In Glacialis Blog

Apprised of Comcasts’ commitment ut Caps is week, EGO verto in Comcast SportsNet moment EGO supervenio domus ex opus Monday nox noctis, quod left is illic. Quis EGO vigilo super tunc quattuor hora attonitus mihi.

EGO saw novus Comcast Caps’ pello pepulli pulsum opinio Lisa Tumulosus bulla populus a season praevius alongside Joe Nidor. EGO saw iustus super totus of Alexander Ovechkins’ primoris- umquam NHL venatus (Id’ forgotten ut is eram a flubbed breakaway ex a hat furta ut nox noctis). Tunc EGO saw JoeB quod Craig populus alius bulla dimidium hora, “Caps Narro” proalius team praevius. Spondeo pro Comcasts’ “SportsNight” ut secuutus pollicitus vel magis Caps’ occulto.

Is eram “Monday Nox noctis Hockey in Washington,” nimirum.

Caput capitis Cogo Glen Hanlon eram interviewed in depth per Tumulosus. GMGM eram thoughtfully interviewed, tandem, quod is dummodo suus usitas thoughtful restituo. Key alio — Sarcalogos Expedio, Olie Kolzig, Tom Venenum, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Nylander — totus took volvit pro Comcasts’ venit. Tarik El Vercundus’ segment per Joe quod Craig EGO sententia eram a highlight of universus nox noctis. (Tarik, verus effingo, dedi a siccus quod mediocris assessment amid vallum bene engulfing norma mane is autumn. Caps, is said, could perago usquam “ ex sedecim ut decimus” in Orientales placitum)

Broadcast Susurro super pro hockey in D.C. illa dies? Umm, etiam — tantum si vos contemplor totus- perussi, singulus- thema pietas per locus lusum television exitus ut urbs’ rutilus- caput capitis stepchild of pro teams “ susurro”- testimonium. Promptus suus’ iens ut exsisto amo is reliquum of week sulum vesper in Comcast.

Procul unus cuspis per prime vicis proceedings EGO saw Joe quod Craig mico in screen multiple-screen listings of Caps’ prospicio. EGO saw nomen Michal Neuvirth, Simeon Varlamov, Karl Alzner, Joe Finley, Mathieu Perreault, Suffragium Bouchard, Dave Steckel, quod Sarcalogos Bourque, totus broadcast in an exitus ut nunquam in suus vita held an muneris fantasy hockey lacus. Ne multus, is eram amo a effrego exhockeysfuture, quod duos DraftGeeks pensio sicco Comcast bulla quod condita amo Wayne quod Garth in locus cable obvius.

Wayne, er, JoeB: “inviso totus is talentum in pipeline, Dude!”

Garth, er, Craig ( caput capitis gallo): “Praeclarus!”

Is est quis importo unus Canuck can operor ut an exitus!

Magis serio, Tumulosus eram hired accerso suus NHL occulto usus ut Comcast. in- domus hockey talentum eram significant, si sub-appreciated quod grossly sub- utilitas, tamen had exitus umquam jactito a dedicated opinio in pello pepulli pulsum? Tunc Im’ iens ut refer ut occulto sententia amo Comcasts’ huic week havent’ res in a vacuum, quod ut theyre’ a prenuncius of melior occulto advenio, procer quod broadcast, institutio quod alternative. Ut an ambitus, suus’ fashionable, nimirum: Caps may non planto is ut postseason is annus, tamen they mos non exsisto plumbeus.

Tamen nimirum Im’ a subscriber ut ratio ut a interventus revolution huic team quod suus lusum est puteus sub illa dies, in illa secui.

Im’ quoque, procul weeks’ terminus, ut is tentatio run in Comcast terminatio, planning in decens a subscriber ut CapsTV.

Quis did Lavatio Caput proficio per suum preseason is September? A bonus frenum, EGO reputo. Primoris quod primoris, they artificiosus plurrimi maximus negotium: they parco serius malum — weve’ haud testimonium ut Alexander Semins’ ankle sprain est serius. Alter plurimus significant factum, in meus sententia, eram seeing a sanus numerus of vegetus visio tractare procul a altus campester quod puteus integrate per recidivus Caps’ core. Tomas Fleischmann, is videor, has won primoris versus vox pennae officium. Abyssus’ exsisto centered, utique coepi, per Viktor Kozlov. Sic duos- tertius of Washingtons’ caput capitis versus est novus is season. Is vultus magis lascivio dignus quam aut of suus praevius incarnations preteritus duos seasons.

Narro of vultus lascivio dignus, Caps effrego castra iactantia unus of plurrimi intriguing secundus versus in totus of hockey — vindicatum Alexander Semins’ ankle est mereo a dies- ut- dies ailment. Nicklas Backstroms’ libramen quod uber ex suus valde primoris pre se ferre venatus in validus EGO reputo vel procuratio’ rosiest forecast. Requiro him ut amplio mensis per mensis ut suus vegetus season progressio, quod pro him ut exsisto lodged in everybodys’ brevis album of Calder candidates adveho ver. Amo Caps’ caput capitis versus, alter, centered per Michael Nylander, est 66 sentio novus is autumn.

Versus three mos have a novus vultus pariter. Boyd Gordon mos center is, quod Res Pettinger mos latuseris him in left. Tamen alius Ipsa Gero, Dave Steckel, no verus loud sonitus ( singulariter in visio orbis) is palaestra castra. Is may optimus duco vir in universus norma, is lascivio a smart venatus, quod is consortio maxime puteus per Gordon. (Caps’ fans can tantum spes Gordon quod Steckel replicate in Lavatio suum duos- via opus ex Hersheys’ postseason run ut Calder glorior 2006.) Caput Sarcalogos Expedio videor futurus aliquantulus of utilitas infielder pro prothoplastus three versus — hes’ amo video vidi visum officium in totus three is season. Interdum is should skate in Gordons’ vox, procul alius — forsitan ut per is week, ut a teammate sursum caput capitis est vulnero — abyssus’ skate in caput capitis 6.

Ut Caps’ quartus versus, iustus 30 hora pro oris nox noctis rosters must exsisto summitto ut league, may etiam have quinque bodies vying pro assignment: Datum Procax, Res Bradley, Vepres Sutherby, Revolvo Laich, quod Ben Clymer. In repens seasons Caps’ roster has had vultus quod sentio of nimium muck quod grit quoque altus sursum frons. Is autumn, multus of is has been pulsus pessum, quod a logjam has emerged. Suus’ been utique quinquennis utpote Caps could probabilis vindicatum three versus idoneus of exhibitio cuspis per ullus reliability. Theyll’ polleo ut in 2007-08.

Illic’ aliquanto minor turnover quod templum in blueline: tantum Tom Venenum supervenio foris in caput capitis 6. Caps’ procuratio est vultus pro suus blueline somes ut subolesco quod blossom organically, quod is September, illic erant foveo subcribo of venalicium lenimentus e. Milan Jurcina reverto ut Lavatio brimming per bulging biceps; suus teammates lamnia lammina lamna pro him cognomen “Juice.” Is flebilis sicco dozens of frendo hits permaneo season secundum adventum ex Boston, quod 2007-08 could animadverto him talea a legitiums vindicatum ut an labefactum, caput capitis-2 physical vis.

Ut Caps sent Mike Viridis tergum ut Ipsa permaneo ver they instructed him ut vado obscoena. Is did. Ut burst of uber ex blueline persevero is preseason, ut pro ultum of is Viridis led Caps in ustulo. Is eram in nemo’ radar pro vox lascivio cuspis officium three weeks abhinc; iam is may exsisto secui of iunctum’ secundus iugum.

Permaneo season Vepres Pothier, ex necesse, eram vis in persona quod minutes is wasnt’ solitus quod consentaneus. Requiro him vigeo in a magis stabilis — quod intus an super magis ingeniosus — defensabiliter iunctum. Tamen sit quoque idoneus of tractare procul a altus campester — quisquam quisnam saw him skate pro Mike Sullivan quod Iunctus Civitas tandem ver’ Universitas Championships would congruo.

Illic erant haud questions super Caps in net caput capitis in castra. Illic es nullus recedo is.

Illic est valetudo. Illic est league- prolixus voluntas ut dum ceterus of Inferus scamnum pat, Caps upgraded. Illic est susurro. Illic est bene. Totus est bonus. Iam, suus’ vicis ut occumbo puck.

Sarcalogos Bourque ustulo 18 secundus in permaneo nox noctis’ Ipsa Gero’ pre se ferre venatus obviam Norfolk, quod Gero would adepto calx ex quinque alius in 6-2 triumphus. Ipsa est iam 3-0 in preseason, quod amo Caps, proximus sicco preseason slate Sunday vesper procul 500:, per a Giant Center balanus per Wilkes Sterilis-Scranton.

An emerging storyline pro Gero tardus is mensis videor futurus Sasha Pokulok. Is added a calx quod an succurro Imbuo nox noctis, quod mane obvius week had three succurro in a venatus. Is follows his validus palaestra castra per Caps.

Nos have non suscipio persona vox ex Caput, tamenper Tarik El- Vercundus:

“tutaminis Jame Capitagium quod Josef Boumedienne quod porro Joe Motzko erant waived yesterday. Should they videlicet, they es specto iungo Gero. . . .”

Update @ 240pm:: Caput have renuntio they have attributa Joe Motzko ut Ipsa. Jame Capitagium est etiam audio in persona roster, tamen Josef Boumedienne est non.

Update @ 255pm:: ExCorey Masisaks’ blog:

“Joe Motzko quod Josef Boumedienne have videlicet waivers. Motzko mos suo Ipsa Gero, tamen Boumedienne has non. A team orator said “ amo Ipsa” pro Boomer, tamen is could constituo redeo ut Europe. Jame Capitagium est etiam in teams’ persona roster, quod opes is wasnt’ in waivers yesterday, tamen hes’ videlicet non inter, sic is est amo is eram inicio waivers hodie”

Update @ 520pm:: ExJohn Walton:

“ Caps quoque in Imbuo attributa Josef Boumedienne ut Ipsa secundum videlicet waivers. Boumedienne did non meditor per team Imbuo, tamen did supervenio in vestio cella procul GIANT Center tardus is meridianus quod met per cogo Boudreau quod Silva”

2007 Lavatio Caput Palaestra Castra Roster

Quis plurimus caught meus intentio per permaneo nox noctis’ 2-1 pre se ferre damnum ut Flyers dum audio ut ‘Net dico of Kolbe quod Vogel eram vox ut odio an off- dies sequens dies, superstar porro Alexander Ovechkin quod Alexander Semin hopped in a car mane in dies quod iter itineris usque Philly ut vigilo suum castra- materia contendo in vesper. Illic es precious pauci off dies per castra, quod praeter satis rink vicis pro illa duos in septem-plus mensis ahead. Vogel eram infigo per factum. Sic eram Ego.

Is propono of emineo camaraderie evulsum intus a amplus contineo contigi dignitas recenseo. Tergum in medium- estas, ut procuratio commotus quod surculus roster sursum pro melior, nos primoris philologus of guys res intrepidus impetro tergum in suum apparatus quod sicco in glacies una procul Kettler Caput. Quod is vere venio, in infigo numerus, weeks ahead of persona satus of palaestra castra. Guys volo ut skate hic, una.

Procul castra’ kickoff, in Interventus Dies, caput Sarcalogos Expedio partis aliquantulus of suus transmaritanus incursus ut suus teammates spanned trans globe. Is volo lemma tergum in urbs mane, ut loco distractions of moving quod subsido secundum lemma ut suum contraho focus could exsisto in maximus novus season statim pro lemma. Is eram, is videor, an securus exigo.

Iam caput nimirum plumbum per exempoator, quod a Expedio, suus gubernatio is estas fundo ultra Northmanni. Is re- subcribo per Caps, procul mercedis quod pactum tractus irrefutably magis vercundus quam quis hed’ have arcesso in patefacio venalicium tunc estas. In a placitum dico dissero paciscor, is referenced suus expers futurus a secui of quis Caps erant aedificium edificium. “ego volo futurus a secui of is, [of] qua erant’ caput capitis” is said. Illic est haud guarantee of in- glacies prosperitas huic season vel illorum ahead, nimirum, atqui Expedio, suus somes memorably battered intus redivivus, volo protelo nixus.

“Weve’ got a valde cella” est verum a vulgaris refrain huic lusum quod singulariter is league, tamen illic has been quispiam ornamentum super Caps’ vindicatum of unus. Iens tergum copiose three seasons, tergum usque ut mane hora of dispiriting exigo quod roster incumbo, nos primoris auditus vindicatum ex nonnullus of aedificium edificium clausus quod vel nonnullus of roster placeholders super caliber of Caps’ cella. Ut species eram certainly subpono ut haud vegrandis inhonestus per Olie Kolzig. Tamen is quoque has potuisse enhanced per a manus manus of repens draft ordo, plures of members quorum consuefacio themselves ut orbis terrarum of pro hockey una, in repens annus, in Portland, Pelagus, quod Ipsa, Pennsylvania.

Vel magis ingens, chemistry has been enhanced per solvo procurator acquisitions emineo pro suum team- primoris ethos: Res Bradley, Ben Clymer, Vepres Pothier, quod iam, is videor, universus of 2007 solvo procurator ordo. Solvo procurator in parcus tempus of pro lusum typically supervenio portans caritas tags quod magnus egos quod rare meld seamlessly in suum novus environs. Nos pulvis’ auditurus esse ullus illius in D.C. illa dies. Verum, ut Caps subolesco ex basement habito ut impleo, incrementum portatus nonnullus alio acerbitas: nonnullus of gluten of preteritus iugo of seasons ero abicio, facio cella pro maioribus talentum. Is palaestra castra, nos es eruditio quoque quam is animadverto est motum motum.

The chemist est nomen George McPhee. Ultimately verdict in suus tentorium in urbs ero effectus in wins versus damnum, ocius quinymo quam laxus. Tamen ut GM hes’ successio in a vitally maximus si sub- opinio super frons: contraho smiling visio quod trado collectivism in partis car veho quod estas crus.

Illic’ an ferrum ut chemistry instituo in NHL obfirmo cella: haud alius U.S. lusum teneo global varietas of NHLs’ athletes recolligo in a singulus team, atqui haud alius lusum teneo suus Ive’-got- vestri- tergum- procul- totus- vicis ethos, primoris per quartus versus, ex Proicio Flon-ner ut Finn. Suus’ a criterion nunquam agnosco in fantasy leagues ( moneo nos of suum superficiality), atqui nusquam est magis maximus ut a team.

Suus’ a dies of sileo non tantum pro Lavatio Caput’ ludio ludius quod cogo — puteus, ludio ludius utique — tamen pro teams’ fanaticus communications baculus pariter. Res sicco procul Kettler quantus quantus EGO have been preteritus 10 dies, EGO lucrum a profundus appreciation pro commitment of Nate Ewell, Julie Petri, Paul Rovnak, quod Mike Vogel, inter alius. Suum dies per castra suscipio mane quod terminus tardus, quod nunc of annus theyre’ non tantum facilitating unus of graviter interventus flows subsequens castra in annus tamen quoque putting una in-season communications uber, talis ut Interventus Rector. Suus’ forecast futurus a attonitus tardus September Sunday hodie, quod Spero theyre’ totus sicco having fun in fun quod recharging suum batteries.

pause in in- glacies factum est a bonus vicis sumo prosapia of quis Caps have perficio eatenus in quis EGO puto est plurrimi maximus palaestra castra in norma’ history. EGO no punctum per meus saluto lustro hockey-savvy caput capitis quoque captus in cotidie effectus procul Kettler, ex procer quod broadcast opinio ut socius bloggers ut fans in sto, quod herewith Im’ misceo suum plumbum storylines of castra ut balanus per meus own.

• Superbus Papa. Ive’ ordine seen Erus Leonsis ut palaestra castra testis per preteritus 10 dies, quod dum suus’ verus hes’ haud diutius involved per dies- ut- dies operations of AOL, is somes a districtus communications vir. EGO reputo quis’ venio per suus palaestra castra penitus campester speculum ut of ceterus nostrum: species quod depth of norma in propono est sic infigo vos es iuste subigo facio trinus sicco illic quod simplex ostendo sum in verto angulus of teams’ competitiveness.

• Nylander ut versus 2. Duos annus abhinc Michael Nylander left Lavatio ut a valde bonus hockey ludio ludius. Is cado hes’ reverto tamen perfectus sic videor ut exsisto magis a astrum. Hes’ a dynamic playmaker, in confuto valetudo. Quod dum fere sulum in hockey is estas forecasted an Ovechkin-Nylander caput capitis- versus iugum, via tergum in July Caput capitis Coach Glen Hanlon very publicly stated his intention of experimenting with top-6 forward combinations, and thus far in camp, the conspicuous chemistry appears to have melded among Alexander Semin, Michael Nylander, and Nicklas Backstrom as Hanlon’s second unit.

• Slick Swede Part II. Speaking of Backstrom, he is irrefutably gaining comfort on the North American-sized sheet of ice — making progress “on a daily basis,” to quote my friend Mike Vogel. At the World Championships in Moscow in May, former Cap and Swedish National Team Head Coach Bengt Gustafsson told us that Backstrom would make that transition successfully and reasonably swiftly, and he was right. Tim Leone up in Hershey thinks it in Backstrom’s, and the Caps’, best interest for him to have a cup of coffee with the Bears this season. Ain’t happening.

• It’s my puck, and I’m keeping it. The Caps don’t (yet) have a dominant shut-down defenseman, so Glen Hanlon’s strategy for improved defensive play this season rests with his club maintaining possession of the puck more often than in the past two seasons, when often they chased it around the rink in futile fashion. If you have the puck more often than your opposition, your goalie isn’t get apt to face 40 or 50 shots each night, and surrender five or six goals most nights. So far, this strategy appears to be taking hold. In training camp’s scrimmages and through the Caps’ first three preseason games, you can see more puck possession and fewer netminders collapsing from fatigue.

• Captain, My Captain/Son of Kono-Dahlen-Halpern. I’ve changed my views on cloning, because of Chris Clark. Meaning no disrespect to Dale and his retired sweater, but should Clark captain the Caps to a Stanley Cup title in one of the next three seasons, he will have to be regarded as the best and most important captain in team history, having guided the team from the barrens of an unprecedented bottoming out to the promised land. And sitting here in September 2007, I wouldn’t stand in line to wager against it. (See Carolina ‘05-06, Tampa ‘03-04.)

It is Chris Clark’s team-first, two-way versatility that has Glen Hanlon fantasizing about a two-way, impact third line along the lines of the great Steve Konowalchuk, Jeff Halpern, Ulf Dahlen trio of a few years ago. That line, you’ll recall, was so dominant that Ron Wilson opened just about every game with it. It was also one that was a lynchpin to the Caps’ postseason participation. The coach has told the media that he’s looking for 60 goals from his third line this season, and given the defensive acumen of Clark and Boyd Gordon, and Matt Pettinger’s offensive pop, it’s natural to invoke the KDH comparison.

I’m also not wagering on Clark’s offensive production diminishing, dramatically, by virtue of his dropping down to line 3. As he noted himself on Media Day, he’s spent the past two seasons taking shifts against the likes of Zdeno Chara and top defensive pairings. Less so, it would appear, beginning this season.

• Deep Depth. The Caps this weekend have 35 players battling for spots on the opening night roster. It’s reasonably easy to forecast another five cuts, but the leap from about 30 to 23 is another matter. To put it charitably, the Caps’ are in uncharted territory, post-lockout, in terms of the skater quality they’ll be showcasing out at Kettler in week two of camp. This is the most basic and encouraging sign of the overall success of the rebuild.

• Three games, three leads. Through three exhibition games, the Caps have only once fielded a fairly veteran lineup — last Thursday night in Ottawa. They opened in Carolina, against a comparatively veteran Hurricanes’ lineup, dressing only John Erskine and Mike Green on the blueline as guys with significant NHL experience from last season (and with BJ in net). In all three games the Caps have played significant stretches with a lead (twice with two-goal leads). There remain mistakes (penalties) and concerns (penalties) aplenty, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Coach Hanlon’s strategy of playing a more puck possession game is abundantly evident. In order to win more often, a team must first establish competitiveness, then achieve leads in games. The Caps have accomplished both early in this preseason.

The next step is to close the deal once you have the lead.

• When did Toronto’s print media come to work in Washington? For the first time in my hockey life, I wake each day knowing that with my morning coffee I need to visit the web sites for both of Washington’s big newspapers in order to follow coverage there of Caps’ training camp. There are files there basically every day. And good ones. Additionally, blog files there. This is as it should be, but to our print guys — and most especially the Times’ Corey Masisak, who’s only taking on the beat of a departed legend — good on you.

• Sharp-dressed men. It’s not anywhere near as important as the talent upgrade, but in this the autumn of uniform mischief, the Caps have showcased the best-looking new threads in the entire league. And it’s not even close. I’ll be particularly grateful when those snazzy white uniform system tops are rightfully returned to wearing on home ice.

Yesterday my stress was not related to wedding planning (I’m getting married in November), but rather provided courtesy of Comcast. I took the day off work to be home for the switch to Comcast’s Triple Play digital television-Internet-phone package — partly because it’s cheaper than what I had with RCN, partly to get a DVR, and partly because Comcast carries Versus & NHL Center Ice.

Friday, 8:00 AM—The phone rings; I awaken and fumble for the receiver. I muzzily hear someone talking about Comcast, so I press “9” to buzz them in, impressed they showed up so early. Doesn’t work. I press “9” again, to no avail. Finally I’m awake enough to understand what the caller is saying: it’s Comcast HQ calling to make sure I’ll be home in the 8-11 AM installation window—not someone downstairs waiting to be let in. D’oh. I sheepishly apologize and say yes, I will be here.

Friday, 10:45 AM—The installation technician arrives within the originally scheduled time window, which was a nice surprise. However, while my name and phone number are on the work order, everything else is wrong: the address is a different unit in my building; the order is for a Comcast service upgrade rather than a whole new installation; and they didn’t start the process to port my existing phone number to the new account.

As I type this he’s been here over an hour and a half, mostly on the phone to his headquarters. From what I can gather it seems they’ll be able to install everything, but they won’t be able to port my phone number today. So for a few days I’ll have a new phone number with Comcast, yet I’ll have to continue paying RCN to keep the other phone line active otherwise I risk losing the phone number I’ve had for eleven years. Wonderful.

Friday, 1:30 PM—After three long hours, the technician has finally gone. Most of a day wasted, but at least my high-speed Internet is back up (as evidenced by this post). The tech was very polite, and installed my DVR, cable box, and cable modem successfully . . . well, for the most part he did—I had to configure my own wireless router, as he was stumped by my pretty typical LINKSYS router. He did stay until it was working though.

This cable installation play-by-play is on OFB for two reasons. First, venting makes me feel a little better. Second, I was unable to get to the Kettler rinks today as I planned, so I apologize for being unable to provide coverage of the day’s events as I’d hoped.

So my cable service installation is only 2/3 complete, yet it consumed most of a day. Now all I have to do is wait five days for the number port to be complete, then schedule another technician visit to switch my phone lines. In the meantime, I have to continue paying RCN to keep my existing phone number active.

Thank you, Comcast, for perpetuating the well-deserved stereotype of disorganized and indifferent cable company service.

No Ovy or Captain Clark on the ice today at Kettler. They were given the day off. The team, Nate Ewell told me, got back in town from Ottawa near 2:00 this morning.

Also, Tarik has word that Flash will be John Hancock-ing his name to a new, two-way deal any moment now.

After practice Wednesday Glen Hanlon addressed the impact he believes his new high-priced free agent forwards will have on his team’s shootout prospects this season. On paper, it would appear to be a dramatic one. When you visit NHL.com’s stats page for shootouts from last season, you notice both Michael Nylander and Viktor Kozlov’s names on the first page of success. Through two seasons of shootout tally stats, that’s not a perch in which you’ve commonly found Caps.

It’s hard to imagine a team being worse in the shootout than the Caps were last season — they took 40 shootout shots and converted a grand total of 5 of them (that’s 12.5 percent) — but there actually was one, Carolina. The Hurricanes, however, only took 17 extra-extra session shots in 2006-07 (scoring on just one! Ouch!!). 

In shootouts, the Caps aren’t even Shaq at the free throw line.

Here’s how bad things shootout got for Glen Hanlon last season: on March 1, in a 10-rounder against Tampa at Verizon Center, the coach even had Ben Clymer, Matt Bradley, and Donald Brashear rush in from the red line. (All three missed of course. All 10 Caps’ shooters missed that night, if memory serves.) I was inside Verizon Center that night, and I left thinking I’d have to return with my gear bag when covering future games in case Hanlon wanted to summon me for shootout duty.

Whatever your views on the appropriateness of the shootout as a game-settler, they’re here to stay for the foreseeable future, and for most teams they determine an important number of standings points over the course of the season. It’s hard to fathom the Caps remaining grotesque in them this season and qualifying for the postseason.

The addition of a single quality shooter in the shootout lineup can make a world of difference, but it would appear that Hanlon will be adding two this season. Both Nylander and Kozlov converted just under 40 percent in the shootout a season ago. On a team of 10-percenters (and often worse), that’s a revolutionary success rate. In his remarks Wednesday, Hanlon indicated that for now, both newcomers would be penciled in for shootouts at season’s start. 

Which sets up an intriguing bit of personnel exclusion: in such a rotation one of the Alexanders necessarily would be excluded. Or . . . would both? Neither player — especially Ovechkin all last season long — looked particularly comfortable during shootouts, and after his dynamic success in them in the opening weeks of his NHL career in 2005-06, Ovechkin has been snakebit, stymied, and stoned, stoned, stoned ever since by all caliber of NHL netminder.

Hanlon on Wednesday actually acknowledged the novelty of sitting his magic-hands set of Russians during the team’s shootouts.

“Can you imagine if we had 15,000 in the seats and I sat those guys?”

He then suggested something about his fate involving a noose or a burning at a stake, I think. Even more interesting, according to the coach, is that apparently one of his most impressive performers in shootout-like drills in practice is defenseman Jeff Schultz. I don’t think we’re going to see him in the coach’s top 3 very often early on this season.

But if the shootout struggles continue, you never know.      

A week to the day after the Kettler Capitals Complex afforded me empirical evidence of hockey’s return, I headed up Rt. 83 North to take in Media Day and the opening of training camp for the Hershey Bears this morning. I noticed that the Maryland and Pennsylvania trees bore the earliest tinges of autumn’s colors, and so the confirmation of hockey season’s arrival indoors last week was matched by one outdoors this. I rarely pass up a chance to visit our affiliate, the best in all of hockey, and today delivered me my first immersion in the formal start of a Bears’ season.

One of the first things I noticed was that the Capitals’ new crest rests opposite the Bears’ on Giant Center’s center ice. I also noticed the AHL training camp’s size: on opening day it is modest in personnel relative to an NHL camp — a total of 33 skaters (and just three goalies) dressed for Bruce Boudreau and his staff during two sessions this morning and afternoon. More of course will join in the days ahead, as the Caps make more cuts.

And just a handful of fans perched themselves down low for today’s opening session at 10:00 a.m.

I was roaming around the dark Giant Center concourse all alone near 10:00 when by accident I spotted Tim Leone of The Patriot News and the Bears’ John Walton above me. They knew a confused newcomer when they saw him, and diverted their path and came downstairs and escorted me to a productive work area.

Leone and I juiced up our laptops in Giant Center’s press box before heading down close to the glass to try and make out the identities of the skaters. The Bears neither name nor number their training camp sweaters. But before we left the press box Leone pointed to an odd-looking box in the middle of his laptop screen into which he was typing.

“A blog [for the Patriot News] I’m now responsible for,” he told me. “I blame you,” he added with a smile.

As we watched Head Coach Bruce Boudreau put the mostly anonymous Bears through a rigorous skate I had the thought that while there is perhaps less glamour at camp in Hershey there is every bit the drive and passion among the camp invitees and the coaches possessed by their NHL counterparts. Boudreau today looked and sounded like his charges were in the midst of a mid-January losing streak, and he was going to work them out of it. After the morning’s first session Leone asked Boudreau about his bark out on the ice.

“Look, I tell the guys, ’shame on you if you’re not ready to come.’ There’s a lot of money [to be made] in hockey, in the AHL and NHL,” he said.

I wanted to know of the coach who and what he saw in his nearly week on the ice at Kettler Capitals that might have made him excited about the prospects this season for both the Bears and the Caps. He sounded a strong note of pride in his players.

“All my players can help the Capitals,” he claimed. “There’s a reason we’ve gone to the Calder Cup Finals two years in a row. We’ve got good players.”

He then ran off the list of all of last season’s Bears still at Capitals’ camp. “They’re all going to help the Capitals at some point this season,” he said. (Continued)

One aspect of the change in training camp venue from Piney Orchard to Kettler Capitals I’m coming to enjoy a great deal is the lengthy elevator rides from Ballston’s 8th floor down to the shopping and eatery levels. It’s not the most efficient set of elevators I’ve ever encountered, but the company I often get to keep within them tends to alleviate a lot of impatient aggravation.

You never know who is going to hop in Kettler’s elevators with you; but about 30 minutes after the conclusion of practices and scrimmages each day, many players and organization personnel make dashes downstairs for hot eats and such. Often on these rides either I eavesdrop on interesting puck chatter or initiate a friendly chat with a prospect or vet or coach.

Back in July, during prospect development camp, I was sharing an elevator one afternoon with three players. One was an American, the other two players from the Western Hockey League. They were discussing the vagaries of travel, and at one point the American player asked his Canadian counterparts how often they flew.

“Never,” they replied. “Our shortest bus ride is about 7 hours — 12 in bad weather,” they added. The American was dumbstruck.

This is not stop-the-presses stuff, but to me it’s darned interesting, and with something like a prospect camp as a backdrop, it reminded me of the sacrifices and commitments these remarkable athletes make in their long-odds pursuit of careers in professional hockey.

This afternoon, a good hour after the 11:30 scrimmage had ended, I moved into elevator waiting position next to Eric Fehr. Eric is really easy-going and pleasant to talk to. But these days, he has to be a bit tight-lipped — he’s under a gag order from management about discussing his injury.

“Can’t talk about the injury, I know,” I said to him, smiling. He was holding what looked to be a book report for a high school English class.

“It’s all in here,” he replied, holding it up for me to inspect. The cover had his name and I think the word ‘Medical’ on it.

Just as the elevator doors opened, behind us arrived a freshly showered Nicklas Backstrom and what was clearly a Swedish media contingent (everybody was blond) encircling him. We all boarded.

I was standing next to Fehr. To my immediate right a Swedish reporter began a fresh dialogue with Backstrom, in their native tongue. My Swedish being rusty, I turned to talk to Eric again.

“Were you back in Manitoba this summer?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

I was curious to know a bit about summers in Manitoba, having never been there and hating Julys and Augusts in D.C. and their oppressive heat and humidity. I like to hear about places that offer comparatively cool temperatures — I guess I air condition vicariously in that regard.

“We actually get the greatest extremes [in temperatures] in all of North America,” Eric told me. “We get minus 40 and 40 celsius.”

My metrics fluency is like my Swedish, so I asked Eric for a bit of a conversion.

“We go over a hundred [degrees] in the summer,” he told me.

“Did it ever get so cold in winter that you couldn’t skate outside on the ponds there?” I asked as followup.

“Oh yeah . . . it’d get cold enough they had to close school.”

We parted company a few moments later. Downstairs I dined on tasty Mexican food during a late lunch. An hour later I headed toward the elevators again to get up to G6, where my car was parked. Just as the doors were set to close Caps’ goaltending coach Dave Prior joined me. Behind him was Assistant Coach Jay Leach, and some others I didn’t recognize. Prior stood next to me, meaning his ride wasn’t going to be silent.

“How do you think your netminders are looking, coach?” I asked.

He smiled. “How do you think they’re looking?” he replied.

I asked him if he’d ever known of a training camp when the Caps had so much an abundance of talent in net. He made an important clarification in my observation. One of the organization’s prized prospects, Russian Simeon Varlamov, isn’t at camp. Back in July, he told me, when both Michal Neuvirth and Varlamov were at Kettler for the development camp, he realized how fortunate he and the Capitals were.

“Those two goalies,” Prior told me around G4 of our ride, “they’re top-rated in their respective countries.”

Next I asked the coach about Olie Kolzig’s relationship with all the younger goalies. I wanted to know if they sought him out for advice, guidance, technical assistance, or if perhaps they were intimidated by him.

“Olie . . . what he does is pick up [their spirits] after I get through with them,” he replied, smiling.

I guess it’s pretty universal to fear getting stuck in an elevator — everything so confined, the victims so uncertain of when rescue is going to arrive. I wouldn’t wish it upon myself, but if it had to happen, I’d like it to out at Kettler, during training camp, on a day perhaps when Don Cherry or Barry Melrose was taping an interview with Alex Ovechkin.

10:55: The task of live blogging from a week two, mid-week morning camp scrimmage has fallen to these incapable hands. I’m reminded of the inscription inside the Habs’ dressing room — “From failing hands to you we pass the torch” (I think that’s right). Anyway, that’s my message to my bloggermates this morning — pick up the torch from me some time this afternoon.    

The salient news of the moment is that the league looks like it’s going to go back to the pre-lockout regular season schedule, though the exact permutation isn’t known. While that means longer road trips for the Caps in the years ahead, it will be nice for fans to see every team in the league, methinks. Consider the current dynamic of select clubs out West getting to see the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby once every three years at home. Or we in D.C. getting to see Jarome Iginla so seldom. Even better, it would seem to mean fewer Southeast Showdowns. 

Scrimmage is scheduled to commence around 11:30, incidentally.

I am also very interested in chatting a bit with Donald Brashear about this maybe-story of the new uniform system potentially proving injurious to its wearers (on the ice). The ‘Net is abuzz about the Cam Janssen injury last weekend (shoulder, his uniform system top tore, allegedly easily). I don’t know if I’ll be able to catch up with him this afternoon, but I’ll try. I tend to doubt the view that this is some manufactured, reactionary, knee-kerk conspiracy cooked up by the haters of the new look. I say that because had there been such a scheme, I’d have led it. 

Of course we need a heck of a lot more data and analysis beyond this incident to draw any firm conclusions, but if it proves true, can we agree that perhaps, just perhaps, the core aspects of hockey — such as what its players wear — ought to be left in the capable hands of hockey people, and not general sports corporations who are Johnny-come-latelys to our game?

11:20: We have Zamboni. Also, a spartan crowd. Washington professionals, save me, are hard at work today.

11:35: The ice is drying and what was a meager turnout is now close to passably healthy. Maybe 100 folks are in the stands.  

I’ll be updating.

11:43: We have scrimmage. Hanlon, at least at the outset, appears to be treating it as a controlled one. Yep, there are whistles and instruction from him. Your faceoff forward pairings:

Flash- Kozlov- Ovy (in blue)

Backstron- Nylander Semin (in white) 

11:48: We have the scrimmage’s first goal — Matt Bradley, a tap-in, on a bit of a seeing-his-linemate (of the moment), eyes-in-the-back-of-head dish from behind the net from Nicklas Backstrom. 1-0 White.

11:54: Another Blue line — CBourque Wilson Klepis. It’s from Hershey, obviously. The Sweetener Line?

The crowd continues to grow. Now that I think about it, the scrimmage’s start was close enough to folks’ lunch hour that we’re probably getting a healthy lunch-hour turnout. I saw Ted gazing down on the 10:30 practice for a while.  

High Noon: A line in White: Brashear- Clymer Steckel. I thought Tarik’s file on Clymer this morning heart-wrenching in a sense (for Ben personally) but also healthy in the sense of it as an indicator of the organization’s maturation from a roster of many muckers into more one of skill and speed in the Top 6 followed by two lines of two-way grit and guile. And some skill.  

Still 1-0 White, but there has been quality puck movement and some decent chances at both ends. No hitting to speak of, and this has been more or less true since the start of camp. Idle thought: is the chemistry within this organization so strong that the players like each too much too drop ‘em? That’s not a serious question. It’s still reasonably early in camp.   

12:10: Here are some D pairings for you: Erskine Eminger and Schultz Pothier in White; Jurcina Poti in Blue.

I am aware of my privilege in being here and how some of our readers, enconsed in their offices, appreciate the modest slivers of report I’m able to offer, but I’m not sure I’ll be repeating this gig. I am, by virtue of this exercise, acutely aware of Mike Vogel’s long-standing opposition to writing during game action. It’s not just that I’m apt to miss a slick pass or the development of a play from its defensive zone breakout; I am an alien to the overall flow. Still, I’m aware again of all of you poor schleps slaving away for the Man. This will really piss you off: I may chat for like 15 minutes with some of the guys at the scrimmage’s conclusion and then make my way down to Bailey’s for a sinfully early happy hour. 

12:17: Another D pairing: Pokulok Green, in Blue. Foreshadowing of a top 4 unit for Coach Boudreau up in Chocolatetown this autumn?   

A couple of camera crews are in between the players’ benches monitoring the action. I do not know for whom they’re recording.

1-0 still. The play has been crisp, and Hanlon, after initially appearing to be holding the reins in on the guys, has actually allowed a free-slowing scrimmage to take place. There are no refs, so he blows the whistle when he wants lines changed or some situational formation established. But by and large, they guys are just going at it.

12:25: WE HAVE A FIGHT! Clymer and Morrisonn! It’s mostly just a slow dance and a tangle of arms, no damage done, but something set them off (Tarik’s file this morning, in Ben’s case?)

12:30: It’s shootout practice time. Hanlon is pitching pucks out at center ice and guys are taking turns going in on Cassivi and Neuvirth. Kozlov’s backhand tucked behind Freddie was slick.

Good news: a decent number of goals were scored. Or does that say something discouraging about our netminding?

Update (1:30): I was able to get in the room and chat with Brashear about the Janssen-new sweaters intrigue, and basically, right now, he’s not concerned about it. Sweaters that perhaps tear more easily, he pointed out, can actually be beneficial to the valorus members of hockey teams who seek fairness of play and respectful treatment of their teammates out on the ice. Their arms would be liberated sooner, you see. But he also noted that whatever the new enforcement dynamic that’s now in place — and there may well be none — “It’s the same for everybody,” he told me.

So for now at least we can focus on the fact that outside the Caps and only a handful of other teams in both the NHL and AHL, the new look is generally a demonstrable aesthetic downgrade.  

The Washington Capitals have announced the assignment of 19 players to Hershey. They are Dean Arsene, Scott Barney, Jay Beagle, Sean Collins, Andrew Gordon, Marty Guerin, Jamie Hunt, Andrew Joudrey, Quintin Laing, Sami Lepisto, Tommy Maxwell, Chris McAllister, Grant McNeill, Patrick McNeill, Jason Morgan, Travis Morin, Steve Pinizzotto, Grant Potulny, and Steve Werner. Dan Kronick was released.

Just like during July’s development camp, sk84fun_dc has snapped some beautiful pictures at camp. Again, she’s allowed us to post some of her images. OFB is grateful for her generosity and photographic eye.

(Continued)

And we are live at the ‘Plex, and we are 3 minutes into the scrimmage. So far Team White (the group that hasn’t scrimmaged yet) has carried the bulk of play, as Nicklas Backstrom showed some strong puck-possession skills in the offensive zone, waiting out the defense and creating a scoring chance for Matt Pettinger. Olaf Kolzig is in net for the White team, and Cassivi returns to the crease for Team Blue.

Michael Nylander, who in an earlier drill deked someone to the ice, holds the puck with two White defenders on him, then delivers a one-time opportunity to Erskine. Kolzig steers it wide. Later in the play, Nicklas Backstrom takes up the puck on the half boards and delivers to a cutting Pettinger, who can’t handle the puck.

(Continued)

Today’s contest will be between the blue and white teams, and there will be refs, who get booed as soon as they hit the ice.

Ha! #33 is Chris McAllister, and I am heartened by the fact that the scrimmage features names and numbers on the sweaters. That should make life a lot easier.

Alex Ovechkin is on team white, btw. Alexander Semin is on team blue. Neuvirth is the White goalie, and Olie Kolzig is the goalie for the blue squad.

Real, live, competitive, veteran hockey. FINALLY.

(Continued)

8 minutes until the official start of training camp, and already there are plenty of skaters out on the ‘Office Side’ rink. Broken up into color groups, there’s just a general warm-up going on right now. There is to be a scrimmage at 11:30 which should be the highlight of the day, and we’ll try to get that covered for you.

Dressed in a burnt umber appear to be the defensemen, with Jurcina, Morrisonn, Pothier, Hunt, Lepisto, Schultz, #33 and Pollock. Bouchard, Ovechkin and the very smooth Viktor Kozlov. The Blue group includes Clymer, Steckel, and Brashear. The white group is Motzko, Andrew Gordon, and #57. The Maroon group is #54 and Pinozzoto. We’ll try to clear up the numbers for you when we can.

The whistle goes, and the camp is officially underway, a wearing drill with the defensemen feeding the forward lines. So far, a few fumbled pucks. Maybe they are excited, too.

(Continued)