Salutations From the Sin Bin

Catching up with the Hershey Bears

2009-12-01T18:48:00.003-05:00

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.

2009-11-24T19:46:00.005-05:00

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....

2009-11-24T19:26:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-24T19:01:00.005-05:00

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

2009-11-08T09:26:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-08T08:33:00.005-05:00

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

2009-11-06T20:42:00.003-05:00

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

2009-11-06T19:48:00.005-05:00

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

2009-01-24T08:53:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-15T20:22:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-03T10:52:00.006-05:00

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.

Mike Gartner #11 jersey retired by the Capitals.

2008-12-29T18:48:00.003-05:00

After the "Hershey Screw Job" on Saturday night, we headed down to DC on Sunday hoping that the Capitals could take the bitter taste of an awful defeat out of our mouths (see previous post for recap). Sunday night would be a special evening at the Verizon Center, with many Caps alumni in the building to help celebrate Mike Gartner's jersey retirement.

As the teams took to the ice for the warm-ups, it seemed odd seeing the visiting Maple Leafs wearing their dark blue jerseys. A quick glance across at the Capitals though, and all was revealed. The Caps were donned in their retro white jerseys and all skaters on the ice wore the number 11 in respect of Gartner's celebration.

The jersey retirement was done in good taste, and Gartner was joined by both Rod Langway and Yvon Labre at center ice. Current Capitals captain Chris Clark would also honor Gartner before the banner raising ceremony took place. And as nicely designed banner rose to the ceiling, Mike Gartner became the fourth Washington Capitals to be enshrined forever in the rafters of the Verizon Center.

The contest between the Capitals and Maple Leafs would remain pretty tight until the final minute of the second period. Tied at one goal a piece, Milan Jurcina would feed the puck to a well positioned Alexander Ovechkin, who promptly sent the puck home to record his 24th goal of the season. If Toronto had held defensively, going into the locker room with a tied game would have given them much more confidence. But to exit the ice down by one after a defensive breakdown, the Leafs knew that the uphill climb was not going to be easy.

The Leafs did stay in the game for the first three quarters of the final period, but were deflated once Brooks Laich found the net for his second score of the night. It was nice to see Laich playing the kind of hockey at which he excels - one where he goes to the net and cleans up the mess. Ovechkin would bag an empty-netter to secure the game, and the Caps would once again remain almost untouchable on home ice. With one more game at Buffalo to close out 2008, the Capitals start 2009 on New Years Day in DC against the Lightning. Should be a blast!

Binghamton 4, Hershey 1: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (well, 2 days late)!

2008-12-28T11:36:00.006-05:00

With the Christmas break behind them, the Hershey Bears took to the ice last night at the Giant Center against the Binghamton Senators. What Hershey did not know, however, was that the Grinch would also be at the Giant Center. The Grinch in question was a referee by the name of David Banfield - a referee who seemed bent on ruining any post Christmas celebrations for the Bears.

I am not taking anything away from a Senators team who played a strong sixty minutes of hockey, but the Bears were royally screwed last night! With a remarkable effort between the pipes, Brian Elliot stopped all but one of the 44 shots on goal (the lone score coming from Keith Aucoin in the first period) and left Chocolatetown with a comfortable 4-1 victory. Unfortunately for the Senators, however, their almost-perfect performance was both overshadowed and undermined by some terrible officiating from the Grinch.

Banfield would assess nine penalties against Hershey, while the Senators were called for five. Alas, for the Bears, it would be a string of missed blatant infractions that would prevent any opportunity to come back down the stretch. With this fine display of terrible officiating, it was clear that Banfield never received his copy of "Hockey for Dummies" in his Christmas stocking this year. He most likely failed to get his eyes tested too, missing the tripping call from the stick that was literally thrown at the feet of Chris Bourque on a breakaway. I had never seen a crowd this hostile at the Giant Center, but it was completely justified. One man was ruining the game for everybody, and 10,000 plus were letting him know about it.

Behind the Bears bench, the normally mellow Bob Woods reached his boiling point after the aforementioned non-call. Tossing water bottles across the ice at Banfield in protest, Woods was ejected from the game, and faces a hefty fine and possible suspension for his actions. While I do not condone the way in which Woods vented his frustration, I felt that his complaint was more than justified. The Senators had capitalized on the non-call against Bourque, and put the game out of reach for the Bears. Woods, as the coach and leader of the team, stood tall and made sure that the officiating crew were informed of just how terrible they were. Worth every cent of his imminent fine and suspension, in my opinion.

So Binghamton left the Giant Center with the win, and thanks to the Wilkes-Barre Penguins taking a win over Bridgeport, no damage was done at the top of the division. The Bears and the Sound Tigers remain tied for first place, albeit in a division that has become tightly contested right now as we head towards the New Year.

Refs 4, Hershey 1

2008-12-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

Every ref misses some calls in any game but when one misses a series of calls that drastically alter the course of a game, there is a problem.

We'll post more tomorrow when we've cooled down a bit.

Hershey Down 2-1 After 2 Periods

2008-12-27T20:35:00.002-05:00

So far Hershey has been unable to solve Binghamton's goalie Brian Elliott, despite 35 shots on goal. Hershey will start the third period with a two-player deficit, with Andrew Joudrey and Dean Arsene earning penalties at the end of the second period. The good news is that Neuvirth made some stellar stops this period.

First Period Thoughts From Hershey

2008-12-27T19:23:00.003-05:00

Kip Brennan is in the lineup for Hershey; Bryan Helmer is not. Michal Neuvirth gets his first start in goal for Hershey.

Neuvirth looked a bit shaky early on, allowing a Senator goal he should have easily stopped, but has settled down with some good stops here in the last half of the first period.

Hershey Tidbits

2008-12-27T15:15:00.003-05:00

* According to the Capitals Insider, Bryan Helmer has been sent back down to Hershey. (What a way to treat a #1 star of the game, LOL!) Hopefully he will suit up for tonight's game against the Binghamton Senators, who defeated the Syracuse Crunch last night in overtime.

* Don't forget to vote for your favorite AHL all-stars!

* The Hershey Bears website reports that Kip Brennan might join the lineup this weekend. We'll let you know if he plays tonight...

* Team Canada, including Hershey goalie Daren Machesney, won its Spengler Cup matchup against Energie Karlovy Vary, 3-1. As of this writing, Team Canada is losing to HC Davos, 3-0.

Bryan Helmer continues to impress.....a tribute.

2008-12-27T14:25:00.007-05:00

Veteran defenseman Bryan Helmer was signed by the Capitals organization during the summer of 2008, and has already established an impressive list of accomplishments in his short lived tenure. Assigned to the Hershey Bears prior to the 2008-09 season, the players in the locker room voted him as their team captain in recognition of his experience, leadership skills, and confidence. At the time, Alexandre Giroux joked that he wanted to vote for himself, but that he would have been unanimously outvoted in that election race. As a stay-at-home defenseman, Helmer was never going to make too many highlight reels at Hershey, but his play remained consistent and solid enough not only to be voted to the forthcoming AHL All-Star game, but also to be entrusted with the captaincy of the Canadian team. Good things continued to happen for Helmer; a call from Bruce Boudreau saw Bryan dress in a Capitals jersey and play on several occassions at the NHL level during December - a league in which he had not returned to since his playing days with the Phoenix Coyotes. And then just one day after the Christmas holiday, Helmer would not only play defense for the Caps once again, but would also be awarded the number one star for his outstanding performance during the 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Bryan Helmer, we salute you!

The Caps did not have it too easy against the Sabres. Buffalo always plays strong against Washington, and historically has taken more victories over the Caps than many would care to remember. Earlier this season in the HSBC Arena, the Sabres pounded the Capitals by a score of 5-0. The Sabres wanted to carry on where they had left off, but would be hard pressed against a Capitals team that had rallied from a four-goal deficit in their previous game to beat the New York Rangers in overtime. Jose Theodore was harassed by the Sabres during that previous encounter, and was given the start once again with the chance to silence his critics after his dismal first period performance on Broadway.

Both teams played a 60-minute game, but the game was not as close as the 3-2 score led you to believe. The Capitals played solid defense, and looked good on special teams when called to do so. Boudreau went with five offensive players on the power play - a risky move if the opponents had broken free, but with confidence in his team, Boudreau rested the d-men on several occasions to keep them fresh later in the game. Shaone Morrissonn and Milan Jurcina had solid performances. Karl Alzner continues to shine, and Tyler Sloan showed some renewed confidence after his recent slump. It was Bryan Helmer once again, however, that would excel in the defense. The amazing game-winning goal in which Alexander Ovechkin skated the length of the ice, weaving though defenders as if they were traffic cones, was made possible by the perfect pass from Bryan Helmer outside of his own zone. Sure, Ovechkin made every sports highlight reel for the goal, but he was the first to congratulate Helmer before celebrating the score that would ultimately lead to the Caps victory. When a veteran defenseman can get the puck to possibly the best hockey player of this generation, good things will continue to happen for the Capitals. And while I don't want to see the likes of Mike Green and Tom Poti out of action too long, the Hershey Bears fan in me hopes that Bryan continues to get the recognition he deserves and the chance to shine in the NHL.

Bears edge Monsters 3-2 in a shootout.

2008-12-22T20:04:00.006-05:00

We returned to the Giant Center last night to see the Lake Erie Monsters take on the Bears. With Daren Machesney heading out to Switzerland, Simeon Varlamov was given the responsibility of tending between the pipes for Hershey. After their great chemistry on Saturday night, the line of Quintin Laing, Andrew Gordon and Kyle Wilson were named as the starters on offense.

Both teams seemed tired, and the game was a drawn out affair which ultimately saw Hershey drop a goal, only to recover, on two occassions. Laing and Wilson would score the only two goals in regulation for Hershey. Lake Erie came within a whisker of stealing a victory when Bryan Marshall found the puck on his stick in the Bears crease; Varlamov came up trumps, however, and denied the shot to ensure that the game would continue after three periods were over.

Both teams stood their grounds during the five minute overtime period, and as the horn sounded, the shootout loomed for both goaltenders. Up until this point, Monsters goaltender Jason Bacashihua had brushed away 42 of the 44 shots faced. Chris Bourque took to the ice first in the shootout and found the back of the net to give Hershey some renewed confidence and momentum. Bacashihua stood tall once again though, denying the following attempts from Wilson, Keith Aucoin and Matthieu Perreault. At the other end of the ice, Varlamov almost mirrored the opposing goalie, giving up one of four attempts. Stepping onto the ice to take the Bears final regular shot, Andrew Gordon could not have envisioned the good fortune he would have. Putting the puck between the pads with such velocity, Bacashihua made the save, only to fall prey to his own backwards reeling momentum that laid him, puck and all, on his back in the goal. The official awarded the goal, Varlamov denied the final Monsters shot, and Hershey came out with another victory at home. The game wasn't pretty! The game wasn't particularly exciting! Referee Jeff Smith called only four minor penalties. But the Bears took the critical two points to help keep the surging Bridgeport Sound Tigers at bay in the divisional standings.

No Christmas Candy for the Little Devils: Hershey Bears Win 4-2

2008-12-21T08:42:00.006-05:00

With a disappointing Texas road trip behind them, the Hershey Bears returned to the Giant Center last night to host the Lowell Devils. Prior to the puck drop, Oskar Osala was applauded for his AHL rookie of the month honors. Osala is developing quickly in his first professional season, and with one NHL game already on his resume this season, he could be on pace to make the transition to the Capitals roster a lot sooner than originally expected. Good luck to you Oskar!

While a handful of Bears remain on the Capitals roster, those that dressed in the chocolate and white last night put in a solid effort against a team that played a lot harder than their win-loss record indicated. Hershey fans would celebrate early after Graham Mink received a nifty pass from Keith Aucoin and slipped the puck into a wide open net just eleven seconds into the game. Kyle Wilson would extend the lead to 2-0 with just under four minutes left in the first period, with assists credited to Darren Reid and Bryan Helmer. Bears fans, in all their "ugly holiday sweater" glory, were in great spirits as the first period ended.

The second period seemed a little less energetic, although things did not start out that way with Andrew Gordon adding another Hershey goal just 1:34 into the period. Daren Machesney would be denied the shutout opportunity midway through the period as Lowell finally found the back of the net, and the score remained 3-1 as both teams went into the locker rooms.

The third period saw referee Nygel Pelletier become very trigger happy with his whistle. Ten penalties would be issued over the course of the twenty minute period, six of which were assessed after an all-out brawl in the dying seconds of the game. The Devils narrowed the deficit to one goal with four minutes remaining, but an outstanding pickpocket play behind the crease from Kyle Wilson led to his second goal of the night and the Bears victory. With a great offensive effort from the Laing-Wilson-Gordon line, Kyle was the recipient of the first star.

Thursday Night Recap:
We traveled to the Verizon Center last Thursday to watch the Capitals take on the St Louis Blues in a battle of the injury-ridden rosters. It was great to see rookie netminder Simeon Varlamov in action for the Capitals, and he looked sharp as the Caps registered a 4-2 victory after goals from Viktor Kozlov (2), Tomas Fleischmann and Alexander Ovechkin. A price was paid for the victory, however, as both Mike Green and Alexander Semin sustained injuries and were once again listed a day-to-day in terms of when they would likely play again. The missed cross-checking call on Semin was a terrible lack of judgment from the officials, with the feisty retaliation from the Great Eight being more than justified. The following bench minor assessed against Bruce Boudreau served only to make the officiating crew look dumber than they were - which was not really difficult on their parts. Coming away with the two points kept the Capitals in a healthy position, but these injuries to key players serve only to challenge that pace and consistency.

Royals Win 6-5 in a Shoot Out on Sunday evening.

2008-12-08T18:53:00.005-05:00

We headed to Reading on Sunday evening to see the Royals take on the Elmira Jackals. The Royals were on a nine game losing skid, but somehow they seem to shine when we visit the Sovereign Center. Maybe the Royals organization could offer us some free tickets in order to help turn their fortunes around. Probably not, but we had a great time last night witnessing a fantastic see-saw battle between two bitter rivals that was ultimately decided with a shoot out.

Reading would take a 3-0 lead into the first intermission, with Dan Rudisuela, Matt Curley and Kirk MacDonald all beating Jackals goaltender Mitch O'Keefe. Elmira would dominate the second period and even up the score during a painful twenty minutes of hockey for the hosts. The crowd were silenced when Elmira added to that lead with a power play goal early in the third period. Ever resilient, the Royals responded quickly with the second goal of the night from Rudisuela, and then the go-ahead score from Chris Stevens. The lead was short-lived once again, however, as the Jackals' Chris Korchinski would tie the game (and record a hat-trick) with under ten minutes remaining in regulation.

Neither team would score again through the third, nor through the overtime period, and so the penalty shoot out commenced. Reading would connect on 4 of their 6 attempts, and James Reimer would deny 3 attempts to seal the victory. The crowd were ecstatic, and rightly so. Their team had prevailed when most had given up on them. The Royals kept fighting to the end, and edged out the victory in spectacular fashion. The heckling of Bruce Watson only added fuel to a fire that is the Royals and Jackals rivalry (and was thoroughly entertaining - Watson! Watson! Sit down in the box Watson!). Way to go Royals! Look forward to seeing you take it to the Jackals again this Friday evening.

6000 Bears Invade the Ice at the Giant Center

2008-12-07T09:46:00.009-05:00

Hershey hosted the Hartford Wolfpack last night, and the guys wearing the chocolate and white were not the only Bears that would take to the ice during this game. In support of a local charity, the fans were asked to toss teddy bears onto the ice when the Bears scored their first goal. Looking to extend their current winning streak, Hershey would initiate the teddy bear toss just after six minutes of play with a goal from Maxime Lacroix. The 8000 plus in attendance would propel an invasion of stuffed bears into an airshow and onto the ice, and would give both teams an additional ten minute period of rest whilst being removed from the playing surface.

The Bears would liven the crowd five minutes into the second period when Mathieu Perreault broke away with the puck and passed it off at the last moment to leave a wide-open net for Francois Bouchard. The line of Perreault, Bouchard, and Oskar Osala are currently riding a plus 17 rating for the season. No wonder many refer to these guys as the 'energy line'! The Bears would take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

The Bears controlled most of the first period. The Wolfpack pretty much took claim to owning the second. The third, however, was a solid 20 minutes of pure hockey from the Bears. Defenseman Patrick McNeill would score his first goal of the season in a short-handed effort after a feed from Kyle Wilson. Hartford would win one back just 80 seconds later when Simeon Varlamov was caught out of position and with little defensive help. Yet in true Bears fashion, Alexandre Giroux found a way to steal the puck as the Wolfpack exited their zone, and would revel in the delight of putting the puck in the back of the net against a team whose jersey he once wore. With this unassisted score, the Wolfpack were deflated and the Bears would go on to secure their tenth straight victory.

Other notes from the game:
1. It was great to have the wonderfully talented and competent Terry Koharski officiate the game last night. He is much loved and respected at the Giant Center - oh, who am I trying to fool here... Terry could not preside over a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. Koharski has no consistency, exhibits terrible judgment, and clearly needs to brush up on the rules and regulations of the game.

2. Defenseman Sean Collins was missing in action, having been recalled to the Capitals due to an ankle injury to Tyler Sloan. Sean made his NHL debut last night against the Maple Leafs, and from all accounts, put in a solid effort. Well done Sean, you deserve the opportunity.

3. Steve Pinizzotto stepped up his game last night, and demonstrated that he has enough talent to remain at Hershey this season. Not only does he play the enforcer role well, but his sprawling effort to get a shot off on goal whilst being laid out horizontally on the ice shows a lot of determination and grit. Kudos to you Steve - here's hoping that you continue to shine.

4. Karl Alzner. Need I say more? Congratulations on your first NHL goal. Extra props for the assist on the goal from Milan Jurcina. And furthermore, to achieve both milestones with your father in attendance at the Air Canada Center just adds icing to the cake. I am most likely not alone in thinking that Alzner may not don the chocolate and white jersey again this season.

Panthers Defeat Capitals 5-3 on Tuesday - Islanders Feel Caps' Wrath on Thursday

2008-12-05T09:04:00.007-05:00

We attended both of the home games at Verizon Center this week, and while we were more than disappointed with the lack of effort on Tuesday, we were happy to see the Caps turn things up several notches last night.

Mourning the embarrassing loss at home against the Panthers, I decided to postpone sharing my thoughts until the bitter taste of defeat had left my mouth. I don't expect the Capitals to win every game, and it was inevitable at some point that they would take a regulation defeat on home ice. However, the full 60-minute performance from every player wearing a red jersey that evening was lackluster, unenergetic, and totally unacceptable. The Caps have most likely been through the wringer enough over this performance, so I shall close this chapter with one comment. Home ice does not guarantee a victory - the will to play hard and work as a team is the recipe. Stick to it, guys, and you'll be okay.

You have to respect a coach like Bruce Boudreau. To be humiliated on Tuesday night, he dished out the punishment to his team and moved on to focus on the next opponent. The Islanders had not played since the weekend, and arrived at the Verizon Center looking to add to their recent success on the road. Joey MacDonald was awarded the NHL third star of the month for November, and having seen him perform during our trip to Montreal, we knew that he was an incredibly talented backup netminder.

The Capitals, however, wanted to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd, and came out with a renewed sense of energy and willingness to play hard. With goals from Alex Ovechkin and Viktor Kozlov, the Caps dominated the first 20 minutes and took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. New York would turn on the heat during the second period, shutting down the Caps offense, and taking advantage of an ill-timed line change which left Sami Lepisto out to dry behind the net as the tying goal was sent home. The third period remained close until Donald Brashear crashed the net after a Karl Alzner ricochet from the backboard found his stick and was pushed home. While the puck crossed the line almost in slow motion, the signal from the official had the fans out of their seats and a renewed energy burst through the arena. Eric Fehr would seal the victory with a goal for added insurance, and Nicklas Backstrom would send home an empty netter to close out the game and secure the two points.

Our boys from Hershey once again played well in their supporting role. Congratulations are in order for Keith Aucoin, who made his Caps debut and displayed great chemistry with Kozlov and Tomas Fleischmann. Bryan Helmer had a strong outing too, setting up the Kozlov goal with his bullet from the blue line. Sami Lepisto looked a little better, but needs to find the rhythm that he has displayed consistently at Hershey if he is to win the Caps fans over. Tyler Sloan seems to have regressed as of late. His confidence seems to be lacking, with frequent breakdowns in the defensive zone and poor positioning at times against the opponent breakaway. Hopefully Tyler can once again find his game, lest he be the first d-man heading back up to Chocolatetown. A good effort overall though from the boys from the farm, and hopefully further opportunities to play will remain open for them as the season progresses.

Hershey Sinks the Admirals 3-2 and Keeps Streak Alive

2008-12-01T12:31:00.007-05:00

We were back at the Giant Center yesterday evening to see the visiting Norfolk Admirals take on our Hershey Bears. Chris Bourque was back in the lineup, having being reassigned by the Capitals to Hershey. Simeon Varlamov would be responsible for tending the pipes, with Machesney having the much deserved night off after his dazzling performance against the Phantoms. Although both teams were tired, we knew that this game was not going to be another lopsided battle; the Admirals were a better team than their win-loss record indicated, and it was evident that this game would be won defensively.

The first period did not have too many highlights. Oskar Osala opened up the scoring just three minutes into the game and gave Hershey a 1-0 advantage after the first twenty minutes of play. We found it amusing that just as John Walton was pondering over how Osala failed to score on the previous evening in the radio coverage, wham - the big 'O' found the net and beat McKenna to put Hershey on the board. Here's hoping that Walton displays more telepathic insights as the season progresses, with many references to the words 'Calder Cup.'

The second period saw former Bear Grant Potulny even the score after just four minutes, and much to the disapproval of the 6000 in attendance. While I always find it difficult to root against former Bears, I am happy to see that Potulny has escaped from the basement-dwelling Rampage and can at least make a potential run to the postseason with his new club.

The crowd would be silenced just 40 seconds into the third period when Norfolk managed to sneak a puck into Hershey's net. Varlamov did react well to the shot, but failed to scoop the puck from underneath him before it crossed the line. However, with a man advantage halfway through the period, Keith Aucoin sent the puck to the net and Alexandre Giroux sent it home. As the fans cheered for a team that was running low on gas, the Bears somehow tapped into their energy reserves, and were rewarded once again when Chris Bourque sent a beautiful backhand pass to Andrew Joudrey, who found the back of the Admirals' net. Two minutes later, the horn would sound, and the Bears would congratulate Simeon Varlamov for his strong performance down the stretch that kept them in the game. With a 10-3-1 record during November, the Bears look to continue their success and hopefully keep their winning streak alive when Hartford comes to town on Saturday night.

Plenty of left over turkey last night.....

2008-11-30T10:41:00.010-05:00

and it was all donated by our wonderful divisional rivals from the city of brotherly love. Riding along on a seven game winning streak, the Bears hosted the Phantoms once again last night at the Giant Center. With a 7-3 victory for Hershey over Philly just two weeks ago, the Bears were looking to continue their winning ways, but would have to do it minus several key players that were recalled to the Capitals earlier this week. While Bourque, Alzner, Lepisto, Sloan and Helmer were skating in Columbus, the Bears knew that they would have to step up against a Phantoms team that likes to play physical.

The first period was one of the most impressive periods of Bears hockey I have had the pleasure of watching this season. Reminiscent of the previous encounter between these clubs, Hershey once again exploited the weaknesses of the normally talented Scott Munroe with four quick scores through the first 20 minutes of play. Graham Mink would strike first, just a little over 4 minutes into the contest. Alexandre Giroux would add two in succession, and defenceman Greg Amadio would send one home from the blue line before the first intermission. The offensive firepower was fully complemented by a red hot defense that allowed only three shots on goal, the first of which did not arrive until 16 minutes had been taken off the clock. Machesney could have taken a nap during this period and none of the 10300 in attendance would have known.

Hershey did not ease off the gas in the second period, playing strong once again in the defensive zone while adding three more scores at the opposite end of the ice. Darren Reid and Andrew Joudrey contributed two of those goals, but the highlight reel moment has to be reserved for Greg Amadio. Not only did he score his second of the night (and the season), but it was done short-handed after a perfect pass from Quintin Laing. After seven successful strikes, John Paddock had no choice but to pull Munroe from the contest.

The intensity remained high during the third period. Quintin Laing would put his own rebound into the net, and Kyle Wilson would round out the score and give the Bears a 9-0 victory. With a strong feeling of frustration, the Phantoms would embarrass themselves with a pathetic fighting penalty from Garrett Klotz. When Darren Reid politely declined to go toe to toe with Klotz, he was sucker-punched after the puck dropped and ejected from the game. The seven minute powerplay that followed allowed the Bears to score the two goals during this period. The Phantoms were simply turkeys in this contest, and the Bears provided more than enough stuffing to send them on their way back down the turnpike to Philadelphia.

Domestic disagreement - 1-0 to Hubs

2008-11-30T10:03:00.003-05:00

It happens four times a year for our household. When the Caps and the Habs cross paths, a hockey war ensues during each individual game and a truce is not called until the final horn sounds after 60 minutes of hockey. With my passion for Caps hockey, and wifey's patriotism to the Habs, we both sat at the Verizon Center on Friday evening in opposing jerseys and with different views on who was the stronger team and who would prevail.

With the Caps sending out their half and half mix of Caps and Bears, I was excited at the thought of getting to see Bourque et al from Hershey having a chance to mix it up with a Canadiens team stacked with talent. But for this night, while the talent made it to DC, another vital necessity called chemistry must have been officially declared to US customs and not admitted into the country. The Habs are a strong team, but while they continue to ride a fine line between team play and individual effort, they are not going to turn things around against a potent scoring machine like the Caps.

It was a bittersweet evening for Jose Theodore, who was clearly motivated to take it to a team whose jersey he donned for many seasons. Posting his first career shutout in a Caps jersey, Jose earned both the first star and the hard hat, and showed a sell-out crowd at the Verizon Center a flash of brilliance that the fans have been longing to see all season. If this version of Theodore can come out to play more often, the Capitals could be almost unstoppable. And once again, with the infusion of Hershey talent on the roster, it was a pleasure to see two Bears alumni light the lamp behind Halak. Fleischmann and Steckel both played well, and deserved their goals. Ovie rounded out the scoring with the second goal of the contest, and added to his points streak through November. The Caps may be in dire straits on the injury front right now, but can remain confident that with the depth of the talent pool in their farm system, they do not have to be overly worried for the short term while the big guns are nursing their injuries.

Hey Habs - There's No "I" in Team...

2008-11-29T10:33:00.005-05:00

For the third time this week, I proudly donned my bleu/blanc/rouge to support the Habs, this time at the Phone Booth in Washington. Also for the third time this week, the Habs fell in a disappointing effort. The Caps season holder in me was totally pleased that they finally delivered 60 minutes of solid, near-perfect hockey and that José Theodore looked like a $4 million goalie for the first time this season; the Habs fan in me was utterly crushed.

The Habs' defense is holding steady and did an adequate job, by and large, last night; they blocked a number of shots and probably kept the game from being a total blowout. This is no slam on Jaroslav Halak, by the way; he made some excellent saves but, while defense may win championships, it can't win without some kind of offense, and that, my friends, is where the Habs are sorely lacking. To go 9 minutes into the game before registering the first shot on goal is scary, to say the least.

Since I saw them lose two games with Tanguay in the lineup, I'm not willing to attribute the complete lack of scoring last night to his absence. As I've written previously this week, Kovalev is there in body only (5 goals so far this year); neither of the Kostitsyns have done much yet this year (7 pts total for Andrei; 9 pts total for Sergei); and Chris Higgins doesn't seem to be fully back from his injury, just to cite a few problems. To me, though, the biggest worry by far is the power play, or absence thereof. I know others have said it before me, but I think that letting Mark Streit go was a big mistake on the part of the Canadiens; no one else has stepped up to take the kind of leadership role on the power play that he provided last year in particular.

Finally, in the great old Habs tradition many people have been throwing Guy Carbonneau under the bus for the current slump. Perhaps he has some responsibility; perhaps not. Not being in the locker room, I'm not willing to venture a guess one way or the other. I will say, however, that the Canadiens I saw this week against the Bruins, Islanders, and Capitals were not playing as a team. I recognize that slumps happen, but unless these guys come together as a team and start playing consistently (say, like they did on Wednesday against the Red Wings), the Habs might be in for a disappointment at the end of this 100th season.

BTW, from the Caps part of me, snaps to the Hershey guys once again, particularly Sami Lepisto for his second assist in two games, Karl Alzner for some great defense, and Chris Bourque for some fiery play. This is the great thing about being a season ticket holder for both the Caps and the Hershey Bears - we don't miss out on these great guys regardless of where they play. :-)

And a final note to the Habs - go out tonight, play like you did Wednesday, and show the Sabres how it's done, please.

Additional Thanksgiving Day thoughts...

2008-11-27T13:40:00.005-05:00

Congratulations are in order for the Hershey Bears, who beat the Binghamton Senators 4-1 on Wednesday evening at the Giant Center. It is always encouraging to see the Bears play with the same level of intensity, even when they lose four key players to the 'big' club with such short notice. Luckily, the depth of the Caps organization means that those promoted temporarily from the Stingrays have the talent to fill the roster and help maintain the winning streak that the Bears are riding right now. Much was said about how banged up Binghamton were on their previous visit to the Giant Center, and that the embarrasing defeat they suffered was a result of a lengthy road trip and last minute call ups. Well, the Bears proved last night that in this league, you have to adapt quickly to the sudden line up changes and keep your game simple and conservative in order to win. Of course, two more goals by the big 'O' are always welcomed - way to go Oskar.

Congratulations also to Ben Boudreau, who has been assigned to the Stingrays. You can't have too many Boudreau's in the Caps system. As for Bruce, a big pat on the back for his induction into the AHL Hall of Fame. Way to go Bruce - we will keep believing! While I'm handing out accolades, kudos too for John Carlson and his entry level contract. Hopefully he develops and spends some time here at Hershey in preparation for his rise to the NHL. Carlson impressed me at the rookie camp earlier this year, and I am glad to see that the Caps rewarded this talented defenseman.

Thanksgiving recipe: Just add chocolate.

2008-11-27T12:55:00.006-05:00

Returning home from our vacation in Montreal, we headed to the Phone Booth last night to see the Caps seek some revenge for their season opening loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. Since that initial defeat, the Caps had not dropped a game to other Southeast Division rivals, and were looking to not only extend that streak, but to snap a three game losing skid from their previous west coast road trip. Listening to XM on the way to the game, we were surprised to learn that Chris Bourque, Karl Alzner, Sami Lepisto and Graham Mink had all been recalled from Hershey to fill an injury depleted Caps roster. With Chris Clark and Jeff Schultz out on LTIR, an opportunity was presented for these four athletes to show the NHL what they have to offer - especially Alzner, who would be making his NHL debut.

With a 5-3 victory, the Caps took the much deserved two points, and continued to be dominant on home ice. Alex Ovechkin shifted gears and notched his first hat trick of the season, whilst adding an assist on a goal by Viktor Kozlov. The prettiest goal of the evening, however, came from Eric Fehr, who scored on a sensational tic-tac-toe play from Tomas Fleischmann and Michael Nylander. Kudos to Fehr for his performance this season - I was a tad worried about his future with the organization when he was consistently scratched from the line-up throughout October.

Other players worthy of recognition from last nights performance include Graham Mink, Matt Bradley and Tom Poti. All three worked hard out on the ice, and helped the team to secure the victory. Props also to #60, who looked much more comfortable last night, and could only really be criticized for the third Thrasher goal, which I am sure he would have liked to have had back. Overall, a good performance from the Caps who were clearly feeling the effects of both jet lag and a lack of chemistry between the Caps regulars and the Chocolatetown boys who were called up with such little notice.

Caught some hockey up north of the border....

2008-11-27T12:37:00.005-05:00

As previously posted by wifey, we ventured to the great city of Montreal for two games at the Bell Centre. We had purchased our tickets several months ago, and it was pure luck that our vacation plans coincided with the retiring of the #33 jersey that belonged to the legendary Patrick Roy.

The ceremony itself was phenomenal! Patrick Roy entered the building through the main entrance, and was followed by a camera crew as he marched through the concourse (much to the shock and delight of fans grabbing their hot dogs and beers), before entering the arena to the cheers of 20000+ fans. Stopping to chat briefly with Jean Beliveau, Roy made his way onto the ice and acknowledged those who made him welcome (and given the history, he probably did not know what the overall reaction would be). After the obligatory speeches, the banner raising took place and #33 was forever enshrined amongst the other legends that represented the bleu blanc et rouge.

The Canadiens were unable to put the icing on Roy's cake, however, as they fell to the Boston Bruins in a shootout. To really rub salt in the wound, one of the Bruins goals came from Milan Lucic, who was booed consistently for his actions in the previous meeting between these two original six rivals. The anticipated on-ice attack for Lucic never materialized, and many left the game feeling the effects of both a loss and unfinished business with Boston's agitator.

It All Started in 1985...

2008-11-27T12:17:00.005-05:00

Nearly twenty-four years ago, I fell in love with a game called hockey and especially a team called the Montréal Canadiens courtesy of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, which I was able to watch via a huge satellite dish in our Kansas backyard. My parents thought I was absolutely insane but gave up a lot of Saturday night television for my addiction, even buying me a Habs jersey as a Christmas present.

This past weekend, I finally saw my beloved Habs play at home in the Bell Centre and was able to scream "Go Habs Go!" along with 21,000+ similarly addicted people. Even better, the weekend we chose for our hockey excursion was the one during which Patrick Roy's jersey was retired, in an emotional (and beautifully done) pre-game ceremony. The fact that this was a player that I had actually watched and followed made it especially meaningful for me, and I was grateful that Patrick read the French portions of his speech slowly enough that I could pick up quite a bit of what he was saying. :-)

The game itself, an Original Six matchup against the Bruins, was a bit of a disappointment in that the Habs simply did not look sharp. Granted, the Bruins have been on a streak of late, but the sheer numbers of missed passes and botched defensive matchups cannot be attributed solely to the Bruins' skill. As much as I enjoyed the play of Alex Kovalev last year, his play so far this year leaves much to be desired. It's as if he is simply a shell of himself, or simply marking time, I'm not sure which.

We also attended Monday's game against the Islanders, and since so many have already harped on poor Ryan O'Byrne, I won't follow suit. The fact is that the Habs had plenty of chances to win that game and failed to capitalize on the majority of them. As big a mistake as O'Byrne made, it's equally foolish to pin the loss on him.

On our way out of Montréal Tuesday, we caught some of the morning discussion on the Team 990, and I have to agree with the commentators, most of whom agree that the Habs are not playing as a team but as a group of individuals. What is the reason for this? Ego? Poor guidance from their coach? Believing too much of their own press?

Since we were at the Capitals/Thrashers game last night (and I'll let Hubs tell you about that one - it was a goody), we didn't catch most of the Habs' win over the Red Wings last night, but I'm very pleased that they were able to take that kind of a win on the road. Tomorrow night we will be a divided household as I represent Habs Nation at the Phone Booth and Hubs supports the Caps - hopefully it will be a happy ending for le Canadien!

And I thought Ottawa were bad this year...

2008-11-17T11:47:00.005-05:00

Hershey hosted the Binghamton Senators on Sunday evening, and what an evening it turned out to be. After a quick offensive effort by the baby Senators in the first, it was the Bears who took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission after a goal from Alexandre Giroux. Given that this was the third consecutive game in as many nights for both teams, nobody could have envisioned the utter thrashing that Hershey were about to dish out in the second period.

The Bears came out on fire in the second, with a six goal tally from Andrew Gordon, Francois Bouchard, Keith Aucoin, Kyle Wilson, and Graham Mink (2). The Wilson goal in particular was a result of the powerhouse shooting skill of Josh Godfrey. I get very excited when the Bears are in the offensive zone, and Godfrey is set up at the point - his 100mph slapshot has to be seen to be believed. The shot from Godfrey was deflected at the goal by Wilson, but Josh proved that he is more than an ECHL caliber player with his overall effort last night. I was also impressed with the overall ability of Andrew Joudrey during the game. What he lacks in points, he makes up for in effort on the ice. Several times last night I saw him break up plays on defense, set up playmaking opportunities on offense, and play consistently all evening with his great positioning and ability to know where the puck would be.

With Giroux and Perrault adding bonus goals in the third period, Daren Machesney earned the shut-out with a 9-0 drubbing of the boys from Binghamton. Jeff Smith was a welcome relief as a competent referee, letting the guys just play the game (please ban Nygel from the Giant Center). A great game overall, and the Bears claimed all 6 of the available points from the 3 consecutive games this weekend.

Congratulations also to the Reading Royals, who eeked out a much needed victory over the Cyclones on Sunday. I am sorry to see Jeff Corey leave town, but given that he has been traded to the Stingrays, there remains the chance that he could be a call-up at Hershey if his play continues to improve.

Fine Finn Finishes Fantoms (Phantoms)

2008-11-16T11:14:00.008-05:00

Hockey returned to the Giant Center on Saturday for the second half of a home & home series against the divisional rival Philadelphia Phantoms. After leaving Philadelphia with the much needed 2 points on Friday night, the Bears were looking to add two more on home ice.

Prior to the puck drop, AHL President Dave Andrews was on hand to congratulate Bears center Keith Aucoin for his October player of the month award. As the game progressed, we were impressed to see Dave Andrews watching the game amongst 'the fans' in the upper section, rather than opt for the 'private suite'. Hopefully Dave enjoyed his time at Hershey, and had a hands on experience of Bears hockey and the lively 9000 fans in attendance.

The game was the typical fare when these two teams compete. We knew it would be physical. We knew that it would most likely be close. What we didn't know, however, was that a rookie by the name of Oskar Osala would light the lamp on three occassions to earn his first AHL hat trick and the number one star.

With some very controversial officiating during 'most' of the second period, the Phantoms had the upperhand going into the second intermission. However, the Bears came out in the third both focused and hungry, and showed no malice towards the official that had put them in a bind early. Philadelphia lost their lead early, and the Bears never looked back as they cruised to a 7-3 victory. Adding to the three goal tally from Osala were scores from Chris Bourque, Keith Aucoin, Sami Lepisto and Quintin Laing. A good night for Bob Woods, a good victory for Hershey, and good entertainment for all but the Phantoms and their silenced fans in the crowd.

With no time to rest on their laurels, the Bears are in preparation now for the visiting Binghamton Senators tonight, who trail the Bears in the divisional standings by only a few points. We are looking forward to hopefully another victory for the chocolate and white.

Here's Johnny!!!

2008-11-11T08:16:00.004-05:00

We took in two hockey games over this past weekend, and while one was hot, the other was not. Saturday night was spent down in DC as the New York Rangers came to town. Due to another obligation called employment, we were a little late getting to the game. Fortunately, XM radio allowed us to listen in to the first period, and wow, what a period. With Brooks Laich and Tom Poti both beating Lundqvist, we were in great spirits before we even took to our seats during the first intermission. The second period was a great defensive battle, with neither side conceding any scores, and both goaltenders looking more than comfortable between the pipes. The true highlight reel of this period was the penalty shot awarded to Chris Drury, which Brent Johnson poked checked away much to the delight of the delirious fans in the stands. The Rangers would light the lamp in the third, and came close to making it a tied game within the last two minutes after a hooking penalty sent Alexander Semin to the box. Semin may have felt some heat from such a dumb penalty at the most crucial point of the game, but after serving his two minute minor, returned and fired an end to end empty netter to seal the victory. With a 0.966 save percentage throughout the game, Brent Johnson more than earned his first star rating for the evening.

Sunday evening we ventured to Reading to catch the Royals and the Bombers. The Royals came out strong, and quickly took the lead when Ned Lukacevic found the back of the net. The lead was short-lived, however, when a Joe Van Culin shot from the blue line beat Danny Taylor just two minutes later. With two consecutive penalties, the Royals found themselves in a tough 5-3 predicament defensively, but once again looked extra sharp on their penalty kill. During this 2 man disadvantage, Brock Hooton stole the puck and made the dash up the ice, only to be hauled down whilst attempting his shot on net. The penalty shot was awarded, and Hooton made a fantastic highlight reel worthy shot into the back of the net. The Bombers would make the score 2-2 as the second period came to an end. The third period was a different game. The Royals looked tired - they were outhustled and outplayed by Dayton. Frustration led to penalty trouble, and the Bombers capitalized on the man advantages handed to them. Some of the calls were justified, but the goaltender interference penalty on Matt Herneisen was a terrible lack of judgement from the officiating crew. Conceding another goal to Dayton as a result of this call, Herneisen vented his frustration and 'earned' his ejection from the game - as the captain, he HAD to voice his objections to the dubious penalty that ultimately cost Reading the game. Hopefully the Royals can turn things around and move on as the season progresses.

With the Monday night match-up between the Caps and the Bolts, it was strange seeing number 37 wearing the opposing jersey. While Olie will always command my respect, it was bittersweet to see him surrender 4 goals and allow the Caps winning streak to continue. Once again, Brent Johnson delivered for the Capitals in goal, and hopefully will remain the goaltender of choice for Bruce Boudreau for the upcoming road game in Carolina.

Picked the right game last night...

2008-11-02T11:10:00.009-05:00

When the season schedules were released for the NHL, AHL, and ECHL just a few months ago, I spent more than a fair amount of time constructing my own schedule of games that wifey and I would like to attend. With our commitment to the Capitals and the Bears, there were always going to be 'fill-in' weeks where these teams would be either away or idle. There were also going to be conflicting schedules, where decisions had to be made over which games we would rather attend. Spaces were filled out on this schedule with a handful of Reading Royals games, and last night we were certainly glad that we opted to see the Royals play the Steelheads over the Hershey-Philadelphia game at the Giant Center. The Royals' new affiliation with the Toronto Maple Leafs meant lots of new faces and talent on the roster, and we were keen to see what they had to offer for the 08-09 season. Of course, we wanted to see Slapshot also - one of the most entertaining mascots out there in this part of the country.

We arrived a little late at the Sovereign Center in downtown Reading, with the game half way through the first period and scoreless as we took to our seats. There was a pretty decent turnout of just under 6000 people, and the night was set for a good match-up. Listening to NHL Home Ice on XM as we drove to Reading, we heard part of an interview with Habs GM Bob Gainey, and were surprised to learn that his son plays for the Idaho team that we'd be seeing that same evening. Although we root for the Royals, we were keen to see if Gainey had the skill-set that his father possessed "back in the day".

Less than two minutes after taking our seats, the Royals lit the lamp as Jeff Corey deflected a flying puck into the back of the net. The crowd of just under 6000 in attendance were ecstatic, and celebrated once again just 43 seconds later when Shawn Snider increased the lead to 2-0. A great start, and a glimmer of hope for this team that had only one victory so far this season.

The second period saw plenty of mis-matches, as both teams struggled to keep out of the penalty box. Good (or not good) to see that Reading have a Power Play that is on par with that of the Capitals and the Bears - none of my teams can seem to capitalize on the man advantage. What did impress me about the Royals, however, was their PK unit. The guys showed great chemistry when outnumbered, and looked very cool and collected when facing a 5 on 3 disadvantage later in the game. It was good to see Danny Taylor looking very composed in goal, with the two strikes against him being pretty irrelevant as he collected the second star for the evening. Good to see a fellow wayfaring Englishman having success here in North America.

With a 6-2 victory, Reading collected the much needed two points, and we left the Sovereign Center with a strong desire to return for more Royals hockey. So glad that I added six of their games this season to our season schedule. As things turned out, the Capitals ended the evening blown out by the Sabres, and the Bears took a hammering from the Phantoms. Whilst we were not happy about that, we smiled knowing that the one obscure game we chose turned out to be the most enjoyable of all. Go Royals!

Halloween came early at the Verizon Center

2008-10-29T10:03:00.004-04:00

October 31st may be a few days away, but the contest between the Capitals and the Predators certainly scared me at times, and left me with a few tricks and treats to post about here today - more on that in a moment.

I stopped by at the Kettler complex for the morning skate, and was surprised to see Eric Fehr being singled out and put through his paces. Fehr has not seen much ice time this season, and I'm curious to know what the underlying issues are here. Obviously he cannot be sent down to the AHL without clearing waivers, and the Caps would certainly not want to lose him for nothing in return. Fehr took a beating yesterday morning, and although he participated in pre-game warm-ups, he was scratched from the line-up against the Predators.

I would like to say thank you to Tyler Sloan for sharing a little of his time with me yesterday. As a Hershey Bears fan, I am always happy to see one of the boys get his opportunity with the Caps, and I'm sure that Tyler is happy to blend in easily with the crowd.

But what about those tricks and treats from last nights game? Here are some observations made from the stands:

Tricks:

A 2 point night, but a game that should have been won in regulation. The first Predators goal was soft, and Theodore should have made the save. Many commentators state that Theodore will calm down and improve as the game goes on, but those early goals against are killing us.

I am not entirely sold on the ability of Jeff Schultz. His playmaking in the defensive zone is often hit and miss, with some soft puck clearances that never leave the zone, and some questionable positioning at times. With his huge frame, and increased muscular bulk, he has the tools to be an effective hard-hitting defender; yet fails to capitalize on that opportunity. Play harder Jeff - please!!!!! Prove my observations wrong, I beg you!!!

I won't visit the school of bad officiating today, as the crowd at the Verizon Center pretty much voiced my concerns last night. Ref, indeed you sucked with some of those plays that deserved a whistle and a two minute minor.

Treats:

The most notable treat was that Ovechkin's absence did not affect the outcome. I would imagine that the late Nashville goal to tie the game in the third period led to several journalists already preparing their "Cannot win without the Great 8" headlines. It was good to see others take the lead.

David Steckel played a stellar game last night. The obvious highlight was his short-handed goal, but every minute of his ice time was productive and well played. While the 3 stars are often awarded on a points and goal-count basis, Steckel deserved to be the number one star last night in my opinion.

We have great talent in the shoot-out pool - especially as the likes of Federov, Gordon and Steckel did not have to come out and take a shot at Ellis. While Theodore was a little shaky in regulation, he got the job done in the shoot-out, and I thank him for that. Let's just hope that he can provide some consistency and not have the crowds at the Verizon Center trembling in fear when the puck is bouncing around the net.

Overall, a win is a win, and I'll take it - but the Caps have a lot of work to do. Chemistry, timing, and improvements to the PP need lots of work at times. Fortunately, some of the breaks went our way, and we came out victorious. But I'll be happier still when this team can find that rhythm and truly unleash the fury.

Pretty in pink....

2008-10-27T09:11:00.006-04:00

Hockey fights Cancer as the Bears fought the Rochester Americans at the Giant Center last night. Looking impressive in pink was Chris Bourque, who looked better still when he flipped a penalty shot past Tyler Plante within the first two minutes of the contest to take a 1-0 lead. Rochester kept things close in the first period, and went into the first intermission tied at 1 goal a piece. And that was a close as they came to keeping pace with Hershey. The remaining periods were pure Bears hockey, with Bourque adding 3 assists to take 4 points and be awarded the first star for his stellar performance. Goals came thick and fast in this 8-3 victory, with Quintin Laing and Oskar Osala both finding the back of the net twice. Andrew Gordon, Karl Alzner and Alex Giroux rounded out the scoring in front of a lively 10000+ crowd.

Greg Amadio and Michael Duco entertained the crowd in the first period with an all-out brawl, but the biggest surprise of the evening had to be witnessing Kyle Wilson drop the gloves and duke it out with Duco in the third. Wilson and fisticuffs are seldom categorized together, so it was nice to see that our talented center can look after himself when pushed into a corner. And talking of courage and grit, kudos to Keith Aucoin for stepping up and taking on Keaton Ellerby. When it comes to watching out for his team-mates, what Aucoin lacks in size, he more than makes up for in heart. Well done Keith - four mintues for roughing are a compliment rather than a penalty for your actions. All in all, a great night of hockey once again from the Giant Center.

On a brief note, congratulations are in order for Tyler Sloan, who made the headlines twice this week in his NHL debut. First, THE hit against the Flames was the biggest crunch of the week. I still cannot fathom why Rene Bourque decided he had to pummel Tyler for a legal hit, but Sloan sure looked competent in his Capitals jersey. And then, on Saturday night against the Stars, Tyler scored his first NHL goal. I wonder which highlight he cherishes more - the big hit in Calgary, or lighting the lamp in Dallas? Good luck Tyler - hopefully Bruce keeps you in DC a little longer while Poti recovers from his injury.

Not quite sure what to think about the contract extension for John Erskine. I am kind of on the fence about this guy, whose performance is often simply mediocre. Why take Erskine over the likes of Shaone Morrisson or Milan Jurcina, who are likely candidates to be salary cap casualties next season? Are the Caps ready to have the likes of Sloan, Lepisto and Alzner playing defence at the phone booth next season? Erskine brings experience, and can play the enforcer role when needed, but I'm not sure the extension was necessary at this moment in time in a league where there is no shortage of good defencemen.

Over in the ECHL, the Reading Royals came up short in back to back games this weekend against Johnstown and Augusta. We shall be in Reading this coming Saturday to see them face off against the Idaho Steelheads. Can't wait to see that.

Bears streak punctured by those pesky baby Pens.

2008-10-20T08:55:00.004-04:00

Playing their third consecutive game in as many nights, Hershey fell to Wilkes-Barre last night by a score of 5-4. I find it amazing that several other Bears bloggers are already seeing this one loss as the end of the world - that our goaltending is not good enough, that Bob Woods should be fired, and that we cannot possibly make the playoffs. Why are people quick to assume that one regular season loss means that the end is nigh? If the Bears had played last night sporting an 0-5 record going in, would those fans have even turned up to support their team, or would they have already hung themselves from the bleachers at that point? The point I am making is that one loss does not shift momentum. No team can be expected to have a perfect season. Winning 3 out of every 5 should realistically put you in the playoff picture - so why are the pessimists already fearing the worst? Yes, Hershey played with less intensity last night, but that was acceptable to some extent given the physical demands placed upon them from the previous two outings. The Baby Pens were rested on Saturday, and were seeking a victory after losing to Hershey on their home opening night. The Bears will win more than their fair share of games this season with the talented roster that they possess. The occassional loss here and there is simply par for the course - and the Bears will look to bounce back next week against the Senators.

Congratulations are in order for Tyler Sloan, who was recalled to the Capitals in preparation for their upcoming road trip. I wish Tyler well in his NHL debut - providing he is not scratched from the line-up. Go Bears! Go Caps!

From the Girl's Point of View...

2008-10-19T12:08:00.003-04:00

First of all, I agree with everyone Hubs said below - I think Hershey played a fabulous game last night and coming away with a 7-1 win was a terrific feeling. I think, though, what most impressed me was the grit, perseverance, and quickness the Bears displayed - all qualities that were only occasionally present last year. I've written before of how frustrated I occasionally got last year when the Bears would play 1-1/2 to 2 great periods of hockey and be mediocre the rest of the game. Not so last night. We saw 60 minutes of intense, high-energy, never-say-die hockey from the Bears, even when they had a significant lead and could have slacked off a bit. That is what I've been waiting to see from them, and I think this year is going to be a fabulous year.

On a side note, here's hoping Andrei Kostitsyn of the Habs doesn't miss significant ice time following his injuries last night against Phoenix. I haven't yet watched the recording of the game but from the picture in the Montreal Gazette, he looked pretty shaken up. Still, I was pleased to see the Habs win again. Latendresse continues to surprise, earning another assist last night, and if he keeps this up I may have to eat my words about his place on the line with Koivu and Tanguay...

Hershey Bears Home Opener.

2008-10-19T11:43:00.007-04:00

After taking 4 straight road victories to start their 2008-09 campaign, the Bears were given a huge ovation when taking the ice at the Giant Center last night. With a mixture of familiar faces, former players returning to Chocolatetown, and a handful of Capitals prospects, the 8000+ fans in attendance were ready to see this highly touted team strut their stuff. Entering this contest, both Hershey and their opponents from Syracuse had not dropped a game yet this season. This was the first time I'd seen the Crunch in action, but had learned through many blogs and forums that they played a smash-mouth hockey game and liked to get physical. A fitting name - the Crunch - I thought to myself.

Sure enough, within the opening five minutes, the first on-ice altercation occurred. Many had predicted this would take place, as some trash talking had been going on prior to the puck drop. Before the final roster was announced prior to the season, I had some concerns over who would step up as enforcers for the Bears, especially as Robitaille and Flinn has moved on to pastures new. Keeping Grant McNeil in Hershey was a good move, but I'm happy to see that new guys Darren Reid and Greg Amadio are not afraid to back down when needed. Dean Arsene is another who will always throw himself to the wolves in order to protect his team mates. Three of these four guys all rumbled with the Crunch last night, and all three came out pretty strong with their offerings. We were not intimidated - we did not crumble. Syracuse Crunch = more like "The Brady Bunch", I thought to myself.

The Bears looked awesome last night. I've not seen them play at this intensity for quite a while. Sure, they were plagued with injuries last season and had different line-ups every game going into the last month of the regular season. However, with the depth the organization has now, every line is strong. The Mink-Aucoin-Giroux line in particular is positively sick - I'm sure that there are several NHL teams that would kill for this line-up, let alone others at the AHL level. Goals came thick and fast in this one, and the 7-1 victory for the Bears must have echoed throughout the AHL. A 5-0 start, with 29 goals scored is a phenomenal way to start the season. I certainly cannot wait to head back to Giant Center this evening for the next match-up against the Baby Pens. Once again, the Bears can roar.........they can live up to their name. As for the Crunch last night, they resembled more of a Nestle Bar, than collective bone-breakers. Let's see if we get some Penguins with attitude tonight, or just some baby flightless fowl that may be wishing they stayed home instead.

Procrastination Comes Back to Bite You Sooner or Later...

2008-10-17T19:33:00.003-04:00

My thoughts about last night's Caps/Pens game are largely in line with those of my wise Hubs, but I do have a couple of additional thoughts. Last year, I was somewhat frustrated with Hershey's tendency to play 2 periods (or even 1-1/2) instead of 3. What has made me acutely nervous in the games against the Blackhawks and the Pens has been the necessity of coming back after digging oneself in a great, big, fat hole; I'm not sure I'm seeing three consecutive periods of consistent, full-out hockey from the Caps yet, and that does bug me a bit. Still, it's early in the season, and it does appear that Theodore has settled down a bit, so hopefully I'm just picking nits.

On the Habs, I'm thrilled at the possibility that Christopher Higgins might be back in the lineup tomorrow night - we desperately need him back. Latendresse has shown improvement, but I still don't think he's right for a line with Koivu and Tanguay; he's faster, but not fast enough.

And did anyone besides us think that Malkin should have been given a 5-minute major for his hit on Semin last night????

Time to shine....

2008-10-17T18:36:00.003-04:00

After an impressive 2008 training camp, and some great on-ice productivity during the pre-season, it was incredibly depressing to see Chris Bourque sent back to Hershey prior to the regular season commencing. While I would never argue with Boudreaus' reasoning, the emotional aspect for a Hershey Bears fan to see one of his guys make the NHL will probably always outweigh conventional thought. With the injuries to Kozlov, Brashear and Poti, the Capitals just announced that Chris Bourque was being recalled, and will most likely play against the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night. I'm sure that Chris is ready to rise to the challenge, and like those before him (such as Fehr, Schultz and Fleischmann), is ready to show the world that he belongs there.

Good luck to you Chris. Your loyal fans at Hershey will be behind you all the way.

Road Warriors

2008-10-17T16:29:00.004-04:00

Sitting down last night to watch the Caps play the Penguins, I finally managed to accept the early deficit knowing that when the Caps decide to come out flat early, they generally turn it around in the later periods. This was something that happened several times last year with the Hershey Bears, who'd look stale for 20 minutes, and then turn up for a game when the second period commenced. With the exception of the odd mild expletive when the Pens scored last night, I sensed that the goal by Flash was the spark this team needed to ignite - and ignite they did in that final period. It wasn't the prettiest game by far, but the end result is what matters the most. Boyd Gordon netted the winner, and deflated a Penguins team that saw a huge momentum shift result in an embarrassing loss at home.

With Donald sidelined, I admired Matt Bradleys courage and grit to go toe to toe with Paul Bissonette. This former baby Pen had a huge reputation in the AHL as a bruiser, and made pretty short work of Bradley. For those that followed the Bears/Pens games last season, they will remember when Bissonette duked it out with Bears enforcer Ryan Flinn back in February. Flinn dominated that confrontation, but we all became aware that the Pens had a guy who could clearly handle himself at not only the AHL level, but the NHL too. I'm sure right now that Donald Brashear will be looking out for Bissonette the next time these two powerhouse teams clash. As for Ryan Flinn - hopefully he's doing well up in Hamilton - we miss you Ryan.

Here's hoping that Hershey can also be road warriors tonight, as they face off against the Phantoms in Philadelphia. Varlamov is scheduled to be in goal tonight, and this will be a good test for him if Claude Giroux fires some pucks at him. Good luck Bears, and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the home opener in Hershey.

Kudos

2008-10-15T10:03:00.003-04:00

to Keith Aucoin for being named the AHL player of the week. A 3-0 start to the AHL season for the Bears is a fantastic start, especially as all games were in the arenas of divisional rivals. I cannot wait to feel the atmosphere on Saturday at the Giant Center when the Bears kick off at home against Syracuse.

Here's hoping that the injury to Viktor Kozlov in DC is only minor, and that he'll be back on the ice soon. Eric Fehr is more than capable of filling that roster spot, but Kozlov has great chemistry on that line with Ovie and Backstrom. Good health to you Viktor.

The Reading Royals open their 08-09 campaign shortly. Good luck to the guys down there for the coming season.

Relegated to Online Radio...

2008-10-12T18:16:00.004-04:00

While Hubs was basking in the glory of banner-raising in the Phone Booth, I was languishing in a hotel room, listening to the Caps game in its entirety and watching NHL's gametracker for the Habs game whilst simultaneously keeping an eye on the Hershey/Norfolk game. Some random thoughts from my scanning of the web today:

* I found this article interesting: http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2008/10/12/7060026-sun.html - the question I have is, when did Toronto ever have a bubble? Nearly everyone has picked them to finish low, low, low in the East... they get one win against Detroit and things suddenly look different?

* This blog posting from The Hockey News about the AHL and the current economic spiral: http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/18510-Dave-Andrews-Blog-The-AHL-and-the-spiraling-economy.html - maybe it's just that I'm tired, but is Dave really answering the question here? True, the AHL provides a great product at a very reasonable price, and true, marketing needs to continue, but if the economy continues to worsen and fans need to start making hard financial choices, what then? I'm not sure that the Pollyanna approach is what we're looking for - yes, we all hope things improve soon, but if they don't, how will the AHL and NHL prepare and sustain themselves?

* http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/18570-THNcom-Blog-Hockey-shouldnt-be-used-as-a-political-backdrop.html - yet another reason to dislike the Flyers. As if I needed one. :-)

Well worth the sore throat.....

2008-10-12T17:51:00.003-04:00

cheering and hollering through the pre-game ceremonies and the revisiting of last seasons accomplishments for the Washington Capitals. The raising of the 2007-08 South East Division champion banner is permanently etched as a night Washington will not forget.

Rockin' the Red at the Home Opener

2008-10-12T11:29:00.003-04:00

First of all, a big thankyou to my boss Jon for letting me skip the last two hours of work on Saturday afternoon so that I could head down to DC for the opening home game for the Caps at Verizon Center. And what a night it turned out to be. The metro ride down from Shady Grove was a red-filled vessel of thirsty hockey fans ready to root for their team. And upon exiting the metro, F Street was alive and well. The doors were open early and the excitement level was high. Washington was a city ready to continue to rock the red once more!!!!

So after a 7-4 thrashing (no pun intended) on the previous evening in Atlanta, how would the Caps respond against a team touted highly as the 'dark horse' for this coming year? What adjustments would Bruce be making? How would the crowd respond to Theodore after his poor performance in Game 1? Many questions were there to be answered, and after the initial warm-ups, we were about to find out.

Props to the Caps organization for the great opening ceremony and raising of the banner. It was done in very good taste, and hopefully we'll get to see that happening on an annual basis!!! The chants of "Bruuuuuuce" from the crowd paid homage to our general who brought out troops out to battle once again - this humble Toronto native has the utmost respect from the fans throughout the building.

As for the game, things didn't start too well for the Caps, giving up a Chicago strike within the opening minute. Fans drew breath, fearing the worst every time the puck was within 10 feet of Theodore throughout the game. Admittedly, he made some phenomenal saves during the contest, and did redeem himself to some extent after Fridays performance, but it will be a while before the fans can honestly put their trust in this individual between the pipes. You can have the best offensive weapons in the world, but you still need somebody at home to mind the fort. A casual observer in my section summed it up best, literally finding religion every time a shot was taken at the net......Father Ted could have taken notes from this guy for his Sunday sermon.

Hockey is a 60 minute game, and the final 40 minutes were almost dominated by the Caps. After going down 2-0 in the first, the final horn saw the Caps leave with a 4-2 victory. How did they turn things around? What was said in the locker room after the first period? Unbeknown to me at the time, Al Koken from Comcast Sports Net mentioned that Bruce Boudreau reverted back to his traditional defensive pairings, and upon reflection, I can now see why the chemistry in the Caps zone was vastly improved. It may sound like a minor tweak, and of little importance, but to these guys, it made all the difference. And as much as I love Mike Green - Mike, please play a little more defense....yes, you can shoot, but you don't need to be 'the' lone playmaker when bringing the puck into the zone. However, this is just small criticism. The first period aside, this was a solid performance and a Caps game played just the way we like it. Can't wait for the next outing.......

One more thing: Way to go Hershey!!! A 3-0 start on the road. A win for Varlamov in his North American debut. Bob Woods has already started to silence the doubters........go Bears. Can't wait to see you on Saturday for the home opener against the Crunch!

Habs Need to Step It Up Against the Leafs

2008-10-11T15:37:00.002-04:00

Now that the Habs have their first-game jitters out of their system, they need to step it up against the Leafs, who have already played spoiler once this week by defeating the Red Wings on opening night. I listened to the first two periods and was more than a little disappointed in their performance against the Sabres, but I'm going to wait to make any substantive comments until I can actually watch a game (hopefully online tonight - I'm writing from Bruin-land today).

I was also bummed by Theodore's performance for the Caps on Friday night - I've never been sold on him and his performance in the preseason game against the Bruins was fairly abysmal, with one or two exceptions. Martin will be at the game tonight so he should have some thoughts to share tomorrow about the game.

On the bright side, a great start for Hershey! It was pure pleasure listening to them walk all over Wilkes-Barre - the roster is pretty stacked and I'm excited about their potential.

SOOOO glad it's hockey season again!

Pre-season thoughts

2008-09-28T10:19:00.000-04:00

In the world of pro-hockey, it is amazing the difference a year makes. The
level of excitement and expectation surrounding the Caps heading into the
2008-09 season is all around us. Fans are flocking in droves to practices
and scrimmages, rooting for the team that defied the odds last season and
took the Southeast division title. The same fans are happy to see a
relatively intact core of talented hockey players from last year, along with
a mix of great talent from the various farm teams all willing to work hard
and be noticed by Bruce and his staff. Media interest has been elevated.
Washington is being heralded as a Hockeytown - quite a feat for a city whose
hockey roots do not run too deeply when compared to the likes of Montreal,
Detroit and Boston. Bloggers like OFB have in depth insights from within the
Caps organization posted on a daily basis, and have a huge legion of readers
and contributors. The town is a buzz with hungry fans who are counting down
the days, hours and minutes to the start of the season. Clearly, after such
a dismal start last season, the Capitals have turned it around. Call it
good coaching; call it a refinement of team chemistry and mutual desire to
be winners - the bottom line is that this organization have their sights set
very clearly to not only dominate and win the division this season, but to
proceed much further into the playoffs and shoot for the cup. From Hershey
to DC, Bruce Boudreau has proven to be an effective general, leading his
armies into battle. He has a fantastic rapport with all of his players, his
assistant coaches and the media. The Jack Adams trophy was a just reward for
this gentleman, and it will be very interesting to see what this coaching
staff can do with the fine crop of talent they have on the bench this year.

Pre-season never really excites me. The results are meaningless, and
nothing matters until that first official game. At least that was what I
thought. Watching a scrimmage last week, I was amazed just how pumped up
and ready these players are to "bring their game". To see the guys from
Hershey, South Carolina, and afar all playing with a level of intensity more
associated with the home stretch towards the playoffs. Several prospects
have remained at Caps camp after the initial cuts, and all are for the right
reasons. Chris Bourque has demonstrated that he is ready for the transition
to the NHL. Mathieu Perrault has a burst of speed and agility that will
leave many defenseman wondering if a tornado just hit the rink. Karl Alzner
is a natural defenseman, with unbelieveable instincts and awareness of where
he should be. And it goes without saying that Simeon Varlamov is a standout
amongst all goaltenders in the organization, with his lightning reflexes and
ability to react to both a Sergei Federov slap shot, and the crashing of the
net when the puck rebounds off his pads. Sami Lepisto can bring his
experience from Hershey and also compete for a roster spot on the Caps D. He
has proven to be consistent and has a great shot from the point in a PP
situation. All of these talented prospects have youth on their side, and
have already shown me that they are both ready to play, and hungry to
compete.

And here we are. 3 preseason games already played, and 3 victories to show
for it. And once again, while the results have little meaning or impact on
the season, for players like Bourque, Perrault and Lepisto, this is their
chance to shine and leave that lasting impression as players primed and
ready when the Caps come calling to fill roster spots. Injuries are
inevitable, and it feels good for this Caps fan to know that the guys in the
wings are ready and raring to go, and possess a high degree of talent and
intensity to stamp their claims upon the NHL. Can't wait for the puck to
drop at the Verizon Center, and can't wait for the puck to drop at the Giant
Center. This season is going to be a blast!!!!!

Preseason Thoughts

2008-09-26T07:07:00.003-04:00

Kudos to Chris Bourque for getting the first star in the Caps' preseason game against the Panthers last night... as much as I'd like to see him back in Hershey this year, I have a suspicion that we might be seeing him more at the Verizon Center.

On the Josef Boumedienne watch (note to Caps: you shouldn't have let him go!), he earned an assist in the Leafs' loss to Pittsburgh. We have this game on the DVR and only saw bits and pieces; we'll definitely check the rest of the game out.

I'm still not completely sold on Jose Theodore. Martin, who attended a day of training camp on Tuesday, says the two younger goalies look tremendously sharp. About Theodore, I'm just concerned that he'll be the Theodore of old and not so much the Theodore who carried the Avs last year.

It's Only Been Forever Since We Posted...

2008-08-08T16:20:00.004-04:00

Hey, it's the off-season for us as well! However, when Hubs brought home the master list of the games we'll be attending this year (Caps, Bears, and Royals), it became abundantly clear that hockey season approacheth. So, with that in mind, some random thoughts to kick off the 2008-2009 season:

* I remain unconvinced that Jose Theodore is the answer to the Caps' goaltending questions, even short term while the Caps' prospects are developing. Granted, the market was such that there weren't really any better choices available (I would have loved to keep Huet, but his manager screwed that up; and Ray Emery certainly was not a good choice), but I'm in the 'I'll believe it when I see it' line for liking Theodore.

* Come on, Caps/Bears, sign Josef Boumedienne already!!! We need a skilled, experienced defenseman on the Bears, and he's already proven 1) leadership skills and 2) a great chemistry on the ice with Sami Lepisto. Had Josef not been injured in 2007/2008, his numbers would have been exceptional, particularly in the assists category.

* I think Georges Laraque was a great pickup for Montréal... I've thought for a while that where the Habs were sorely lacking was in the muscled, strong, intimidating player department. Sure, Komisarek is fabulous, but we needed more muscle - and Laraque provides that.

* I'm disappointed to see Shawn Collymore leave the area... Shawn, if you're out there, we'll miss you here in central Pennsylvania!

* Is it October yet? :-)

One of Hershey's Own Makes Good!

2008-05-15T06:12:00.002-04:00

Congrats to Sami Lepisto, who scored the winning goal for Finland in overtime against the US last night at the World Championships - way to go, kid! Bears and Caps fans are very proud of you! :-)

(For info, go here.)

Props to Boomer

2008-04-19T07:47:00.003-04:00

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

2008-04-19T07:42:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-14T05:21:00.001-04:00

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

2008-04-12T12:40:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-11T10:09:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-11T09:47:00.001-04:00

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

2008-04-11T05:45:00.000-04:00

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

2008-04-10T05:36:00.000-04:00

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...

2008-04-10T05:33:00.000-04:00

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...

2008-04-09T05:25:00.004-04:00

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?

2008-04-07T08:10:00.000-04:00

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.

2008-04-07T07:13:00.000-04:00

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

Honk If You Love the Caps

2008-04-06T08:15:00.000-04:00

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...

2008-04-04T20:13:00.001-04:00

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...

2008-04-04T09:25:00.000-04:00

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!

100% Effort - and It Paid Off!

2008-03-30T09:52:00.001-04:00

Last night the Bears put in 60 minutes of excellent, energetic hockey, and although they were playing against a less-than-stellar opponent (Hamilton), they pulled off a solid win. Particularly impressive was Chris Bourque's play, with 4 goals to his credit. With both Lepisto and Boumedienne back, the all-around play was crisper and the defense sharper. The Bears desperately need to play this way for the remaining games in the season, both to ensure the best possible placement in the playoffs and to get ready to perform well in the postseason. My one remaining concern is their play on the road - we shall see how they do on Friday.

The Capitals also put in a super performance last night that I wish I'd seen... Cristobal Huet delivered his second shutout since being traded. It truly seems as though the trade has fired him up and given him something to prove, and it's working out to the Caps' benefit. Olaf Kolzig also seems to have stepped up his play. We have tickets to the next two Caps games - Tuesday in particular is hugely critical, as it gives the Caps a chance to tie the Hurricanes for the divisional lead. Boston's next three games are all on the road, which hopefully will work in the Caps' favor. However, Boston is 4-2 this season against a slumping Buffalo - we can only hope that Buffalo takes up the spoiler gauntlet. Pittsburgh hopefully will defeat Philly twice - all this will be meaningless, however, if the Caps falter down the home stretch.

Flat Devils, and Bears Updates

2008-03-26T18:58:00.000-04:00

Hubs and I traveled to Newark last night to see the Devils/Penguins. First, before I say anything else, the new Prudential Center is a beautiful facility and the Devils have every reason to be proud of their new home. That being said, however, they played with so little verve last night that it almost seemed at times as though they were sleepwalking.

You would think that a game like this, with important playoff implications and standing in the division at stake, would fire up a team. Not so the Devils - flat, flat, flat. The Penguins weren't actually much better as they had some sloppy play of their own, but at least they came out with some gumption. I was disappointed that Crosby chose not to play (since that was 95% of the reason I wanted to go to the game), but his decision makes perfect sense for him and for the Pens.

The one player on the ice with whom I was impressed was Marc-Andre Fleury, who made some super saves to preserve the shutout. I've been a stout Ty Conklin admirer since the Winter Classic, and I remain so, but Fleury's play makes a really strong case for his claim to the #1 goalie spot.

Now, for some notes closer to home:

* Kudos to the Caps for giving Jay Beagle a contract. His play this year has warranted the attention, and we have the feeling he won't be around Hershey long. Our loss, but Washington's gain, for sure.
* Sami Lepisto's return to the Bears is good news for us going into this last set of games prior to the playoffs. Now if we can just get Boumedienne healthy again, the dynamic defensive duo can help get us into the postseason.
* The losses of Barney and Clymer for the rest of the season are disappointing, to say the least. I can only hope that Giroux, Gordon, Bourque, and others step up offensively.

How to Almost Lose a 7-1 Game

2008-03-24T22:11:00.000-04:00

Montréal has done a superb job of trying to lose a game in which they were leading 7-1 at the beginning of the third period... after a fabulous 40 minutes of hockey in which some of the unusual suspects scored (e.g., Bouillon with his second, Kostopoulos with his sixth), the Habs came out in the third period absolutely flat both offensively and defensively. Whatever we can say positively about the offensive output, however happy we are that the Habs have clinched a playoff berth, the Habs need to take a close look at how they completely fell apart 20 minutes from the end, so we don't repeat this experience.

Bears Show Some Winning Spirit

2008-03-24T13:17:00.000-04:00

On Sunday the Bears held off a 3rd-period comeback attempt by the Lowell Devils and earned another much-needed 2 points. In the course of earning a hat trick, Alexandre Giroux delivered an absolutely sick (in the most positive sense of the word) goal, working around several Lowell players to tip the puck into the net at 4:58 in the third period; I hope someone posts the video to YouTube, it was truly a thing of beauty. Chris Bourque had a beautiful goal 55 seconds before that, as well.

What struck me about this game was that, while Hershey weakened somewhat in the third, allowing Lowell to score two relatively easy goals, they kept working at it and preserved the win. This isn't a quality that I've seen consistently throughout the season, but it's certainly showing up at a good time. I continue to think that the presence of Andrew Gordon is making a difference; we'll see how he impacts the two road games this week (Norfolk and Bridgeport). I also hope Boumedienne returns soon; his is a strong defensive presence that we desperately need if we have any hope of getting to the playoffs and making a strong run.

Finally, a win!

2008-03-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

It was pure pleasure to see the Bears actually win a game last night, defeating the Philadelphia Phantoms in a solid effort. In particular, it was delightful to see the Bears put together three periods of consistent, well-played hockey in one game, and it showed in the result. The passing was better, the effort was better, everything was much improved over a week ago.

Even though I wasn't that impressed with the Reading Royals when we saw them in early March, I have to say that I thought Shawn Collymore played quite well, including his assist on a goal for his first point with Hershey. I hope Hershey continues to take a close look at him. The return of Andrew Gordon also provided some much-needed offensive punch.

After last night, Hershey finds itself tied for fourth in the division but with two games in hand on Binghamton. We need to maintain last night's intensity for the remainder of the season if we hope to have a decent shot at the playoffs.

Some Bears thoughts

2008-03-17T07:55:00.000-04:00

After 3 weeks of eagerly anticipating the Hershey Bears' return home, it was a deep disappointment indeed to see the Bears go down twice to the Manitoba Moose over the weekend. With the Bears' road victory over the Phantoms on Friday night, I had expected that the Bears would come out swinging Saturday - and they did, but not in any kind of productive way. Clearly there were some leftover frustrations from the Bears' visit to Winnipeg, as the number of spats and fighting penalties was fairly high.

The team's play did improve markedly from Saturday night (lost 5-0) to Sunday (lost 3-1), perhaps in part due to the presence of Dean Arsene yesterday. However, the loss of Josef Boumedienne to injury and Sami Lepisto to the Caps is really palpable, as the team seems to lack spark and leadership at the D position right now.

Some other observations:

* Robitaille's fight with Manitoba's Brown at the beginning of Sunday's game was a great strategic move. I'm normally not a fight person, but taking out a player who scored 2 goals for the Moose on Saturday could only help the Bears.

* The passing was abysmal on Saturday, perhaps due to the fact that so many players are out due to injury and have been replaced by call-ups and trades. This was somewhat improved yesterday but still needs work.

* Overall the Bears seem to lack assertiveness when it comes to going after the puck. There were too many times in both games when a player seemed to watch the puck going by and only belatedly move to secure it.

With only 13 games left in the regular season, every game is critical now. Let's Go Bears!

2008-03-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

We learned something over the weekend... there's hockey, and then there's ECHL hockey. Since our Hershey Bears are on a nine-game road trip, we decided to traipse over to Reading to check out the Reading Royals, the Los Angeles Kings' ECHL affiliate, for two games.

Saturday night's game took place against the Johnstown Chiefs (made famous in Slapshot). This is clearly a heated rivalry, which is usually a good thing - except in this case, the players were so busy hitting and checking that they forgot that the point of hockey is to play the puck. Sunday's game against the Dayton Bombers actually strongly resembled hockey and was much easier to watch. It was an adventure, but we decided that we vastly prefer AHL and NHL hockey.

Speaking of the Hershey Bears (and let it be stated for the record that my original suggestion for the weekend was a quick trip up to Toronto to see them play the Marlies), what the heck has happened? A great start to their road trip last week with a defeat of the Moose, then three consecutive losses (Moose, Bulldogs, Marlies). If the Bears truly want to make the playoffs, they desperately need a push through the remaining games on their road trip. I figure that they know this, but it nevertheless bears repeating.

Because of some cancellations in my schedule, I was able to catch nearly all of the Capitals' blowout of the Bruins. All I can say is, if the Caps put this much fire, energy, and consistency into every game, they have an excellent shot at the playoffs. I also hope that Huet's back spasms don't grow into something worse.

Trades and More Trades

2008-03-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

I was tempted to post on Tuesday, after the first blush of thoughts regarding all the trades, but I decided to wait and process things for a bit...

Although I understand the reasoning behind Montréal trading Huet away (not wanting to lose out completely when he becomes a free agent this summer, Gainey deciding to go with the young guns between the pipes), I'm still not sure I'm entirely comfortable with no NHL playoff experience in goal, no matter how talented. However, in both games since the trade, Carey Price has looked sharp and definitely more mature than he did last November/December. Snaps to Cristobal Huet as well, as he shut out the Devils last night in his first start with the Caps. (If Huet had to be traded, at least he's gone to a team that I follow and can actually see in person on a more or less regular basis.) There was one glove save made by Huet that was absolutely a thing of beauty...

The trade that pleased me the most, though, was the trade of Joe Motzko away from the Hershey Bears. Despite his goal production, Motzko's habit of hogging the puck and trying to make all the plays himself has cost the Bears time and again, and frustrated those of us watching beyond belief. Hubs probably said it best; he commented earlier this week that Bob Woods had implicitly warned Motzko (and others) that their selfish play wouldn't be tolerated. Motzko didn't change, so off he goes. It's great to have Giroux back and I feel much better about our chances for postseason success.