Watching tonight’s Washington Capitals game, as well as their recent victory over Boston, felt eerily familiar. The Caps’ roster was relatively devoid of superstars, they fought hard, beat a better team (vs. Boston) and lost a close one to a divisional rival tonight.
Without Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green, this Capitals team is surprisingly similar to the Capitals of almost a decade ago… a hard-charging team that delighted and sometimes frustrated its fans.
How so, you ask? Read on… and while these comparisons are far from perfect, consider them food for thought:
For the Caps fans who stayed till the end of Tuesday’s 5-1 blowout loss and gave a standing ovation when their team finally scored late in the third, defenseman Karl Alzner noticed. And he appreciated it. “I noticed it right away,” he said. “I thought that was nice they were still cheering, even though what [...]
Remember when third periods late in the Boudreau era were hold-on-for-dear-life and cover-your-eyes stanzas? Suddenly, under Coach Hunter, they are statement frames for the Caps. Production, derived from patience, slow but steady absorption of a radically new system, and increasing confidence, appears to arriving. A few quick thoughts: Is the Beast back? In a modest [...]
It’s a weird night at the Verizon Center when Alexander Semin finishes with more ice time than Alex Ovechkin. True, it was only by 47 seconds, and since Ovechkin finished with 21 shifts and Semin only 19, it looks more coincidental than any kind of message being sent from the bench. Semin finished Friday with [...]
Yes, there are important, impact veteran additions to the Capitals roster for 2011-12, and yes the club likely will be backstopped by the finest talent they’ve had in net since Olie Kolzig more than 10 years ago. Yes, the Capitals again will boast as much high-end skill as any club in the NHL. Yes, returning [...]
Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Bruce Boudreau, Dave Steckel, Ice, John Carlson, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, NHL playoffs, Tomas Vokoun, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
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Across the Mid-Atlantic winds of change seemed to sweep away summer last night. Vacationing on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, I took the dog for a walk this morning in layers of clothing, attire I hadn’t needed since early last spring. It felt good to be so bundled up. As recently as yesterday afternoon I wasn’t so [...]
We carried off a little Q&A with Transition Game author Ted Starkey recently. Ted’s first book, self-published, comes out this autumn, and he has a contract for a second book, Red Rising, with ECW Press out of Toronto. Folks can order the book now by dropping a line to Ted at CapitalsBook@aol.com, and it will [...]
Matt Bradley is now a Florida Panther, but yesterday he went on sports radio in Ottawa and reflected rather thoughtfully, and rather provocatively, on his time in Washington, and most especially with respect to reasons why the Caps may have come up short each and every spring. The nearly 20-minute interview on the Team 1200 [...]
But can you deal Alexander Semin? Practically speaking, is there any semblance of a market for this enigma?
The 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as is every NHL postseason, a treacherous hike. The Capitals would be in the Rockies if this was a race to cross the country, suffocating from lack of oxygen and preparedness. If this team is to regain their traction in this icy climb they need to follow my three keys [...]
