Herewith, nostrum rudimentum struo profundum Carnotense pro Caps ut congruo per repens peractio of teams’ annual Rookie Development Castra. Suus’ maximus ut nota ut per is nos es non forecasting imprimis versus certamen tamen quinymo rudimentum ut socors ludio ludius per positus secundum suum professio uber quod plurimus repens effectus in censeo occasus. Suus’ quoque maximus ut nota ut a numerus of porro in Caps’ ratio lascivio praeter unus positus sursum frons. Russian elites quod Res Pettinger videor crines in laevus levus pro puteus in tunc decade, quod vox pars videor gero plures question vestigium.

Weve’ envisioned is ut a lima hopefully mico ferox reaction quod pius challenge. Nos exspectata vestri propono modifications.

Friday nox noctis’ scrimmage went aliquantulus off scriptor: cogo certus ut incorporate proprius teams lascivio midway per utriusque periods, per teams alternating manpower commodum pro pondera of tergus dimidium of sto. Illic eram quoque is voluptarius admiratio: subitus nex deprehendo lascivio. In alter 5-minute OT session Nicklas Backstrom swept trans Simeon Varlamovs’ crepito per a crux crucis- glacies nutritor ex linemate Suffragium Bouchard quod tucked in venatus- nisus, giving Team Puteulanus a 3-2 triumphus. Dont’ exsisto admiratio si ut porro iunctura est unus nos animadverto sirening rutilus lux lucis secundum hostilis cages obvius annus ahead.

Ut deprehendo flair eram validus moments mane per servo of week, scriptor per Michael Nuevirth. Sean Tergum flipped a callidus, duos- tutor elluding obduco in left pennae ut Bryan Lerg, quisnam natio nationis in licens in Nuevirth. Lerg no a magnificabiliter laxus permoveo in angustus, quod levo a venatus- victor targeting unguarded caput capitis vox crusta. Quomodo, Nuevirth laqueus is per suus glove. A numerus nostrum vigilo ex center glacies sententia venatus had nisus in offa.

Is nox noctis, vero, belonged ut Jeff Lovecchio. 6 ‘2, 195-lb. left pennae universa a 34-pt. season pro Occasus Michigan of CCHA in ‘06-’07. paternus of Chesterfield, Mo., has had a eximius firmus week. Tonight is showcased suus infigo volo, vires, quod obscoena plaga grit melior quam ullus alius porro.

“Lovecchio sto sicco quoniam is officina sic ferreus” Caput capitis Cogo Glen Hanlon said postea. “tamen memor hes’ 22.” Hanlon prodigo nonnullus moments per opinio secundum tonights’ scrimmage delineating curiosus censeo processus stipes persona es commissum in an aer ut interdum features quinque- quod six- annus aevum discrepancies inter ludio ludius sicco in a amoveo.

Alius perpetuus statua is week est quis Joe Finley ordine does ut undersized porro ( in alius lacuna, sulum unus is visio) quisnam run ex vicis quod tractus in suus terminus. Vos teneo quam obscoena versus in football adepto promeritum per “pancakes” pro flattening adversus versus per technically ferinus clausus? Puteus, Finley est inviting a numerus Id’ term “ pannus pupa-ing”: is simplex pollex adversus porro ut glacies in propinquus castra aestiva per parum nixus of suus umerus humerus.

Praeter pauci veteran video of pro hockey have is week cuspis sicco ut weeks’ scrimmages videor potuisse dominor per blueline talentum. Dum ustulo Hasnonium’ been emineo mugio in duos, 30-minute, cursor clock forma, offa volubilis has been. Quod castra’ goaltenders have seldom been accersitus super futurus spectacular. Tamen meditatus quis castra’ porro es adversus in terms of blueline usus. Sean Offensus est an ‘83 birthyear, per quattuor seasons of NCAA hockey universa. Sami Lepisto est a veteran of Finnish Elite League. Oscar Hedman est a vet of Swedish Elite League. Karl Alzner est a magnus-bodied, caput capitis 5 pick inclutus inclitus pro suus in- glacies subolesco. Joe Finley has iustus duos seasons of NCAA hockey sub suus belt, tamen hes’ maior quam Ballston Malls’ ortus sors. Tunc youve’ got an awful sors of species goaltending secundum illa tutor. Commodum absolutely ut silenti etc.

Seen quod Auditus procul Kettler Caput

* 2005 primoris- teres Sasha Pokulok etiam Hasnonium’ been videlicet pro contactus skating, quod dum hes’ participating in oriens drills is week, quiete illic est growing sententia intus Caps’ norma ut Pokuloks’ blueline candide per magnus stipes est velox appositus flickering candela statua* Mane is week EGO philologus ut vox vocis of Ipsa Gero, John Walton, mos debut suus own hockey blog in provectus of upcoming hockey season. Ut should exsisto proprius, proprie si Walton can semoveo nonnullus pudor quod upload pauci of suus praeclarus dico, amo Eric Fehrs’ Orientales Placitum victor in Venatus 7 subitus nex in ver of 2006. Reputo Ozzy Osbourne, unsedated, opportunus Howard Dean, vere monstro. latrunculus ex Ipsa, Pa., grew tonight per Pium Novus’ Tim Leone adventum pro suus primoris saluto ut Kettler Caput. Is had a chance ut chat aliquantulus per Gero scamnum bulla Bruce Boudreau, quod ut EGO asked him si quisquam had proprie caught cogo’ animadverto is week, is said “Andrew Gordon certus has.”

* Illud vestrum whove’ been OFB lector pro praeter a mensis teneo of meus contemplor pro Leones’ occulto of Gero. Tonight is partis quaedam vox me pro meus lima in vetus Ipsa Pulvis mane is ver, quod is erectus mihi ut quod is has a chapter in valde vetus barn in suus history of Gero, titulus Ipsa Gero: Dulcis Seasons.

EGO hopped in super ut amazon.com vox ut EGO reverto domus quod instituo is lector recenseo of Leones’ libri:

“puteus-researched quod valde interesting history super unus of natu maximus quod plurimus interesting glacies hockey teams obvius universitas. Interesting quod in-depth, tamen valde readable. Mihi, sententia, libri est dignitas is pro photographs unus. A must- lego pro ullus Gero fan vel hockey historian.”

Suus’ iam been added ut meus estas lectio album. Loco is in vestri.

Boz penned a eloquens piece in valde pendo dedi sursum per Tiger Silva quod Congressional Terra Stipes is week. Hes’ vox — $25 admission, quod haud ortus tutela, parumper plenus dies in sol solis in unus of plurrimi decorus pieces vaco in tellus est a pendo dies valde puteus prodigo. Vos postulo futurus rationabiliter opportunus ut ingredior universitas tractus in July estus, sive vos operor youll’ somnus amo a infantia ut nox noctis. EGO memor strolling Congressionals’ tumulosus atrox per U.S. Patefacio illic in 1997, quod res awed per species of perficio manicured championship golf. Vel maybe EGO eram awed per thousands of tener Montgomery Duco virgo sauntering super in suum ostendo sum estas gero. Quod adeo recordor is, pro golfer “ consortio” ( quod Im’ non sermo caddies) es dignitas testis pretium of admission.

Usquam, suus’ a valde res Tigers’ effectus is week, veneratio nostrum Hostilis Muneris ut ferox ut sit. Suus’ a rarus vicis in contemporary lusum quibus corpus sponsorship videor ut recipio aliquantulus secundum lustre of venue, astrum contendo inibi, quod vices’ beneficiaries.

Tamen is weekend alius decem universitas- ordo athletes supervenio in D.C., quod testis suum opus tunc week mos sumptus vos $25 minor quam saluto ut golf tractus. Tunc week addo estas schola pro Caps’ kiddies, Julys’ annual Rookie Castra, tamen illa pulvis’ truants vel grade-challenged. Ut Caps have exaggeratus an embarrassment of altus- terminus prospicio opulentia ex preteritus quinque NHL Viscus Drafts is medium- estas gelamen has fio a epulum pro locus DraftGeek quod puck- astrum. Vos vado tergum pauci annus quod is vicis featured a pluo of primoris- quod secundus- teres, a numerus of ignotus solvo procurator, quod nonnullus tener locus talentum. Tamen is July Caps’ praemium quod amplus unrivaled norma depth gets a dramatic showcasing.

Suus’ a mini- palaestra castra of genus, partim an orientation pro tener guns quod a partim a vercundus frenum of drills quod talis in glacies. Tamen is est Kettler- Caput’ primoris talis castra, quod EGO specto is futurus plurrimi fan- familiaris unus ut balanus.

Ludio ludius mos supervenio in urbs super weekend, quod in mane secui of tunc week theyll’ contingo coaching baculus quod procuratio pro orientation. Caps es etiam formulating denique bits of castra schedule, tamen is oriens is videor ut ludio ludius ero in glacies procul varius vicis pro publicus phthisis tunc Wednesday per Friday. Usquequaque castra culminates per a scrimmage, quod fretus numerus of skaters, ut can exsisto a institutio 5- in-5 res vel, ut per plurimus repens castra sursum in Ipsa, solvo- rota 4- in-4s ut licentia skaters hunched super quod testis smiling.

Illa es meus plumbum storylines huic estas’ Rookie Castra:

• vultus of teams’ infigo WCHA paro: quondam Wisconsin Insigne caput Andrew Joudrey; Primoris-Team Totus-WCHA center/ pennae Andrew Gordon, is of quantum quam centum cuspis in three seasons procul St. Cloud Civitas; Secundus Team Totus-WCHA sniper Eo Mos ex Minnesota Civitas; quod velociter developing tower of formidonisJoe Finley ex North Dakota.
• A Caps’ rarity: a duo of QMJHL sto prospicio, utriusque cuius dominor Q permaneo season — vox pennae Suffragium Bouchard of Baie Adveho quod center Mathieu Perreault of Acadie Bathurst.
• OHL susurro- ingenero backstop Michal Neuvirth of Plymouth Orcus.
• ‘07 draft ordo, led per haud. 5 super Karl Alzner.
• 2005 primoris- teres Sasha Pokulok, cuius development has been tardus per pestifer.
• Oh, quod nonnulluseximius- solers Swede.

Si ut paratus pro tunc week youd’ amo aliquantulus of weekend lectio primer in Caps’ prime prospicio, illa OFB treatments vires probo futurus primary succurro: Hockeysfutures’ Contraho Dico- sicco of Caps’ prospicio; Perreault Wins Q League MVP; Q League sapiens-eyes prolixus super Perreault; Imperator Procurator George McPhees’ in-season update of agri; Caps’ ‘alius’ goaltending prospicio; meus inviso gems drafted in laxus rotundus; quod permaneo tamen non minimus, OFBs’ ordo of Caput capitis 20 Caps’ prospicio ex January.

Animadverto vos in Bermuda brevis in sto tunc week.

Robert Picarello suggero a sapor of res ut adveho in DC in NHL.com, profiling plures ludio ludius obviusCaput’ juvenis tractus. focus est in Nicklas Backstrom ( nimirum), Sami Lepisto, Pium McNeill, Andrew Gordon, quod Michal Neuvirth. Dum article desparatus alius intriguing prospicio amo Suffragium Bouchard, suus’ a bonus snapshot of infigo pipeline of tener talentum team has constructum super preteritus pauci annus.

article quoque comprehendo a photo of goaltender Michael Neuvirth; etiam, is etiam vultus aliquantulus amo Bjork — sententia thankfully hes’ in a Caps sudo quinymo quam, vel, a swan vestio.

Nick Backstrom volo est suscito in quod of ipsum, tamen is quoque semino aliquantulus of an prefero momentum: huic estas of change, quis’ tunc? Quod quis’ tunc may supervenio ocius quam vos reputo, si vestri’ promptus puto ut Caps mos sit per idly quod patienter specto July 1s’ adventum. Peius’ beneficium a 50-lb. pera of Defaeco siccus victus pro bellator dogs ut they dont’.

Procul a minimum, Caps postulo a caput capitis- versus center quod a caput capitis- iugum tutaminis. Procul a minimum. Insofar ut porro additions es sollicitus, vero, Imperator Procurator George McPhee seemingly must inventor suus norma’ possessiones of posterus caput capitis-6 talentum pro potentially inking an carus quod nomen solvo procurator ut a porro-term paciscor. Tier EGO UFAs procul ullus positus dont’ subcribo quondam vel duos- annus paciscor, quod dum forsitan tantum Tomas Fleischmann down in agri est primed pro frons- versus proveho is cado, secundum him, quinymo near-term, illic es magis magnus-minute men mereo vercundus seasoning absentis. Si Caps subcribo unus vel duos altus- pretium solvo procurator porro is estas, ut paciscor servo lemma in Caps’ sudo firmus in tunc decade, quis venio ut teams’ altus- terminus kids? Operor they totus adepto paciscor?

A magnus questionmark theca vox pennae Eric Fehr illa dies. Is has a wonky tergum, quod suus’ non ostendo ultum subcribo of lenimentus ex treatment is ver. Tamen vindicatum suus recuperatio, illic can exsisto haud denego suus posterus fixture in unus of Caps’ caput capitis duos versus. Nunc.

Permaneo weekend Pium Novus’ Tim Leone told mihi ut Sarcalogos Bourque est a rectum obfirmo ut skate center vel pennae in Hersheys’ caput capitis versus tunc season. Suus cogo told mihi mane is ver ut CBourques’ a posterus NHLer. Should ut adeo fructus, is moris’ exsisto in Caps’ vel quisquam alius’ tertius vel quartus versus. Hes’ a playmaker per altus- terminus hockey voluntas, quod suus season of volatilis development iam has multus of Caps’ orichalcum reputo him a annus a res promptus. Dumtaxat.

Hic es nonnullus magis prospicio nomen prorsus incongruus pro tertius- quod quartus- versus officium: Suffragium Bouchard, plumbum ustulo in Q is preteritus season ( nonnullus video reputo hes’ in lascivio parumper Caps’ pennae macula is cado) quod Mathieu Perreault, suus MVP. Perreault seemingly has aliquantum of physical development prosequor, quod is can exsisto stashed tergum in Q is coming season quod subsequently in Ipsa parumper iugo of seasons . . . nisi is Denis Torva lookalike sermo has substantia secundum is. Tamen Bouchard videor promptus pro assignment in American League pronto, quod suus apprenticeship illic videor amo futurus of brevis-term schedule.

In dies ut Andrew Gordon eram subcribo permaneo mensis EGO asked GM McPhee super him, quod is told mihi ut Gordon would satus in Ipsa is cado tamen ut illic eram a sanus chance hed’ exsisto an in-season dico. Im’ non convinced ut suus ceiling ut a pro est in reprehendo versus persona. Suus centum-plus cuspis quod Totus- Placitum designo intus contraho hockeys’ premiere vox placitum certainly dont’ innutum is. Lee Stempniak, a Puteulanus’ medium- rotundus pick quisnam loco sursum magnus numerus in ECAC, est testimonium ut castra levitas can offendo laxus in draft. Nos operor teneo ut Gordon left St. Cloud per magis susurro quam Stempniak did. Iustus sententia.

Suus’ iustus unus sententia, tamen nuper ESPNs’ John Bucchigross gave erumpo ut a vegetus versus of reputo super quis could exsisto Caps’ primary offseason ars. Is memoratus a singulus professio informatio, unus plures nostrum have porro tabesco pro ( pium Mara), tunc restituo ut suus tabellae scriptor, “ si EGO erant Caput . . . EGO would subsisto loco, servo lascivio tener ludio ludius quod servo contraho caput capitis-10 picks. Teams planto erroris ut they opprimo pro mediocris ludio ludius. Ut est nex”

decor of an acquisition via professio est ut vos hereditas a ultum curtus pactum term, affording suscipio team enviable quod, seemingly in Caps’ theca, ultum- postulo flexibility.

Conventional sapientia — utriusque intus quod foris Caps’ norma — est ut team est gravis in tertius- quod quartus- versus talentum utriusque in current parentis roster quod in development pipeline. Ut’ facillimus assessment facio. Quod is may puteus exsisto plurrimi sagaciter. Tamen per talis an ubertas of altus drafted talentum, magis nuper combined per award- victor quod totus- placitum mereo ornamentum us summitto in draft, Inquam vigilo sicco pro unus vel duos frons- versus breakthroughs. nunc Id’ amo is ut venio hic.

Is est an eximius weekend pro Ipsa Gero. Hic’ lowdown:

• They evinco Wilkes Sterilis Friday nox noctis in via, aut in ordinatio vel deprehendo, quod they lucror the American League’s East Division and they secure the best overall record in the entire American Hockey League. In other words, home ice advantage all the way through the postseason. Last year, the Bears won the Calder Cup on the road in Milwaukee; I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t much mind seeing that title secured in the Giant Center this spring, with Caps’ management and legions of D.C. puckheads in the chocolate house.
• Friday’s is the first game of another three-game weekend, this being the final weekend of play in the American League’s regular season. The Bears do need points this weekend, and they’ll have to earn them on the road. They visit Binghamton Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday.
• Months ago conventional wisdom was that whoever emerged from the East in the playoffs would have a strong chance at the Calder Cup. Why? Well, Wilkes Barre already has 50 wins on the season. Hershey, with 49, is almost certain to arrive at it. Norfolk has 48. It’s entirely possible that for the first time in the history of the American League three teams in the same division win 50 games. Get out of the East Division this postseason and the rest almost seems like boat drinks with bikinied deckhands.
• The Bears won’t lack for quality or depth this weekend. Or this postseason. Assigned to them since the Caps completed their season last weekend: Mike Green, Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Fehr, and Dave Steckel. Jeff Schultz joined Hershey the previous week. Can you say stacked?
• Both Dave Steckel and Chris Bourque are lodged at 58 points and have legtimate shots at 60-pt. seasons. Way back in October I had a chat with an OFB friend with a pro scouting background who had this to say of CBourque: “I’d keep an eye on Chris Bourque. Remember, he played prep school hockey and one year for a bad BU team. Last year was his first true exposure to pro style hockey. Now that he’s had a taste and knows how to prepare, I expect him to have a big jump in production.” Steckel’s next goal will be his 30th on the campaign. He is an eye-popping +25 for Coach Boudreau.
• Bears’ management hasn’t been shy about getting games for recent Caps’ signees. Steve Pinizzotto has three games under his belt, Sean Collins has two games and is a +1, and Andrew Joudrey has perhaps made the most conspicuous debut among the NCAA arrivals, with a goal and an assist in three games while skating a +2. Andrew Gordon may arrive in a few weeks to bolster further one of the league’s most lethal attacks, too.

Let’s dispense with the obvious from the outset: Olie Kolzig enjoyed his first shutout since the winter of 2004 with all four members of OFB monitoring the feat from press row. Should the organization, in 2007-08, respond by setting aside four leather recliners for us up there? Seems mildly excessive.

I really enjoy being around members of the Caps’ organization on a day when an exciting prospect has been inked. And last night there was no denying the Caps’ enthusiasm about Andrew Gordon joining the organization. Nate Ewell made a point of coming over to us during the first intermission and letting us know the organization’s expectations of him: of all the signings this spring, he told us, Gordon is the guy with a real chance to make a difference at the NHL level.

Before the game I had a chance to stop George McPhee for a brief chat about the signing. He told me that in the short term, Gordon, now sidelined with a sprained ankle, will remain on campus, but that he will eventually make his way to Hershey, and should the Bears make another lengthy postseason run, Gordon would likely compete for playoff playing time. I’m aware of the general patience the Caps have in developing their draft picks, and so I wondered if the organization would have been all that bothered had Gordon opted to remain at St. Cloud for his senior year. The Caps, McPhee made clear to me, wanted him playing pro right now.

He will start next season in Hershey, the GM told me, but — and this I found startling — he doesn’t necessarily expect Gordon to remain there all year.

“We think there’s a real chance that he can help us out here next season,” McPhee said.

Next season isn’t about more shuffling of youth in and out of the lineup, like piecing together and pulling apart a puzzle; it’s about making a big move up in the East’s standings, so it’s clear the Caps believe they have something special in Gordon, and that his development timeline should be briefer than normal. No slouch of a seventh round pick, this one.

We kept an eye on the game 7 proceedings between Acadie Bathurst and PEI, and we passed along updates to Caps’ communications guys. PEI is an hour ahead of us in the Maritimes, and so as we settled into our seats early last night we learned that Mathieu Perreault had already potted a goal and an assist midway through the second period. Bathurst prevailed 4-3 on the road in what must have been an OT thriller. Perreault finished the series with five goals and three assists. Next up for the Titan is Cape Breton in round 2.

I really enjoy chatting with the out-of-town reporters between periods, and last night I was surprised by the size of the Florida press contingent in attendance. There was a Palm Beach Post scribe, a Miami Herald fella, and one or two others from sunshine state dailies. All this southern media interest in a Tuesday night, playing-out-the-string Southeast showdown? Then I realized: the Florida Marlins were in D.C. opening their baseball season, and a bunch of these guys were pressed into double coverage duty.

Anyway, I wanted to pick their brains about the full-season impact of the Roberto Luongo deal, as it’s increasingly acquiring the rotting aroma of worst-trade-in-NHL-history status. You recall the particulars of that one. The classic butterfly French Canadian uber talent, still south of reaching his prime splendor, with likely at least 10 game-changing seasons still ahead of him, dealt by Mike Keenan just days before last June’s Entry Draft, for like three bloggers to be named later.

I began my inquiry by noting that the Panthers were an above-.500 hockey club (in the NHL’s quirky three-column standings), and I wondered where these writers thought the club would be had it held on to Luongo. For a more dramatic cup-a-joe Wednesday morning file I wanted all of them to shout in unison “20 . . . maybe 25 games over .500, and Cup contenders.”

But their answers surprised me. For starters, while none of them waxed euphoric over Alex Auld, the Cats’ blueline has improved dramatically this season. A healthy chunk of that is attributable to Jay Boumeester’s no. 1 guy blossoming, but all their press guys agreed that both Ruslan Salei and Bryan Allen had played important and durable roles all season long. Last night was the 80th game of the season for both of them. They also pointed out the adverse impact of Joe Nieuwendyk’s injuries. I appreciated their nuance, and I didn’t dispute them, but I raised the analogy of Patty Roy being thrown out of Montreal in his prime, and they all nodded. Then the Miami Herald guy told me, “The deal cost Keenan his job, no doubt.”

Today’s St. Cloud Times reports that yesterday the Caps inked forward prospect Andrew Gordon of the WCHA’s St. Cloud State Huskies to a three-year deal. The account is one hockey fans would do well to peruse, as it’s distinctive in empahsizing Gordon’s intense struggle to choose between starting his pro career and leaving an ascendent program and teammates he cherished:

“As recent as Friday, Gordon was convinced he wasn’t going to change history. Early last week, after conversations with Steve Richmond, the Capitals’ director of player personnel, Gordon thought he was staying.

“He asked me straight-up ‘Do you want to leave?’” said Gordon, then only a couple of days removed from a 4-1 loss to Maine in SCSU’s first NCAA Tournament bid in four years.

“I said I was comfortable staying here. I love the school and being with the guys. It would be good for my development to play more than 20 minutes a night and be on the power play. Their offer wasn’t near what we thought it would have to be, so I thought that was it.”

“Late last week, however, Gordon got a call from George McPhee, the Caps’ vice president and general manager. Their conversation lasted nearly an hour.

“It meant a lot to hear right from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, where they see me in their plans,” Gordon said.

Gordon was selected by the Caps in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He leaves St. Cloud as just the 9th player in school history to amass 100 points, which he accomplished in just three seasons, and he was named First Team All WCHA this season.

I have friends who are spirited WCHA partisans, and for a week now I’ve heard moans and groans from them about their conference being slighted by the NCAA selection committee. The WCHA placed three teams in the field of 16 — Minnesota, North Dakota, and St. Cloud. My friends correctly noted: the past five NCAA hockey champions have hailed from the WCHA. It’s college hockey’s best conference, hands down.

But the gap, today I allege, is closing.

Ascendant — most dramatically — are two CCHA clubs, Miami and Notre Dame. Miami is now at home in its new two-sheet, state-of-the-art rink that set back Ohio taxpayers a cool $35 million. The Redhawks appear to be a Top 20 fixture. The Fighting Irish under Jeff Jackson — what’s left to be said about them this season that already hasn’t? Blue and Gold Illustrated last month on its cover tabbed Jackson’s efforts in South Bend this season ‘Another Miracle on Ice.’ And one-year wonders they almost certainly aren’t: seven recruits arrive on campus this autumn, and all seven appear on the NHL’s list of likely-to-be drafted this June. Wow.

Meanwhile, the WCHA clubs who did make the field didn’t exactly blow away the competition. St. Cloud went out Friday without a whimper; Minnesota, facing the demons of last season’s all-time first-round shocker at the skates of Holy Cross, trailed 15-loss Air Force 3-1 well into the third period Saturday before prevailing 4-3.

The CCHA placed four teams in the field of 16, Hockey East a conspicuous five. The CCHA has acquitted itself superbly: it’s 3-0 through play Saturday afternoon. Alabama-Huntsville may well have snared a spot from a fourth WCHA team, and I’m with Michigan State coach Rick Comley about the five-team CHA: their tournament winner ought to earn merely a play-in game berth rather than one of the coveted sixteen slots outright.

But the Denver Pioneers finished 4th in the WCHA this season with 15 losses. Are the league’s supporters, confronted with 19-loss Huntsville and 15-loss Air Force already in the field of 16, seriously suggesting that another 15-loss-plus team ought to earn a selection?

But a word of commendation about both Huntsville and Air Force. Huntsville’s record, as unimpressive as it was, didn’t tell the full story of that fiery team that pushed the no. 1 team in the country to the sudden death brink Friday. Comebacks — large ones — littered Huntsville’s season. They trailed Wayne State 3-0 and won in OT. They trailed Niagra 3-1 and won 5-3. They trailed Robert Morris 4-0 in the CHA championship game and prevailed 5-4 in OT. And Friday they trailed the Irish 2-0 and yanked their goalie in the first period before knotting things up. Netminder Marc Narduzzi came in off the bench and stopped 49 of the 50 shots he faced.

I also heard a lot of dismissive talk this week against the Chargers predicated on their distinctive geographical locale. In point of fact, Huntsville has a rich hockey legacy (three minor pro teams there since the ’70s), and this season’s Chargers’ roster contained no fewer than 20 Canucks.

Friday was Head Coach Doug Ross’ last game after 25 years behind the Huntsville bench. I didn’t know that until this morning, but that explains a lot of the Chargers’ gutsy showing in a game everyone thought would be a laugher.

I thought Air Force was set up for a slaughter Saturday, with every resident of the Hockey State reminding Gopher head man Don Lucia this month about last season’s unacceptable round of 16 opening dismissal. But there the Falcons were Saturday, up 3-1 late against the Golden Gophers. Ten Falcons hailed from Minnesota, so you can imagine the motivation and pride with which they played.

Many of these Regionals are being contested in AHL rinks — Manchester, Grand Rapids, Rochester, for instance. They share this quality: charitably put, there’s no need to print standing room only tickets. And because college hockey has such a wonderful product to sell, and because hockey in general is on its hands and knees in terms of securing America’s fiercely competitive sports patronage, I’m led to think that college hockey should take these regionals to new and non-traditional outposts. I’m thinking . . . 10,000-seat, new and impressive rinks . . . like . . . Hershey’s Giant Center.

As pointed out by fellow OFBer pucksandbooks, there was all kinds of good college hockey on yesterday, so I started my hockey Friday with the University of North Dakota playing St. Cloud State in the WCHA semi-finals. The game was of interest to Caps fans, as the red-hot, 6th-ranked Fighting Sioux boast Caps’ first-round pick Joe Finley on their blueline, while the #4 in the nation Huskies have 2004 seventh-round pick Andrew Gordon. Some quick thoughts on that game, then on to Toronto’s visit to the Phone Booth.

• Gordon’s line (Nodl-Dey-Gordon) provided the Huskies’ only offense on the day. For SCS’s first goal, Gordon picked up the puck behind the ND net and made a nice centering pass through two opposing players to Andreas Nodl, who was all alone in front for a forehand-backhand goal.
• Gordon’s goal was the result of nice power-play passing, with Nodl passing cross-ice to Dey, who then centered to Gordon in front of the goal for an easy tap-in.
• In the one draw I saw him take, Gordon beat Toews cleanly.
• Other impressions of the SCS Alternate Captain: he’s game in the corners but not overwhelmingly strong, likes to carry the puck up, and threw a decent forecheck hit on a Sioux defenseman behind the net. The speedy winger has soft hands — passes go where he wants them to, and he seems to have that ability to find the open spot on the ice and exploit it. It will be interesting to see if he leaves school early to sign with the Caps. (Continued)

Did you know that a leave slip that today reads “Teeth cleaning, 2:45″ is Canadian for:

3:00 — St. Cloud State vs. North Dakota, Fox Sports North

4:30 — Notre Dame vs. Lake Superior State, Fox Sports Central

5:00 — New Hampshire vs. UMass, NESN

8:00 — Michigan vs. Michigan State, Fox Sports Central; Boston College vs. Boston University, NESN

What kind of fan does this make me — the Caps aren’t going to qualify for the postseason this year, but I don’t even want them to? I acknowledge that professional athletes have fiery competitiveness in their DNA, and I am aware of GMGM’s longtsanding assertion that there’s a real crapshoot quality to the NHL’s postseason, but to me conspicuously flawed clubs have no business bearing brass ring aspirations. I have no interest in seeing this Caps’ team, as it’s currently comprised, go into a round one series with a second-line center by committee, a mish-mash of mid-level and inexperienced blueliners, and wildly unbalanced scoring among four lines.

I can speak only as a fan, but it seems to me there’s only one reason to venture into the postseason: to win. How plausible is postseason winning for an outfit that’s yet to prove it can be competitive regularly with the Florida Panthers? All manner of consolation prizes to the postseason — of “experience” and “character” building — strikes me as diversionary prittle-prat, the domain of losers. Me = not interested in door prizes.

Generally by February the interminable NHL season reveals the true identity of its member clubs, and what we know of the Caps after nearly 60 games this season is that they’re still searching for their durable identity. Mercifully, the organization allowed the delusionally inaccurate marketing slogan “Always Intense” of a couple of seasons ago to wither into oblivion. (They’re rarely intense in Sunrise.) Here’s my free marketing advice for a slogan: “We’re building something.”

And that’s really good news.

Olie Kolzig’s injury yesterday occasioned what I regarded as a surprising torrent of “our playoff hopes are dashed now” reactions from fans and media. (Tarik this morning at least termed them “feint.”) Those plausible hopes were dashed a couple of weeks ago. How does a battered 12th or 13th place in the conference outfit consistently better the points tallies of upwards of a half dozen clubs above them, all of whom possess more experienced bluelines and better balanced scoring? And above them aren’t the Florida Panthers.

I understand as well as anybody the accumulated shoulder slumping of years’ worth of being on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs are concerned. But I’m preferential to the Buffalo style of organization building: you’re bad when you’re on the outs, but once in, you’re very, very good. And there are other similar models; it pains me to say it, but the Pens may be on the cusp of arriving at that status. At least they might soon wreak their havoc in another conference.

It’s been a season of mixed developments for the Caps. They’ve found a terrific captain in Chris Clark, settling for a while a glaring leadership void. Boyd Gordon has enjoyed a grand development leap. Alexander Semin is on the cusp of superstardom. Mike Green has played brilliantly, quite well, and poorly — about what you’d expect from a talented rookie logging veteran’s minutes. And in an admittedly brief audition Green’s ‘04 draftmate Jeff Schultz has demonstrated poise and promise. But there have been, too, glaring and daunting instances of regress. Brian Sutherby’s atrophied offense, Ben Clymer’s merit-based benchings; even one-dimensional play from #8. Kris Beech’s flop was wholly predictable.

I’m accused at times of being a glass-is-half-full optimist, even when the losing is at its ugliest, the line combinations their most cluttered, the standings woes their most worrisome. This morning my metaphor is aeronautical. Our playoff charter is at the gate, but mechanics are still working on it, the flightplan is still being verified, and inside the terminal, on two walkways moving passengers in opposite directions, the walkway toward boarding bears a better volume than its counterpart.

In a January-in-review feature of on-campus exploits, Hockeysfuture.com has nothing but great things to say about a trio of Caps’ collegiate kiddies. If you scroll down to the “Capital gains” portion of the article, you discover this:

“Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, Travis Morin had the opportunity to forego his senior year at Minnesota State to sign with the Capitals but opted not to, much to delight of the Mavericks faithful. The leadership torch was passed to Morin when David Backes opted to sign with the St. Louis Blues in the off-season, and Morin hasn’t disappointed. The Brooklyn Park, MN native leads Minnesota State in virtually every category, including points (31), goals (13) and assists (18). However, Morin’s stats alone do not even begin to illustrate his value to the Mavericks. He plays in all situations for Minnesota State and is amongst the team leaders in ice time. As good as his offensive production has been, it is his contributions away from the score sheet, whether it’s winning draws or blocking shots that are not only his more impressive attributes but perhaps his most underrated as well.”

Andrew Gordon also gets singled out:

“Meanwhile, the Huskies of St. Cloud State continue to be one of the nation’s most dominant teams thanks in part to the outstanding junior season of Andrew Gordon. The Porters Lake, NS native, who serves as one of the team’s assistant captains, currently co-leads the team in scoring with 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists). Of the 17 goals that he has scored, ten have come on the power play. His 1.38 points per game co-leads the WCHA and is tied for tenth in the nation. In addition, his ten power-play goals rank tied for second in the nation. One of the keys to Gordon and St. Cloud State’s success has been consistent offensive production. In the 26 games that Gordon has appeared in this season, he has been held pointless in only six of them. January has by far been his most productive month. In the Huskies eight games this month, Gordon has posted 13 points (seven goals, six assists), averaging 1.64 points per game.”

And last but not least, Union College netminder Justin Mrazek earns props for his stellar work early in 2007:

” . . . the Union College Dutchmen may now have the go-to guy in goal that they’ve been searching for in junior Justin Mrazek. After a streaky first half, the Regina, SK native looks to have finally found his groove. In the month of January, Mrazek posted a 5-3-0 record in eight games, along with a 2.00 goals against average and a .940 save percentage. Overall on the season, he sports a 12-10-2 record that includes two shutouts. Mrazek’s most memorable January outing came in the Dutchmen’s hard-fought 2-1 overtime win over Yale on Jan. 27 in a rematch of last year’s marathon ECACHL first round thriller. In the recent contest, Mrazek turned in a superb 39-save performance to backstop Union College to their third consecutive victory.”