Destiny In Our Hands

I was going to do a normal gameday preview, but somehow with this latest turn of events the usual frivolities seem to fall a little short - so we'll keep it simple.

Last game. Last chance. Everything boils down to this one night. Win or get a point, and we're in; lose in regulation and we're out.

It feels like the last 6 months have been leading up to this one moment, this one game. Everything this team has worked for - climbing out of the giant hole they created early on, stringing together longer winning streaks, improving defensively, adding key players in key positions - all for this one night. It's time to find out if this is truly a team of destiny.

After one of the most improbable runs...after a stunning season from the franchise's face, future and cornerpiece...after a year filled with more ups and downs then we can count...control now rests in DC.

Wear your red. Bring your voices. Let them hear you.

Let's get this done.

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Panthers Fade Away

Photo courtesy of AP

Just two nights after their second straight nailbiting win, the Caps managed to put together a much more solid, convincing (if not a little bit boring) win - and put the Panthers out of their misery.

It's hard to analyze this one too deeply for a number of reasons. For one thing, this was a very dejected Panthers team that had just dropped two straight and although not mathematically eliminated had been essentially out for the count long before the Caps touched down in Sunrise. For another...it's the Panthers. No matter what the scenario thrilling showdowns between the Caps and Cats are always a little dull.

Huet was once again the strong presence he has become between the pipes, and that save he made in the second period was the impetus for the Caps to wake up a bit and take control of the game once and for all. He faced thirty-two shots but thanks to an inspiring defensive performance by the six blueliners in front of him he saw almost every one. This was truly a team shutout, earned from the net on out.

And then there was the offense. Look no further than big #25 - Viktor Kozlov loves playing the Panthers, doesn't he? His three point performance actually outshines the two points picked up by his Russian linemate for once and he had a great game all around.

Filling in the rest, Mike Green's consistently good play over the last few games finally pays off as he is rewarded with an absolute layup of a goal to bring his total for the season up to 18. Ovechkin adds his 62nd of the season (and his 108th and 109th points of the year...let that sink in a bit) and that would be more than enough for the Caps to finish off a sluggish Panthers team.

Looking around the league...surprise, surprise, we get very little help. Boston took care of the Sens earlier today and the Islanders proved once again why they're on the outside looking in as they blew not one but two leads and eventually fell in the shootout to the Flyers.

From the good news department, however, the Lightning took care of business with the Canes, the game-winner coming off the stick of none other than Jeff Halpern. Looks like he'll stay a fan favorite here in DC for just a little bit longer.

So here's how the Eastern Conference shapes up right now:

3 Carolina 90
4 New Jersey 93
5 Ottawa 92
6 NY Rangers 91
7 Philadelphia 91
8 Boston 90
----------------
9 Washington 88
10 Buffalo 84

Amazing. Simply amazing

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Panthers on the Prowl

If there is one team worthy of drawing ire from the Caps and from the rest of the Eastern Conference, it's the Florida Panthers. It's just so annoying - they don't seem to realize the season has started until March, when they suddenly find another level to their game and not only play spoiler but put the fear of god into whatever teams may lie ahead of them.

The last time the Panthers went to the playoffs was the 1999-2000 season. In the last three years, though, they've gone on a tear to change that yet always seem to come up short.

In 2006 Florida, after playing well under .500 for most of the year, went on a hot streak to close out the season. They won 11 of 13 after the Olympic break and then went 3-0-2 in their last five games. The next year the obnoxious Cats were back, going 11-5-3 in their last 19 games, missing the playoffs by just five points.

And now this season. The Panthers have been on an inexplicable streak, winning seven straight before finally succumbing to the Hurricanes tonight in the shootout (yet another three point game, thanks Carolina). Caps fans everywhere have to hope that this trend of falling just short continues for the Panthers, as we have two games remaining against Florida and sit just one point ahead.

Florida - the pesky gnat of a team that just won't die.

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Know Thy Enemy

Seven games left and a bit of ground to cover. So what's ahead for our competition? Have the scheduling gods smiled upon us or is Bettman's ultimate plot still in motion?

...yes?

Here's how it breaks down:
Carolina Hurricanes - 1st in division with 85 points
- Seven games remaining, four at home and three on the road
- Two sets of back-to-back games
- Panthers twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Capitals twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Thrashers once (Carolina leads season series 5-1-1)
- Lightning twice (Season series tied 3-3)

Florida Panthers - 3rd in division, 11th in conference with 78 points
- Eight games remaining, four at home and three on the road
- One set of back-to-back games
- Hurricanes twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Lightning twice (Season series tied 3-3)
- Thrashers twice (Florida leads season series 4-1-1)
- Capitals twice (Florida leads season series 4-2)

Buffalo Sabres - 9th in conference with 81 points
- Eight games remaining, four at home and four on the road
- One set of back-to-back games
- Maple Leafs twice (Buffalo leads season series 4-2)
- Senators twice (Ottawa leads season series 4-2)
- Canadiens twice (Season series tied 3-3)
- Bruins twice (Boston leads season series 4-1-1)

Philadelphia Flyers - 8th in conference with 82 points
- Eight games remaining, four at home and four on the road
- One set of back-to-back games
- Rangers twice (New York leads season series 5-1)
- Islanders twice (Philadelphia leads season series 5-1)
- Devils twice (New Jersey leads season series 5-1)
- Penguins twice (Philadelphia leads season series 4-2)

Boston Bruins - 7th in conference with 83 points
- Nine games remaining
- Two sets of back-to-back games
- Canadiens twice (Montreal leads season series 6-0)
- Maple Leafs twice (Season series tied 3-3)
- Senators twice (Ottawa leads season series 4-2)
- Sabres twice (Boston leads season series 4-1-1)
- Devils once (New Jersey leads season series 2-1)

And finally...

Washington Capitals - 10th in conference, 2nd in division with 80 points
- Seven games remaining
- No back-to-back games
- Thrashers once (Atlanta leads season series 4-3)
- Hurricanes twice (Carolina leads season series 4-2)
- Panthers twice (Florida leads season series 4-2)
- Lightning twice (Washington leads season series 4-2)

At this point it may be time to throw in the towel on that pesky Southeast Division race - the Hurricanes just refuse to die despite injury after injury. They are the hockey equivalent of the black knight, bouncing around on one foot claiming it's "just a flesh wound".

And if we're willing to concede the title to the Canes, we might as well hope that they continue their dominance as they take on the Panthers two more times. The least they can do if they won't go away is take care of Florida for us, right? It's not like we can rely on Atlanta to do our dirty work for us, clearly.

As for 8th place, that race is still very much up for grabs. Neither Buffalo nor Philadelphia has been exactly dominant against their division rivals lately, and neither team has looked consistently tough in general over the past few weeks. One thing is for sure - this race could go down to the wire.

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Sunshine (State) Day

Florida? Again? Really?

Somehow playing the Cats always brings out the inner child in me, and not in a good way...more in the whiny, cranky, "but I don't WANNA!" kind of way. Whether it's the staggeringly boring games we've traditionally been treated to or the fact that the Panthers continue to somewhat have our number, it's hard to tell. But I do feel a bit of a temper tantrum coming on.

So tonight the Caps need a win. There, that's your preview - they need to win and they'll have to do it with a shortened bench, as Tom Poti became the latest blueline casualty Wednesday night and is day-to-day with a lower body injury.

The good news? Sami Lepisto has been recalled (for real this time) and I for one am very excited to see how he does. Sami's generating a lot of interest these days up in Hershey and after a whiff of a cup of coffee with the club on Tuesday he gets his shot at NHL game numero uno. If he gets into the game, keep an eye out for #42 - that may be the most exciting part of the night.

Also, continued best wishes go out to Richard Zednik, who continues to improve daily from that horrific incident earlier this week. It wouldn't be right to go into Florida and not mention him...get well soon, Zed.

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs Panthers

Who: Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers
Where: Verizon Center
When: Saturday, January 19, 7:00 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; FSN Florida, 790 the Ticket; HDNet

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

We know the story...the Panthers own the Caps, have for years, blah blah blah. We also know that the Panthers are mired in an injury bug that makes the Caps' recent troubles look like mosquito bites and paper cuts. And we know the game Florida plays - think the Devils in their heyday or the Wild or Lightning now. Then add some sedatives, a shot of Nyquil and a fluffy pillow for the full effect.

Fourteen of the twenty games between Washington and Florida since the lockout have been one-goal games, including all four games this year. Three of them this year have been 2-1 finals. And last night the Panthers snapped a three game losing streak with, yup, you guessed it, a 2-1 win over the Devils.

Aw...it's like they've passed the torch.

None of that, however, should surpass the fact that this is bizarrely enough one of the most important games of the season for the Caps - and don't think the Caps themselves don't know it. With a win they'll take away 8 of 10 points on this crucial homestand and head into a demoralized Pittsburgh with their heads held high. They'll also take away an equally important two points from their division rivals and jump back up into eleventh place in the conference, third in the division. Yeah, it's important.

Of course, it's that time of year...they're all big games, right? Here's to a Caps win as they start to get the monkey off their backs known as the Florida Panthers.

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All I Can Say Is...

YAY!!

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Wins feel so good right now, it almost doesn't matter how they come. Ugly, bizarre wins are worth the same amount as pretty wins.

That being said, I was very impressed with this one - the Caps came out and simply dominated from start to finish, dictating the pace of the game, generating scoring chances, and mucking up the neutral zone enough to simply take Florida out of the game.

Just a couple of quick notes:

- Backstrom easily could have had two or three goals tonight. Pettinger could have, as well.

- Johnson only faced 25 shots tonight, but he was very solid and made a couple of great saves, including one stellar one simply robbing Nathan Horton with his glove. It's about time the Caps got Johnny another one in the win column.

- This was the second straight game that the Caps had only 3 giveaways. Looks like they've finally figured out that turning over the puck 15-20 times a night won't help them win.

- Nylander was a +2 tonight - when is the last time you saw him in the plus column, win or lose?

- Matt Bradley had 3 hits and 3 shots in just under nine minutes of ice time. Donald Brashear had 2 hits and 3 shots. That's some good efficient work by those guys, who brought energy and hard work to every shift they had.

- Lots of blocked shots again tonight - Poti and Laing with four apiece, Ovie with three (although I'd really rather he didn't do that) and a team total of twenty.

- Vokoun really stood on his head to keep this game close, so it was nice to see both Caps' goals of the funny bounce variety. Maybe it's a sign that their luck is starting to turn...

- Penalty killing continues to be impressive, but I'm also loving how disciplined the Caps have been lately and really all year long. They've limited the number and type that they've taken, although Semin continues to take his requisite hooking penalty every game and Ovie was less than disciplined on both his minors tonight.

Now the Caps have a very long break in between games, out of action until Friday when they travel to lovely Newark, New Jersey. Time to learn all of Boudreau's systems and start the long uphill climb back to respectability. The last two games the Caps have been the better team, and if they keep it up they're going to have more games with results like tonight than last night.

Don't forget, this is a long season - we have a ways to go before you can count this team out of anything. I'm starting to see the tide turn.

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Shootout Schmootout

I made a last-minute decision to blog from the press box tonight (and special thanks to Nate Ewell and the whole media relations crew for being amazing and on top of things as usual so that could happen). I was all set to bring you updates, witty candor and deep analysis during each intermission.

But for some reason the wireless in the press box hates me.

Such is life, I guess, but for that reason I'm simply giving you my rambling thoughts of the evening and turning in - losing in a shootout always makes me a little bitter and cranky about the plight of the Capitals fan, and losing to the Panthers does the same. That's right, twice the bitter cranky CapsChick tonight, you lucky people you.

1st Period
- Oh, thank god. We get Semin’s requisite hooking penalty out of the way early.
- There's some aggressive penalty killing going on by Clark, Steckel and company but the Caps take a too many men on the ice penalty negating any momentum.
- Zednik makes them pay with an easy tap-in goal off a rebound. You know, after he signed with the Panthers people laughed at me because I said he would score nonstop against us.
- A great save by Olie on one end leads to an odd-man rush the other way but it's the fourth line and either Bradley or Brashear puts the play offside.
- Pettinger gets a good whack at the puck right in front of Vokoun - since it’s Pettinger, though, of course it doesn’t go in.
- We get a good scoring chance by the BBB line - they seem to be flying again tonight, bouncing back after a somewhat forgettable outing on Monday.
- Zed takes a tripping penalty with about 5 minutes left in the period. Now that's the Zednik we know and love, right?
- So much for this newfangled power play that has the boys always moving their feet - they look pretty stationary out there.
- Listless period overall, although there was some jump out of the third and fourth lines throughout the first, with the Laich-Steckel-Gordon line even getting a little feisty in the last 30 seconds.

Thoughts After 1:
The Caps no longer seem to be coming out in the first period with energy – while that could bode well for the rest of the game (since they like to take a period off every night), Florida is a team that you need to take out of the game right away or else they’ll simply lull you to sleep.
Stat of note: 6 giveaways by the Caps in that first period. That’s not good.

2nd Period
- Slooooooow start to the period. I'll alert the media. Oh, wait...
- Brash takes what looks like a reputation penalty but probably was a good call - thankfully the penalty killers come through yet again and there's no harm done.
- The Ovechkin-Nylander-Clark line is causing problems, and sure enough they draw a penalty
- The Caps' 2nd power play looks slightly better than the first but still no shots 90 seconds in…
- In fact the Caps have no shots in this period at all and we’re almost halfway through.
- Bradley tries to spark the team a bit by dropping the gloves with new Panther Garth Murray. We'll see if it provides the kick in the pants the Caps need to pull even.
- Ovie gets two great shots in a row but Vokoun has the answer for both. Could he be the second coming of Luongo?
- Pothier makes a great play to dump the puck in and then collect his own rebound behind the net. This results in a flurry at the net that would have continued if the Panthers weren’t dirty cheaters. (I kid, I kid…the net was knocked off. You know, by “accident”.)
- A great keep in by Clark results him in being left all alone in the slot and he buries it - tie game, 1-1.
- Great save by Olie on Zed, who was in all alone.
- Aaaand Clark takes his requisite hooking call for the night.
- Caps are forcing lots of shots from the outside, perimeter shots that Olie sees all the way. He's looked sharp for most of the night.
- Laich gets about a 10 second rest on the bench beore he’s right back out there – good pressure on the PK by Steckel, Laich, Schultz and Morrisonn. Penalty killed and the Caps got more chances than the Panthers did on that one…that’s rare.
- There’s a bird in the rafters. (Boy, life is exciting high atop Verizon Center! Popcorn popping, pigeons roosting...this is the good life, folks!)
- We have a Russian line – Ovechkin, Kozlov and Semin. There’s a lot of firepower out there. And a lot of potential turnovers.
- Pressure by the Laich-Steckel-Gordon line draws a penalty in the last minute of the period. Those three are really having a strong game.
- Caps will start the third with the extra man.

Thoughts After 2:
MUCH better period, at least in the second half (once they actually took a shot on goal) by the Caps. That Bradley fight actually did seem to do the trick and it woke the Caps up. If they can carry the momentum into the third and maybe even get a power play marker this becomes a whole new game. Only 3 turnovers that period, too…

3rd Period
- The Caps start the period with 1:23 left in the power play.
- Beautiful keep in by Greenie followed by a great pass to Ovie, but Vokoun has the answer yet again.
- Florida doesn’t have a shot in the first 4 minutes of the period…
- Here's something shocking - Semin almost forced a turnover in the Panthers' zone instead of creating one himself…but he fell down in the process. Par for the course.
- Somehow Mike Green is all alone and just rifles it - right under the cross bar. Do you get the feeling that the Caps are just not getting the bounces?
- Gordon puts in an extremely hard-working shift that results in a pretty good scoring chance, deflected by a flying Panther.
- Horrible penalty call on Pettinger for a “trip” – aka one of the Panthers falling down over his own feet.
- Poti continues to play much better under Boudreau than he ever did under Hanlon – not really sure why but it makes you think what could have been had the coaching change happened earlier…but that’s a game for another day.
- Zednik takes yet another penalty, and the mighty power play gets yet another crack at putting this one away as the remaining seconds of Petty’s penalty are killed off.
- The natives are getting restless on this power play…lots of pretty passing but not much in the way of shots...
- ...until now – Semin had a great chance in tight on Vokoun but he held the post.
- There was definitely one, maybe two blatant non-calls in the waning minutes of the period. I'm not sure when it became legal to crosscheck someone in the face, but apparently it is now.
- We're off to overtime.

Thoughts After 3:
Good sign? The Caps have played with increasing intensity every period and really dominated most of the final frame. Bad sign? They've still only scored once. Tonight I'm inclined to believe that Vokoun is holding the Cats in it because the Caps have had their chances. Olie has also come up big, but he's had to be less impressive than his Florida counterpart.

Overtime
- What exactly do the Panthers do to just suck all the energy out of a game? Pit them in a game against the Devils or Wild and you've got yourself a surefire cure for insomnia.
- ...is it still overtime?
- Wow. A bouncing dump-in by Nylander almost gives Vokoun (and the 3,000+ fans in attendance) a heart attack. It also almost ends the game. Note how I used the word "almost".
- Cullimore decides to exact revenge on Nylander for making his goalie wet his pants and trips him - not smart. Caps go on the power play for the remainder of the overtime.
- Can they score with the extra man for once?
- Can they??
- No. Good pressure in the final two minutes and one instant where Ovechkin should have shot the puck instead of passing, but that's it for the extra frame. Time for a shootout, the bane of my existence.

Shootout
- After eleven rounds we discover that three very pretty shootout goals by the Caps (Kozlov, Backstrom and amazingly, Gordon) are not enough to top four fairly nice shootout goals by the Panthers. Final score: 2-1 Panthers.

Final Thoughts:
Good...god. Another loss to a lesser opponent. Another loss to the Panthers. And the Caps fall to 2-1-1 under new bench boss Boudreau.

There's not really a whole lot to say about this one - the Caps should have come out with more fire in the first instead of allowing the Panthers to dictate the very sloooooooow pace of the game. Zednik's goal should not have held up for as long as it did against a team with this much firepower and the offense and power play both continue to struggle, just like they did before.

Each period got better and there were some truly great moments, good scoring chances, wonderful saves and a bit of energy for a team mired in a very tough stretch of the schedule. In the end, though, it was too little too late and the Caps pick up just the loser point. I doubt it's any consolation.

Not to make the evening any worse, but both Clark and Semin were unavailable in the shootout because of injuries. Here we go again.

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Panthers

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers
Where: Verizon Center
When: Wednesday, November 28, 7 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; FSN Florida, 790 the Ticket

Media Notes:
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
Miami Herald
Florida Sun Sentinel

It happens from time to time that one team will dominate the other for no apparent reason - and since the 2003-04 season, the Panthers have owned the Caps. But don't kid yourself, the two teams that meet tonight in DC are nowhere close to the two teams that created that history. For one thing, a good deal of Florida's wins against the Caps came with Luongo in net for the Panthers. For another, most of them came with Hanlon behind the bench for the Capitals.

If Boudreau is going to turn this team around, it has to start here with the Panthers. These division games are only going to get more crucial as the year goes on, and while they (and we) may be sick of seeing the damn Panthers already, it's safe to say this game and the one on Saturday are must-wins. Not only will it be a sign to the fans that the crippling losing streaks are over but it will also put to rest this notion that the Panthers are the better team.

They're not.

In fact the Caps have much more talent, much more depth, much more promise - the games they've dropped this year were not indicative at all of what this team can do. They managed to make the first two games of the season series close while still playing lousy, boring hockey. Think what they can do if they actually show up firing at full strength.

The Panthers come into Verizon tonight on a modest winning streak of three games; meanwhile the Caps are moderately hot in their own right, going 2-1 in their last three. To pick up two points, look for a few things out of the Caps - the power play clicking, the passes connecting, and the turnovers at a minimum.

It would also be nice if someone besides Ovechkin scored...

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Another Wasted Chance

The Caps were the better, more talented team on the ice last night...and for exactly ten minutes they looked that way.

The rest of the night was spent wasting chances, missing passes, turning over pucks and making far too many defensive mistakes for this point in the season. They stormed back in the third to make it a game but again had difficulty getting out of their zone and wasted precious seconds that they needed in the last minute scramble. And because of that they fall to a less than stellar Panthers club whose own doldrums seem to be cured by playing the Caps.

This team needs some sort of wake up call. If dropping all but three of their last seventeen games isn't enough, they also have a firm grip on last place in the entire league - something even last year's mediocre squad avoided doing.

I'm simply running out of words to say the same thing after every game. Frankly, we all know this team can and should be playing much better than this and seeing this half-hearted effort night in and night out is getting frustrating.

Some thoughts on last night's game:
- Florida has mastered the snoozetastic art of the trap and is really talented at just slowing everything down to a crawl. As if the hometown crowd needed an excuse to be dull and uninspired...

Photo courtesy of AP
- Alexander Semin made his return to the lineup in style and was on the ice for a good portion of the game - so much for easing him back in. I thought he played great, though. Still our little drama king but he drew a few penalties and got his first goal of the season. And that's Semin being a little rusty.

- Our defense did a great job of standing around and watching while the Panthers crowded Olie's crease. Beaming with pride over here.

- Is it concerning anyone else that Backstrom (6'0", 203 lbs) puts more energy into his checks than Schultz (6'6", 221) does? Sure, Nicky may end up on his rear half the time but at least he's trying.

- Penalty killing looked great. No, really, it did. I was very impressed - and you have to love a shorthanded goal, for all the good it did.

- Ovechkin led the team in ice time with over 25 minutes but it showed, as he was clearly trying to do it all himself and ended up turning the puck over a few times simply because no one else was around. The team has got to step up and help him out now and then.

- I'm really enjoying seeing how much more confident Backstrom seems in his natural position. He had a great game (relative to the rest of the team, at least) and should have had his second career goal for sure. Damn goal post.

- Brooks Laich was on the ice for only ten minutes last night, and yet he showed more energy on his shifts than most of the team combined. Maybe that's why it felt like he had more ice time...and why he was rewarded with a nice shorthanded goal.

- Speaking of Laich, that goal puts him at four on the year. If you want to try and find the small positives in the Caps' season thus far, the fact that Laich is already halfway to his career high is very promising.

- Here are your superstars of the game: Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Laich. Everyone else? You're on my list.

Special thanks to loyal reader Victor for the extra ticket to the game!

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs. Panthers

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers
Where: Verizon Center
When: Monday, November 19, 7 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; FSN Florida, 790 The Ticket; NHL Network (Canada)

Media Notes:
Caps' Website
NHL.com
Washington Post
Washington Times
Florida Sun-Sentinel
Miami Herald

Okay, let's try this again, but this time with feeling! A little more fluorish, a little more oomph, maybe something a little more...Russian? Yes. I like it.

Oh, and boys, if you could try to refrain from putting the audience to sleep, that would be great. I know you don't like playing the Panthers (believe me) but if you could just slap a smile on and give it your best, that would be great.

Not much to say when you're playing a team that beat you just four short days ago. Goal-scoring, special teams, no turnovers, strong goaltending...nothing new. Hopefully after the game we'll have something new to talk about - like a Caps' win.

Get to Know...the Florida Panthers
What are you most thankful for?

Nathan Horton - my tweezers

Olli Jokinen - the World Championships...gives me something to do in April

Richard Zednik - health insurance

Gregory Campbell - nepotism

Ville Peltonen - plea bargains

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Gameday Preview: Caps vs Panthers

Who: Washington Capitals vs. Florida Panthers
Where: BankAtlantic Center
Sunrise, Florida
When: Thursday, November 15, 7:30 pm

Broadcast Info: CSN, 3WT Radio; FSN Florida, 790 the Ticket

Media Notes:
Panthers' Website
NHL.com
Washington Post

Another thrilling battle between two mighty Southeast Division residents commences tonight as the Caps travel to Florida for the first of back to back games in the Sunshine State. For whatever reason, the Kitties like to use the Caps as their personal chew toy and last season was no exception. Florida dropped the first two division match-ups to Washington but then went on to win five straight before finally being downed 1-0 in the last meeting of the year.

These are two different looking teams, though. The Panthers sent Belfour and Auld packing and picked up Tomas Vokoun...who has posted the 6th worst GAA in the league so far. They also added former Cap Richard Zednik, whose 6 goals on the year put him almost halfway to his season total from last year (13).

Meanwhile the Caps have improved. I guess.

Or so we're told.

But let's look at where we are right now. The Panthers come into this one having dropped four straight, including two in a row where they gave up the lead or the game-winning goal in the final minutes of the third. Meanwhile the Caps seem unable to generate goals at any point, let alone last minute offensive outbursts. So one of those little streaks is going to end...place your bets.

For whatever reason no one gets too excited for Caps-Panthers games - the players, the fans, the media...I'd be shocked if tonight's game were to change anyone's mind.

2 Minutes with...the Florida Panther Fan Club

CC: Is...this everyone?
FPFC: Yes.
CC: Okay. Well...great. Let's go around and have everyone - er, both of you introduce themselves. You, ma'am, with the blue hair...
Woman: I'm Esther, I've lived in Florida for twenty ye-...Oy, bubelah, come here - you've got some schmutz [takes out a tissue and licks it, aiming it at CC's face]
CC: NO! I mean, no, I'm fine. Thanks. Let's...move on. How about you, with the, er, cup of beer?
Frat Boy: Dan the man, Class of 2008. GO GATORS! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
CC: Um, I'm sorry, Dan...are you a Panthers fan?
Dan: Yeah, dude, they rock. They have the best QB and-
CC: No, hockey. Hockey. The Florida Panthers?
Dan: Uh...are they they guys with, like, the masks and stuff?
CC: ...sure. Okay, so welcome, both of you. Let's talk about your team - what do you like the best about the Panthers?
Esther: They're such nice young men. They always send me thank you notes for the sweaters I knit for them. It gets chilly in the winter, you know; I don't want them to catch their deaths. I had such a cold last year, oy, the phlegm. And you know my oldest boy called me every day, such a good boy, loves his mother. Now my youngest, the big shot doctor, he only called twice the whole time and I said would it kill you to call your mother? For all you know I could be dead tomorrow and then you'll be sorry. Oh, I notice you're not wearing a ring - he's single, you know. Handsome, too. A doctor. Very successful, I should have him call you...
CC: Er...great. Dan?
Dan: Dude, this one time last year a buddy and me went to a game and there was like this crazy brawl and these two dudes were just, like, punching each other and blood was flying everywhere and...it was awesome. Oh, and the cheerleaders are smokin' hot-
Esther: Sit up, young man. You want you should get a hump? And tuck in your shirt.
Dan: Yes, ma'am.
Esther: A good smack on the tuchas, that's what you need. Drinking beer, honestly.
Dan: Sorry, ma'am.
CC: OKAY. Well, this was...great. Really enlightening. Thanks for meeting with me, you two. I really appreciate it.
Dan: Sweet, that was easy.
Esther: Here, dear, let me give you my Samuel's number. Such a pretty face, you'd give me beautiful grandkids...
CC: Security!

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