In Glacialis Blog

Per persona press solvo:

ARLINGTON, Va. – Lavatio Caput have repeto left pennae Quintin Laing ex Ipsa Gero of American Hockey League (AHL), vitium praesieo quod imperator procurator George McPhee renuntio hodie. Laing mos suo Caput in Carolina quod ero libramen facio suus Caput debut taedium Haud. 53 in tonight’s venatus procul RBC Center (7 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, Sermo Radio 3WT – 107.7 FM, sesquimellesimus Sum, 820 Sum).

Laing, 28, no suus NHL debut in 2003-04 per Pullus Blackhawks, recording unus succurro in three venatus. A 6’2”, 200- talentum paternus of Rosetown, Saskatchewan, is has septem cuspis ( duos calx, quinque succurro) in 19 venatus pro Ipsa is season quod plumbum totus Gero porro per a +8 rating.

Laing eram Detroit Rutilus Wings’ quartus- rotundus choice, 102nd super, in 1997 NHL Viscus Draft. An duodeviginti- annus pro, sit in suus secundus season in Capitals’ norma. Laing eram nomen Hershey’s Unsung Vir permaneo season, ut is recorded 43 cuspis (15 calx, 28 succurro) in 75 venatus pro Gero. Is has posteri 179 cuspis in 452 tutela venatus procul AHL campester.

Secundum Pium- Novus, Caput have accersitus sursum volatilis Quintin Laing iuvo repleo in foramen partum per pestifer ut Sarcalogos Expedio quod Boyd Gordon.

Is eram an suscito nox noctis sursum in press arca archa, ut effectrix pro “Hockey Nox noctis In Canalis” erant interviewing bloggers pro an upcoming segment. (CBCs’ Elliotte Friedman, quisnam quoque writes a blog, did vere questioning.) A Visum ex Vilis Sessio, Off Pennae Sententia, Iocus’ Rink, DC SportsBox,quod Abel ut Yzerman erant totus reddo. segment mos aer procul 630: EDT in Imbuo, Dec. 1 ut secui of pre- venatus ostendo. effectrix quoque certe certo mihi ut is ero available in CBC website.

Usquam, lest nos alieno, illic eram a venatus video vidi visum tonight.

• Vegrandis turba tonight, tamen is est Florida quod a Wednesday.
• Brent Johnson wore a Redskins hat in scamnum tonight. Caps quoque did a vere nice tributum ut Sean Taylor- they pluo nonnullus bonus pes ex suus altus schola quod contraho dies pariter ut suus Redskins tutela. EGO maculosus utique unus Taylor jersey in plebis.
• Tergum- ut- tergum poena combibo, singulariter nocens ones amo “ quoque plures men in ice.” Quod illud poena vulnero vel magis ut adversus team ustulo in unus of lemma.
• amiculum guy, quondam notus ut vexillum quod Slapshot puppet guy, eram remuneror per Permoveo of Venatus.
• Is sanus amo Diapente Versus est in domus tonight, sententia is isnt’ unus of suum persona venatus; is could exsisto humus of Germen fans quisnam diligo Olie, tamen quisnam teneo. humus did satus fluctus.
• Zednik eram interviewed per Florida broadcast team per primoris intermission, scilicet super suus calx obviam suus quondam team. (iustus amo permaneo week.)
• Res Bradley occumbo gloves quod vere stuck is ut Garth Murray. Nice opus per Bradley.
• Eximius offa per Expedio subnecto is procul unus. Narro of Expedio, illic est currently a commercial focused in him proveho tunc domus venatus. In is is profero numerus of vieo hes’ suscipio quod numerus of vicis hes’ been infligo down, tamen is gets sursum. Ut’ quis caput operor. Puteus’ capto stipes a video of is in blog laxus.
• Caps Crew iustus threw burritos in plebis. Utique suus’ a change ex usitas pizza vindico.
• Kolzig est vultus valde acer tonight.
• Ineo exAbel ut Yzerman: “Boyd Gordon? Quis’ a Boyd Gordon?” Memor, is est a Pennae fan. They dont’ teneo quis juvenis est in Detroit. Reprehendo sicco suusblogging of venatus, suus’ per entertaining.
• Semin per a adhaero vultus in insisto per… utique is wasnt’ suus ankle.
• Nylanders’ mollis-dump- fere- verto- calx no meus pectus pectoris skip a pello pepulli pulsum… bet is did vos, quoque.
• renuntio est asleep procul mic tonight; dico Pardus “Penguins,” questus Kozlovs’ numerus nefas (15 instead of 25).
• Pro nonnullus causa, surculus paperwork planto mihi rideo risi risum.
• Qua est Ovechkins’ surculus sicco kryptonite occultus? Quispiam postulo ut reperio a plumbum arca archa pro is.
• Kozlovs’ etiam viaticus in SIC quod Backstroms’ rudimentum eram sic teres.
• Caps es certus ostendo venalicium lenimentus in surculus, ut testimonium per quod they went 11 rotundus, suum secundus- porro surculus utpote November 26, 2005.

Random Notitia:

Lets’ pactus ut per rectum of res a evidenter districtus, multi- utor venue — domus ut Hoyas, Veneficus, Mystics, Caps, an annual equus ostendo, varius instar skating vices, ustulo of sollicitudo — Quin Center est metaphysically inconcessus ex perficio a ovis of glacies species satis ut ordo in NHLs’ caput capitis tertius. Due mereo ut schedule duress is simplex cannot aspire ut similitudo lenitas lenitudo, ut niger- glacies- in-Banff species of superficies plerumque instituo in comparatively quietis venues talis ut illud in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, vel Joe in Detroit.

Lets’ pactus porro ut escendo change wreaking havoc is est puto habeo per suus proponents, ut Lavatio hiberna pulvis’ certe certo gelu pro three rectus mensis, ut they quondam erant ( huic bloggers’ juvenis, verum), condita pro an additional glacies suffragium challenge.

Quod lets’ quoque pactus ut Midatlantic tellus est vomica per ornamentum humidity, in totus quattuor seasons, quod ut ut’ non theca in NHL civis amo Boston, Pullus, Los Angelus, quod San Jose, inter alius. Ut’ non loquor ut illud locus dont’ teneo suum partis of heatwaves, quod vel parcus- ut- plumbeus mugginess in resarcio, tamen nusquam in lanx of Midatlantics’ medium- estas dolor. Humidity, per per patefacio ut sunlight, looms ut an glacies ovis’ plurimus potent hostilis. Suus’ quare rinks in tellus prodigo largior in aer circulation ratio.

Sic challenge umquam confronting Quin Center suffragium baculus est formidible. Atqui, in alius sections of American Inferus, quod Occasus — Atlanta, Tampa, Nashville, plurimus singulariter Dallas — audimus nullus of improbus directus procul glacies ovis ut nos have hic is season. Is gets per fervens quod muggy in Florida, vos teneo. Tamen est is sic daunting a challenge ut Caps’ glacies should exsisto lodged non tantum 30th in species ex 30 teams tamen verum peior quam illud ludio ludius in per potissimum tellus’ scholastic teams? Is est per philologus theca ut Caps meditor in a ovis of glacies appreciably excellens in species ut unus they conflictus suum venatus in. Ut’ alienigena quod intolerable.

Can vos statua Daniel Snyder res edoctus ut Requiro Cervus junior varsity footballers opus in turf excellens ut ut of Foedero Agri? Puteus DeMathas’ JV quod varsity hockey teams skate in melior glacies quam Caps.

Washingtons’ superficies, utrum in Landover vel downtown, has nunquam been contemplor ut parce bonus vel melior quam mediocris, vel in promontorium of hiberna. Tamen illic’ quispiam proprie perniciosus super glacies hic is season. Suus’ res referenced per taedium per ludio ludius quod saluto cogo in a nox noctis basis. Tom Venenum in Monday nox noctis accersitus Verizons’ glacies “embarassing.”

Per contraho amo of Alexes — cuius solers can tantum amplio in congruens ut species of superficies they contendo in — quam can Caput’ procuratio sino team ut contendo in a superficies improbus ut Tampas’?

In Moscow permaneo ver EGO partis a cab per an entrepreneur opus secundum scaena per NHL in suus foras hockey venatus. Is told mihi ut hodie technology futurus deporto an foras NHL venatus conflictus in a species superficies. . . in Florida . . . in October. Obvius annus ahead, suus’ altus amo ut puteus’ animadverto foras ordinarius season venatus ludio ludius in nonnullus admiratio locus.

Hodie in D.C. valetudo parumper hockey venatus downtown tonight vere couldnt’ exsisto ultum melior huic vicis in calendar. aer foris est siccus quod articulus, tempero strenuus. In ullus alius magnus-league urbs, 45 vel sic NHLers tonight would contendo in a rationabiliter decens nisi bonus ovis of glacies. Caps quod Pardus, vero, mos non.

quare

Per a vexillum, weekly online chat per lector yesterday Lavatio Stipes columnist/ESPN personality/ imperator magnus interventus blowhard Michael Wilbon agri questions in mens of nonnullus Washington sports fans. Ut vos vires statua, novus of Sean Taylor surculus eram of paramount penitus quod sollicitudo. Tamen illic erant quaero quoque in Veneficus, contraho football, quod NFL magis universe.

Unus questioner, vero,deigned ut erigo sermo of NHL quod Caps’ firing of Glen Hanlon. Quinymo topically vindico in the calendar of chat, wouldnt’ vos narro? Take nota primoris of professionalism Wilbon pre se ferre in suus coepi reaction ut serius, sober, and newsworthy in suus timeliness percunctor ex hockey fan, tunc nota quoque Wilbons’ admission of excludo sui ex pulvis domus ut unus of plagiarius’ plurimus donum athletes, procopiose a annus: 

Maryland: Mike, EGO teneo illic’ non ultum hockey sermo in illa chat domus, tamen quis es vestri sententia in Caps changing cogo? In hodie’ universitas of lusum qua “ ludio ludius lucror quod cogo perdo” obviously is had futurus perfectus. . . but operor in-season coaching changes concito satis of a teams’ juices ut vere planto a distinctus? Gratiae.

washingtonpost.com: Hanlon Sicco ut Caps’ Cogo (stipes, Nov. 23)

Michael Wilbon: Operor vos vere curo NHL? Teams change cogo amo they change underwear. They change lemma iens in playoffs secundum nonnullus alius cogo got team in playoffs. Diabolus have perfectus is quodwon Sto Vas … vel utique gotten ut Denique. Es vos kidding? Does is succurro? Hockey ludio ludius videor ut pervenio ut a change in cogo amo haud alius team lusum athletes. Im’ non super ut theoricus in Caput switch quoniam EGO havent’ seen Caput in alio in super a annus … EGO simplex dont’ insisto NHL via EGO did ut a kid, teenager, tener adult vel tener sportswriter … illic pulvis’ satis hora in dies, dies obvius week vel weeks obvius annus insequor panton, vel pro guys amo mihi quisnam es pensus insequor lusum. NHL est quis EGO occumbo, ut Ive’ incrementabiliter gotten in soccer quod ( tardus) NASCAR … quod is videor, ex vultus procul custodis instar, Im’ non solus unus quisnam has occumbo sicco tardus.

Suus’ decens videlicet obvious ut Quin Center est domus ut pessimus ovis of glacies in universus NHL. Is eram Mike Vogels’ question ut Tom Venenum in Caps’ obfirmo cella after Monday nights game’: “in alter period is vultus amo vos erant lascivio ball hockey sicco illic” Is eram Venenum’ respondeo:

“ut’ quam is est sulum nox noctis hic. . . suus’ pulchellus impeditus, futurus blunt.” 

• “nos pello pepulli pulsum ourselves tonight,” Tom Venenum told interventus in obfirmo cella secundum Mondays 3’-1 damnum ut Plaga. Cogo Boudreau amplified: “nos ludio ludius ut ferreus ut lemma, iustus non ut smart ut them. A” team can rare verto puck super ut Caps did Monday nox noctis obviam a “ valde transitus team” in Boudreaus’ lacuna quod survive.  
• Venatus 3 in the Boudreau tellus, quod 3rd venatus per a incendia in campana of boys. Is nox noctis, vero, illic eram a fundo amount of turnovers accompanying votum- incendia.
• Erskine-Peters tripudio card pretty: effective job per Erskine . . . narrow decision to Erskine?
• Plurrimi infigo vultus of Ovechkins’ calx eram suus renuo ut redono in lascivio. Quis operor vos dico is vox surge permoveo is planto ex pennae, racing in, legs churning, tutor sepius perficio positus, quod ends per suus voluntarius sui ut ustulo a calx? Nos OFB team quod nostrum lector postulo ut loco nostrum partum reputo caps in quod tendo quod nomen is seemingly unprecedented, velox-action scoring swoop of determined votum quod putus prodigium.
• Est is orsa aspicio ut quisquam alius super nos ut Mike Viridis est emerging ( iam emerged?) ut is hockeys’ teams’ plurimus dynamic presentia in vox lascivio cuspis? Neque nec per default, aut.
• Kolzig per a quinque- campana, quattuor- timor fabulous subsisto in Hecht in tertius.
• Is opera nos loquor is, tamen Michael Nylander traho an Esa Tikkanen tardus in tertius. (Admittedly per talea fere sic altus) Is eram ut quidam quaedam quedam quidam nox noctis pro Michael Nylander. is scriptor duos mortifer turnovers in alter period ut facilitated Buffalos’ perpetuus 3-1 plumbum. Tunc, profundus in tertius, dum in crepito secundum Ryan Miller, is decursus puck everywhere tamen in net, off a rebound of an Alexander Semin offa. Vos vires non animadverto talis peius- vicis labes labis iterum ceterus of season. After venatus, Boudreau told press ut had Caps gotten ut secundus calx, is felt momentum perficio ex is would have mos lemma ut a tying calx
• Viktor Kozlov: an enigma wrapped in a mystery. Adeo solers, adeo amplitudo, adeo sizzle accompanied by nimium fizzle. Suus numerus is season pulvis’ nocens procul totus, tamen vos meditatus quis’ in suus toolbox, quod vestri’ left puzzled per frequentatio quicum is scriptor labefactum- solvo amoveo.

Iam praeter a vicus of via per season, Caps have quattuor ludio ludius in geminus digits in ustulo. Montreal Canadiens, picked per haud vegrandis numerus of forecasters compleo foris Orientales placitum’ caput capitis duodeviginti tamen currently diapente, have novem ludio ludius in geminus digits in ustulo. Talis pondera est difficilis defendo.   

A mirus blurb ex Onion contemplor Populus Hockey Leagues’ savior, Mr. Crux crucis:

PITTSBURGH—After a decades- porro senium in fan penitus ut pervenio suus nadir per damnum of an universus season sudo jurgium, Populus Hockey League eram eripio per incursus of reigning MVP Sidney Crux crucis, cuius calx quod duos succurro obviam Novus Jersey Diabolus recidivus league ut sublimitas of suus quondam palma.

“quis a verum momentous dies pro rejuvenation of valde lusum of glacies hockey,” Mandatum Gary Melior said of Crux crucis’ transcendent effectus in a cuspis-grabbing deprehendo ut brought Penguins intus offensio loginquitas of quartus locus. “ut secundus succurro eram a rutilus exempoator of quis is venatus can verum be—Crosby agnosco screen, instituo patefacio vir per Angli, quod displayed the reverentia-inspiring talentum unus socius per a Muhammad Ali vel a Michael Jordan. Hockey est nam servo now. ”

Melior quoque agnosco singulus- calx, duos- succurro effectus ex 13 alius NHL ludio ludius comprehendo Sarcalogos Chelios, Dany Estus, quod Todd Niveus, tamen emphasized ut, dissimilis Crux crucis, they had non servo NHL. 

SI.com nuper did a column super quinque pessimus stadiums. Is got mihi reputo super hockey pulvis; erant’ felicis in Lavatio habeo a valde unus iam ( sententia nonnullus vires oro ut Solio Centre had suus deliciae). Nimirum, non totus teams es sic felicis. Hic’ pauci off caput capitis of meus caput capitis:

- Nassau Mausoleum Coliseum. Ut vox “ senium” est saepius adsuesco assuesco exsequor vestri pulvis, vos teneo suus’ nocens.

- Mellon Pulvis. Non totus vetus pulvis es awful; Im’ a ingens fan of ancient compages amo RFK vel Dodger Stadium, quod EGO diligo Vet. Tamen is est unus locus ut’ preteritus suus prime. Fortuna pro Pens fans, they tantum have pauci magis annus perfero illic.

- Aer Canalis Centre. EGO teneo, Im’ in pupillus hic. Tamen super beer vitualamen ( diversus amplitudo of beer, quod beer vendors), I wasn’t overly impressed. It wasn’t the worst arena I’ve been in, but I didn’t like the railings between rows (in the nosebleeds, anyway) and being so far away from the action. The suites (pictured) looked more like they were part of a dollhouse than an arena. At least Maple Leaf Gardens had real character and a better location. (I did, however, enjoy the ACC’s mini-museum of Leafs history.)

It’s a little sad that most arenas are merely acceptable, instead of outstanding. Then again, it doesn’t help that arenas are typically multi-use facilities, and hockey teams have to share the space with NBA teams or circuses. Someday I’d like to get to all of the arenas, similar to the 30 Games in 30 Nights guy, and discover the best of the bunch. It’s too easy to find the worst ones.

Let’s say that near the holidays your beer league team has accepted a new teammate on its roster, a pleasant fella very new to town with a reasonably significant hockey background. He’s so new to town, in fact, that he is unaware of one of his new teammate’s hockey blogging hobby, an ignorance which could allow, were the circumstances warranted, for said blogger to air out, in url fashion, a discomfort he harbors with his new teammate. Let’s call this newcomer Michael.

We the recreational hockey player have all been in the glare of the newcomer’s discomfort — the unnerving tension and awkwardness associated with being the newbie in the room. Hockey’s rooms, even on the exceedingly recreational level, carry a camaraderie matched nowhere else among Saturday and Sunday athletes. It’s one built on the healthy traffic of razor-sharp barbs. But it’s tough being the newcomer to it, and thereby the outsider.

The outsider wants so desperately to fit in, fast and seamlessly. No room in no other sport knows the good-natured ribbing and jibes of hockey. The last thing a newcomer would want to bring to his first game is a reason to make him the center of ridicule.

So imagine, if you can, what manner of reaction might have been directed the newcomer’s way in my beer league room with the revelation of game gear garnered at some Hartford GoodWill: Cooperalls.

Circa 1982.

No brown leather gloves, no well weathered leather Red Horner specials. Just that ghastly, pleatless, shiny look from waist to ankle. It’s a bit like the look of Dr. Zachary Smith in ‘Lost in Space.’

How did they possibly survive all these years? (Answer: they are impervious to moths) Michael’s had some wear about them to be sure, but they were hardly the worst for wear in the room. At first the fashion attack appeared to be a belated Halloween prank, but then Michael actually put them on and waltzed out onto the ice for warmups.

Ours is a team that might be termed female-supporter-friendly-in-the-stands challenged, and Michael’s mess about his bottom half won’t be helping matters.

Clearly, team leadership has a decision to make; the fashion status quo cannot continue. OFB readers — no small number of beer leaguers among them — may have found their rooms similarly vexed. Just not this decade. Or last. I thought it wise to put this matter to a poll.

John Walton, radio voice of the Hershey Bears, published an open letter to Capitals fans on his web site.

I know it’s been a trying few weeks watching your team slide in the standings, and I know a lot of you have been frustrated with what you’ve seen. I also know that some of you in discussion boards have wondered what Bruce Boudreau will do for your team, with some of you thinking “here we go again” with another AHL coach being called up instead of some “name” coach for big bucks. I just wanted to let you know, as a humble servant of your minor league affiliate, I believe Bruce is the guy you need. Bruce Boudreau is one of the greatest people I’ve ever been around, a great leader of men with just enough grit to go with his compassion for his players to get the job done for you. I’ve ridden the buses with him, I’ve seen him one-on-one with players, I’ve seen him when times are good, and I’ve seen him when times are bad. Know this first and foremost: He’s a winner…

…If Bruce remains for the long term in Washington, we’ll miss him terribly here, but you’ll love him like we do. Honest. For what it’s worth, we have seen the magic here. We’re more than willing to share.

The complete letter can be found here.

Fresh off the presses at Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have relieved Glen Hanlon of his coaching duties and named Bruce Boudreau the team’s interim head coach, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Boudreau, 52, has coached championship teams in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL and is in his third year as the head coach of the Hershey Bears, Washington’s AHL affiliate. He led the team to the Eastern Conference championship and the Calder Cup finals in each of his first two years in Hershey, winning the Calder Cup in 2006. Boudreau has compiled a 103-45-11-16 record with the Bears (a .666 winning percentage), including an AHL-best 51-17-6-6 record (.713) last season. Seven current members of the Capitals played for Boudreau with the Bears.

Boudreau becomes the 14th coach in Washington Capitals history. He will make his debut behind the Capitals’ bench tomorrow at Philadelphia (1 p.m., Comcast SportsNet, Talk Radio 3WT: 107.7 FM, 1500 AM, 820 AM).

Boudreau is in his ninth season as an AHL head coach, having compiled a 340-216-56-43 career record. He spent four years with the Manchester Monarchs and two years with the Lowell Lock Monsters before joining the Bears. Before ascending to the AHL, he was the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Mississippi Sea Wolves (ECHL), where he won the 1999 Kelly Cup championship.

After making his head-coaching debut in the Colonial Hockey League with the Muskegon Fury in 1992-93, Boudreau took over the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1993-94. The Komets advanced to the Turner Cup finals his first season at the controls, and Boudreau was named the 1993-94 IHL coach of the year.

Boudreau played parts of eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, recording 70 points in 141 NHL games. A third-round pick of the Leafs in the 1975 NHL draft, Boudreau enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a Canadian junior player during 1974-75. He picked up 165 points for the Toronto Marlboros, a Canadian Hockey League record until Wayne Gretzky surpassed the mark during the 1977-78 season.

An outstanding AHL player, Boudreau ranks 11th all-time in scoring in league history with 316 goals and 799 points. No AHL player in the 1980s notched more points than Boudreau, as he played for the New Brunswick Hawks, Baltimore Skipjacks, Nova Scotia Oilers, Springfield Indians and Newmarket Saints during that time. He won the 1987-88 John B. Sollenberger Trophy for leading the league in scoring, and was also a member of the 1992 Calder Cup champion Adirondack Red Wings.

No timetable has been set for naming a head coach beyond Boudreau’s interim status. The rest of the Capitals coaching staff will remain in place.

An article in The News & Observer has revealed that a number of Hurricanes, including Glen Wesley, have switched their sweaters, but not their teams. After hearing complaints from the four corners of the NHL Earth, Reebok is now offering alternate versions of the Rbk Edge.

The Hurricanes switched two games ago to the modified jerseys, which feature a looser fit on the arms, more air-knit fabric and less of the “bead-away” water repellency technology touted by Reebok.

“I think there were enough complaints league-wide that obviously there was a noticeable difference,” Wesley said Tuesday. “So far, it’s been a good change.”

Touting the company line, president of Reebok’s Sports Licensed Division David Baxter stated that the “system” complaints have not been unanimous.

“Many NHL players are satisfied with the current Rbk Edge jersey, but since the start of the season, some have expressed concern about the jersey’s moisture management and durability.”

It may be hard to tell who has made the switch as the necklines are the same with the same overall cut.

“I think everyone likes the new ones a lot better,” Carolina center Matt Cullen said. “It was just funny to go back to the old material, and it feels better.”

Now we know that Cullen and Wesley will be somewhere between one and nine percent slower. I’ll look out for others skating slower on Saturday night.
Thanks to Kukla’s Korner for the assist.

My three stars of the season’s first quarter are:

(3) Pascal Leclaire — the backstopper of the BlueJackets, disbelievingly into playoff contention, with a .940 save percentage, 1.59 goals-against (second-best in the league) and five shutouts. He’s my Vezina Trophy winner for the first quarter;

(2) Henrik Zetterberg — previously a terrific scoring forward, now a superstar, and clearly a more dynamic talent up front for the Wings than Pavel Datsyuk. Soon to be paid so?;

(1) Vincent Lecavalier — simply having his best season as a pro, the league’s leading scorer with 32 pts.; dominating his opposition and making what was believed to be a top-heavy corps of Bolts’ forwards into a first line that’s so good it matters little what contributions, if any, follow. He’s my Hart Trophy winner for the first quarter.

Honorable mention: Jarome Iginla (26 points in 19 games) is having an MVP quality season, but he’s laboring on a struggling Flames club. And Comcast, for coming through with NHL CenterIce, the NHL Network, and Lisa Hillary.

Falling stars:

(3) the Washington Capitals

(2) Marc Andre Fleury

(1) Reebok

Midwest Mojo: Rebuilds in Chicago and St. Louis are ahead of pace and impressive. Patrick Kane is my Calder Trophy winner for the first quarter. Robert Lang, with 19 points in 20 games, and skating a +7, is giving the Hawks precisely the kind of productive, veteran leadership they’d hoped for on the top line. Still, the Hawks have issues — in their back end. They’ve surrendered 61 goals, and both Khabibulin and Lalime sport sub-.900 save percentages. But after a decade of dreariness, the Hawks are fun to watch again. The leading scorers for the Blues are greybeards Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk. After that, it’s a lunchpail outfit that’s outworking its opponents. There’s a lot of youth of that roster, so it may strengthen as the season progrsses. And what of Clumbus, the claimers of Jiri Novotny and Kris Beech? They are eighth in the West, and 6-2-1 at home.

In the East, Montreal and the Islanders have been stunning success stories. It’s a balanced attack in Montreal: the Habs already have eight players in double digits in scoring. And remember how everybody in hockey was pitying the Isles after the opening hours of free agency, when guys like Jason Blake, Tom Poti, and Viktor Kozlov bolted? Ted Nolan is working his second consecutive miracle on the Isle.

Might in the Michaels. Mike Richards and Mike Cammalleri have staked out take-it-to-the-bank All Star game selections. Richards (23 points in 19 games) is Philadelphia’s most consistent and dynamic performer, a point-per-game player who this season has transitioned from promising youngster to elite, captain-quality talent. His three shorthanded tallies lead the league. Cammalleri (12 goals, 7 assists) is beginning to look a lot like the Western conference’s version of Martin St. Louis.

Jolly Ole Productive St. Nik. Nik Antropov is healthy and playing virtually a point-a-game hockey for the Leafs, and skating a +9. Who knew he could? He had 33 points last season, and a high of 16 goals and 29 assists in 2002-03. Obviously he’s on pace for a career year. Alex Kovalev is on pace for 40 goals. Meanwhile, Jonathon Cheeechoo has just 3 goals in 21 games for the Sharks. Jaromir Jagr, I’m sad to report, is on pace for 16 goals this season, and Chris Drury (3 goals!) even less. Still, their Rangers have seriously heated up in the Atlantic.

Jeremy Roenick — remember him? — is outscoring Mike Modano, Brendan Shanahan, Thomas Vanek, Drury, Chris Higgins, Brian Gionta, and Patrick Marleau. One of the reasons Tampa was able to survive the loss of Dan Boyle for much of the season’s first quarter was the play of Paul Ranger: 4 goals, a +11, and an able distributor on the power play point.

It sure appears as if Peter Forsberg has played his last game in the NHL, and perhaps in pro hockey period. Next stop, the Hall of Fame. Less honorably sidelined, in my judgment, are Scott Niedermayer and Teamu Selanne, who appear to want to allow their Ducks teammates to shoulder the early regular season’s bumps and bruises before perhaps rejoining them for the stretch run and postseason. I’m sorry, but hockey players play hockey when hockey starts, not finishes. Without them, the defending champion Ducks are holding it together rather well.

Guy Carbonneau and Ted Nolan share the Jack Adams Trophy for the season’s first quarter, from my vantage. Honorable mention: Ken Hitchcock.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Off Wing Opinion’s Kate McGovern captured a telling image of Alex Ovechkin on the ice after the final horn of yesterday’s loss to Florida.

Be sure to check out Kate and the other Off Wing photographers’ work at Off Wing Photo.

The always entertaining fount of sports uniform-related minutia, UniWatch, has a compilation of gametime scrambling caused by lost or stolen uniforms. The article—inspired by the recent Virginia Tech players who had to wear Georgia Tech jerseys for a recent game, complete with handwritten nameplates—has one hockey-related example:

1998: During the World Junior Hockey Championships in Finland, Canada and Russia both show up for a quarterfinal game with red uniforms. Russia is the designated home team, so the Canadians are forced to play the first period in Finnish national jerseys until their white jerseys can be driven to the arena.

Click here to read the full article, including the classic story of Detroit Tiger great “Sweet Lou” Whitaker leaving his All-Star jersey at home, going into the stands to buy a blank replica, and simply writing his number on the back.

Perhaps the Caps should have ”accidentally” forgotten their uniforms for the game in Tampa; they’d likely score more goals wearing Bolts unis. Chris Bourque might even net a hat trick wearing Martin St. Louis’ sweater—they’re about the same size, right?

NBC News Friday evening profiled ex-Cap Joe Juneau for his exemplary sense of community in Arctic Canada’s Kujuwak, Quebec, a remote Innuit outpost of isolation and frequent despair. If you aren’t a proud Caps’ fan by virtue of the team’s struggles on the ice these days, this feature will help reorient your pride.

Hockey knight in Canada

Former NHL star in his own words

I had three thoughts in the immediate aftermath of last night’s 2-1 loss in Sunrise. One, the title of one of my favorite cinematic comedies, ‘As Good as It Gets’ — that title, its syntax, just sorta sauntered about in my post-loss head. Two, that there surely was an elevated toxicity to be found in the forums of the foaming at the mouth, and that I’d wait 12 or so hours before scanning their contents, as hanging for losing hockey games is in my view too severe a remedy. And three, fan exuberance and its obvious shortcomings notwithstanding, sometimes the mad men are actually right in their fury.

Absent a miraculous turnaround in this hockey team, the wherewithal for which is impossible to detect this morning, odds are that Caps’ management is going to come to see things much as much of the fanbase has for about two weeks now — and likely, rather soon. (Assuming they already don’t.) Which for me invites an interesting question. We can all agree that 75 or 90 percent of the time, the pitchfork-and-torches brigade of the beaten down by too many losses is reactionary and irrational in wholly unproductive fashion. It’s the old I gotta have a head on a platter mentality. It’s driven by the Id’s need to vent. But ocassionally, just ocassionally, beneath all the sound and the foaming, there is actual merit to their madness.

But more specifically, what is it about the kingdom of fandom that once in a while affords it a view to an appropriate kill, while management, comprised of seasoned professionals in the industry, dithers and damagingly delays? It could perhaps be analogized as the dog owner who presents his pup to the veterinarian complaining of a gut-felt malady in the little guy, but finds no remedy. ‘My little doggie just isn’t right,’ the owner would report. The vet would examine, detect no ill, and move along to inspect the next critter. A tumor somehow went undetected, by the pro we most depend upon to find it. Again, nine times out of ten, it’s found, and quite often excessive worry and woe needlessly drive scores of animal lovers to unnecessary and costly visits to the vet. However in Washington this fall, we’ve a genuinely sick pup named puck.

Fully five days this hockey team had to prepare itself for the perpetually underwhelming Florida Panthers, losers of four straight games. Its lineup was at 95 percent capacity. Its leaders spoke this week on record of an imperative of the moment. Again, once the puck dropped, it played not poorly at all but not good enough to win. Again.

One could plausibly posit that the Southeast is the NHL’s least imposing division, and the Capitals this morning are at the bottom of it. Syllogism: the Caps are the worst team in hockey. One that eight weeks ago spoke uniformly and openly about participating in the NHL postseason.

The fanbase this morning might rightly ask of management: just how much evidence do you require?

This morning there is for me a foreboding sense of an awful appointment tonight for the Caps, again in Florida. I witnessed much of what Vinny did to the first-place ‘Canes the other night. A Friday night in Tampa: this building, unlike last night’s, will be sold out. There is a team perhaps in or approaching a death spiral gliding toward a potential buzzsaw. I fear a high order of ugliness. And then, following, a quiet weekend of disquiet. Again.

Then, maybe then — likely not but perhaps — remedy will follow. A furious fanbase will be obliged. A corrective course will be pursued. Maybe.

More likely, however, even in the event of a wretched, additionally spirits-sapping defeat this evening, one driving this hockey team further below the Mendoza line of competitiveness, management will ponder further. At some point, however, the conveyor belt of rationalizing inaction will produce no product. Then it will be fair for the fanbase to ask of the team’s management, with respect to this week’s five-day break, Why did you wait?

New free agents aren’t performing poorly. The defense is much improved, the goaltending super solid and often even better. Alex is playing the best hockey of his career. But accorded the advantage of relaxed schedule and the self-imposed imperative of winning, the best this Caps club could do last night in Sunrise was play well enough to lose to a lousy club. Again.

This is as good as it gets.