Caps 4 Rangers 0 (Rangers lead series 2-1)

Ok, now that was more like it. The Caps played their best game in a month at a time when they needed it the most. Going down 3-0 would have signaled curtains but the Caps never let the Rangers sniff a commanding lead in the series by scoring early, playing excellent defense and getting good goaltending from Simeon Varlamov to get themselves back in this series.

This is the kind of effort the Caps need all the time. Clearly, it appears as if the key to beating the Rangers is to get a couple of quick ones past Henrik Lundqvist and making the Rangers play catch-up. That's easier said than done against King Henrik but this Ranger team does not appear equipped to come back from too many big defecits. The best part about tonight was that the Caps did not rest on getting a 2-0 1st period lead. They kept attacking New York, hemming them in their own zone for long stretches. They played with desperation, yet didn't press, something they struggled with in Washington, particularly in Game 2. Now, the matter is: Can they do this 3 more times? If they do, the Caps win this series. If the Caps bring anything less than what they did tonight, the Rangers could steal this thing yet.

Notes From The Hangar:

- Simeon Varlamov was very, very solid tonight. He made the saves when he had to, something Jose Theodore couldn't do. The team did a solid job of building a coccoon in front of him and limiting the quality looks the Rangers had. I wouldn't go so far as to say a star is born, but Varly was unphased by playing in a hostile Madison Square Garden, by Sean Avery's antics and by the 33 shots the Rangers put on. Dude is as cool as ice, at 20 years old no less, his rebound control is superb and his athleticism is off the charts.

- I thought John Erskine was the Caps best defenceman tonight. He played with his usual snarl but under control and he baited Avery into some stupid penalties. Erskine initiated but didn't retaliate.

- At the same time, I thought Mike Green was a weak link. Greener looked like he had Flubber on his stick the thing was bouncing off it so much. The guy was an adventure out there, especially in the 1st and 2nd periods.

- Alex Ovechkin was going like a madman tonight. Even more than usual. But unlike the two games in Washington, he didn't try to force plays. If he was the Tasmanian Devil in games 1&2, Ovie was controlled chaos tonight. His pass on Alex Semin's 2nd goal was a thing of beauty.

- I've said it before and I'll say it again, Brooks Laich is the perfect playoff player. That goal he got tonight was exactly what he needs to do in this series: get traffic in front of Lundqvist and bang in rebounds.

- The Caps had three lovely bing-bangers (one-timers into open nets) tonight. Both of Semin's goals and Tom Poti's goal were perfect passing plays.

- How awesome was Backstrom's pass on Poti's goal? Does that kid have eyes in the back of his head or what?

- Donald Brashear was a welcome addition back in the Caps lineup tonight. The Rangers didn't engage in much chicanery tonight knowing they'd have to answer to somebody.

- And now that I've mentioned the word chicanery, allow me to discuss Sean Avery's night. Games 1 & 2 showed what Mr. Sloppy Seconds can bring to the Rangers: physicality, agitating and creating mayhem in front of a goalie. Tonight showed how the diminutive, starlet-dating winger can kill your club. Avery spent almost 10 minutes in the box and none of those penalties were of the smart variety. Let's see, he punched Erskine in the face in full view of the ref, he ran Varlamov to earn an interference call, took another interference call trying to start something with Nicklas Backstrom, took a whack at Varly and Erskine in full view of the ref to get another roughing call and, finally, an early exit from the game. The Caps power play didn't punish Avery for all his sins but you could tell he was testing the limits of John Tortorella's patience. I'm surprised he didn't staple Avery's ass to the bench after that punch on Erskine. The funniest part, at least from a Caps fan's perspective, was watching Avery slink away the minute Brashear growled at him. Little man didn't feel like playing so rough then, did he?

And for the first time this series, I actually feel like posting the highlights from NHL.com.


So, one win in the books. Let's make it another on Wednesday night eh? Until then, let's call this one more...for the good guys.

Caps 4 Thrashers 2

It was a little ragged a times (what else is new?) but the Washington Capitals are now a win or a New Jersey loss from locking up the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference after a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

The Caps looked like they were going to turn this one into a laugher early on, as they picked up right where they left off in the 3rd period of Sunday's game against the Thrash. But in the 2nd period, they reverted back to the inconsistent group they were in March before turning up the defensive intensity again in the 3rd. Thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who beat New Jersey 4-1 tonight, the Caps are 4 points up on the Devils with 2 games to play.

The importance of that 2nd seed cannot be overstated. It makes the difference between facing a team like Montreal, who just lost their two top defenceman, or facing a red-hot team like Carolina or Pittsburgh. As a Caps fan, getting that #2 seed would work out beautifully. Not only would they get to face a weaker opponent like Montreal, New York Rangers or Florida (although Pittsburgh could concievably fall to the 7 seed) but it would mean two of the following four tough rivals would be out in a 2nd round matchup: Pittsbugh, Philly, Carolina and New Jersey. Personally, I'd love to see Pittsburgh and Philly knock each other out and then New Jersey and Carolina play a tough, seven game series.

Hangar Observations:

- Simeon Varlamov was the player of the game tonight. He kept the Caps in this game in the 2nd period when it looked like the Thrash had the Caps on their heels. The kid may not be there yet, but its clear to see he has a very bright future in this league. His athleticism and rebound control are better than Jose Theodore's. He made a great save on Atlanta sniper Ilya Kovalchuk on a 2 on 1 look easy. The only thing Varly lacks Theo's experience and puck-handling ability. I'm sure many Caps fans will see an effort like tonight and want to give the kid the nod over Theo. But unless Theo bombs, there's no reason to risk the kid's confidence and turning Varly into a basket case like Carey Price in Montreal.

- After Varly, I'd say Nicklas Backstrom was the next best player on the ice. The pass that led to Viktor Kozlov's goal was a thing of beauty and splitting him up from Alex Ovechkin helps open up the secondary scoring opportunities for others. Backstrom is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. You can always rely on him and his game is so understated, you don't notice that he's a top-10 scorer in this league. Plus, the weakest part of his game, faceoffs, is rapidly improving.

- Craig Laughlin said it best on Tomas Fleischmann's goal: "Just put it on the net and anything can happen." Flash did that and the puck went in off Atlanta's Marty Reasoner for the Caps first goal. With goals in two straight games, let's hope Flash is finally back on track. Somebody else is going to need to score in the playoffs.

- I'm glad to not have to see Kovalchuk until next year. He put a move on Jeff Schultz that just undressed the Sarge. Kovalchuk is like Ovechkin-lite, anytime he touches the puck, something can happen. If Kovy played in New York, Toronto, Chicago or L.A., he'd be doing silly car commercials, just like Ovie. If Gary Bettman had any sense, he'd get this guy out of the hockey wasteland that is Atlanta.

- For once, it was nice to see the Caps make a quick response to another team's goal. After Rich Peverley scored to tie the game for Atlanta, Kozzy and Backstrom teamed up 30 seconds later to take the lead back.

- As a hockey player myself, I'm often very jealous of the pros. These guys can do some things that are just unbelievable. And if I were to want one thing that a pro hockey player has, I would give my right arm to have Alex Semin's stickhandling ability. That curl-and-drag move of his is lethal.

- Dirty Al Koken was filling in for Joe B. on the play-by-play and it was nice to see Dirty Al with an homage to his old broadcast partner Mike Fornes with his "Shot...and a GOAL!" call. Not quite as emphatic as Mike used to do but I'll applaud the effort.

- Mike Green's penalty for playing the puck with a broken stick might be one of the dumbest plays I've seen a pro hockey player make.

- The Caps really took command of this game after getting an insurance goal by Sergei Fedorov in the 3rd. The defense clearly stepped things up and suffocated the Thrashers offense. That killer instinct is also going to be needed in the playoffs.

With that, here's the highlights from NHL.com


So, only two more games left in the regular season before the most wonderful time of the year: playoff time. But for now, let's call this one more...for the good guys.

Caps 6 Thrashers 4

Someone needs to make a tape of the 3rd period of today's game and play it before every Caps game from here on in. Whoever shows that tape needs to tell the team, "THAT is what you guys can do if you consistently bring it."

The Thrashers had no answer for the Caps in the 3rd period, as the boys in red seemed to come in waves, one right after another. They made Atlanta's defense look foolish, forcing a myriad of bad turnovers. Of course, the next question is, "Why can't they do that for 60 minutes?"

Third period aside, it was yet another listless effort through two. If my old coach Marc Felizzi was coaching this team he would be freaking out behind the bench telling the players "NO BLIND PASSES UP THE MIDDLE!!!!" Sergei Fedorov did it against Buffalo on Friday and it cost the Caps an extra point. Alex Ovechkin did it today and it cost them a goal. Just inexcusable stuff. These guys have been taught since Mites not to throw blind passes up the middle and they've done it two games in a row. As much heat as Jose Theodore takes in the clueless mainstream media, without Theo in the first period, the Caps might have been on their way to another stinkbomb against Atlanta.

But, oh that 3rd period. It truly is a pleasure to watch this team when they play like that. When they work and forecheck the crap out of the opposition, they are impossible to stop. The team that skated the 3rd period could win the Stanley Cup. The team that skated the first 40 minutes could get swept in the first round. That's the freakin' tightrope this Caps team walks and until they figure out a way to bring that 3rd period for 60 minutes, it's going to be a turbulent ride through the playoffs.

The Hangar's observations:

- Keith Aucoin was the best player on the ice today. He had a goal and an assist and you could see coach Bruce Boudreau get more confidence in him as this game rolled along. If Aucoin isn't taking a regular shift in the playoffs, well, somebody's got to lay off the peyote. Along with Brooks Laich and Dave Steckel, Aucoin is just the sort of guy who the Caps are going to need.

- Finally, Tomas Fleischmann scored a goal, temporarily ending his own personal nightmare of a 2009.

- The goal Colby Armstrong scored, Atlanta's first, is all on Tom Poti. He's got to step up and meet Armstrong a lot higher than the top of the slot. By that point, you're at the mercy of the shooter at the NHL level.

- I don't like that Milan Jurcina-Jeff Schultz defense pairing. They would get murdered in a 7-game series, especially against a speedy team like Montreal or Carolina. I know Brian Pothier was scratched to make room for Juice, but I'd rather see Pothier, Mike Green and Poti as at least half the defense in the playoffs. then have some combination of Schultz, John Erskine, Jurcina and Shaone Morrisonn.

- How did the Caps not score on that first period power play when TWO Thrashers broke their sticks?

- Speaking of the PP, it wasn't the best of days for the NHL's 2nd ranked unit. They gave up a shorthanded goal in the 2nd after Ovie's turnover (Repeat: NO BLIND PASSES OVER THE MIDDLE!) Too much Danglefest 2009 for the first few chances. But things did turn around when Aucoin was put out there. He slammed home a great feed from Ovie for his PP marker and in the 3rd, the Caps put on a puck possession clinic, even though they didn't score.

- Since the Caps are playing the Thrash again on Tuesday night, here's a tip: Do NOT let Ilya Kovalchuk have room. If he gets any space, he's deadly.

- I liked the combination of Eric Fehr, Michael Nylander and Brooks Laich. Nylander played a strong game, and got that 3rd period barrage rolling with his knucklepuck that eluded ATL goaltender Johan Hedberg. Fehr put the Caps ahead for good by going relentless towards the net. Fehr needs to take a page from my old teammate Derek Russ and don't venture more than 5 feet from the goal. Good things happen for him there.

- The Thrashers defense was brutal on Fehr's goal but they were worse on the next goal, a brilliant piece of tic-tac-toe passing between Aucoin, Fleischmann and Alex Semin. That goal was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made real (bet you won't find a "Clockwork Orange" reference like that on any other blog.) The passing and puck handling was great but the Thrash just looked clueless out there defensively. To the Caps credit, they FORCED Atlanta into that with hard work, quick puck movement and heavy forechecking. If they do that all the time they're going places (are you sensing a theme with this wrapup?)

- The Caps scored 6 goals today, none of them by guys named Ovechkin, Green or Backstrom. They're going to need that secondary scoring in the playoffs. Let's hope this game was just the beginning of more balance in the Caps lineup.

- Ovie did get two points today, drawing him closer to Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin for the league scoring title but this wasn't one of his better games. He had that bad giveaway on Jim Slater's shorthanded goal and seemed to give up a lot of good looks instead of trying to score goals. That's more like Nylander than Ovechkin.

- I praised Jose Theodore earlier this post, now I come to bury him. Jose- What the fuck were you thinking? He looked like he was trying to score a goal in Atlanta's empty net but whiffed and gave it right to Slava Kozlov. It was the best pass Kozlov's probably had all year.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, here's the highlights from NHL.com.


With this win, the Caps go back up two points on idle New Jersey for the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. As mentioned before, the team will make one more stop in Atlanta before closing out in Florida against Tampa Bay and the Panthers. So until then, let's call this one more...for the good guys.

Understanding Male Behavior Through The Magic Of Ice Hockey

Stumbled across this little item on Puck Daddy yesterday. It's a must-see video featuring Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin in a cooking segment with Alyonka Larionov, daughter of hockey Hall-of-Famer Igor Larionov (featuring a special appearance by Pens defenceman Chris Letang as "The Gimp".)


Alyonka became well-known in hockey blogging circles for accompanying a certain Washington Capital who also happens to be Russian to last year's NHL awards ceremony.

Now who knows if Alex Ovechkin and Larionov are still an item but after watching that video and seeing Malkin, dressed like an Abercrombie model, relentlessly flirting with a girl every hockey person knows was seen with Ovie, can we say that Malkin is pursuing Ovie's "sloppy seconds?"

Here is where I will digress and go on a tanget specifically for the amusement (or maybe not) of the female readers out there. Allow me to maybe shed a little light on male behavior through ice hockey players.

Women, of course, are like cats, specifically lions.

Like lioness', women form close knit groups, similar to a lion pride, that are generally self-sufficient. The pride does everything together. They rely on each other to survive. During the hunt, each member of the pride has a defined role. The pride will usually carry one or two males around for intimidation and other purposes. They watch each other's backs and are resistant to outsiders, especially other females but also other males. It works that way for lions and seems to work that way with humans. Right or wrong ladies?

Now, men, we're like dogs. Then again, you ladies already knew that. But really, we are. Much like dogs, groups of guys establish a pack and therefore a pack order. How outsiders (like new girlfriends for instance) are accepted depends on the pack. Sometimes the pack will accept a new person and sometimes they won't. If I were a dog psychologist or a better writer I would explain how but for now, just roll with me on this one. Needless to say, the pack has certain defined roles. Let's take the Washington Capitals for instance. Anybody that has followed the team the last two years knows they have a close knit bunch with certain key members playing certain key roles. Here now are those roles followed by the corresponding Cap and a description of what the role does. So ladies, next time you are around a group of guys, you will now be able to identify each member of the group by their role. See, I told you there would be some edumacation here.

Alpha Dog- Alex Ovechkin

The Alpha Dog is the main man in the group. He's the guy everything revolves around. The alpha is very easy to spot, since usually he'll have most of the group members around him. Sometimes there is more than one alpha dog in a pack, but its usually only one. For the Caps, Ovie is obviously the alpha dog. He's the most talented, most charismatic guy on the team and his teammates love him. Got the hardware and the scoring records to back him up.





Wingmen/Beta Dogs- Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin

The wingmen are very important to the alpha dog. They watch the alpha's back, assist him and help prop him up when necessary. They can also take over the pack in a pinch. While talented in their own right, the wingmen don't quite have the charisma of the alpha and they can't really carry the pack for long stretches. But without them, the group would not be as dynamic. It's no coincidence that Ovechkin's two best friends are the team are Backstrom and Semin.



The Glue Guy- Viktor Kozlov

An underrated member of the pack. The Glue Guy is not flashy and he's not often pretty. On his own, he's not much. But the glue guy holds the thing together (you could also call him a "Lebowski Guy"). There's no logical explanation for it but without the Glue Guy, the group wouldn't be the same. The Glue Guy can also be confused with the alpha dog because he's often a popular guy, albeit for different reasons. He's quick with a joke, buys drinks at the bar and keeps the pack loose, either by being funny or being a willing target for the other pack members jokes. The Glue Guy has a good sense of humor about him and doesn't take himself seriously. In Kozzy's case, he brings Ovechkin and Backstrom's line together. He does the dirty work in the corners and doesn't mind playing third banana to Ovie and Backy.

The Wise Man- Sergei Fedorov

He's usually the oldest member of the pack. The Wise Man has seen it all and done it all and typically serves an advisory role. He's not the alpha dog in this particular pack but has been one in other packs. The Wise Man has the respect and admiration of the pack, which is why he was accepted in the first place. The Wise Man can seem a little aloof and his role in the pack can seem uncertain to outsiders but those within the pack understand his importance. All those things would describe Feds, who the younger Russian players on the Caps revere. When he came aboard last season, the team really took off. Plus, that toque he used to wear on his head all the time made him look very wise.

The Fun Guy - Mike Green

The Fun Guy is an essential part of any pack. He's the guy that will do all sorts of stuff to keep the pack loose. The guy that will fart in someone's face, crack jokes, dance badly, get a goofy haircut, drive a fast car, get tattoos, you name it. He's not all about that of course, there are usually several sides to the Fun Guy, but within the pack that's his role. In Greener's case he fulfills three of those things: his got two huge tattoos, drives a Lamborghini and made the faux-hawk a fashion statement. He also looks like he just woke up half the time. But on the ice, he's one of the best defencemen in the NHL.


The Cleaner- Evgeni Malkin

The role of the Cleaner is a strange one and can be rather loosely defined. The Cleaner is usually not a member of the pack, in fact, he's often in a rival pack. He's more like an associate of the alpha dog. The only way a Cleaner comes near the pack is through a relationship with the alpha. Lower members of the pack typically are not allowed to bring Cleaners around. What exactly is a Cleaner? He cleans up things on the periphery of the pack. In other words, he's the guy that will date a pack member's sister or a pack member's ex-girlfriend. He's the guy that will usually eat the last slice of pizza and bum cigarettes from everyone. These attributes are why he's not in the pack in the first place. The Cleaner is not even the alpha dog in his own pack, which is why he is able to co-exist with other packs. So what are Malkin's cleaner credentials?

Member of rival pack?

Check.

Friend with another pack's Alpha Dog?

Check.

Messing around with the an ex-flame of another pack's membership?

Check.

So there you have it. I hope my little educational session was helpful. I am sure the Discovery Channel will be calling me about the documentary soon. With that being said, let's have The Bloodhound Gang send us on our way with a song about nature.

Good Guys Links- Capitals

We'll go a little long on this links section, since some new ones got posted up yesterday after my Caps links post. Tonight, the Caps wrap up a five-game road trip in Toronto and from there, they only have two games in the next 8 days, both at the Phone Booth (March 27 vs. Tampa and April 1 vs the Islanders). So here's some Caps news from around the internets. Enjoy suckas.

- The flu bug has worked its way onto the Caps roster. Alex Semin and Professor Matt Bradley both have it and Coach Bruce Boudreau says they are "iffy" for tonight's game in Toronto.

"Get your stinkin' mandibles off Professor Bradley you damn dirty bug!"

- To make up for the possible loss of Semin and Professor Matt, the Caps have called up goalie Darren Machesney and the wonderfully named Steve Pinizzotto. To make room, Simeon Varlamov was sent down to Hershey for salary cap reasons. According to Tank, Semin and Bradley are doing better. With a name like Pinizzotto, he's already my 5th favorite Cap. Sounds like something out of "The Godfather" or something.

"Find out more about this...Pinizzotto character."


- Couple of Caps related items from Dan Steinberg over at DC Sports Bog. First post is about the large numbers of Caps fans that swarmed Raleigh, North Carolina to attend Saturday's Caps-'Canes tilt.

- Steinz again, this time arguing why Alex Ovechkin is no Terrell Owens.

- Two more Ovechkin related items, both from Toronto papers. First, despite the misleading headline, Tiger Williams, one of the original hockey showmen, liked Ovie's "my stick is on fire" celebration in Tampa. Next, Leafs (and former Caps) coach Ron Wilson and Don Cherry have something in common: their dislike of Ovie's celebrations.

- Japer's and Peerless with previews of tonight's game.

- From OFB, Alex Giroux got his 50th goal for the Chocolatetown Bears. He's the first Bears player to hit 50 in 22 years.

- Another story from Tank, this time about Tomas Fleischmann trying to regain his scoring touch.

- Yesterday I posted the highlights from the last time the Caps played in Toronto. Here is a less happy memory, the last matchup between these two teams at the Phone Booth, which resulted in a 2-1 Leafs victory.

Caps 2 Flyers 1

Excuse me while I channel my inner meathead...

"Yeah baby! Wooo!!! Feel my fuckin' bicep!"

What a game tonight. For the second straight game the Caps came out and earned two points. They came into The Building Formerly Known As The F.U. Center and outplayed the Philadelphia Flyers. I hope these last two games have shown the Caps what they are capable of when they work hard and do the little things. Yes, the highlight reel goals sell tickets and (occasionally) get you on SportsCenter, but its the mucking and grinding goals that win playoff series. Here now are some passes and fails.

- Epic Pass - The criticism of Jose Theodore all year has been that he can't steal games for the Caps. Well he stole the 2nd period. It was the only time Philly really turned it into their kind of game and Theo was more than up for the challenge. But for an excellent look by Mike Richards, Theo might have had a shutout.

- Epic Pass - Brooks Laich. Dude was born to play games like this.

- Epic Pass - To Flyers management for getting rid of Scottie Upshall. This game reminded me a lot of the Caps-Bruins games. It had a lot of flow back and forth and both teams played a clean, hard-hitting game. In my opinion, getting rid of Upshall and the nonsense he brought to the rink - diving, flopping, borderline cheapshotting - had a lot to do with that.

- Epic Fail - Not many tonight but if I must give one, I'll give it to the officials for making that chinsy interference call on Nicklas Backstrom with less than 5 minutes to go in the game. In a game that was so well-played by both teams why did they feel the need to call this borderline penalty? I agreed with Craig Laughlin's assessment. You call that in the first period but not with less than five minutes to go. Also, I give the refs another slight fail for disallowing Tomas Fleischmann's goal in the 3rd period. They waived it off (the second time Flash has had that happen to him in two games) because of goalie interference on Michael Nylander but it was clear that Nyls was shoved into Flyers goalie Martin Biron by Jeff Carter and was not incidental contact.

-Epic Fail - To the Philly fans. Mostly 'cause its a Caps post, its my blog and I'll do what I want. But also because they booed for 4 straight minutes after a Flyers goal was disallowed because Mike Knuble cross-checked Jeff Schultz in the back. It was an obvious penalty call but the Flyer fans acted like an Eagles game broke out.But the funny part was that just 5 minutes later, Backstrom gets that weak interference call and all the sudden the refs are OK again. Only in Philadelphia.


- Epic Pass - After a heavy collision with Flyers defenceman Ryan Parent, Alex Ovechkin cranked his game up big time. Fueled by a relentless booing from the Philly faithful, Ovie had the normally aggressive Flyers D on their heels and finished with a goal, an assist and almost 10 shots on net. It just seems that whenever he gets hit or is booed like that Ovie raises his game up a notch.

- Epic Pass - Philly fans may say Ovie's goal was a lucky turnover but there was no luck involved. Ovechkin and Alex Semin forced the Flyers to make a bad clearing attempt and much like LeBron James, Ovie isn't going to miss many layups.

- Epic Pass - To the Flyer coaches for starting Biron over Antero Nittymaki. In the three previous games against the Caps, Nittymaki looked like Patrick Roy. Biron played very well tonight but I'm sure there is not a Caps fan out there who was upset to see him in goal tonight.

So thats it for a very successful road trip, two wins, four very important points. Now its back to the Phone Booth for a Saturday game against Carolina before heading off for a five-game road trip. If the Caps bring this kind of effort, like we've seen against Nashville and Philly, there is no reason they should not be successful. Until the next time, let's chalk up one more...for the good guys.

Leafs 2 Caps 1

How do I count the ways on this game? Losing four out of five at home? Two of those games to Toronto and Colorado, two of the worst teams in the league? Yes, they didn't have Alex Ovechkin tonight and Martin Gerber (Martin Fucking Gerber!?!?!) made some terrific saves but there's no excuse for losing to this Toronto team. This is a club that is dying to win the John Tavares Sweepstakes in the draft lottery. They just held a fire sale where they traded just about any good, healthy bodies they had left. And the Caps just lost to them.

This is a team that Caps should have buried. They played well enough to win through two periods, then as Gerber was stopping them cold, the Caps wilted, let down their guard and the Leafs scored two cheapies. Of all the Caps, I think only Alex Semin played a complete game. No coincidence he got the Caps only goal. Jose Theodore also played well but the two goals he let in were shaky. The team in front of him did not give him a lot of help, getting shut out by the 13th best team in the Eastern Conference for 58 minutes. During a timeout, Coach Bruce Boudreau gave his team a well-deserved tongue-lashing. It still didn't wake these guys up and I'm not sure what will.By the way, what does it say about a team's defence when Sergei Fedorov is your 2nd or 3rd best defenceman? That can't be good right? You don't think the Pittsburgh Penguins, hellbent on revenge Sunday, are not licking their chops at the state of this Caps team. But instead of typing more, allow me to tell the story of this game through visual aids.










So that's it for tonight. Next game is Sunday against the hated Penguins at the Phone Booth. Me and the Bunk will be there so i'll have some photos from the game to go with any blog post I may have. If I haven't used that stress reduction kit that is shown above. Until then, say good night to da bad guys...

Things That Need To Be Stopped- Part II

Guys in Golf Shirts:


Every time I go to a club or a bar, no matter where it is, I see anywhere from 50 to 650 guys wearing this exact same look. Seriously, fellas, this needs to stop. You are not Tiger Woods at Augusta. When you are out at a bar or club, you are not on the 18th fairway. There is no need for you to wear a golf shirt. Buy yourself a nice button-up and have at it but for the love of all that is holy, ditch the golf shirt. You look like a tool. Especially if said shirt is pink. That goes double when the golf shirt you are wearing is two sizes too small. And even more so if you decide to pop the collar. I mean, look at these dudes...



...when you look like this, people do not think you are cool. People think you are an asshole. Women quietly laugh at you while other guys just want to see you get hit by a car. I know retro is a chic thing sometimes and I love things from the 80s as much as anybody but this isn't one of those things. A popped collar on a golf shirt is something that should have died with the decade. I mean, look at guy #2. See my point? And even if you aren't popping the collar, the golf shirt look still looks dumb. It's called a golf shirt for a reason, it's meant to be worn on the golf course. Still don't believe me? This look doesn't even work for a professional athlete...


If Alex Semin can't pull this shit off, you, the average moron, certainly cannot. Put the polo shirt back in the closet until it's time to tee off.

Caps 4 Bruins 3 (OT)

Wow.

That's all I can really say about today's match with the Boston Bruins. After watching today's game, as a Caps fan, I want to see these two teams lock up in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Caps and B's have played four times. All four games were decided by one goal, two of which went to overtime. The good news for the Caps is: they've won three of them.

What I love about the matchup between the Caps and B's is that these teams play games that have a great flow to them. These games have been tough, hard-nosed but clean hockey games. That's the key for me. There's none of the nonsense that happens when the Caps play, say, the Flyers or Penguins. There's no Scottie Upshall's out there taking dives and there's none of this ridiculous "Crosby-Ovechkin" hype. No, just well-played and smart hockey.

This game left me exhausted. Every time it looked like the Caps were going to take command of this thing, the B's would come back. To be honest, the game going to overtime really favored the Caps because 4 on 4, the Caps can ice a much better team than the Bruins. And because the overtime period came at a point when the Bruins had really started to dominate the game. They forced the Caps to take penalties and they forced Jose Theodore to make some very tough stops. That line with Marc Savard and Phil Kessel was all over the Caps D, especially at the end.

One thing I thought was odd was: for such a well-played game, its funny that the last three goals scored by both teams were flukey tallies. Tomas Fleischmann gave the Caps a 3-2 lead in the 3rd period with a goal that went off a defenceman's skate. Then, Zdeno Chara tied the game up again with a goal that Theodore should have stopped. And then Alex Semin ended the game with Don Cherry's patented Hardy Astrom Special: a 70-footer that trickled under goalie Tim Thomas's pads.

Game pucks for this one go to Semin (goal and an assist)and Theodore. Despite giving up a shaky goal to Chara, Theo kept the Caps in the game and made a number of huge stops, including a gorgeous kick save on Patrice Bergeron in the 2nd period. As for Semin, he was once again a force. He is clearly very comfortable working on a line with Sergei Fedorov and Brooks Laich and his shorthanded play has been a revelation. He plays very well on that side of the puck because teams have to worry about him stealing the puck and going the other way. If nothing else, selecting Semin allows me to use this picture again...


So with this win the Caps move within seven points of Boston for 1st spot in the Eastern Conference and stay two points ahead of New Jersey for 2nd spot. The Devils crushed the Caps opponent tomorrow, the Florida Panthers, 7-2. It will be interesting to see if there is a mental letdown tomorrow after such a hard-fought game today. A win tomorrow against the reeling Cats would all but lock up the Southeast Division for the Caps with 18 games to go. We'll see if Coach Bruce Boudreau puts Michal Neuvirth in goal tomorrow after Theo saw a lot of shots (37) today. But that discussion is for another day. Today we'll call this...one more for the good guys.

Caps 4 Thrashers 3

A bounce-back win for the Caps tonight, if not a fairly up and down one. The Caps were dominant for most of the match, punctuated by a few brainfarts that turned a game they should have won handily into a one-goal game.

It looked like this one would be a laugher early. Just like Tuesday night's game with Philadelphia, the Caps jumped out to a 2-0 lead on power play goals by Alex Semin and Brooks Laich. But much like Tuesday, the opposition goalie (Kari Lehtonen in this case) settled in and the Thrash were able to get a power play goal of their own by Ilya Kovalchuk after a foolish roughing penalty by Alex Ovechkin (yes, Ovie was mad after the Thrash got away with a high stick, still no excuse to lose your mind and put the team shorthanded.) The defense had two breakdowns and both led to Atlanta goals.

Nonetheless, the Caps were able to take complete command of this sucker after Eric Fehr got his 10th goal, showing some stick-to-itive-ness on a blocked shot and dribbling one by Lehtonen. Mike Green got his 9th goal of the month, 23rd of the season and 15th on the power play. Greener also had an adventure of a shift in the 3rd period: He had a bad giveaway at the blue line, hustled back into his own end and absolutely creamed Colin Stuart with as good an open ice hit as you will see. I think I am starting to believe the Norris hype a little bit.

Michal Neuvirth played well in his second start, although, other than the two breakaways and Kovalchuk's power play goal into an empty net (set up by a pretty piece of passing by the Thrash) the Caps D did a good job of limiting the shots. Neuvirth did a good job of staying in front of the shoots he did see. I'm starting to think Bruce Boudreau should give the kid a few more starts, if for no other reason than the fact that the defense seems to protect him a little more than Jose Theodore. The Caps limited the Thrash to just 24 shots on goal.

However, the star of the game was Alex Semin. The guy flat out terrorized Lehtonen and the Thrashers D all night, going to the net, utilizing his superior puck handling ability and lightning quick release to create quality scoring chances. Semin finished with a goal and two assists. A motivated, hard-working Semin, like the one we saw tonight, can be absolutely lethal. Now if only we could get him to not look so tool-ish in his glamour shots...
Now we shall see how the Caps get up for the challenge of this weekend, with back-to-back games in Boston and home vs Florida. Jose Theodore should be back in net against Boston but I'd like to see Neuvirth against Florida. Since its two afternoon games, important afternoon games, Theo will probably be in net for both but I hope Coach Boudreau sees the difference in the team defense when the kid is in there and lets him play a few more games leading up to the playoffs.

So until Saturday, let's chalk up one more...for the good guys.