ruzicka
55-Eager, 36-Ellison, 15-Dimitrakos
Defensemen:
2-Hatcher, 45-Picard
44-Pitkanen, 46-Timonen
6-Jones, 43-Jonsson
Goaltenders:
30-Niittymaki, 35-Houle
Thrashers, Meet Ovechkin
I know we're all shocked that the media hype and fan intensity didn't translate into all out war tonight.
Shocked.
Really.
Unfortunately if you tuned in tonight expecting to see an old school bench-clearing brawl between the Caps and the Thrash, you were probably disappointed.
But for the rest of us - those of us who like fast-paced, intense hockey, those of us who appreciate solid play from both sides, those of us who are a fan of Ovechkin and everything he does, well...tonight could not have been better.
It actually ended up being a very entertaining game, with both teams playing a very good game. There was intensity and physicality but nothing over the top, nothing to suggest that the bad blood so frequently trumpeted in the press over the past few days was real. It looked like, dare I say it, a division rivalry complete with all the implications - the Caps pick up a point on Atlanta and now sit in second in the division, 7 points out of first place.
But let's face it - as well as the Caps played for the majority of the game, this was all Alex Ovechkin. Once again he picks up the hat trick in dramatic fashion, scoring all three Caps goals including the tying goal in the last minute and the game-winner...6 seconds into overtime.
Blink and you missed it.
Only a few bad things I can think of - Jon Sim scoring (again...what is that??), Semin's tryout for the Russian Diving Team Captain, and some of the third period, which seemed to replace the second as the slightly sluggish frame of the night yet still provided some entertaining hockey.
Good stuff all over the place - Johnny again looked solid albeit giving up that first goal that he maybe should have had; the return of Jamie Heward complete with face shield; Brooks Laich, Matt Pettinger, Alexander Semin, Boyd Gordon, et al flying all over the place...
We all know who the true star of tonight's game was, though - it was Ovie who started and ended the scoring with a great individual effort and it was Ovie who lead the Caps to another two-point night.
Special shout-out to those of you who made it to the very first Caps blogger viewing party - it was great to meet all of you tonight! I hope to see more of you at future events...stay tuned to KHFC for more details :)
Friday, December 15, 2006
Killer, Coverage and Quotes
- Let it be known that the guys over at onfrozenblog are now officially my heroes – they have posted an interview with none other than Kevin “Killer” Kaminski himself. I was going to comment there but figured I’d been gushing too much on their site already...
I remember seeing Killer play and I also remember being both terrified of him and enthralled by him. He was thrilling to watch – when he lined up a guy for a hit I often found myself holding my breath, almost as if he was going to hit me. It just brings back memories of an era when the Caps were very physical, with the likes of Kaminski, Alan May, Mark Tinordi, Chris Simon, Craig Berube, Dale Hunter, Al Iafrate...old school, old time hockey for sure.
And how much money would you pay to see Killer just completely destroy Crosby with a beautiful open ice hit? Ah, there's a nice image for your Friday afternoon.
- It’s interesting to look at media coverage of a game from all angles and see how the bias, inherent in all hometown beat writers, plays out. Sometimes the reporter just slightly tinges the article with bias, but still presents both sides of the matchup and quotes the players in full context; other times you get those one-sided missives that only show the local opinion.
There is no better representation of this phenomenon than in the media coverage of tonight’s impending match. Simply compare the article by Tarik El-Bashir to the one by Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s John Manasso and tell me who painted a more balanced picture. While the Post article does a pretty good job of laying out the facts of November 22, I felt like the AJC article was just one more tool by the Thrashers organization to fan the flames and sell out a game that maybe wouldn’t have drawn a crowd otherwise. Bring on the overhype.
That’s not to say that Tarik and Dave Fay at the Times haven’t had their moments of biased pro-Caps coverage. In fact, I’d say it happens more often than not, especially with Fay (although his bias tends to be almost anti-Caps, but that’s a different issue). It’s just interesting to see how different the tone of each piece is this time around.
- I loved this quote by Brashear – I think it sums up the transition the Caps have undergone in the last few weeks perfectly:
"Because we play physical, we get some guys pushing back," said Brashear, anAnd tell me you didn’t laugh when you read this:
enforcer who is one of hockey's best fighters. "That gets the emotions going. And we care for each other [awww...Donny!], so things happen. If one guy is in trouble, we are all in trouble."
Asked if he was disappointed Sutton will be unable to play, Brashear said: "I certainly would have had my eye on him. Guys are harder to intimidate because of the rules now.
Brashear then flashed a menacing smile and added, "But I can still find a way."
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Thrashers
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Where: Philips Arena
One Philips Drive
Atlanta, GA 30303
When: Friday, December 15, 2006, 7:30 pm
Broadcast Information: NC8, CSN+, WTNT 570 AM; SportSouth, 680 The Fan
Media Notes:
WashingtonCaps.com
AtlantaThrashers.com
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Crosby-Ovechkin Recap
2006-07 Season Series: Caps 0-2-2, Thrashers 4-0-0
2006-07 Standings: Caps 13-10-7, 33 points - 3rd in division, 9th in conference; Thrashers 18-9-5, 41 points - 1st in division, 2nd in conference
Last Game: November 22 in Washington, Caps lost 4-2
- I don't know that I really need to recap the last game - it was definitely one for the water cooler (you know, if you happen to work with people who know what hockey is...). If you don't know what happened, I think there might have been one or two articles written on it somewhere.
- I did find an article that was published a few days after the infamous brawl, which I had somehow missed in the press pileup. It's really an unbelievable piece from a supposedly unbiased source, and it basically contends that the Thrashers were angels in all of this and the Caps were a bunch of big, bad bullies. It even paints Hanlon (good ol' Hugs himself) as some screaming maniac and Hartley as the cool, calm one who was worn down and forced reluctantly into a yelling match. Love that journalistic integrity. (For more bias and one-sided points of view, see Journal-Constitution, Atlanta).
- More importantly than all the fighting, of course, was the fact that the Caps again blew an early lead in the second period, letting the Thrashers back in the game with 3 quick goals to put it away long before the nastiness got underway.
Things to Look for:
- Much has been made about the fighting from the last game and whether there will be blows exchanged tonight. The straw that broke the camel's back, Andy Sutton, is actually out of the lineup (sniff...poor baby) but other resident tough guy and cheap shot artist Eric Boulton will be on the bench. That being said, I think we can all agree that games like this rarely live up to the hype. I wouldn't be surprised if a fight or two broke out, but I don't think we can expect an all out brawl.
- The part people seem to be glossing over is that both these teams come into tonight's game needing a win, as the Caps have dropped 2 of 3 and Atlanta just lost their 3rd straight. The Thrashers maintain their grip on first place in the division, but all of a sudden their position seems a little more tenuous - after opening up a big gap early, only 8 points separate them from the 3rd place Caps now.
- We all know that the Caps have not fared well against the Thrash over the last two seasons, but at least this year they've avoided the blowout losses handed to them early in last year's campaign. 3 of the 4 games so far have been one goal games, including 1 overtime and 1 shootout.
- The search continues for that elusive 60 minute game - we saw in the game on Monday how quickly things can turn around, as the Caps blew a 4-0 lead before falling in a shootout. The Thrashers may be slumping of late but they still have the firepower up front that has stung the Caps so many times before - defense has to be solid from all positions for the entire game. I'll say it again...and again...and again - a game lasts 60 MINUTES.
- We've talked about the Caps' continuing second period struggles, but I think it's also worth mentioning how well they've come out of the gate in the opening 20 minutes. They are currently first in the league in first period scoring with 36 goals. It's just those pesky other two periods that get in the way...
- Olie has looked almost human of late, continuing to make good saves but also letting in the occasional softie or mishandling the puck. Since the Caps will probably go with Johnson for the Philadelphia game on Saturday, Olie will need to shake off his last few starts and get back to where he once was - especially considering that Atlanta hotshot goalie Kari Lehtonen has also struggled in his last few starts.
- Does anyone else really want to see if Hanlon continues his rendition of the Chicken Dance tonight? No? Just me?
(Venue subject to change - for more information, visit the Kevin Hatcher Fan Club)
In honor of the hype and ballyhoo surrounding the donnybrook from last game, I've selected a theme for today's nicknames. It's subtle, but see if you can guess it!
Forwards:
8-Alex "Ejected" Ovechkin, 9-Dainius "Sin Bin" Zubrus, 17-Chris "You Grab My Face Shield, Ilya, I Grab Your Face" Clark
28-Alex "Bring it On" Semin, Kris "Payback's a" Beech, 18-Matt "Feisty Fists" Pettinger
87-Donald "the Instigator" Brashear, 16-Brian "K.O." Sutherby, 27-Ben "Drop 'Em" Clymer
21-Brooks "Old School, Through the Jersey" Laich, 15-Boyd "Killer" Gordon, 10-Matt "Lights Out" Bradley
Defensemen:
2-Brian "the Pugnacious" Pothier, 26-Shaone "the Mutilator" Morrisonn
4-John "One-Punch" Erskine, 44-Steve "More than One Punch" Eminger
47-Bryan "Give 'Em Hell" Muir, 52-Mike "Heads Up" Green
Goaltenders:
1-Brent "Go 'Round" Johnson, Olie "Coming Down the Ice" Kolzig
Possible Lineup for the Thrashers
You know what? I don't really feel like even granting them nicknames this time around, and the lineup will be available later on WashingtonCaps.com if you really have to know who's fight-, er, playing...
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Bloggers Unite, Continued...
Due to difficulties finding a normal place that will show the Caps-Thrashers game tomorrow night, I believe we will have to resort to (shudder) ESPNZone for our first Caps blogger outing.
Please do not misconstrue this as an endorsement of ESPN or anything they do, but take it for what it's worth - NewsChannel 8 sucks. Well, it sucks for anyone with Comcast. Or DirecTV. Or Cox (I think...) I actually have no problem getting games on NC8.
But solidarity, Caps fans.
Anyways, this is a tentative plan pending confirmation from the Zone that the game will, in fact be shown there. You can join up by either e-mailing me for more details on where to meet and at what time, or you can just show up. Of course, you do that at your own risk since you probably don't know what any of us look like...
Hope you all can make it - see you tomorrow night!
Goonies Never Say Die...Neither does Matt P.
- I had a comment from Victor earlier today about the recent increase in PIMs for the Caps since the Thrashers game and whether that would lead to the Caps being perceived as goons. I started to respond but it got really long, so I figured it was worthy of opening it up to discussion as a post.
This is actually something I was thinking about recently - the fact that there seems to be a fight per game since that Atlanta game is very strange if you look at the numbers from the first part of the season and then stats from recent games. Fighting majors have dramatically increased; when even Ovechkin has one (as trumped up as it was) you know something is different.
However, it’s hard to say that they’re going to be seen as goons just because of that. If you think about it, the Thrashers game is really a benchmark for the team chemistry that has been building up all season. Events like that, as many of the players commented afterwards, can only serve to bring a team closer together. As a result they’re quicker to jump to a teammate’s aid - I would say that a good portion of the fights since then have been caused by guys sticking up for one another. Let’s face it, you don’t get someone like Brooks Laich dropping the gloves just for the heck of it.
The problems are the fights that start for no apparent reason, and a buildup of those can lead to being perceived as the second coming of the Charlestown Chiefs.
Take, for example, the fights in the Anaheim game last week. There were two in the first period – that between two teams who really have no history, no bitterness (with the exception of the AHL playoffs last year, but considering the combatants I doubt that was a factor). But this was rare for the Caps – almost every other fight before and since was started in defense of a teammate, and I have to admire that.
And to me, the teams that I see as tending towards the ‘goonish’ are teams that not only fight for no reason, but also take a lot of cheap shot penalties – your boarding, charging, cross-checking, elbowing calls. These are usually common among bigger, slower teams that have no other way to catch up with or shut down the faster teams in the league other than to take someone's head off.
If you look at a breakdown of the Caps penalties, the majority of them are your garden variety penalties usually taken to prevent a scoring chance or as part of a scramble for the puck along the boards – hooking, holding, the occasional slash, etc. Mix in a couple of assorted favorites such as too many men or delay of game and you have the Caps penalty scorecard. Mild-mannered as they come...unless you take a run at one of their teammates, that is.
Hopefully the refs will remain objective and not pin a label on the Caps just yet – after all, in my opinion they’re simply taking care of what many times the officials did not. Thoughts?
- If you haven’t already read it, be sure to read the great Pettinger profile on WashingtonCaps.com. You know, somehow I forgot that Petty’s only been up with the big boys for a short time, really just two full seasons. For some reason it feels like he’s been around a lot longer, which I think speaks volumes to his role on the team. Regardless, it’s no secret that I loved his performance last year and have been over the moon with what he’s done this year (minus that brief adjustment period after his injury). He’s a player I would love to see in a Caps uniform for years to come and I thought this was just a great look at a great player.
Ah, Mike Vogel strikes again...see, he has the resources (and, y'know, the talent) to do really interesting things when the schedule lags. All I can do is link to his work and wait for gameday...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Don't Believe the Hype
Earlier today I stopped by Southeast Shootout and watched the little YouTube clip about the Caps-Thrashers game, which kept cutting off with about 10 seconds left. So, assuming it was another fan creation, I laughed it off and went on with my day.
After returning home, I found an e-mail from the Atlanta Thrashers (I had signed up as a Blueland Insider or whatever their registered content is called) heralding the match:
There is no love lost between the Thrashers and Washington following Atlanta's 4-2 win last month. In a closely contested game, tensions erupted in the final minutes resulting in ten fighting majors, seven game misconducts, and three suspensions. The Thrashers are 4-0 against the division rival this season, but the physical battles have required overtime twice and a shootout once. Don't miss a play as the action heats up on Dec. 15 [...]It also shows a video player which when you click on it, takes you to their website...where I found the YouTube clip. By the way, if you haven't seen it, it'll definitely want to make you go out there and smack some Thrashers around yourself - very "Thrashers are angelic, Caps are evil" vibe going on.
So this is how they sell tickets down south? Mr. Bettman won't like that. What's more, if the SeSo gang is correct in their assumption (or if I am) this could even constitute as false advertising...
Bad little Thrashers. Get 'em, Gary.
Joe B. and Locker Comin' At Ya!
(So much for the sporadic posts...)
I just saw this on Comcast Sportsnet's website and hadn't seen it anywhere yet, so I thought I would get the word out:
Comcast SportsNet, the leader in local sports television, will experienceShould be interesting - Joe B. and Locker, right up close and personal. The boys on the bench will have to watch their language (ahem...Clymer).
another first on Saturday, Dec. 16, as the network broadcasts the Washington Capitals game against the Philadelphia Flyers from ice level at Verizon Center. This innovative approach places Capitals broadcasters Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin between the teams’ benches as they call the action.
I know TSN did this a few weeks ago - did anyone get to see it, and if so what did you think? Drop a comment and let us all know what to expect!
Sid the Kid's Thirsty
After the game Monday night, someone posted a note on my blog mentioning a new addition to the men's rooms at Verizon Center - in each urinal someone had placed a little picture of Sidney Crosby saying "I'm Thirsty".
Now, I'm not really one for toilet humor - (drum fill) thank you, I'll be here all week - but I have to admit I laughed when I saw that.
I know there are people out there who are reading this and shaking their heads, wondering when we became so tasteless, so vulgar, so like, for example, Philly fans...or so sayeth “Hockey Fan”, who made such a comment on Ted’s blog yesterday. With all due respect, folks, lighten up. It’s a game, and part of the fun is being able to direct some good-natured ribbing at the other team, whatever form that may take.
(And at least we don’t chant “Here we go, Redskins, here we go” at hockey games; that will forever separate us from Philly...)
So far the reaction I’ve gotten when I’ve mentioned it has been “ew!” – which is then immediately followed by uncontrollable laughter. Go figure.
Anyways, I was wondering who was behind this lovely little homage to Sid the Kid when lo and behold, I got an e-mail from Neil C. – the urinal bandit himself. He's been making the Caps' blogger rounds spreading the word of this new tradition he started for every Pittsburgh visit to DC. Feedback has been good, and our other local bloggers have shown the love. Even Dan Steinberg and our local Caps fan celebrities got a chuckle out of it.
Apparently people enjoy, er, aiming for the stars...
I'll jump on the bandwagon and add my voice to the handful that have spoken. The consensus? Pretty darn funny, Neil – well done!
Caps Bloggers Unite!
- Just a quick note to let all my fellow Caps' bloggers know about the brainstorm from the author of the Kevin Hatcher Fan Club to get a group together for Friday night's Caps-Thrash game. He's currently in the process of finding a place that will be showing the game (thanks, NC8) but be sure to check his blog for details as they become available. You can also check out Off Wing Opinion, if only to read my e-mail to all of you...
- I hate this damn schedule - I have nothing of interest to write about or rant about, which is unsettling to me in so many ways. I do love to rant.
- Ovie was a Frozen Moment on NHL.com (link is officially defunct, but I saved the picture). By my count that's at least the third or fourth frozen moment featuring the Caps...and I think all of them have been either a goal or scoring chance by our boys!
- The Flames won their tenth straight home game in decisive fashion last night, beating the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to set a franchise record. Jarome Iginla had 2 goals and 2 assists in the victory. Yeah, not bad...
- Peter Bondra (remember him?) made his debut with the Chicago Blackhawks last night and scored his 499th goal as the Blackhawks defeated the Blues in a true clash of the titans. Incidentally, Peter's daughter has decided to attend Georgetown...congrats to the little Bonzai!
- Alex Ovechkin remains in second place among Eastern Conference forwards - that's good, but still not enough as he now trails Crosby by over 230,000 votes...speaking of which, have you all heard about the Penguins offering laptops for voting at games? Apparently the Caps are going to start doing that, but one wonders if it will be enough.
Posting may be a bit sporadic between now and Friday - there's just not that much going on with the Caps and I may actually try to do some work, you know, since I'm getting paid. If you're bored, feel free to swing on by the HLOG for discussions that are always lively; there's a particularly mean post about Penguins fans on there by yours truly.
If that doesn't float your boat check out any of the reputable and disreputable links provided for your clicking pleasure.
I'll be back with a gameday preview very early Friday morning (provided nothing exciting happens between now and then)...
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Damn Dirty Birds
Usually I can wake up the morning after a loss and start looking at the positive things, the silver lining – that is, after all, my specialty. The most painful losses become learning experiences with the fresh eyes of dawn.
Not today.
No, my friends, today I choose bitterness and anger. Because that wasn’t just a loss to the Penguins...it wasn’t even just a loss to the Penguins with 8-9,000 of their closest friends in our building. It was a loss to the Penguins with 8-9,000 of their closest friends in our building on national television after dominating for the first half and jumping out to a 4 goal lead before losing...in a shootout.
I think the most frustrating part of last night’s result is the fact that the Caps actually dominated for the first half of the game and didn’t really play all that badly for the remaining half. They even managed to essentially shut down both Crosby and Malkin for the majority of the game. Forget the fact that each of them had a goal and an assist – every other time they had the puck it seemed like a Caps defenseman was on them immediately, making a great poke check or disrupting a pass.
That damn second period, though – it even started out okay, with the Caps scoring 2 quick goals for a seemingly unbeatable 4-0 lead. Unbeatable unless you’re playing the Caps, that is. Suddenly it’s 4-1...then 4-2, 4-3. Olie looks much smaller in net and Caps fans are starting to get nervous. That of course results in Penguins fans acting like themselves, getting bolder and more obnoxious with each goal.
Which brings me to my favorite and least favorite topic all wrapped up in one - mulleted, ugly-jersey wearing, jams-sporting, beer-drinking Penguins fans. You think it’s a stereotype, but then you see them and you know it barely begins to describe this phenomenon. And what is it about all fans from Pennsylvania that they can’t seem to figure out what sport they’re watching? I’m sorry, but if I have to hear “Let’s Go Steelers” or “E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!” at another hockey or baseball game I’m going to lose it.
By the way, why is it that when the other team’s fans start chanting we can’t seem to be able to out yell them? When fans start a “Let’s Go Pens” chant, the best thing to do is yell “Let’s Go Caps” as loud as possible, drown them out...but there we were, my sister, my roommate and I, yelling like morons – and people were staring at us like we were, well, morons. It’s a hockey game, people, not a symphony. You don’t have to wait for the organ to prompt you, or Goat or the Horn Guy; you are allowed to cheer on your own. Sheesh.
But I digress.
Back to last night – my section was pretty evenly split between Caps fans and Penguins fans, which is nothing unusual. All of a sudden a fight breaks out right there in the seats, and as quickly as that one is broken up it erupts again. Security comes in, people are ejected...and yet another fight starts a few rows back. Luckily everything cooled down and someone even texted a message to the screen between periods 2 and 3 that you might have seen: "Section 417 Can't we all just get along". I'll admit it though; I was nervous for a while – because as much as I love seeing fights on the ice, fights in the stands terrify me. It doesn’t happen all that often, especially at Caps games, but that’s the effect of evil Penguins fans in our building. They make otherwise mild-mannered Caps fans act like idiots. And I’m not excusing the action of the Caps fans, because they were there too; but when was the last time that happened against the Thrashers? Anyone?
Now that I’ve ranted and rambled a bit I feel I am finally able to end this on a positive note. After all, there was some good in all of this. Sure, they blew a lead...again. And Olie maybe wasn’t as sharp as he’s been these past few weeks. But the Caps managed to get a point and remain ahead of the Penguins in the standings, moving into 7th place. Clark put together an excellent game, with 2 goals and an assist. Ovie got 2 assists and finally, finally scored a shootout goal and you could see the relief in his celebration. Gordon played what I thought was one of his best games of the season, as did Laich – so close to the Gordie Howe hat trick, by the way; just missing that helper.
So we are humbled just a bit and we move on. Another evil team waits for us in the wings and the Caps have a nice long rest to think about what needs to change before they make their way to big bad Atlanta. The Caps and Penguins don’t meet until February, and the Pens don’t return to Verizon until March.
I think we’ll be ready for them.
Monday, December 11, 2006
4 Goals...the Most Dangerous Lead in Hockey
This whole taking the lead than giving up the lead thing is getting old.
So is the not showing up for second periods, either entirely or just in part.
And the whole losing to the Penguins thing.
And Penguins fans in general. Okay, we get it. You guys are all enormous jackasses. No need to advertise that fact every waking second, especially when every single one of you leaves the big ArmPitt to live...here.
Clearly I'm bitter; if you saw the game you can hardly blame me. I had a whole list of rants to go up here, but after having read one of my fellow Caps bloggers' recaps I have nothing new to add. Everything I was going to write is in there, so instead I'm going to try and sleep this one off. After all, tomorrow is another day.
So I'll be back tomorrow with insights from a cooler head and stories from section 417.
More Than Meets the Eye
To the outsider, tonight’s game is exactly what everyone is hyping – a game between Ovechkin and his Capitals, Crosby and his Penguins. Any conversation about the resurgence of both clubs since last year is still attributed to these two young stars with the occasional mention of the other breakout players on each roster (Malkin, Semin, etc.).
But to the diehard Caps fan and probably some Penguins fans as well, tonight’s game is less about the Ovie vs. Crosby matchup and more about the continuation of a long-standing rivalry.
Sure, we’ll argue with Penguins fans until our faces turn blue as to who has the more talented player (even though the answer, if I’m being honest, is neither, since they’re both phenomenally talented). They’ll throw Crosby’s point totals in our face, we’ll rub the Calder Trophy in theirs.
But it’s just another chapter, another facet of this rivalry that has spanned decades.
For whatever reason, the destiny of these two teams seems to be forever linked. They’ve gone through the highs and lows at roughly the same time; they’ve met in the playoffs over and over...and over; they’ve both done the salary dump; they’ve each drafted the hot young player who everyone is talking about. Even their farm teams are bitter division rivals in the hotly contested Eastern Division of the AHL.
You can talk about the old-time rivalries between all of the Patrick Division teams, which are certainly still strong, but nothing brings more joy to a Caps fan than a win over the hated Penguins...and nothing is more painful than a loss to them. Standings, playoff implications, divisional alignments – none of those things matter. It matters even less that neither team has a roster even closely resembling what they had the last time they met in the postseason.
Tonight, for the first time in a long time, these rivals will meet at a point when both are in the midst of successful seasons, separated by 3 points in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference. As a lucky ticket-holder to tonight’s game, I’m hoping that all involved – Ovechkin, Semin, Crosby, Malkin, and everyone else – come with their best game and really put on a show. With this much talent between the two teams, this should be a game to remember (and if we're lucky, another notch in the win column for the Caps).
Because this game may not mean anything (yet), but to a Caps fan it means everything.
Glory, glory hallelujah - his truth is marching on...
Sorry. Couldn’t resist the appropriately cheesy ending for a cheesy post :)
Better Than Standing in the Shower...
- Ovechkin's latest commercial will also feature Caps' owner (and founder of the blogger outreach program) Ted Leonsis - check out the behind-the-scenes article and accompanying slideshow for Ovie's brush with the limelight.
Wonder if Sabres fans will say he should be suspended for that hit on the vending machine...oh, now, Buffalo faithful, don't get your pants in a twist - I'm just teasing. Said with love and respect, I swear.
- So all that this hype for tonight's game is doing is making me antsy and unproductive at work...was that their plan? Because if it was, I don't think I'm the target audience. I'm already in, they sold me, I'm hooked - I'll be at the game while recording it on Versus (my life was so meaningless and empty before DVR), and if I wasn't at the game I'd be watching.
For those of you who have checked in more than once today, you may notice that the list of articles in the gameday preview has grown considerably. That's because every hockey writer in North America wants to do a story on Ovie vs. Sid the Kid...and they're taking their sweet time doing it. Would it be too much to ask as a lowly blogger to get those stories out the night before?
Come on, guys - I have work to do.
Really. Seriously.
Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Penguins
Who: Your Nation's Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Where: Verizon Center
601 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
When: Monday, December 11, 2006, 7:00 pm
Broadcast Information: Versus; WTNT 570 AM, WXDX 105.9 FM
Versus is planning to roll out some interesting additions to tonight's broadcast: both Ovechkin and Crosby will be mic'd for the whole game and there will be interviews with the two youngsters as well as teammates and coaches. The funniest addition? An interview, taped yesterday, with Evgeni Malkin...as translated by Ovechkin. Classic.
I'm going to miss all the hoopla as I will be at the game tonight, but I'll definitely be recording it and will try to recap it for anyone who doesn't have Versus. (How do you live without professional bull riding??)
Media Notes:
WashingtonCaps.com
PittsburghPenguins.com
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Thanks for Noticing...
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
PTR: Scouting the Caps
PTR: Penguins' Notebook - This just in...Bob Hartley picks the Pens over the Caps as the best young team in the league. And here I thought he loved us.
My New Favorite Pundit (As posted last night)
Malkin's learning English...from a preschooler.
Actually I think it's kind of cute, I'm just being snarky on principle...
All the Hype:
CBC
CBC 2
NHL.com
Tale of the Tape
USA Today
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Winging It (NBC.com)
Burnside Gets into the Game
Burnside...again
(See what happens when you're nice to my boys, Scotty? I give you links. That's what we call a win-win situation)
SI.com
2005-06 Season Series: Caps 1-3-0, Penguins 3-1-0
2006-07 Standings: Caps 13-10-6, 32 points - 3rd in division, 8th in conference; Penguins 12-11-5, 29 points - 4th in division, 13th in conference
Last Game: March 8 in Washington, Caps won 6-3
- Ovechkin finally bested Penguins rookie phenom Sidney Crosby in the final battle of the young superstars, collecting his 42nd goal and adding two assists for good measure. Crosby managed just an assist on the Penguins' first goal of the night.
- Ivan Majesky scored his first (and last) goal as a Capital on a clearing attempt that took an odd bounce and confused goaltender Sebastian Caron; the puck zigged, the goalie zagged, and just like that Ivan was on the scoresheet. He would later cap off his point-scoring bonanza with an assist on Matt Pettinger's empty net goal.
- The Penguins took 10 penalties in this game and the Caps made them pay, scoring twice with the extra man. They also added a shorthanded goal and killed off all five penalties, but did allow one shorthanded goal against.
- A Penguin was called for diving, but it wasn't Crosby who was sent to the sin bin for that particular infraction - however, he was called for interference later in the game...strange.
- Clark, Zubrus and Pettinger each scored a goal for the Caps - it was their 13th, 14th and 15th goals respectively, a total which all three look poised to surpass at this point in the season.
- During the first intermission a pigeon that apparently lost his way started playing a game of chicken with the zambonis. It then continued to throw caution to the wind throughout the game by landing in either end and facing the wrath of the idle goaltender's stick. Long live the rally pigeon!!
Things to Look for:
- It's important to look past the hype of Crosby/Malkin vs. Ovechkin and focus on the fact that coming into tonight's game, these are two very evenly matched teams...at least in the numbers game...that have experienced an upswing since last season. Of course, neither team really had anywhere else to go but up, but that's a different issue.
- Both teams come in to tonight's game with a day's rest after an uplifting win - the Caps over the sliding Flyers, the Pens in overtime over the Thrashers. The Caps need to avoid the first period sluggishness that showed up against the Ducks and maybe even try to play through the second period as well to avoid what happened Saturday in Philly. They are young and should be fresh, so I'll go out on a limb and ask for a full...60...minutes. Crazy, I know, but it just might work.
- Although the goal of both teams during the offseason was likely to spread the scoring around, the Caps have succeeded slightly better, with 5 players having scored 10+ goals this season compared with Pittsburgh's 2 - Malkin and Crosby.
- The Penguins have won only 2 of their last 9 games, including last night's win which snapped a four-game slide; on the flip side the Caps have won 4 of their last 5 after losing 6 straight.
- The current standings of these two teams serves as a perfect example of just how tight the conference has become as we head towards the halfway mark of the season - their records are almost identical and they are separated by only 3 points, but the Caps stand at 8th place while the Pens are at 13th overall. What's more, if the Caps pulled off a win tonight they would move into 5th place in the conference...
- The Caps will likely be facing Fleury, but both goalies for the Penguins have struggled lately - Fleury is 1-2 with a 3.86 goals against average and an .841 save pct. in his last four starts, while Thibault has yet to earn his first win and is 0-4 in his 5 starts this season.
Forwards:
8-Alex "the Better One" Ovechkin, 9-Dainius "Zoobie Doobie Doo" Zubrus, 17-Chris "Roof It" Clark
28-Alex "Post-Post-Bar" Semin, 24-Kris "Life's a" Beech, 18-Matt "King" Pettinger
27-Ben "Heart of Gold" Clymer, 16-Brian "So Close" Sutherby, 15-Boyd "PK King" Gordon
87-Donald "Piano Man" Brashear, 21-Brooks "What's Not to" Laich, 38-Jakub "Put Me in, Coach" Klepis
Defensemen:
2-Brian "the Assistant" Pothier, 26-Shaone "Gonchar Who?" Morrisonn
4-John "Clearing Attempt" Erskine, 44-Steve "Scary No More" Eminger
47-Bryan "Hot Hands" Muir, 52-Mike "Babyface" Green
Goaltenders:
1-Brent "Go Johnny Go!" Johnson, 37-Olie "Cover Boy" Kolzig
Possible Lineup for the Pens
Forwards:
12-Ryan "Leave Me" Malone, 87-Sidney "the Runner-Up...Crybaby...Ballot Box Stuffer...Canadian Diving Team Captain" Crosby [so many nicknames - pick your favorite], 8-Mark "Should've Stayed in NC" Recchi
16-Erik "Helena" Christensen, 71-Evgeni "Gonch's Ward" Malkin, 20-Colby "Jack Cheese" Armstrong
11-Jordan "the Other" Staal, 18-Dominic "Sin Bin" Moore, 7-Michel "Faux Leather" Ouellet
37-Jarkko "Lady Byng" Ruutu, 25-Maxime "Shortie" Talbot, 26-Ronald "I Heart Evil Teams" Petrovicky
Defensemen:
2-Josef "Gonchar's Backup System" Melichar, 55-Sergei "Wait...I'm a Defenseman?!?" Gonchar
19-Ryan "Bobby &" Whitney, 32-Alain Nasreddine (Yeah...I got nothing)
44-Brooks "the Lesser Brooks" Orpik, 47-Micki "Mouse" Dupont
Goaltenders:
29-Marc-Andre "Just a Little Snow" Fleury, 41-Jocelyn "In the Mood for a Nice Juicy" Thibault
