Larry Brooks Is An Idiot

You know, you got to hand it to Union-thug mouthpiece Larry Brooks; he does not give up easily in his constant bashing of the "new NHL" and Gary Bettman. While I am no fan of Gary Bettman myself, Larry Brooks's latest steaming pile of garbage deserves to be carved up like the Christmas Turkey that it is.

The hard cap was supposed to solve everything, remember? But now there is the fiasco in Pittsburgh with the Imperial Commissioner desperately attempting to keep the Penguins from relocating to Canada, even if he doesn't care if they move anywhere in the United States.

The hard cap was supposed to solve everything, remember? But Slap Shots has been told there are serious financial issues within the Nashville ownership group. Indeed, according to a pair of sources, the Predators may soon become a candidate for relocation to Kansas City.

Uh, no. I don't think so Ol' Lar. The hard cap was supposed to bring about cost certainty. It was left up to the owners as to whether or not they wanted to spend $4.5 million on both Paul Kariya and Jason Arnott. The Penguin Scum were in dire need of a new arena BEFORE the lockout. I don't believe that anybody was selling the Salary Cap as a way to save the Penguin Scum.

Oh and considering Ol' Lar's track record, I would take his "inside information" about Nashville with a grain of salt. This was the guy who famously said the day before Jagr was traded to the Caps that then Penguin Scum GM Craig Patrick had no choice but to take the Rangers' offer.

These are the Grinches who have stolen hockey. These are the people who not only have no regard or respect for the history and heritage of the league - which, Ms. Mansur, began operations in 1917 and not 2005, and is in its 89th season, not second - but spend every waking moment attempting to eradicate any connection between this game and these players and the great tradition established long ago by the hockey warriors who came before.

...

Bettman doesn't get it. The history of the NHL - the history that began in 1917 and not last year - is one of marquee and dynastic teams and of snarling rivalries. People wanted to see the Rocket, but they went to watch the Canadiens. People were drawn to Mike Bossy, but they went to see the Islanders. Bobby Orr was the greatest ever, but people went to see the Big Bad Bruins. Wayne Gretzky had star power like no other hockey player before or since, but people wanted to see the Oilers. Through the late '90s, people wanted to see the Red Wings and the Avalanche.

Mike Babcock, coach of the Red Wings, was talking the other day about how the NHL needs to find the way to sell the game to the mainstream fan, and he mentioned the Yankees and Red Sox as examples of why baseball is so popular. Sam Flood of NBC was talking about how ratings would be helped if New York and Detroit could go deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

No Ol' Lar, it is YOU and the rest of the Ultimate Fighting On Ice fans who don't get it. As you astutely point out for us rubes, the NHL is in its 89th season. We're now two seasons into the "new NHL" and what that means is that you had 87 seasons of doing it the Larry Brooks way.

87 seasons of Ultimate Fighting On Ice (UFOI).

87 seasons of unrestricted spending on player salaries.

And just what did the NHL get in those 87 seasons?

Well, by all measures from UFOI fans to even novices, a game that got more boring and unwatchable over time. The single worst reputation of any major professional sports league in North America. TV ratings in the toilet bowl; so bad that the NHL had to get a US National TV deal with NBC akin to Arena Football and lost its spot on ESPN to the World Series of Poker.

By any respectable standard Ol' Lar, we tried it your way and failed. Failed miserably if you ask me.

Why don't you give us at least a tenth of the 87 chances you had to get it right? Because it wasn't as if the old system created all sorts of storied Rangers-Red Wings Stanley Cup Finals. It wasn't as if the old system had the TV networks fighting with each other over who will send the biggest pile of cash to NHL for the TV rights. It wasn't as if the UFOI packed the buildings night-in-and-night-out. It wasn't as if the old system prevented relocation and contraction.

I like to point to the history of the NFL. People forget that the NFL used to be as wild and wooly as the NHL was back in the 1950's. Back when "the warriors who built the league" played. Clothesline tackles, late hits out of bounds, tackling wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, and shots to the head were all a part of the game. There was even a point in time when "facemasks were for sissies." Are you even aware that just because the ball carrier's knee touched the ground didn't mean that the play had ended? You had to not only tackle the ball carrier, you also had to hold him down on the ground until the referee decided to blow his whistle or the ball carrier could get back up and continue to run.

But the NFL did away with all of that rough and tumble stuff. And I don't hear people complaining about how "soft" the NFL is. I don't hear people complaining about how the NFL is boring. The NFL basically prints its own $$$$$ now. The NFL doesn't have a hard time selling out its stadiums. The NFL has the TV networks fighting over who will broadcast the games. The NFL also has a salary cap.

Who remembers the XFL? They tried to be everything the NFL wasn't in the violence department. That didn't work out too well now did it?

Better yet remember what NASCAR used to be like with the crashes? Cars flying through the air and flipping over multiple times? Well, NASCAR developed the flaps that keep the cars from going airborne during a crash. They mandated the use of restrictor plates to slow the cars down on the Superspeedways. After the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt, they mandated more safety harnesses. Is it any wonder that NASCAR has exploded in popularity?

I'll give Ol' Lar credit, at least he wonders why Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, is playing Pittsburgh (for now) instead of Canada. Ol' Lar usually wants all superstars on Broadway. But I have to wonder why he thinks the Canadian franchises need a boost? Only Edmonton is playing to less than 100% capacity at home of the six Canadian teams. It just shows you how stupid Larry Brooks is.

But the point of the matter remains the same, Larry, you had your chance. We ran the league your way for 87 years and it failed miserably. The causal fans did not like the league and the "hardcore" fans were not large enough to sustain it by themselves.. So what the fans in the building cheer wildly for the fights? By your own admission, there aren't many fans in the building to begin with so what does that tell you? Besides, nobody in the stands booed when Miami and Florida International and the Knicks and Nuggets had their little brouhahas. Yet they were seen as a black eye on their respective leagues and the players involved were harshly disciplined for their lack of it. Maybe, just maybe the NHL should look into doing the same thing.

Teams were declaring bankruptcy all over the place and somebody felt bold enough to declare that they would lose less $$$$$ during a lockout in 2004-2005 than if they actually played the 2004-2005 season. The economic system just flat out did not work and a salary cap won't stop teams from offering stupid contracts to players.

While there are some kinks that need to be worked out and some changes that need to be reversed (get rid of the gimmick), something clearly needed to be done. Let's give this more than less a season and a half before we call this as big a failure as the old way was. Because we already know, the old way did not work and going back to it is not a realistic option.

May I Offer A Friendly Suggestion?

I like the idea of Brodeur Mirroed Sunglasses Night. I really do. I like the idea of standing behind his goal in warmups waiting for him to come out to greet him with the shades. But I have a friendly suggestion.

Have the folks behind the Caps goal at the 116-117 end of the ice wear the shades for periods one and three and 105-106 end for the second period. That way MAAHR-TAAY!!!!! is looking into the reflective glasses during play. If you're sitting behind shades for MAAHR-TAAY!!!!!, he isn't going to see them during the game and they won't be distracting shades for him. As a matter of fact you're more likely to distract Olie Kolzig doing it that way.

(I would also suggest having the glasses in 101, 102, 109, and 110 in the first and third. Then 112, 113, 120, and 121 in the second to cover the side walls and make it an almost solid line of mirrored shades for MAAHR-TAAY!!!!! to look at.)

Again, I think this is a great idea that could work very well if properly executed. I wish I could be there to join you folks. However I think the only way you'll get a reaction in warmups from MAAHR-TAAY!!!!! is if somebody warns him ahead of time (Dan?) and of course if he doesn't get a call on his cellphone from Melanie before the game.

What Are The Odds?

No, I won't be spending the next week and a half posting the various odds from the various Sportsbooks in Vegas. I did however feel that this was a worthy update because after paying a visit to the Excalibur Sportsbook last night, they not only had a printout of the current odds (as of this past Monday) but what the opening odds were on June 19th, 2006.

The Caps, the Penguin Scum, and Blackhawks all opened at 75-1. One team has dropped their odds significantly, while another is the same, and the one other increased their odds. It should be obvious that the Penguin Scum have dropped, their odds are now inexplicably 30-1. But if you thought that the Blackhawks odds increased, you would be wrong. Nope, they're still 75-1 it is the Caps who have seen their odds increase, the Caps are now 85-1 at the Excalibur.

(I almost asked the guy behind the counter if they had a line on the Penguin Scum moving and where to, but considering my experience with the employees behind the counter at Sportsbooks, I knew it wouldn't produce much in the way of a result.)

The Flyers who opened at 12-1 are now giving new meaning to the term "sunk cost" for thier early bettors by dropping to 60-1. Phoenix who somehow opened at 40-1 can thank Jeremey Roenick for leading them to 100-1. The Kings have dropped big time as well, they opened at 25-1 and are now 99-1. (So much for the local pride...) What makes this so interesting though is the wild differences in odds at the Excalibur compared to the Orleans.

For the informational purposes of Dan Steinberg and his Local College Hoops poll voters, the Georgetown Whats? opened up at 18-1 and have increased to 25-1. The Terps opened at 70-1 and have dropped to 40-1. Virginia opened at 150-1 and has dropped to 80-1. George Washington is at their opening line of 200-1. You could say that George Mason is 12-1 but that would be only because Mason is lumped into the field with all the other teams from outside the Power Conferences. The favorite right now is Ohio State at 7-2.

And there was also a printout of the World Series odds. The Nats opened at 200-1 on October 25th, 2006 and are still there. They're 100-1 to win the NLCS. The interesting thing of note on that sheet is that nobody has improved their odds so far as the Chicago Cubs have. The Cubs opened at 75-1 to reverse their curse and are now 8-1. They were 25-1 to win the NLCS and are now 4-1. I guess you could call it the Soriano effect...

Anyway, just like yesterday, here's a complete rundown of the current (as of December 18th, 2006) Stanley Cup odds from the Excalibur Sportsbook. This of course is for entertainment and comparative purposes only and the opening odds (June 19th, 2006) are in the parentheses.

Anaheim Ducks 5-1 (15-1)
Buffaslugs 5-1 (12-1)
San Jose 5-1 (10-1)
Detroit Red Wings 6-1 (6-1)
Ottawa Senators 6-1 (5-1)
Carolina Hurricanes 8-1 (8-1)
Dallas Stars 8-1 (10-1)
Calgary Flames 10-1 (12-1)
New Jersey Devils 11-1 (8-1)
Montreal Canadiens 15-1 (20-1)
Nashville Predators 15-1 (18-1)
New York Rangers 15-1 (15-1)
Edmonton Oilers 18-1 (15-1)
Atlanta Thrashers 22-1 (30-1)
Colorado Avalanche 25-1 (18-1)
Minnesota Wild 25-1 (50-1)
Tampa Bay Lightning 25-1 (20-1)
Toronto Maple Leafs 25-1 (25-1)
Penguin Scum 30-1 (75-1)
New York Islanders 35-1 (50-1)
Vancouver Canucks 45-1 (20-1)
Boston Bruins 50-1 (50-1)
Columbus Blue Jackets 50-1 (50-1)
Chicago Blackhawks 75-1 (75-1)
Florida Panthers 80-1 (40-1) (The Todd Bertuzzi effect)
Washington Capitals 85-1 (75-1)
Los Angeles Kings 99-1 (25-1)
Phoenix Coyotes 100-1 (40-1)
St. Louis Blues 100-1 (100-1)

Now go discuss amongst yourselves...

A Fool And His $$$$$

Anybody who has ever been in Las Vegas knows you see all sorts of sights and what I found at the Orleans Sportsbook certainly deserves mention because my friend Dan Steinberg has made a small cottage industry over "ranking" the College Football teams by the odds in the Vegas Sportsbooks.

Well, I couldn't help but notice the 2007 Stanley Cup odds posted at the Orleans and when I saw that the Caps were 40-1 I thought that it was a somewhat fair set of odds. I've said all along don't think the Caps are even going to make the playoffs this season and that type of odds would certainly go along with that notion. But then I noticed some things that made me gag.

The Penguin Scum (whom forget owning, nobody even wants in Pittsburgh anymore) are 10-1. The worst team in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers, are 15-1.

Guess who has the best odds of winning the Cup according to the Orleans Sportsbook? The Buffaslugs? Nope, they and the other sexy preseason pick for the Cup, Anaheim, are 3-1. Old (and I do mean old...) standby Detroit? They're even worse, they're 6-1 along with Ottawa and San Jose. You're oddsmaker favorites are the Toronto Maple Leafs at 9-2.

Now before somebody somewhere in the blogsphere shoots off a post ranting about how I don't understand bookmaking, let me say, yes I do understand how this works. I understand that people are placing a ton of money on teams like the Make-Me-Laughs which is why they've driven the odds down on themselves just like Penguin Scum and Flyer and fans have.

But to think that the Phoenix Coyotes can generate more money on themselves than the Caps (27-1) and that the team in dead last in our division, Florida, can do the same (35-1) shows just how divorced from reality these odds really are. It makes these odds a popularity contest as much as they are about actual chances of winning the Cup and the Caps don't seem to be a very popular team in Las Vegas. Atlanta, who can't be considered a popular team (though I have run into a couple of Thrasher fans from Atlanta out here) but a decent Cup contender right now, is 10-1. But the Los Angeles Kings (L.A. dominates this town on the weekends) are 8-1 and are hanging around Columbus and Phoenix in the standings out west. Go figure...

So just for entertainment value only, I will post the list that I picked up from the Orleans Sportsbook earlier this morning (Vegas time of course) and note that the odds on this list are dated as of December 12 (I found that most of them haven't changed significantly).

Toronto Maple Leafs 9-2
Buffaslugs 3-1
Anaheim (Not Mighty anymore even though Orleans says they are) Ducks 3-1
Minnesota Wild 4-1
Detroit Red Wings 6-1
Ottawa Senators 6-1
San Jose Sharks 6-1
Boston Bruins 7-1
Calgary Flames 8-1
Carolina Hurricanes 8-1
Los Angeles Kings 8-1
New Jersey Devils 9-1
Vancouver Canucks 9-1
Atlanta Thrashers 10-1
Pittsburgh Penguin Scum 10-1
Dallas Stars 11-1
Edmonton Oilers 12-1
New York Rangers 12-1
Nashville Predators 15-1
Philadelphia Flyers 15-1
Colorado Avalanche 17-1
Montreal Canadiens 17-1
Tampa Bay Lightning 20-1
Chicago Blackhawks 25-1
Phoenix Coyotes 27-1
Columbus Blue Jackets 30-1
Florida Panthers 35-1
Washington Capitals 40-1
New York Islanders 45-1
St. Louis Blues 55-1

Now go discuss amongst yourselves...

Caps vs. Flyers 12-16-2006 Post-Mortem

Another Saturday Night, another beatdown of the Flyers. I could get used to this. Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Just like last week, the Caps beat a team that they should beat and they did it rather soundly too.
• Not only did the Caps hold the Flyers to just 22 shots, for the second consecutive game, the Caps outshot their opponent while racking up over 30 shots on goal (31 to be exact tonight).
• The Penalty Killers went 6 for 6 and the defensive effort gave Olie Kolzig a relatively easy night.
• A.O. not only picked up another three points, he also knocked Floppa Forsberg out of the game. Alexander Semin also emerged again tonight and racked up three points of his own as the skill guys got the job done tonight.

THE BAD:

• However, the skill guys combined for an 0 for 7 on the Power Play tonight. Too many missed chances on the Power Play. I understand that the Flyers are ranked 10th in the NHL (or 10nd at the Phone Booth put it tonight) but with seven chances, the Caps have to at least get one and they did not.
• The Caps looked like a team that was playing on back-to-back nights until the Flyers started hitting and scored the game's first goal. Until A.O. cleaned out Floppa Forsberg, the Caps were dangerously close to falling into a trap tonight.
• The Caps seemed uninterested in using their decided advantage in speed over the Flyers. The Caps looked like they were willing to play the Flyers style of game. Semin's first goal and A.O.'s goal were a direct result of speed. Had the Caps used their speed game more, it would have been worse for Philly. While it is nice that the Caps can still win, they should seek to dictate their strengths and against the Flyers, the Caps have a clear speed advantage.

THE UGLY:

• Derian Hatcher:

Sweeping a set of back-to-back games and rather efficiently taking care of an inferior opponent on home ice, I think it is safe to say that any hangover from Monday night's Penguin Scum game did not occur for this team. Once the Caps got going tonight they did not let the Flyers back into the game and also avoided their usual second period slump. The trick for this team is to now carry this over into somewhat tougher opponents next week. But until then,

It has been... A TWO POINT NIGHT!

Viva Las Vegas!

And speaking of the Penguin Scum moving... (I just realized something, put the Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, in the Western Conference via franchise relocation and watch how quickly the NHL drops the "unbalanced" schedule to ensure that the Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, and A.O. meet twice in a season.)

At oh-dark-early tomorrow morning I will board a plane to visit my parents who are spending their retirement (among other things) in Las Vegas, NV for Christmas and New Year's.

Now why am I telling you this? Well, first of all it means that my posting around here may become sporadic. There WILL be a Post-Mortem for tonight's game but there WILL NOT be Wrap-Up posted tomorrow. The always popular Sunday Smorgasbord is on hiatus until January 7th.

If you're in dire need of Caps related information from a blogger, there is a large selection of choices available to you on list to the right of here. But I would recommend:

A View From The Cheap Seats
Japers' Rink
On Frozen Blog
Puckhead's Thoughts
Off Wing Opinion

As long as you come back here after I return late on January 2nd, 2007

Don't worry though, I won't brag about what I am doing and the various misadvenutres I end up in, because what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

With that being said, let me take the time right now to thank the loyal readers that I do have and wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

In A Town Nobody Wants To Live In,

A team nobody wants to own.

Sorry folks, but I have to admit that this is HIGH-Larious. After all the talk of the Isle of Capri being a "done deal" and "Plan B" being rock solid just in case the off-chance long shot possibility of Isle of Capri not happening; now we find the Penguin Scum without the most basic of needs.

An owner.

Two potential owners have now walked away from the franchise after effectively being told that they could not move the franchise. And this is all in spite of the fact that they have been told that a new arena in Pittsburgh is all but a done deal. It seems to me that these businessmen don't think that Pittsburgh is a viable market for an NHL franchise, even with a badly needed brand new arena and Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, leading the team on the ice.

Now why is the NHL fighting so hard to keep this franchise in Pittsburgh is beyond me. Didn't these guys learn a lesson from Al Davis and the NFL? There's nothing these guys can do to prevent whoever ends up taking over this team from moving it. Maybe the NHL didn't want to fight with Balsillie over moving the franchise within spitting distance of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But one thing is for certain, the asking price of the Penguin Scum is way too high for potential owners to keep the team in Pittsburgh, new arena or not. That should send a message to the NHL and the other owners.

Caps @ Thrashers 12-15-2006 Wrap Up/ Caps vs. Flyers 12-16-2006 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Atlanta Journal & Constitution: Losing hurts, Thrashers Report. Thrashers.com.

Final Thoughts:

Geeze, just one roughing minor??? So much for "fight night." (I told you so...) Though who would you rather have, a player who racks up big points against the second worst team in the league or the guy who single handedly downs a division leader? Tough choice I know.... 31 down, 51 to go.


Washington Capitals (14-17: 35 points) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (8-23; 20 points):
Caps Game #32, Home Game #17, NHL Game #480

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:05 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. WTEM 980-AM. (Sorry, force of habit) Philadelphia TV: Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Radio: WWIP 610-AM. NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed.

Tonight the Caps play the second game of a back-to-back game at home for the first time this season when they face the woeful injury ravaged Philadelphia Flyers for the first time on home ice this season to open a three game homestand. The Caps have already swept the games in Philly with last Saturday's 5-3 win on the road. The Flyers 8-4 loss to the Penguin Scum on Wednesday night was their fifth in a row now and have not yet recorded a win in the month of December.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com. Caps.com pdf game notes have not been posted yet.

Open Source Intelligence:

Philadelphia Inquirer: Flyers hurting and wondering, Ellison enthusiastic, Floppa could play tonight. Flyers.com.

Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

This is the type of game that can easily get away from the Caps if they aren't careful. After an emotional and hard fought victory in Atlanta last night, it would be very, very easy for the Caps to let their guard down and play an awful game against an awful team and lose the game. The Flyers have been off since Wednesday licking their wounds and could get an emotional boost with the return of Floppa Forsberg tonight. Hopefully, the Caps will avoid tonight's trap and won't be distracted by Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin sitting between the benches tonight.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 5
Flyers 1
Winner by Semin

Caps @ Thrashers 12-15-2006 Preview

Washington Capitals (13-17; 32 points) @ Atlanta Thrashers (18-14; 41 points):
Caps Game #31, Road Game #15, NHL Game #471

Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA. 7:35 pm. Washington TV: NewsChannel 8. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. Atlanta TV: Sport South. Radio: The Fan 680-AM. NHL Center Ice: Sport South feed.

Well, the night Ultimate Fighting on Ice fans have been waiting for is finally here. After their last brawl-filled meeting, the Caps will try to get their first win against the Thrashers this season in five games. The Caps of course have been off since blowing a 4 goal lead on home ice to the Penguin Scum on Monday night. The Thrashers have lost three in a row, most recently a 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on home ice Wednesday night.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com. Caps.com pdf game notes.

Open Source Intelligence:

Atlanta Journal & Constitution. Thrashers.com doesn't do previews, but they are hyping the game with a commercial.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Well, disappointment for Ultimate Fighting on Ice fans. These types of hyped games oftentimes leave people very disappointed. I'm not saying there won't be any fights tonight, but I don't think the Ultimate Fighting on Ice fans will be satisfied. This game will have to get out of hand on the scoreboard very quickly for there to even be a chance at that occurring. The NHL is well aware of what happened the last time these two teams met and will be sending a much better officiating crew to the game tonight than they did last time. The Caps will be playing for the first time since blowing the four goal lead on Monday night. How well the Caps react to getting a lead tonight will be a key point. The Caps have blown 2-0 leads to the Thrashers twice so far this season. With Atlanta reeling right now, there's a few very good chance the Caps could build another lead and let Atlanta comeback once again to win.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 3
Thrashers 4
Winner by Hossa

Editorial Note For The Dozens Of Readers Of This Blog:

As mentioned before, I will be attending a Christmas Party tonight and will not watching the game. So therefore, there will be no Post-Mortem tonight.

Playing Catch Up

Sorry for the unannounced operational pause there, I started my Christmas vacation on Monday and as I am sure some of you know, you end up busier on vacation than you do when you're at work.

Anyway, as for the Freddy Adu trade; good riddance to bad rubbish. It has been clear that Freddy posses the physical talent but he lack the physcial and emotional maturity. He wanted to play Christian Gomez's position on the field and couldn't understand why Peter Nowak wouldn't let him. I don't know, maybe because Gomez won the MVP award this year? Now I see Freddy is playing for his old coach and has said he won't jet for Europe in the middle of this upcoming season. Well, only time will tell if this was a good move for both sides. Though personally, I think D.C. could end up regretting moving Nick Rimando more than getting rid of Adu.

I see that Jeremy Roenick is at it again. I have to say, considering that this guy has been on three teams in three seasons now says all you need to know about this guy. And if he continues to embarrass himself and play another year, it will be with a fourth team.

Also, kudos to the guy who put pictures of the Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, in the Phone Booth urinals on Monday night. Off Wing Opinion, of course, has the pictures. I avoid the men's room when the Caps play certain teams and just relive my days as a bus driver at UMD to hold on until I get home. (Yes, I know, too much information...)

Finally the Kevin Hatcher Fan Club had the idea to hastily arrange a Caps-Thrashers Watch Party for all 10,000 Caps bloggers. CapsChick (or whatever she is calling herself these days...) is helping out. While I have a legitimate excuse to not attend tomorrow night (I have a Christmas Party I am required to attend), yours truly does not make announced public appearances. (Sorry stalkers) However, Biff was asking for this and after a fair amount of screaming and cussing at inanimate objects, here it is:




No need to buy me a beer, I'm not much of a drinker.

We're Getting Better

But we still have work to do. A.O. is now back in the starting lineup for the NHL All-Star game. So while we've accomplished the short-term mission of getting A.O. back into the top three, we still have a long ways to go because he's 18,095 votes ahead of fourth place right now.

I commend Dan Steinberg for picking up on this and helping to spread the word. Ted Leonsis deserves credit for getting computers on the concourse at the Phone Booth (though I still think we need hackers and/or AOL interns to vote incessantly).

But I have to admit, when I saw that Darwin's Waiting Room was ready to run up the white flag, I thought about joining. I mean, they have a point. The selection method for the All-Star game is a joke. It is not who the best player is but who is the most popular. Now, I thought the All-Star game was supposed be about the best players playing in the game. Yeah, I can see allowing one or two fan favorites into the game (especially in that team's home building) but the bottom line is, only the best players should be in the game and the best of the best should be starting it. If we allowed A.O. to slip out of the starting lineup, the NHL would have egg all over their face because the reigning Calder Trophy winner couldn't get voted into the starting lineup despite having a better year in his sophomore season. I was really ready to throw in the towel when I learned that the Caps themselves weren't even bothering to vote.

But then thought the occurred to me, and after I pulled the batteries out of my smoke detector, I realized that giving up would be a big time mistake. If the Caps fans gave up and conceded defeat thinking that a lineup of Penguin Scum and Buffaslugs would embarrass the NHL into abandoning fan voting, think again.

Want to know why us Caps fans are constantly disrespected around the league?

This is why.

Want to know why we are complaining about the lack of national TV coverage for the Caps?

This is why.

Want to know why Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, gets all sorts of boosting from the NHL and the reigning Calder Trophy winner doesn't?

This is why.

Folks, simply put, if we don't support our own players, nobody in the NHL front office or in the league will. There is only one way to get more coverage of the Caps on a national level and that is to Vote For A.O. If you're tired of hearing about how bad Caps fans are, Vote For A.O. If you want to see A.O. and other Caps in stupid NHL commercials, Vote For A.O.

I can understand wanting to embarrass the NHL, and if that is your goal, Write-in Rory Fitzpatrick in the Western Conference, but Vote For A.O. folks.

And finally, Testudo has made it to the finals of the Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge, he's up against the Washington State Mascot. So Vote For Testudo! as well.

I'm Caps Nut, and I approve this message. This message was not paid for, sponsored, requested, or coordinated by A.O., Ted Leonsis, the Washington Capitals, Rory Fitzpatrick, Testudo, or the University of Maryland Athletic Department. But should have been.

Caps vs. Penguin Scum 12-11-2006 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post: Caps can't close, new Ice Age. Times: lead does not hold up, Caps Report. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire. ESPNquin.

The Other Side:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Gimmick win, Penguin Scum notebook, won't go to the Minors. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Penguin Scum storms back, Penguin Scum notebook.

Final Thoughts:

After a good night's sleep, I am still amazed as to just how pathetic the Penguin Scum looked last night even as they were staging their comeback. They clearly aren't the world beating team the "unbiased" media wants you to think that they are. Normally I would be rather upset over losing to a team that bad, especially after blowing a four goal lead on home ice. But I can't help but laugh at the Penguin Scum. They were pathetic last night and because they got the win (through a gimmick mind you) they'll be puffed up even further. This of course means, their fall will be all the more enjoyable. Maybe that's why I find last night so funny... 30 down 52 to go.

Caps vs. Penguin Scum 12-11-2006 Post-Mortem

Yea! Another game decided by a gimmick! Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Another fast start. How fast? The Caps once again had two goals before the Penguin Scum had even registered a shot on goal. The Caps went on to build a 4-0 lead.
• The Caps also outshot the Penguin Scum by large margin in the first period, 17-8. The Caps were certainly buzzing around the net and the Penguin Scum couldn't even get the puck.
• The Caps dominated in the faceoff circle tonight winning 40 of 70 faceoffs. The Caps won 67 percent in their own zone, 14 of 21, and 61 percent in the Neutral zone, 17 of 28. Dainius Zubrus won 70 percent of his draws, 17 of 24, and Boyd Gordon won 65 percent, 19 of 29.

THE BAD:

• Way, way, too many missed opportunities. The Penguin Scum kept turning the puck over in their own zone the Caps just could not capitalize. It wasn't as if the puck was landing on Donald Brashear's and John Erskine Bowles' stick, it was landing on Zoobie-Doobie-Doo's, A.O.'s, and Alexander Semin's sticks. And yet the Caps couldn't get any goals out of it. They played almost too fine at times tonight and seemed to wait too long before making a decision.
• While the Caps badly outshot the Penguin Scum in the first period, the Penguin Scum returned the favor in the second and outshot the Caps 17-8. At least tonight the Caps were able to score two goals in the second period before heading into their typical second period doldrums.
• The Power Play was up to its old trick of scoring impressively on the first Power Play and then taking the rest of the night off. The Caps almost scored impressively on the second Power Play but Zoobie-Doobie-Doo shanked the shot (and his second attempt still almost slipped in). The Power Play ended up 1 for 6 tonight.

THE UGLY:

• Blowing a four goal lead on home ice. It amazes me how the Caps can build a lead on the likes of the Buffaslugs and hold on but against a team like the Penguin Scum, they can't hold onto a larger lead. If I expected better of this hockey team, it would drive me to drink.
• The Penguin Scum's futile efforts to run A.O. was pathetic. Big, bad Brooks Orpik gets himself punked by A.O. and the Penguin Scum still didn't learn the lesson. Even the Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, tried hitting A.O. with her purse to no avail. The Penguin Scum are many things, but tough ain't one of them.
• And speaking of pathetic, at least three times tonight the Pittsburgh Synchronized Diving Team dove to the ice with nobody around them. At least the referees didn't fall for it and call a penalty on the Caps.
• The game was decided by a gimmick. As a matter of fact, for a good stretch of the third period and after the Caps blew their OT Power Play, both teams largely played for a gimmick.

I have some conflicting emotions about this one. Of course you never feel good about blowing a four goal lead on home ice. But the game was decided by a gimmick. While this counts as a loss and the Caps get a point out of the deal, you kind of feel like maybe the Caps got something they did not deserve in the point that they earned. But you also feel somewhat "vindicated" that while the Penguin Scum fought back from a four goal deficit, that they still needed a gimmick to call themselves a winner. Is it me or does this game still leave people unsatisfied?

Caps vs. Penguin Scum 12-11-2006 Preview

Washington Capitals (13-16; 32 points) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (12-16; 29 points):
Caps Game #30, Home Game # 16, NHL Game #441

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:05 pm. Washington TV: None. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. Pittsburgh TV: None. Radio: WXDX 105.9-FM. U.S. National Cable TV: Versus. Canada National Cable TV: RDS (French)

After beating the Flyers for the second time this year in Philadelphia on Saturday night, tonight the Caps finish up a busy stretch of 4 games in six days by hosting the Penguin scum at the Phone Booth. The Penguin Scum got their third win outside of their division when they defeated the Atlanta Thrashers Saturday night in overtime. That victory snapped a four game losing streak for the Penguin scum.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com. Caps.com pdf game notes.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Rivalry heats up, that other Russian guy. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Game more meaningful, reunited, Penguin Scum notebook, scouting the Caps. Penguin Scum.com does not have a preview up yet.

Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire. NHL.com, Tale Of The Tape. One week old Canadian Press article, today's CP Article. ESPNguin

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Lots and lots of mullets in the stands... The Caps have been enjoying home cooking recently and for the most part have been playing well on home ice. The Penguin scum have cooled off considerably since their hot start and have been benefiting from playing in a weak Atlantic Division. Tonight is the first game this season to carry a ton of hype into the contest for the Caps. The Caps have played some of their best hockey of the season in front of large home crowds that have a lot of energy in the stands. Tonight should be one of those games.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 5
Pens 3
Winner by Clark

Sunday Smorgasbord 12-10

• The Bullets got the job done against the 76ers Friday night, the Caps did their part last night, but alas, the Redskins playing at home couldn't complete the Washington weekend sweep of Philly. The fans seem to be beside themselves over the play calling, but the Redskins inability to punch the ball into the end zone inside the five yard line once again was their undoing. This folks has nothing to do with play calling or who is running ball. It boils down to the fact that the offensive line on this team stinks and until those players are upgraded, things are going to change very much for this team. Jason Campbell's two INT's didn't help matters (though the tip returned for a touchdown wasn't his fault) but you aren't going to win many games with 4 field goals in the NFL.
• The Chicago Blackhawks are 10-17, have already fired their coach and now they go out and sign Peter Bondra. I cannot think of a situation where these types of mid-season signings have ever worked out for the team or the player. Calle Johansson's run with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the spring of 2004 only vindicated Butch Cassidy's (and the Sundance Kid) benching of him the previous spring. This is a situation where it is tough to tell who is the more desperate party and therefore most deserving of pity and who the sucker is, the Blackhawks or Bondra.
• Yesterday I gave you my thoughts on Barra Brava "invading" the Caps game against Anaheim on Friday night. Let me once again state for the record that I think a group like Barra Brava for the Caps wouldn't be a bad idea. However, after making the trip to the Wachovia Center, I NEVER want to hear how lame and quiet us Caps fans are. Yes, most of it has to do to with the Flyers only having 8 wins on the season, but when I am sitting in the second to last row of the arena and I can hear the defenseman making a back door cut calling for the puck, the arena is quiet. And mind you, this is on a Saturday night, in the much ballyhooed Wachovia Center, with a matchup of two former Patrick Division rivals. The place was stone cold quiet and the worst it ever got for me and my fellow Caps Fan Club members was after the first Flyer's goal. There was some taunting and then some clown yelled "How about them Redskins" I mentioned 3 Super Bowl Titles and I never heard that again.
• And let me take the time here to give a Thank You to the Flyers Fan Club who hosted us before the game at a local pizza place for dinner. It was good pizza (the neighborhood spots are where to go for good pizza) and they gave all of us snacks for the right back to D.C. Though I did find it a little odd that they gave us mini-First Aid kits. Were they expecting trouble for us?
• One final thought on last night, I understand that it is the Christmas season even though I haven't had the chance to watch my favorite Christmas Movie (it takes place on Christmas Eve so in my book, it counts as a Christmas Movie) yet, but did the Wachovia Center HAVE to play Wham!'s "Last Christmas" last night before warmups? Instead of going after Nativity scenes, can't we get the P.C. police do something about this? Seriously folks, this is a hockey game, in Philadelphia no less, and we are subjected to Wham!??? There's no bleepin' excuse for that. At listen they didn't break out the Mariah Carey...
• The Maryland Men's basketball team is going to be falling out of the rankings after their loss at Boston College to open their ACC Schedule. The Terps freshmen played like freshmen and some of their Senior leadership didn't show up. Make no mistake though; this is better basketball team than what they've had the past two seasons, but there is still a long way for this team to go.
• The Maryland ticket office is once again looking for Bowl Ticket donations for the members, crew, and the families of the U.S.S. Maryland which will be in their home port of Jacksonville when the Terps face Perdue in the Tangerine Bowl. Tickets are $60 and Maryland is looking for 1,000 tickets to take care of everybody from the U.S.S. Maryland. The Terps did this for their last Bowl game, the 2004 Gator Bowl, when they beat West-By-God-Virginia. The U.S.S. West-By-God-Virginia was also in port at Jacksonville but the West-By-God-Virginia fans didn't even come close to donating enough tickets for that submarine. If you want to help out the Maryland Athletic Department reach their goal of 1,000 tickets for the U.S.S. Maryland, click here and note that your donation is for the U.S.S. Maryland crew. Tickets are only $60.
• This week, the Caps host the Canadian Diving Team Captain (Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby) and the rest of his Penguin Scum team mates at the Phone Booth tomorrow night on Versus. The Caps then travel to Atlanta for the much ballyhooed return bout with the Thrashers on Friday night. The Caps are back home on Saturday night to face the woeful Flyers once again. The home games this week start at 7 pm and the road game starts at 7:30 pm. The Terp Men will start finishing out their cupcake schedule by facing Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday night before they break for final exams. The Redskins, now completely shut out of the playoffs at 4-9, try to play spoiler to the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy next Sunday at 1 pm.
• As always, please send all comments, corrections, suggestions, criticisms, questions, and bad Christmas Carols to "capsnut" at gmail dot com. If I can Jerry-rig my printer and get Word Perfect 12 to cooperate, I might just add you my Christmas Card list.

Caps @ Flyers 12-9-2006 Wrap Up

Any rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated...

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times: Caps make it hard, Caps Report. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Philadelphia Inquirer. Flyers.com.

Final Thoughts:

While the Caps cut down on the Keystone Kops miscommunications last night, they still created too many tense moments for themselves. The Flyers are just a bad hockey team right now that is the only reason why we got away with the stuff that we did. Yes it was a win against a team that we should be winning against, but it is more proof that we are going to struggle against the better teams in the NHL. 29 down 53 to go.

Barra Brava At The Caps Game

I'm running short on time here, so I'll have to be quick with my thoughts and light on my linking back.

Dan Steinberg among others spent some time promoting D.C. United's Barra Brava appearance at the Caps game versus Anaheim last night. After attending the game last night and even spending some time (but not the whole game) with the Barras I have to give Duffman and his Barra Brava crew an A for effort. They picked a lousy game to attend but made the best of it as there were very few operational pauses (ie, moments of quiet) by the group last night, but they end up with a C-/D+ for execution which I am about to explain.

1. Old habits die hard. While a good job was done "translating" D.C. United cheers for the Caps, some of the Barras had a hard time following along because they're so used to saying "United" instead of "Ovechkin" and "Capitals."
2. As they say in Real Estate, location, location, location. Normally 60 fans would be enough to be heard throughout the arena, but being stuck up in the upper part of 406, the Barra's singing and chanting sounded like vague noise in other parts of the arena. Friends of mine who sit in 116 told me that they could hear something, but they couldn't understand it.
3. A good way to resolve #2 is to cut out the Spanish chants and cheers, but as #1 points out, old habits die hard.
4. You could tell the boredom set in when they started cheering for various past and present D.C. United players in the third period. I think that had to do with the stop and start nature of hockey. Soccer just seems to have a better overall flow even though play does stop from time to time.
5. I'll have to watch my recording of the game, but they did not get any mention in any of the local or Los Angeles papers. While media coverage is not a barometer of success in this instance, the hoped for impact did not occur on most levels. They only got the fans around them going and that's it.

I'll give the Barras credit, they came, they saw, they kept going all night despite the fact that the Caps didn't get much of a lift from their antics. A few of their songs and cheers got approval from their neighbors and I didn't see any beer flying when the Caps scored their only goal which is a good thing. I'm interested to know how many angry e-mails showed up in Ted's mailbox this morning from people who were in their vicinity and didn't appreciate the shenanigans.

My suggestion to the Barras is to come up with songs and chants specific to the Caps. That will help combat old habits and give you a larger repertoire in case boredom sets in. I also suggest that the Caps place them on the Club Level. I know that Dishonest Abe and La' Sooz control the Club Level, but this not only gets people in that unpopulated area (though there was a completely empty section 431 last night in the upper deck) but also puts the Barra's closer to the action and in the middle of the arena. From there, it wouldn't be too hard for the rest of the fans at the Phone Booth to hear these guys.

But don't worry folks, the Barra Brava are planning a return on January 6th when the Caps host Atlanta. The Barra Brava fans who are also Caps die hards are hoping to make this a more regular thing; I think this has the chance to be something good.

Caps vs. Ducks 12-8-2006 Wrap Up/ Caps @ Flyers 12-9-2006 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times: Streaks end, Caps Report. Caps.com

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

L.A. Times. Orange County Register. Ducks.com.

Final Thoughts:

It is always interesting to see if my feelings on the game are shared by the "unbiased" media and the players themselves. I find it interesting that the Caps feel as though that they played well but they ran into a buzz saw Ducks team. I have to respectfully disagree because they were way too many stupid turnovers and miscommunications during the game. Furthermore, I am astonished that anybody would try to argue that Olie Kolzig played a good game last night. Yeah they didn't get the bounces and breaks that they needed like they did against the Buffaslugs and Anaheim came in and played better than any of the other three teams on this past home stand did; but I have to say that I somewhat disturbed that the Caps are "ok" with this loss. I don't think it looked as good as they do. Oh well, 28 down 54 to go.



Washington Capitals (12-16; 30 points) @ Philadelphia Flyers (8-20; 20 points):
Caps Game #29, Road Game #14, NHL Game #428

Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA. 7:05 pm. Washington TV: WDCW Channel 50. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. Philadelphia TV: Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Radio: WWIP 610-AM. NHL Center Ice: WDCW Channel 50 feed.

Tonight the Caps get back on the road and play on consecutive nights for the first time in two weeks by paying their last visit of the season to Philadelphia. The Flyers are heading nowhere fast, they are dead last in the Eastern Conference and only Columbus and St. Louis trail them in the overall standings. Philadelphia has lost two in a row though both of those games were against the New Jersey Devils, the most recent being last night's 2-0 shutout in the Joisey swamps.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com. Caps.com is still linking to last night's game notes right now.

Open Source Intelligence:

Philadelphia Inquirer: Can't solve Brodeur, Floppa Forsberg out. Flyers.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

With the Caps playing on consecutive nights and their third game in four nights along with this being a stretch of 4 games in six days, Brent Johnson should get the start in goal tonight. Let's hope Johnny plays better than his last start, the 7-1 loss at home to the Maple Leafs on November 24th. Furthermore, the Johnny hasn't won a game since coming on in relief for Kolzig in the 4-3 OT comeback win over the Ottawa Senators on November 6th. The last time he won a game he started was in Philly last month. The Flyers are continuing their slide and look to be out of hope soon if not so already. This is a game that people are going to expect the Caps to win. Whether or not they can step up and get the job done remains to be seen.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 5
Flyers 2
Winner by Semin

Special Request For The Two Dozen Readers Of This Blog:

Well gang, I come to you today just as your humble servant. Last night I was made an offer I couldn't refuse and as a result I am doing something that I swore I would never do. Later today I will be going on the Caps Fan Club bus to Philadelphia to watch tonight's game among the Philthy Phans. There may or may not be a Post-Mortem tonight and my blog could very well end today (I do have one other post planned for today). So I ask all of my loyal readers to pray to whatever God you believe in (as long as the Anti Christian Lawyers Union still allows it) for my safe return tonight. Thank you.

Caps vs. Ducks 12-8-2006 Post-Mortem

And THUD! goes the four game winning streak... Let's get on with the Battle Damage Assessment and get it over with...

THE GOOD:

• While our beleaguered Penalty Killers (who honestly could be much worse than they are) only had to kill three penalties tonight, they killed all three of them. Yes, they gave up a boatload of shots but they kept the puck out of the net. Thank Heaven for small miracles the way we were playing tonight. Did I mention that Anaheim has the top rated Power Play in the NHL?
• We didn't get shut out. The offense looked out of sync and Glen Hanlon had to put Donald Brashear on the Power Play to jump start it, but we scored. Again, Thank Heaven for small miracles because Alexander Semin almost missed the net.

THE BAD:

• You almost thought that the Caps were the team that traveled across three time zones to get to the game tonight and not Anaheim.
• Not only did we lose the game, but we also lost the fights. Brashear acquitted himself well, but John Erskine Bowles and Matt "Omar" Bradley embarrassed themselves. While that's standard operating procedure for Bowles, it clearly didn't have the intended effect on the Caps. Now do you see why I hate the staged fights?
• The offense wasn't alone looking out of sync tonight. There were moments at both ends of the rink that rated somewhere between Keystone Kops and Rank Amateurish.
• 18 shots allowed in the second period. Granted a fair number of those shots came on the two Anaheim Power Play but come on guys.

THE UGLY:

• Before the season started (I'm too lazy to link back right now) I said that this team was only going to go as far as Olie Kolzig would take them. He didn't take them anywhere tonight and if you wanted to blame one person in particular for this loss tonight, you can blame him. What makes it all the more disappointing was the fawning article on him in today's (Com)Post.
• No, I'm not picking on him, but the shorthanded goal that Kolzig personally handed on a silver platter to Todd Marchant deserves special notice. Especially since it turned out to be the game winner
• The first line of A.O., Captain Chris Clark, and Dainius Zubrus were a combined -11 tonight and only registered 1 point on A.O.'s assist. A.O. had some nice moves but took 6 of the line's 7 recorded shots. Simply put, the team's stars just didn't get the job done tonight and on a team like this, that is bad news.

It seems as though every time the Caps get any kind of confidence or accolades that they fall so much apart that you wonder why or how they ever got to that confidence and praise in the first place. It seems to me that what this team needs to learn the most now is how to handle success because they don't seem to handle it very well. Because this is a young team going through a learning process, they deserve praise when they play great games like they did against the Buffaslugs and jump all over teams playing on consecutive nights like they did during the winning streak so not praising them and trying to destroy their confidence is not the answer. Let's now hope that this loss does not build the way the shutout at Carolina last month did.

Caps vs. Ducks 12-8-2006 Preview

Washington Capitals (12-15; 30 points) vs. Anaheim Ducks (21-9; 48 points):
Caps Game #28, Home Game #15, NHL Game #420

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:05 pm. Washington TV: NewsChannel 8. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. Anaheim TV: Fox Sports Net West. Radio: KLAA 830-AM. NHL Center Ice: Fox Sports Net West feed.

Tonight the Caps close out their four game homestand and put their four game winning streak on the line against the best club in the NHL. The Ducks come to Washington starting a five game road trip that hits four of the five Southeast Division teams. Anaheim is coming off a shutout of the Nashville Predators on home ice on Tuesday night and has only lost twice in ten games on the road this season.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Caps.com. Caps .pdf game notes. I still can't get the Times website to come up.

Open Source Intelligence:

L.A. Times. Orange County Register. I don't think Ducks.com does a preview but they are plugging a Watch Party at Hooters for tonight (I'm hoping they mean the game...).

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Well the Quack Attack, like the Buffaslugs, posses the ability to embarass the Caps if the Caps fall asleep at any point in time tonight. Unfortunately, they won't be bringing busloads of drunken bandwagoners to provide electricity in building. That is going to be left up to the newly formed Caps Division of D.C. United's Barra Brava. Fifty Sixty of them are scheduled to be in Section 406 tonight and how many will be left at the end of the game is up in the air (I predict under 40) just as how much crowd energy they will provide. This is also the first time in four games that the Caps are facing a team that did not play the night before. While traveling across three time zones from West to East is never fun, the Quack Attack has had enough time to adjust.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score ContestEntry:

Caps 3
Ducks 5
Winner by Selanne

Caps vs. Sens 12-6-2006 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. The Times website is down, I suspect the Chinese have something to do with it. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Ottawa Citizen: Sens surrender, Falling Stars, Alfredsson shelved. Ottawa Sun: Wave the White Towel, Injury a Big Blow, out 7-10 days.

Final Thoughts:

Well, they didn't chase the goalie for the fourth consecutive game but they did pull away at the end and put the game out of reach. Now we get to see just how long this can last. 27 down, 55 to go.

Caps vs. Sens 12-6-2006 Preview

Washington Capitals (11-15; 28 points) vs. Ottawa Senators (15-13; 31 points):
Caps Game #27, Home Game #14, NHL Game #405

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:05 pm. Washington TV: NewsChannel 8. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. Ottawa TV: None. Radio: TEAM 1200-AM. Canadian National TV: TSN. NHL Center Ice: TSN feed.

Tonight the Caps put their three game winning streak on the line against the Ottawa Senators, who have a four game winning streak of their own going. The Senators are coming off a 4-2 win over the Islanders last night in Long Island. This isn't the same Ottawa team that the Caps came back on in November to win 4-3 in overtime.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com. Caps.com pdf game notes.

Open Source Intelligence:

Ottawa Citizen: Senators scared, Captain thinks he'll be ok, Caps best on the ice. Ottawa Sun: beatings the Isles, Sens found their game (where was it?). Sens.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Unlike last month when Ottawa jumped out to a 3-0 lead and couldn't hold on, the Senators are now holding onto those leads and winning the games. Both teams are scoring at least four goals in their winning streaks so I wouldn't expect another sterling defensive performance. The one troubling aspect of the Caps two most recent wins is their inability to put the game away. The Caps allowed both Dallas and the Buffaslugs to get back into the game. This will eventually catch up to the Caps. The other question for the Caps is injuries, are they piling up on their skill players again? If so, this winning streak will be short lived.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 3
Sens 5
Winner by Spezza

Editorial Note For The Two Dozen Readers Of This Blog:

Once again due to work commitments, I will be unable to attend tonight's game. Therefore there will not be a Post-Mortem after tonight's game. (Hey, I've to pay for my tickets somehow.)

We've Got Work To Do

Ok folks, you see the links to the right of this post under "Stuff The Ballot Box." It is time to get cracking and if anybody knows any hackers (Ted) , it is time to get them on the case too. As a matter of fact, I'm hoping Dan Steinberg jumps all over this too now that the water pistol fight is over.

The NHL released more voting results today and A.O. has lost even more ground. He's not even in the top three anymore. Take a wild guess as to who replaced him in third... (Maybe that's why...)

Look folks, vote early, vote often, vote every waking moment you have. Yes, A.O. will be in Dallas for the All-Star game unless he's injured but he deserves to be there as a starter. So Vote For A.O. and Olie! and don't forget to write in Dainius Zubrus. Also, if you're so inclined, don't forget to Vote For Testudo!, he's in the semifinals this week and the last time I checked, he was winning his battle, but you can never be too sure.

But we MUST get A.O. into the starting lineup.

Only $1K

As expected, A.O. was not suspended by the NHL but was hit with a $1,000 fine. This is the NHL's star justice system at work. A.O. gets the same length of suspension that Mary-OH! Lemieux got for BOTH of his stick swinging incidents in his career (and his charge out of the penalty box at referee Kerry Fraser). One of which famously came against the Caps in the 1996 Playoffs.

Not only is A.O. a superstar, but he is known as a physical hockey player. Nobody in their right mind can accuse A.O. of taking a run at Briere. A.O. was simply "playing his game."

Six years ago when Richard Zednik was suspended for four games for his cross-check to the face of Colorado's Adam Foote, Zed got hit with that stiff penalty because Zednik isn't considered a physical hockey player by stretch of the imagination and you knew he was trying to get back at Foote for an elbow to the head (which Foote got a 2 minute penalty on).

Throw in the fact that Briere didn't miss a single shift and A.O.'s "first time offender" status; calls for a suspension like this clown made for a 43 game suspension (hey, he's posting where he belongs) look all the more stupid and unreasonable.

Especially when you consider that Todd Bertuzzi got less time off than Marty McSorley did. Bertuzzi ended Steve Moore's career, Marty McSorely didn't end Donald Brashear's.

Sunday Smorgasbord 11-3

• Today the Redskins played a perfect first quarter against the Falcons and jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Problem is, they didn't bother with the other three quarters and lost 24-14. Jason Campbell had a type of day termed "a learning experience" but I don't think that's being all that fair to him. Yes he had some bad throws and was victimized by some ill-timed drops, but he also had precious little protection. As a matter of fact, his second and game ending interception was a direct result of getting drilled as he threw. And he been able to throw the ball cleanly, it would have been a touchdown. Too many times today the Redskins failed to pick up the blitzer coming right in Campbell's face and had anybody on the defense bothered to tackle Jerious Norwood, it would have been a different game. But now at 4-8, the best the Redskins can do this season is .500 and all talk of post-season play should cease and desist immediately.
• Earlier today the ACC Bowl Bids were handed out and Maryland landed a bid in the Tangerine Bowl on December 29th at 8 pm. The Terps will face the Purdue Boilermakers from the Big "Ten." In recent days Orlando made a push for the Terps as Maryland also wanted no parts of a matchup vs. Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The ACC Bowl Bids are Wake against Louisville in the Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech returns to Jacksonville to face West-by-God-Virginia in the Gator, Virginia Tech faces Georgia in the Peach Bowl, Boston College gets Navy in Charlotte, Clemson goes to Nashville to face Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, Miami plays Nevada on the Bluefield, and F$U plays UCLA in the Emerald Bowl.
• Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later but the Maryland Men's Basketball team took their first loss today against Notre Dame in the BB&T Classic at the Phone Booth 81-74. The Terps were victimized by an Irish team that heated up from behind the arc after breaking the Terps' press. The Terps are much improved this year and will need to be reckoned with once ACC play picks up a full head of steam. The future of the BB&T is in doubt as GW is looking to pull out of what is now a one-day affair and more often than not, Maryland has not bothered to put on their best performance in the BB&T. It looks to me that the only way this tournament could be saved is if Georgetown were to get involved and it became a two-day four local teams tournament with the Whats, Terps, Patriots, and Colonials. But considering that the Whats want no parts of their local bretheren, it just won't happen.
• This week, the Caps play three games in four nights again. They're off until Wednesday night when the Ottawa Senators come to town. The Anaheim Ducks come in on Friday night and will be greeted by some 50 members of D.C. United's Barra Brava. On Saturday night the Caps are back in Philadelphia to play the Flyers. All three games start at 7:05 pm. The Terp Men eat a cupcake called Fordham on Wednesday night in the Cable Box at 8 pm before their December ACC Matchup on the road at Boston College. The Terps and the Eagles will tip off at 6:35 pm on Fox Sportsnet's ACC Sunday Night Hoops. And the Redskins start playing out the string for certain on Sunday at home against the Iggles at 1 pm.
• As always, please send all questions, comments, corrections, criticisms, suggestions, and knock-knock jokes to "capsnut" over at gmail dot com.

Caps vs. Buffaslugs 12-2-2006 Wrap Up

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post. Times Caps rough up the Buffaslugs, Caps Report. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

Buffalo News. Buffaslugs.com

Final Thoughts:

That Buffalo News link shows exactly why I have no respect for the Buffaslugs organization and I enjoy revel in their misfortune. Yeah, A.O. is a thug and it is as clear as the lack of hair on Lindy Ruff's head. What a bunch of freakin' crybaby putzes. Instead of kicking themselves for playing an awful hockey game, they whine about a hit that was properly dealt with in a severe manner. As a matter of fact, further "injustice" will be done because NHL may only fine A.O. for the hit. One of the nice things about A.O. is that he likes to hit but he is not a dirty player by any stretch of the imagination. Players who throw their body around on a regular basis are going to occasionally throw a hit like A.O. did last night. It does not equivocate what he did, but it does not make him a thug either. It is a shame though that after a game like last night where the Caps played very well got all sorts of lucky bounces, breaks, and calls going their way that we sit here and we talk about a single hit. The Buffaslugs were losing at the time the hit was thrown and guess what, they still lost the game after the hit. 26 down, 56 to go.

Caps vs. Buffaslugs 12-2-2006 Post-Mortem

I have to admit, I was worried that somebody was going to post a 7 on the scoreboard tonight. I only thought it would be the Buffaslugs and not the Caps. Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...

THE GOOD:

• Where's Ron Webber when you need him? When was the last time the Caps had 2 goals on the scoreboard before their opponent even had a shot on goal? The Caps got off to a great start tonight and simply kept pace the rest of the evening.
• 15 shots on goal in the first period for the Caps to 7 for the Buffaslugs. The Caps did a great job of getting the puck to the net and what impressed me was that the Caps did it in what looked like a deliberate fashion. They weren't rushing things and seemed to have a cool confidence about themselves in that first period.
• Alexander Semin really showed off his skill tonight and had a great game. And considering the struggles he's had centering the second line, Jakub "and Sons" Klepis has performed rather well centering the first line. Now I'm not ready to have him replace Dainius Zubrus on a permanent basis, but he has done better than expected.
• And speaking of doing better than expected, John Erskine Bowles played a good game tonight. He had a nice open ice hit in the third period and then capped off the scoring with the ENG from behind his own net. But he still isn't the key to the Caps winning the Cup.
• The Penalty Killers went 1 for 6 tonight, only yielding a 5 on 3 goal in the dying seconds.
• Referees Don "Have Another Donut You Fat Pig" Koharski and Mike Hasenfrantz did an excellent job of keeping control of a hockey game that very easily could have gotten totally out of hand. My only gripe is that they didn't call the Buffaslugs for their consistent whining after every minor penalty.

THE BAD:

• The Power Play was awful tonight going 0 for 7. And make no mistake, it wasn't looking very impressive before A.O. was ejected and Richard Zednik got carried off.
• Here's the line on the third consecutive goaltender chased by the Caps (speaking of Ron Webber, when's the last time that's happened?) Ryan Miller, 3 goals on 9 shots, for a .667 save percentage, and a (if my math on this is right) 22.500 Goals-Against-Average in just 8 minutes worth of work. At least his team mates got him off the hook and stuck the loss on Martin Biron.

THE UGLY:

• He deserves this: Ryan Miller:

(Oh come on, you want the cheap joke that everybody is doing? Ok, if you insist...)

• The Buffaslug:
  

( There, happy?)

Was this a perfect game? No, not by any stretch. Not when the Caps went 0 for 7 on the Power Play tonight. The Caps played by far their best game I've seen this season and I am sure that in tomorrow's Wrap Up you'll see the Buffaslugs talk about what a bad game they had tonight. But the Caps won tonight, that's the important thing. The Caps held off the Buffaslugs minus three of their valued skilled players (Zubrus, A.O., and Zednik) and sent the Buffaslug fans back home to Loserville rather quiet. There isn't much to complain about tonight.

It has been... A TWO POINT NIGHT!

Caps vs. Buffaslugs 12-2-2006 Preview

Washington Capitals (10-15; 26 points) vs. Buffalo Sabres (20-5; 42 points):
Caps Game #26, Home Game #13, NHL Game #386

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 8:05 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WTNT 570-AM. Buffalo TV: MSG. Radio: WWGR 550-AM. NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed.

Tonight the Caps are in trouble. They face what so far this season has been the best team in the Eastern Conference. The closest team in the Eastern Conference to the Buffaslugs is the Atlanta Thrashers and the Caps are oh-for-season against them. The Buffaslugs have a 6 point lead on the Thrashers after last night's gimmick win over the Rangers

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post (CAUTION: Same gruesome color photo from yesterday) Times (over 100, well, that's a start). Caps.com. Caps.com pdf game notes.

Open Source Intelligence:

Buffalo News: Just good enough to win, Rookie debut, Sabres-Caps preview. Buffaslugs.com. Buffaslugs.com pdf game notes.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

Well, I expect a Phone Booth full of various New Yorkers wearing jerseys with the names "Hasek", "Mogilny", and "Lafontaine" on the back to make a total nuisance of themselves tonight. This despite the fact that their city has not won a Major Professional Sports Championship ever and a certain former Cap (who started his NHL career there BTW) once told us Fan Club members that he would recommend against traveling there for a visit. But on the ice the Caps are in similar trouble. While the Buffaslugs may not feel like they're playing well, they're still winning and in some cases huge. Add in the historical trouble the Caps have had beating this team (30-70-15 all time), and this doesn't look very promising. There is no way the Caps can have their usual lapses and still win this hockey game tonight. Hades, they could play the perfect game and still lose this by three goals.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 2
Buffslugs 6
Winner by Pominville