Props to Boomer

Hershey fans should check out the latest issue of The Hockey News, which features a piece on Josef Boumedienne.

(Note to Bears and Caps management: you need to resign Boomer!)

Sore Loser

Even with a crazy schedule this week, it's been difficult to motivate myself to blog about hockey, with the Capitals losing at every turn and the Habs being blown out on Thursday night by the Bruins, not to mention the Hershey Bears losing to Wilkes-Barre in overtime on Wednesday night. BAD hockey week.

The Capitals are in a must-win situation now; if they come out flat today against the Flyers, they are done. They need to come out with physical and aggressive play and shoot the puck - stick to basic hockey and focus on shooting rather than attempts at fancy passes.

More later...

Afraid to Come to the Party

Yesterday the Caps delivered a thoroughly disappointing performance in their second playoff game... as the game progressed, I think everyone in our section (excluding, of course, the significant contingent of Flyers fans) grew increasingly frustrated with the missed passes, failed attempts at fancy plays, and most of all the seeming reluctance to shoot the puck at the net. It was as if a completely different team showed up, one intimidated and cowed by the big, bad Flyers. Where Friday's team came out hitting and playing assertively, Sunday's team looked afraid.

Props to the Flyers and especially Martin Biron for great play Sunday, of course; but the Caps also failed to play the way everyone there knew they could, and that was perhaps the biggest disappointment. I wouldn't have minded the loss nearly as much if the team had been on their game, but that wasn't the case. (This is why I'm disappointed in the Canadiens' loss to the Bruins, but not disheartened. A streak can only last so long, for one thing, and I thought the Habs looked fairly sharp. The Bruins were motivated by the lengthy string of losses to the Habs and they really wanted the monkey off their backs.)

The Caps statistically come back with a solid performance after a poor one, so I'm hopeful that Tuesday's game will be a much better showing. They will have to come out firing and hitting like they did Friday night, though, in order to regain the momentum, and they need to stick to basic hockey rather than trying to make the flashy plays. I'd rather have pucks hit plainly into the net than swishy moves that result in a turnover to the Flyers.

The Decision Point

At the second intermission last night, the Caps were at the decision point... they were down 4-2, and they could pull themselves back or roll over. With the help of 18,277 of us screaming at the top of our lungs, they showed the heart of champions and came back to win the first game of the playoffs.

The atmosphere was as you might expect - live, loud, and passionate. After the game, dozens of us honked our way down 9th Street and Constitution in DC, with bemused tourists looking on and probably wondering what had caused this sudden insanity on the part of so many people.

Mike Wise's Washington Post column describes the insanity well. What I hope is that the hordes who have swarmed to the Verizon Center over the past few weeks will stick around regardless of the playoffs' outcome; in other words, I hope this is a long-term relationship and not just a momentary crush. It's past time for Washington to be a true hockey town and not simply a collection of other teams' fans.

Capitals Coverage

The Washington Post has a couple of great articles:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/

article/2008/04/10/AR2008041003923.html


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/

article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803547.html


From the Washington Times:


http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/

20080411/SPORTS04/447294200/1001


http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/

20080410/SPORTS04/84840049/1005/SPORTS

Time for Ovie and the guys to shine

So Friday is finally upon us, and the Washington Capitals are ready to take control of their destiny and their run to Lord Stanley's grand prize.  After playing some of the finest hockey in the entire NHL over the last few weeks, the Caps can prove tonight that they are contenders, not pretenders.  It is time to showcase that talent against a Flyers team that relies on intimidation and hard hitting to win games; a style that the Caps will not shy away from, but will come out prepared, pumped, and with a determination to claim the first two points of the series.

 

Having seen a live mediocre performance from the Flyers earlier this season, I am confident that the Caps will have their number tonight. We certainly have the momentum right now, and a team spirit that has grown out of mutual respect in the locker room and the phenomenal support of the 18000 plus 'red rockers' at the Verizon Center.  We shall be proudly rockin' the red tonight among those 18000 fellow fans, and we shall be cheering on the Caps for a full 60 minutes of post-season hockey. 

 

On a final note: to Sam the Horn Man - play it loud, and play it proud "Let's go Caps!!!".

One Down, Three to Go

I watched the Habs for the first time in several weeks (between Caps and Bears games, it's been hard to get home to watch TV lately!) and they looked thoroughly solid and in control last night against the Bruins... I was pleased to see them playing so physically and checking Boston regularly and willingly; I think that's going to be crucial as they proceed through the playoffs. Now that Carey Price has worked through some playoff jitters, I think he'll be solid between the pipes. The Kostitsyns certainly didn't look nervous either! Hopefully the Habs can put together another game like this on Saturday night - they certainly didn't seem to have that playing-at-home hex on their back that they've had so often over the season.

(Oh, and Guy - love the tie!)

Lepisto Called Back Up to Capitals

The Capitals' website is reporting that Sami Lepisto has been called back up to the Capitals in advance of the first playoff game on Friday... while I'm thrilled for Sami, this is bad news indeed for the Bears, who only need 2 more points to clinch a playoff spot but must gain them in 2 games against the Phantoms and a finale against Binghamton. At least with Josef Boumedienne healthy, we still have that experienced spark anchoring the blueline, but this just makes a tough job even tougher. Still, I hope Sami goes out there Friday night and rocks the red - he had some really great shifts in his previous stint with the Caps and I'd be happy for him if he could have a breakout game.

And About My Neglected Habs...

From reading this blog, you wouldn't know that the Habs have first place in my hockey heart, but the Capitals have just been so exciting, you know? At any rate, the Canadiens begin their playoff series with Boston tonight, and while I haven't seen anyone who expects Boston to win, I worry that they'll make it a tougher, more physical series than we're anticipating. I can see them coming out with that season sweep by the Habs functioning as a big chip on their shoulders and a major motivation to prove everyone wrong. The Habs also desperately need to keep a lid on Chara, which is one reason I hope Komisarek returns to the lineup quickly.

A lot has been said already about Price and his lack of NHL playoff experience. However, having seen him in a Calder Cup final game last year against Hershey, I think he'll be just fine, especially with the confidence he's had since becoming the #1 between the pipes.

Quarterfinal Predictions - Just 'Cuz...

Det/Nash:
Lesley - Det in 7
Martin - Det in 6

SJ/Calg:
Lesley - SJ in 6
Martin - SJ in 7

Min/Col:
Lesley - Col in 6
Martin - Min in 6

Ana/Dal:
Lesley - Ana in 6
Martin - Ana in 5

Mon/Bos:
Lesley - Mon in 5
Martin - Mon in 5

Pit/Ott:
Lesley - Pit in 5
Martin - Pit in 5

Was/Phil:
Lesley - Was in 6
Martin - Was in 6

NJ/NYR:
Lesley - NJ in 7
Martin - NYR in 7

So What Happens at Intermission, Anyway?

In the first period last night, the Hershey Bears played 20 minutes of aggressive, hard-hitting, first-class hockey. Several players who normally don't hit hard were banging Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against the boards with aplomb.

Then came the first intermission. The team that came out for the second period bore little similarity to the team that had started the game - a problem that has plagued the Bears all season. So, this begs the question: precisely what is happening during intermission? What is preventing the Bears from playing 60 minutes of good hockey in the same game so frequently?

I actually think this would be less difficult if the Bears were consistently mediocre... but the fact that we can see periods of excellence makes the mediocrity much more difficult to swallow. If they would play every period the way they played the first one last night, we would be in a much stronger position vis-a-vis the playoffs. The fact that they can't maintain a high level of intensity, however, is worrisome for our chances in the postseason.

Let the games commence - and let us sweep the Flyers!

Honk If You Love the Caps

An incredible night at the Verizon Center once again, as the Caps kept believing and, against all odds, won the Southeast Division.

The first time I saw the Caps this season was on December 9 against the Thrashers. If you had told me that night that we would end up here, I would have laughed all the way back to my hotel.

As we drove away from Verizon last night, we joined in a throng of cars merrily beeping "Let's Go Caps!" Car after car after car honked, all the way down 9th Street, then down Constitution past the memorials. (I got a bit of stick from some kids about my Habs Fan license plate, but hey, what can I say, I'm a bit divided right now.) A rolling convoy of Caps fans, all delirious from witnessing another miraculous evening and determined to share the joy with everyone else - we were truly 'rocking the red.'

I realize this is echoing everyone else, but if Bruce Boudreau doesn't win the Jack Adams trophy, I'm going to be really peeved. (If Guy Carbonneau wins it instead, I'll only be mildly peeved. The Habs were picked to finish 13th in the conference by nearly everyone, after all.) To bring this team back from 15th to 3rd in the space of 4-1/2 months is a monumental accomplishment. If you're interested, the Washington Post has a great column about Bruce today.

So here we go, on to the playoffs... let's honk and scream and red-out the Caps towards a drink from that Cup, shall we?

A Watched Pot Never Boils...

Three games tonight that are critical to the Capitals, and waiting for at least one of them (if not more) to turn out the way we need... if I'm this nervous, I can't imagine how Bruce Boudreau must be feeling!

I find it irritating that DirecTV is blocking the Flyers game(especially as it's a sellout), but I'm working around that by listening to XM, flipping between Hurricanes/Panthers and Senators/Bruins, and watching the gamesheet for Hershey/Binghamton. I can't say this is the way to take a close look at any particular team, but at least I can keep up with the scores real time.

(As of this writing, Fla 2, Car 1; Bruins and Senators scoreless; Phl 1, Njd 0; Bears 1, Senators 0.)

We Keep Believing...

I lived in Dallas for part of its Super Bowl run in the 1990s. I clearly remember being down on Greenville Avenue (lower Greenville, in case you know the area and care) the night of one Super Bowl win, watching the traffic crawl and people behave like complete nutters and not caring at all.

Leaving the Verizon Center after the Capitals/Lightning game last night was a similar experience... the crowds screaming "Let's go Caps! Let's go Caps!" and "MVP! MVP!" all the way down the escalator and out on the street (despite the cold rain falling), even into the Metro stations, a sea of red everywhere you look. Riding the Metro in Caps gear is a friendly experience now, the red gear sure to start a conversation if not a cheer. On Tuesday night, we were stopped by several people on the street in Bethesda asking about the results of the game - a level of curiosity about hockey I've never before seen here.

This run to the playoffs is turning into a heady experience for DC, one that I hope carries through regardless of its outcome. Washington has long experienced the problem of being a city of transients, many (myself included) with other hockey allegiances who never could give Washington a piece of that loyalty because of its hit-and-mostly-miss play over the last several years. I hope that is changing for the franchise - all the pieces are in place for the Capitals now and I suspect this ride will continue to be an exhilarating one. Props to Ted Leonsis and his ownership group for delivering a product that should keep people coming back game after game!