Comments on: June 4, 1998: Washington Seriously Parties Over Hockey into the Wee Hours

By: Bill-DC

Bill-DC — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:03:18 +0000

Aaaah, Ken Beatrice. “Gawd luv ya, you keep these lines lit up every night. Be sure to have a beef and cheddar at Bernie Streeter’s Arby’s!”
I remember after the game was over I hopped on the computer and Rob F’s Caps mailing list was on fire with messages. It was cool staying up until 2:00 “celebrating” with these folks.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:01:03 +0000

Good stuff. About 15 of us crammed into a friend’s kitchen watching on a 12 inch TV….oh the euphoria.
Of only Tik hits the side of the barn in the next series…..

By: Grooven

Grooven — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:46:26 +0000

Ah yes, I remember it well. Except it wasn’t Ken Beatrice who told me about it. I got it from George Michael on NBC. I called my brother and said, “I’m going. Do you want to go? I’ll drive.”

By: Scott in Shaw

Scott in Shaw — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:37:00 +0000

Slightly off-topic (I didn’t live in the area in 1998), but watching that replay, Juneau’s goal looks an awful lot like Talbot’s from Monday to tie the game — same angle, distance, etc.

By: zelda

zelda — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:11:50 +0000

Wow, does that bring back great memories! My daughter wanted to go out to greet the team, but she was 10 at the time and the next day was a school day. She lobbied hard: she reminded me that we had stayed for the April 24, 1996 Caps v. Pens game that went to 4OT and thus felt it only appropriate to go out to Piney Orchard. (Never mind that she was asleep on my shoulder for most of the OT.) In lieu of going out to Piney Orchard, I had to promise to take her to see and touch the Stanley Cup when it came to town and to take her to one of the playoff games. We did both, and she still talks about it.
Joe Juneau (and Adam Oates!), the pride of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute!

By: usiel

usiel — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:18:16 +0000

I remember jumping up and down in the Parent’s TV room. Was just a great moment in caps hockey.

By: Victor

Victor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:09:29 +0000

I just got all bleary-eyed watching that.
I did not make it out to Piney Orchard–as I recall, I had to sleep. However, I remember Joe talking before one of those last games, saying how the Caps making the Cup playoffs would be like sending a man to the moon, and he was going to be Neil Armstrong.
yep.

By: vt caps fan

vt caps fan — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:15:55 +0000

Yeah I barely remember that game. I do remember going absolutely crazy and celebrating with my brother.
10 years ago tomorrow, I had my calculus final, my only REAL final of my senior year of high school. The only teacher I had that absolutely hated me (I thank my older brother for her vendetta against me). Needless to say, when I walked into that classroom wearing my White Caps jersey exhausted that next morning, she asked if I’m prepared for this exam. I laughed at her and said “I’ve got Joe Juneau on my side.” 1 friend got the joke.
Needless to say, that was the worst grade I ever received in high school.
I wish I could have been at Piney Orchard to greet the team. I only hope we get this opportunity to wait for them to come back to the Iceplex. If that day happens, I’ll be there.

By: TG

TG — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:32:57 +0000

I made it out to Piney Orchard. I remember it well because I was terribly sick and my girlfriend (now my wife) said, “We HAVE to go. If we don’t we’ll be so upset that we didn’t.”
I didn’t even know how to get there, but we ended up hitching a ride with my brother. I was still sick as a dog, but she was right. I would have regretted it had we not gone.
The other thing I remember is that all the players seemed totally bombed when they made it onto the ice at Piney Orchard. Almost like they had been drinking the celebratory champagne during the entire flight from Buffalo.