Catching up with the Hershey Bears

Bears vs Bruins:
After finishing work on Thanksgiving Eve, we headed to the Giant Center to see the Bears take on the Providence Bruins. With fond memories of eliminating the Bruins from the playoffs last spring, the tough match we anticipated did not materialize, and the Bears would be given a lesson by the boys in yellow. Providence would win the game 4-1, as Hershey failed to find chemistry and failed to stay out of the penalty box with their eight infractions. Boyd Kane would score the only goal for the Bears, and it was one of those lucky-turned-fluky efforts that saw the puck flip up of Kanes' stick over Dany Sabourin and into the net. Alexandre Giroux did all of the work, Kane got the glory, and the Bears shut down from that moment on. It was just a shame that the Bears had to be the turkeys on the eve of Thanksgiving.

Bears vs Phantoms:
Hershey found their form on the road in Adirondack the night after Thanksgiving, upsetting the Phantoms in front of their own fans. With Alexandre Giroux on recall to the Capitals, Hershey called up Michael Dubuc from South Carolina, and from all accounts, he shone for the Bears - and scored his first AHL goal in the process. A great road win, and 24 hours later, both teams would face off again in Hershey, PA. Less than 60 seconds after the puck dropped, Dubuc would strike, taking a nifty pass from Zach Miskovic and sending the vulcanized rubber into the back of the net. Ten minutes later, Dubuc made the score sheet once again, earning the primary assist on a Darren Reid goal. Many in attendance started to believe that this 21 year old was for real.

I wish the same could be said for defenseman Sean Collins, who was fairly impressive last season and had playing time in Washington to show for it. Fast forward to the present, however, and Collins has failed to repeat such a performance. On numerous shifts, he was out of position, out-played by the Phantoms forechecking, sloppy with the puck and gave up too many odd-man rushes. I had to laugh when I heard somebody compare Collins with a turnstile - creaking as he spins in circles. Right now Collins needs to be benched, or even spend some time back down in the ECHL in order to help him find his game. Come on Sean, last season I believed in you......don't let the Bears down.

As stated in an earlier post, I am having a hard time warming to Boyd Kane. During this game, however, he started to break down some barriers...mixing it up with his former Phantom team mates, and being a general agitating pest. At one point, I almost cracked a smile. However, in a game that would be tied at the end of regulation, Kane would destroy all of his temporary credit by taking the DUMBEST double roughing minor in overtime. Fortunately the Bears made it through the five minute OT period, and would ultimately lose in the shootout.....but for me, the damage had been done when Kane mixed it up with the Phantoms one time too many. Thanks Boyd.....

Bears v Baby Pens:
Having had time to cool down, we ventured back to the Giant Center the following evening for a showdown with the boys from up I-81. The previous encounter between these two teams at Giant Center had been lopsided, especially as the majority of the Penguins stars had been recalled to an ailing Pittsburgh club at the time. This time around, many familiar faces were back - Ben Lovejoy, Mark Letestu, Deryk Engelland - the Bears would have to bring their A-game tonight and not underestimate the pesky Pens. Hershey would call on Michal Neuvirth to tend between the pipes, and a few fans would cheer when Sean Collins was announced as a scratch, leaving captain Bryan Helmer to fill the final defensive roster spot.

After 60 minutes of play, Michal Neuvirth earned the first star honors as he shut out Wilkes Barre in the Bears 5-0 victory. 'Neuvy' faced a total of 42 shots, while Pens netminder John Curry faced only 21 in comparison, statistically giving up 1 goal for every four shots faced. The Bears outhustled the Penguins all night, and earned the victory in a great team effort. After his poor performance on Saturday, Boyd Kane would redeem himself to the Hershey faithful - scoring on two of his three shots, and staying out of the penalty box all evening. Michael Dubuc would assist on Darren Reids' power play goal to finish the game, collecting points in three straight games and making it difficult for Mark French to reassign him back to the ECHL. The Bears took 5 of 6 points in three consecutive nights, and maintain a comfortable position at the top of their division.

Springfield defeat Hershey in Shootout.

Saturday evening, with our NHL differences aside for now, we headed to the Giant Center to see the Bears host the Springfield Falcons. For many Bears fans, this was a homecoming night for the Mayor of Hershey, Dean Arsene, and enforcer Kip Brennan - two of the Bears championship team from last season. Arsene, however, would not make the trip. The Mayor was instead fulfilling his dream of playing hockey in the NHL, as a call-up to the Edmonton Oilers. The last time I checked, Arsene had played in at least 3 games for the Oilers, and was receiving favorable feedback from the coaching staff in Edmonton. Congratulations to you Dean - you truly deserve this opportunity.

The Falcons had started off well this season, so we knew this game would not be easy. Just not too long ago, we faced a red-hot Jonathan Bernier in goal when we played the Monarchs. Springfield would give us another tough encounter, with a stellar performance from goaltender Devan Dubnyk. With Michal Neuvirth in Washington, the Bears went with Braden Holtby in goal, and when the game became a shootout, a feeling of deja-vu from the Royals/Stingrays game would haunt us. Holtby has agility and decent reflexes, but has yet to look comfortable in the one-on-one situation. Holtby would once again lose the shootout, conceding a score to Chad Wiseman. He would have little help from his team-mates, who failed to connect on all five of their attempts against Dubnyk. The Bears may have dominated the game in regulation, but their failure to beat Dubnyk after 60 minutes was enough to give Springfield the confidence to take home the victory.

Okay, so hands up all Bears fans that found themselves secretly rooting for Kip Brennan when he chose to drop the gloves with Hershey enforcer Brandon 'Sugar' Sudgen. Hmm, I found a good friend of mine who raised her hand at work (thanks Lorie), so I don't feel so bad now. Those that know me, know that it takes me a while to warm to 'newbies' on the team. Last year, I did not care much for Kipper himself until we had a chance to meet and have a short conversation. This year, I am struggling to care for the likes of Sugden, who brings mediocre hockey skills at best. However, I find it harder still right now to show any emotional attachment to Boyd Kane. Yes, he is a former Bear that has come back! Yes, he's already played a handful of games in a Capitals sweater this season! But there is something, just something, that irks me about him. Is it the whining that he was famous for last season when wearing a Phantoms sweater? Is it the lack of ba......erm, courage when pushed into a corner? I really don't know - but my lack of attachment will make it harder still for him to win me over. He must prove it on the ice, and the missed opportunity to win the game on Saturday night in front of the goal certainly did nothing to boost his worth.

When Husband and Wife disagree....

the source of such differences often coincide with the Washington Capitals facing the Montreal Canadiens. Last season was a great year for the husband (me!!!). We saw the Caps shutout the Habs 3-0 last year in the Verizon Center, and win 3 out of the 4 games played during the regular season. Last year, I took home the 'household' cup.

Fast forward to the 2009-10 NHL season, and we took in our second Capitals game of the season at the Verizon Center. Once again, it was the Caps and Habs, but this time I would suffer the humiliation of defeat, and hand bragging rights back to the Habs fan in the household. The Caps did not play to their potential. The Habs had little offense, but played great defensively and relied on the outstanding performance of goaltender Carey Price probably a little more than they should have. Both teams could have taken this game, but the Habs wanted it more and beat the home team by a score of 3-2.

With Jose Theodore taking time out for personal reasons, Hershey goaltender Michal Neuvirth would be given his first NHL start of the season. The game was also a first for Hershey defenseman John Carlson, who many believed should have stayed in DC right after training camp. Both call-ups had great performances (Neuvirth may have liked the second Habs goal back, but alas) and while neither could add a victory to their resume on this particular night, they both had a chance to shine at the highest level of pro hockey.

So for now, wifey has a 1-0 lead this season, but the Caps will be looking to tie that series when both teams square off this weekend at the Bell Center in Montreal.

An irrelevant side note: congratulations to the CFL's Montreal Alouettes for winning the Eastern Final, and having the opportunity to play once again in the Grey Cup this coming Sunday. Best wishes for Anthony Calvillo and the boys when they take on the Roughriders. Go Als.....

Royals upset Stingrays with Shootout Victory

We arrived at the Sovereign Center in downtown Reading just as both teams were taking to the ice for their pre-game warm-ups. As mentioned in my previous entry, this was our first opportunity to see South Carolina in person, and it was great seeing a few familiar names from the Capitals roster. It was certainly not hard to miss the towering Joe Finley, who we had not seen since his short stint in Hershey last season. We also noticed a lot of new names and faces amongst the Royals. We were certainly disappointed to learn that Dan Rudiseula had not been resigned, and like many others that preceded him, was now playing hockey in Europe. It is a shame that players we have come to know, such as Josef Boumedienne and Shawn Collymore, have made such little impact in the North American pro-ranks that they've had to ply their trade elsewhere.

Once the game got underway, it was VERY difficult to root against either team. We are fond of the Royals, but we were also loyal to the NHL affiliation with the Caps. It was hard to cheer respectfully when the Rays scored, and almost impossible to stay seated when the Royals took their turn finding the back of the net. Spotting some friends from Hershey in the crowd, we moved after the first period to both not alienate the fans in our section and to have strength in numbers to support the visiting team.

The game itself was a sequence of fights and a shootout - but this was not a Clint Eastwood western - this was ECHL hockey. Joe Finley would indeed drop the gloves, as would Matt Fornataro and Nate Kiser (an impressive defenseman). However, it came down to a duell between two great goaltending prospects: Braden Holtby for the Rays and Andrew Engelage for the Royals. Needing to stand tall, Holtby would be beaten by Jared Ross in the shootout and the home team would take the victory. In a way, it was a win-win for us - the Stingrays beat the Royals just 24 hours earlier, and then took an extra point in defeat. While the Rays headed home with 3 out of 4 points on the road, the Royals also salvaged a victory of their own for the 5000 fans in attendance.

Torn Loyalties Tonight

We are heading to Reading, PA tonight for our first taste of Royals hockey. While our visits to the Sovereign Center only account for a small percentage of our hockey viewing pleasure, we always enjoy the fast paced action that the ECHL offers. Tonight, however, we face the paradox of having our Royals host the South Carolina Stingrays (affilates of the Washington Capitals), and thus questions arise as to where our loyalties will lie. We are supportive of the Royals, but with no emotional ties to either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Boston Bruins, it will be almost impossible to cheer against the Rays. We look forward to seeing the likes of Josh Godfrey, Michael Dubuc, Joe Finley, Jake Hauswirth, and possibly even Braden Holtby who was recently reassigned. Indeed, talk about being between a rock and a hard place.

So our apologies in advance to the Royals. We support you and always wish you success, but just this once our loyalties to the Capitals will take precedence. Next time we visit the Sovereign Center, we'll be rooting for the home team, honestly.

On a side note, we are looking forward to seeing Kyle Laughlin play tonight for Reading - son of CSN color commentator, Craig Laughlin. Hopefully Craig can take time out to visit Reading and see his son play.

AHL'ers making an impact in DC

I am prone to spending my work breaks perusing hockey blogs that talk primarily about the Capitals and the Bears, and have seen a lot of criticism about Bruce Boudreau recently. To many bloggers, there seems to be some level of disgust concerning how a coach with a largely minor league background tends to be favorable towards his minor league prospects from Hershey. I have seen several comments about how DC only needs 'The Young Guns' (Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green) to be successfull, and that call ups from Hershey are a sideshow. Just last season, in the stands at the Verizon Center, I would often hear bitter resentment from fans if such a call-up fanned on a shot, missed a pass, or was out of position. Only once did I think such criticism was justified. It was hard to forgive Sami Lepisto and his 'broken skate' episode that cost the team a victory, and a subsequent lack of confidence in his ability from coach Boudreau. But cries of 'send 'em back to Hershey' and several others not fit to print left me with a feeling that the talent provided by the farm system was completely under-appreciated.

This brings me to my reasoning for this entry. Over the last three games played by the Capitals, the Young Guns have not been a factor. With Ovechkin out due to injury, Semin investing in penalty box real estate, and Green ailing once again, only Backstrom is left to carry the load, and he too has been quiet lately. In the absence of the Great 8, the Capitals have still posted a 2-1 record, and underlying the success in these games have been, yes, you named it, the AHL contingent. Take a look at the stats, for they do not lie. Hershey call-up Mathieu Perreault has points in all three games since wearing a Caps jersey, including a nifty goal against the Florida Panthers in his Verizon Center debut. Tyler Sloan has successfully switched between playing forward and defense as dictated by Boudreau, and has two goals in those last three games now posted on his resume. Another one of Gabby's boys, Quintin Laing, has demonstrated an uncanny knack for killing penalties, and has developed great chemistry with his linemates David Steckel and Matt Bradley. Laing has also found the net recently too, beating Columbus netminder Steve Mason and then tallying last night in the 7-4 victory over Florida. And then what about that other 'Hershey' guy? Oh yes, Semyon Varlamov, the Hershey call-up that helped keep the playoffs alive in back to back series last season, and who maintains a pretty impressive win/loss percentage since playing for the Caps. Yes, clearly there is absolutely no need to have these mediocre AHL'ers taking up roster space :')

So has Gabby shown favoritism towards his minor league boys? Not at all! In my opinion, the coach has simply made the right decisions for the best interests of the team. Few could argue that in the absence of the superstars, the call-ups have not been a contributing factor to the Capitals continued success. And for those that remain unconvinced...well, sorry to rain on your parade, but both Hershey and the South Carolina Stingrays are developing the next generation of this team, and given their track record recently (Calder Cup and Kelly Cup), have certainly done a pretty outstanding job to date.

Triple Treat of Hershey Bears Action

Following on from the previous entry, we took in 3 games at the Giant Center over the following couple of weekends. Hershey would concede a game to the Binghamton Senators, in a 5-2 loss that resulted from not necessarily a lack of effort, but a lack of chemistry. With a tied game after one period, a combination of missed opportunities, poor puck distribution and penalty woes pushed the Bears into a hole from which they would not recover.

The next evening at Hershey saw the Bears host the Portland Pirates. Just like the Manchester game from the week prior, the game would be a tight, defensive affair. Goaltender Jason Bacashihua would make his home debut for Hershey, and looked pretty calm and collected between the pipes. Down by 2-1 after two periods, Andrew Gordon would level the score just six minutes into the third period. Six minutes later, gritty winger Steve Pinizzotto would not only score the game winning goal, but would do so short-handed whilst killing a high sticking penalty assessed against the Bears. Pinizzotto would earn number one star honors for his efforts, and hopefully the victory would steer the Bears back to their winning ways.

One week later, and back at the Giant Center once more to host the Albany River Rats. With a combination of confidence and momentum, the Bears made short work of their opponents, downing the River Rats by a score of 4-1. Jason Bacashihua was once again solid in goal for Hershey - a great off-season signing who can not only perform, but will be a great mentor for both Michael Neuvirth and Braden Holtby. Andrew Gordon would score the game winner during a Bears power play, and Francois Bouchard would take the first star honors after recording one goal and two assists.

Salutaions From the Sin Bin Returns for 2009-10

After a lenghy hiatus from the world of blogging, hockey observations from 'Salutations from the Sin Bin' are back at the cyber-rink. Sure, the season may be well and truly underway, but after serving time in the penalty box, it is time to 'unleash the fury' once again. There will be no real changes to the format that was started last season - once again, the focus will be on the Washington Capitals, the Hershey Bears and a few reports from the Reading Royals too. This particular blogger does not intend to provide a play-by-play summary of each game played, but to merely provide commentary and observations from games attended throughout this season.

The Season so Far: A Recap:

The 2009-10 season started where last year ended - back at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. After bringing the Calder Cup back to Hershey last June, it was only fitting to commence a new season at home with the raising of the tenth Calder Cup victory banner to the Giant Center rafters. Being in the fortunate position to retain a large percentage of the championship team roster, the Bears would open their 72nd season against the Norfolk Admirals. With plenty of talent provided by the Capitals organization, and a few free-agent signings, the Bears roster once again has plenty of depth. And once again, it would be a mediocre Norfolk team that would feel the wrath of an opponent looking to start the season in similar style to the way in which it took all of the honors last year. The Bears took a 3-1 victory, in a game that was nowhere near as close as the score would indicate. Capitals prospect Braden Holtby would make his Hershey debut between the pipes, and played a solid 60 minutes for the host team. With the departure of Graham Mink, Andrew Gordon was promoted to the first line with Alexandre Giroux and Keith Aucoin, and while Gordon does not bring the grinding skills of Mink, he does bring an acute awareness of where to be when the puck is brought into the zone. It was only fitting that Gordon would nail the game winning goal, and be awarded the number one star for his efforts. The performance also left a taste for more winning hockey at Hershey - this should be another great season.

One week later, we were back at Hershey to welcome a visit from the Manchester Monarchs. The Bears and Monarchs do not play each other too often, but when they do, the games tend to be tight, and this encounter would be no different. However, on this occassion, the Monarchs would bring an ace up their sleeve - goaltender, Jonathan Bernier. Braden Holtby was once again given the start for Hershey, and held his own against his NHL experienced counterpart. However, with a red hot performance from Bernier, who stopped 34 of 35 shots, the Monarchs would steal this one in a low scoring 2-1 affair. The Bears did not play a 60 minute game, and ultimately left it too late in the 3rd period to mount the necessary comeback.

We made our first visit to Washington DC just 24 hours after the Bears game, and took in the Columbus Day battle between the Capitals and the New Jersey Devils. After taking a quick 2-0 lead in the first period, the Capitals looked to be a team that finally had all the pieces in place to be a contender this season. Newcomers Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison were quick to adapt to the Boudreau system, and the team seemed to have this game under control. And that led to their downfall - too much confidence, and some sloppy hockey in the remainder of the game saw a 2-0 lead evaporate, and a shootout victory for the boys from Joisee. The Caps did not go for the kill, and the Devils refused to quit - Martin Broudeur would seal the deal in the shootout, and the visitors were handed 2 points from a Caps team that showed a severe lack of discipline and intensity down the stretch.

Seven Days of Hockey Summary

So much can happen in the world of professional hockey over the course of seven days. Given that this is the first opportunity I've had to blog in a while, I shall focus on all three of the games that I have had the pleasure of attending over the last week.


Capitals vs Bruins:
Last Saturday we headed to DC for the much anticipated clash of the Eastern Conference Titans. The Boston Bruins were in town, and looking to continue a streak of road victories that commenced after their last visit to Washington. The Verizon Center was rocking on Saturday night. Both teams knew the importance of this game, and the whole 60 minutes was filled with a level of intensity more appropriate for a playoff game. Given how both teams have performed during the first half of the season, it remains probable that these two giants may clash in the postseason - so the crowd was ready for a preview of things to come.


With some early penalty troubles, the Caps would give up the opening goal when Marc Savard beat Jose Theodore early in the second period. Washington would respond just over one minute later with a power play score of their own from Mike Green. The game remained 1-1 after two periods of hockey. The sold-out crowd was very loud during the last 20 minutes of play, and the decibel meter must have exploded when Alexander Semin broke away with some fancy puck handling, raced down the ice and beat Tim Thomas to give the home team the go ahead score. I had the (dis)pleasure of being seated amongst Bruins fans, so it was nice to jump out of my seat and cheer like a man possessed (much to their dismay). The Caps would hold on to the lead, and kill a penalty in the dying seconds of the game to seal the win. Both teams had played a strong game, and I am sure that the two remaining games between these two teams up in Boston will be as equally intense.


Hershey Bears vs Worcester Sharks:
Sunday evening was spent at the Giant Center where a regular season hockey game was completely overshadowed by the potential for Alexandre Giroux to break a 20-year record for goals scored in consecutive games. AHL and NHL legend Brett Hull had established a record of 14 consecutive goal-scoring games, and Giroux had equalled that impressive tally during a shoot-out loss to the Philadelphia Phantoms on the previous night. Trailing 0-2 after some quick scoring opportunities from the Sharks, Hershey seemed lackluster until defenseman Sami Lepisto fired a rocket from the point into the back of the net. The Lepisto goal sparked a stagnant Hershey team, who dominated offensively down the stretch only to be denied by a strong performance from Worcester goaltender Thomas Greiss.


With a tripping penalty assessed against Worcester midway through the third period, the crowd at the Giant Center would erupt when Giroux beat Greiss and tied the game at 2-2. With 13:33 left in the game on 18th January, Alexandre Giroux removed Brett Hull from the AHL record books and set a new benchmark of 15 consecutive games with a goal. Congratulations to you Alex - what an accomplishment!!!


The scoresheet would remain the same through the remainder of regulation and the overtime period. Michal Neuvirth, the rookie Bears goaltender, would stand tall during the shootout and deny all five of the Sharks attempts. Griess was almost as impressive, preventing 4 of the 5 shots he faced - Kyle Wilson would connect and give the Bears not only the victory, but the icing on the cake for a night Alexandre Giroux will never forget.


Hershey Bears vs Wilkes-Barre Penguins:
With a convincing road victory over Norfolk on Wednesday, the Bears returned home on Friday night to face the baby Pens. The thought of having to watch the Penguins is always enough to make me frown, but I would be the recipient of "bad vibes" once I learned that our good friend Terry Koharski would be officiating the game. Now granted, Koharski is a much better option than Nygel Pelletier or the grinch David Banfield, but even so, to put it bluntly, Koharski sucks too!


This game was everything we knew it would be. These two divisional rivals have no liking for each other - the usual physical altercations, cheap shots, trash talking and the like were to be expected. But for Koharski to penalize Chris Bourque five minutes for a simple tripping penalty was simply ludicrous. Again, five minutes for a trip - what next, a game misconduct for too many men on the ice????? The Pens would rebound from a two-goal deficit with power play goals that resulted from the often dubious calls from Koharski.


Hershey would go on to lose in a shootout, with goaltender Michal Neuvirth giving up two goals as opposed to John Curry who would be beaten only once. The Bears played the better game, but the Penguins got the breaks from Koharski that kept them in it, and they won the old-fashioned way after the overtime period expired.


Kudos to Keith Aucoin for dropping the gloves with Janne Pesonen during the second period. Given his size, I was always concerned that Aucoin was an easy target for opposing teams, but he has proven time and time again that he is not only a great hockey player, but that he has the mental and physical attributes to stand his ground. Well done Keith!


The Bears can put this game behind them, and concentrate on the task at hand this evening as the Manchester Monarchs make an appearance at the Giant Center. We can't wait for that one.


Notes:
* Congratulations to Bears goaltender Michal Neuvirth for being awarded the third star in the ECHL All-Star game. Neuvirth represented the South Carolina Stingrays.

* Good luck to former Bears defenseman Josef Boumedienne, who has returned to Europe. We still miss you Boomer.

* Nice to see Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau in attendance at the Giant Center last night.

* Good luck to Alexander Ovechkin during the All-Star weekend in Montreal - and props to Nicklas Backstrom for snubbing his invitation to the young stars game. Good luck also to the Bears players and coaches that will be part of the AHL All-Star game in Worcester.

Edmonton Upset the Capitals 5-2 at the Verizon Center

The title says it all. I left work in Central PA on Tuesday and drove for 2.5 hours to witness the Capitals host the Oilers. Having never seen Edmonton in the flesh, I was excited about how this game could be a "turnaround" game for the Capitals, who had dropped their previous two games to Columbus and Montreal. In hindsight, maybe I should have simply gone straight home from work instead - for while I was willing to make the effort to get to the game, it appears that the majority of those dressed in red jerseys on the ice did not share the same level of enthusiam.

Without taking anything away from Edmonton, they had a lot of help to win this game. No, not from bad officiating (okay, some suspect calls, but not enough to alter the course of a game)! No, not some spectacular play from the visitors! No, the Capitals simply played a less-than-stellar 60 minutes of hockey. When the Mighty Mites at the intermission play with more passion and gusto, you know something is not right. The Capitals lacked chemistry and any desire to perform. Sloppy passes, lack of strength in the defensive zone, and no support to the puck handler in the offensive zone. Nobody seemed to want to go to the net - the puck seemed to be relegated to the perimeter for most of the game. The line combinations did not work! The defensive pairings lacked any communication! The whole performance from the Caps was simply unacceptable to a sold out crowd who spent their hard-earned to see their boys put on a show.

The only spark from the Caps came from Tomas Fleischmann. Returning from a bout of pneumonia, he looked sharp as he scored the only worthwhile goal for the Capitals that "should" have sparked some energy and desire to get back into the game. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and Edmonton took an easy 2 points from the Verizon Center.

Okay, so the Capitals had an off-game. In return for my cost of admission, I have every right to heckle my team when they play like this. I heckle when I see room for improvement, and I cheer when I see the boys doing what they do best. What I cannot fathom, however, is why many of the fans would resort to booing their team that night! To heckle and jeer is totally acceptable, but to boo because they are playing poorly is disrespectful. The team are not purposely trying to lose, and they are embarrassed enough to suffer a lop-sided loss on home ice. Don't boo them because they've lost a few games! Stick with the program, people - Rome was not built in a day, and Stanley Cups do not come in one season. Real fans are patient - fair weather fans (and I'm sure that there are plenty who have jumped on the bandwagon - especially in a city that has had sporting woes for many years) need to realize that Ovechkin and co would love to satisfy your instant gratification, but like the rest of us, you have to take the rough with the smooth over seven long months of hockey.

Caps/Penguins: Many may believe that the Caps simply overlooked the Oilers in anticipation of their next game against Pittsburgh. With the whole "Ovechkin/Malkin" and "Semin/Crosby" fueds that have been exagerrated by the media, both teams desperately needed the win without the media sideshow. The first two periods were not spectacular, but the Capitals dominated the third and took the 6-3 victory at the Mellon Arena. There was no controversy between "Ovie" and "Geno". Semin and Crosby would not get into a war of words. Both teams played hard, but in the end, the Capitals found their groove and took it to a Pittsburgh team that is reeling.

World's biggest shock!!! Jeff Schultz scored an empty netter to record his first goal of the season. Schultz has taken the brunt of my heckling for most of this season, but I felt so happy for him when he realized the puck was in the net. The smile on his face was priceless, and while I offer no promises of easing up on the heckling, I will go on record and congratulate Jeff for a great effort and consistency during this game. Keep up the good work Jeff - force me to find somebody else on the Caps roster to be the target of my sharp tongue.

With the clash between the Caps and Bruins this weekend, I can't wait to rock the red at the Verizon Center once more. Go Caps!

High Scoring New Years Day Treat as the Capitals Defeat the Lightning 7-4

What could be a better way to start 2009 than sitting in the Verizon Center to root for the Capitals as they faced Vincent Lecavalier and company? In our opinion - no better way at all, unless you were fortunate enough (and brave enough) to sit outside and watch the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. We listened to a portion of the game as we drove to DC, and it sounded as though it was a total success for the NHL. At some point we'll browse through the DVR and catch up with the game itself, although we would have been much happier if the Blackhawks had been victorious in their home city.

The Verizon Center was loud on Thursday night, with a good crowd in attendance and a rivalry of sorts between the two teams. Olaf Kolzig would not make the trip from Tampa, which meant that the Capitals fans could heckle the Bolts all evening, and goaltender Mike Smith would hear many chants directed to him as the game progressed. Former Cap Steve Eminger would also receive many "whoops" from the fans every time he touched the puck, which was made funnier still by a lone Bolts fan nearby (yes, every city has to have one) who sounded like an emotional wreck. We were in fits of laughter when he cried out, "Stop doing that, you brain-dead monkeys!" I don't recall seeing or hearing from him again once the first period was over - maybe it was the last call for the bus trip back to the asylum!

It was a great evening for defenseman Sean Collins, who took a nice pass from Alexander Ovechkin and beat Mike Smith to record his first NHL goal. Way to go Sean! The Capitals are clearly happy to keep Sean in the lineup while Tom Poti recovers from his groin injury. Defensively the Capitals are looking better, although I still have serious doubts about the ability of Jeff Schultz. He has the potential to be a hard hitting defenseman, but seems cursed with a timid nature - something that has no place in a league like the NHL. Jeff either needs to step up his game, or clear out his locker. Right now Jeff is a detriment to the blue line. Admittedly, he may need more time to develop, but if that is the case, make room for him in Hershey. With Bryan Helmer and Tyler Sloan waiting in the wings, it is almost unfair that they are forced to remain in Hershey when Schultz is healthy. Bruce Boudreau, I trust you implicitly, but what exactly do you see in Schultz that many people do not?

Returning to the game itself, all of the goals scored by the Capitals on Thursday came from different players. This team is no one-man army, and along with Collins, goals came from David Steckel, Mike Green, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon, Chris Clark, and Alexander Ovechkin. For a while, the game was closer than the final score indicated, but the Capitals broke down the Bolts down the stretch to take the victory. Bradley would earn the number one star (much deserved) and Chris Clark would receive the hard hat from his teammates. It was nice to see Clark remove that goal-scoring monkey from his back! Way to go Captain!

The Capitals now await the New York Rangers, who roll into DC on Saturday night. With two victories over the Rangers already this season, New York will be certain to make this a fight to the end. As for the Capitals, this is an opportunity to extend not only their current winning streak, but their stronghold over the Southeast division.

PS - we are happy to hear that Jamie Heward was able to fly home the day after the game and that his injuries were not as severe as they appeared they might be when he was taken off the ice. It was a frightening time indeed when he lay there completely motionless, so we are very relieved that he will be okay.