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:
Instructive moment: Rangers’ captain Ryan Callahan, made captain at so tender an age partly out of his affinity for playing December hockey games like they’re game 7s in May, blocked a John Carlson slapshot at the point the other night, and the selfless sacrifice led to a Rangers goal in transition seconds later. The block [...]
Also filed in George McPhee, HBO's 24/7, Jeff Schultz, Morning cup-a-joe, New Jersey Devils, New media, New York Rangers, Old Time Hockey, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, The Great Old Patrick Division
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In Bugsy’s Sunday afternoon three Marines in their dress blues knew exactly who Dale Hunter was two tables over, and the coach knew exactly who they were. Coach Johnson, too, seated with his new boss, greeted the soldiers with warm respect and gratitude. I enjoyed being a witness to the moment. I enjoyed greatly seeing [...]
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 [...]
Some random observations and notes-sharing from a remarkable last 72 hours: There’s standup, and then there’s what Gabby offered the Washington Post’s Tarik El Bashir Wednesday morning — actually agreeing with Capitals management that it was time for a change behind the bench. He actually told General Manager George McPhee, “You’re doing what you have [...]
If you were at the game last night, you saw the Dale Hunter “Coming Home” tribute that the Game Entertainment crew put together. If weren’t at the game, here it is:
The Capitals lost 2-1 to the Blues in Dale Hunter’s debut as head coach for his beloved franchise. Was the Capitals’ excessive time in the d-zone Tuesday just growing pains? How fast can we expect Hunter to install his system? One of Ovi’s rushes into the o-zone tonight ended up in an assist –has Hunter [...]
Early Monday afternoon out at Kettler I approached a Capitals official while awaiting Dale Hunter’s first press conference as Capitals head coach, and thanked him for “the early Christmas present.” The team rep, smiling, replied, “We couldn’t stop [the gift giving] with just [John] Walton for you!” It was for me a special moment of [...]
Was able to snap this photo of Dale Hunter today just moments after he completed his first practice as Head Coach of the Washington Capitals.
