In Wednesdays’ CapsReport, a auditor asked Mike Vogel ut forecast Caps’ porro versus iunctura pro 2007-’08. Ut’ usquequaque a fun offseason exerceo. Ut vos vires specto, illic erant haud admiratio inter Vogels’ caput capitis 6. Tamen ut is got ut tertius versus MV dedi sursum nonnullus scrupulosa:

Pettinger-Gordon-Steckel.

Res Pettinger est an statutum tempus talentum in magnus league. Boyd Gordon had quis certainly videor futurus a effrego annus in suus professio tutela permaneo season, admittedly in suus infantia. Tamen Dave Steckel? An L.A. Rex rgis’ iacio duos seasons abhinc, mereo ordinarius quod maximus minutes in a lascivio aspiring stipes?

Vos bet.

Steckel meritus a opulenter mereo mereor dico per Caps tardus permaneo season secundum piling sursum tutela obscoena numerus pro Ipsa Gero, quod in a venatus in Atlanta in April 4, socius a ovis of glacies per amo of Ilya Kovalchuk, Caltha Hossa, quod Alexander Ovechkin, Steckel scamnum sicco ut optimus ludio ludius in glacies in totus three plaga. Is est quis EGO wrote super suus effectus pro OFB sequens oriens:

“ Dave Steckel EGO vigilo in Atlanta permaneo nox noctis vultus identical ut unus EGO secuutus sursum in Novus Hampshire quod Pelagus permaneo mensis — vis in duos ends of rink, tamen per unus key ornamentum: is aliquando left glacies in suus Bears’ sudo pro versus changes. Tamen permaneo nox noctis pro Cogo Hanlon, I’m non certus EGO saw him licentia glacies in tertius period.

“is eram unus venatus, tamen in season intus a season, unus qua plures guys es condita editio ut procuratio super jobs pro autumn, Dave Steckel permaneo nox noctis renuntio quinymo loudly ut he’s amo facio a serius run procul a roster macula per parentis stipes adveho palaestra castra”

Inter six weeks laxus, EGO eram sessio in Giant Center press arca archa tunc ut Joe Nidor per Gero’ postseason run. Quondam iterum, Steckel eram a sto in ovis subter supter. Per Vogs ut meus vox, is eram a press row chock plenus of Steckel boosters, tamen Nidor’ reflections in Gero’ rector vere caught meus intentio: “is should have been a [Caps’] ordinarius permaneo season,” Nidor told mihi.

Steckel had multus of folks in D.C. purgamentum suum eyes admiratio si theyd’ lego quis theyd’ vere lego in praeter pauci venatus ratio permaneo season. Is ustulo quinque shorthanded calx pro Gero in ordinarius season, comprehendo unus obviam Albany in April 18 dum caedes a 5- in-3 Flumen Rats vox lascivio.

Alius res Vogel may have had in mens Wednesday meridianus eram Steckels’ res Boyd Gordons’ linemate per Gero’ postseason proficiscor ut Calder Vas in 2006. They erant duos of Hersheys’ optimus ludio ludius tunc, utilitas probus per Bruce Boudreau in totus venatus locus.

Ultra a verus magnus pro physique quod duos rectus seasons of significant development, Steckel mos addo ut Caps’ palaestra castra in duos weeks’ vicis a reputation namque optimus reputo of venatus ut hes’ sicco in glacies. Sit quoque fantastic in duco. Vogel may vel may non have had ut in mens yesterday in suus versus formations; si hes’ vox, ut Boyd Gordon gets fugo ex visio orbis is season, is could exsisto restituo per suus par procul duco. Sic duos- tertius of Caps’ tertius versus would exsisto inclutus inclitus pro suus ars reputo, defensabiliter awareness, visio acumen, quod fiducia in sulum plaga of glacies. Quod exsisto iunctus per significantly ingeniosus Pettinger.

In suus tertius plenus season secundum Caps’ scamnum Glen Hanlon est iens habeo quot versus iunctura bene ut hes’ umquam had. Plurrimi infigo may insisto magnus guns in caput capitis 6 quod suo a uber forensis of duos- via torqueo ut lascivio a ingens persona in plumbum Caps tergum ut league- prolixus honestas.

Tim Leone has totus grizzly Venatus 3 retineo hic.

Statim secundum Hersheys’ 4-2 concilio Hamilton Imbuo nox noctis, vesper Calder denique procul a venatus apiece, Gero’ cogo Bruce Boudreau eram asked si is eram iens prosequor a iugum membership pecto, ut hed’ opus sic ferreus ut incumbo suus team denique ordo.

Is eram a ingens mutatio. Absentis erant erant obduco PKers of Friday nox noctis, restituo per an in- vestri- visio crew ut jugiter pressured Bulldogs in puck. Absentis, quoque, eram Fridays’ resignation ut perimeter lascivio, condita vita securus pro Hamilton netminder Tutela Pretium. Instead Boudreaus’ Gero ludio ludius persona of plurimus inhospitus populus, fragosus Tutela Pretium’ cage in virtually sulum amoveo, quod vallo Freddie Cassivis’ per vigor quod venom.

Absentis eram Friday nox noctis’ Sunday oriens chapel sanus procul Giant Center, restituo per a roof- erigo recro of raucous puto. Quod absentis, quoque, est ullus voluntas ut Gero would quiete quod velociter trado suum champions’ statua.

Praeter an hora pro venatus, Gero Louis Robataille quod Mike Viridis fortuitus flung pucks commeo ut unus alius sicco in glacies in suum flip flops, smiling ut boys procul venatus operor ut parum obvius universitas videor procul talea. Tamen secundum Friday nox noctis’ thrashing, quod phasmatis of occursus an 0-2 foramen ut a team inclutus inclitus pro suus via opus, quod serius tunc caput capitis ut Hamilton pro three rectus, quam could illa beleaguered Gero goof off? Dico is a champions’ swagger, dico is fiducia socius per peractio ut optimus team per ordinarius season, tamen illa Gero Imbuo nox noctis velociter quod convincingly probo suum potestas ut pulvis themselves off ex evinco quod reverto ut res of reclaiming suum Calder Vas.

“is est gonna exsisto a abyssus of a serius” Boudreau vindicatum secundum venatus.

In a intentus reversal of persona, 0- pro-9 vox lascivio collar eram worn per Hamilton Imbuo nox noctis. Quod Ipsa instituo nonnullus prosperitas in suus vox lascivio, potting duos procerus quod moving puck per fiducia quod auctorita in multiplex alius manpower commodum.

Tamen procul vel vires Gero dictum venatus’ passus pariter. Hamilton cogo Inicio Campester agnosco ferocia of Hersheys’ nixus. “ut eram a desparatus hockey team sicco illic” is said. “ut’ quare theyre’ optimus in league.”

“ut’ congelo weve’ been forechecked totus annus. . . [quod] is wasnt’ iustus unus guy peractio reprehendo, totus suum guys perfectus suum reprehendo”

Evangelium secundum Boudreau Imbuo nox noctis accersitus pro suus grex ut loco a laying of non- curatio manuum ( quod virga) in Hamilton Bulldogs procul sulum verto. Duos thunderous Gero’ reprehendo per Hamilton endboards led directus ut duos Ipsa procerus.

daunting animadverto ahead pro Boudreau quod suus team est ut per suum optimus nixus Imbuo, they subsisto in a angustus res in a must- lucror venatus. “nos had ludo nostrum butts off,” is admitted in stipes- venatus press placitum. “nos erant multus magis pervicax. Spero nos can vado melior, tamen EGO dont’ teneo si nos can.”

seemingly lone commonality ex Friday ut Imbuo eram a gravis workload pro Tutela Pretium. Hes’ visio 86 offa per duos venatus. Campester amplus licentio civitas ut portans parum voluntas in lux lucis of tot Gero’ offa oriundus perimeter, tamen ut serius caput capitis in altus- talea showdowns, does is vere volo suus 19- annus- vetus rookie netminder utpote ultum purgamentum? Progressus, vos have reor Pretium est quoque iens video vidi visum multus magis Ipsa Gero castra sicco pro quod tutela procul suus crepito.

Oris Visio Calder Vas Denique Venatus 2

Tenura tergum in versus

Gero’ primoris calx

(persevero)

Ipsa center Joey Tenura reverto ut Gero versus- sursum tonight secundum absentis 8 venatus per a punctum pulmo.

Hockey ludio ludius universe es verus venatus, tamen is est ingens. Obvius universitas of professio lusum qua millionaires routinely vado in disabled album pro hangnails, Tenura est moneo nos quis “ diligo of venatus” vere opes.

Divum incendia, sideways pluvia, quod nemus uprooting ventus ferito quod slashed procul Central Pennsylvania an hora pro visio Friday nox noctis, profero satus of Calder Vas denique per prope 30 minutes, tamen is eram Hamilton Bulldogs’ redundo of quietus plaga ut no vita plurimus miser pro Ipsa Gero in venatus unus.

Tutela Pretium subsisto totus 46 offa is visio, suus teammates snuffed sicco totus novem Ipsa vox lascivio quod ustulo three vicis themselves dum a vir sursum, quod Hamiltons’ castrensis quod terrenus- dictum laqueus combibo vita ex miles militis sicco quod soggy Giant Center. 4-0 denique, quod 46-25 Ipsa offa commodum, nullatenus pondero universa imperium Hamilton utor ex tardus in prothoplastus period in.

Per minor quam 24 hora ut perseco quod adjust, Bruce Boudreau must reperio an efficens ars pro vallo champs ut ingenero volo quod commodum caput capitis in Hamiltons’ plaga. Ut Gero es denied suum north- meridianus prestantia, quod forceps in a horizontal tentatio obviam Bulldogs’ sizable quod mobile blueline somes, vita pro rookie netminder est no securus. Venatus ones’ 46 offa erant super facillimus ullus lascivio goaltender has umquam visio.

“ego dont’ teneo si is sudo sicco illic” Boudreau said postea of Pretium.

Illic’ nonnullus ( vegrandis) solor in gnarus ut Ipsa occumbo permaneo annus’ Calder patefacio ut Milwaukee pro increbresco in six venatus, tamen Gero certainly can non afford a revolvo of Friday nox noctis’ universa proprius teams breakdown.

Res DAgostini’ patefacio ustulo procul 121: of alter period, per Tomas Fleischmann in arca archa parumper scabrosus poena meritus procul 2000: minute vestigium of prothoplastus period. Mikhail Grabovski added alius vox lascivio procerus minor quam three minutes laxus, lubricus per Ipsa socors per parum refragatio (a vulgaris lemma of venatus unus). Tamen is eram Corey Obfirmo’ (2 calx, 1 succurro) venalicium midway per alter sto ut nisus ullus drama quod loco an exclamation cuspis in licentia ut Bulldogs’ porro utor telum quod audacia super Freddie Cassivi vacuus Gero’ blueliners having ultum narro super is.

Gelamen puck near suus own blueline, Obfirmo scooted sursum left pennae tabula quod profundus in Hersheys’ plaga vacuus tractus vel a “ abyssus” ex Ipsa tutor. Suus unassisted backhander altus in Cassivis’ cage dedecus vel terminus-of- amoveo crus tutor.

contendo inter Hamiltons’ velox porro transitioning in mactabilis formo off of suum laqueus quod Gero’ porro paluster down in quietus plaga preoccupo eram a certus portrait of venatus unus.

“nos teneo theyve’ got multus magis ut tribuo” Hamilton caput capitis cogo Inicio Campester said postea. “ut wasnt’ suum ‘A’ venatus”

Per aliquantulus praeter duos minutes super, a disenchanted Gero’ solator could audimini chanting, “ nos volo mayhem!” Is got is alright. Prope 60 minutes of nuntius- transporto mischief lectica glacies per apparatus quod subsisto lascivio pro prope ten minutes, dum relatum genus sicco sordidness.

forsit eram, a nuntius of change plurimus necessarius futurus sent ut Tutela Pretium, quisnam eram superstes situs centum feet absentis.

Quam irrisorie is est ut innutum ut 2007 Calder Vas Denique pit the agri stipes pro Caps quod Canadiens with history res reddo per Washington. Tonight at Giant Center Ipsa Gero, AHL members utpote 1938, will planto suum 20th vultus in Calder Vas Denique, an American Hockey League Record, quod face the Habs’-affiliated Hamilton Bulldogs, contendo in iustus suum 11th season in ‘A.’ Gero, reigning Calder Vas champions, mos tendo ingravesco prothoplastus team ut revolvo utpote 1991 Springfield Indians. 

Gero mos peto ut ostendo sum an oculus- oris fossa portatus off per Hamilton is ver: in totus three of suum lascivio serius Bulldogs have optimus superus- sperma teams. They have increbresco preteritus quinque weeks per crunch- vicis virtus — Hamilton has won multus of propinquus hockey venatus is postseason — quod stellar netminding ex puteulanus-chip prospicio Tutela Pretium.

In American Leagues’ Orientales Placitum Denique, Ipsa had parum perturbo optimus Manchesters’ Jason LaBarbera, suffragium optimus calx in league is season. But Carey Pretium, iuvenalis sententia sit ( 5th pick overall by Montreal in the 2005 Entry Draft), is no journeyman talent. This postseason he is 11-5 with a 2.13 goals-against and a .929 save percentage.

Hamilton likely will not overwhelm Hershey’s blueline with waves of offensive pressure. During the regular season, there wasn’t a single Bulldog ranked in the American League’s top 40 scorers (Duncan Milroy was 43rd, with 25 goals and 33 asists in 64 games). There is balance up front: four Bulldogs tallied 50-plus points (Milroy, Corey Locke, Mikhail Grabovski, and Andrei Kostitsyn).

And in the postseason, this modest offensive output has held true to form: a lot of Hamilton’s wins have been of the 3-2, 2-1, even 1-0 variety. Kyle Chipchura, another Habs’ first-rounder, leads Hamilton in scoring this postseason, but he ranks just 19th overall. Keep in mind that Hamilton has played 17 playoff games, three more than the Bears. The Bears, meanwhile, fairly litter the league’s list of top postseason scorers: Scott Barney is 3rd, Flash is 5th, Kyle Wilson is 8th. Mike Green is outscoring all of Hamilton’s skaters.    

Caps’ fans will also recognize a familiar face from the 2005-06 NHL season in a Hamilton sweater tonight: Mathieu Biron. He had a very solid season for Hamilton, finishing 6th on the team in scoring. (Continued)

This weekend affords area media a terrific opportunity to think outside the penalty box of puck silence and make a most managable commute up I-83 and report on the record-breaking Hershey Bears. Hershey, you may have heard, is rather family friendly. As in, take in Games 1 and 2 of the Calder Cup Finals tonight and tomorrow at the Giant Center and placate the kiddies with 70 or so roller coaster rides and such and double doses of world-famous chocolate by day. The pinnacles of Hershey Park’s highest coasters can be seen plainly from the front entrance of the hockey rink. 

Count this blogger as one seated for both games. It will be interesting to inventory the breadth of media outlets also present perhaps to chronicle history. The Bears have won seven consecutive playoff series dating back to last postseason, tying an American League record, and with one more triumph that can lay claim to a new one all their own. Anyway, I’ll take a peek at the press box seating chart, ring good ole’ Gus on the cell, and have him relay the tally to you OFB loyalists.  

Why would BigMedia here consider covering the Calder Cup Finals this weekend, or ever? (1) the hockey is world-class, with two teams chock full of first-round NHL talent; (2) the Giant Center playoff atmosphere, as anyone who was there last spring already knows, is mind-blowing in its blow-the-roof-off passion, and merits coverage in and of itself; (3) Hershey is attempting to make American League history; (4) there are no small number of Bears who are likely staples of future Caps’ clubs, beginning this fall; (5) it takes less time to drive up to central PA, park, and seat yourself (distinctly cheaply) than it does to leave Danny Snyder’s parking lot Sunday evenings and return home to Northern Virginia; (6) three words: women’s pro softball.

Last week I offered up a defense of the assets the Caps already possess as a rationale for an optimistic, reasonably near-term future. With yesterday’s inking of Sami Lepisto, General Manager George McPhee has added to his stable of maybe-studs.

European prospects are particularly difficult for we in North America to monitor and assess, and with that in mind, I thought it’d be helpful to share with you some of the scouting assessments of Sami we’ve subscribed to in recent years. Here’s McKeen’s take on him from his draft year of 2004:

August 2004 — “Played in a big role for Jokerit . . . was promoted from the third pairing up to the second, performing in an offensive role alongside Canucks’ prospect Markus Kankaanpera . . . skates well and uses his speed to join the rush when the right chance comes along . . . a dangerous puck mover on the powerplay, but did not show much of his famous point shot . . . does not shy away from contact despite modest size, dishing out a couple of sturdy open ice hits . . . was ejected from the second game after some pushing and squabbling . . . will see more of the puck this season.”

And from January 2004:

 ”. . . after earning well-deserved top defenseman honours at the Under-20 World Juniors this winter, Lepisto has become a highly-coveted player. What sets Lepisto apart from other smaller offensive rearguards is his willingness to play the physical game — [he] doesn’t intimidate, but stands up for himself and stays on his feet. Very agile with an explosive, accurate slapper from the point.”

The signing of a 22-year-old third-rounder is hardly the panacea for all that ills the current Caps’ blueline, but it’s more fruit from the harvest the organization has sewed in recent years in beefing up its scouting department, particularly overseas.

As first heard on the May 30th edition of Capitals Report with Mike Vogel, John Walton announced that the Bears will be heard on XM Sattelite Radio Channel 204 as well as XM Canada. From the Bears website:

The American Hockey League announced today that XM Satellite Radio and XM Canada will be carrying Games 1, 5, 6 and 7 of the 2007 Calder Cup Final on their all-hockey Home Ice channel 204.

The BEARS Radio Network will provide the feed for all four games, with John Walton calling the action. Grady Whittenburg, voice of the Binghamton Senators, will join John for Game 1 of the series, with ABC-27 Sports Director Gregg Mace joining Walton on the call in Game 5 should the game be necessary.

XM contractual obligations with the National Hockey League and their coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals precludes them from airing games 2, 3, and 4 of the AHL Finals.

For those that do not have XM, you can always listen to John Walton’s excellent call of the Bears online at PennLive.com.

Yes Hershey is white hot, but I’m not sure they’re the favorite in the Calder Cup Finals. A big reason they may be underdogs against Hamilton is netminder Carey Price, drafted 5th overall by Montreal in 2005. The same Carey Price that went 6-0 at the most recent World Juniors, posting a .961 save percentage, turning aside the Americans in penalty shot after penalty shot in the semifinals.

His first American League game took place on April 13. He was named the game’s no.1 star that night. In 17 postseason games with the Bulldogs this spring he’s gone 11-5 with a 2.12 goals-against. Know this, too: he arrived in Hamilton after a WHL apprenticeship at Tri Cities, partly owned by Olie Kolzig. The owner has played the role of mentor for the promising young netminder as well.

2007 Calder Cup Final Series (best-of-7)
Hershey Bears vs. Hamilton Bulldogs

Game 1 – Fri., June 1 – Hamilton at Hershey, 7:00
Game 2 – Sat., June 2 – Hamilton at Hershey, 7:00
Game 3 – Mon., June 4 – Hershey at Hamilton, 7:30
Game 4 – Wed., June 6 – Hershey at Hamilton, 7:30
*Game 5 – Thu., June 7 – Hershey at Hamilton, 7:30
*Game 6 – Tue., June 12 – Hamilton at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 – Fri., June 15 – Hamilton at Hershey, 7:00

*If necessary

Tim Leone coverage here.
Manchester Union Leader coverage here.
Mike Vogel coverage here.