Bettman Hates Hockey!

For who?

2008-08-08T09:33:00.003-05:00

Stubhub is always a blast this time of year. Ticket brokers are selling off tickets to important games, and it's always a hoot to see how much tickets are going for. Like seats right behind the penalty box going for $8,888. Against the Devils.

Not against the Penguins or the Flyers, or against a team whom you'd love to heckle, but against the Devils. And honestly, who would spend that much money to harass Bobby Holik.

Get a job, hippie!

2008-06-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wanted to work for the NHL? Have you ever wanted to make more than peanuts? Well you FINALLY have that opportunity! Among the many menial jobs out there is one fun one.

Do you have:

Bachelors degree in sports management, business administration or related field
At least 10 years experience in a senior level marketing position and must have supervised a staff in excess of 10 employees
Possess strong sales and marketing experience in a decision-making capacity
Experience at a major professional team level, with a clear understanding of the components to ticket sales.
Must have significant advertising and relevant media buying experience
Must have a clear understanding of web site operations and a creative flair
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Strong project management and copy writing skills
Working knowledge of design, brand development, interactive commerce and creative process
Must possess the ability to analyze, and prepare a budget.

Well shoot, you can be the new Vice President of Marketing and Community Operations for the NJ Devils! You can probably get a corner office with this one folks for a scenic view of downtown Newark. I'm sure this won't last long, so get those resumes in today!

Awards Show Preview!

2008-06-12T11:09:00.004-05:00

As tonight's NHL Awards show draws near (6pm on VS), two things are certain: bad comedians hosting, and horrible rock bands most Americans outside of Buffalo, Minnesota, Michigan and Washington haven't heard of.

One thing is certain though, Alexander Ovechkin has already won two awards, and those shiny trophies will be on display at the Kettler Capital Iceplex on Friday during your lunch break. As far as the other trophies, well, here's my predictions.

Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player, as voted on by the writers)
Nominees:
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Jaromie Iginla, Calgary Flames
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

My prediction: Ovechkin
Who should win: Ovechkin

Really isn't a question. Malkin was great for a few months when the team needed him, but the MVP of that team was Conklin, not Malkin. Iginla doesn't feel like an MVP candidate, more like a token Western Conference guy.

Vezina Trophy (Best goaltender)
Nominees:
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

My prediction: Nabokov
Who should win: Brodeur

Brodeur is the best goalie in league history. Even if he doesn't win the Vezina, he should win a special award for playing so well behind a defense that had Johnny Oduya seeing top pair minutes. Unfortunately, the Vezina is a tricky trophy to predict since it is the only award voted on by the GMs. My gut just tells me that Nabokov finally wins it this year.

Norris Trophy (best defenseman)
Nominees:
Nick Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames

My prediction: Nick Lidstrom
Who should win: Lidstrom

Lidstrom is a living legend on the blue line. He may not have had the most goals, but he had the most points and was an amazing shut down defenseman at the same time. Simply look no further than the skid Detroit hit with him out of the lineup for further proof. He probably should have been a finalist for the Hart Trophy as well.

Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year)
Nominees:
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Johnathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals

My prediction: Patrick Kane
Who should win: Patrick Kane

Toews was in the hunt for winning until he missed time with an injury. In a year with no standout, the guy that didn't get points playing on a line with Alexander Ovechkin is going to be win the award.

Lady Bing Award (most gentlemanly/best sportsmanship)
Nominees:
Jason Pominvile, Buffalo Sabres
Pavel Datsuyk, Detroit Red Wings
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lighting

My prediction: Martin St. Louis
Who should win: Jason Pominville

I don't really understand why St. Louis is up for this. He's just as whiny as any of a number of players in the league. Datsuyk certainly is a class act, but it's easier to show class when you win every game. Things weren't so easy for Jason Pominville this year, missing out on the playoffs after his team made consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals. This award is extremely difficult to predict.

Jack Adams Trophy (best Coach)
Nominees:
Mike Babcock, Detroit Red Wings
Bruce Boudreau, Washington Capitals
Guy Carbonneau, Montreal Canadiens

Who will win: Mike Babcock
Who should win: Bruce Boudreau

The word going around is that Mike Babcock is walking away with it. And if it wasn't for that stretch when they went 1-8-2, I'd agree with you. But when you take a team from last place in the league at Thanksgiving, and steer them to the division title, well that to me is how you say "Jack Adams."

Bill Masterton Trophy (perseverance, dedication to hockey)
Nominees:
Chris Chelios, Detroit Red Wings
Jason Blake, Toronto Maple Leafs
Fernando Pisani, Edmonton Oilers

Who should win: Fernando Pisani
Who will win: Jason Blake

Without taking anything away from the gentlemen who are up for the award, there are 3 easy ways to get nominated for this award: get cancer, get a weird disease that no one has heard of, get old. And all three are demonstrated this year.

Lester B. Pearson Award (best player as voted on by the NHLPA),
Nominees:
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Who should win: Ovechkin
Who will win: Ovechkin

See the arguments above for Hart.

Tomorrow we'll talk about how my predictions are. If I guess correctly on every trophy except the Lady Bing, I'll consider that a win.

The Kicking Rule

2008-05-06T13:43:00.004-05:00

It seems like not a week goes by these days when there isn't another major controversy involving the officiating. No team sport has as much controversy around their officiating as the NHL, and it's mostly because no sport has as many rules open to interpretation as the NHL does. Even when a rule is written as explicit as possible, it veil of secrecy that surrounds "The War Room" in Toronto where all instant replay decisions are made.

You know a sport is in trouble when the biggest question facing it is what is and is not a goal. Today, we'll review the rule on the kicking motion.

You may have a better eye than me, but it seems that any time the puck goes off a skate and into the back of the net, that the league is going to review it. The best way to determine the actual outcome of this review? Flip a coin. No really. One night a player will kick the puck directly in the net, and the league will allow it, while other nights, the player will have the puck bounce off the back of his legs and into the net and the ref will say it was kicked in, even if the player never saw it.

The league has planned to look at this rule over the summer. The belief is that the rule is going to be modified so a kicking motion will be allowed as long as the blade of the skate doesn't leave the ice. Is rule going to get clearer? Maybe. Anything that takes discretion out of the hands of the officials/NHL war room in Toronto is ok in my eyes, but let's see if the NHL changes the rules at all, what the new rule is, and how it is enforced before we rush to any judgement. Sean Avery showed us how quickly the NHL can act when it knows it looks idiotic. The problem these days is showing the NHL just how foolish it can look.

Your Offseason Primer

2008-05-05T09:57:00.002-05:00

Another season, has come and gone, which brings us to the slow part of the year: The offseason.

BHH will be around all summer long to help you deal with the most adverse effects of hockey withdraw. We'll start off discussing the ways I think the league should change the game to improve it, and don't worry, I'm not about to suggest a glowing puck.

As May rolls into june, we'll be looking at what the Caps are looking like next year, and we'll analyze what the Caps should do in the free agent market (Hint: Not much).

We'll spend July looking at the moves other teams made throughout the summer and how teams will change this upcoming year.

And August will be preview time, as I do my patented player-by-player preview in time for training camp to start in September.

The hockey may be done, but there will be plenty of writing all summer long here at BHH!

Elsewhere in the media world . . .

2008-04-11T16:43:00.002-05:00

I did an interview for the Washington Newsmagazine DCist.

Check it out.

I'll have something more interesting to say later on tonight. I'm too nervous to come up with anything truly interesting.

Caps on the town.

2008-04-07T10:03:00.002-05:00

After putting their golf clubs back in storage for a few weeks, members of the Caps will be out and about in the District tonight as Mike Green, Bruce Boudreau, and Cristobal Huet are set to be at the Nationals game tonigh at the new Corporate Sponsor's Name Here Stadium.

After a few people notice Brucey B warming up throwing a couple of pitches at Caps practice, it's surmised that he will be throwing out the first pitch tonight. Probably because he doesn't want to risk Green or Huet to mess up their shoulders at this time of year.

A picture says a thousand words

2008-04-06T18:19:00.001-05:00

What the world needs now . . .

2008-04-02T13:47:00.002-05:00

Is decisive leadership. From the top. I am of course looking at your Mr. Leonsis. In a way I have never called him out now, I am pointing the finger at Ted, DEMANDING that he help his team in a way he never has before.

We here at BHH want Ted to grow a playoff beard. No more of the Van Dyke. No cutsey little goatee. I want Mr. Leonsis to grow a full-blown playoff beard.

Here is one mock up of what Ted would look like with a playoff beard.

An addition to the Caps blogging community.

2008-04-01T12:39:00.005-05:00

Hockey Primetime is a start up hockey forum, with a brand new Caps Blogger, Meghann Bowman. For those unaware, Ms. Bowman has edited this very blog many times. So, if you see a down turn in quality on this blog, it's most likely due to the fact that she is occupied with her own endeavors. Ah, who are we kidding. This blog doesn't have any quality.

As far as tonight's game, it's going to be an intense game, the most important hockey game in Washington in five years. If I wasn't at work right now, I'd be drinking, or sleeping, but honestly, I can't think of anything to write that hasn't been said elsewhere, so I shall bury myself in work and get ready for tonight's game.

Dear Jeebus I'm stressed.

Pay no attention to the Men Behind the Curtain

2008-03-26T14:38:00.002-05:00

I don't get it anymore. Anytime these days that the NHL goes to a review, you might as well flip a coin, there really is no logic behind the outcome.

Let's look at two very similar plays last night. The first one occurred in the NJ-Pittsburgh game.

If you go to the 1:09 mark of the preceeding video, you see Aaron Asham of the Devils driving the net. Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins has lost his stick and is chasing Asham. As Asham gets to the goaltender Mark-Andre Fleurry, Letang gives Asham a bear hug, and the two fall on top of Fleurry. Would Asham have run into Fleurry had he not been tackled? Maybe. We cant tell for certain. Letang certainly had a good hold on Asham though. The Devils scored on the rebound, and it was immediately washed out, and the referee on ice refused to even review it, claiming "The goalie has to be able to play the puck. Fleury was still in the crease and got bumped out."

Now look at the play again. Two people make contact with Fleurry. Asham, and Letang. Neither of them bump him out of the crease. The player that made more contact with Fleurry was his own defenseman, who was committing a blatant holding penalty at the time without a call. The referee further compounds this by refusing to even allow a review, taking matters into his own hands. If there was a competent explanation, that's fine, but his explanation of what happened does not match what the replay shows.

Now let's move onto exhibit 2, a very similar play from last night.

In the second period of the Capitals - Hurricanes game, Carolina forward Eric Cole drives the net. Eric Cole skates into the middle of the crease without getting touched. Then he is legally bumped (not a bear hug) by Shoane Morrisonn, and both players go into the goalie, and the puck might have gone into the net. I'm not really sure, as I have yet to see anything showing the puck in the net. There isn't a replay available that physically shows us the puck in the net, you can even watch the NHL highlight video (the play happened with about three and a half minutes left in the second). Somehow the goal counts, and league passes along word to both telecasts that there is a view that shows the puck in the net that wasn't available to the broadcasts. Here is my question:

What "other feed?" Why is there a feed that is available to the folks in Toronto reviewing the play that isn't available to the camera crews? Is it like the Zapruder film? What is the point of not allowing the telecasts to see something when it is available? Does the league not want the best possible telecast? It seems like every time the league doesn't know what to do, they flip a coin. To placate fans of the other team, they tell them "there was another feed" so the fans can grumble. It isn't just a problem with last night, it is an ongoing problem with the league.

Coming out of the lockout, the league claimed that they wanted officiating to be consistent. The claimed they wanted something that was called in the first period of opening night to be the same call that was made in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals, and that is far from the case. The league has repeatedly proved that they have favorites that get the calls, and other teams that don't get the calls. As the among of evidence keeps stacking up, it becomes harder and harder to deny.

Something that is ruled one way in one game, is not ruled the exact same way in another game. What is a penalty for one team is not a penalty for the other team. Something that was a penalty in the first period is not a penalty in the third period. It happens time and time again, and the league won't do anything about it.

Congrats Olie!

2008-03-13T10:46:00.002-05:00

Here at BHH, we want to congratulate Olaf Kolzig on his 300th win, joining Martin Brodeur and Mike Richter as goaltenders with 300 wins with one organization.

Sadly, in the postgame interviews, Olie made it sound like this might be his last season. We want to implore Olie to hang around a few more years so we can have more memories like this one.

Besides, who will be there swearing a storm in front of children at practices?

Oh Say Can You Sing?

2008-02-29T10:28:00.003-05:00

Interested in singing the national anthem before a televised Caps game? Tuesday, March 4th (like, next Tuesday), there will be an American Idol style competition at the ESPNZone in DC at 6 pm. The winner of said competition will get to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" before the Capitals-Penguins tilt on Sunday the 9th at 12:30 pm. Good luck to all! You won't be any worse than Bitsy.

COL-NYR rumour

2008-02-26T00:34:00.002-05:00

Colorado gets: Valiquette
Rangers get: Parker

Do I need to explain this one to you?

NYR Rumour

2008-02-25T14:44:00.002-05:00

Here's another fake rumour for you all.

Rangers sign Forsberg to 3 year, $15m contract. It's a perfect fit for the team, after all, they still have about $25m in Cap space for next year ringht now, right?

Right?

Tampa - Vancouver rumour

2008-02-25T12:51:00.003-05:00

With every other blogger out there publishing the latest trade deadline rumours, I figured I'd spend the next 26 hours making up my own rumours off the top of my head.

That said, here's what my sources are telling me is the latest juicy bit.

To Vancouver:
Brad Richards

To Tampa:
1st Round Pick
Alexander Edler
A Conditional Sedin

The way in which the Sedin is selected shall be determined by how far Vancouver advances in the playoffs. If Vancouver fails to make the playoffs, no Sedin shall be traded. If Vancouver advances to the first round, the Sedin shall be picked by rock, paper, scissors. Should Vancouver advance to the second round, the Sedin shall be determined by hot potato. Should Vancouver advance to the conference finals, the Sedin shall be picked in a thumb wrestling match between GMs Dave Nonis and Jay Feaster. Should Vancouver Make the Stanley Cup Finals, the Sedin shall be picked through an episode of American Gladiators (the old one, without Hulk Hogan). Should Vancouver win the Cup, Jay Feaster will simply take both Sedins, and Nave Nonis can suck it.

Check back through today and tomorrow for more fake trade rumours!

Another writer makes a mistake.

2008-02-24T15:20:00.003-05:00

Normally this feature is filled with a writer from an sports website that makes an egregious error. This time though, it's NHL.com. It's not a major mistake, but still, you'd expect them to be able to get the facts.

Evan Weiner has a niece piece about the trade deadline and how it relates to Mike Gartner. Of course, there's a glaring factual error in it that makes you bang your head and wonder who makes this stuff up.

Gartner led the Caps in goals (36) and points (68) in his rookie NHL season. Over the next eight years, Gartner scored 35 or more goals annually, and became the first Capital to hit the 50-goal mark, in 1984-85.

Here's the problem. There was this guy Dennis Maruk who played with Gartner early in his career, and Maruk hit the 50 goal mark twice before Gartner ever did. The year that Gartner first hit 50, some other kid on the time actually had 53 goals. I don't have the game by game stats to figure out who hit 50 first, but there's a really good chance that Gartner was actually the third Cap to hit 50. He was definitely no better than second.

My gripe aside, this is a good article with some nice quotes from Gartner. Again, I'm not trying to tell professional writers how to do their jobs. I just wish they'd check their facts.

I've Never Been Prouder

2008-02-21T23:35:00.004-05:00

As the Capitals headed into yet another skills competition following the completion of Wednesday's game against the Islanders, something happened in the arena that made me proud to be a Caps fan. A decent chunk of the crowd, (maybe a thousand) got up, and left. They left the game before the shootout, and that to me says more about the shootout than any focus group or Bettman spun logic EVER could.

God bless America.

Meanwhile, our owner is trying to stifle civic pride, and the Flyers keep on trucking.

I'll probably write more on the Ted thing tomorrow.

A New Curse?

2008-02-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

With a 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadians tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers have extended their losing streak to 7 games. Not only have the lost 7 straight, but every single last one was in regulation, so not a single point has been gained. The losing streak started back on February 6th in a game against the Capitals, which may be remembered best as Ron Hextall night, with the Flyers having a lengthy ceremony before the game. And another lengthy ceremony during the first intermission. Well, the hockey gods were apparently upset with the lengthy delay during the game. The NHL certainly was, as they have fined the Flyers $25,000 for failing to forthcoming with the length of the pending delay. Since the Flyers have not won a game since the ceremony, one has to wonder if the Flyers have been cursed by Ron Hextall?

I leave you with my personal favorite Ron Hextall moment.

Vote for Ovy!

2008-02-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

You may wish you were a little bit taller, you may wish you had a girl that looked good so you could call her, but this week you can make one dream come true.

You can vote for Alexander Ovechkin in Doc Walker's "Baller of the Week" award.
No really.

Go here to vote. It may not be the most prestigious award, but heck, it'd be funny to name Ovy a baller.

Really NHL.com?

2008-02-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

Has anyone checked out the NHL.com "recap" to tonight's win?

Here's a link

Caps fans are always complaining about how the NHL never gives us much love. We beat the Penguins in one of the most exciting games of the year, and it's not on NHL.com. We have the rookie of the year two years back, but the league hardly gives him lip service as the Crosby promotion machine roars on. Following the Calder victory for Ovechkin, the myth of "Ovechkin edges Crosby for the Calder" begins. We could count to hundred of screwjobs by the refs (including incidents like tonight).

But here it is in a nutshell, from the article,
"With the score tied at 2 early in the third period, Nash was on a mini-break. . .Nash skated around the pileup . . . and beat Brent Morrison on the stick side for his second of the game and 28th of the season."

really NHL.com? I understand that the AP wrote the article, but shouldn't you have someone around to fix these types of things? I understand that the author probably confused the Caps' defenseman Shoane Morrisonn in there, but if that were the case, "Morrisonn" was spelled wrong.

I'll just take the two points and move along

853 Days

2008-02-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

"What is how long it has been since the lockout ended, Alex?"

On October 5, 2005, the NHL resumed regular season play with all 30 teams in action. That night was heralded around the league as the debut of Sidney Crosby. Alex Ovechkin played his first game that night as well, scoring a pair of goals as the Capitals defeated the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 3-2. 28 months later, the Caps are finally going to Columbus as part of the NHL's unbalanced schedule. I don't know about you, but that is a looooong time between games.

Of the Capitals that are taking to the ice tonight, here is a complete list of those that played the last time these two teams tangled:

Alexander Ovechkin
Matt Bradley
Olaf Kolzig
Shoane Morrisonn
Boyd Gordon

We all know that the NHL's unbalanced schedule is to blame for this, and we all know that the reason the NHL created the unbalanced schedule was to create rivalries among teams that are closer to each other geographically. But think for a second. Of the four other teams in the Capitals' division, only the Carolina Hurricanes are closer to Washington than Columbus. But I won't begrudge the team a couple of trips to Florida in the middle of winter. I'm just glad the Caps will get to go off to far away Columbus more than once every three years now.

Would You Like To Take a Survery?

2008-02-03T10:14:00.000-05:00

Upon leaving the arena yesterday, members of the staff were handing out business cards that mentioned an online survey. So having some free time to myself this morning, I sat down and took the aforementioned survey, taking the onus to do what I can to contribute to a better Washington Capitals experience. That may sound cheesy, but I'm the kind of guy that believes every vote matters. You know, a nerd.

The survey was actually about fans' experiences with the concession vendors at Washington Capitals games. I find this odd because Ted Leonsis has said repeatedly that the Capitals have very little control over the concessions in the arena, since those are controlled by Washington Sports and Entertainment (the parents company of the Wizards). The survey got me thinking about the food at Verizon Center nonetheless.

I don't eat at the Phone Booth often. Usually I get a soda and a pretzel. My father usually buys popcorn, and my mom and sister might get a coffee from Dunkin Donuts. If they Caps are playing particularly bad, I'll drink a beer (or 4). But the food inside the stadium is so poor, I rarely, if ever, eat it. One used to be able to bring in food from the outside, but that was something that was done away with last year due to "security reasons." I assure a $5 combo from McDonalds was FAR better food than the Chicken Tender Basket and a large soda inside (which would cost three times as much).

Thinking about how bad the food is, I started thinking about sporting stadiums I have been to in the last five years, be it for a concert or sporting event, and ranked the food.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore): A-. Good selection, including Boog's BBQ, and all kinds of really good food. A little pricey, but the quality of the food is second to none.

Scott Stadium (UVa) B+ Not great, but LOTS of variety scattered throughout. The Second Quarter Cheesburger is a staple of my diet.

Ravens Stadium (or whatever corporate name it has this week. Baltimore). B+. One of the cheaper stadiums, great selection, and the lines weren't too horrific for the few Ravens games I've gone to.

Giant Center (Hershey, PA) B. Not too expensive, the food is good, not great. Not a wide variety of food, but a wide variety of beer and chocolate. Duh.

The Patriot Center (George Mason University) B Not a lot of variety, but not very expensive, and what they do have isn't screwed up that much.

FedEx Field (Redskins, DC United Game).B Surprisingly really good food. Not surprisingly, ridiculously expensive food. Not necessarily a wide variety of food, but this is a football game. Lines weren't too horrible either, which surprised me. Then again, anything good involving the Redskins these days is a bit of a surprise.

RFK Stadium (Washington DC). B- Former home of the Nationals, current home of the DC United. For the most part the food is really lousy, but cheap. Then I tried the Chicken Tenders. AMAZING. Simply Amazing.

Lincoln Field (Philadelphia PA). C+. I didn't get the full experience at the stadium, as I was there for a Temple Football game and there were maybe 20,000 people there and the upper level was closed. That said, the food was decent, moderately cheap, and all around not horrible. Not great either though.

Wallace Wade Stadium (Duke University). Kind of meh. Barely a stadium (does it even seat 15,000?). Food is more like a glorified high school football game than a college setting. Of course, you can also buy a large pizza from Dominos inside the arena for $15 and it tastes just as good as it would outside. An excellent idea if you spent the previous night having too much fun in Chapel Hill.

Nisaan Pavillion, Bristol VA. C- Ok, not a stadium, but a concert venue. Not great food, but not horribly expensive. I guess prices trend downward when people are tailgating outside the arena. Not really much to choose from either, in food or beer. Get there early and go to one of the multitude of fast food establishments in Gainesville.

The Prudential Center (Newark NJ). C. Not particularly good from my experience. Not particularly Cheap. But loads better than it was at the old arena, and not really exceptionally bad.

Verizon Center (Washington DC)D-. The food is simply bad. The Fries taste like cardboard, the chips taste poisonous. The burgers are dry, the tenders are cold, and the "Papa Johns" doesn't even taste like Pizza. The only thing redeeming the place is the Dunkin Donuts inside the arena and the wide selection of beer.

Izod Center (formerly Continental Airlines Arena), East Rutherford NJ. F The Worst Food Ever. I was there for a Pearl Jam concert, and was extremely disappointed in the level of food, especially after having been in the car all day.

A good idea that works!

2008-01-28T16:17:00.001-05:00

It seems every time we turn around, the NHL is coming up with some new gimmick to change the way we play hockey. Well, this weekend, we stumbled on a change that actually seemed to make the game more entertaining, even if for only the weekend.

During the All-Star weekend in Atlanta, the VS Network had a pair of goalies equipped with microphones while the played. Not an interview on the bench, but an actual participant with the studio team while the game was even in play. Rick DiPietro and Manny Legace donned microphones and managed to bring an extra level of entertainment to the game. Whether it was DiPietro saying 'hi' to the folks at home as he was getting scored on during the openning faceoff, or Legace debating with Commissioner Bettman about the size of goalie pads, the first and third periods had an extra entertainment factor as we got to listen to the goalies chat with the guys in the booth during play. Rick DiPietro even did the play by play himself during the last thirty seconds of the first stanza.

And of course, there's always the chance that one of the goalies could drop the f-bomb on the air. Thank goodness the game was on cable.

Record, Shmeckord

2008-01-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Nicklas Backstrom on becoming the first rookie EVER to record back to back 4 assist games. Think about that. In the 80+ years of the NHL it's never been done before. Not by Crosby. Not by Lemieux. Not by anyone. Of course, Gretzky was never a "rookie" in the NHL by league standards, so there's always that caveat.

So what is Backstrom's reward?

A Star of the night from the league at NHL.com? Nope.
At least he got props at ESPN.com in their post-game wrap-up. Except that they spelled his name wrong, and the link under it goes to the Minnesota Wild's goalie.

At the end of the day, the only place he got any credit at all for his record is from the Pittsburgh Media, who gave Mr. Backstrom Third Star of the game.

Props from the Pittsburgh Media? Who'd a thunk it.

Did someone say it wouldn't end . . .

2008-01-15T11:27:00.000-05:00

Today's lesson is: How to be a whiny elitist.

Let's look at the Toronto Star's article about the Ovechkin signing.

Step 1.

Mention erroneous facts.

A quick scan of the Washington Post's front-page stories yesterday:

-President Bush was in Israel helping broker Middle East peace talks.
-A look at Hillary Clinton's popularity among women voters.
-An obituary of mountain climber Sir Edmund Hillary.
-A local woman says she killed her four children because they were possessed by demons.

Not a single mention that Washington Capitals star forward Alex Ovechkin had signed a watershed $124 million (U.S.) contract extension – the biggest pro sports contract in the city's history.

I don't know about you, but a presidential election, world peace, a quadruple murder, and the death of someone FAR more famous Alex Ovechkin all qualify as bigger news. This is newspaper that sells far more copies in a single day than the "Toronto Star" will sell in a year.

Step 2
Leave out facts that counter act your argument.

Look at the Washington Post's Sports section from last Friday. It's a giant picture of Alex Ovechkin on the front page. Above the fold. Big article. The largest Caps story since the team was dissasembled in 2004. Below the picture, a nice infographic of the largest contracts signing in Washington Sports history to help people put this in perspective. No mention of the amount of space the article was given, but hey, that's counter productive.

Step 3
Make a different argument because you don't have enough made up facts to fill up an argument with your first point. Bonus points for faulty logic!

Nevertheless, the unsavoury facts about hockey in the U.S. capital are inescapable. The Capitals have been a perennial money loser and, unless owner Ted Leonsis opens his wallet to build a supporting cast around Ovechkin, little will change.

So lets get this straight. The Caps lose a lot of money. They must spend a ton more money, or else they will lose even MORE money. Remember when the Caps were losing $20 million a year before the lockout? They had Bondra and Gonchar and Olie. They brought in Jagr and Lang to support. Top 5 payroll, bottom 5 result. Cut the team dow and the team did BETTER at half the payroll,and lost a whopping $4m. So the logic given in this article, before we start looking at future scenarios, already fails.

Step 3
Attack the fanbase.
In 1997-98, led by Peter Bondra, Joe Juneau and Adam Oates, the Capitals advanced to the Stanley Cup final to play Detroit, even though the Red Wings won in four straight.

"I remember the sea of red in our seats," said Hudgins. He paused. "Maybe that speaks to the passion of the Detroit fans."

Sadly, it also speaks to the indifference with which Washington views its NHL franchise.

His argument, the Caps made the finals, and it was all Red Wings fans that showed up. No mention of the reasons why.

The owner of the Caps sold the tickets to travel agencies long before they ever went on sale to the public. So people in Detroit were able to buy tickets before Caps fans. Do you know how many tickets to the finals ever went on sale to the public in Washington? ZERO.

I know Toronto is extremely jealous of the great team the Capitals are building, but you need to look no further than your own inept management and ownership as to why you can't one day get back in the playoffs, too.

A Memo to Larry Brooks . . .

2008-01-12T00:31:00.000-05:00

. . .Eat it.

Let's backtrack. I like going after members of the hockey media.

Let's backtrack further. I like going after members of the hockey media that deserve it. I like to call the professionals on their mistakes, and the professionals that behave unprofessionally get less respect from me. Members of the hockey media that act professionally, I treat with respect, no matter how much I may disagree with them on something. Earlier this year, Adam Proteau made a moderate sized mistake in a column in regards to the CBA, I brought it up as politely as I could, and he responded with grace and class in my blog. He's a good person in my eyes.

Then there's the other end of the spectrum.
There's the Bruce Garrioch, the Eklund, and at the very bottom of the ladder, Larry Brooks.
Let's dig up some golden nuggets from Mr. Brooks.

MAYBE someone can provide one good reason for Alex Ovechkin to sign a new contract with the before becoming a restricted free agent on July 1, because we sure can't think of any.

Ovechkin does not belong to the Caps. Through no desire of his own, he merely is playing for Washington under a three-year, entry-level capped lease that will expire at the end of this season.

Well Mr. Brooks, Alex Ovechkin decided he liked the area enough to hang around another 13 years. And he found $124 million reasons to do so.

A bit of a concern . . .

2008-01-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

16:32 Stoppage - Puck in the crowd
16:32 Boyd Gordon won faceoff against Milan Hejduk
16:42 Giveaway by Alexander Semin
16:50 Shaone Morrisonn credited with hit on Milan Hejduk
17:11 Shot blocked by Jordan Leopold
17:11 Penalty to Michael Nylander 2 minutes for Holding Jaroslav Hlinka
17:11 Power play - Paul Stastny won faceoff against Dave Steckel
17:38 Power play - Shot missed by John-Michael Liles(Wide of Net)
17:39 Stoppage - Goalie Stopped
17:39 Power play - Paul Stastny won faceoff against Dave Steckel
17:54 Power play - Shot missed by John-Michael Liles(Hit Goalpost)
18:01 Power play - Giveaway by John-Michael Liles
18:03 Shot on goal by Boyd Gordon (Backhand 12 ft)
18:04 Shot missed by Shaone Morrisonn(Wide of Net)
18:05 Stoppage - Net Off Moorings
18:05 Shorthanded - Brooks Laich won faceoff against Jaroslav Hlinka
18:22 Stoppage - Offside
18:22 Shorthanded - Boyd Gordon won faceoff against Jaroslav Hlinka
19:16 Takeaway by Milan Jurcina
19:22 Shot blocked by Alexander Ovechkin
19:31 Shot missed by Alexander Ovechkin(Wide of Net)
19:37 blocked by Alexander Ovechkin
19:42 Stoppage - Puck in Bench

For those wondering why I'm posting the play-by-play from Wednesday's night win, you had to be there. At 16:32 of the first period, a puck flew into the seats and hit a woman about two sections over from me in section 114. People in her vicinity signaled for the paramedics immediately, and the usher went to go get them. Down in the seats, people began pooling any napkins they had available to stop the bleeding. Meanwhile play went on. A few minutes later there was a penalty on Washington. No paramedics. A couple of fans stepped forward to take charge, presumably people with some medical training, be they EMTs, Doctors, or Nurses. The Caps killed off the penalty. No paramedics. The Avalanche failed to score on the power play, no paramedics. Finally a minute or two after that, the paramedics lacsadaisically sauntered down the aisle to treat the woman. During mites on ice, the woman was escorted out, not returning for the duration of the match.

By my count, there were 4 stoppages in play, and a little over 3 minutes in game time between when the puck was over and when the paramedics finally showed up, which I figure to be about a 6-7 minute delay. What were the paramedics doing? The first aid station is behind section 117, right next to the incident. When someone gets hit in the head by a piece of frozen rubber being propelled that hard, you have to wonder what takes the paramedics so long.

On a positive note, it was nice to feel Verizon Center as cold as well, a hockey rink. Someone has been getting the notes on how to make the ice better it seems.

Riddle me this . . .

2007-12-12T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Flyers spanked the Penguins 8-2 last night on "national" television. The game will be replayed on VS at 5 pm tonight.

More importantly, here are your three stars of the game:
1. Joffrey Lupul (3g, 3a)
2. Mike Richards (0g, 3a)
3. Sidney Crosby (0g, 2a)

Would someone care to explain to me how Sidney Crosby got the third star in a game where his team lost by 6 and he was -3, while R. J. Umburger had 3g, 2a, was +5, and scored the game winning goal, but didn't get to go out for the post game salute?

Inconceivable.

Signs You Might Be A Caps Fan, part 1.

2007-12-09T23:30:00.000-05:00

You are watching two teams play, neither of which is the Caps. When regulation ends in a tie, your first thought is "Oh, good. We at least get a point."

*sigh*

Anyone want to go see "The Rocket?"

2007-12-05T11:40:00.002-05:00

No, not the player himself, but rather biopic about his life. The Avalon theater in Washington DC will be showing the movie "The Rocket" for one week starting December 14th.

The Avalon's website.

Hopefully one of these days it will get a wider release in the US.

R.I.P. Sean

2007-11-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

BHH would like to take a minute to mourn the loss of Redskins' free safety Sean Taylor. Aside from being one of my favorite Redskins, Sean seemed like he was finally turning his life around before it was taken from him while he was in his home on Monday morning. He leaves behind a girlfriend and a young child, to whom I'd like to send my condolences.

Ask FS! 11/26/07

2007-11-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome back sports fans! It's time once again for the only online column to lose all it's toes to Frostbite! It's time once again for "Ask FS!"

Today's question comes to us from Anonymous who wonders,

Will Kozlov be a 20 goal scorer for us this season? Right now he's on pace for 12. What is wrong with him this season? Can you explain his inconsistent play thus far? During his good games, he looks amazing, but most games he barely seems to try out there.

I think the problem with Kozlov is that fans had expectations of him that were too high. This wasn't a signing that was meant to "replace Zubrus" or "be a great linemate for Ovechkin." I always felt that the plan with Kozlov was that he could come in and be an extra center/winger that could play on top lines, and be a center until Backstrom was ready. He also is supposed to be good in a shootout. Then he could switch back to wing. He wasn't very expensive, wasn't signed too long, and he's friends with Ovy. Based on all that, I think Kozlov has been just fine. He scored 20 last year, but remember, that was a career season for him. I always felt like Kozlov was a "just in case" signing, just in case Fehr wasn't ready, or Fleischmann couldn't cut it, or Backstrom struggled, or Nylander didn't get locked up. He wasn't too expensive, nor was he signed for very long ($2.5m for 2 years) and I feel he's doing his job. Would I like to see him score more goals? Sure. But you could say that about almost all of the Caps' forwards at this point.

That's it for this time, folks. If you have a question you'd like to see asked in a future edition of "Ask FS!" make sure to leave it in the comments section below, or send to me via an email in the link provided in the profile. Until Next Time, Let's Go Caps!

Accentuate the Positives.

2007-11-22T20:22:00.000-05:00

Did you hear the Caps have fired Hanlon today? It's in about 80 other places, and I doubt people come here for the hard hitting news. Especially since I never have it. This is where people come for their fluff pieces. Maybe better days are ahead.

It's hard to keep a blog going when the team is so atrocious it makes your hurt to think about it. So you take the positives where you can. You start a fan club based on your favorite player. Then the player gets traded for a draft pick.

So you drag yourself to a game, knowing that the hockey team is driving you to drink. And we have to look for the positives.

1. Yes, cute camera girl was at the game, making her triumphant return to both the corner she patrols, and my heart.

2. Bob McDonald is one of the best singers of the national anthem around. Anytime he is there to sing the anthem, at least the game gets off to a good start.

3. Verizon Center serves Stella Artois. The greatest beer ever. It may cost $7 a pop, but at least it makes it easier to laugh at how bad this team can be.

Hopefully with new coach Bruce Boudreau there are better days ahead. At least the players are getting yelled at a lot more. They've earned that.

Ask FS! 11/16/07

2007-11-16T19:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers! It's time once again for the only online column to take a week off to go see a Devils game! It's "Ask FS!"

Today's question comes to us from John in Landover. John Asks

Hey FS,
What do you like to do on your Tuesday nights?

Great question John! Everyone knows that FS is a firm believer in the old adage "When it's time to party we will always party hard," and Tuesday nights are no exception! But this upcoming Tuesday is a special Tuesday, as Donald Brashear will be signing autographs at the ESPNZone in Washington (just blocks from the Verizon Center) and having a little Q & A. While you are there, ask him about the stupid penalty he took while on the Power Play at the last home game. Heck, ask him what the hell he is doing out there on the PP to begin with.

That's it for this week, if you have a question that you'd like to see answered in a future edition of "Ask FS!" just drop it to me in the comments section below or send it via email in the link provided. Until next time, "Let's Go Caps!"

Ask FS!

2007-11-05T16:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers, it's time once again for "Ask FS!"

Today's question comes to us from Marc in New York who asks

Eric Staal is off to a great start, do you think he is the best Staal brother?

Great question Marc! While I certainly do think Eric is off to a great start, it is a little known fact that Linda Staal, boy's mother, was a bit of a traveller in her youth, and while travelling through Finland, she met the man that she thought would change her life. Unfortunately, the man was not the noble man she thought he was, and their romance ended abruptly. 9 months later, Linda was left with a little bundle that her parents made her give up. Linda later met the father of Eric, Marc, Jordan, and Jared, and the rest is history. Years later, that Finnish boy was drafted in the first round of the NHL draft several years before his half-brother Eric, and had a wildly succesful career for the Buffalo Sabres. To this point, the best of the Staal brothers is actually their half-brother, goaltender Mika Noronen. Now you know the rest of the story.

If you have a question you'd like to see in a future edition of "Ask FS!," just drop it in the comments section below, or send it to me via the email link provided in my profile. Until next time, Let's Go Caps!

I get by with a little help from my friends . . .

2007-11-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

Go check out the 2007 Weblog Awards, especially the sports cateogry in which Washington Captials blog "On Frozen Blog" is nominated. Go vote once a day every day. Who knows, maybe you'll see Bettman Hates Hockey there one of these days (must . . . constain . . . laughter . . .)

Ask FS! 11/2/07

2007-11-02T15:34:00.001-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers! It's time once again for the greatest online commentary since the series of tubes was first invented by Al Gore, it's "Ask FS!"

Today's question comes to us from Bob in North Carolina. Bob wonders

Who do you think is the most underrated Cap?

Great question Bob! If you had to ask me for my opinion, I'd say that Brian Sutherby is the most underrated Cap. It took him 11 team games to get in his second game, and boom, there's a goal. He hustles along the boards, he steps up for his teammates, and the Coaches think enough of him to make him an Alternate Captain whenever he's in the lineup.

Speaking of Brian Sutherby, check out the Brian Sutherby Fan Club, which is coauthored by yours truly.

That's it for this week, check back next time for another edition of "Ask FS!" If you have a question that you'd like to see in a future edition of "Ask FS!" leave it in the comments section below, or drop it in the email via the link provided in my profile. Until next time, "Let's Go Caps!"

Locker's Quote of the game!

2007-11-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

Starting a new feature, I present to you a quote of the game featuring everyone's favorite color commentator, Craig Laughlin.

While profiling Jeff Schultz, Sarge's favorite movie was listed on screen as "Superbad." Locker's response while going over that point of the feature:

I have never heard of that movie. Maybe it is supposed to be "Sinbad," not "Superbad."

Ladies and Gentlemen, that is your Locker quote of the night.

Dear NHL.com

2007-11-01T12:15:00.000-05:00

If you are going to put an article about the Caps on your front page, please spell Shaone Morrisonn's name correctly. Thank you.

Link to article for those interested.

Ask FS! 10/29/07

2007-10-29T16:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers! It's time once again for the only online column to win the triple crown . . . in horse racing. It's "Ask FS!" Today's question comes from Suzie in Wheaton. Suzie asks

Why doesn't Nylander get moved to the [Ovechkin] line?

Great question Suzie! Hanlon loves mixing up his lines, based on performance, injury, and the moon's position, but as of yet, we haven't seen a lot of Ovechkin and Nylander together. When Nylander was acquired, everyone assumed it would be to play with Ovechkin, but everyone had the wrong Alex. Now that the Caps have no right wings (Alexander Semin and Chris Clark are both hurt), it is possible that we will see Nylander moved up to the top line, but not necessarily. In the one game that Ovechkin and Nylander saw considerable time together, we saw Ovechkin and Nylander put a -2 together up on the boards, and that seems to be the real reason that Hanlon is keeping them apart. Another reason could be that Hanlon wants to develop two scoring lines, and putting his two most healthy forwards on the same line is no way to do that. Until the team gets healthy, we really have no idea what the plans are for the future with regards to the Caps' top 6 forwards.

Thanks for the question Suzie! If you have a question you'd like to see show up in a future edition of "Ask FS!" just drop it in the comments section below, or send an email to the link provided in the profile. Until next time, "Let's Go Caps!"

Peter Bondra Retires.

2007-10-29T13:11:00.001-05:00

We here at Bettman Hates Hockey would like to congratulate Peter Bondra for his performance on the ice during his career in Washington. Whatever qualms I have with how he handled the Business side of his career, he was always a professional on the ice, and I want to take this space to congratulate him on his career accomplishments (leading the Caps to the finals, 500 goals, etc.).
Here's a Bondra moment for you.

Ask FS! 10/27/07

2007-10-27T09:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers! It's time once again for the only online advice column that can recite the lyrics to every Devo song backwards! It's "Ask FS!" Today's question comes to us from John in Denver who wonders

Do you think Hanlon will be the coach the entire season?

Great question John! I think that if the Caps continue their current pace we won't see Coach Hanlon around for too much longer. So who's going to replace him? Ask FS! has come upon a list of candidates.

1. Actor Robert Wuhl. If anything, he'd stop the team from become a bunch of Lollygaggers.
2. Canucks Coach Alain Vigneault. Maybe he can teach the Caps how to take a dive as soon as a player gets near their skates. It certainly worked for the Canucks last night.
3. Boxing legend Joe Frasier. Maybe Frasier can teach the Caps to win a few more fights and not get jumped from behind. If nothing else, it will help the next time the Lightning and Thrashers come to town.
4. The Noid. He ruins pizza, maybe he can ruin the chances our opponents have. If nothing else, it'd be hilarious to watch him interact with the officials.
5. Bruce Cassidy. He's available . . .

That's all for this go around, but if you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future edition of "Ask FS!" just drop it in the comments section below, or email it to me via the link provided.

Looking on the bright side . . .

2007-10-26T21:46:00.001-05:00

The Caps lost again, but I want to spend two minutes talking about how great Matt Bradley played. I'm not exactly cheering for him to succeed, but he was out there most of the night, throwing the body around and hitting everything in sight. In short, he played exactly like a guy should when he gets the dread "Healthy Scratch" moniker. I want to take a few seconds to pay tribute to number ten, and throw out this as a way of saying "Way to go"

Your no brain move of the week.

2007-10-26T09:44:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one that is saying "No duh" after watching Chris Clark's breakout performance on Wednesday? It's not that hard to predict, take a guy that scored 50 goals the last two seasons on a line with Ovechkin, throw him back out there with Ovy, and watch him put in his first two goals of the season. Despite what some people have said, it's not THAT easy to play on a line with Ovechkin. If you can figure it out, you're going to get inflated points, it's that easy, as Dainius Zubrus and Chris Clark will tell you. It's also not the most obvious thing in the world, as some guys like Jiri Novotny, Joe Motzko, and Thomas Fleischman will tell you, as they have been given opportunities out the wazoo, and have been unable to perform anything.

Now that the Motzko experiment has ended, and Fleischman has been proven to be a bust, could we finally see some real playing time for Brian Sutherby? One could only hope so. Maybe #16 on the score sheet, but #1 in my heart will get to see the ice this weekend or on the ensuing "Western" road trip.

Ask FS! 10/26/07

2007-10-20T13:27:00.001-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers! It's time once again for the only online column to get head butted by Wesley Willis, it's "Ask FS!"

Today's question comes to us from Meghann in Maryland (how alliterative!) whoa asks

Who has worse jerseys, the Caps or the Canuck?

Great question Meghann! Especially because it is so easy to answer! The Caps have pretty decent jerseys now, They've managed to incorporate all 3 of their previous logos into the uniform while still having something new and trendy that will look outdated in 5 years! The Canucks on the other hand have a combination of the old Whalers colors, but maintain the ugliest uniforms in the NHL. Seriously, am I supposed to be frightened by an orca in their logo? Would someone explain to me what is so scary about a big dolphin?

Maybe next year the Canucks will switch their names to the "Vancouver Flippers"

That's it for now. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future edition of "Ask FS!" just leave your question in the comments section below or send it to me via the link provided in the profile. Until next time, Let's Go Caps!

In game blogging. 10/18/07

2007-10-18T18:40:00.000-05:00

I'll be doing the once around of ingame blogging tonight, so here's what we learned in the first period.

How weird was it seeing the first good play of the game come as a result of effort by Thomas Fleischmann? I must say it was nice

The PK seems to be fine with Pettinger out there, as he has a monster shift, killing a large portion of the penalty on Brashear all by himself.

The defense looked good, but Backstrom failed to pick up his man as he skated towards the net, and that allowed the back-door goal on Kolzig, to make our end of the first period score 1-0.

The best word to describe the second period is 'frustration.' Frustration with the officiating, with the power play, with the defense, but most importantly, with Joe Motzko. I don't care how banged up a team is, why is Joe Motzko allowed to play on the top line with Kozlov and Ovechkin, and constantly turn the puck over, while Chris Clark is slaving away on the third line? Why is Motzko allowed to turn the puck over on the PP repeatedly when Mike Green doesn't see the ice on the PP? Is it that hard to send Motzko back to Hershey, dress Sutherby on the fourth line, put Laich on the third line with a combination of Pettinger, Bradley, or Steckel, and move Clark up top? I don't understand why the coach insists on demoting a 30 goal scorer to give guys that can't do anything third and fourth chances.

Elsewhere in the period, David Steckel had a turnover 4 consecutive times he touched the puck. That's got to be some kind of record. Add him to the list of guys that should not be ahead of Sutherby on the depth chart.

You've got to give credit to the Islanders for taking chances where they get them, and it's 2-0 after 2.

Ask FS! 10/18/07

2007-10-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome loyal readers! It's time once again for the first online column to travel the Northwest Passage, it's "Ask FS!" Today's question comes Dan in Washington who wonders,

Where was "Ask FS!" last weekend, jerk?

Sorry crapface, but last weekend was a busy one for FS! Between trips to the mythical twin cities of Philadelphia and Charlottesville, there wasn't any time for "Ask FS!," and the team's play on the ice showed! Am I the only one that has noticed that the Caps are now 3-0 when there is an "Ask FS!" this season and 0-2 when there isn't one? I should be on the payroll!

Well that's all for today, but if you have a question you'd like to see asked in a future edition of "Asl FS!" Make sure you leave it in the comments section below, or email it to me via the link provided in the profile. Until next time, "Lets Go Caps!"

What does an 0-6 start get you?

2007-10-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

The axe aparently. Bob Hartley was fired as head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers today (so reports TSN), and while no one is really surprised, I'm shocked it was this quickly. I'm not really sure you can blame Bob Hartley for assembling a mediocre team, that honor goes to GM Don Waddell, who had a team barely hanging on last year at the trade deadline, so what did he do? Mortgage the team's future for the ability to win a single division and get swept in the playoffs. Unless this organization can get it turned around this year, Atlanta fans are going to be mighty disillusioned if they have to go through another rebuild, especially when it seems like the team isn't going to keep around star winger Marian Hossa after the season.

Ask FS! 10/8/07

2007-10-08T11:55:00.000-05:00

Welcome back loyal readers! It's time once again for the only online advice column that can land a quadruple lutz! It's time for "Ask FS!" Today's question comes to us from Victor who asks,

Didja notice Cute Camera Girl doesn't seem to work there anymore? Does this mean you'll start drinking heavily?

Alas, Victor is correct. I have been to three of the four home games so far (if one were to include the preseason, and Cute Camera Girl has not been present at any of the game I attended. One can only assume that the rock that CCG sporadically wore last year means that Cute Camera Girl found a man she could settle down with and leech off of. Alas. I'm too upset to make a joke now, so I'll just wrap it up. I just hope you are happy out there Cute Camera Girl. Wherever you are.

If you have a question you'd like to see in a future edition of "Ask FS!," please leave it in the comments section below, or send to me via the email link in the profile on the right. Until next time, Let's Go Caps!

Ask FS! 10/6/07

2007-10-06T07:52:00.001-05:00

Welcome back boys and girls! It's time for another edition of the only online column that can count to e, It's "Ask FS!" Today's question comes to us from Dan, down in Lynchburg, VA! Dan asks

Do you think Olie is good enough to carry the Caps to the playoffs?

Well Dan, I do think Olie is good enough. Heck, we're a week into the season now, and Olaf Kolzig is the only starting goaltender in the NHL yet to give up a single goal! With an actual defense in front of him, I predict Olaf Kolzig will simply have to be decent, not great, to get this team to the postseason. Thanks for the question, Dan!

And remember, if you have a question you'd like to see answered in a future edition of "Ask FS!," you can email it to me via the link provided in the profile, or leave it in the comments section below. Until next time, let's go Caps!

In game blogging 10/6/07

2007-10-05T19:26:00.000-05:00

What better way to start off the season than with a little in-game blogging?

Period 1
Anyone out there want to politely explain to me why the thrashers all yell "NIGHT!" during the National Anthem? It's like they were looking for something to yell and that was the best they could come up with. Or maybe they are all Texas Tech fans . . .

Kari Lehtonen had a GAA of .5 during the preseason? Yipes. It's a good thing those games don't count . . . he looks downright afraid of Ovy every time he gets the puck.

And Nylander gets the first goal of the season, while Backstrom picks up his first point on the helper. Ovy starts off the season with a goal in his rookie year, Becks with a helper in his first game . . .a portent of things to come for Mr. Backstrom?

And just like that, Erksine scores his first ever non-empty net goal as a Cap. I still think Clark should have gotten a helper on that play. The NHL needs to review these things to make them more accurate.

It was great to see the 4th line cycling the puck, but even better to see them generating offense off that cycle. If only Brashear could finish.

Would someone explain to me why Pettinger took a 2 minute penalty for getting cross-checked? That call reeked of "time to call one for the home team." And immediately afterwards, Lehtonen played the puck in the forbidden corner, and there was no call. Whoops.

Well the Caps mostly killed off the penalty, so it's back down for period 2 . . .

Period 2
Uncle Gary stops by, and doesn't embarrass himself for the most part until Locker and Joe B ask him about the salary cap and he starts with them buzzwords like "partnership" and "salary range."

I still don't understand why a team can crosscheck a player on top of their own goalie, and have the penalty be on the guy that got crosschecked, but it happens again, this time to Clark.

Poti and Green seem to be a great pair out there on the PP, I just worry about them at even strength.

Johnny needs to learn to stay in the crease, and Mikey G shows his pond hockey skills in the net.

Johnny needs to work on his fundamentals as well, as that goal was a complete joke. The team can't work as hard as it does to let you give up goals like that, come on.

The 5 on 3 looked good, except for it's inability to finish. Caps still up after 2, but the Thrash seem to have all the momentum. Stick around for period 3.

Period 3
Erskine may have scored a goal tonight, but he sure looks unsteady on his skates. He's not that fast, and he keeps falling down. Although in his defense, he's usually pounding someone as he goes down.

Mike Green seems ready to shoot the puck from everywhere, and it pays off, as he bounces a puck in off of Kozlov to put the Caps up 3-1.

Chris Clark took a beating in front of the net tonight. Boyd Gordon took a beating everywhere but the front of the net.

The Caps get a 5 on 3, then Ovy gets a stick to the face that draws blood and no call. The leagues "no 3 penalties in a row on the home team" rule pops back up.

Pettinger bounced one off of Lehtonen and off the post. He may not have won the game, but Lehtonen played well. He needs a better team in front of him if he's going to play like that all year though.

In other news . . .

2007-10-05T18:02:00.000-05:00

The Daily Growl approached me and asked me for a preview of the Washington Capitals, which I obliged. So to read my preview of the Caps for the 07-08 season, click over here

Ask FS! 10/6/07

2007-10-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen! It's the triumphant return of the only ongoing blog column that has yet to endorse a political candidate for president! It's "Ask FS!" Today's question comes to us from Meghann in Bel Air. Meghann asks

What do you think will be the Caps best asset this year?

That's a great question Meghann! Although the Capitals claim their rebuilding is complete, I think their best asset is one they've slowly built up from the ground . . . the blogging community! I personally expect Peerless to break his career best in goals. I'll be around during the game tonight, bringing back the in-game blogging, and hopefully finishing up the season previews over the weekend.

If you have a question you'd like to see answered in a future edition of "Ask FS!" just leave it in the comments section below, or send me an email via the link in the profile. Until next time, Let's Go Caps!

Season Preview: Matt Bradley

2007-10-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

Matt Bradley made the team. Barely. With Ben Clymer going to the minors, Matt Bradley barely made the Caps this season, much like Brian Sutherby did. Unlike Ben Clymer, Matt Bradley's contract ends after this season, so Matt Bradley is essentially auditioning for other teams to give him a try after the season. Look for Bradley to spend most of the season on the fourth line, or in the press box. Occasionally he'll get some PK time as well.

Season Preview: Dave Steckel

2007-10-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

I held out on doing Steckel's bio for a while. I started out doing a lot of the checking line guys, but I didn't want to have to do a guy that wasn't going to stick with the team. Then he hung around. And hung around. And hung around, and lo and behold, he's still here. I guess I should have done him earlier, and just passed on Josef Boumedienne.
Dave Steckel has the potential to be one of the best penalty killers in league history. No really. With his long wingspan, Steckel makes a 5 on 3 seem like a 5 on three-and-a-half. When put out there with Boyd Gordon (as he so often was in Hershey), Steckel and Gordon become an extremely potenet PK combo, something that will only help the Caps, as their special teams have really been their downfall the last few years.

Did we also mention he's great at faceoffs? During the Carolina preseason game, Steckel beat Face-off wizard Rod Brind'Amour in 6 straight faceoffs in the third period, and in the Caps/Flyers preseason game in which the Caps managed that great comeback, Steckel was seen taking faceoffs in both the offensive and defensive zone for Victor Kozlov, helping the Caps chances at gaining control of the puck.

Look for Steckel to bounce between the third and fourth line this season, depending on who is healthy. Also keep an eye out for him any time the Caps are down a man, and any time they really need to win that faceoff.

Season Preview: Alexander Ovechkin

2007-10-04T11:50:00.000-05:00

Who? Oh, yeah. Alexander Ovechkin has completely lit up the NHL since his arrival after the lockout, starting with 2 goals in his debut. He won the Calder his rookie season, and finished 3rd in the scoring race. A slump in the middle of his second season left him with a "measely" 94 points last season, but he had to adjust to linemates being traded, and the team generally sucking in the second half. Now the Caps have increased Ovy's support cast, but not necessarily his linemates. A lot has been said about the Caps adding offense to help Ovy, but not much of that will be playing on Ovy's line. Sure Kozlov was a nice signing, but I don't think you'll find too many people out there that will say that Kozlov and Fleischmann are better players than Chris Clark and Dainius Zubrus. The real help will be in the Caps having a third line that can score, and very potent second line to play between the two lines. Will that help Ovy learn that he can't do it all by himself? Will Ovy have a "breakout" year and win the Richard trophy like everyone knows he can? Will I keep asking rhetorical questions?

Season Preview: Brooks Laich

2007-10-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

So where does Brooks Laich fit in? With all the talk of Clymer going to the minors, and figuring out what our third line is, and who plays with who up top, people seem to be forgetting about the guy that looks just like Chris Clark, Brooks Laich. Will Brooks get to play a lot this year? Will we be renaming part of the press box the "Brooks Laich" wing? It all depends on who is healthy and who has the hot hand. Look for Brooks to be able to get time in the line up as coach Hanlon looks to switch things up, and as injuries begin to deplete the Caps, as it invariably will at some point.

Season Preview: Nicklas Backstrom

2007-10-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

The Caps newest wunderkid is finally here, Nicklas Backstrom. According to some reports, Backstrom will score 200 points this season, and accomplish more in a week than Chuck Norris would in a year.

Not since Alexander Ovechkin has a Caps' prospect had anywhere near the hype that Backstrom has, but the front office know that "Becks" won't have that kind of rookie season. Look for Backstrom to have a solid season, starting on the right wing on the second lien, but probably moving to center at some point before the season is over. And given the talent among his linemates, Michael Nylander and Alexander Semin, maybe Backstrom will be able to make a dent in that 200 point plateau.

Season Preview: Michael Nylander

2007-10-02T18:49:00.000-05:00

Michael Nylander is back in the fold, or as Locker will undoubtedly call him "Michael Michael Motorcycle" (the over/under is in the first intermission). After a period that saw Nylander go to first Boston and then New York, Nylander was the Caps' big splash this summer in the Free Agent market, luring him from Edmonton at the last mintue (or after the last minute if you are Kevin Lowe, what ever happened to the leagal action he threatened against the Caps, Nylander, and his agent?)

Nylander was brought in to be the Caps top center, and everyone assumed it was for Ovechkin. Except that Nylander was immediately paired with Semin on the Caps' "second line." So it's up to Nylander this year to get the puck to the other Alexander, and mentor that young Backstrom kid that everyone's been yakking so much about, And heck, maybe get the team back to the playoffs. One thing is for certain, he can rest a little easier knowing that Yonkman isn't on the club anymore.

Season Preview: Chris Clark

2007-10-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

Captian Chris Clark will be back for his third season with the club, second as captain. Clark has spent most of the last two years on a scoring line with Alexander Ovechkin and Dainus Zubrus. With Zubrus gone and the Caps in posession of some new high-priced toys, Clark's role has changed to being on the third line, while Thomas Fleischmann gets a look on the top line with Ovechkin and Kozlov. Clark joins Matt Pettinger and Boyd Gordon on the third line, whose main goal will be shutting down opponents. For the last two years Clark has put up career numbers in goals. This year we will learn if it was because of Clark's natural skill, or because he had that numbe 8 guy playing across from him.

Season Preview: Alexander Semin

2007-10-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

Alexander Semin is a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a, well you get the point. Does he speak English? I've heard him speak it pretty darn well. But then he needs an interpreter for an interview with the Post's Tarik El-Bashir. He's got an attitude problem, but then again, I didn't see any problems coming forth from the locker room last year, when Semin put up 38 goals and 73 points, both totals being good enough for second on the team to that other Alex. So what will Semin do this year? Well, hopefully having better linemates will get him even more productive. I don't think there's anyone in America that believes that Nylander and Backstrom aren't a step up from Pettinger and the rotation of Laich, Klepis, and Beech (no offense to Princess). Between the improved linemates and the (hopefully) improved power play, it'll be nice to see Semin's goals go up. Or at least his assists.

And maybe he won't make people mad enough to smash their iPod.

Season Preview: Boyd Gordon

2007-09-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

Boyd Gordon (or "Gordo" as everyone with the name "Gordon" seems to be nicknamed), seems to finally be sticking in the NHL. With the potential to be one of the best defensive forwards in the league, Gordon finally seem to arrive last year, as he managed to shut down other team's offensive lines on a decently consistant basis. The former first overall draft pick may not be racking up the points like some of the players drafted around him (like Chris Higgins, Alexander Steen and . . . ummm . . .Jakub Klepis?), but Gordon has shown great skill at Penalty Killing and is coming along nicely in faceoffs. Could he be a little meaner? Sure. Could he provide more goals? Sure. But for now, he's firmly implanted as the third line center, and racking up the TOI on the PK and against the other team's top line.

Season Preview: Matt Pettinger

2007-09-29T08:53:00.000-05:00

For Matt "Princess" Pettinger, it's pretty simple what he needs to do: stay healthy. In each of the two seasons since the lockout, Princess has had injury concerns, and as a result hasn't been able to play to his full potential. He missed 11 games in '05-'06 (although a couple of those were as a healthy scratch), and he missed 18 last year. If Matt can stay healthy, he can help this time a lot on the third line. If he's spending more time in the trainers room than in the weight room, it could be a rough season. As a result of the Caps' added depth, Pettinger will be moved from the second lien down to the third line, but this potent third line should still get plenty of ice time and score plenty of goals as Pettinger skates alongside Chris Clark and Boyd Gordon

If I hadn't seen it . . .

2007-09-29T08:25:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't believe it. Down 5-2 in the 3rd, the Caps came back to beat the Flyers 7-5 on five unanswered third period goals. Now the Caps were down 5-2, but it wasn't really that the team played all that horrible up to that point, they dominated the play 5 on 5, but the Flyers were burying their chances, Poti gave Richards a gift, and Koharski made some interesting calls in the second (such as Chris Clark getting called for holding when he had two hands on the stick). Above all else though, Olie had a rough game. At one point the Flyers had 5 goals on 12 shots. The past two seasons, the Caps have not been in any games unless Olie was in his top form. Olie wasn't in top form last night, and the Caps rallied to bail him out, something unseen around these parts in a while.

The Good:
1. Alexander Ovechkin. In the third period he just woke up and won the game. Something he's always wanted to do in the past, and been capable of doing before (like games against Anaheim in '06 and Atlanta in '07).

2. Brian Pothier. Exactly what we expected when we got him. Now that he's not logging top 2 minutes, he's playing at his level, and shining both in the offensive and defensive zones.

3. Dave Steckel. He's making management's decisions extremely difficult about who we are going to keep along the back 6. His second and third goals of the preseason along with solid defensive play and his amazing face-off abilities are showing he belongs in the NHL with some organization.

The Bad:
1. Mike Green. He kept getting ice time and doing nothing with it. I've never seen a puck bounce over a stick as much as it did over his last night, giving me flashbacks to Sergei Gonchar.
2. Tom Poti. He had a solid game most of the way, but the moment that sticks out is that awful turnover in the first leading to Richards' first goal.
3. Jeff Schultz. He's not playing anything like he did at the beginning of last season. He's going down to Hershey, and they are just going to murder him when he gets there.

The Ugly:
1. Olie Kolzig. I'm sorry, sir, but that was as bad as I've seen you play in a while. Let's get the rest off in the preseason, please.
2. The officiating. I've never seen the player closer to the boards get called for boarding. I've never seen a player with two hands on the stick called for holding, yet both of those happened against the Caps in the second period, leading to a PP goal by the Flyers.
3. The ice. Let's get this fixed guys. I know it's been in the upper 80s and 90s the last few weeks, but this team needs quality ice to move the way it wants to.

Season Preview: Brian Sutherby

2007-09-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

There is no way to describe Brian Sutherby's 2006-2007 season outside of calling it a disappointment. After ratcheting up 14 goals in '05-'06 as part of the Caps' effective "CBS" line alongside Ben Clymer and Matt Bradley, Sutherby saw his effectiveness and minutes drop after the unit was broken up to start the season. After 14 goals coming out of the lockout, Sutherby only managed half that last season. But it wasn't all gloom and doom for the 25 year old in '06-'07, getting practically the same amount of ice time, Sutherby's +/- increased to -9 after a -17 campaign, so his defensive abilities seem to be improving. Sutherby also picked up his first career power play goal, so that may be something he can hang his hat on.

This upcoming season, look for Sutherby to begin on the fourth line, trying to provide a spark for his linemates with his physical, belligerent play, and trying to chip in a goal or two in the mean time.

Season Preview: Donald Brashear

2007-09-26T11:44:00.001-05:00

Moving on to the forwards in the mother of all Season Previews, we get to the Donald. A pugilistic forward that makes the rest of the team feel a little safer, Brashear received 14 fighting majors last year. We would love Brashear to score more goals? Sure, but that's not his job, and that's not who he is. As long as Brashear sits around on the 4th line fighting whoever needs to be taught a lesson, he's doing his job.

This video makes me miss Jamie Heward.

Steve Downie is a Piece of Excrement

2007-09-26T11:07:00.000-05:00

And has been suspended by the league. Here is his hit against Dean McAmmond last night.

He was issued a match penalty on the play for attempt to injure, and probably won't be playing against the Caps tonight.

Scoreboard Picture . . .

2007-09-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Here's the new scoreboard at Verizon Center. She's a beauty, ain't she?

My only real complaint is that the penalties and score and time remaining are above the screen, not below like before, which means I've got to look up a lot further. I imagine I'll get used to it, but as of now I'm not a fan.

Season Preview: John Erskine

2007-09-25T14:18:00.000-05:00

Wrapping up the defensemen (finally!) we get to John Erskine. Here's essentially what Erskine is: a great defenseman as long as he doesn't have to move. The more he has to move, the more trouble you are in. On the PK, Erskine can clear the net while his partner goes in the corners and causes havork among the other team's PP elsewhere. The quicker the pace of the games, the more Erskine looks out of place. Erskine has one other big problem, injury. Erskine missed a lot of time last year with an assortment of injuries, including a broken ankle and a dislocated thumb. If he can stay healthy, he'll be fine.

While his liabilities may include his mobility and his tendency to be injured, his strength is his physicality. Erskine is by far the Caps toughest defenseman, and his willingness to hit and fight have endeared him to the hearts of other fans. The teammate that has benefited the most from playing with Big John Erskine is Steve Eminger, who looks like a much more confident player since he started partnering with Erskine during last season. Look for Erskine to see time on the third pair against the more physical teams, but to also see some time in the pres box this upcoming season until the numbers work themselves out.

Season Preview: Josef Boumedienne

2007-09-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

I really don't know why Josef Boumedienne refused to sign with the Caps coming out of the lockout. It was a golden opportunity for the developing defenseman to be an anchor on a weak blueline that included Ivan Majesky, Bryan Muir, and Mathieu Biron. Instead, Boumedienne chose to play the last two years in Switzerland, Finland and Sweden, honing his craft at the European level. Now Boomer is on a 1-year contract, during which he can either prove he belongs in the NHL or get shipped back to Europe. It looks like he's going to play on the Caps' third pair, but who the heck knows what is going on in the bottom six. I imagine the Caps will keep him around just to hold onto his rights, and he could develop into a solid 3rd pairing d-man/2nd PP quaterback. Or he could end up back in Sweden. Or Finland. Or Switzerland.

Season Preview: Jeff Schultz

2007-09-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

Jeff Schultz is the anti-Mike Green. Taken at the end of the first round in the 2004 entry draft (just like Mike Green) with a draft pick that we got as a result of the 2004 firesale (just like Mike Green), Jeff Schultz spent his rookie season last year between Washington and Hershey (just like Mike Green). I wasn't kidding in that first sentence though. Where Mike Green looks to make the fancy play, take a risk, and is inconsistent, Jeff Schultz showed in his time in Washington a tendency to make the simple play, be consistent, and use his towering frame to keep oppoenents at bay, without drawing as many penalties as lanky rookie defensemen always seem to draw.

Does he always make the best play? No. Is he very physical? No. Is he very offensive minded? No. These are all things that Jeff Schultz needs to continue to work on as he hones his craft in the Capitals' organization.

Like Mike Green, Schultz will be battling for a spot on that last defensive pair along with Josef Boumedienne, John Erskine, and Steve Eminger. Because he is able to pass through waivers, logic dictates that he will be spending the year in Hershey, at least until someone goes down with an injury. I'm sure we'll see plenty of Jeff Schultz in Washington before the season's end.

Season Preview: Mike Green

2007-09-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

Continuing right along (I WILL finish this before openning night), we get to Mike Green. Green spent most of last season as a third pair d-man with the Caps with the occasional spell in Hershey. Mike started out the season well, but seemed to stagnate as the year progressed. The best way it seemed to describe Mike Green by the end of the year was that he was wildly inconsistent, and needed to learn how to make more smart plays, to which most will say "duh, he was a rookie, what do you expect?"

With the additions of Poti and Boumedienne, Mike Green faces an uphill battle this year for playing time in the NHL, and that may not be a bad thing, as lots of playing time in Hershey is probably better for him in the long run than 10-12 minutes a night in the NHL.

Pictures of Verizon Center improvements

2007-09-23T23:08:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a concert at the Verizon Center and being the always-thinking type, I took my camera along and snapped some pictures of the new signs and paint jobs around the concourse, and a couple of other improvements.

First off, anyone that has a suite on the 300 level now has a seat on "Lexus Luxury Level." No, really.

But here's some pics of the new signage around VC, as well as an idea of the new color scheme. I took some pictures of the scoreboard, but they didn't really come out at all since it was tucked away up high.

This is the sign when you first enter, showing you the directions to go for upstairs and whatnot.

This is what the walls look like all over. A fresh set of paint, and an update to the color scheme.

The sign outside your section showing what section you are sitting in from the seating area.

A sign showing which section is which from the corridor approaching the sections themselves.

Brackets for the new HDTV monitors that are going to be going in. I guess the monitors themselves aren't quite ready yet.

I also have a couple of bad pictures of the scoreboard itself that I can publish if people really have a desire to see pictures of black blobs.

Season Preview: Brian Pothier

2007-09-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

Brian Pothier was the Caps' big offseason acquisition in the summer of '05. Let's repeat that. A team that finished with 70 points went out and got . . . Brian Pothier. Nothing against Pothier, who is a capable second pair d-man (or a stellar third pair defender), but a team that was nowhere near contention and adds only Pothier is obviously not hedging their bets on the upcoming season. Likewise, a GM that makes that his big acquisition knows he has some rope from upper management.

Pothier played very well the first half of '06-'07, but as his play went south, so did the play of the Caps. Pothier was nailed by the flu that hit the team in late december, but unlike most of the team, played through it, since there simply weren't enough roster spots to call up d-men to replace all the sick players. Then Pothier broke his ankle, and just wasn't the same player the rest of the season, even after his return.

Pothier looks to be a lock on the second pairing this season with either Morrisonn or Jurcina, a place much more suited to his skills. His ability to put together a consistent 82 game season will be a big factor in whether or not the Caps succeed or fail.

Season Preview: Milan Jurcina

2007-09-18T19:12:00.000-05:00

Milan Jurcina came over towards the end of last season in a trade with Boston that was little more than highway robbery.In exchange for a 3rd round pick, the Caps got a defenseman that can play as a 4th defenseman on a solid club, or a 2nd defenseman on a bad club. Or a 6th defenseman on Anaheim, but that's not realistic.

Boston wanted Jurcina to be a puck-moving defenseman, but he didn't fit that role very well, and Washington seems to be successful in allowing him to be the physical d-man he can be. He'll most likely end up on the second pairing this year, and while he may be a stay-at-home defenseman, he's shown that he has a rocket from the point and isn't afraid to occasionally step up in the offensive zone.

Season Preview: Steve Eminger

2007-09-14T15:10:00.000-05:00

Rolling right along, we come to Steve Eminger. Eminger was a first round pick of the Caps in 2002, alongside Boyd Gordon and Alexander Semin. It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when Eminger seemed like the best of the Caps three picks in the first round of 2002 (the others being Alexander Semin and Boyd Gordon). Gordon seems to finally be on the verge of putting it together, and Semin made it back from his Russian exile while Eminger's development has stalled. On the verge of breaking through in early 2006, Eminger broke his ankle in a game against the Anaheim Ducks, and hasn't quite recovered yet. While struggling mightily at the beginning of the '06-'07 season, Eminger seemed to improve a lot in the second half of the season, just not in any consistent way. Playing alongside John Erskine did wonders for Eminger, and the two seemed to perform well together. Unfortunately for Eminger, Erskine was injured a lot. For Eminger to have a consistent role on the Caps night in and night out, he needs to learn how to perform like he is capable of every shift. Look for Steve to be on the Caps third pairing for most of the season until he performs like the Coaches know he is capable of performing.

Season Preview: Tom Poti

2007-09-14T13:08:00.000-05:00

Continuing our offseason preview, we come to the Caps' marquee offseason acquisition on the blueline, Tom Poti. If there is one thing Tom Poti is known for, it is being inconsistently inconsistent. He was booed out of town in Edmonton and with the Rangers, but was the number one defenseman on a playoff team on the Island last year. So which Poti will step forward? The consistent puck-moving defenseman that can chip in on the power play? Or the mistake-prone defender that can't get the puck out of the zone to save his life? This will be one of Coach Hanlon's biggest challenges this season, putting Tom Poti and players like him in situations where he can excel, and his mistakes will be minimized. I don't think anyone is expecting a Norris-like season out of Poti. Realistic expectations would be solid contribution on the power play, and minimal mistakes in his own end.

Season Preview: Shoane Morrisonn

2007-09-13T09:34:00.000-05:00

To kick off the season preview, I decided to start somewhere no one else ever stars: The defense.

Shaone Morrisonn is probably the Caps' most invisible defenseman, and I mean that in the best possible way. Morrisonn never makes the flash play, he never makes the amazing play, he simply makes the smart play that keeps the puck alive. If there is any part of his defensive game that could use work, it is his physical play, although you can't blame the top defender for not taking any risks on a team ranked 23rd on the power play.

So where does Morrisonn fit this year? On one of the Caps top two defensive pairs, most likely alongside either Tom Poti or Brian Pothier, playing the opponents top lines. Morrisonn is most likely a fixture on the Caps blue line for years to come, but needs to work on his physical play if he is to be one of the league's elite defensemen.

But first, a message . . .

2007-09-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

The Capitals have announced their ticket plans, and there are a couple of interesting new options for people out there.

In addition to the old standbys of "Eagles Nest" ($10 tickets) and the "Family Four Pack" (4 tickets, hot dogs, sodas and hats for $96), the Caps have added a couple of new packages. Gone is the old student discount, replaced by the "Student Rush Night," for all Thursday and Friday games. $10 for any upper level ticket, $25 for any lower level ticket, available starting at 4 pm on game night.

Also available for the first time is a "Pack the House 6-Pack" of tickets for only $99. The stated intent of this package is to fill the Verizon Center with Caps fans, not fans from other teams. There is a "Rivals" package with games against Carolina, Pittsburgh (twice), Philadelphia, the Rangers, and the Maple Leafs. There is a "Saturdays" package, and an "Old-Time Hockey" package.

At least it looks like the Caps are finally trying to actually sell tickets to their own fans. Take note, Susan O'Malley.

Now coming! Preview season!!!!!

2007-09-11T11:36:00.000-05:00

Between now and the end of training camp, I intend to do a preview of the Caps, the likes of which no one has been stupid enough to do before. I will do a preview of every player I expect to make the Caps team to start the 2007-2008 season.

Starting sometime either this afternoon or tomorrow, you will see an in-depth preview of what I expect from every player on the team this season. Word.

Bored this weekend?

2007-09-07T12:53:00.001-05:00

Nothing planned this Saturday afternoon? Desperately needing your hockey fix?

Well, if you are in the Dulles Airport area (like myself), just head on down and check out the 15th Annual Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull! As if the thought of pulling an airplane wasn't exciting enough, I received the following press release this morning from the Caps,

Washington Capitals team captain Chris Clark will take part in the 15th annual Dulles Family Day Festival and Plane Pull on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Dulles International Airport. Clark, who will participate in the 145,000-pound plane pull for Team Southwest Airlines, will also sign autographs for fans attending the event from noon-2 p.m.

So hey, head on down to the Plane Pull tomorrow, check out the Captain, and report back to me on whether or not he bothered to put his teeth in (because he certainly didn't have them in during practice yesterday.

Bullis to Russia

2007-08-31T16:26:00.001-05:00

I have been trying very hard recently to find something to write about every day, while at the same time not covering the same ground that other bloggers cover, and not doing any season preview stuff (that's coming in September folks, let's finish rosters before we do any preview stuff), I have had to, at times put up things that aren't exactly newsworthy (like former Capitals scrubs signing with division rivals for next to no money).

So when I stumbled across this headline (roughly translated, Bullis signs in Russia) this afternoon, it got the wheels turning a bit.

We are seeing the beginning of a trend with players signing in Russia. It may not seem newsworthy now, but it may become more newsworthy over time, as more NHL players are going to Europe for more money, an easier schedule, or a better role on the team.

In the past, it has been commong for European players to go back to Europe to finish out their careers in front of their home fans, especially among Swedish players. Bengt Gustafsson went back to Sweden at the age of 31, played four more years in the Swedesh Elite League, then went to Austria to play for another 6 years. Yes, Bengt Gustaffson was still playing pro hockey when the Caps went to the finals in 1998. In other instances, players that simply couldn't cut it in the NHL anymore went over to Europe, simply because most top tier leagues across the pond pay more than the AHL.

But this summer, we're starting to see players that are disatisfied with their job prospects in the NHL repatriating back East. First it was Alexei Yashin. Then it was Columbus's Alexander Svitov (who had just signed a contract with Columbus weeks earlier). Then Jamie Heward went to the motherland for double the money. Now it's former Capital draftee Jan Bullis. Despite developing into one of the games better checking line wingers, Jan Bullis has signed with a team in the Russian Super League for more money and a more offensive role, something that Jan Bullis has demanded from his coaches at every stop in his NHL career, but never been granted. (I'm sure there are other examples I'm not mentioning, but you get the point). Europe, with Russia in particular, has become a league in which hockey players from both sides of the globe can go and earn a decent wage, player a shorter schedule than in the NHL, and be treated like kings. It's certainly a step down in terms of prestige in most players eyes, but it'll be interesting to see which way this trend continues over the next few years. Is this a sign that the NHL talent pool is becoming strong? Do I want to drag the expansion argument into this? It's certainly something else I can talk about next week . . .

The biggest Caps news of the week.

2007-08-30T19:35:00.000-05:00

But only because it's a slow week.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed former Caps defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski to an undisclosed contract. In the case of the Thrashers, I hope "undisclosed" means "one-way ticket to Chicago of the AHL."

If Kiwi does show up at one of those always intense Southeast Showdowns, do we "whoop!" Kiwi? Or was he so bad that he's not even worthy of that?

Caps' Radio News . . .

2007-08-30T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I successfully managed to stay out of the fallout surrounding Ted's attack on WTEM 980 a few weeks back, but apparently I'm dragging myself into the fallout.

The Capitals announced today that they have a new two-year agreement with Bonneville Radio to air all Caps games on 820 and 1500 AM, and 107.7 FM, the series of stations known as 3WT.

Also, according to the release, the Caps will have an hour long talk show on Saturdays at 6 pm, as well as other promotional and community outreach programs on the station. If they could ditch Steve Kolbe and Ken Sabourin, we'd really be in business, but I think that's out of reach for now.

The question now on my mind is, did Ted Leonsis know this deal was looming before he attacked WTEM? I would think so. This certainly changes the way in which I view those attacks.

Because you really shouldn't be touching yourself at a game anyways . . .

2007-08-29T14:21:00.001-05:00

According to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, the Caps will not have cheergirls at the games this upcoming season, but it is not out of the question for the '08-'09 season. Dan's quoted Caps PR rep (and one of this blogger's best friends) Nate Ewell as saying,

"It's something that we've looked at and we're still looking at. Obviously it's something that creates strong feelings, pro and con, so we're still trying to evaluate whether it would be a positive thing for our fans in the long run. We weren't confident at this point that it was a good idea. If we do it, we're going to do it right."

So the Caps remain the only team in the division without ice babes. Take that for what you will.

Summit Series: Game 2

2007-08-29T09:41:00.001-05:00

Godfrey? Out.
Varlamov? Out.

Canada? Up 2-0 after 2 as the ice in Ufa is beginning to resemble the ice in Buffalo back in May 1975 at the infamous "fog game."

Pierre McGuire is consistent though, with his usual hommerism that could best be descreibed as "Jeanerettesque."

Back for updates as the game plays out.

Update:Third period is underway, and it's just a lot of back and forth action. Back and forth to the penalty box.

I just saw one of those goals that should come back. When you are stickhandling with the puck, you shouldn't be able to body check the goalie while he's in the crease. I'm surprised that goal was allowed to stand as it pushes the score to 3-0 with under 10 minutes to go. It won't have much of an outcome on the final score, but man did that look bad.

In wacky canadian commercials news, Peter Krause (of "Sports Night" fame) will be in some new show called "Dirty, Sexy , Money." Good to see programs like that advertized during the daytime when the kids are still home for the summer.

In full time, we've got a 3-0 game for the Canadians, and the mystery of that wonky goal is revealed as the officials for this game are Canadians. That explains a lot.

Alzner with a steady game, but nothing spectacular like his diving stop in game 1. Hopefully Varlamov will be back in game 3, but who knows.

Karl Alzner, Metalhead?

2007-08-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

The Summit Series between the youths of the ~~Soviet Union~~ Russia and Canada began yesterday, and the Capitals' 2007 top pick Karl Alzner was named the player of the game for Canada as the Canucks won 4-2. Alzner picked up the honor despite not even showing up on the score sheet, which should speak volumes about his defensive play. Alzner's reward for being named player of the game? He was given a ceremonial hat by the Russians that would make just about any youngster beam with joy.

In other Caps news, former first round pick Semen Varlamov didn't play too well for team Russia, claiming at one point "I shouldn't have let in so many. Three out of four goals are on me. And the first one turned everything upside down! How did I not stop that one? The shot came from a sharp angle, and the puck squeezed between my pads." The fact that Varlamov let in so many goals through his 5-hole reminds me of a past Capitals' goaltender.

Game 2 in the 8 game series will be Wednesday (tomorrow) at 9 am eastern from the brand new stadium in Ufa, Russia.

Caps Sign Erskine

2007-08-27T14:32:00.001-05:00

According to official Caps writer Mike Vogel, John Erskine signed a two-year contract.

He got a job. Good for him. Now we can get to more important signings like Fleischmann and Klepis.

A Hocky Writer Makes a Mistake, part 2

2007-08-20T11:34:00.000-05:00

I'm back, in my ongoing discussion who's main intention is to figure out, what the heck hockey writers are thinking. Last time, I discussed Adam Proteau's column on ESPN.com/The Hockey News. The column was well written, there was just a fundamental flaw in one of the basic ideas in it. Cést la víe. Today I'm looking at Offseason grades handed out by Sports Illustrated.com's Allan Muir. Normally I like Allan Muir's column. He doesn't write about the widest variety of topics, but he always seems to be pretty knowledgeable. I have no problem to sticking to what you know.

Recently, Allan Muir did his end of summer recap for the Southeast Division, and had the following comments about the Caps,

GM George McPhee had ample cap space. His primary goal: an elite center for Alexander Ovechkin. In Nylander, the Caps now have a slick, pass-first pivot capable of maximizing the superstar winger's potential. With the crafty Kozlov and 2006 top pick Nicklas Backstrom also on board, the Caps' top six can match firepower with almost any team in the East. There are issues on the backline, despite the addition of Poti, who can be Clouseau-esque in his own zone, but he's the finest Caps puck-mover since Sergei Gonchar. His ability to eat minutes will reduce Brian Pothier's workload and make Pothier more effective. The rest of this young group would benefit from a stabilizing physical presence. McPhee also left himself open to criticism by failing to get Ovechkin signed to an extension. The Caps can also use a more reliable backup for goalie Olaf Kolzig, who is 37, coming off another injury-shortened season and more than a bit past his best-by date. Brent Johnson is a good guy in the room, but he's unreliable. Yet, this is a much more talented group. If the Caps maintain their work ethic of last season under coach Glen Hanlon, they should be in the hunt right up to the end.

Let's break this down point by point:
1. The Caps got Ovechkin a real center. That is 100% correct, and was the easiest point to make.

2. The additions of Backstrom and Kozlov give the Caps a real top 6. Again, true. I'm not sure one can claim they can match any top 6, but hey, it's an opinion piece, I let those things slide.

3. There are issues on the backline. Poti will help the PP, and eat minutes. I think the Caps'defense is a bit underrated because they are so young, but what he's saying isn't anything out of the ordinary from what most of the hockey masses have been saying so far. This is a pretty color by numbers article to this point.

4. "McPhee also left himself open to criticism by failing to get Ovechkin signed to an extension." Wait, what? I want to understand this. Alexander Ovechkin is on the other side of the world. He has one year remaining on his contract before he is a restricted free agent, meaning the Caps can match any offer. Yet, because he didn't get signed, McPhee is open to criticism. Apparently Allan Muir believes overpaying for elite talent to the point of crippling the franchise in the future is the way to go these days. Should the Caps have signed Ovechkin by Carrier pigeon? If you want a list of teams with players who are going to have their contracts expire next year and have not been signed, simply write down every single team. There, you're done.

5. "Olie Kolzig is coming off another injury-shortened season." I'm sorry, when was the first? Actually let's back up. If you go to the top of the article, you'll noticed that the article was originally posted last Friday, and Modified on Monday. One of the things that changed was a correction of the spelling of Brent Johnson's name. The other thing that changed was that "injury-shortened" originally read "injury-plagued." Now, Olie didn't have an injury plagued year this year. He had one injury, and it was about a month, and it got better. He still finished 20th in the league. But he corrected the mistake.

Here's what I want to know: When was the first "Injury-shortened season?" Before this past season during which Kolzig missed a month due to a knee injury, he was top 10 in the league in both games played and in minutes every year since he won the Vezina. When you are in the top ten minutes in the whole league in minutes played, I don't think you can really call it an "injury-shortened season," can you?

Allan Muir tends to normally do a pretty decent job, but his research on this grade is lower than the grade he gave the Caps as we approach training camp.

A question for a boring summer day . . .

2007-08-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

There isn't that much going on this summer, so while everyone suffers through another manic Monday I would like to ask my readership a question.

There is a thread on the boards over at Hockey's Future that asks if any posters are NHL players, and has anyone ever reached a high level of play outside the NHL. There's the usual assortment of wise ass answers involving players pretending to be Ollie Jokinen and screwing up his bio and what not, but there's also a lot of people claiming association to a lot of players, including someone claiming to be related to my favorite whiner, Chad Kilger.

I don't really know if any of those people on HF are telling the truth about their hockey connections, and I don't really care. Heck, I had dinner at a table next to Wayne Gretzky about ten years ago, but you don't see me bragging about it on some blog. What does pique my curiosity is the following question: If you were to pretend to be related to an NHL player, who would it be?

Personally, I'd take Patrice Breisbois. I'd sit back and watch people badmouth him to death, and then I'd tell people I was related to him and defend to death in front of everyone. Comedy gold, I tells ya.

But I extend the question to you, who would you pretend to be related to? Remember, if it was any one too famous, it'd be discredited pretty quickly.

Taking merchandising to a new level . . .

2007-08-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

There's all kinds of merchandise out there for the NHL. There's some pretty cool stuff like game-used equipment and authentic jerseys. There's moderately lame stuff like fake jerseys and all those "Eastern Conference Champs!" every Caps fan has from 1998. At the bottom of the barrel has to be this shirt.

I would like to throw myself in line in congratulating the Buffalo Sabres on being better than two teams that aren't even in their division.

While we're at it, I'd like to nominate the Caps for "DelMarVa Champs!" After all, three states are better than one!

Leftovers

2007-08-07T15:08:00.001-05:00

The hockey offseason is a lot like the hollidays. The Entry Draft is a lot like Thanksgiving, everyone gathers together and divies up a bountiful stash of young talent, thanking developmental programs such as Juniors and the NCAA for providing them with talent for the road ahead. The next month is spent with teams getting their shopping lists together, looking at all the shiny toys in the windows of Free Agency. GMs look at what they really need, and figure out if there is enough money in the budget to buy that top line center they've been wanting ever since Santa didn't give them one last year. The week after Christmas is much where we are now, as everyone is sorting through the leftovers, bargain shopping through the bins for all the players that weren't snatched up already and might be obtainable for a discount.

The New Jersey Devils acquired Aaron Asham today, presumably to play on the fourth line. Upon digging for information about what they paid, I discovered that they also signed Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre this offseason. Who knew?

The Montreal Canadiens managed to tick off their entire fanbase by bringing back much maligned defenseman Patrice Breisbois.

The Chicago Blackhawks brought in 39-year-old Wade Flaherty because having one goaltender whose best years were behind him wasn't enough.

Elsewhere, players try to prove they aren't washed up. Mike Peca tried to do his best "doggie in the window" impression with this story on NHL.com. Pecca swears his knee isn't that hurt. Really.

But don't fear hockey fans, while news may have slowed to a trickle as we all attempt to digest what has gone down, there is good news on the horizon. As the dulldrums of August tend to drag on forever, the downtime after Christmas always carries the promise of a brand new year.

A Hockey Writer makes a mistake, pt. 1.

2007-07-30T14:37:00.000-05:00

Adam Proteau is a professional hockey writer. That is what he does for a living. He writes for the premiere sports website in North America (ESPN.com), and the preeminent hockey newsmagazine in North America (The Hockey News). So I'm over at ESPN.com the other day, looking for a quick read during an afternoon break, when I stumble on an article by Mr. Proteau entitled Screen Shots: The Busts of Free Agency.

In his article, Adam Proteau lists the 5 biggest busts of free agency, before any player plays a game. I have no problem with this. I don't really think you can judge a free agent yet, but hey, it's summer, and he needs something to write about. But let's look at his top choice for worst contract, here is what bothers me about his column.

1. Ruslan Fedotenko to the New York Islanders for one year and $2.9 million
Congratulations to GM Garth Snow for capturing my Gem (Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous) Signing of the Summer award. It's not often a guy who scored 12 goals last season -- and has only broken the 20-goal barrier once in his six-year NHL career -- gets nearly $3 million for his efforts, but that's the gift Fedotenko has received from the Isles.

Ted Nolan is famous for squeezing out as much as possible from his players, but what do the Isles honestly believe the high-water mark for Fedotenko can be at this point? More to the point -- why on earth doesn't an incentive-laden deal make more sense for this guy than guaranteeing him a payday regardless of his efforts?

There are three things that bother me about this selection, but let's look at the two minor ones first.

1. A 1-year contract for $2.9 million is the worst contract signed this summer. After the summer we just went through, how can signing a guy to a contract for less than $3m for just one year be the worst contract signed? Daniel Briere and Scott Gomez signed contracts for more than $50,000,000, and the worst contract of the summer is for a guy that got around one-seventeenth that amount? I don't think there's anyone in the league that would claim Briere and Gomez are 17 times better at hockey than Ruslan Fedotenko. Yet, he's the worst contract in the entire league somehow.

2. Claiming Fedotenko got too much money for someone that got 12 goals last year. There is more to a players game than just goals. If Adam Proteau wants to go there, Scott Gomez only scored one goal more than Fedotenko in '06-'07. Scott Gomez is going to be paid a heck of a lot more than Fedotenko is, but hey, let's not let logic get involved here.

3. Fedotenko Should have gotten an incentive-ladden contract. Here is my biggest problem with this article. Let's quote Proteau one more time, just to make sure his point is clear: "Why on earth doesn't an incentive-laden deal make more sense for this guy than guaranteeing him a payday regardless of his efforts?" I'll tell you why an incentive-laden contract didn't make sense: it is against the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement to give Fedotenko one. The only players that are eligible for incentives in their contracts are players that are A. on an entry level deal. B. Older than 35, and signing a one-year contract. C. Players that spent significant time on the IR in last two seasons and signing a one-year deal. None of these apply to Fedotenko, so he was not eligible to receive performance bonuses (as the CBA calls them) in his contract.

I don't really mind when fans on message boards suggest things like giving Ovechkin a contract with option years, or other things that can't happen in the CBA, it's not expected that the casual fan know the ins and outs of the collective bargaining agreement. I would like to think that a professional writer would know better when he's making it the crux of his point in an article that is appearing simultaneously on both thehockeynews.com and ESPN.com. I would like to think his editors would notice this. Isn't it their job to go through and check these types of things before they are published?

At the bottom of Mr. Proteau's article, there is a link to which one can email the author. I emailed him, and asked, as politely as I could, to go over the issues I have with his article. Again, I'm not saying he's a bad writer, and should be banned from writing ever again, I'm just trying to hold a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association accountable. After all, they cite lack of accountability as the main difference between themselves and bloggers. I wanted to know where accountability came into play when an article like that is published. Alas, Mr. Proteau never got back to me.

Stupid News!

2007-07-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

*sigh*
The free agent period is whimpering out. I don't find much joy in arguing if Brooks Laich is more like Jim Slater than Dominic Moore, so we enter the most boring part of the offseason.

ITEM!

Mike Comrie is dating Hillary Duff. The twenty-six year old center for the New York Islanders was been getting frisky with the nineteen year old actress. That's right, he's almost 50% older than her. Oh my gosh! They are holding hands!!!11 While I can't say I care anything about Mike Comrie, I can say that I thought the Lizzy Maguire show was great. Disney needs to put the rest of them out on DVD.

ITEM!

The Staal brothers got arrested after Eric Staal's bachelor party. Apparently Jordan and Eric got hauled off to the pokey after Eric's bachelor party spilled out into the street. Jordan apparently is especially in hot water after drinking before he's 21! Oh noes! I personally think this isn't that big a deal at all. It's unfortunate that it is happening during the offseason when there is nothing better to talk about. If you want to see a headline that can only be described as "puntastic" be sure to click here.

ITEM!

The Official beard of Alexei Yashin is tired of everyone hating on Alexei Yashin and his decision to go back to Russia. Yashin's longtime girlfriend, Carol Alt, was quoted in the Ottawa Citizen as saying "I think he needs to go where people understood him and where he's looked at like a God."

If I were to compare Yashin to a god, I would compare him to Eileithyia, the Greek god of midwives.

That's what's unimportant around the NHL this week. Hopefully something more important will happen between now and next week. Please?

Tooting another blogger's horn

2007-07-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

Now if that wasn't misleading, I don't know what is.

If you've got some spare time today, go read Mike Vogel's piece on Ovy's offseason training over at Dump and Chase. If I had Mike Vogel's kind of connections, well, I'd probably be a professional hockey writer.

Another Good Cause.

2007-07-20T08:35:00.000-05:00

For those of you unfamiliar, there is a fan organization involved with the Washington Capitals called "Put Cancer on Ice," an organization that essentially builds a community of hockey fans in the DC area, and contributes money towards cancer research. Monthly hockey games and an annual golf tournament have raised over $7,000 towards cancer charities.

This month's hockey game will take place at the Capitals Kettler Ice Complex on Sunday, July 29th, from 2-3:30 pm. In response to the recent passing of Caps' beat writer Dave Fay, all proceeds from the game will be donated to Hockey Fights Cancer, in Mr. Fay's name.

If you are interested in playing the game, the information is on PCOI's website. I encourage everyone to come out, watch the game, and throw in some pocket change to a good cause. I shall attempt to be in attendance, but can make no promises due to family obligations.

EDIT: The day is still July 29th, but that's a Sunday, not a Saturday.

Passing along our condolences.

2007-07-18T09:28:00.000-05:00

Caps Beat reporter for the Washington Times Dave Fay passed away last night as a result of cancer. Fay was scheduled to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this fall. Instead of talking about him, I'll simply let someone who knew him do a much better job of singing his praises.

Tim Panaccio remembers Dave Fay.

Caps Announce Preseason/Regular Season schedules!

2007-07-11T13:38:00.000-05:00

From a press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Capitals 2007 preseason schedule features seven games against four opponents and includes three home games at Verizon Center.

The Caps play their first three preseason games on the road and open the preseason schedule at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington’s preseason home opener is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25, when Carolina visits Verizon Center for a 7 p.m. game.

In addition to playing Carolina twice, the Caps also have a home-and-home series with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Ottawa Senators during the preseason. Washington also travels to Tampa Bay.

So that takes care of the presseason.

For the regular season, check out the Caps' schedule at NHL.com

A Question for Other Caps Bloggers

2007-07-09T13:12:00.001-05:00

While there is certainly nothing much to talk about these days other than the things hit upon by other bloggers (I'm not going to throw my two cents into the ring over how desperate Kevin Low seems, or how unbelievably dumb the Edmonton media is), a thought did occur to me.

Let's start by stating the obvious: Most rumour sites are always wrong. Be it Spector's, or Eklund, they are all idiots, just making guesses. Any time a rumour involving the Caps is brought up, it involves either A. A Russian player or B. A former Cap. Nothing ever intelligent. These sites get lots of hits and people talk about them endlessly, so I thought "We could do that!"

My conception: We create a joint blog where us Caps bloggers sit around and make up rumours and trade proposals based on our own lack of knowledge. Serious ones are acceptible, not-so-serious ones would also be acceptible. Would any of you all be interested in such a side-project?