Brendan Morrison earned his first goal as a Washington Capital in the team’s 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night in, what he says was, one of the loudest buildings he has ever been in.
Being compared to a Canadian city is a huge compliment for a franchise and city that was barely able to fill the Verizon Center just two years ago. The team has found a mass following and one that is not just “rocking the red”, but is also screaming at the top of their lungs from puck drop.
The crowd was buzzing before the lights even dimmed and the phone booth was packed for warm ups. Once the lights were killed and the banner was dropped one thing was obvious: the evening was going to be special.
Washington has become one of the most passionate hockey towns in the NHL. It was a playoff atmosphere last night and it was clear the team was able to feed off of it. I have been to the last three home openers and I have to say this is the loudest yet.
The game did not disappoint either, despite the problems on the ice aka defense. Not only were people into the game, but there was classiness from the national anthems. The eerie chant of people singing along with “O Canada” and “the Star-Spangled Banner” could be heard echoing through the building.
Of course some of that class turned into jeering and cheering as the echos of “C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS” and the “it’s all your fault” taunt could be heard after every Capitals goal. College football was the first thing that popped into my mind when I heard it all. The crowd was much like a student section, except it was the entire stadium.
What is important for Washington to do here is keep it up. The team is good and they are going to win games and the fans need to keep the energy flowing and noise level up. Hockey season is so much fun, but I don’t have to tell you that, live it up and become a kid again. This town has the very real ability to become “the Hockeytown” in the Eastern Conference.
Of course the ultimate goal here is to have a player talk to some reporter on opening night in the NHL somewhere else and say, “The crowd was great — it was like playing in Washington.”
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Unfortunately, there were a couple little pockets of WT in the 400 level. A few people screamed “U-S-A” during O’Canada.
Please don’t encourage that awful “It’s all your fault” chant.
The city has always been able to fill the stadium. Its just they won’t if the team isn’t winning. The ONLY thing I miss about those days was walking up and getting a $10 ticket 5 minutes before game time and then walk into the 100’s because the ushers didn’t care. The people in the stadium were fans or kids. Now you have bandwagoners talking about who the caps’ shootout line up will be when a playoff game enters OT. (Yes, that conversation was had behind me, by caps fans, in game 5 of the penguins series last year.)
Seriously, the “It’s all Your Fault” chant is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. Especially when you chase one goalie for another. At that point do you start over? Do you do the chant twice, facing each keeper? Or continue on knowing that you sound dumber than before.
Any chance the Caps can trademark the phrase ‘The Capital of Hockey’ and paint it on center ice, ala ‘Hockeytown’ in Detroit? Could be cool.
and then a disappointing showing on a thursday night vs. the rangers? there were like 4,000 empty seats in that place. everyone wants to ’say’ they’re a caps fan, but if it were anything remotely like a canadian city it would be an ATTENDED sellout every night. that’s the rub. it’s only like a canadian city when it’s 18000+. 14000 and it’s more like dallas.
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