When Husband and Wife disagree....

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

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

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

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

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

AHL'ers making an impact in DC

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

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

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

Salutaions From the Sin Bin Returns for 2009-10

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

The Season so Far: A Recap:

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

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

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

Seven Days of Hockey Summary

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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

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

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

Edmonton Upset the Capitals 5-2 at the Verizon Center

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Gartner #11 jersey retired by the Capitals.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Domestic disagreement - 1-0 to Hubs

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...

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.

Thanksgiving recipe: Just add chocolate.

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.

Here's Johnny!!!

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.

Halloween came early at the Verizon Center

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.

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

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????

Relegated to Online Radio...

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. :-)

Habs Need to Step It Up Against the Leafs

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!

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

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? :-)

Props to Boomer

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

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