Gameday Preview: Playoff Edition, Round 1 Game 6

Who: Caps-Flyers, you know the drill...
Where: Wachovia Center, home of the worst orange shirts in the world
When: 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 need to take what they did in the first two periods of Game 5 and replicate it for 60 minutes this time. Then do it again on Tuesday. What the Caps did in Game 5 was come out guns blazing, throwing their bodies and the puck around until the Flyers were dizzy.

22-9: the hit ratio in the first. 12-4: the shot ratio in the first. 1-0: the score in the first.

All good things, and yet all good things that can be improved upon, or at the very least repeated. This team has the skill, the drive, the youth, the experience, to do all those things and do it in front of a hostile crowd. They know how to get it done; whether they do it or not remains to be seen.

It's not hard to see what works for this team. They have size. They have speed. They have the ability to shoot the puck. So it's no surprise that when they dump the puck in, when they make the simple plays to gain the zone...9 times out of 10 they keep the zone. Keep it and put pressure on and generate a scoring chance, if not a goal. It's the reason why when they do just that they look like a team that could make some noise - and not just a whimper.

And it's what we should expect to see tomorrow night, or else start thinking about next year.

The inspirational thing seemed to work last time out so we'll do this again, this time with help from our pal Kurt (channeling Herb Brooks):

Great moments are born from great opportunity.

And that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here, tonight. One game.

If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight.

Tonight, we skate with 'em.
Tonight, we stay with 'em, and we shut them down because we can!
Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.

You were born to be hockey players -- every one of ya. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time -- is done. It's over.

I'm sick and tired of hearin' about what a great hockey team the [Flyers] have. Screw 'em!

This is your time!! Now go out there and take it!

And finally, if that doesn't get the blood boiling how about a little inspirational help from yours truly...with assistance from (and apologies to) the legendary Van Halen:

Right Now
There may not be a tomorrow
So put it all out there today
One more walk into Philly
With only "vengeance" in our way

From two games down we're clawing back
But we've gotta push to get even
Just let them whine, we know the truth, we're moving on
Hey - come on turn, turn this thing around

Right now
Hey, let's take it to 'em
Right now
Think 1988!
Right now
Catch that magic midget, do it
Right here and now
It takes everything

They can shut down Ovechkin
Others come to take his place
With our own Russian army
Standing right in Biron's face

The more checks you throw, the more you crave
And even Semin's getting in it
With black and orange flying through the air
Come on bring game 7 to DC

Right now, hey
We want tomorrow
Right now
We want a miracle
Right now
Put the fight to Philly do it
Right here and now
It means everything

It's gutcheck time...right now
What are you waitin' for?
Oh, yeah, right now!

Right now
Nothing's over
Right now
Think 1988!
Right now
Catch that magic midget, dropkick him right
Right now
Right now, oh, right now

We're coming for you...right here and now
Right now...it's right now

Let's Go Caps!!

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs Predators

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Nashville Predators
Where: Sommet Center, Nashville, TN
When: Tuesday, March 18, 8:00 PM

Broadcast Info: CSN, FSN

Media Notes:
Caps' Site
NHL.com
Washington Times
Washington Post

So here we go, On the Road Again. The Caps will be looking for some Sweet Southern Comfort as they pay a visit to Nashville, home of country music and the Predators, for the first game of a season-high six game road trip. Their motto will have to be Live Like You Were Dying; in other words, leave it all on the ice and put in the hard work we've grown accustomed to seeing. Otherwise When the Sun Goes Down we'll all be singing about our Achy Breaky Heart.

We've got nine games left on the year but we're taking it one day at a time, so strap yourself in and raise a glass as the Caps take on the Preds - after all, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere. And remember, Save a Horse, Ride A Cowboy!

But seriously, folks...this game kicks off a stretch of three games in four nights (not to mention two time zones) that will go a long way toward determining whether the Caps will be playing past April 5th. It won't be an easy task, especially since they're playing a Predators team that is in basically the exact same position - two points out of 8th - followed by a few teams that may be out of it but would love to play spoiler in Chicago and Atlanta.

And then there are those pesky games against Carolina coming up...

That's something to worry about another day, though. Tonight's game is the final game in hand held by the Caps over the Canes and Panthers and a win is pretty much needed to keep them in the race for the division title. Atlanta takes on Philly at the same time, so if the Caps can pull it out and if the Thrashers can manage a win we've got ourselves a whole new ball game. Hey, it could happen!

As the Caps pay their first and only visit to the land of the Grand Ole Opry, it seems fitting to continue embracing the country music flavor that will surround our boys for about 24 hours. Here's a little sampling of what some of the boys might be listening to (although sadly we were unable to find just the right player for "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk"...shame):

Alex Ovechkin It Just Comes Natural - George Strait
Quintin Laing Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof - Travis Tritt
Steve Eminger I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams, Jr
Tom Poti How Do You Like Me Now? - Toby Keith
Alexander Semin If I Fall You're Going Down with Me - Dixie Chicks
Shaone Morrisonn You're My Better Half - Keith Urban
Brooks Laich When You're Hot You're Hot - Jerry Reed
Olie Kolzig You're Still the One - Shania Twain
John Erskine Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean
Nicklas Backstrom A Real Fine Place to Start - Sara Evans
Brent Johnson Three's a Crowd - Justin Trevino
Sergei Fedorov As Good As I Once Was - Toby Keith
Viktor Kozlov Slow Hand - Conway Twitty

And of course, what tribute to Nashville would be complete without possibly the greatest country song ever written - with a Cheap Seats twist.

We Need Friends in Low Places
(to the tune of I Got Friends in Low Places - apologies to Garth Brooks)
Such a promising start
Then it all fell apart,
And our hopefulness turned to fear,
The last ones to score,
We all thought for sure
It was destined to be a long year

But the tide slowly turned,
With each standings point earned
And we find ourselves so very close
Now we'll just make amends
Our enemies become friends
Which team will help us the most?

'Cause we need friends in low places,
When the Thrashers win
And the Penguins chase all the teams away
We'll be okay.
Desperate times like playoff races
Bring the evil teams into loving embraces.
Yes, we need friends
In low places.

It's a horrible time,
There's no reason or rhyme,
And you have to just blindly pray
That the bad guys prevail
All the teams ahead fail
And the Caps will emerge from the fray...

Hey, it may sound absurd
To say a kind word
About teams we usually hate
But if we can cash in
When someone we despise wins
It's hard to get all that irate!

'Cause we need friends in low places,
When the Thrashers win
And the Penguins chase all the teams away
We'll be okay
Desperate times like playoff races
Bring the evil teams into loving embraces
Yes, we need friends
In low places.

Oh, we need friends in low places,
When the Lightning strike
And the Devils put all the teams to sleep
The rewards we'll reap.
The Isles can win all the games they want to
If it helps us out they get a big ol' thank you!
Yes, we need friends
In low places.

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Hold On to the Feeling

Check out Mike Green's postgame interview last night - could there be a more poetic song playing in the background?

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs Lightning

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas or, like me, some good Chinese food and a movie or two. It's time to get back into the swing of things - and what better way to do that than with a home game against the lovely Lightning of Tampa Bay? Can't think of a one.

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Where: Verizon Center
When: Wednesday, December 26, 7 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; SunSports

Media Notes:
Caps' Site
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
St. Petersburg Times

As the Caps near the halfway mark of the season it's not an exaggeration to say that just about every game becomes do or die, and with six games in the next eleven nights, they need to get things going now. The word "momentum" seems to be missing from their vocabulary for whatever reason, be it in between goals or in between games, and the last thing you want to see as the second half of the season looms is a lack of momentum. You want to be picking up speed, picking up points, and picking up intensity.

The Caps can start tonight as they host division rivals Tampa Bay. The gruesome threesome - Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards - just love feasting on the Caps. On the flip side, our own Russian duo seems to like scoring on the Bolts (as does Dave Steckel), and games between these teams tend to be on the high-scoring side.

Right now the Lightning sit three points ahead of the Caps, further representing the wonder that is the Southeast Division in the basement of the East and struggling with inconsistency of their own. The Bolts have a tendency to extend their streaks a bit longer, dropping five or six in a row before storming back with a handful of wins, while the Caps have been employing the win three lose three strategy thus far.

Both teams entered the holiday break having lost four of their last five. Neither is particularly adept at achieving balanced scoring. Goaltenders for each team have struggled off and on at various points in the season. In other words, we're gearing up for yet another thrilling Southeast Showdown sure to keep you on the edge of your seats.

Recently we here in the Cheap Seats had a somewhat bizarre epiphany that Vincent Lecavalier and Beauty and the Beast's Gaston bear a striking resemblance to one another. No comment on whether this epiphany grew out of temporary sleep deprivation or not...but what follows is the musical result.

Vinny and Ovie
(to the tune of "Gaston"...with apologies to Disney)

Vinny's slicker than most
Even quicker than most
And a neck so incredibly thick Vinny boasts

For there's few men on ice half as manly
Perfect, a pure paragon!
Just a few years since hoisting Lord Stanley
Every man in the league knows to watch when he's on

He can deke to the right
Give the d-men a fright
And then pass the puck off to the midget in flight
As a twosome, yes, they're quite intimidating
Vinny's a true superstar!

He'll drop the gloves
Or dent the twine
In Tampa he's god and the rest are all swine...

But there's one player here
Who can give Vinny fear
Just a certain young Russian who grins ear to ear

He plows through guys with no second glancing
You can see he's got power to spare
Nothing stops him when he starts advancing
The puck's in the net and his fist's in the air!

Vinny ought to beware
Ovie's setting his glare
As he scores goals at will and he does it with flair
He's especially good at the celebrating
Millions of points for Ovie!

Vinny may have been the king of the South
Long before Ovie stepped on our shore
But now that he's here number 8's here to stay
And you know that he's going to score!

No one shoots like Ovie
Makes those beauts like Ovie
Then goes tearing around on a segway like he
Ovie's giving Lecavalier cause to fear him
My what a guy...Ovie!

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Gameday Preview Special: Caps vs. Penguins

Okay, everyone ready? A visit from the Penguins always calls for a little something special in my book, so if you came by looking for a regular gameday preview move along. Nothing to see here.

This year's first glimpse of our favorite feathered flightless friends comes early in the season when our threshold for pain might be a little lower. Hope everyone brings their game faces. And, you know, a few extra Caps fans...

So here's where we are heading into tonight's game. The Caps come in on a three game losing streak but had yesterday off to practice, among other things, the power play. Brilliant idea. Meanwhile the Pens squeaked out a shootout victory against the Canes last night but had dropped three of their last four before that and have been prone to slow starts.

Hanlon had the perfect quote today regarding the overhyped, overplayed, hardly a real discussion Ovechkin vs. Crosby thing:

"For the people who haven't been here, it was a rivalry long before Ovechkin and Crosby came on the scene. That's how we look at it."

Well said. Although I think Ovechkin's response to why the "rivalry" continues to be in the spotlight wins for quote of the day:

"Because they like us [and] because we're cute," he said, struggling to keep a straight face. "Because we have good smiles."

But if you really need to know what's going on in the 'race', let's look at the stats:

Ovechkin - 6 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 Pts, +1

Crosby - 6 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 8 Pts, -3

There. Now that that's out of the way...let's move on.

As usual the more insane branch of PensNation (think the Pittsburgh equivalent of us crazy Caps bloggers) is getting all riled up and unrolling those ever-creative insults for which they have become famous. Namely they like to attack our lack of attendance and absence from the playoffs...over and over and over.

Right. Because before the lockout the Penguins did really well in both areas.

Oh, but I'm not here to start a firestorm. God only knows that occasionally their snarky remarks are true, and occasionally we Caps fans are also guilty of fueling the hatred. Maybe by, I don't know, making sweeping generalizations at the expense of certain attributes one identifies with our friendly foes. *cough*mullets*cough*

I think it's time we put aside this silly animosity and move forward in the true spirit of sportsmanship, don't you? Let's all join hands and sing a song near and dear to our hearts (updated for current events, of course...):

The Caps are Gonna Win

(to the tune of "The Good Ol' Hockey Game")

Hello out there, check out the hair,
It must be Penguins time

In Steelers gear and four cups of beer

Up into the stands they climb

They storm the seats like bumblebees!

Clad all in black and gold

Then someone roars, "OVIE SCORES!"

Suddenly they're not so bold.

OH! The Caps are gonna win,

Even if our crowds are thin,

All the loyal fans can grin,

'Cause the Caps are gonna win.

2nd period...

'Neath his 'gangsta style' and his gap-toothed smile

Ovechkin leads the lads

Captain Clark is there to clear the air

And Godzilla stacks the pads

With a tricky deke and some slick technique

Our Swedes both old and young

Will send those fowl home with a scowl

And the Caps will take game one.

Oh! The Caps are gonna win,

And they'll give the Kid a spin

There'll be rejoicing when

The Caps pull out a win.

3rd period...first meeting of a loooooooong season, too

Oh take me where the Horn Guy blares

And the chant is "Let's Go Caps!"

Where the locals light up the stands with white

(And the fights stay under wraps)

To the ol' Phone Booth where we learn the truth

That the Caps will rule the day,

Though the enemy swarms like a vicious storm

We'll have the final say.

Oh! The future can begin

With the help of Ovechkin

And we'll share his beaming grin

'Cause the Caps are gonna win.

Yes, the Caps...are...gonna....wiiiiiin!

(With apologies to "Stompin' Tom" Connors)

Alright, enough of the singing and peacemaking. Bring on the trash talk, folks! Keep it clean and civil, though, or risk permanent bannination from the Cheap Seats. Oh, and if I hear one word about "three games in four nights" I shall beat the offending party about the head with a newspaper, because that's how the Caps started the season...and they won all three. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

It should be a good one.

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Staying Grounded

Interesting AP piece today on, what else, the heightened expectations for the Caps as they get off to a 3-0 start.

While the author tries to rain on the Caps' parade a few times throughout the piece, he can't help but grudgingly admit that they may be onto something - no matter how early it may be:

"Before beating the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 Saturday, the coach pointed out that no team that made last season's playoffs had a losing record in its division.

Sounds like someone's been studying up.

Perhaps with good reason, if three games can be considered indicative of anything. The Capitals have allowed only two goals, a 0.67 goals-against average that ranks second in the league; last season's 3.30 GAA ranked 26th. They're 12-for-12 in penalty killing. They're 2-0 on the road. They've already produced more shots in a game (40 in a season-opening 3-1 victory at Atlanta) than in any game last season, while also figuring out a way to win with only 12 shots (against the Islanders).

And they've managed all of that while Alexander Semin, second on the club last season with 38 goals, missed two games with an injured right ankle."

But of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Heed the words of Olie Kolzig, a very wise man:

"We have to not get too high, not get too low. Same level. We haven't won anything yet. All we've had is a good start."

Indeed. And yet I can't help it, this same damn song keeps running through my head...

Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter

Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter

Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade.

Don't tell me not to fly - I've simply got to

If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you

Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade!

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Erasure Lives

I try to discover
A little something to make me sweeter
Oh baby refrain from breaking my heart
I'm so in love with you

I'll be forever blue

That you give me no reason
Why you're making me work so hard

That you give me no
That you give me no
That you give me no
That you give me no

Soul, I hear you calling
Oh baby, please give a little respect to me

"A Little Respect" by Erasure

Don't look now, but the Caps are starting to get grumblings of respect from the rest of the NHL as under GMGM's guidance they have quietly improved their roster in a span of a few short weeks. (Take that, Dave Fay.) The latest admirer is none other than the Great Mullet himself, Barry Melrose - in today's Post, George Solomon quotes Melrose:

"The Capitals are much improved -- without breaking the bank [...] Nylander had a great year for the Rangers, Poti is a solid addition on defense and Kozlov gives them depth. I think they've signed three of the top nine free agents available."

This of course comes right on the heels of Scott Burnside's analysis calling the Caps a team on the rise:

"Slowly, quietly, GM George McPhee is building the Caps into a dangerous team in the east. Hard-working and tough already, the Caps added some offensive juice down the middle in the form of Viktor Kozlov and Michael Nylander (now Public Enemy #1 in Edmonton, not that anyone in Washington cares) who combined for 51 goals and 134 points a year ago. Tom Poti, another New York Islander ex-pat should help out a power play that ranked 24th. The Caps hung around the playoff race for two-thirds of a season a year ago -- look for them to be in it until the end this coming season."

To quote Winnie the Pooh's friend Eeyore: thanks for noticing us.

Now I'm just waiting for that flashy NHL.com cover story and I'll be happy. You know, like the other teams that did less. (Hello, Detroit, I'm looking at you - signing two geriatrics does not a spectacular offseason make...)

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Bored Bored Bored

With the draft over and a week to go until July 1, there's not a whole lot to talk about other than to go over the Caps' draft picks...and for that you should probably go to someone who knows something about them or at least cares enough to research it. Instead I'm resigned to posting some random synaptic firings (but really, what else is new?):

- For some reason the lyrics to this song seem weirdly reminiscent of how Caps fans are feeling this offseason...

Don't talk of June, don't talk of fall

Don't talk at all - show me!

Never do I ever want to hear another word,

There isn't one I haven't heard.

Here we are together in what ought to be a dream;

Say one more word and I'll scream!

Don't wait until wrinkles and lines

Pop out all over my brow,

Show me now!

"Show Me" from My Fair Lady

- Here is, quite possibly, my favorite "Frozen Moment" from NHL.com that doesn't involve the Caps:

What a shock...Hasek flailing around on his back while the puck goes in over him. It just does my hockey-starved heart good to see that!

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A View from the Anti-Cheap Seats

Love hurts, love scars
Love wounds and marks
Any heart not tough
Or strong enough

To take a lot of pain, take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud, holds a lot of rain

Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts

I'm young I know
But even so
I know a thing or two
I learned from you

I really learned a lot, really learned a lot
Love is like a flame, it burns you when its hot

Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts

Some fools think of happiness, blissfulness, togetherness
Some fools fool themselves I guess
They're not foolin' me

I know it isn't true, I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie made to make you blue

Love hurts, ooh,ooh love hurts
Ooh, ooh love hurts

I know it isn't true, I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie, made to make you blue
Love hurts, ooh ooh love hurts
Ooh ooh love hurts
Ooh ooh...

Love Hurts by Nazareth

Ouch. That one hurt.

Pop Quiz: What is Kerry Fraser's problem?
a) He hates the Caps
b) The years of obsessive hairspray use has warped his brain...and his vision
c) Someone in the Penguins organization got to him
d) All of the above

If you answered d) All of the above, pat yourself on the back. It's the only reason I can think of for the blatant non-calls and the more blatant bad calls that littered this game. Just ridiculous.

But as you all know, I don't like to blame the officiating here in the Cheap Seats. It's just as painful for the Caps to waste their own precious few power play chances, continue to exhibit lackluster penalty-killing, and blow yet another lead. Good teams beat out bad referees almost every time, and while the Caps didn't play that badly, it wasn't great either.

What else can I say? Clearly the Penguins are that stubborn kind of demon that will take another year or two to exorcise. Hopefully it will happen while I still have my own teeth.

I do want to take a moment to extend my sincere appreciation to Ted Leonsis for inviting me to spend the evening as one of his guests in the owner's box. Even with the loss it was a truly great experience and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. My sister and I were in awe for most of the game, it was so amazing. Also, I'm still giddy at getting to meet Dick Patrick, just a Capitals' institution and a really nice guy in his own right.

I am kicking myself for not being a dork and getting a picture with Ted (sorry, Dad!) - still, it was an experience I won't soon forget. Thank you, Ted!

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Not Everything from NJ Puts Me to Sleep

First came the news that Brent Johnson injured himself in last night's loss to Atlanta, leaving us with only an AHL goalie (until Olie comes back, which is looking like Thursday). Then I was perusing the Caps blogs as I usually do and I came upon this comment from JP in response to someone who was admittedly frustrated at the Pens' success and Caps' troubles this season:

In other words, if the Caps aren't where Pitt is now within the next two or three years, panic. Otherwise, you've just gotta keep the faith, y'know?

And suddenly I was reminded of a very appropriate song...come on, you know you want to join in at the top of your lungs:

Mother mother tell your children / That their time has just begun
I have suffered for my anger / There are wars that can't be won
Father father please believe me / I am laying down my guns
I am broken like an arrow / Forgive me / Forgive your wayward son

Everybody needs somebody to love
(mother, mother)
Everybody needs somebody to hate
(please believe me)
Everybody's bitching 'cause they can't get enough
And its hard to hold on
When theres no one to lean on

Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain
Lord you got to keep the faith
Faith: dont let your love turn to hate
Right now we got to
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Lord we got to keep the faith

Tell me baby when I hurt you / Do you keep it all inside
Do you tell me all's forgiven / And just hide behind your pride

Everybody needs somebody to love
(mother, father)
Everybody needs somebody to hate
(please don't leave me)
Everybody's bleeding 'cause the times are tough
Well it's hard to be strong
When there's no one to dream on

Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain
Lord you got to keep the faith
Now you know it's not too late
Oh you got to keep the faith
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate
Right now we got to
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Lord we got to keep the faith

Walking in the footsteps
Of society's lies
I don't like what I see no more
Sometimes I wish that I was blind

Sometimes I wait forever
To stand out in the rain
So no one sees me cryin'
Trying to wash away the pain

Mother father
There's things I've done I can't erase
Every night we fall from grace
Its hard with the world in your face
Trying to hold on, trying to hold on

Faith: you know you're gonna live thru the rain
Lord you got to keep the faith
Faith: don't let your love turn to hate
Right now we got to keep the faith
Faith: now it's not too late
Try to hold on, trying to hold on
Keep the faith

Keep the Faith by Bon Jovi

So true...

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Thrashers & NICKNAME CONTEST ROUND 2!!

Don't you hate those musicals where someone just bursts into song randomly? Well...sorry.

Every street is dark

And folding out mysteriously

Where lies the chance we take to be

Always working

Reaching out for a hand that we can't see

Everybody's got a hold on hope

It's the last thing that's holding me

Invitation to the last dance

Then it's time to leave

But that's the price we pay when we deceive

One another/animal mother

She opens up for free

Everybody's got a hold on hope

It's the last thing that's holding me

Look at the talkbox in mute frustration

At the station

There hides the cowboy

His campfire flickering on the landscape

That nothing grows on

But time still goes on

And through each life of misery

Everybody's got a hold on hope

It's the last thing that's holding me

"Hold on Hope" by Guided by Voices

So we're rounding the corner on the home stretch of the season and the next chapter of what has become an exciting rivalry goes down tonight. Is it too much to hope for that the Caps pull out a thrilling victory in their last nationally televised game when they face the evil Thrash?

Probably.

I'm still going to, though. Just for funsies.

Speaking of hope:

Sutsy, the hope of a new generation. That, or one of the few Caps who has played consistently well over the last few games. Hard to tell.

But the real story for tonight is not the Caps-Thrashers rematch. It's the Caps Blogger Happy Hour, Version 4.0! As they say, misery loves company, so bloggers and non-bloggers alike, come on down to the Grand Hyatt hotel at 1000 H St, NW in downtown DC. Game starts at 7:00 pm, drinking copiously to dull the pain starts at 7:02, so get there early. More details available as always at The Kevin Hatcher Fan Club
.

EXTRA EXTRA: Today also marks the beginning of a new nickname contest. That's right, you too can get 15 seconds of fame reaching dozens of readers by mocking others! A warning - this time around I'm making it a bit trickier, so get those thinking caps ready. About once a week or whenever I feel like it from now until the end of the season I will select a Caps player's name. All suggestions for that one lucky Caps player should be e-mailed to me by the date indicated, and the best one as determined again by me, the emperess of all things (yup, I got a promotion) will be featured in the next gameday preview.

This week's selection is:

Jeff Schultz

(Note: "Sgt." and "Charles" are not eligible - I've used them both and neither one is good...)

This week's entries must be e-mailed to capsfan82 at hotmail dot com before midnight on Thursday, March 15th and the winner will appear in the preview for Friday's home game against the Leafs. Nicknames can be based on a particular attribute of Schultz's game or just a play on his name. As always, creativity is key.

Good Luck!

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You're So Vain...

We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway, yay
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasin' after some finer day

Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you
And how right your arms feel around me
But I, I rehearsed those lines just late last night
When I was thinkin' about how right tonight might be

Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet and I don't know nature's ways
So I'll try and see into your eyes right now

And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days
(These are the good old days)
And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days
(These are the good old days)
(These are the good old days)
(These are the good old days)
(These are...the good old days)

*SIGH*...still...waiting...

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