In Glacialis Blog

Permaneo nox noctis, EGO vigilo Flyers quod Insula pugna is sicco in Venatus 6 of 1980 Sto Vas Denique in NHL Network. Unus of res ut EGO couldnt’ succurro animadverto erant awesome mustaches, talis ut illud lusum per Bryan Trottier quod Expedio Gillies. Miserabile, they iustus dont’ grow ‘em amo ut anymore. Solus mustachioed vir quisnam statim adveho ut mens inter current NHL ludio ludius belongs ut Ducks: George Parros.

Est illic a ludio ludius sicco illic quisnam can erigo talea in mustaches? (illud nasty Oreo crustulum mustaches dont’ duco, aut) Olie had a bonus satus fere viginti annus abhinc, tamen is eventually added goatee pro eschewing facial saeta omnino. Lascivio barba quoque dont’ duco, acsi Ovechkin did lucror “ lascivio Barba of Mensis” exPlayoffBeard.com. Utpote fossa es cyclical, suus’ tantum a res of vicis pro mustache formo est tergum. Quod EGO dont’ volo video vidi visum illud penicullus- tenuis tardus ’80s mustaches. Reputo Ius Nazi ut econtra ut John Aequora.

Donatus Folium C Jiri Tlustys’ repensnaughty photo incident, maybe is should satus growing a magnus ol’ mustache illo dissimulo vultus ( tamen non quoque Volubilis Fingers vel quisquam). Iustus a sententia.

In suus lima“Millions quod Millions of Problems” is oriens, Lavatio Stipes’ Tarik El Vercundus laudo Caps’ goaltender Olie Kolzig affirmo ut vicis est of substantia, ut is est a vicis of “ desparatus” huic permaneo- locus, permaneo- in--league hockey team.

Nos volo scio vobis quam “ desparatus” vos reputo res es a week pro Thanksgiving. Caps have 10 venatus inter hodie quod December 1. Quinque of lemma es domi, quinque es in via. Duodeviginti of lemma es obviam Inferus divortium foes. Caput Sarcalogos Expedio est reverto ut versus, vox lascivio QB Tom Venenum has been tergum parumper week, quod team est absentis tantum Alexander Semin.

Haud magnus admiratio: Plymouth Orcus have paciscor goaltender Michal Neuvirth ut Ventus. Effrego talentum per super OHL eligibility amo Neuvirths’ es sepius paciscor per rebuilding teams. Quod permaneo season certainly eram a effrego unus pro Caps’ secundus- rotundus pick in 2006 draft. Plymouth, however, is a firmus six venatus supremus .500 obvius Occasus divortium of OHLs’ Occasus placitum. Forsit est, Kitchener est 17-3.

admiratio hic est ut paciscor didnt’ come in offseason. Procul a Ipsa Gero’ lascivio venatus permaneo ver, Caps’ goaltending cogo Dave Prior forecasted ut mihi Neuvirths’ res dealt during estas, subtilis quoniam Plymouth wasnt’ specto ut reverto ut Monumentum Vas.

Of Neuvirth Ventus GM Proeliator Rychel said, “Michal is a universitas- ordo ludio ludius, a expertus lascivio tractare quod unus of caput capitis goaltenders in OHL.   ”

Lavatio Caput cogo Glen Hanlon eram a hospes in Vox Lascivio per Jim Pannosa quod Gary Viridis (in XM 204). In quinque-minute spatium Hanlon confero key pestifer, presencia illud pestifer have had in versus iunctura quod calx ustulo, Alex Ovechkins’ defensabiliter lenimentus, quod alius tidbits. Reprehendo sicco celebratio hic.

Quis pulsatus mihi plurimus super spatium est ut Hanlons’ versus iunctura intentio videor paro puteus in provectus obex ullus unforseen chemistry proventus. Hanlon admits ut pestifer es secui of venatus. . . yet is videor ut the lines had haud verus tergum intentio in locus alloquor inevitiable pestifer sulum team must visio.

Losing a caput capitis ustulo amo Alexander Semin, vel a ferreus-nosed rector amo Sarcalogos Expedio, has haud securus redintegro. Tamen unus spera ut castra, preseason, quod meditor innutum alius potentially prosperitas versus iunctura ut could exsisto socors in locus ut malum bug hit—rather quam “random versus juggling dum transitus ones’ fingers” ut videor in locus iam. Admittedly suus’ a concisus spatium quod sic thema ut repleo- in-- vestis syndrome, tamen infigo of a penuria of contingency planning eram aliquantulus abicio ut is auditor.

In alius Caput/XM novus, is tunc progressio videor amo must- audite radio. Procul 1100: PM is Monday, November 19, Olie Kolzig ero featured inHockey Specialis. Ex NHL Domus Glacies:

Hockey Specialis: Olaf Kolzig

Mon, 11/19 | 11PM ET

NHL Domus Glacies XM 204 audaciter dictataHockey Specialis per Lavatio Caput goaltender Olaf Kolzig. SuoHockey Is Oriens populus Scott Rideo risi risum ut is goes stipes ut stipes per Olie Calx, pro nostrum agoHockey Specialis bulla celebratio. Is est an hora of pia insight ex unus of NHLs’ maioribus orator, a verus astrum of venatus, quod a tireless opus pro Athletes Pro Autism.

Encores:
Tue, 11/20 8PM | Tue, 11/20 8PM  Wed|, 11/21 7PM  Fri|, 11/23 3PM | Sat, 11/24 9AM | Sol solis, 11/25 2AM, 3AM, 5PM

[Update: Animadverto ineo pro magis notitia super Kolzig XM ostendo ex a Caps’ press solvo]

Hic est utLusum Scientia video featuring Kolzig quod Ovechkin aired per Ducks/ Rex rgis venatus yesterday.

Wisconsin Civitas Iter itineris is week has a retineo ratio of mayhem North Dakota Bellator Sioux directus procul vegetus phenom Kyle Turris of Wisconsin Insigne is preteritus weekend. Turris, tertius super pick of 2007 draft per Phoenix, est an understandable target of vetus- vicis intentio unus mensis in contraho hockey season: hes’ been forsitan plurrimi infigo quod dominor primoris- annus tractare, piling sursum 14 cuspis in 8 venatus eatenus. Hes’ tertius in populus in ustulo, secundum iugum of St. Cloud Civitas teammates: Ryan Lasch quod Vienna, Va.s’ Cenaculum Roe, quoque a vegetus. They have 17 cuspis in 10 venatus.

Bellator Sioux have suum partis of dominion porro, comprehendo permaneo annus’ Hobey Baker victor Ryan Duncan. Nonetheless, they no amo suum namesakes permaneo weekend, ut Iter itineris notitia:

“in prothoplastus period of serius patefacio Friday, won 4-0 per UW, Turris eram walloped procul obscoena puteulanus versus per Bellator Sioux junior tutaminis Joe Finley, a socius NHL primoris- teres ( lavatio) quisnam est audio procul 6- pes-7 quod 245 talentum . . .

“res escalated in alter venatus. . . Finley philologus tackled Turris per vox tabula . . .”

Non impleo facio vita miser pro solers Insigne in glacies, Magnus Joe promptus got scabrosus off cepit,:

“. . . a UW persona affirmo ut Finley refer adsuesco assuesco suus adhaero battuo Bucky Insigne in crur ut duos obduco unus alius in runway ut vestio cella Imbuo nox noctis”

Is cant’ adepto ut D.C. velox satis mihi.

Quispiam valde frigus est venio procul Honda Center in Aneheim. FSN Occasus vescor NHL Center Glacies est ostendo LA Rex rgis Anaheim Ducks venatus. Ut’ Northmanni. Quis isnt’ est ut illic es haudrenuntio Iustus sanus of venatus quod plebis. Oh, quod totus venit Angli es ex glacies campester per quis they dico “Rinkside Visum”

Eatenus, solus narro per ullus renuntio est typical velox spatium per a ludio ludius procul terminus of period quod a inviso decorus labor lapsus of Zamboni per FSN personality Bill MacDonald inrideo per. FSN has quoque captus vos visum ut vantage ex broadcast tabernus quod organist.

2nd intermission quoque brought nos a brevis video accersitus “ lusum Scientia” sermo super cattus- amo pondero of a hockey calx. Is eram membrana procul Kettler Caput Iceplex per Olaf Kolzig quod Alex Ovechkin. An Ovechkin slapshot ex 25 feet pervenio Kolzig in .22 secundus. Cepit .11 secundus pro Kolzig ut locus puck, tamen commotus suus glove in positus in .10 secundus, quod probo ut Kolzig does vero have cattus- amo celeritas.

Iam pro satus of 3rd ex glacies campester vacuus renuntio.

Had EGO notus is eram venio, EGO would have coepi vigilo primo of venatus neque nec 3 minutes left in 2nd. Forsitan Comcast SportsNet vires amo experior is sicco quondam. Secundum totus, they broadcasted a venatus per renuntio inter scamnum.

Update[: A highlight video ex Rinkside Visum broadcast can exsisto seen hic.]

Per a opinio in TSN:

“NHL Network hodie renuntio is has pervenio a unus- annus tractus pro broadcast vox ut American Hockey League (AHL) venatus. broadcast sarcina suggero NHL Network, in utriusque Canalis quod U.S., per 20 ‘ venatus of Week’ compositus-ups, airing Thursdays procul 7 p.m. ET per reliquum of ordinarius season.”

Ipsa Gero ero ostendo bis per utriusque venatus in February satus per venatus qua haud diligo ero lost in Valentines’ Dies procul Infantia Pens.

Hic’ plenus schedule ex TSN:

November
- Thursday, Nov. 15 Rochester @ Syracuse procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Nov. 22 Toronto @ Lacus Erie procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Nov. 29 Lacus Erie @ Rochester procul 7 p.m. ET

December
- Thursday, Dec. 6 Worcester @ Portland procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Dec. 13 Toronto @ Rochester procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Dec. 20 Springfield @ Portland procul 7 p.m. ET

January
- Thursday, Jan. 10 Lacus Erie @ Rockford procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Jan. 17 Philadelphia @ Wilkes- Sterilis/Scranton procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Jan. 31 Summitto @ Portland procul 7 p.m. ET

February
- Thursday, Feb. 7 San Antonio @ Lacus Erie procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Feb. 14 Ipsa @ Wilkes- Sterilis/Scranton procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Feb. 21 Ipsa @ Rochester procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Feb. 28 Albany @ Rochester procul 7 p.m. ET

Proficiscor
- Thursday, Mar. 6 Philadelphia @ Wilkes- Sterilis/Scranton procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Mar. 13 Amplitudo Volatilis @ Lacus Erie procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Mar. 20 Rochester procul Syracuse procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Mar. 27 Manchester @ Portland procul 7 p.m. ET

April
- Thursday, Apr. 3 Manitoba @ Rochester procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Apr. 10 Philadelphia @ Wilkes- Sterilis/Scranton procul 7 p.m. ET
- Thursday, Apr. 17 Hamilton @ Lacus Erie procul 7 p.m. ET

Species humanus res comprise ingens major domus of enrollment pro valde venatus of hockey, ita ut giants intus is es accersitus super prebeo reflections in suum iter itineris intus venatus, nos shouldnt’ exsisto admiratio procul species they dedi in ut nisus. Suus’ impossible ut vigilo NHLs’ Aula of Laus Induction ceremony neque nec exsisto adduco ut humilitas, character, quod plurimus proprie iunctio ut prosapia ut hockey ludio ludius probo quod famen est unrivaled in landscape of professio lusum. Baseballs’ induction ceremony is preteritus estas, per rectum of character of suus potissimus inductees Gwynn quod Ripken, videor sumo a step tergum in vicis quod venia quod ingenero a resurrectio of veneratio parumper lusum pessime egenus is. Tamen NHL, per suus altissimus veneratio vicis sulum November, has is sulum annus.

billing pro Monday nox noctis’ ceremony in Toronto eram a legends’ album of inductees, optimus ordo umquam, tamen audio ut suum fabula of ortus intus dedicated families quod suum constans suscipio compages — ones ut es fundo quod amplified intus amplus hockey prosapia ipsum — unus felt ut is vicis, seemingly a spectaculum pro rarus- talentum unique, eram vere sulum frenum ut ultum an pre se ferre pro prosapia iunctum ut servo ut perpetuus wellspring of maiestas huic venatus.

venit permaneo nox noctis vindico nobis pes of excellentia of inductees in glacies; suum libramen quod affectus dum pondero in suum veneratio in tempus; tamen quoque ordinarius glimpses of suum families sessio nearby quod poeta testimonials ex suum sons ut ut suum inaestimandus duco. Totus videor interrelated quod intertwined.

Quod in cuspis of res is est. Hockey Aula of Laus has inter suus pre se ferre a simplex domus’ prosapia cella orbis 1950 intus quod prosapia members es recolligo inter a broadcast of Hockey Nox noctis in Canalis. Is quoque has a constituo plaustrum veneratio pre- diluculo pilgrimages ut rink, ludio ludius sicco super annus per labor of Canadian hiberna, se gero ut devoveo ritus.

A hockey ludio ludius’ developmental iter itineris postulo nusquam brevis of an totus- sicco commitment of vicis quod facundia ex families. They exsisto existo in weekdays per newspaper vindico pax facio pre- schola meditor in terror blackness. They fio via proeliator of hiberna weekend proficiscor ut venatus quod tournaments, quod in 90 sentio of Canalis quod lacertus Midwest, ut’ sepius desolate quod periculosus eo.

Decens a hockey ludio ludius est rare a volatilis, dimidium- pectus pectoris praesumo. Forsitan ut’ quare is lusum est ludio ludius per adeo pectus pectoris.

Al MacInnis eram primoris veneratio permaneo nox noctis profiteor persona of prosapia in suus maiestas, quod ut primoris- umquam Nova Scotian futurus enshrined ( incredibilis, ut), is no certus ut suus fundo prosapia members in Prodigium Hood knew of suum persona in suus tutela. They had a locus in Aula of Laus, quoque, is said.

Is eram heartening audire Scott Stevens testis ut labefactum is felt ex suus duodeviginti annus in Lavatio Caput’ prosapia. Is gratias ago David Poile quod Bryan Murray ex procuratio, quod suus defensabiliter socius Vepres Engblom. Is characterized suus tenura in urbs ut “a period of incrementum” quod prolecto ut res a secui of primoris Caput’ team ut species pro postseason — prothoplastus of septem rectus talis in D.C. is eram a secui of. Quod is gratias ago Caput’ fans pro suum suscipio.

tear apparatus ut est Vestigium Nuntius nimirum had spatiosus reflections in persona of prosapia in suus tutela. Is had spatiosus reflections period, efflectum determino quattuor minutes pro ingens per rambling incoherence ut prope outlasted suus tutela. Quis si hed’ been taedium a tuxedo ratio intentio per Reebok amid quicumque singultus?

Messiers’ obsideo gravida- porro pauses licitus mihi ut rememeber ut quondam suus prosapia eram res publica habeo comprehendo Madonna. EGO quinymo fruor hockeys’ instar of towering talentum, suum satus in civis of centum, suum pudor unmatched in vel ex professio lusum, dalliance-ing per American astrum strumpets. Ut nimirum est eximius ut quantum mundane tractus of prosapia huic lusum. Hockey ludio ludius nunquam alieno suum radix, vel perdo suum attachment sibimet.

Duos members of Lavatio Caput’ prosapia hodie adepto adduco in Hockey Aula of Laus: Scott Stevens, quisnam ludio ludius duodeviginti seasons per Caps, quod tardus Dave Fay, teams’ pello pepulli pulsum opinio pro Lavatio Vicis pro prope a vicus century. Hockey Aula of Laus textus page dedi poignant profiles pro totus members of 2007 ordo of inductees.

Mike Vogel est in Toronto pro ceremony, neque nec surprisingly, hes’ merged res libenter, having iamlima nonnullus sententia in an OHL venatus cepit in per Ron Weber quod Vicis’ Corey Masisak is weekend, quod featured venatus’ tunc valde talentum, 2009 draft eligible Jonathon Tavares of Oshawa Imperator.

Scilicet puteus’ polleo video vidi visum snippets of inductees’ sermo tonight in inter periods of venatus, tamen per Corey quod Mike vestis proceedings optimus ratio mos adveho ex Lavatio scriptor is week.

Update[: NHL Network ero televising 2007 Hockey Aula of Laus Induction Ceremony tonight ex 730pm: 930pm:]

Yesterdays’ Boston Globe comprehendo an article in Sarcalogos Bourques’ NHLs’ debut permaneo Tuesday. NHL dico- sursum venit mane satis pro suus parentes proficiscor quod vigilo venatus ex sto. Sarcalogos’ praeclarus abbas, Ray, had nonnullus aula-of- laus precipio pro suus filius secundum venatus.

“is sententia EGO ludio ludius vere puteus, quod iustus told mihi ut exsequor bonus opus” said Christopher, cuius sermo exemplum quod accent es virtually identical ut suus dads’. “is iustus volo mihi facio is a ferreus sententia pro lemma transmitto mihi down, quod, hey, obviously is est qua Volo moror. Ive’ been somnium super is meus universus vita”

Chis quoque orator of suus amplitudo.

“ego sentio vere bonus procul is pondus, EGO sentio velox sicco illic” said Bourque. “Ive’ nunquam vultus procul meus amplitudo ut quispiam ut held mihi tergum, vere. EGO inviso is ut an contraho. Ive’ got a mugio center of sepulchrum, quod ut planto is ferreus mihi impetro conicio off puck. Sic, suus’ an commodum mihi non a infitialis”

Lego ceterus procul Boston Globe website.

• Is eram a venatus pro captus primo of tertius period. One team took is; ceterus took nocens poena. iterum  
• Septumdecim venatus in 2007-08 season is est a Caps’ team vacuus an identity.
• A res of beauty The: Caps’ primoris calx, when Mike Viridis’ lubricus stickhandling and even magis infigo patella ut Ovechkin rightfully brought Quin Center fans ex suum discounted seats. But the dynamic Mike Green has an inexperienced and maturity-challenged alter ego, which we saw about 5 minutes later when he senselessly went stick swinging in Kolzig’s crease.  

Given Chris Bourque’s conspicuously meager minutes, one wonders what’s the purpose of his recall.

There does appear to be some offensive flash taking hold in Tomas Fleischmann’s game. He was outstanding in Ottawa, and he again seemed more confident on the puck tonight.

• We’ve watched Martin St. Louis eviscerate the Caps for nearly a decade now, and we keep wondering why no one can lay a heavy hit on him. Ever. It’s one of the least commented upon and most underrated aspects of his offensive game; nightly he manages to keep himself out of harm’s way and yet himself down low among the danger in lethal fashion.    
• Clearly there’s something distinctively atrocious about the Verizon Center ice. We’ve heard and read complaints about it really since opening night, and Saturday night the incidence of falling world-class skaters bordered on the burlesque. We the television viewing were informed that a matinee basketball game was undoubtedly partly to blame. But that doesn’t explain the wretched surfaces on preceding weeknights, or the multi-use of other arenas without comparable stumblings in their hockey games.   

Audrius Zubrus left his position as Senior Regional Sales Manager for the Capitals, but not before working one last game versus the Lightning and a post game send off at RNR Bar & Lounge. One guess as where he’ll be working next.

Acadie Bathurst Titan center Mathieu Perreault, the Caps’ sixth-round selection in the 2006 draft, has surged to the very top of the QMJHL scoring lead despite playing fewer games than almost all of his peers. He was named the Q’s PLayer of the Week for the week of November 5, and in his last three games he’s posted 6 goals and 5 assists. Last season, Perreault tallied 41 goals and 78 assists in 67 games for the Titan. He’s on pace to top 140 points in the Q this season.

2007 second round draft pick Ted Ruth, a freshman blueliner at Notre Dame, is a +10 in 10 games for the Fighting Irish. He skated a +2 Friday night in Notre Dame’s 2-1 upset on the road of no. 1 ranked Miami, and he is earning minutes as a top pairing defender with senior Brock Sheahan. USC was idle this weekend.

A guy looking to impress a girl on date night would do well to consider Saturday night in Chinatown. He could spend less than $100 on two terrific seats for Tampa tomorrow night. We who criticize the high cost of pro hockey also call out its great deals, and this is a great promotion by the Washington Capitals: $40 for lower level seats.

One way to react to last night’s PowerBall-winning-odds turn of events in Ottawa is as I did, in foggy disbelief, with the aid of paramedics. Clutching the lapels of the uniform jacket of the young woman from the Bethesda-Chevy Chase rescue squad kneeling over me in my home near 11:00 last night, oxygen mask over my face, I was able to stammer out “We really . . . the Senators . . . 13-1 going in . . .?” I suspect she was from Minnesota or Alberta, for she offered me the warmest of smiles and a nod of affirmation. And a victory beer.

Another way to react is with relief but also indignation. Without Chris Clark and without Alexander Semin — 68 goals of absence, we were constantly reminded this week — the Caps have taken down the province of Ontario recently by the count of 11-2. Injuries really aren’t an excuse for prolonged losing; now we know they really can’t be one for this version of the Washington Capitals. And we know this: this team, even missing a couple of key parts, is capable of playing great hockey — but you wouldn’t want to bet the mortgage on them doing it night in and night out.

Why can’t they? Why must the heat be turned up, the sportstalk shows fomenting with hockey caller fury, for this team to respond by skating brilliantly and hard for 60 minutes? Many Caps’ fans around town likely thought Coach Hanlon bought himself two or three weeks’ worth of additional job security with last night’s stunning outcome. I actually think the result bolsters the case against him.

Olie Kolzig was a rock in net last night, but he didn’t have to stand on his head. His team played that well in front of him. The Senators, authors of the best start to a season in NHL history, didn’t offer up a flat, take-the-W-for-granted effort; they skated hard and magnificently, and they played valiantly and authoritatively in the third period. But regularly there were opposing sticks in their passing lanes, shin guards in their shooting angles. The Capitals last night sent out shift after shift of committed passion, guts, and guile in pursuit of victory.

They played desperate hockey.

Problem is, we don’t see it often. And we never see it consistently.

This is a team capable of shutting out the ‘Canes, humiliating the Leafs, vanquishing the best team in hockey on its home ice. But it is also a team capable of looking mismatched against the Isles.

It is a bit of a cliche, but in sports certain teams, by virtue of their maddening inconsistency, are designated as playing up or down to the level of the competition they face. This Caps’ squad is on cue auditioning for such a status.

(What kind of consistency would I seek? That of Metro’s disruptions, delays and dysfunctions.)

My hope entering this season was that a whole lot of losing in recent seasons had bred a bile and contempt for it among a core of Caps. That mid-February Tuesday night matchup with the Panthers would be met with Old Time Orneriness. Maybe it still will. Coach Hanlon I think makes a fair point in noting the need to mesh not only his free agent newcomers with his core but four or five AHL graduates as well. But the hour of meshing is upon us.

So this member of the jury is still deliberating. I may have a verdict come late Saturday night.

Looks like fiery leadership behind the bench of the Central Hockey League’s Youngstown Steelhounds. Killer’s charges are out of the gate in fantastic fashion, unbeaten in regulation play through eight games and leading the CHL’s Northeast Division.

We thought our readers, like us, needed a dose of good news at this point in the season.

Igor Arkhipov, an Atlanta-based correspondent for SovetskySport, met up with Alexander Ovechkin after last night’s game. He asked about the left winger’s future. This exchange will run in the Russian newspaper tomorrow:

Do you plan on changing teams at the end of the season? Washington’s game looks hopeless.

“I don’t know yet where I will be next season. I am not negotiating my new contract. I want to stay in Washington. But who knows what is going to happen?” 

In its postgame studio coverage last night, the hockey talking heads on Versus posed the question, ‘Which coach is on the hottest of hot seats?’ Ron Wilson (his team with a winning record) and John Tortorella were ID’d. So was Glen Hanlon.

“This is a huge, huge roadtrip,” Hanlon told the Washington Post at the beginning of this week. Two-thirds completed, the Capitals have, through 120-plus minutes of it, a single goal and a single point. More of either will be hard to come by Thursday night in Ottawa.

Given the daunting task set out before him when he arrived behind the Caps’ bench midway through the 2003-04 season — presiding over an underachieving, expensive roster, soon to be gutted, then slowly, loss-ladeningly rebuilt, it seems almost inhumane this morning to set out prose hinting at the possibility of Glen Hanlon’s being fired. But this climate of suspicion has its roots in upper management’s very publicly stated Midsummer’s Night Dream of reaching the 2008 postseason.

Led by the owner’s bull market forecast (”The rebuild is over”), backed up by the captain’s camp-opening can-do creed, the flames of happy fortune were fanned all across the organization and broadcast in high definition by new and old media. Currently residing in a tie for 28th in the standings, this Capitals’ team this morning is anything but postseason bound.

The Caps’ 3-0 start only further fueled hockey happy talk in these parts. But this morning, what seems more aberrant — that start, with a victory over a battered-by-Bob (since fired) Thrashers’ crew and a 12-shot effort on Long Island on Columbus Day — or the current 2-9-1 slide into the standings sewer?

I answered that question, thought back to the team’s playoff pledge, and, knowing the nature of contemporary pro sports as I do, immediately thought of the phrase storm clouds converging.

At the heart of the present heartache for Caps’ fans, it seems, is this question: While almost certainly Glen Hanlon was the right man to preside over the rebuild, is he as well the right man to guide them to and through the playoffs? It’s a question that I’ve heard asked by Capitals’ officials themselves the past two years, but this week in Washington — and now on national television as well — it’s being asked with application and urgency.

Glen Hanlon is now 49-78-10 as head coach of the Capitals. Taken in total, that winning percentage isn’t all that bad in light of some of the sweater fillers he’s been tasked with guiding the past three hockey seasons. But that’s not the issue he’s likely facing right now. It’s this one: that hard-working, overachieving band of nameless and journeymen, and Ovechkin, he impressed the NHL with two years ago doesn’t look quite so hard working and overachieving today.

Worse: because of the sub-.500 hole his club now finds itself in, the scratching and clawing required to move from 28th to say 16th in the league will demand a healthy stretch of non-losing. When have Capitals’ fans ever seen that from Glen Hanlon’s Caps?

One night in the middle of Alexander Ovechkin’s rookie season I was watching a Caps’ game with a wise old man about pucks, my Old Man. All too familiar with the team’s decades of disappointment as a season ticket holder, and aware of the rebuild scheme, Dad explained to me the competitive urgency of the moment given the Great8’s awesome gifts.

“They cannot waste seasons with this guy not in the playoffs,” he told me.

Per John Walton’s Blog, Walton, Wired and Unwired, Chris Bourque has been recalled and should be in tonight’s lineup against Atlanta.