If we are of mixed emotions about the end of this hockey season — proud and uplifted by a Capitals team of unlikely cohesion and stunning sacrifice, but also exasperated by the frustration of banishment earlier than forecast, again — that’s as it should be. This Capitals team engineered a vibrant unity of our region [...]
Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Braden Holtby, Dale Hunter, Evgeny Kuznetsov, George McPhee, Hockey hearts, Joel Ward, Morning cup-a-joe, New York Rangers, NHL playoffs, Washington the cursed hockey town
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The best part of the Capitals’ preseason has arrived — its conclusion. They survived a slate of seven exhibition games largely unscathed; no front-line performers ought to be missing from Saturday’s opening night here against Carolina. For a team not far removed from serious springtime turmoil and torment, camp this fall has been an oasis [...]
Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Colorado Avalanche, Dmitri Orlov, Gary Bettman, George McPhee, John Walton, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, Morning cup-a-joe, Much-needed realignment, Much-needed relocation, National Hockey League, Radio, The Great Old Patrick Division, Tomas Vokoun, Washington Capitals
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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 [...]
Deep into Tuesday night, a prominent member of Washington’s hockey media, referencing the Boston Bruins’ effort in game 2 of the Eastern conference finals, emailed me this reflection: “This is what a desperate team is supposed to look like down 0-1 in a series not wanting to go down 0-2 before hitting the road.” Indeed. [...]
Also filed in Boston Bruins, Eastern Conference, Ed Frankovic, George McPhee, HBO's 24/7, hockey blogging, Morning cup-a-joe, New media, NHL playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
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Big news — the Red Wings are out of the playoffs, prematurely. Prematurely for them of course is anything short of securing the Cup. The seasons change, some faces change, the objective though for the Wings ever remains the same. I was struck at the ferocity and domination with which Detroit skated in periods two [...]
How does a team with so much talent suffer fortunes so stinging spring after spring after spring? My kingdom for a competent line change! A horrific line change ended game 2; game 3′s first power play, which produced an ever elusive goal for the Caps with the extra man, ended prematurely because of . . [...]
How will you remember the 2010-11 Capitals’ regular season? I ask because at least one prominent person in town – the team owner — thinks that to date I’ve judged his team too harshly on the campaign. My critique began near the end of last summer, when I observed management execute a largely passive approach to roster improvement in the offseason, while East rivals Pittsburgh and Philly aggressively improved. Not that I’m a throw-mad-money-at-free-agents kind of guy; never have been, never will be. But if you’ve just been vanquished in round one, as the Caps were last April, and you sit on your hands all summer, rest assured your conference peers will gain ground on you.
Through about 50 games into 2010-11, there was plenty of ground-gaining, you’ll recall. For instance: the Caps, having won the Southeast division title just a year ago by 40 points, trailed the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Southeast in late February. That’s ground-gaining alright. And it’s not as if Tampa in the offseason acquired Bobby Orr and Mr. Hockey in their prime.
Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Brooks Laich, Bruce Boudreau, Dennis Wideman, George McPhee, HBO's 24/7, Jason Arnott, Marco Sturm, Marcus Johansson, Mike Green, Mike Knuble, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, Scott Hannan, Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals
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It’s cliche, it’s boring, it’s obvious, it’s true: We don’t know what’s going on with the Washington Capitals right now. At the risk of selling the sizzle before the steak, here’s the point of all this: I don’t know. People who make their living by watching this team don’t know. No one knows. Better defensively. [...]
Because country clubs seldom are known for breeding warrior hockey players, it’s past time I think that we advocated taking a wrecking ball to Capitals’ Country Club. Professional hockey players are accorded extraordinary creature comforts while plying their trade here, from practicing and working out in a world-class training facility to engaging with a fairly [...]
