The Blonde Girl's Guide...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2012-01-24T21:34:00.000-05:00

Can’t a female hockey fan get a little respect? Holy cow, it’s bad enough that the NHL Shop tries to convince us to buy and wear glittery pink hockey jerseys, but we also have to put up with snarky remarks from commentators too?

I’ve heard the little snarks before, but I just have to say, I’m damn sick and tired of it. What ticked me off tonight? Well, I’ll tell you. Here I am, calmly watching the Caps vs. Bruins game on my TV, when CSN decides to show a group of four female fans talking to each other in their seats at Verizon Center. Joe Beninati describes the scene in this way: “Ladies –chatting - I’m sure about the breakout, I’m sure it has to do with the breakout.” And then he and Craig Laughlin chuckle.

Now, some readers who may have seen this might just think “What? That’s nothing”, and you’re entitled to your opinion. But speaking as a woman hockey fan, who also works in a male dominated business, that was snark directed at female fans. Frankly, if I were one of those ladies in that group and knew this was said on television about me, I’d be irate. Just seeing it unfold on my television was bad enough. So, here is an open letter to Joe Beninati, Craig Laughlin and CSN:

Dear Sirs,

While you think it is entertaining to make any kind of comment about female hockey fans attending a game; no matter your intent; you are in fact perpetuating the absurd myth that women cannot be hockey fans. Shame on you, I hope Jill Sorenson, Julie Donaldson, or Kelli Johnson smack you upside the head. All jokes aside, any comment you make regarding any fan attending a professional sporting event should never have the slightest hint of ridicule, regardless of their gender. But, directing these type of comments to female fans in particular, smacks of narrow-mindedness and chauvinism. Your lack of respect towards female fans is not only rude; it is an antiquated view of women. I happen to have a great deal of knowledge about a hockey, and consider myself to be a serious fan of the game, as do many other women. We deserve to be treated with dignity, not derision. Also, these fans are the people you hope to attract to your broadcasts as viewers. You are representing your company, and doing it poorly. Fortunately, fans of professional sports have options when it comes to listening to commentators of a game. From this point forward, I think I’ll be exercising that option. Maybe you should just go back to talking about food? On second thought, how about just talking about the game?

Sincerely,

C_G

Any questions?

Great Expectations – My Reality Check

2012-01-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

Upon further review of recent events by the Washington Capitals, I find it necessary to give my great expectations a little reality check.

Caps vs. the New York Islanders: Yes, that was a total stinker game, a shit show if I may be so bold. Caps looked like they either couldn’t care less or couldn’t get their shit together. While it was a train wreck to watch, I especially felt bad for fans at Verizon Center who didn’t even get to see one goal from our boys. Shutouts are even harder to watch then losses; shutouts feel like the team didn’t even show up to play, while a loss, hopefully, usually includes some viable effort. So, while it would have been nice to see at least one goal in that game, maybe the team wasn’t into it because they didn’t feel the need to be into it. My reality check: Maybe the team was thinking “Which is more important; we beat the Islanders or we beat the Habs?” I heard all the interviews after the game. Everybody saying how badly they played, etc., etc., etc. But what if they were just focusing too much on the next game in Montreal? Not fair to the fans but certainly feasable. Dunno for sure, but a little reflection made me change my mind. A stinker is still a stinker though.

Caps vs. Montreal Canadiens: Much better effort here. So much so that the Habs fans were the ones feeling the disappointment of a shutout. But, at least they got to see their team fight and claw to the bitter end. But my reality check here concerns the desire to mete payback for the hit to Nick Backstrom by Rene Bourque on January 3rd. Hubs and I were betting on Erskine to dole out the punishment, but Matt Hendricks answered the call instead. We all knew Bourque would be expecting it and at the end you may say he prevailed, but payback was completed. My reality check: It’s a hockey game, not a 10 round title fight. Additional payback; while desired; is not reasonable. Yes, I have a high regard for Nicky and want to see retribution for those who hurt him, but if another member of the team had tried to punish Bourque again after the “bout” with Hendricks, we would have looked like a bunch of goons. But it does kind of validate my reality check from the previous paragraph.

Nick Backstrom’s injury: I seem to recall Nicky saying that he felt ok after that elbow to the head from Rene Bourque. I did hear that, right? So why is he still out? While concussions are no laughing matter, if he feels great, let him play is the common theme from some fans. Yes, concussions should take precedence, but what if there were more to the story? Could Nick also have an undisclosed injury that needs time for recovery? Many a time we have heard after-the-fact of players playing with an injury during the post-season. Naturally, these injuries would not be disclosed until later since opposing teams would obviously try to take advantage of them when a player does return to the ice. My reality check: IF the aforementioned WERE true, what better time to give Nick a chance to recover from an undisclosed injury while leading everyone to believe that his scratches are concussion related. Furthermore, we all know of Nick’s migraine problems, so let’s add this to the list of possible problems as to why he isn’t back in the game. As much as I miss Nick in the game (and I think the team misses him as well), if he needs to sit, he needs to sit, no matter the reason given. Get well Nicky and come back when you are 100%. (While I was writing this post, an interview from Sweden with Nicky was translated by Malin for Japers Rink. Frustration and headaches were mentioned, go read it if you haven’t already.) Have to admit, though, I am grasping at straws just a bit.

Player scratches and call ups: We’ve all seen it since Dale Hunter has become the coach. Certain players are being scratched game after game after game. Yes, I am talking about Jeff Schultz in particular. I jump to the conclusion that because he was obviously one of Boudreau’s boys from Hershey, he isn’t appreciated the same way now that Hunter has the reins. Ever since Hunter has arrived, we’ve seen the team try to become more physical, which I certainly appreciate. I’ve been asking for bodies against the boards for ages, so it’s great to see this addition to the Caps style of play. But if you’ve watched Jeff Schultz play, he isn’t a huge checker. And without Green to be paired with, he looks like he’s a little lost out there when he does get a chance to play. When Orlov and Kundratek got called up, many fans asked why, since we already had Erskine and Schultz. My reality check: I have absolutely no clue the exact reason why players are getting healthy scratches. Maybe that's ok. It is possible they just aren’t Dale’s or Jim’s cup of tea; it is possible they are having difficulties adjusting to Dale’s system, and it is possible that it’s none of the above. When it comes to Schultz, jump to the conclusion of a possible trade if you must, you could just be right. Since Jeff is technically tied up by contract for a couple more years, I’d bet on a trade by the end of February. (Since I’m terrible at gambling, don’t lay any actual bets on that statement, I’ve been known to be wrong.) This reality check is more of a shoulder shrug/meh/whatever for me.

Caps must win every game/all the time: Come on, really? Time for you to get a reality check if you really think that.

Since math really hurts my brain there are no stats to back any of this conjecture up, just a few reminders to myself that a good dose of reality makes watching the Caps a little easier at times. So, that being said; what color is the sky in your world?

Thank You, Love Caps Girl

2011-12-30T16:11:00.000-05:00

Feeling grateful; so some shout outs of thanks…

First and foremost: a huge thank you to everyone who has ever clicked a link to this blog. Even though inspiration is sometimes lacking on my part; every reader, follower and comment is truly appreciated.

Secondly, some very nice people who have taken the time to link this little blog and send huge numbers of hits: all the folks at @JapersRink and @TedLeonsis. Just the fact that you took the time to read and decided a post was worthy of a link brings heartfelt gratitude.

Thirdly: all the fellow bloggers who have listed me on their blog rolls, most especially the Washington Capitals and Monumental Sports. I blush every time I see my blog listed on your sites. (Really)

I started this blog over two years ago, with no grand scheme other than to bitch and moan and sometimes share a few laughs along the way. From this, I have been able to further my own hockey education and hopefully further a few reader’s hockey educations as well. So, speaking of educating, I’d like to thank some experts who have helped educate me with their insight and by answering some sometimes stupid questions: @VogsCaps, @JohnKeeley, @ODPllc, @EdFrankovic, @CapsExaminer, @emcerlain , @pckhdsthghts , and @TedStarkey. Even though I’ve only met a few of you in real life, I owe you all at least one beer for sharing your wealth of knowledge with me.

I’d also like to thank some of my partners in crime: Leslie (@hockeymomva), for co-blogging on Scarlet Caps and fun shenanigans at brunch along with Liz (@DCSportsChick); and my fellow gchat snarkers: Dana (@YoCalleJo, who also shares Caps tickets cuz she’s just awesome that way), Katelyn (@dorcov), Stephy (@carrotbazooka), Julie (@dimickj), and Beta (@itsabeta), it’s always fun to be around these ladies.

Finally, thank you to everyone who follows and interacts with me on Twitter. I’ve said it before; I have the best Tweeps! Yes, I tend to get a little sappy at the end of the year, so thank you for indulging me, putting up with my blondness and shenanigans, and making 2011 such a great year. I love you all.

The Annual Caps JibJab Christmas Card

2011-12-18T00:16:00.000-05:00

Cause we all need a little cheering up after a loss:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

The Art of the RT

2011-12-03T12:15:00.006-05:00

Time for another Social Media rant. And it’s about the one thing that puts most Twitter users’ teeth on edge, the “retweet” (or “RT” for those in the know). I briefly covered this in a previous Social Media post, but I guess nobody paid attention to it or forgot.

Some of this rant will be directed to my tweet stream as a Washington Capitals fan in particular, but I’m sure it can apply to every Twitter user, as the majority of Tweeps usually follow a certain topic/theme/interest. So, let the ranting begin.

Dear Tweeps,

Please use RT’s with care. It is not necessary to RT everything tweeted by the @washcaps account. They are followed by almost 70,000 people, so you can be pretty much guaranteed that everyone who follows you has already seen the news they just tweeted. The same can be said of any tweets or blogs posted by @TedLeonsis (who may only have 20,000+ followers, but that’s enough to ensure that most fans are already seeing the original). Maybe you think you are providing a service to your followers by doing this? Yes, that is so very nice of you. But you aren’t paying attention, are you? I just told you, I can pretty much guarantee that all of your followers have already seen the news. So, as nice as that seems; in truth, it is very annoying to those of us that follow both you and the team. We follow you for your own personal musings, not to see the same information regurgitated over and over and over.

Which brings me to bloggers and media type Twitter users. I know it’s tough to compete. Some of you make your living by being actual sports journalists, and that’s why we follow you; for actual sports news. Bloggers, your job is to put your own spin on that sports news. But how many times have we seen the same thing tweeted by both? Too many. You might as well just RT them, but then you'd piss people off then too. We are on to you; you really want to be professional journalists, don’t you? Well, until such time as you get hired by an actual media outlet and make the big bucks, please stop posing. Put your own spin on your tweets, we’d rather see you than some clone of someone else. That is why we follow you after all. And, this seems to be a good place to thank all of the bloggers who do this correctly; you make me want to click your links.

And speaking of following, let’s talk about #FF’s while we are at it. A lot of Twitter users like to give shout outs to Tweeps by giving them an #FF every Friday. People who receive these are usually very honored to receive the recommendation, as they should be. But by RTing that #FF recommendation verbatim to your entire follower base makes you come off as either lazy or egotistical. Let me remind you, when you RT a #FF recommendation to your tweet stream, you are sending it to people who already follow you! Yes, it’s possible that someone in the original #FF tweet doesn’t follow you, but those people already saw the recommendation for you when they were @’d in the first place! The correct response to a #FF directed towards you is a simple thank you.

Which brings me to people who ask for RT’s. How many times have you seen people either tweet a blog post, some silly or inane idea/comment or announce it’s their birthday and ask someone else for a RT? Yes, fortunately for them, some people they ask will oblige them. But in essence, what you are doing when you ask for the RT is begging for attention and validation. I feel kind of sorry for people who do this, how sad their meaningless little lives must be. (That is snark, people; don’t get your panties in a wad.) On the flip side, if you have a certain piece of information that you think would be beneficial to have RT’d for the greater good, such as a charity or cause, go right ahead and ask for the RT. This circumstance seems appropriate, and I hope that the celebrity who gets these requests consider actually following through with a RT. Now, that’s the way to use your powers for good!

So, like the earlier thank you to bloggers, I’d like to say thank you to all my Tweeps who do the RT the right way. You make it a pleasure to follow you all. To those of you who can’t seem to be Social Media savvy, you may have already been unfollowed for the sake of irritation alone, but you probably have no idea why. As for me, I expect to be unfollowed in 5….4….3….2….

Authors Note: Minutes after posting this with no linking to Twitter or Facebook because it really is just a personal rant, I was sorta retweeted by the @CapsBlogsRT. Yes, I am kind of embarrassed right now.

Stripping Ovi

2011-11-27T21:19:00.005-05:00

I’m still amazed people want to strip Ovi of the “C”. I’ll grant you that the decision to make Ovechkin the Captain was made by GM George McPhee and Coach Bruce Boudreau, but it was reported that when this was in the works, the team was in on the decision. Let’s take a trip down Reality Road, ok?

First up; per NHL.com from 1/5/2010:

Boudreau said he had polled the team in recent days and Ovechkin was the unanimous choice.

"They were really happy when I told them (Tuesday) morning and this doesn't happen too often, but the group got up and cheered," Boudreau said. "I had talked to a lot of them in the last couple of days and they said Alex was the only choice, 'He's our leader and he's our guy.”

So, if the team wanted him, and the General Manager wanted him, and the Coach wanted him, how does that result in the idea he isn’t the right guy?

I’m also amazed that people say he doesn’t show leadership qualities and the job should be given to a more outspoken veteran guy.

Show of hands; how many people have actually been present in the locker room between periods that are NOT members of the Capitals team or staff? …Anyone? I thought so. Assumptions are being made that claim Ovi does not have what it takes to be the team captain.

Ok, let’s tackle the argument that he’s too young. How about a little look around the league?

Out of 30 teams, 13 of the current captains were born between 5/1/1984 and 4/29/1988, with the two youngest being Stanley Cup winners. (And, yes, #3 Andrew Ladd also won 2 Stanley Cups but he was not a captain on either team at the time they won.)

Jonathan Toews 4/29/1988

Sidney Crosby 8/7/1987

Andrew Ladd 12/12/1985

Alex Ovechkin 9/17/1985

Shea Weber 8/14/1985

Ryan Getzlaf 5/10/1985

Dion Phaneuf 4/10/1985

Ryan Callahan 3/21/1985

Dustin Brown 11/4/1984

Eric Staal 10/29/1984

Zach Parise 7/28/1984

Rick Nash 6/16/1984

David Backes 5/1/1984

How about the argument that Ovi is Russian and English is his second language? I call bullshit there as well. You and I know that Alex’s English is fine and he works hard to speak it and be understood.

Next up; Alex is a selfish player who is out for himself. Come on, really? The guy has tons of heart; one of his greatest wishes is to win a Stanley Cup. Naturally, you have to be selfish to do that and not support your team, because it’s an individual achievement. Yeah, right.

Have I covered all the main arguments? I hope so. The biggest issue is what it says about the team if they strip Ovi of the “C”. Like we need a vote of no confidence right now? Let’s get real. We have enough to complain about and it’s only November. Who is or should be Captain is not really an issue, it’s a diversion. As a fan base, we are concerned about our team. I get it, but let’s not get detoured down Reality Road.

Author's Note: Anyone who clicked the link expecting this post to be about something else...sorry, but thanks for reading!

Chemistry Shemistry - Handicapping the Lines

2011-11-20T13:45:00.001-05:00

I've blogged this several times in the past, but unfortunately, this issue is still relevant; line juggling has to be as frustrating to play as it is to watch.

I could relate this to just last night's game, but it goes much deeper than that. Bruce Boudreau has stated many times that he switches up the lines in accordance with the particular opponent they are facing. Break that down to mean the opponents have figured out the line in question and can beat them; so Bruce wants to throw them a curve ball. In the immortal words of Craig Laughlin: "Hold it here".

Yesterday, Boudreau decided to throw Cody Eakin onto the B line as a reward for a few good outings and to add a "little chemistry". By doing this, we saw an A line of Ovechkin/Johansson/Semin and a B line of Eakin/Backstrom/Brouwer to start the game, with veteran Mike Knuble being dropped back like a kid being punished in school. Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not ragging on Eakin per se; I'm questioning the thought process behind the "promotion" in general. (After all, isn't getting the call up a promotion and reward in itself?) In all honesty, that "reward" was more of a "lab experiment" then it was an addition of a "little chemistry".

Does it really make sense to scramble lines on a minute by minute basis because you think your opponent knows all your moves? At some point, logic demands you give your lines a chance to prove themselves, continue to work together and overcome the opposition even if they do know your game. Don't second guess their already established chemistry, work on how that chemistry can adjust to the opponent.

Look at the result of almost every pre-game lineup change and compare it to the actual lines at the end of the game. How often does that original pre-game line stay intact? How often do the lines get reshuffled back to the most common pairings? The "lab experiment" blows up like the Hindenburg and we are left with soot-covered goggles. The purpose of lab experimentation is to get satisfactory results. Are you satisfied? I'm not. Even though the team should be able to pair with anyone at any given time doesn't mean that it will work.

So, how about the issue of benching players for poor performance? I'm totally in sync with accountability, but is the poor performance due to a change in the lines? Throw a donkey onto a team of horses pulling a wagon and the entire team either has to compensate for the donkey or the team just breaks down all together. (Yeah, I know, weird analogy). But, do you blame the donkey or the person who put him there in the first place? Where does the accountability lie? I’m not jumping on the “Fire Boudreau” bandwagon just yet, but if the entire team has to be accountable, that has to include the coach of the team as well.

At this point, many of you will say "it's November, it's not like it's going to hurt to shuffle the lines right now". To a certain extent, I would agree, but only if there weren't a history of apparent crisis management preceding it. Continually switching the lines ultimately betrays a lack of confidence in your players' abilities. Last night I tweeted a thought from my husband, "Why isn't the team responding to BB? Think they might be done with him and they are sending HIM a message?" Is it possible that, even subconsciously, the team has said enough is enough? I suspect we'll find out the answer to that soon.

Hockey 'n Heels in Pictures

2011-11-10T11:26:00.001-05:00

Last night, I attended my first Hockey 'n Heels. If you've never attended before, this event is sponsered by the Scarlet Caps to further educate it's members on many aspects of hockey. Attendees were given the opportunity to learn to pass pucks (with Karl Alzner), shooting skills (with Alan May, Troy Brouwer, and Matty Perrault), and how to handle face-offs (with Assistant Coach Bob Woods). The informational panels were Chalk Talk with John Walton and Alan May, Bruce Boudreau's ever popular discussion on game preparation with film footage, and Fitness and Conditioning with the Caps Strength and Conditioning Coach Mark Nemish. Attendees also posed for a picture with Nick Backstrom.

Bruce's panel was very entertaining. Great to see how the coaches use game footage to determine how to prepare for an opponent. Chalk Talk was a lot of fun. John Walton and Alan May were very informative while being extremely personable. As you may have guessed, the only panel I didn't attend was the Fitness and Conditioning one. Attendees were expected to do actual exercises, so that was not gonna happen, sorry Coach Nemish!

One bit of advise for anyone who has never attended the event but plans to: ice is slippery (duh!). While I didn't fall on my ass, it took a lot of careful manuvering out on the rink in flat boots. To those who wore actual heels to the event (and there were some), kudos to you!

Anyway, here's some pics. I have more posted on my Flickr account as well.

My thanks to the Washington Capitals Scarlet Caps for allowing me to tag along and to Sarah Kogod of NBC Washington for using some of the above on the Capital Games blog

You Gotta Have Heart

2011-11-06T13:23:00.001-05:00

Recently, I have seen tweets that accuse Alex Semin of being lazy and selfish. I have also seen tweets that call Mike Green a wuss for not playing with his injury. Geesh, I even saw one that said Alex Ovechkin is statistically on pace for only 41 goals and 82 points this season, "what a bum". (Yes, I recognize sarcasm.) And then there are the tweets that Vokoun lost the game for "us". Seen them all. There are a lot of stats floating around that could back some of these things up, but one thing stats do not convey is the heart and soul of a player and a team when times are tough.

I know every fan of a team is disappointed when they lose. I feel your pain. But let's get real here, folks. Pro athletes are human. Shit happens. I will admit, like so many others, I joke when Semin causes a penalty. Do I think he does it on purpose? Not usually. Do I think he is selfish or lazy. Nope. Do I think Mike Green is a wuss for not playing injured. No way. Yes, I get frustrated when I see Ovechkin standing on the ice waiting for a pass and I'll yell "Move Ovi, get in there". Do I know why he's doing this at this particular time? Not a clue. And nobody else except Ovi does either. (Well, maybe the other players on the ice do too - I hope).

Lest we forget, hockey players have a lot demanded of them, not only in the aspect of the game itself, but outside forces brought on by fan expectations and physical limitations. Football players get at least 5 days between games, sometimes 12-14 days if they have a by week. Even baseball pitchers are on a 5 game rotation. Their league recognizes the need for them to rest between outings to stay healthy. Hockey often requires back to back games, with travel in between; very constant physical activity while playing and many situations of possibly extreme exertion.

So, all statistics aside, let's examine the human factor. The heart. How can anyone know for sure if a player's heart is in the game? You can look at so many examples and draw conclusions, but would you be right? Does anyone really know what goes on in a player's head at any given moment?

Remember back when Ovi got a two game suspension in December of 2009? He was quoted to say afterwards that he would not let the suspension effect the way he plays. But when he returned, I thought the opposite. Watching him play, he seemed to be more cautious when it came to hitting players. All sports psychology aside, he seemed to take the suspension and criticism to heart and; to me; he adjusted his playing style accordingly. The key word in that thought was "heart". This man is one of the "Faces of the Franchise". Don't think that affects him? You gotta believe he would be the last person who would want to be known as a dirty player and human instinct is going to kick in.

So, what do you think Alex Semin is thinking when he sits in the penalty box for a stupid mistake? Well, what would you think if it were you? Of course, you'd be muttering "shit, shit, shit" (or whatever the Russian equivalent is), who wouldn't? Thinking that all of Semin's penalties are because he is lazy or selfish only shows that you have left out the human factor of "heart". What you "see" can be diametrically opposed to what you actually "know". Just watch his face break out into a beaming grin after he scores or assists on a goal, and you know his heart is in it. Maybe his lack of interaction with the media in the past has given people the impression that he is aloof and uncaring. If so, I'm glad he's finally breaking that boundary and beginning to speak up. It might help fans see his human side. It could go a long way to correcting some bad impressions people have of him.

And what about Mike Green being a wuss for not playing while injured? When your personal stats rely on games played, shots blocked, protecting your goalie and the net, goals scored and minutes on the ice; sitting out due to injury only makes your numbers look worse. But what does that do to a player's heart? Do you seriously believe Green enjoys sitting out games? Of course he wants to be out there. But do you; or your team for that matter; jeopardize a player's health or a team's win by letting an injured player actually play? Maybe in the playoffs, but not now. Hopefully, once he gets back into a game, his heart will be more into it than before because, not only is it his job, it's who he is, it defines him.

How about people calling Vokoun out for letting in goals and losing the game for "us"? Think back to his reaction to his first loss as a Capital. The guy was truly regretful about letting the game get to that point, he spoke from the heart. Would you want to be thought of as the reason your team lost the game? Seriously? Vokoun's heart as a player was fully evidenced after that game. Why would it suddenly change? It's going to take time for him to get used to playing with a team he is still learning about. Yes, we all hope he's got it figured out by now, but if you got a new job, how long do you think it would take for you to figure out all the nuances of your co-workers? Shit is gonna spring up to throw you for a loop long after your first day on the job. Still doesn't mean your heart isn't into it, just that shit happens. You learn from your mistakes and move on.

As you can tell, this post is a total opinion piece. Am I going to stop yelling at Ovi on my TV? Nope. Am I going to stop cussing at Schultz for "letting a goal get by"? Nope. Do I expect them to give 100%? You betcha. I'm just speaking from the heart, hopefully getting to the heart of the matter, and now I'm going to go play "Heart and Soul" on the piano.

A Tale of Two Goalies

2011-10-10T22:12:00.003-04:00

Author's note: Yes, I actually did real research for this. Aren't you proud? Just like a real serious blogger ;)

Far be it for the Caps to start a season without a little uproar. This season’s began with the announcement of young net minder, Michal Neuvirth, getting the nod to play between the pipes for the season opener on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. With everyone assuming Vokoun would get the start; many fans, journalists, and bloggers were up in arms over this announcement. It seemed you couldn’t click anywhere on a hockey news or blog site without seeing some kind of comment or article about it. With Saturday’s win in the books, tonight we finally got to see Tomas Vokoun in the crease for his first regular season game as a Washington Capital against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

You may have heard that Vokoun was disappointed not to start on Saturday. Many feel your #1 goalie starts the regular season home opener, and being new to the team, it would be a chance for the home crowd to give him a big welcome. Giving Vokoun the start on Saturday against the Canes could have resulted in Neuvirth getting his season start tonight against Tampa. But, what if it were looked at from another direction?

First, let’s consider the opponents, starting with Carolina. Neuvy had a fine performance against Carolina last season, with a shutout against them on 10/27/10. Not so much Vokoun. On 11/5/10, Vokoun was pulled only 10:49 into the first period after giving up two goals. On 12/15/10 Vokoun lost 4-3 to the Canes, and then on 1/7/11, Vokoun lost to the Canes 5-3.

Now, let’s consider Mondays opponent; the Tampa Bay Lightning. Neuvirth only had one regular season win against Tampa which was on 11/7/10 (final score 6-3). The only other regular season game Neuvy played against Tampa was 3/7/11, where he left game after getting a shot to the cage and was replaced by Holtby. And, of course, we all remember the post season games where all four resulted in losses for Neuvirth. On the other hand, Vokoun’s record against Tampa last season was a little different. Vokoun recorded a 6-0 shutout against them on 10/6/10, a shoot out win on 11/27/10 and a shoot out loss on 1/21/11.

So, how about a brief review of the games. Saturday, Neuvirth gets the win. It’s a tough game that goes to overtime, but a win is a win. Some excellent saves (28 in all), some goals that really couldn’t have been stopped, terrific performance in overtime. A respectable .903 save percentage. Monday, Vokoun looked like he got off to a shaky start, but also gets a win with some really great veteran saves in overtime and totally denying Tampa in the shoot out. Two games, two wins.

Personally, I’m gonna say that Vokoun’s shaky start is due to lack of experience with this team and the fact that the coverage from the defense could have caused some adjustments that weren’t made in time. As a matter of fact, even though Vokoun admitted it was his worst start, gotta say the defense didn't help him out as much as they do with Neuvy. But, then again, they are used to Neuvy. Hopefully, more time and practice with guys in actual play will help Vokoun get comfortable and we will see the value of GMGM’s gamble.

Are we going to have to endure another year of who’s #1 and who’s #2? During the Capitals Convention this year; at the goalie panel; Dave Prior said he considered the 2 goalies as partners rather than competitors for the #1 spot. Boudreau had said in an interview, he considers them #1 and #1A. Both sound like good plans to me. In hindsight (which is always perfect 20/20 vision), I have to say I like how Bruce played these two goalies. Based on past experiences with the two opponents involved, it was the right call in my opinion. What do you think?

No Haagen-Daz for You

2011-10-08T22:14:00.000-04:00

Lots of pre-game surprises before the season opener tonight. Tomas Vokoun was told he would not start until Monday. Welcome to Gabby's Caps, Tomas. No Haagen-Daz for you.

Another surprise was the apparent healthy scratch of Marcus Johansson, but according to Katie Carrera"s report in the Washington Post earlier, Boudreau said of Johansson, “He practiced hard this week, he’s taking warmup tonight--you never know he might still be in.” Yeah, we pretty much know what that means - No Haagen-Daz for you.

Still, we should be used to this by now. Boudreau has a way of taking what is expected and switching it up. I liken it to him pulling cards out of his sleeve, throwing them down on the table with a flourish, and exclaiming "Aha, take that!". I see a lot of fans want to play armchair coach, but do we really know what's going on day to day behind the closed doors of Kettler? How many times last season did Boudreau switch out a player or a line and we all screamed in frustration "WTF?". Personally, I had hoped Gabby would have played Varly one game against Tampa in the semi-finals last year. I thought it might have helped to shake things up, but even then, Bruce denied even me. No Haagen-Daz for you.

So, now the first game of the regular season is in the books. Caps win in OT by none other than Game Over Green. Boudreau's choice to play Neuvy worked out, considering how hard he worked tonight between the pipes. A .903 save % is pretty darn good for a 1A goalie, don't ya think? And saving Vokoun for Tampa (especially after the playoffs last season) could become a very strategic move. As to scratching Mojo, I still need to see the % of face-off wins tonight before I speculate on that. Let's hope whatever message he was trying to send has been heard and noted.

I do know one message that was sent and heard tonight, and that was to the Carolina Hurricanes: No Haagen-Daz for you.

Good Times at the STH Party

2011-10-06T00:24:00.002-04:00

Right off the bat, you have to know (if you don't already), I am a very outspoken person. So, I have no problem talking to our Caps players like they are any regular guy I would meet. Keep this in mind as you read the following run down of our evening at the STH Party at Six Flags America tonight. And I would like to thank @YoCalleJo for taking me with her as well.

YoCalleJo and I were on a mission tonight. She wanted to get her Chimera used hockey stick signed and ask him why the tape seemed to be almost half way down the stick, and why there was scotch tape on it as well. (This was one heck of a used stick, by the way. Brutal) So we got to the line for his table well in advance of the start of signing. Once we got up to Chimmers and asked the question, he responded "it was for grip". We replied "That far down the stick, really?" Maybe he thought we didn't know what grip tape was for? Seriously, either that or he just wasn't going to divulge the whole story? Oh well, at least the mission was accomplished and we also got to meet new Caps player Joel Ward too.

Next, we had to decide who we wanted to see next. Quite a few of the lines for autographs were very very long. One long line in particular was for Marcus Johansson and Michal Neuvirth, which was a bummer as I wanted Neuvy to sign a photograph I had taken of him.

This would have been sweet to have signed. Oh well, maybe another time.

Since Mojo and Neuvy were obviously not going to happen, we decided our next mission was to get John Erskine to sign a photo I had taken of him at the Caps/Thrashers game last November. The one where he had that great fight with Eric Boulton? Yeah, epic. It was well past the beginning of the time for signing, but the line was at a stand still. Oops, Mathieu Perreault was late to the table and we were all waiting for him to show up. At this point in the narrative, I'd like to remind you about my being outspoken. Yup, once I spoke to Ersk and got his signature, I couldn't resist giving Perry a little ribbing. Pretty sure my exact opening words to him were: "Dude, you were late. We were waiting on you". Thankfully, Perry realized it was said in jest and had a good laugh. At least our second mission was accomplished:

(The actual photo looks much better then this, this one was taken with my cell phone.)

Next up was Tomas Vokoun and Jeff Schultz. (New player #2 added to the tally). The lady in front of me was showing Schultzy a picture of him on her cell phone, explaining it was from when he donated blood at a blood drive. He said to her that the donation went pretty quick. My turn, and of course, I had to be outspoken again. "What do you mean that it was pretty quick, Jeff?" To which he replied "My blood goes fast". Total wtf moment but worth a good laugh.

Around the corner was the coaches table. I thought we had seen Bruce there with Bob Woods and Dean Evason, but I guess at some point, Bruce took a little break. Quite a few people left the line when they didn't see him there, but we decided to stick with the plan. Just before our turn arrived, Bruce returned, so when I got to him to sign my autograph covered Caps hat, I said to him "Looks like we have the right table". Now, I gotta say, Bruce can be pretty darn funny, so he quickly agreed and said; "Yes, you have the right table" and then looking at the hat, said; "Where do you want me to sign?". Now, not intending anything (I promise), I said "Anywhere you want". Bruce quickly looked at the Caps logo on the front of my shirt, then up to my eyes. Yeah, he did what you think he did. Outspoken me says "Hey now, that's not gonna happen, get your mind out of the gutter!" and gave Bruce the 2 fingers from my eyes to his 'I'm watching you' gesture. Bruce, Bob and Dean all laughed and kept joking about how we had the "right table". Yeah guys, thanks for the signatures. I think I'll try that gesture again the next time I catch their eye when I go to shoot pics at practice at Kettler. We'll see who blushes first. Guaranteed it won't be me!

Last up for us was Jay Beagle and Roman Hamrlik. (New player #3 added to the total tally). Really have to say how sweet Beags is. After congratulating him on making the roster, he couldn't wait to tell us about his family coming down and how great it was gonna be, with the biggest grin on his face. Exactly what you'd expect a former AHL player who's finally made the roster say, right? So genuine and cute. On the other hand, Hamrlik was too busy to converse, so I guess he's gonna be an all-business kind of guy? Not that it matters so much, I had lots of fun talking and joking with everyone else, Roman gets a pass.

So, now that you know just how outspoken I can be, anybody want to take me to another Caps event? You know, Hockey and Heels or Casino night will be coming up. I'll guarantee you; you'll have lots of laughs!

Author's Note: Yes, I was sober, in case you wondered.

Participate in the Poll

2011-09-26T22:12:00.002-04:00

Participate in the poll: How do you feel about the new white netting at Verizon Center? I heard a lot of grumbling tonight about it on my tweet stream. It didn't look so great on the video feed either. How about you? The poll will be up for a couple of days, so let your opinion be heard! Please feel free to add your comments there as well. In case you missed the link in the word "poll", here is another one: http://twtpoll.com/nw2rx6. (Can you tell I really want your imput!!!)

UPDATE: Via Uncle Ted on Ted's Take today 9/27/11:

Netting Update

We took a closer look at the Verizon Center protective netting today, and it clearly isn’t what we had anticipated. It hinders the fan experience and it is not an asset to our local rights holder, Comcast SportsNet. Therefore, starting with Friday’s preseason game, we will reinstall the black netting that had been used last season. We were attempting to improve the arena and television viewing experience, but we fell short of that mark.

So I guess the poll is no longer necessary. As of this edit the tally was 232 votes with 183 against the white netting (79%) versus 49 votes for (21%). Who knows what impact the poll had, if any, but thanks to everyone who reposted/retweeted the poll and participated!

Oh Hai Boyz!

2011-09-19T17:23:00.001-04:00

First chance I've had to hit up Kettler and check in on the boys at training camp. More on Flickr:

Goalie Gear

2011-09-05T16:38:00.005-04:00

Last week, the Washington Capitals posted a picture on their tumblr blog of Neuvy's new glove and blocker. This got me curious. What does a goalie do to break in new equipment? So I posed some questions to a few hockey goalies.

Participating in the discussion were:

Jared DeMichiel, our former ECHL South Carolina Stingrays goalie, now playing with the ECHL Elmira Jackals. (Jared recently tweeted that he has been invited to try out with the Boston Bruins, I’m sure we all wish him the best of luck!) On Twitter as @demike3316.

Mark Russo, who besides being a PGA professional, is also a goalie in leagues at both Laurel Ice Gardens and Piney Orchard Ice Arena. Mark also contributed a great article on goalie pads to the NHL Digest blog which is run by a terrific guy named Tyler McKinna. On Twitter as @markrussopga and @tylermckinna.

Angela Robson, who will be playing in the Steel City Hockey League this year, which is based in Ontario. On Twitter as @goaliegirl.

Jacob Greengas, a paramedic living in Colorado who has been a goalie for 6 years. On Twitter as @MedicGoalie84.

Chris Gannon, who plays pickup hockey. On Twitter as @CapsCup2012.

Tommy Huynh, who played in the AA Men's league at Kettler this past summer. On Twitter as @GLaSnoST9.

My thanks to everyone who participated. Please give them all a follow on Twitter if you aren’t already.

So, what does it take to break in new equipment? I imagined breaking in a goalie glove would be similar to breaking in a baseball mitt. I wasn’t far off, but when it comes to the blocker or lag pads, I hadn’t a clue.

Jared: With my pads the only break in I really do is figure out the sizing for the straps to my legs. My glove probably is the biggest break it period. I like to leave it under a heavy weight, mattress, or couch. I periodically switch the weight on the glove as I leave the glove open and close it too. There's really no break in with the blocker. I just chuck it on and get used to it!

Mark: When a catching glove first arrives, it is generally very stiff and difficult to close, which can be problematic if the puck can't be properly sealed into the glove when caught. Goalies have many different ways to break-in their gloves - bending them back and forth to break down the materials, resting heavy objects on them to work them into that closed position, and tying a softball into the webbing to get it nice and open in there to ensure the puck stays tightly enclosed. There is nothing a goalie won't try to break the glove down, but in the end it takes persistence and use to get it to where it needs to be for game action. I usually will bend it back and forth quite a bit trying to flex it as much as possible, and then I will also rest a heavy object on the glove in a closed position so that it starts to get bent in that direction. After that, it's just constantly working it and using it trying to get it broken in... You really do see a lot of different methods, and it really seems to be what feels best or gives the goalie the most confidence that it is going to be game ready. The pads require the least break-in of any equipment, as they are made with a certain amount of flex already built in by nature should be a bit firm on the outside.

Angela: Thankfully this is something you don’t have to do very often. I’ve been playing for almost 15 years and I still have my first trapper. For my trapper, when I first got it, I wore it every chance I could and continuously opened and closed it. Probably not the best way to do it, but it worked for me. For goalie pads, you want to beat them up, HARD. You can use a baseball bat to beat them (lying on the floor, pad side up) and this is actually a pretty common practice. Obviously don’t do that to the inside part where your leg/knee goes. If you don’t want to do that, you can also put them at the bottom of the stairs so that every time you go up/down the stairs, you have to step on them. Really though, the best way to break in pads is to wear them and play lots of hockey. It takes a looooong time to break them in! It took me several seasons and I play all year round.

Jacob: When it comes to breaking in equipment the only pieces that need any special attention are the catcher, leg pads and skates (full disclosure, I still play in the same used chest protector and breezers I started with, so I've never had to break them in). I break in my leg pads wearing them around the house and playing drop in games in them. For my catcher I wear it and just keep opening and closing it over and over until it loosens up.

Chris: Out of all the equipment gloves are the items that need the most work when getting new goalie gear. What I have always done is loosen the webbing in the mitt. Dumped a glass of water on the glove and fold it inside out. Normally I will sit a desk or something heavy on top of it for 24 hours. Every time I've done this the glove is easy to open and shut the next day. You need to be able to easily hold the glove open as wide as it can go and I have found doing the above helps tremendously. As far as the leg pads go, it's close to the same thing. I will dump some water on them and take the top buckle and latch it to the bottom buckle bend the pads in half. Wetting the pads first makes it easier for them to bend. After they dry I unlatch them and they normally have a nice bend to them. Another thing i have found is that the bend really seems to make the pads more flexible when you butterfly. The blocker's I have never really needed to do anything with.

Tommy: In regards to new leg pads, it's different with each brand. I have a custom set of Reebok Revoke Pro Zone pads, they came already kind of broken in, and I took out the thigh guards that came with them so it's more comfortable when I butterfly. I wear knee pads underneath for protection and I won't go back to wearing thigh guards ever again. After wearing them a few times, the way I keep them broken in is I stack them upside down, so the bottom of the pad is facing up. I leave them like that until I use them next. For my glove, I tie a skate lace around the glove (2 loops) and sometimes put 2 tennis balls in the mitt so that it stays compact, so when I unwrap it before I get on the ice, it’s easier to close. I'm not really sure how to break in a blocker other than just using it. In terms of Chest Pads, I've heard that you can wear it in the sauna, so the best way to break these in is by wearing it and getting it wet/moist. Then it will start to become more flexible and mold to your body.

Second question for the group: What special preparations, if any, do you do to your equipment prior to a game? (I do think this question needs a follow up in regards to superstitions in the near future, don't you?)

Jared: I like to get my skate's sharpened at 3/8 of an inch, tape/wax the blade of my stick, and lastly I like my glove/blocker dry before every game.

Mark: One of the big pre-game rituals for virtually every goalie is to lay his equipment out for proper inspection. All of it is checked over for any loose straps or broken/worn material, especially in the chest protector where a loose strap can cause an opening and some major pain if a puck gets through to the body. Every goalie knows what it is like to catch that one shot that just comes in awkwardly and seems to miss every piece of equipment and leave you with a nice bruise. So checking everything before the game is always important. In addition, the buckles and straps on the pads always need to be checked as they endure a lot of stress, as well as get easily weathered from the moisture and can come apart. Also, all goalie pads have a "toe bridge" on the bottom of the pads that has two screws; this "toe bridge" rests right on top of the skate and attaches the long skate lace that every goalie uses to run through the bottom of the skates to help secure the pad properly to the top of the foot. These screws constantly come loose through the movement of the goalie in the games, and always need to be checked so that they don't come out on the ice. Maybe last, but not least, are the skates. Goalie skates are much different than player skates as they not only have a protective shell on them, but are much flatter in the blade area; this is for stability and the ability to glide from side to side much more smoothly, as well as push from side to side when down on the ice in the "butterfly" position. But the blades of these skates take a beating as they meet with the metal posts of the goal on a regular basis as the goalie works to keep a tight seal on the post and not let that puck squeeze through. So, attention to the blades and a regular sharpening or use of a sharpening stone is very important.

Angela: No special preparations. But, in order to keep my equipment in good working order, I air it out as much as possible and frequently check all pieces for broken clasps, holes, etc. My pads got a hole in the leather on the inside bottom where the skate goes…I took it to a leather repair guy and he fixed it up for $30.

And finally, is there anything special about the fitting of the equipment; i.e. sizing, weight, helmet specifications, etc., that the average hockey fan wouldn't know but might find interesting?

Jared: Well, my pads are sized specifically to the length of my legs. I believe I wear 35 +2.5 length Reebok Pads. My helmet is fitted to the size of my head. Usually this is the size of one's baseball cap. I think my head is somewhere around 7 and 1/4 so my melon isn't too large! Lastly, I like to have a hand on deciding the paint job on my helmet. I usually do it through Eye Candy Air. They do an unreal job and they are fun to work with!

Mark: It's incredibly important to get the right fitting pad as not only does it need to fit the playing style of the goalie but it also must fit properly for safety. The main point that all goalies look for is the size of the pad; all goalie pads come measured in inches, and a proper measurement will take place by measuring from the top of the foot to the center of the knee. The key to that is the "knee stack"; this is the pad that will be directly under the goalie's knees when he goes down to the ice, and must be lined up perfectly under the knee or an injury can occur. In addition, it makes it much easier to slide from side to side when the knee stack is positioned correctly, as the knee stack is the main contact point with the ice when a goalie is down to make the save. When it comes to equipment, the most glamorous part of the bag is the mask. In terms of fitting, the high end masks are made of Kevlar and can be fitted by doing a plaster mold of the goalie's face, which will then be used to make the inside of the mask so there is a snug fit for protection. But most masks can be bought without having to do the plaster mold and as long as the head size is correct, a goalie can get a good, safe fit.

Angela: DON’T BUY ANYTHING TOO TIGHT. It’s much more preferred to have equipment that is on the loose side, but not huge. You need to be able to move in the net quickly, and being constricted won’t help.The helmet should fit snugly, not tight but not moving when you turn your head from side to side. Don’t ever cut a goalie stick, they are balanced. When buying a chest protector, move around in it; make sure that the tops of your arms and shoulders aren’t exposed to non-padded areas.

Chris: Regarding the stick: You should be able to easily hold in one hand and hold at eye level. If not, the stick is too heavy for you. Make sure you get a stick that is not to heavy and you a comfortable with. I cannot tell you how important this will be for when you need to make some amazing Holtby stick saves. Regarding the leg pads: If you plan on butterfly goaltending, spend a lot of time making sure you are comfortable in the butterfly position in your leg pads. Newer pads are made to butterfly easily but some older pads actually require you to awkwardly wear the pads on the sides of your legs. Before purchasing any legs pads make sure you fully suit up and spend at least an hour playing with them in butterfly.

As you all should know by now, I am a fan of goalies, so I personally enjoyed getting this wealth of knowledge regarding goalie equipment. Sadly, I wasn't able to interview Neuvy himself for this post, but maybe I'll be luckier next time I get a spark of inspiration. Thanks again to everyone who helped educate me!

Wishing and Hoping

2011-08-18T11:51:00.001-04:00

It’s mid-August; September is right around the corner. You hockey fans know what that means. Almost time for training camp and preseason hockey, baby!

In pondering the upcoming Caps season, and musing on Matt Bradley’s thoughts on last year, I came to the realization that besides my non-diva wish for the 2011-2012 season, there are a couple of things I’d like to see adjusted for the Caps. Being a simple blonde girl blogger, and not BB/GMGM/Uncle Ted, it’s easy to be an armchair analyst, right?

1. LET THEM GEL. My greatest wish for training camp and beyond is that Bruce will give the lines a chance to gel. We know how frustrating it is to watch the constant line changing during a game; just imagine what it is like for the players who are experiencing it. Feels a little like crisis management, doesn’t it? Hopefully, Bruce will use training camp as a starting point for creating some solid lines and then give them a chance to learn to play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Trust your instincts Bruce, and let the guys work together. You have lots of time to determine if it isn’t gelling. That’s when you make adjustments. And once you make those adjustments, give those new lines a chance to gel too. Use training camp and preseason games to get your lines set and then let them play together for a while before you start switching them up, ok?

2. LET’S SEE A LEAN, MEAN, RUSSIAN MACHINE. I know there were a lot of comments on Ovi being fat when his post-season interview with Mike Vogel was released. (I’m going to stick by my theory that he was just bloated from all his traveling around that time. That and he was slumping in his chair.) Now, if you research just a little, you will see the few pictures of Ovechkin taken this summer since that time. Doesn’t look fat to me at all. I hope you’ve worked hard over the summer, Ovi, please come back to training camp the lean, mean Russian machine we long to see. Oh, and I hope that lean, mean Russian machine is present in the locker room as well. I’m kinda tired of hearing about veterans making their presence known; I’d really like to hear that Ovi’s presence is being shown in the locker room. I am not one of those fans that thinks the “C” should be taken away from him, so back me up here, ok Ovi?

3. BACKY COMES BACK. I miss Nick Backstrom. I think we all miss Nick Backstrom. Dear Nicky, I hope whatever was going on last season is in the past. I hope whatever physical or mental obstacles that you encountered are gone. I hope you had a great summer of training and working on all the things that caused you to “stumble” last year and you come into training camp with a renewed sense of purpose. We need our #1 Center back in action, focused and strong. Love, all Caps fans.

4. NO OPTIONAL PRACTICES. Brads kind of alluded to this in his recent interview. My Twitter feed totally alluded to this during the entire season last year. Unless there is an injury, let’s see every player at every practice, ok? In order for wish #1 to work, you all need to be there making sure you are prepared for every inevitability. No excuses. Sorry, but if you expect to be a threat on the ice this year, everybody has to buy in to it. There is no I in team. (Yes, there is an M-E, but forget you heard that). While I don’t expect to have players punished with bag skates, that wouldn’t even be considered if everyone played their hearts out and participated in every practice.

5. DO NOT FEED US FALSE PROMISES. Do not give us promises of winning the Stanley Cup. Please, I’m begging here. All we want to hear is that the entire team is serious about being the best they can be. Yes, we all want the Stanley Cup, but we are a little tired of hearing how this is going to be our year. Let’s make “Giving our all” the motto this year, ok?

Just 5 simple wishes for the Caps 2011-2012 season. Not much to ask for, right? And I didn’t even use any cussing, aren’t you proud of me? So, what would you wish for?

#NeedsMoreBradley (Part2)

2011-07-18T16:20:00.001-04:00

Today, while going through my Caps pictures to clean up a Blogger mess, I noticed I had a lot of really funny pictures of Matt Bradley from over the years. After a brief poll, I was convinced it isn't too late for a pictoral tribute to our favorite paper-skinned Capital; Matt Bradley. (Actually, since I really wanted to do one, it didn't take that much arm twisting).

Any time I shot pictures at practices or game warmups, I could almost always be guarnteed of at least one great pic of our MB10.

If you happen to know any Florida Panthers fans; besides teaching them the #needsmorebradley hashtag, I'd really love for them to see what to expect when it comes to the fun loving Brads, so give 'em a link to here to get a small taste.

I would like to dedicate this post to @iloveburritos, who as far as I am concerned, is THE biggest MB10 fan. I know her Capfandom will probably never be the same. :(

Maybe I'll be lucky enough to catch a Caps/Panthers game and snag one or two more, but until then, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you The Many Faces of Matt Bradley:

We'll miss you Brads!

If I discover I've missed any, I'll update the post.

Social Media Ain’t for Wimps

2011-07-16T13:48:00.006-04:00

The more I use Social Media, the more I’ve realized it is not for the faint-of-heart. Unless you have restricted yourself to a private Facebook and/or Twitter account, you might as well be back on the schoolyard playground when it comes to any type of Social Media.

It reminds me of a moment in the movie The American President; “America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.” (The result of this in relation to Social Media, and on Twitter in particular; is what we like to call “Twitter Fights”. You may come out of it victorious, or have your ego completely battered and bruised while you slink off into a corner to pout.)

Like the schoolyard playground, Social Media has all the personalities you had hoped to have left back in your childhood. Unless you only follow a few select people on any Social Media platform, you ARE going to meet them in your interactions in the web.

The Expert: The Experts are also known as the Know-it-alls. No matter what you tell them, they already know it. The Expert knows everything. They are never wrong. They will fight you to the death to convince you that they are smarter then you. Unfortunately, the Experts usually have a pretty large following, because like lemmings, people will follow any leader off the proverbial cliff. Their audience will jump on the Expert’s bandwagon and chime in just to show they also belong in the “Expert” category. I’ll grant you this; there are times when the Expert actually is right and they sometimes help you increase your knowledge. But getting through their diatribes to actually find these little nuggets can be extremely difficult.

The Bully: Like the Expert, the Bully will do everything in their power to convince you that their way is the only way. But, the Bully adds a little extra to their forcefulness. If you refuse to give in to the Bully, not only will they publically snub you, they will convince their own group of lemmings to do the same. Get on the wrong side of the Bully and they will make sure you live to regret it. You will probably beg and plead to be restored to their good graces, everything from retweeting them to just plain kissing their ass, just to not be ostracized by the Bully and his gang. The Bully does not fall for this; give it up.

The Cool Kids: This is the group that that everybody wants to be a part of. The Cool Kids are edgy. They listen to obscure music and tell great jokes. Their postings usually make you wish you had thought of that. They know a lot of good stuff but don’t shove it down your throat like the Experts. If they don’t get a response/reply/retweet, their usual reaction is a simple “Meh” and they move on. Life is pretty good if you are one of the Cool Kids.

The Nice Guys: The Nice Guys are the people pleasers. They will agree with just about everything just to be accepted into the fold. I like Nice Guys but often feel a little sorry for them. They try awfully hard but are frequently ignored. The Experts and the Bullies won’t waste their time on the Nice Guys because the Nice Guys rarely argue, and what’s the fun in that? Many people think the Nice Guys are insecure and needy, but they actually aren’t. They’re nice, that’s all.

The Whiners: The Whiners are the attention seekers. They will pester you to death to be heard. They are the high maintenance people of Social Media. And ignoring the Whiners will NOT make them go away. These are the people you regret ever following. My advice to you is to just go ahead and unfollow them; they will never contribute anything to your Social Media experience since they are only in it for themselves. I know, that’s a bit mean, but post after post, tweet after tweet of just “listen to me” and “pay attention to me”, you’re gonna rue the day you clicked follow.

The Trolls: The Trolls are the people that make your blood boil. Although the free speech aspect of Social Media is commendable, the Trolls are the ones you wish had never ever bought a computer. They spew hate. I imagine them walking around in real life with little fumes of hate wafting from the top of their heads. The Trolls are similar to the Whiners, in that they are attention seekers. But, unfortunately, their methods only make people reject them more. Pay attention when you hear people on Social Media say a particular person is a Troll. That moniker is usually not given out lightly. It is a warning to others. Heed the warning.

The Outsiders: The Outsiders really just don’t get it. They try really hard though, so sometimes you need to give them a chance. If they use Social Media as a learning tool, they may advance to becoming a valuable person in your feed. If they show potential, take pity on them. Take them by the hand, and lead them into the Promised Land.

The Hall Monitors: Just like in school, the Hall Monitors are the boss of everybody. Don’t spell something right? They’ll be quick to point out your mistake. Don’t mess with them. If you do, they’ll make sure everybody finds out that you are not worthy of belonging to any Social Media. Yes, they are similar to the Bully, but their purpose in life is to make sure you do everything exactly as they think you should. I guess it gives them some kind of self-satisfaction, but since I would be the kind of person who would be considered the “runs with scissors” instead of the “plays well with others”, I don’t have a lot of patience with the Hall Monitors. If you don’t mind being corrected every time you have a minor faux pas, more power to you.

The Smart Alecks: These were the kids who smoked under the bleachers and talked back to the teachers. In today's world, these people are the snarky instigators, they goad people into making fools of themselves, usually very successfully. Like the Cool Kids, they are pretty popular because they love to post drunk posts/tweets, because everything is funnier when you're drunk. They are very entertaining. The Smart Alecks also love to laugh at everyone, including themselves. You will recognize them immediately because they often to write in all caps and use all kinds of abbreviations or have very inventive avatars. Sit back and enjoy the Smart Alecks, they are just looking for a good time.

Looking back on my Social Media experience, I now understand why some people have their accounts private or only follow back a limited number of people. Which brings me to Google+. I always hate unfollowing people; I guess it’s the Nice Guy in me. Like many people, I also hate being unfollowed, which might be a little Whiner-ish too. So, the one thing I like about Google+ is the ability to put people in “circles”. You can let anyone in the world follow your feed without having to actually follow theirs. It’s a win/win situation. They don’t feel dissed that you don’t read their feed; they don’t even know that you don’t. You can create circles and then just pick the ones you actually want to interact with. True story; I have a circle called “People I have no clue about”. No, you aren’t in it.

I have a love/hate relationship with Social Media. Many days I just want to tweet “That’s it, I quit”. That’s the time when I take a break and go enjoy the real world. So if I don’t tweet or post on Facebook or Google+ for a while, that’s where I’ll be. Just DM me and I’ll tell you where you can find me, hopefully hanging out with the Cool Kids or drinking with the Smart Alecks.

G is for Goalie

2011-07-02T20:48:00.003-04:00

Today the Caps signed veteran goalie Tomas Vokoun to a one-year contract. Now, you knew something like this was gonna happen, didn’t you? Here’s my take on this whole goalie “situation”.

1. Varly traded to Colorado for a 1st and 2nd round draft pick. Aw, dear Cleek on Me. What an athletic goaltender. He was great for us when the chips were down in 2010. But, if you believe the press conference reports, Varly asked for more money and a guarantee of the #1 position. Sounds kinda Diva-ish, doesn’t it? Guess he trusted his agent when it came to negotiations, right? I will say one thing in Varly’s defense: as much as I like Neuvy, I think if BB had put Varly in for one game of the second round of the playoffs, something might have shaken loose and we “might” not have been swept. Now, hear me out, I am not blaming Neuvy for the 2nd round sweep. Not by a long shot. All I’m saying is I think if Boudreau HAD put Varly in for just one game, it might have changed the course just enough to keep us in the series longer. He was ready and it might have made a difference. But, that being said, I would like to quote the all-knowing Justin Goldman from the The Goalie Guild:

“Although Varlamov has terrific talent and awesome potential, he is still a raw-skilled goalie that has to prove he can stay healthy and perform at a consistent and competitive level on a nightly basis. Without a full-time goalie coach in Colorado, Varlamov’s mental toughness and focus will be tested right away.”

And this:

“Now he has to prove he can play 55-60 without getting hurt, and with no luxury of struggling for more than a few games.”

I wish dear Varly well; I hope he has the final “I told you so”.

2. Holtby as backup for 2011-2012? I love Holtby; I think he is an awesome goalie. I also think he needs just one more year in the AHL for a touch more maturity. I am not blaming the Hershey Bears not winning the Calder Cup on Holtby, far from it. But the NHL is not the AHL, and while Holts impressed us the games he did play, let’s consider what he might have done if he had to play longer. Possible break down after 10+ more games? Possible loss of concentration when it was needed most? Who knows? Well, Holtby certainly had the hot hand then, but maybe Irbe knew. He was kinda intuitive that way. Think he had something to say about it? Yeah, I do. But now that Olie Kolzig will be working with him up in Hershey (for the most part), I really think 2012-2013 will be a great season in the NHL for Holtby. Looking forward to that!

3. Signing Tomas Vokoun to a one year contract. Ok, so now we have signed a veteran goalie for one year. The same one year we need for Holts to mature. The same year we need somebody to backup (?) Neuvy now that Varly is gone. Ok, I know Vokoun is 35 and has played 13 seasons, but we how does a veteran hurt right now? Think about it…let’s say we get to the playoffs again in 2012, and Neuvy needs help, gets hurt, or heaven forbid, needs to be relieved in a playoff game. Wouldn’t you feel just a tad more confident with a veteran backing him up? (Now I am assuming Vokoun is gonna be the backup, and you know what they say when you assume…) Besides that, think about having 2 Czech goalies on the roster. I’ve always said Neuvy is “money like a Czechbook”, and now he has a countryman to mentor him and help him mature. Being the goalie fan girl that I am, the more I think about this, the more I’m kinda digging it. The personal dynamics of this could be awesome.

(Picture to follow *as soon as I can get to Kettler or Verizon Center and capture Vokoun in a Caps jersey!)

4. Neuvy. Ah, Neuvy. As it stands right now, I consider you the future of the Caps goaltending. Such a cool head in net for one so young. Just thinking about where he could be in few years in regards to his ability is mind boggling. Is he the next Olaf Kolzig for the Caps? Could be! Especially with the possible opportunity to have some mentoring from Olie, I think we should try to be happy with Neuvy and give this whole situation a chance to play out.

So, because I really have no say in the matter, I’m going to have to put my faith in Dave Prior when it comes to the goalies. Fingers crossed this whole thing makes for a total winning season for the Caps. But I will never forget this:

Hockey in BlondeSpeak: Free Agency

2011-06-05T21:18:00.001-04:00

You may have noticed a lot of discussion lately on players that will become free agents this summer. Who will get re-signed, who will move on to another team, etc.? You may have also seen players described as unrestricted or restricted free agents. So, are you wondering what all this means? Let me break it down into BlondeSpeak for you.

The free agency period begins on July 1. Any player, whose contract has expired and is at least 27 years old or has been an NHL player for at least 7 years, will become an unrestricted free agent. An unrestricted free agent is free to negotiate a contract with any NHL team. Their current team receives no compensation for the loss of the unrestricted free agent. (Prior to 2005, teams losing unrestricted free agents were awarded draft picks as compensation).

Restricted free agents are players that; while they are no longer considered “entry-level” players; they do not qualify as unrestricted free agents, when their contracts expire. There are 3 basic types of “entry-level” players; players between 18 & 21, who sign an “entry-level” contract for 3 seasons; players aged 22-23 sign a 2 season contract; and players aged 24 sign a 1 season contract. A restricted free agent’s current team must extend a “qualifying offer” to him in order to keep negotiating rights to that player. If that qualifying offer is not made, that player becomes an unrestricted free agent. If a “qualifying offer” is made but the restricted free agent rejects it, he continues to remain a restricted free agent. If the player does not sign before December 1st, he is ineligible to play in the NHL for the remainder of the season.

Part of the qualifying offer includes required salary increases based on their current salary. If a player earns less than $660,000, his offer must include 110% of last season’s salary. Players earning $660,001 - $1,000,000 must be offered 105%, and players earning over $1,000,000 must be offered 100%. Now, there are a few special rules in regards to arbitration of a player’s salary and conditions that must be met, but as this does not further define what the essence of a restricted free agent is, I’m not gonna muddy the waters with it.

So, what does all this mean with regards to the Washington Capitals? Currently, the following players will be unrestricted free agents on July 1 if an offer from the Washington Capitals is not made and accepted: Jason Arnott, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon, Scott Hannan, Brooks Laich, and Marco Sturm. There are also 6 Hersey Bears/Stingrays players who will be unrestricted free agents on July 1 if no offer is made/accepted: Sean Collins, Brian Fahey, Todd Ford, Steve Pinizzotto, Dany Sabourin, and Brian Willsie. I should add that there is one more player that will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 – Michael Nylander. I wasn’t really going to factor him into the discussion, but to be fair, he does belong to the list. I think we can all rest assured that he will not receive an offer from the Caps.

As for restricted free agents, Karl Alzner and Semyon Varlamov will be the 2 Caps players that are hoping to get a “Qualified Offer”, as well as a bunch of Hershey guys that include Andrew Gordon and Mathieu Perreault.

And, on a side note: on July 1, 2012, Alex Semin, Jason Chimera. Dennis Wideman, Tyler Sloan, and DJ King will become unrestricted free agents. Mike Green, Eric Fehr and John Carlson will become restricted free agents. See what you have to look forward too?

It is interesting to note that as of this post, none of the Caps players listed (restricted or unrestricted) have been announced as receiving or signing offers. They may be in the works and there may be some good news for fans of these players any time between now and July 1, but if July 1 rolls around without any announcements, my advice to you is to keep watch for most of these players to be signed by other teams. As you may have heard, Brooks Laich expressed in his season end exit interview that he hopes to be a Washington Capital next season, and I personally know some Matt Bradley and Boyd Gordon fans that will be terribly sad if none of these guys rock the red for the 2011-2012 NHL season. And while Jason Arnott certainly proved himself to be a good acquisition as a veteran player, is his time over or will be get the nod for one more year? There has been a great deal of speculation on whether or not Varly will get a qualifying offer, but rumor has it that Alzner is going to be a lock for next year. Personally, I think the free agency deadline is more interesting than the draft, considering we already know the guys in question, and I can’t wait to hear some good news about the Caps roster in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed!

My Wish for 2011/2012

2011-05-05T10:05:00.002-04:00

Well, Caps fans, it's been an interesting run, once again. I am not going to ruminate over Caps coaching problems or player's lack of drive. I'm going to leave that to my more experienced and more knowledgeable bloggers. I have just one wish for next season: no more Prima Donnas.

I may be the only one in Caps fandom that feels this way, but I doubt it. And I don't know what happens with players on other teams, maybe they have this problem as well. All I can say is; I would like to see less of our team in commercials and twitpic'd partying; then I can believe they take their jobs seriously.

Before you start bashing; yes, it is great to see Ovi doing commercials, but I think he's being used by behind-the-scenes moneymaking machines. He doesn't need this extreme exposure, he's currently one of the most famous hockey players to hit the ice in years. Famous for his skill and personality. Let's face it, do you use a certain product just because he endorses it in a commercial? If so, click the big red X in the corner of your computer screen right now, this post is definitely not for you. But, quick trips to New York for magazine photo shoots or commercial tapings during the season should be off limits, even if it's Ovi, Green or Boudreau. He and the rest of our team have a job to do and get paid pretty well to do it. Let's concentrate on that next season. As for the others, you know you groan when one of their commercials comes on for the one billionth time. I wish some of these commercials involved some dignity, but alas, this is not so. Better to not have them at all then to become the butt of jokes.

And, yes, 24/7 was great. I loved watching all that went on in the Caps' and Penguin's locker rooms. I still laugh when I think of "Fuck you, Geno", but I have to believe it was a distraction, no matter what Caps' management says. I wasn't surprised when the team's slump coincided with the HBO cameras watching everything they do. (Well, not exactly coincided with their arrival, more like coincided with the series airing). How would you feel if you knew a camera was watching every move you made? I'm sure the guys got used to it, learned to ignore them, rose to the challenge and overcame the intrusion (the win at the Winter Classic kind of tells me they did). But, even though it was interesting and entertaining, you and I know two of the most ridiculous moments were watching our coach get interviewed with some kind of sauce on his chin and insisting on stopping for ice cream at 10 a.m. while Christmas shopping, and that only added more fuel to the fire of ridicule from fans of other teams.

As to the partying, boys will be boys, I know this. Of course they are allowed to do what they want, they are grownups, but a little decorum should be used here as well. I don't think the management needs to issue curfews like our guys are in high school, but I do think the guys need to remember that they are professional athletes and not in the cast of Jeresy Shore. Party within realistic boundries, guys. Save it for when you don't have a game the next day. Show us you care about your performance so we can have faith that our hard earned dollars aren't being wasted on tickets to watch you play.

Admittedly, a great deal of the emotion I feel right now is based on that ridicule from other teams' fans. I do not enjoy feeling like we are the laughingstock of the NHL. I do not like hearing that one of our fans had beer poured all over her by a fan of the opposing yet winning team. And, honestly, I can deal with it when my coworkers from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia seem drawn to pointing out how silly our team looks in insurance or rug cleaning commercials. Based on Twitter responses, even Caps fans know how silly our team looks. And that is the point of this diatribe. Prima Donnas do not enhance, they detract.

I hope next season is not filled with promises of the Stanley Cup. I would rather it be filled with promises of professional, dignified, and serious concentration on the task at hand. Our team is filled with talent, we should be able to hold our heads high at the end of next season, no matter what the outcome; knowing that our team worked their hardest, gave it their all and acted like professionals the whole way. Winning is a serious business, even if it is only a "game".

Stay Angry

2011-05-04T10:55:00.002-04:00

Like all Caps fans, I went to bed last night disappointed. But my hopes for 4 wins sustain me at this moment. Apparently, several Caps players expressed their anger after last night’s game. I really want to stay positive and have faith our boys can fight through this and make us proud. So here is an open letter to our guys in red:

Dear Caps,

Stay angry. Remember how you’ve been saying all year that your only goal is to win the Stanley Cup? Come to think of it, we’ve heard this for the last couple of years, which makes the last 3 losses a bitter pill to swallow. We want it as badly as you do, maybe that’s why we all feel so dejected today.

Stay angry. Let this be a motivation for winning the next 4 games against Tampa, and on into the next 2 rounds.

Stay angry. Prove to all the naysayers that you can do this.

Stay angry. Please do not give us any excuses as to why you haven’t won yet this round. Bad bounces, bad calls, etc., happen to every team. Work through them.

Stay angry. Play smart disciplined hockey with the talent and skills we know you have. Learn from all the hard lessons you’ve forced yourselves to go through.

Stay angry.

Love,

Every Caps Fan

Yeah, it’s a little bit of a Pollyanna attitude, but dwelling in the depths of despair is too damned depressing. I’ll save that for when it’s really needed. Hopefully, that won’t happen until some other thing comes up in July.

Welcome - Please Take Your Seats

2011-04-24T11:45:00.002-04:00

Now that the Washington Capitals are moving onto the second round of the playoffs, they are finally garnering enough regular media attention to attract even more new fans. Fans that would have been singing “Hail to the Redskins”, if there was anything about the Redskins to sing about. Lots of faithful fans are now moaning “Ugh, bandwagoners”. It’s okay, faithful fans, everybody has to start somewhere. But, newbies, there are rules you need to adhere to, rules the faithful fans follow, rules that if you don’t know them, will make you stand out like a sore thumb.

So, to help you fit in, here are a few things the faithful would like you to know when you are lucky enough to gets seats to a hockey game at Verizon Center or even if you are just one of the hundreds of Caps fans on Twitter:

The team’s owner is Ted Leonsis; or Uncle Ted as we call him. He is NOT Dan Snyder, please treat him with a little respect. He welcomes you to the fold, appreciate that and save your bitching for Dan. Follow him on Twitter (@TedLeonsis) and soak in the love.

When people talk about rocking the red, we really do mean it. Wear red to the game. Really.

Hockey fans are a very superstitious bunch. Do not mention “shutout” before the game is over. Even if there is only 30 seconds left in the game, nothing is guaranteed before the final horn blows, so shut your yaps and keep your fingers crossed.

There are other players on this team besides Alex Ovechkin. Yes, we all love Ovi, but learn who the other players are. You don’t need to learn every nuance of their position, but if you only cheer when Ovi has the puck, the faithful around you at Verizon Center will recognize you for the newbie you are.

DO NOT lean forward in your seat, unless you are seated in the back row. I know it’s tempting, but if you catch yourself doing it, please sit back. Leaning forward really does block the view of the people behind you.

Obey the puck in play rule. Yes, I know, when you gotta go, you gotta go; but wait for a whistle or timeout. Hockey moves so fast, the one split second you stand up and start moving down the row of seats is when a goal may be scored or a penalty occurs, and the rest of us paid good money to see it, so WAIT!

Please remove any large obnoxious head gear when seated at the game. Yeah, giant puck hats are funny, but when not when they block your view. Take them off, or better yet, don’t buy them at all.

DO NOT start or participate in the wave. EVER. Period.

DO NOT boo our team. EVER. Period.

Please be classy and do not bitch to other fans. Most likely, you’ll come off looking stupid, so stifle it. Most of us really love our team and really really really do not want to hear it. Save your rant for the ride home. Thank you.

There are 2 guys you need to know about: Horn Guy (@TheHornGuy) and Load Goat (@LoudGoat). Just chant along when you hear the rest of us chant at their prompting. Learn their sound/voice because there are a few wannabe’s in the crowd (who really need to leave it to the experts but can’t seem to STFU), and if you follow their prompting, you’ll look like a rube.

Be prepared to Unleash the Fury in the third period. Stand up and unleash it loud and proud. It’s a tradition and our trademark and every fans’ obligation to encourage our boys down on the ice. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Your homework before the second round starts is to search it on YouTube.

DO NOT leave early, even if the game is so lopsided you figure you might get a jump on the crowds at the Metro. Our guys came to play a full 60 minutes, the least you can do is show your support and hang in there with them. Besides, you’ll miss seeing our guys salute us when the game is over, which really makes you feel appreciated for your support. If you can’t handle that, please sell your tickets to me.

Finally, it's ok to ask questions to fans around you or to people on Twitter. We really do want you to understand the game and we are more than happy to share our infinite wisdom with you! Too shy? Then follow and read the great hockey blogs you see listed over there on the right side of this page, anything you want to know you can find there. Remember the old adage: knowledge is power.

So, newbies, welcome to the fold…Any questions?

Hockey In BlondeSpeak - Countdown to the Playoffs

2011-03-27T18:22:00.001-04:00

On March 22, when the Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers, they also clinched a spot for the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. This is the 4th time in the last 4 years this has happened for our Caps. As of this writing; (Sunday 3/27/11 at 6 pm EST); the Caps are second seed in the Eastern Conference. Why give you that date and time information? These standings can change at a moment’s notice, depending on another team’s win or loss. You really have to stay on top of all the team’s stats at this time of year to keep up with the playoff standings!

Clinching a playoff spot is great news, but what if you don’t understand what all this means? Well, I’m going to break it down into my “BlondeSpeak” for you.

Each conference, East and West, have 8 teams in the playoffs. Their position in the standings is called a “seed” and is based on their points throughout the entire season of 82 games. When the playoffs begin, the 1st round games are determined by that seed; #1 plays #8, #2 plays #7, #3 plays #6, and #4 plays #5 in each conference. Each of the playoff games are the best of 7. As the playoffs progress, the rounds continue as teams are eliminated, eventually resulting in the final East team versus the final West team for the Stanley Cup.

As Caps fans, we are all happy and proud that our boys have clinched another spot in the playoffs, but being #2 could be a really tough spot to be in, based on the standings at this moment. IF the playoffs were to begin right now, our Caps would face the current #7 seed; the New York Rangers; in the first round. This could be a challenging series of games for the Caps. We have faced the New York Rangers 4 times this season; twice at Madison Square Garden and twice at Verizon Center. Of those 4 games, the Caps won only one game; on 11/9/2010. Twice, the Rangers have shut our team out. Personally, I would rather face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round. After all, the Caps have beaten the Habs in 3 out of 4 of their games this season. But for this to happen, we would have to rely on teams like the Penguins or the Bruins to take over the 2nd seed and move us down to #3 or the Rangers to move up to #6. As long as the Habs stay at #7, then we could face them in the first round. See why each team’s playoff seed position is so important?

I’m sure you remember last season when the Caps won the President’s trophy and began the playoffs in the #1 seed. Many fans expected the Caps to glide right through to the final round. After all, we were #1! But now I’d like to give you a little hockey history lesson, some of which was already covered previously in my 2010-2011 Caps Season Second Half post.

In the last 10 NHL seasons, only 4 teams who started the playoffs as #1 seed have gone all the way to the end and raised the Stanley Cup for their fans. The 2nd seed team has won 4 times and the 4th seed team has won twice. And, the only team to go in as #1 and win the Stanley Cup round in less than 7 games was the Detroit Red Wings - twice (2002 & 2008). I’m not a statistician. As a matter of fact; math hurts my brain so I am gonna whip out my simple little chart to illustrate this:

Now considering the “jinx” of the President’s Trophy, as well as the fact that 1st seed teams have the biggest target on their backs, I’m not really upset that the Caps are not #1 this season. (Yeah, I know, #1 faces the lowly #8 team. You need to keep in mind, that #8 team has a lot to prove and are undoubtedly going be pretty scrappy in the 1st round. But looking at that chart, #8 hasn’t won the Stanley Cup in the last 10 seasons, so it isn’t statistically the best position to be in going into the playoffs. Glad we aren’t there!) But, the 2nd seed team has won the Stanley Cup 4 times in the last 10 years, so ours hopes have not been dashed yet!

Ours Caps will always be #1 in our hearts, but being #2 isn’t such a bad thing. Be proud Caps fans! Let’s just hope when the final game of the season is finished, our Caps will all be healthy and strong and ready to go all the way to the end. Like I said back in January, now that we have; once again; clinched a spot in the playoffs, we still have the chance to see our boys raise that cup over their heads and finally put the naysayers to rest. And wouldn’t it be great to see Ovi lift it time after time on replays and in commercials, instead of Sid? Yeah, I think so too.

Fun with "Cap"tions

2011-03-17T19:41:00.001-04:00

Ok, it's St Patrick's Day and I've had a few non-green beers. While I was editing my pics from the Caps-Hawks game, I came across this one and felt it could use a little further editing.

So with a stick tap to our pals over at RocktheRed.net (who are always inspiring when it comes to caption contests), I give you this....

And, of course, I couldn't let you get away without seeing the product of my shananigans:

While we're at it, here's a couple more of our guys (in green) if you feel really creative (the rest will be on Flickr soon):

Well, I did say I have been drinking.

Bidding Adieu to Ohio State

2011-02-28T22:16:00.002-05:00

Ah, Stecks, we’ve had you on our team for so long, it’s gonna be weird not seein’ you in Caps red. Now you’re going to be in Devils’ red, at least the color will be familiar! And now you are in the same division as Sidney Crosby, how fortuitous is that, Danger Dave?

Many people don’t realize Dave Steckel is a mountain of a man, but I think Sidney Crosby can attest to this fact. You may well remember the 2011 Winter Classic game on 1/1/2011, where Stecks’ 6’5” 217 lb. body unintentionally collided with Sid and, according to Mr. Crosby, is a factor in his current concussion condition. (Say that 3 times fast). Many NHL players, including current Penguins, came to Stecks’ defense, acknowledging that Mr. Steckel is not a dirty player and it was obvious to them and the NHL; when the collision was reviewed after the game; that the hit was indeed deemed unintentional and not a punishable offense. But, Danger Dave is probably still on the Pens Most Wanted list. And it may be debatable as to what Dave would consider his crowning achievement; the hit to Crosby or his game winning OT goal in the playoffs in May of 2009 against the same Penguins, but neither probably endears him to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Low and behold, he’ll be facing the Penguins this coming Friday, March 4th, and again on March 25th and April 5th. And he probably thought he was done with them for the regular season, eh?

In case you don’t know, Stecks was originally a 1st round draft pick by LA, but after 4 years at Ohio State, he never signed with them. He joined the Caps in 2005 as a free agent and except for his first two seasons played in both Washington and Hershey; his whole NHL career to date has been as a Washington Capital. This season, Stecks has 11 points in 57 games (5 goals, 6 assists). His career as a Cap has resulted in 23 goals and 53 assists in 291 games, but we know his talent as a center is his best asset. In his four full NHL seasons, Stecks ranked among the top seven on draws, last year being his best with a 59.2% overall.

One thing I’ll always remember Dave for as a Capital was his interaction with the kids who came to watch him play. Warm ups at Verizon, Dave always tossed pucks over the glass to the kids in the crowd. Every time. Gotta love that about him.

We’ll miss you Stecks, and I know we all wish you well, but we’ll be seeing you again on March 18th. Good luck with the Devils.

A Play Date with Dmitri Orlov

2011-02-24T21:07:00.001-05:00

It seems like it’s been forever since I’ve been to Kettler for a practice. Actually, it’s been since the fall, so I was a happy girl this morning when I drove up that spiral ramp to the top of Ballston Mall. Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find Dmitri Orlov on the ice with our boys. (I must say I seem to have some kind of sixth sense for going to watch practices. As infrequently as I go, I just happened to be there for Chris Clark’s last day, and I was also there the day the investigators were there when that doctor debacle hit the proverbial fan. Anybody want advice for stocks or lottery numbers?)

After the win in Pittsburgh and a day off, the guys seemed to be in great spirits. I don’t think I’ve seen so many smiles, playful joshing, and all around fun at a practice in a very long time. Yeah, they worked hard, as always; but the energy was high and it was a fun practice to watch. Ovi and Sasha both seemed to enjoy having Dima out there with them and I noticed several times where both of them seemed to be either giving him advice or interpreting for him. Nicky seemed no worse for having a broken thumb and Hendy had the biggest grin of all of them.

The coaches worked the boys hard and Dima got a good taste of the NHL, albeit in friendly surroundings. Hershey should be very happy when Dmitri gets on the ice at Giant Center; he’s looking pretty good. But, when he gets a chance to practice with the Caps again, he needs to learn how to play and win at Juice Boy. That was probably not what he was expecting after his first NHL practice with the team he hopes to join as soon as he can. Welcome to DC, Dmitri!

Here’s a few shots of today’s practice. More can be found here.

Should the Winter Classic Jerseys become 3rds?

2011-02-01T21:46:00.014-05:00

Tonight's first period of the Caps/Habs game got eveyone tweeting that we should keep playing in the Winter Classic jerseys because they seem to have inspired the team. After all, they really did seem to come out with a fury we haven't seen in a while. I know we didn't win against the Habs, so I'm not ready to declare them "lucky", only inspiring. But win or lose, would you like to see them more?

Lets get a show of hands and let Ted Leonsis, George McPhee, and whoever else needs to know that we would like to see the Winter Classic jerseys in the rotation for game jerseys. Even Brett Leonhardt thinks this is a good idea, so who are we to argue?

So, get your votes on Caps fans, what could it hurt?

Should the Caps keep using the Winter Classic jerseys this season?

Hockey in BlondeSpeak - The Trap Defense

2011-01-19T22:27:00.004-05:00

Ah, the thrill of a Caps game. What? You don’t think it’s been very exciting lately? What has happened to that thrill-a-minute Caps run and gun game? Why hasn’t Nicky scored in eons? What the hell has happened to Ovi? Yeah, yeah, I know. But, do not despair, fellow Caps fans. These guys are holding back that wiz-bang style of play for a very good reason; Bruce & Co. are having these young guns playing the “Neutral Zone Trap”.

You know you’ve heard that phrase tossed around, but what does it mean, why does it cause such low-scoring yawn-fests, and lastly, why are they doing it? Well, because I feel it is my life’s mission to make understanding hockey easy enough for anyone, I’m gonna tell ya.

First of all, the Neutral Zone Trap (or just “trap” as I am going to call it from this point forward) really can stop breakaways from becoming goals, and here’s why. When you play trap defense, the majority of the team stays in the neutral zone instead of rushing your forwards into the offensive zone.

The most basic trap positioning has one forechecker in the offensive zone (usually the center), the wingers in the neutral zone, and the defense in the defensive zone. As the opposing team starts skating up the ice, the forechecker’s job is to cut off the passing lanes to other offensive players by staying in the middle of the ice. This hopefully results in forcing the puck carrier to either sideboard. Then the “defensive” wingers; typically placed on or near the red line, can challenge the puck carrier along the boards to prevent passing or even keep opponents from moving through. Finally, the two defensemen who are positioned on or near the blue lines are the last line of defense. Their job, obviously, is to prevent a goal from being scored, or at least to stall the opposition long enough for the wingers to reset themselves and continue the trap.

So, when the offense tries to get into your defensive zone, you can have as many as 4 guys already there waiting to stop them. Have you ever noticed when watching a game on TV, you sometimes see 4 players from one team around their net (in their zone) and only 1 or maybe 2 players from the other team? Yes, it is possible that the other team is changing shifts right then, but it could also be that the rest of that team is in the neutral zone or even back beyond their blue line waiting. Watch when the camera pans out and you’ll see it.

The trap is a very defensive style of play; there aren’t many chances for the opposing team to get past them and score a goal. So when you have the lead, it’s an effective way to shut the other team down, but it also makes for boring play. When you are used to seeing the Caps flying all over the ice and shooting at the net from everywhere (up to and including the blue line), watching this defensive style is a big change. The thrill is gone.

Which brings me to the last part of the question; why are they doing it? Here’s how I see it: lately, it seems like everybody and their Mother have figured out the Caps system. They have probably studied every millimeter of game film they have on the Caps. As long as the team continued to play the same old same old style of hockey that they have for the last few years, other teams can pretty accurately predict what Semin is going to do, when Ovi is going to shoot, when Nicky is going to pass and who he’s is going to pass to, where Green or Schultz are going to be at any given moment. Think about it, as fans, WE know it, so why shouldn’t other teams be figuring this out? They are!! Secondly, in order to get into and through the playoffs, the Caps need more ammo in their holsters. Run and gun is great and the team is really excellent at it, but it cannot be the only style of play in our arsenal of weapons.

Like I said at the start, do not despair, Caps fans. I know it seems like they’ve been trying this for months. I feel your pain. This is not something that is learned overnight. Lots of these guys have very little experience playing the trap, but they will get there. All these line changes help the coaches figure out who does well in what situation or position when it comes to playing the trap. It’s obvious that the guys really want to break out and fly down the rink, but the trap takes discipline. You know you’ve seen Ovi apparently skating in circles, not moving to positions you’re used to seeing him in. You know you’ve seen Nicky not successfully passing to a winger with his usual accuracy. You scream at the TV for the guys to “CRASH THE NET!!!” (I know you have, I have too). But, once they become even more familiar and comfortable with it, it will be a benefit to our game. And rest easy, the exciting and thrilling style of play we’ve seen for years is still there and will be implemented when it’s either necessary or at least not a detriment to the final score. At least, that's what I think...Any questions?

Editors Note: To read a great post on the Caps players reaction to playing the trap, check out Capitals News Network here.

2010 -2011 Caps Season 2nd half

2011-01-08T13:21:00.004-05:00

Tonight’s game against the Panthers is game #42 of the 2010-2011 NHL regular season. Time to start the 2nd half of this rollercoaster ride. But, is it time to start worrying about the Caps position at the end of it? I’m gonna put in my $0.02 here and say no.

But, what I will say is this; for anyone who thinks the Caps need to go into the playoffs as #1 seed again, please put those wishes on hold for a minute. In the last 10 years, only 4 teams who started the playoffs as #1 seed have gone all the way to the end and raised the cup for their fans. The 2nd seed team has won 4 times and the 4th seed team has won twice. And, the only team to go in as #1 and win the Stanley Cup round in less than 7 games was the Detroit Red Wings, twice (2002 & 2008). I’m not a statistician. As a matter of fact; math hurts my brain so I made a simple little chart to illustrate this:

Now, considering the “jinx” of the President’s Trophy, as well as the fact that 1st seed teams have the biggest target on their backs, do you really want the Caps to be #1 this season? Ok, I know pride makes us all want to say yes, but lets be logical. As of this morning, the Washington Capitals are #5 in the East conference. With 41 games left to go before tonight, there has to be a lot of winning on our part and a lot of losing by Pittsburgh, Tampa, Boston, and Philly; not to mention all the other East conference teams currently behind us. Not that we can’t have a big winning streak. Let’s not forget the 2007-2008 season, when Coach Boudreau joined our team and we won 11 of 12 games in March and April to get into the 1st round of the playoffs. I know, that technically isn’t a winning streak, but it is a time for the Caps that I am most proud of our guys. Talk about the underdog coming out ahead, it was awesome. The Capitals were the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after being ranked 14th or lower in their conference standings at the season's midpoint. So, yes, it can be done, but do you really want to go through that nail-biting agony again? I sure don’t, that’s when I got the majority of the grey hairs I sport to this day. (No, blonde dye does not cover grey hair, in case you were wondering).

So, the likelihood of going in as #1 seems kinda faint, sorry to say. I’ve always felt the 2nd, 3rd and 4th seeded teams have faired better when it comes to the Stanly Cup playoffs. Lowered expectations of them winning from other teams kinda lets them be a little sneaky. After all, the onus to win is on the #1 seed. And let’s not forget, being #1 seed does not actually mean you are the very best hockey team in the world. In reality, it means you have the most points at the end of the season. At the turn of a dime, any one thing could have changed that standing, so unless you started the season at #1 and stayed there the whole 82 games, I’m gonna say being #1 seed does not make you the best in the world. Just the toughest and luckiest.

All in all, I have to say, its ok Caps fans. The team will always be #1 in our hearts. If they aren’t #1 at the end of the regular season, all is still good. As long as we get to the playoffs, we will still have the chance to see our boys raise that cup over their heads and finally put the naysayers to rest. And wouldn’t it be great to see Ovi lift it time after time on replays and in commercials? Yeah, I think so too.

A Winter Classic Yearbook

2011-01-01T14:06:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Russian Machine Never Breaks for originally posting this picture and providing the inspiration for this blog post.

(Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Remember the yearbook pictures of "Senior Superlatives"? Yeah, I isolated a few of our guys for a little "Superlatives" of my own, purely based on the photograph, no personal preferences involved. (yeah, right).

Most Athletic

Cutest

Class President

Best Dimples

Most Likely to Inflict Punishment

Best Smile

Most Studious

Snarkiest

Most Injured

Best Facial Hair

Maybe, just maybe, I'm still a little tipsy from New Years Eve. Then again, maybe not.

What I Learned From 24/7

2010-12-31T23:14:00.002-05:00

No, not how to cuss. Y’all should know by now, I could be the next proffessor* when it comes to that.

HBO’s 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic has furthered every hockey fans education and I’m damned grateful to them. So, like a school homework assignment, here are the lessons I learned, compliments of HBO:

1. There is a lot more kidding around and prank playing then I ever imagined. Ok, not a lot more, after all, boys will be boys, so it didn’t come as too much of a surprise. But, cutting BizNasty’s laces? Brave, brave act there. (I hope that wasn’t just for HBO’s sake and things like that really do happen.)

2. Refs are people too. Funny, beer drinking people. And fights are more controlled than I ever thought; even egged on at times. Who knew? Puck Daddy’s Justin Bourne covered that already; so check that out here.

3. Hockey players have adorable kids. Really adorable kids. Who knew those ugly mugs could spawn such adorableness? (I guess having beautiful wives kinda helps.)

4. Dean Evason is my new hero.

5. HBO producers have pretty good taste is music. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club? The XX? Not bad.

6. Sidney Crosby has a lucky cup. Ewwwww. That’s a real nasty piece of information that we could really have done without.

7. HBO says the Penguins fight more than any other team in the league, which did surprise me. Oh wait, I only watch the Pens when they play the Caps, so I guess that could actually be true.

8. There is a reason why actors and actresses wear makeup. Can you say zitfest?

9. Hate to admit this, but Sid is actually pretty well spoken, but, dammit, please clear your throat, Sid, that raspy voice makes you sound sick (and not in the good Ovi way of “sick’).

10. And speaking of Ovi, he cusses in perfect English, no Russian accent at all.

11. Matt Hendricks works his ass off. Oh, wait, we already knew that and love him for it.

12. There is a good reason why I don’t listen to The Sports Junkies and episode 2 just confirmed it.

It was a hell of a lot easier to watch the Penguins break their winning streak than it was to watch the Caps suffer through their losing streak. But, boy oh boy, when that losing streak ended, I could watch that part of episode 2 over and over and over. If you didn’t have an appreciation for what it takes to be a hockey player before this show, you damn well should after it.

So, tomorrow night at all comes down to this: a 2 point regular season hockey game. Not the Super Bowl, not the World Series, not the final game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; a 2 point regular season game. Let’s keep this in perspective, and then, finally get back to normal hockey. Yes, I’ll miss seeing behind the scenes through HBO’s camera lens, and it was fun while it lasted, but I’d rather sit back and enjoy a good old hockey game. Happy New Year!

*Misspelling professor is intentional, inside joke for Matt Bradley fans.

What? Me Worry?

2010-12-18T23:16:00.001-05:00

I apologize in advance to Jeff Schultz for this blog post but since life as a Caps fan kinda sucks right now, maybe you could use a little giggle? I got to thinking about how the team is playing without Schultzy, and to give you the caboose on that train of thought - ever notice this?.........

Sorry Sarge. Hope you're back on the ice soon, we could use you right about now.

Monday Morning Armchair Coaching

2010-12-13T12:09:00.002-05:00

Let’s focus people. Yeah, 6 losses really sucks, not to mention the winning streak a certain other team is having right now. Our proverbial craw is completely choked, but let’s focus people.

Calling for heads to roll is not productive. I’ve said all this before (Critical Thinking). Besides, who are we to judge what the team needs in regards to the coaching and management? But, being the fans we are, I know many people need to voice their opinions on what they think should be done to fix the problem.

Yes, I kinda think the HBO thing may just possibly be a distraction. (And on a side note here: let’s not treat the Winter Classic game like it’s the Super Bowl for the championship, ok? It’s a regular season game that just happens to be outside and being hyped to death, but it is not the “be all end all”. Nice to have the “honor” to be selected to play in it, but, personally, I think the team is being used to fuel the almighty NHL hype machine.)

Yes, it is hard to see pictures of our players out partying. And, yes, we do think maybe they need to stay at home and resting up, but they are professional players and probably know their limitations. If that is affecting their game, it’s not our call to make.

Yes, our team has been dealing with the flu. Take it from me, I am dealing with a spouse with the flu right this moment and we are on day 7 and still counting. It’s a bitch, and considering we can’t forfeit games due to illness, we have to watch our boys struggle.

Finally, I know everyone has been saying it over and over, but, it is December. Losing streaks happen. Some of you might remember our team prior to 2005. We have endured much worse. Let’s hope for the best and support our guys like good fans. If you can’t do that, please jump off the bandwagon. Any questions?

Movember Madness Results

2010-12-05T13:21:00.002-05:00

The results are in and the Washington Capitals raised the most money of all of the participating NHL teams and players, a whopping $22,472. Overall, the NHL raised $106,617 (CAD) to “change the face of men’s health”.

Two Caps players landed in the top five on the leader board; #4 John Erskine with $5,248 and #5 John Carlson with $2,959.

The top 20 list includes:

#6 Karl Alzner $2,304

#10 Matt Hendricks $1,747

#13 Brett Leonhardt $1,542

#14 Mike Vogel $1,440

#15 Jeff Schultz $1,431

#16 Jason Chimera $1,412

#17 Mike Green $1,326

#19 Braden Holtby $1,185

#20 Yvon Labre $1,156

Count ‘em folks, 11 of the top 20 for donations to the NHL Movember campaign belong to the Washington Capitals. Congrats to all the players for helping this great cause and all the fans who contributed. Just one more reason to be proud of being a Caps fan. I'd also like to thank Mrs. John Erskine for giving her husband permission to keep such an awesome stache.

1st Semin-ester Report Card

2010-11-28T16:09:00.012-05:00

Oh Sasha, you constantly surprise me. It’s as if you are making sure you will get the best contract offer possible. On second thought, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after all.

We all know that the Capitals have to wait until January to begin negotiations with Alex Semin. At the beginning of the season, Semin signed a one year $6M contract, so he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2010-2011 season. On a side note, other players that will also be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2010-2011 season are Mike Knuble, Tomas Fleischmann, Brooks Laich, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon, Matt Hendricks, and John Erskine. If you’ve been counting, that’s 8 players on our current roster that could potentially not be Washington Capitals next season. Please note, I said COULD. Oh, and one last player who we will not have to worry about anymore- Michael Nylander will finally, finally, finally be an unrestricted free agent in July of 2011. Sorry Circles, your time is up.

Obviously, Alexander Semin is HOT, HOT, HOT right now. This bodes extremely well for a chance at being offered a lucrative contract from the Caps in January. That is if Semin wants to stay on the team and the Caps have the cap space. The formerly fairly inconsistent Semin has tallied 3 hat tricks, with 17 goals and 12 assists in 24 games. Pretty awesome stats. However, for penalty minutes for offensive players, Sasha is second only to Matt Hendricks, with 22 minutes in the sin bin. But, with 85 shots on goal and a +8 rating, it looks like (so far), Alex could write his own ticket if he keeps this up. It’s all up to him. In a little over 30 days, our tweet stream and the blogosphere will be filled with contract negotiation rumors and reports. What do you think will happen?

Regarding the 7 other players who will be UFA at the end of this season; I think we won’t have any clear indications until maybe even July when it comes to re-signing any of them except Brooks* and Brads*. I’d wager they get decent offers that they will accept. I know there are going to be readers who will vehemently disagree with me on a few of these, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Knoobs*, Flash*, and Gordo* don’t get the nod. I may be alone in this, but with Boudreau constantly changing which line Knoobs plays on this season, I think his time may be coming to an end. As for Gordo, as much as I like him, I’m going to say his health issues will be a stumbling block when contract time comes up, I hope I’m wrong. And Flash…well, I think it’s just time*. The only other players I have any re-signing expectations for are Matt Hendricks* and John Erskine*.

Having played for Gabby before, and seemingly fitting very well into the Caps system, I could see another Washington Capitals contract for Hendy by July 1. I really appreciate how he stands up for his teammates and shows team spirit. I’ll admit it; I like him and hope he gets to stay a little longer, no matter how many penalty minutes he racks up.

As for Erskine, frankly I don’t know why I think he might get another contract*. Something about how he plays a type of enforcer role for us, and you gotta admit, he throws a pretty good punch when needed. Call it gut instinct, if you will, but I get the feeling that Bruce just likes the guy, no matter how frustrating he can be at times to us fans.

There are a couple players who will be restricted free agents at the end of the season: Karl Alzner and Semyon Varlamov*. Don’t think we’ll have any worries about those two.

Finally, with the December 1 deadline fast approaching, of all the players we let go from last year; it looks like only Scott Walker may be the only former Caps player without a contract for the 2010-2011 season. Other than stating that fact, I got nothing else to say on that except I’m glad everyone else found a place to play.

I know I’m really jumping the gun on all of these predictions, but for now, let’s just call them my woman’s intuition. At the risk of looking totally stupid, I just wanted to get these out there now. Come July, I’ll revisit this post and see how right or wrong I was. And you can totally rib me if I am way off base, but if I’m right, I’m reserving gloating privileges.

*Editors Note: 11/30/2010 Caps trade Tomas Fleischmann for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan. I'm gonna call this is a win in my prediction column.
12/17/2010 Boom! Caps sign Erksine to a 2 year extension. That's 2 correct so far!
1/27/2011 Caps sign Semin to a 1 year (reported 6.7 million ) extension. That counts for 3 right, doesn't it?
2/23/2011 Caps sign Matt Hendricks to a 2 year extension. That's 4 correct, damn, I did pretty good so far, eh?
4/11/2011 Caps sign Mike Knuble to a 1 year extension. Happy to be wrong about this prediction!
6/28/2011 Caps sign Brooks Laich to a 6 year contract. Cougar Bait re-signing makes 5 correct in the prediction column.
7/1/2011 Gordon signs with Phoenix, Varly traded to Colorado for a 1st & 2nd round draft pic. 1 right and 1 wrong
7/2/2011 Bradley signs with the Florida Panthers. Another one wrong. But only 3 wrong ain't that bad, right? Only player left from this post is Alzner. Fingers crossed!

Movember - The Magic of the Mustache

2010-11-15T00:03:00.002-05:00

Not only is the 11th month magical for the beautiful fall colors, there is another thing of beauty for hockey fans, the Movember Mustache. There are a couple of Caps players who are giving the growing of the ‘stache a go this month, but the winner of them all is John Erskine.

Never thought I’d see the day when I’d write a post on mustaches and focusing on John Erskine, of all players, but I’m beginning to think there are magical powers to Erskine’s 'stache. Not only is it the most impressive among all Caps players, but is it the power behind Erskine’s magic on the ice against the Thrashers tonight? Let’s face it, how often does John not only get the game winning goal, but also is awarded the 1st star of the game? And that fight tonight? More ‘stache power in action? Even John might be beginning to believe. John's quote from Corey Masisak's NHL.com article, “Yeah, the 'stache has been good luck,” Erskine said. “I talked to the wife and I might be keeping it for a while.”

And before I go on about the beauty of the Movember Mustache, I'd just like to share this superb right cross delivered by John Erskin tonight:

Ok, so back to the topic on everyone's lips, Movember and the Magical Mustache. As stated earlier, a couple of other Caps players are also participating in Movember: Karl Alzner and Mike Green. I thought John Carlson was involved as well, but from all appearances, I must be wrong. If there is a mustache growing on that young man's upper lip, then at it's current stage of growth, I'd be hard pressed to varify it's existance.

So, ladies and gentleman, I give you Karl Alzner and Mike Green.

And, if MoJo is participating, he's off to an ok start, but I don't think it'll be finished by the end of the month:

Now, you gotta give these guys props, but will any of them ever reach the epicness of the 70's porn 'stache like these guys here?

Hmm, you know, after looking at Erskine again, I think he might just do it. Way to go, John!

Hockey in BlondeSpeak - Stats

2010-11-04T13:00:00.001-04:00

Do you understand exactly what you are reading when you look at a player’s or team’s stats? Rather than ignore those acronyms and numbers, let’s break it down so you can get a better appreciation for them.
There is a lot of information involved here, so grab a cuppa joe or a cold beer and settle in.

First off – Player stats: I’m going to use the stats for Alex Ovechkin from the Caps website as posted on 11/1/10.

You should know some of the basics by now; GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, so lets look at the others.

P = Points. Easy- goals plus assists equals points. It ain’t calculus, just simple addition.

+/- = Plus/Minus. As covered in a previous BlondeSpeak post, think of it like a grading system for players. Basically, it indicates whether they were on the ice when the opposing team scored (a minus) or on the ice when their own team scored (a plus). For example, a defenseman could be on the ice when the opposing team scored 4 goals (-4), but if that same defenseman also scored a goal (+1), his total +/- for the game would be -3.

PIM = Penalty Minutes. So far, Alex had incurred 10 penalty minutes

PP = Power Play Goals. That’s the number of goals the player has scored on the Power Play, Alex has 2.

SH = Shorthanded Goals. The number of goals the player has scored while the team was on the penalty kill/shorthanded. Looks like Alex needs a shorty in his stats.

GW = Game Winning Goals. Speaks for itself, Alex has had 3 in the last 11 games. Good Job Alex!

S = Shots on Goal. As could be expected, Alex has attempted 57 shots on goal so far this season. But, it would be nice if more resulted in actual goals if you factor in this - S%.

S% = Shooting Percentage. That’s the total of goals divided by shots on goal. If Alex had only made 1 goal in 4 attempts, his S% would be 25%, since he’s made 7 goals in 57 attempts, it’s 12.3%

Additional Player stats from the NHL website, not including Goalies:

OT = Overtime Goals. Do I really need to explain this? Ok, Alex had 1 overtime goal so far.

TOI/G = Time on Ice per Game. Usually your defensemen have the most time on ice per game.

Sft/G = Average shifts per game. So far, Alex has averaged 20.3 shifts in 11 games. Once again, usually your defensemen have the highest number when it comes to average shifts per game. C'mon, do I need to explain that there are 4 offensive lines but only 3 defensive lines, therefore, more ice time for defense? Oh wait, I just did.

FO% = Faceoff Win Percentage. Well, since Ovi doesn’t do faceoffs, (or hasn’t yet), he hasn’t won any, has he? That is the job for the Center (like Backstrom or Stecks).

Next up – Goalie stats:

GPI = Games Played in Net. You might also see this as GP for Games Played. No brainer.

GS = Games Started. Also a no brainer, but if you are really blonde, what is shown above tells us that Varly only started in 1 game, but, since the GPIshown above is 2, it means he relieved Neuvy once.

MIN = Minutes played. This stat includes overtime minutes and deducts time when the team has played with an empty net.

GAA = Goals Against Average. Big clue here, the lower the number, the better.

W = Wins, L = Losses, OT = Overtime losses

SO = Shutouts. (I’m hoping I don’t have to explain what a shut out is, right? Please say yes, or just nod your head)

SA = Shots Against. How many times the opponents fired the puck at your goalie. Duh!

GA = Goals Against and SV = Saves. You know these, right?

SV% = Save Percentage. Real important number here for the goalie. Divide the number of saves by the number of shots against. Hint: Neuvy’s .926 save percentage puts him at #2 in the league as of 11/1/10. This is a good thing

G = Goals, A = Assists, and PIM = Penalty Minutes. Doesn’t happen often, but goalies can get goals, be credited with assists, and be assessed penalty minutes. If a goalie IS assessed a penalty, another member of the team sits it for him, just so you know. (BTW, former Caps goalie Jose Theodore has a goal on his lifetime stats)

TOI = Total Time on Ice. (another no brainer)

Finally – Team Stats:

Individual Team Stats by Game:

H/R = Home or Road

DEC = Decision (Win or Loss)

O/S = Overtime/Shootout

OPP = Opponent

RECORD = The teams’ current record. Caps are 7-4-0 at this time. (That would be 7 wins-4 losses-0 overtime losses)

GF = Goals For and GA = Goals Against. (The Calgary game, we scored 7 and Calgary scored 2.)

PPG = Power Play Goals (by us)

PP OPP = Power Play Opportunities (times we were on the power play)

PPGA = Power Play Goals Against (PP goals by "them")

TS = Times Shorthanded (we were on the penalty kill)

SHGF = Shorthanded Goals For (while we were on the power play)

SHGA = Shorthanded Goals Against (while we were on the penalty kill)

SF = Shots For

SA = Shots Against

ATT = Attendence

W GOALIE = Winning Goalie

W Goal = Winning Goal scored by…

Teams Stats within their Division:

GP, W, L, and OT were explained above. (or have you forgotten already?)

PTS = Points. Teams get 2 points for every win, and 1 point if the team loses in overtime.

GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, DIFF = Difference, HOME = Home record, AWAY = Away Record, SHOOTOUT = Shootout record, L10 = Last 10 games, STREAK = Winning or Losing streak. These are all pretty self-explanatory here, by this point, you should have been able to figure them out.

So, now you know all there is to know about what ALL those stats stand for. Does your brain hurt yet?

Just keep in mind, you don’t HAVE to know all these stats, but it helps to know a few of them. Wouldn’t it be cool to spout off a few of them to the guys around the water cooler and actually know what you are talking about? Bet you might even teach them a thing or two. Well, probably not, but you’ll still look cool, which is a good thing.

Grandpa Slippers Hits 900

2010-10-31T12:01:00.002-04:00

Grandpa Slippers? Poor Mike Knuble, it’s not that you’re old. As a matter of fact, 38 is prime time, and you couldn’t reach the 900 game mark without living through the whole kit and Knuble. (See what I did there?) Not quite the Iron Man status of Cal Ripken Jr., but you still gotta appreciate what 900 games really means in the NHL. Mike started in the AHL in 1995 at age 23 and has been going pretty strong ever since. 15 years is a decent career stint if I do say so myself.

First, let’s take a little trip in the way back machine. Knoobs has been able to play 82 straight regular season NHL games 5 times in his career. Once with the Rangers, twice with the Bruins and twice with the Flyers. So far, I’m impressed. He has scored more than 20 goals every regular NHL season he’s played in the last 7 years. Ditto for assists, 20 or more in the last 7 seasons. And let’s not forget, the man has a Stanley Cup ring, thanks to his stint with the Red Wings in the 97-98 season. Now, aren’t you happy the Flyers couldn’t come to terms and GMGM thought it would be a good idea to sign him up in 2009?

Now let’s look at what 900 games have meant to Knoobs when it comes to the Medicare report. According to his bio, Mike’s injuries have included:

~injuring his hamstring, ouchie, but not so bad as-

~breaking the middle finger on his left hand (which is a bummer since most players use that finger to wave “Hi” to all their opponents, and I personally use it to let fellow drivers know when I’m changing lanes or taking a certain parking place, but I digress), and then there was the time that he-

~fracturing his right cheekbone and orbital bone, which I’m sure hurts as bad as it sounds.

And, of course, lots of bumps, bruises, scrapes, tweaked muscles, and all the other aches and pains that come with ~~getting older~~ playing hockey. It’s a tough job, somebody is gonna get hurt.

Speaking of a tough job, it’s time for Mike’s review of his performance in the office. His office? That’s that blue area in front of the goalie. You know; it’s called the crease. As a player, Mike can be in the right place at the right time. The right place for Mike is in the goalies face, blocking his view of the ice and always prepared for a pass that he can smash into the net. Last year, Mr. Knuble scored 29 goals and had 24 assists, so if I were writing his yearly work evaluation, I’d say his performance would be categorized as “Exceeds Expectations”. Where I come from, that’s worthy of a raise. Unfortunately, Mike will be UFA at the end of this season, and if he is still a Capital by July, I would be happy but surprised.

And, don’t start harping on me for being mean to Mike about his age. He is one of the few Caps players that I could never possibly be old enough to be his Mother, not matter how much of a slut I could have been. At my age; and Mike’s age, I can really appreciate what he has achieved in his career, so I kid with love.

So I say, let’s raise our glasses in a toast to Michael Rudolph Knuble. Wait, Rudolph? Yup, his middle name is Rudolph. Makes some sense now. Anybody who has a middle name of Rudolph has to have gone through life defending himself, so it’s no surprise he became a hockey player. Maybe back in school he was ribbed about it, but would you want to give him grief over it now? Didn’t think so.

TeamNeuvyVarly- BFF's 4 Evah

2010-10-21T22:26:00.002-04:00

Ok, had to make a post outta the comments from tonight's twitpics of Varly and Neuvy chatting on the bench. Never enjoyed a post game more! (Thank you Verizon for my HD DVR and Apple for my iPhone, cuz none of this would be possible without either of them).

Pic #1 "BFF's?"

Among the caption comments: "Twinsies" from @maamfo, "That was the shot of the night for sure" from @pckhdsthghts , and ding ding ding: "They're discussing Varly joining facebook!" from @UnleashTheFury

But wait....There's more:
Pic #2 "Look at Varly's expression! Wonder what Neuvy said? Is the bromance over already?"

Among the caption comments: Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a tie! "For the last time Varly, I swear up and down that mullets are OUT of style!" from @megHamonster, "Neuvy: Want to grab post-game Happy Meals? Varly: Mehhhh..." from @YoCalleJo

But wait...There's even more:
Pic #3 "Nope, besties again. All better."

This inspired some of the best caption comments yet! "Neuvy: ...but I'll give you my free hotwheels toy. Varly: Orly??!?" from @YoCalleJo , "Neuvy: "Yup mullets are out... but might I suggest a rat tail?" Varly=intrigued" from @megHamonster Who could pick a winner between these two Tweeps? Since I adore them both, they both win. (the only prize is the honor of being linked and quoted here, sorry, that's all I got!)

So, after a crushing defeat, who couldn't use a good giggle with their tears?

Team Varly Time?

2010-10-16T11:26:00.001-04:00

It seems there has been a lot of debate since the season started about which goalie the fans prefer. I think it’s time to address Team Varly, since I pretty much gushed over Neuvirth last weekend.

I haven't even had a chance to photograph Varly in his 1 sweater yet!

Here’s the thing, I kind of hope Varly is in net tonight. I am ready to see how he plays. Let’s be honest, debating between the two goalies at this moment is actually a moot point. We haven’t seen Varly in regular season action yet this year. Who’s to say which one is #1 without having that factored into the equation? And, at this point, why do we even have to designate either of them as #1 in the first place?

I actually think, as far as NHL teams go, the Caps are in an enviable position having these two 22 year old goalies on the roster. Both of these players bring different styles of net minding to the ice. What NHL team wouldn’t love to be able to pick their goalie based on their opponent on any given night?

Several quotes from Boudreau on the situation yesterday: “Whoever is playing better; for the most part; if they’re playing equal, we’ll split.” And- “They will both get chances to play and somebody always comes to the forefront.” And- “Whoever is playing great will play.” And- “They will indicate who will be the player, not me.” And, finally- “It might be late March before we decide on this.”

As Caps fans, let’s not pick sides. Let’s table the debate until both Varlamov and Neuvirth have had opportunities to show their stuff. Let’s enjoy the position our team is in. Our chant should be “Go Caps” no matter who is between the pipes...Any questions?

Team Neuvy: A Mood Ring Would be Wasted on Him

2010-10-10T12:59:00.005-04:00

Last night, Michal Neuvirth reached another career milestone, his first NHL home opener. And what a game it was! Our baby Bear goalie is no longer, he is a sharp NHL goalie and I for one am damned proud of him.

After the game the night before, I think we all went into Verizon Center with very high hopes and very high expectations, and we were duly rewarded. But for me personally, I was most eager to see this:

And also get my first ever chance to watch another great goalie in action, (but sadly for him, it just wasn’t Mar-tay’s night; thank goodness):

You all should know by now, I am a fan of the man behind the mask, (yes, this applies to baseball catchers as well as hockey goalies). These are the guys who most often endure the entire game, getting 100 mph pucks bulleted at them, players crashing into them; often more than one at a time, taunts from the home crowd, and the agony of having a puck get past them and into the net. These are the players who have to shake off all of those things, keep their head together and in my book, they deserve one of the three stars of the game in any win.

I was extremely pleased to read Tracee Hamilton’s article in the Washington Post this morning about our Caps goalies. My favorite line from that article:

Neuvirth is a technician in goal and a mood ring would be wasted on him.

~~(I want a shirt made of this: Team Neuvy. A mood ring would be wasted on him. Who's up for it?~~
10/10/10 7pm- Update- This is in the works, faithful readers, in the works. Will post link asap.)

Looking back at last night’s game, truer words were never spoken. Neuvy was composed, sharp and totally focused. He showed a new maturity that went above what he had displayed in the past. Nothing seemed to rattle him, even the fact that he had two goals scored against him and had a loss the night before. Going into this 2nd game in just 24 hours, he proved to the team and the fans that he had what it takes to be in that net. In that span of 24 hours, Neuvy played 119 minutes and stopped 64 shots on goal. And even though he had 6 goals against him overall, you should be impressed with his .906 save percentage. Not so bad for the start of his NHL career.

Two other goalie notes here: Please don’t think I am anti-Varly, I’m not. Hopefully, Varly is back on the ice and gets into the game soon, maybe by Wednesday? Since I love the fact that the Caps are going with both of these young netminders this year, they will both have my support 100%. I would like to post a Team Varly article soon. Secondly, even though Dany Sabourin didn’t do anything more then keep the bench warm last night, I would like to commend him on his choice of goalie mask. Nice, clean, classic Caps Weagle on a white background. Loved it for its simplicity of design:

~~Hopefully, I will have game pics posted to my Flickr account tonight, I'll update when they are done.~~
Game pics are now up on Flickr, see them here.

Hockey in BlondeSpeak - Waivers

2010-10-04T14:31:00.000-04:00

Time for more hockey learning - the blonde way. So, you’ve heard of waivers, right? Want to know what they are? They are a couple of things you need to know in order to understand how waivers work. (By the way, this explanation refers to NHL players, waivers, and contracts. If I tried to add all the other leagues and their rules into this, your mind might be blown. Not the way I want to lose readers, so I’m gonna try to keep it simple.)

First, some people may throw the different types of contracts a player may have into explanations on waivers. So, let’s clear this up. Yes, there are 2 types of contracts, 1-way and 2-way. If an NHL player has a 1-way contract and his team wants to send him down to the minors, the player must clear waivers first. If an NHL player has a 2-way contract, he can usually be moved back and forth between the NHL and the minors without having to clear waivers. (There are exceptions, but for general purposes, that is how it works). 2-way contracts are what you want if you have an injured player so you can call up a guy with a 2-way contract to take his place while the injured player recovers. 1-way/2-way, like streets, get it? But do they really have anything to do with whether or not a player will be placed on waivers? Not really.

Ok, now, there are 2 types of waivers, unconditional and regular. These are the important things to keep in mind. If a team places a player on unconditional waivers, it means that the team has no intention of keeping the player, even in the minors, so his contract can be completely bought out; done deal/game over. If a team places a player on regular waivers, it means the team really wants to keep him, but by NHL rules, they can’t reassign him or recall him from the AHL for “re-entry” without placing him on waivers. Sounds pretty risky, right? There are several conditions about when you can place a player on waivers, such as age, length of contract or amount of games played, etc., etc. They are important but if your team puts someone on waivers, trust they have met those conditions and don’t get bogged down by those pesky details. The most important part is why that player was placed on waivers.

So, let’s look at what the internet says:

~ From WikiAnswers:

Waivers are when a team wants to send a player down to the minors or farm team and they have to "waive" the rights to that player before they can send him down. If another team claims that player he is now their property. If the player clears waivers (no one claims him), he remains the property of the original team and can be sent to the minors. The player may be released and can be a free agent.

~From James Mirtle

Essentially any player that has three professional seasons since signing his first contract, or who has played 180+ NHL games, must go through waivers before going to the AHL. The waiver system allows all 29 other NHL clubs to pick up that player, with teams lower down in the standings taking precedence over those at the top. Players are on waivers for two days, and if they go unclaimed, they're off to the minors.

If they go to the minors and then return to the NHL club, players don't have to pass through waivers again unless they've been with the big club for 10+ games or 30+ days.

Those are both pretty good examples of the waiver process but are they clear enough? Let’s break this down into BlondeSpeak:

Waivers are like eBay. Want to get rid of a player? If he is on unconditional waivers, you put him on eBay with a 2 day listing, because he just doesn’t suit your décor anymore. Let’s hope somebody bids and wins him. Bidders that have lower “ratings” get the pick over any competitive bidder who has higher “ratings”, just to keep things fair. Then you pack him up and ship him out, so long, nice knowing ya. If your bidder is nice, they might even give you a good review on their purchase, but you can bet fans of the player won’t be posting pleasant comments on your eBay listing!

If nobody buys him, you can just let him go, buhbye, see ya. (Kind of like sending him off to the charity bin at Salvation Army, because you certainly have no more use for him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have listed him on eBay in the first place, right?)

If he is on regular waivers, you hope that nobody bids on him during that 2 day listing, so you can send him down to the AHL. The risk here is a bidder might come along and snatch his butt up and you’ve lost him. But what are you gonna do, you had to put him up for bid in order to send him down to the AHL, you know? That’s why people get so worried and stress out for 2 days during the time a player is placed on waivers. He might be gone by the time the whole listing period is over. If nobody bids on him, he has "cleared" waivers, WooHoo! Just what we wanted!

So, yeah, maybe I didn’t cover all the wherefores and how to’s, but if you want to know those, Google away. I just want to give you the overall simple description of waivers and how they work in essence. I’m a little worried that people are gonna want to get into all those details, but remember; I’m not an expert; I’m just a blonde girl who wants the simple things in life…Any questions?

The 3 C's (Caps-Columbus & Convention)

2010-10-03T20:32:00.001-04:00

So I've been a bit of a blogger fail the last 10 days, new job responsibilities have taken a lot out of me, and the next thing I know, IT"S HOCKTOBER!!! (Not to be confused with Octoberfest, which is another reason this month is awesome, but today is all about hockey).

What better way to start celebrating than to go to a preseason game the very first day of the month.

Captain Ovechkin checking out the Blue Jackets during warm-ups

Our chance to watch Hendricks play was short-lived; he was outta the game early ine the first when he was the victim of a heavy check by Nate Guenin.

Come to find out, our own Nicky-Lars required 14 stitches on his leg after blocking a shot during this game. What a trooper! But, this is now old news.

So, what better way to continue Hocktober, then to attend the Caps Convention on Saturday, 10/2. This year I made sure I was going to some of the panels, since I totally missed out last year, due to poor planning. (And this also resulted in a lot lower number of player pictures, since I was happily sitting in adjacent rooms for half the day.

First up, Ask the GM, with GM George McPhee and Nate Ewell. Gotta say, I really appreciate McPhee even more after listening to him during the question and answer session here. While he didn't give any secrets away, I felt he was pretty upfront when he answered questions. Favorite response was to a question about the trade that involved Delle Rovere. Final answer, he has yet to have traded away a superstar. There was one lady who spent at least 5 minutes asking a question, which was actually a good one, but she went off track so many times, I be damned if I can remember what it was.

Next up was the Kids Press Conference. After missing it last year because the room was full by the time I found it, I made sure to be there yesterday. Ovi, Brads and Fehrsie really seemed to have a great time with the kid’s questions. I was pretty surprised how many kids asked questions about fighting and who the guys hated the most (opposing players and/or teams). And you could tell how many questions were actually from the parents. Two things that really stood out - Fehrsie and Brads singing Happy Birthday to one little girl, followed by Ovi singing it a cappella in Russian. Trust me on this, Ovi will most definitely not be making any music videos without some voice lessons. But, seriously, he has enough talent on the ice to make up for that. Second “Awwwww” moment, when another little girl asked Ovi to say something in Russian. His response “You’re beautiful” (not gonna trust free translation here and possibly botch the Russian spelling of that phrase. Who knows what I’d actually be typing!)

Next up, back to the main stage for Coach BB’s Who are the 2010-2011 Capitals? segment. Loved this last year and wasn’t disappointed this year. I especially enjoyed seeing the new jumbotron pictures of the players. As you can see below, a couple were big hits with me.

Next I got in line for my autograph sessions. First up, J-Car and Fehrsie. Congratulated Carlson on World Juniors and gave Fehrsie props on the game the night before.

From there, I went straight to the next line, and ended up with Gordicris and Chimmers. Yes, Chimmers signs as fast as he skates and talks. Gotta say, all the guys were as nice as could be.

Final panel discussion, Blogging the Caps. Couldn’t miss a chance to hear Nate Ewell, Eric McErlain, John Keeley, and Jon Press (otherwise known as @nateewell, @emcerlain, @JohnMKeeley, and @JapersRink). Although the crowd was a little thin, I did enjoy the discussions and questions. But, damned if the lady from GMGM’s panel earlier in the day, didn’t show up again with another very long drawn out “question” for the panel. Once again, I totally forget what her question was. Wanted to stop and say Hi to them all when it was over, but wouldn’t you know, they got fan mobbed when they left the stage. (Guys, I was the blonde in the front row on your far right).

Well, now that the last preseason game is out of the way, it's time for the offical beginning of the 2010-2011 hockey season. Let the hockey begin!

More pictures from the 10/1 game and Caps Convention can be found here.

Hockey in BlondeSpeak - Icing

2010-09-23T21:56:00.001-04:00

Ok, I did say I would save this for a post on another day. Guess now is as good a time as any. Oh, and all of you readers that think I’m talking about the frosting that goes on top of cupcakes for the media at Kettler, get out of the kitchen and out to the rink, pronto!

Anyway, I have read everything I can find on the web about it and can see why some people may still be doing puppy dog head tilts when they try to understand what the heck icing is. So, here we go.

First, let’s look at what the NHL rules say:

Rule 81 - Icing

81.1 Icing – For the purpose of this rule, the center red line will divide the ice into halves. Should any player or goalkeeper of a team, equal or superior in numerical strength (power-play) to the opposing team, shoot, bat or deflect the puck from his own half of the ice beyond the goal line of the opposing team, play shall be stopped.

For the purpose of this rule, the point of last contact with the puck by the team in possession shall be used to determine whether icing has occurred or not. As such, the team in possession must “gain the line” in order for the icing to be nullified. “Gaining the line” shall mean that the puck (not the player’s skate) must make contact with the center red line in order to nullify a potential icing.

For the purpose of interpretation of the rule, “icing the puck” is completed the instant the puck is touched first by a defending player (other than the goalkeeper) after it has crossed the goal line and if in the action of so touching the puck, it is knocked or deflected into the net, it is no goal.

Any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck. Unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player.

The puck striking or deflecting off an official does not automatically nullify a potential icing.

Yeah, that clears everything up! Are you just as confused as before you started reading? Of course you are, I would be too.

Now, let’s look at what about.com has to say:

Definition: Shooting the puck to the end of the ice from behind the center ice red line.

If the puck crosses the opposing goal line untouched, and is then retrieved by an opposing player, icing is called.

Considered a delaying tactic, it results in a stoppage in play and a faceoff in the offending team's defensive zone.

If, in the opinion of the linesman, any player of the opposing team is able to play the puck before it passes his goal line, but does not do so, the linesman can "wave off" icing, allowing play to continue.

The purpose of the rule is to encourage continuous action. Referees and Linesmen interpret and apply the rule to produce that result.

Well, that’s a little better, but let’s go "blonde":

When it comes to understanding icing, imagine this scenario: Caps and Pens are playing hot and heavy in front of the Pens’ net. The Penguins can’t get the puck away from the Caps and are getting frustrated. Finally one Penguin gets a hold of the puck and sends it flying down the ice away from his own goal because they just can’t finesse it away any other way. Now, everybody takes off down the ice towards the Caps net while the puck skids past the red center line, the next blue line, all the way down past the red goal line across the end of the rink and nobody has caught up with it yet. Now, if a Pens player reaches the puck first, the play continues. If a Caps player reaches it first, it’s an icing call against the Pens. The puck is returned for a face off back down at the other end of the rink, kinda back where they started.

A couple things to remember here:

If your team is tired and frustrated, icing the puck will not give you a chance to make a shift change, that’s a no-no per the NHL rules. Too bad, what a waste.

Secondly, if the Pens were playing shorthanded at the time, that desperate measure of whacking the puck down the rink is not icing. Well, they were already being penalized, right?

Finally, a ref can wave off the icing call if they feel the Caps players could have gotten the puck and simply opted not to do so. Total judgement call by the refs.

So, in brief, if your guy whacks the puck down the ice because his defense just can’t seem to get the job done, you better hope someone from your team gets down the ice and gets that sucker before the other team does. Otherwise, you’re screwed…Any questions?

What’s in a Name?

2010-09-20T08:19:00.017-04:00

So, another hockey season is upon us. In anticipation of lots of tweeting about our guys, I felt it was time for an updated primer on who we all refer to when we use our own special nicknames for players on Twitter. I’d also like to thank The Hockey Chronicles and Japers’ Rink, who also posted similar lists in the past which contributed to my “research”. (Yes, I actually did research for this post…kinda-sorta). Think of this as a PSA for new Tweeps and Caps fans, cuz you need to know who we're talking about when you read our snark!

So without further ado and in alphabetical order, so no one thinks I’m playing favorites (kinda convenient that Ovi comes first alphabetically, isn’t it?), here we go:

Da Playas:

Alex Ovechkin: AO8, Ovi (Note: NOT Ovie –get it right, people!), Russian Machine, The Great 8, Alexander the Great

Alex Semin: Sasha, ummm and another one I don’t quite understand ;), Sam (Added by RussianMachine)

Brian Willsie: I don't remember any nicknames for Willsie, somebody remind me!

Boyd Gordon: Gordo, Gordicris, G-Unit (Added by WashCapsRock), Muffin (added by tons of people!)

Brooks Laich: BL21, Brooksie, Cougar Bait, HHBL21, AAA of the NHL, Ironman (Added by CamaroWRX)

David Steckel: Stecks

DJ King: King Kong, (are there any others we should know?)

Eric Fehr: Fehrsie, F-16/Falcon (Added by The PaulW), Uno Seis (Added because ngreenberg apparently uses it, not that I would know)

Jason Chimera: Chimmers, Chewie (Added by PKLords76), Chimmy (Added by YoCalleJ, RinkRebel, Scandalizi)

Jeff Schultz: Mr Nasty, Double Nickel, Schultzy, Sarge

John Carlson: J-Car, Real American Hero (RAHJC74), Captain America

Karl Alzner: King Karl, Alz (Added by RinkRebel), The Lumber Jack (Added by Green52fan)

Marcus Johansson: MoJo, JoJo

Matt Bradley: MB10, Brads, The Proffessor (misspelling is intentional)

Michal Neuvirth: Neuvi/Neuvy

Mike Green: MG52, Greenie, Greener, Game Over, Lamborgreenie

Mike Knuble: Knoobs, Grandpa Slippers, Papa or Pops Knoob (Added by AmazinglyMorgan & RinkRebel)

Nicklas Backstrom: NB19, Backy, Nicky-Lars, Super Swede, Backis (Added by YoCalleJo)

Semyon Varlamov: Varly, The Iron Curtain, Click on Me (Added by dorcaskd)

Tomas Fleischmann: Flash

Tyler Sloan: Sloaner, TyTy

Da Front Office:

Brett Leonhardt: Stretch

Bruce Boudreau: Gabby, BB

George McPhee: GMGM

Ted Leonsis: Uncle Ted

Mike Vogel: Vogs (Added by WashCapsRock)

Da Bears and Prospies:

Andrew Gordon: Gordo (not to be confused with Boyd Gordon-[“no relation”-Joe B.]!)

Anton Gustafsson: Baby Gus, AnGus (Added by maamfo)

Braden Holtby: Hot Stuff (Added for WashCapsRock), Holts (Added by maamfo)

Cody Eakin: Squeaks

Francois Bouchard: Bouch (Added by OSquirt26)

Grant McNeill: G-Mac (Added by YoCalleJo)

Jay Beagle: Beags

Joe Finley: Big Joe, Lawnmower Joe

Keith Aucoin: Coiner

Mathieu Perreault: Matty P, Perry, Pocket Ovi

Patrick McNeill: P-Mac, Patty Mac

Steve Pinizzotto: Pinner (Added by OSquirt26)

Trevor Bruess: Bruiser (Added by maamfo)

Zach Miskovic: Misky

Ok, I know I forgot some, so remind me in the comments, kthxbai!

Rookie Caps/Flyers Hit the Ice

2010-09-18T01:11:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking, not another scrimmage blog post. Ok, ok, no stats, no analysis, just some guys who look like they are really happy and anxious to show their stuff to the big crowd at Kettler. All this while being watched by coaches, team big wigs, scouts, tons of fans and the intrepid Captain.

I don't think I've ever seen hockey players hit the ice quite like this.

Big Joe Finley

The Captain keeps an eye on his troops

Making sure Anderson is warmed up.

Grubauer being all intense protecting the net

Eakin gets an approving look from those guys over there on the left

And last but not least:

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

And a great time was had by all. Well, all except the Baby Flyers, that is.

Yeah, it's late and I'm tired.

More pics of the game can be found here.

Camp with the Kids

2010-09-13T21:21:00.002-04:00

Two words - Rookie Camp. So great to be back at Kettler behind the lens. Today, I am a happy girl!
What more can I say, when a picture is worth a thousand words:

More pix from today can be found here.

Like I said, today, I am a happy girl. For me, hockey is offically back. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Hockey in BlondeSpeak – Terminology

2010-09-06T08:52:00.000-04:00

Maybe there are some terms you hear commentators use and don’t quite know what they mean. Almost everyone who follows the game can figure out some of them; such as a "biscuit in the basket" is the term used for a goal, or possibly the "sin bin", which is another term for the penalty box. But if you are remotely new to ice hockey there might be a few that have you tilting your head like a puppy dog and a proverbial question mark in your mind. Here are a few. If I didn’t cover one you’ve always wondered about, feel free to comment and I’ll do my best to “BlondeSpeak” it for you.

Blade. No, they don’t mean the skate blade, it’s the flat section of a hockey stick that contacts the puck.

The Blocker. Nope, it’s not the guy who gets in the way, it’s the glove on the hand that the goalie uses to hold his stick, it has a flat pad on the front to block shots; hence, blocker.

Breakaway. Sorry to say, commentators aren’t talking about a song here, and if you know the song of which I speak, you need a heavy infusion of hard rock, I’m just saying. A breakaway is a scoring opportunity where the skater with the puck is behind the opposing defensemen and faces only the goaltender, he kind of ‘breaks away’ from the pack as it were.

Cherry Picking (or a Cherry Picker). No again, it’s not referring to a delightful summer pastime or a truck for fixing electrical and/or telephone lines. Basically, a cherry picker is a player who just hangs out, often close to the goal, waiting for a pass so he can have a breakaway. I would like to name a few cherry pickers here, but I’ll be nice.

Cross-checking. Technically, cross-checking is hitting an opponent with the stick while it is held in both hands and no part of the stick is touching the ice. Think of it as a swing and a hit (if you’ll permit me to slide a baseball term in here) by one player on another.

Dangler. Ah, I know what you all want this to mean. Clean up those filthy minds, people! A Dangler is a player who has exceptionally good stick handling skills and can easily fool opposing players.

Deke. Simply put, it’s faking out an opponent, to get around him or score on a goalie. There are shoulder dekes, stick dekes and head dekes.

Dipsy Doodle. A Dipsy Doodle is just a term for a fancy deke. (For Caps fans, you’ll recognize this term, Craig Laughlin loves to use it).

Drop Pass. Nope, not a pick up line in a bar that gets no results. In hockey, it’s a pass where a player simply leaves the puck behind him on the ice for a teammate to pick up. When done correctly, the puck stops moving and the pass's receiver catches up to it.

Icing. Ah, the wonderful icing term. I’m gonna save that one for its own BlondeSpeak post because it’s a little more detailed and tricky to explain. Trust me I tried, it’s gonna take more than a simple sentence or two to explain it.

Laying on the Lumber. Another term where you need to get your minds out of the gutter, people! It’s just another term for slashing.

Off Wing. When you hear a commentator saying a man was playing off wing, it means wing who is on the side opposite than he usually plays, or shoots from the "wrong side" for his position. For example, a left wing stationed on the right wing’s side or a right-handed shooter playing left wing.

The Point. Nope, not where surfers find the best wave or the place go to when you want to make out with your boyfriend. It’s the spot on the rink inside the blue line where the defensemen hang out.

Plus-Minus. Think of it like a grading system for players. Technically, it’s a hockey statistic that can apply to a player (or an offensive or defensive line) indicating whether they were on the ice when the opposing team scored (a minus) or on the ice when their own team scored (a plus). For example; if a goal is scored against your team, the defensemen on your team that were on the ice when it happened get a minus.

Saucer Pass. No, not the kind of saucer under a teacup. If you thought that, you may just be too ladylike for hockey. A saucer pass is just an airborne pass from one player to another.

Slew Foot. This one is a type of nasty act that should result in a penalty. It’s the action of sweeping or kicking out a player's skate or tripping them from behind, causing them to fall backwards. Any player who resorts to this should get a slew foot in the arse.

Soft Hands. Now, you all can guess what I wish this meant, but no, it doesn’t. When a player is described as having soft hands, they are saying he has the skills to keep the puck under control, moving it easily back and forth with his stick in a relaxed way.

Stack the Pads. When the goalie drops down and lays on one side with one leg on top of the other, in essence creating a wall to block the puck from going into the net, it’s called stacking the pads.

Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is not intended to be technical explanations of hockey terms. I’m not an expert. Watch a hockey game and when you hear those terms listed above thrown out there, you’ll have just enough knowledge to understand what is going on so you can sit back and enjoy one of the greatest sports there is…Any questions?

Twitter Etiquette 101?

2010-08-29T23:50:00.002-04:00

Time for another social media rant post. I read the latest blog that’s going around, you know, the one about 11 ways you can stop pissing me off on Twitter? While I agree with the points listed in that post, I think a few more need to be added. So I’m gonna play the role of Emily Post and offer my usual unsolicited advice.

12. Don’t be a Twitter snob. Twitter is supposed to be about being social. It’s ok if you don’t follow me back; I don’t follow everyone one back either. But it isn’t okay to ignore followers when they directly @ you, (especially if their @ reply is pertinent to your tweet, discussion or opinion). The point of twitter is to interact and be social. Yes, you may have a website/blog/product you are focusing on promoting, but if you don’t even @ reply to a follower, you are treating them as if they are not worthy of your attention. As a matter of fact, people that are tweeting to promote a website/blog/product should feel a greater need to interact and respond to @ replies, so ignoring could lose you followers if you act like a Twitter snob. Kinda counter-productive, dontcha think?

13. Retweet with care. My twitter feed is full of sports tweeters. We all follow some of the same people, especially sports writers and sports insiders. When big news breaks, I will see the same tweet retweeted at least 10 times. Stop and look in your tweet stream before you retweet. If we all follow the same people, we’ve all seen it. If it’s already been retweeted 5 times, we really don’t need to see it again and again. Comment to the big news? Yes! I want to hear what you think about it, but retweeting it verbatim is just annoying.

14. Read the bio, people! How many people do you follow that you have absolutely nothing in common with? I hope that there are only a few, if any, unless they are celebrities, of course. Seriously, before you start to follow someone, read their bio and give it some thought. I live in the Greater Washington DC area and mostly tweet about hockey, so naturally I expect to have people who are at least interested in sports to follow me, but I actually once had a follower who is birthday party clown in the Midwest. First reaction when I saw them on my follower list was: “Huh”? (I still wonder how they even found me in the first place.) Before I follow anyone, I read their bio and also scroll through their feed. If I see tweets I find interesting, or that the Tweep seems like-minded, I’ll follow them. And, believe this, I will look at who else is following you. If they are some of the same people as my own followers, and you have great conversations with them, I’m in. Which brings me to a secondary thought here: please use the bio field on your profile. It will make it a whole lot easier for people to want to follow you if you give at least a little information about yourself to begin with.

15. Learn what to expect when you have locked your account. Lots of the people I follow have locked accounts, some of them have always been private, some went private after a while for a myriad of personal reasons. It’s cool; I used to have a private account myself. But if you do have a private account, please realize that those of us who read bios and tweet streams before we follow back can’t get the full impact of who you are. Also, if people are not following you back, they will not see your @ replies to them. So if someone doesn’t answer you, don’t be insulted and tweet ad nauseam that they are a Twitter snob; it’s because you locked your account.

16. Don’t beg for followers. It just makes you look insecure and desperate. Say something interesting, have an opinion, have fun with Twitter, and before you know it, you’ll have more followers than you ever imagined. It’s not the quantity of followers; it’s the quality that matters most.

17. If you are going to participate in Follow Fridays, tell us why we should follow someone. Before I continue, I would like to say, I really appreciate people recommending me on Twitter with an #FF. I hope they do this because they feel I am interesting or funny and an asset to the Twitterverse. When you want to recommend fellow Tweeps by giving them an #FF, if you tell me why you think I should, then I probably will. Tweet a huge list, I’ll probably scroll right past, (and you probably do this as well). Sorry, but it’s true. Yes, I realize I may never get another #FF again, but I gotta be honest here.

18.When you first get started on Twitter, stop, look and listen before you dive into the deep end. I like getting new followers who are also new to Twitter. If I can help someone learn the ropes, I feel like I am also contributing to the Twitter community as a whole. So, when you first get started, treat Twitter like a large cocktail party where you don’t know many people. Find the conversations that are interesting and politely butt in to ask questions. Make your questions or comments thoughtful until you learn who these Tweeps are, what kind of opinions they have or jokes they make. Pay attention and you’ll become the life of the party. Ignore this advice and you might find yourself at the punch bowl alone.

19. Count to ten before you jump in. If someone tweets something you do not agree with, whether it’s a political opinion, religious belief, personal trait or just a joke in possible bad taste, sometimes it’s best to just scroll on by and forget about it. Remember, all of the people you follow are PEOPLE. While Twitter fights can be fun to watch, they can be agonizing to be involved in. Followers may take sides and drop you like a hot potato. Unless you feel so strongly about a topic that you absolutely must jump in to rebut a tweet or you’ll explode; remember this - your reputation on Twitter stands and falls by your tweets. Unless you’re just itchin’ for a fight, do yourself and all your followers a favor and at least count to ten before you type.

20. Pay attention to how people respond to your tweets. If you get tons of @ replies that are telling you to STFU, you need to heed that advice. Please, please, please heed that advice and immediately STFU. How much simpler can I make that?

One final note, if you have zero tweets and less than 5 followers and follow hundreds of people, you not only will not be followed back, you will most likely be blocked. That goes for people who only tweet to promote some product or have a feed full of retweets with nothing personal said…Any questions?

Hockey in BlondeSpeak - The Trapezoid Rule

2010-08-23T17:59:00.005-04:00

In the course of your hockey reading, you may have heard discussions about revoking the trapezoid rule. Didn’t happen as of today, but maybe you aren’t clear on the rule to begin with. The rule was instituted as part of the post-lockout 2005 rule reformation package, and it was designed to stimulate more opportunities by the offense. It was nicknamed the “Marty Brodeur Rule” because he can play a puck so well; even outside the crease, it was felt it gave him and other goalies like him, an unfair advantage. To be honest, Brodeur wasn’t always a goalie; he started playing hockey as a forward, so having this “exceptional” skill is no surprise.

Many people who have watched hockey for more than 5 years pretty much hate this rule. Most newer fans don’t know what it was like to see goalies in action prior to the rule change and just accept it as a rule of the game. The rule is not imposed by the IIHF and there was no such restriction during the Olympics. If you can remember back to February, you saw hockey games without the trapezoid. (Personally, it’s something I would prefer to forget, but not because of the no trapezoid rule.)

Anyway, let me break the trapezoid rule down into BlondeSpeak for you:

What the NHL rule book says:

1.8 Goalkeeper’s Restricted Area - A restricted trapezoid-shaped area behind the goal will be laid out as follows: Five feet (5') outside of each goal crease (six feet (6') from each goal post), a two-inch (2") red line shall be painted extending from the goal line to a point on the end of the rink ten feet (10') from the goal crease (eleven feet (11') from the goal post) and continuing vertically up the kick plate (see diagram on the page iv preceding the table of contents). (Paint code PMS 186).

How it was interpreted by a sports writer:

''A goaltender may not play the puck outside a designated area behind the net. This area is defined by lines that begin on the goal line, six feet from each goal post, and extend diagonally to points 28 feet apart at the end boards. Should a goalie play the puck outside this area behind the goal line, a minor penalty for delay of game will be imposed. The determining factor will be the position of the puck.''
The New York Times/ Jason Diamos/ September 16, 2005

BlondeSpeak:

Goalies are not allowed to color outside the lines!

No, seriously, all this rule does is create two patches of ice, in the corners, where the goaltender can't play the puck. But even seasoned goaltenders rarely ever played the puck there anyway, it's way out of position and out of many younger goalies comfort zones.

In my opinion, if a goalie is skilled enough to be able to play the puck far from the net but still get back into the crease to make the all important saves, I say let him do it. It adds real excitement to the game and additional thrills to goalie fans like me.

(Editors note: Once again, I would like to point out that I am not an expert, I did not see the replay. The purpose of this post is to simplify hockey stuff for those with who want a simple explanation but don't want to look stupid by asking. If you already know the ins and outs of the trapezoid rule, and it insults your intelligence, my most humble apologies, you must obviously not be blonde.)

#NeedsMoreBradley

2010-08-18T08:56:00.000-04:00

Five years ago today, Matt Bradley became a Washington Capital. The then free agent; who's previous NHL gig was with the Pittsburg Penguins, was signed up for one year, with a paycheck valued at $475,000. Man, what a bargain that turned out to be! He may have paper-thin skin and will start bleeding at the drop of the gloves, but we love him.

So, here's to you, Matt Bradley, with much love and appreciation for your bull-doggedness and the hash tag you inspired.

Young and Younger

2010-08-12T21:26:00.007-04:00

Reading a few blogs lately on the prospects coming up to play with the Caps this coming season got me to thinking. So much talk of Johansson and Perreault, my first thought was; “They’re so young!” And my second thought was; “and they are soooo small!”

So, I went on the Caps website to look through the roster and compare our players by height, weight and age. Now, I’m not a statistician. I just found some of this kinda interesting.

(editors note: while I was there the rumor of the Flash/Belanger trade hit the tweet stream. At the time I was looking at the roster, and I noticed Flash wasn’t on it. But boy, did the proverbial shit hit the fan when I pointed that out on Twitter! Thank goodness for Eric (aka @emcerlain, thanks Eric!), for catching a screen shot of it before it was corrected as shown below:

So originally Flash was not included in my chart but now I am including Flash with the caveat that he may or may not be an applicable to this list at any given moment.)

Starting by height, everyone on the “current” roster is 6’ 1” or more EXCEPT Perreault and Johansson. At 5’ 10” and 5’ 11” respectively, the rest of the team must look like giants to them. Imagine one of them next to 6’ 6” Schultzy, he has a good 8” on little Matty! It’s like the difference between a full grown oak tree and a sapling. “Hello, down there!”

Now, let’s look at weight. 18 of 21 players on the “current” roster weigh 200 lbs or more, with Ovi topping the list at 233. Then there’s little Matty Perreault at 174 lbs. That’s 59 lbs difference between Ovi and Matty. 59 freaking lbs! I sure as hell would be scared to see the Great 8 gunning for me if I were Matty, thank goodness they are on the same team. But, I’m willing to bet, the majority of NHL players weigh in between 200 and 225 lbs. Kinda gives you an appreciation for the heart and guts it takes for kids like Johansson and Perreault to get out there and play, doesn’t it?

Ok, now to age. On the “current” roster, only 5 players are 30 or over. Think about that; 16 guys are under the age of 30. Talk about Young Guns - this team is full of kids (figuratively). Now, in that category, Marcus and Matty fit right in. I like that about our team, lots of young players = lots of enthusiasm and energy, and a sprinkling of some more mature men = wisdom and heart.

One other thing struck me while I was perusing the “current” roster. I get the impression many people think our team as the team with all the Russians. Maybe in the past; if 5 counted as “all the Russians”; but no more. If you include Johansson and Perrault in the list, we have 13 Canadian born players. Doesn’t sound like a Russian army to me. Does it to you? (Not that I expect fans of other teams to lay off that crap.)

Anyway, after looking at all this information, just the fact the Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault; if he gets signed up to play full time; would be the smallest and lightest players on the roster just confirms my initial thoughts: “They are so young and soooo small!” Still, I love ‘em anyways!

Rumors Spreading Like Soft Creamery Butter

2010-08-02T11:00:00.003-04:00

More silliness to combat the summer doldrums. C’mon, it isn’t hockey season yet, so let’s get that rumor mill spinning:

Breaking News: Scott Hartnell shaves his head and donates his hair to Locks of Love. Locks of Love promptly returns the donation due to infestation of lice.

This just in: Chris Mason of the Atlanta Thrashers traded to the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL. Thrashers receive a Tim Horton’s franchise and new Zamboni driver in return.

Have you heard? Jonathan Toews decides he’s tired of explaining to non-hockey fans how to pronounce his name and legally changes it to Jon Doew. But Marian Hossa, in a similar situation, decides the simple name of “Mari” would be less subject to ridicule without having to change his monogram. After all, who wants to order all new bath towels? Being as it’s Marian Hossa, no one comments, lest they piss him off.

Press Release: Sean Avery is signed by the Ford Modeling Agency. His agent reports that Sean will be featured in an upcoming issue of Glamour magazine titled “Sean Avery – Deity or Just Disturbed?”

Online today: Tampa Bay Lightning change their mascot to a dolphin, pissing off the Miami NFL team; war is declared. Tampa declares victory after stick checking Miami’s players and facewashing Chad Pennington. Sensing weakness, the Florida Panthers also declare war on the Miami Dolphins just so they can warm up for the new season.

More Breaking News: After watching Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dany Heatley is inspired to steal a Great White shark from the San Diego Zoo’s shark tank. Police decide not to press charges because, after all, he IS Dany Fucking Heatley. Dany’s new pet will be on display at the hp Pavilion during the regular NHL season. For a small donation, fans can throw sushi from the concession stands into the tank during the hours of noon and ten pm. All proceeds will be donated to Dany Fucking Heatley (since he went to all the trouble to steal the shark in the first place. To quote Mr. Heatley; “You’re Welcome, San Jose.)

Our Top Story Tonight: Ted Leonsis; owner of the Washington Capitals, convinces President Obama to finally attend a Washington Capitals hockey game. Due to the extreme demands for security for the President, all tickets for the game will be reserved for the Secret Service. Season ticket holders will be compensated for their loss of tickets with free tickets to a Washington Wizards game and a complimentary pointy wizard hat.

Press Release: Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins signs endorsement contract with DuWop Cosmetics to promote their product; Lip Venom.

No Shirt, No Shoes...No Problem

2010-07-08T20:36:00.004-04:00

Summertime and the heat is on! How else are you gonna stay cool if it's the off season and the temps are breaking triple digits? Live the clothing optional lifestyle.

So, to counter my favorite bloggers over at On Frozen Blog, here is a little eyecandy for the hockey ladies, and especially for my pal DC Sports Chick who had to abstain regarding the OFB post linked above. They may not cool you off, but then again, you may not care. (You may have seen some of these pics before, but, does that really matter?) Sweet dreams, ladies!

(disclaimer-These pics have been snagged from all over the web, including facebook, so if one of them is yours; dear readers; please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.)

(Wow, I sure have a lot of pictures of our 2 Alexes)

Lols 2009-2010

2010-06-14T10:38:00.003-04:00

Just some lols from this past year to wrap up the season:

September, 2009

October, 2009

(Original photo via The Hockey News/Getty Images)

December, 2009

January, 2010

February, 2010

April, 2010

May, 2010

(Original photo via The Washington Post)

June, 2010

(Original photo via Hersheybears.com)

And there you have it, the 2009-2010 hockey season as I saw it.

It's not Personal; It's Business

2010-06-08T21:04:00.002-04:00

You probably all know by now, I'm a big goalie fan. My husband sure knows it; he loves to kid me about Theo, Varly, Neuvy and Holtby. So, when the news leaked today that the Caps were not in negotiations with Jose, I sure got a boatload of ribbing from the Hubs. I, of course, took it all in good humor. I like to think of myself as a realist. I had a pretty good idea that this would be the track taken by the Caps organization. As much as I like Theo, I understand; it’s not personal, it’s business.

Yes, he had a pretty good season for the most part, especially considering the personal tragedy that he and his family experienced this past summer. Not only did it endear him to me even more, it gave me a greater appreciation for the character of the man. But, I still have to remind myself; it’s not personal, it’s business.

As much as I would like for him to stay on board and in net as a Washington Capital, the team needs to free up cap space and they do have some really good netminders other than Theo, but, it’s still a bit of a bitter pill to swallow. I'll say it again; it’s not personal, it’s business.

I’m going to miss Jose if these rumors are true. (and I’m pretty sure they are). But, is the team going to suffer without him? Of course not. Like many decisions made by GMGM and the rest of the organization, I gotta have faith. Lots of changes to the roster have proven beneficial, why would this be any different? And I have to believe: it’s not personal, it’s business.

So, maybe you noticed how many times I’ve said “It’s not personal, it’s business”? Yeah, still kind of trying to let it sink in and come to terms with it. Damn, I'm going to miss that handsomeness. Bye Theo, it was great while it lasted.

Alex Ovechkin: Sharp Dressed Man?

2010-06-06T13:09:00.079-04:00

I can’t tell you how many times I saw what someone was wearing and thought to myself, “Holy crap, you are a hot mess”. Many of my Twitter followers can vouch for my multiple tweets involving offers to take a hockey player shopping to fix their awful look. A recent post on Russian Machine Never Breaks got me, once again, thinking along those lines in regard to our favorite player, Alex Ovechkin.

For some ungodly reason, Ovi seems very attached to his V-neck Dolce & Gabbana tee shirt. One look and any women in her right mind will run away screaming “NOOOOOOO”! I understand Ovi’s love of anything with the D & G label, but some things should NEVER be bought. A simple Google search reveals how many images I found of Ovi wearing the same shirt, plus a few others that should all be introduced to the nearest rag bag or trash can.

So, I would like to send Alex the following message. Anybody who can help further my cause in this would have the greatest of thanks from Ovi fans throughout the world.

Dear Alex,

You are a rockstar. We love you for it. But we would also love to see you dress just a little better so we can drool even more. I would like to volunteer my services as a personal shopper to you. All the ripped jeans and D & G tee shirts are cool (I guess), but a serious waste of your hard earned cash. They are great for knocking around your crib, but when you step outside the door, every eye is on you. I understand what you are going for, but there are so many better ways to express your style. Here are a couple of recommendations I would have for you.

1. When you do wear dress pants, please do not put so many things in your pockets, including your hands. It makes your pants look like they don’t fit in the crotch, and not in a good way. If in any of these photographs, you do not have things in your pockets, you need a tailor asap.

(Photo by Washington Post via alexovetjkin.blogspot.com)

2. Never ever wear V-neck tee shirts. They are great on women, but they look horrible on men. Almost a Grandpa undershirt kind of look, and I know you can’t be going for that!

(Photos via alexovetjkin.blogspot.com and russianmachineneverbreaks.com )

3. Those ripped faded jeans? Nothing sexy about them. They look like throwbacks from the 90’s. Fine for working around the house or fixing your car, but you don’t do those things, I’m willing to bet.

(Photo via alexovetjkin.blogspot.com)

(vis saskforum.ca)

4. Scruffy can be very sexy, sloppy is not. There is a fine line between the two.

(Photo via terezowens.com)

5. Well tailored suit? Dress shirts with the sleeves rolled up? Very sexy! Try that with a pair of regular or dark denim jeans in addition to dress pants, total hotness! (see you CAN do this!)

(Photo via Men's Journal)

6. There is a right time and a wrong time to wear tee shirts with messages on them. Photo Ops when wearing a tee that says "Sex and Love are the Future" may not be the correct image you want to portray, as shown below:

7. Some outfits should never see the light of day again. If this is still in your closet, please take a match to it:

(Photo via nhlsnipers)

8. Dark socks should never be worn with shorts.

(Getty Images)

So, darling Alex; next time you go shopping, please keep those things in mind. And just so you know, I am an old married lady, not a stalker. I just want what is best for you and volunteer my services for the sake of style.

Love,

Caps Girl

Alex, take a tip from Brooks Laich, (as seen at “Better Living Through Bradley”), there is nothing better than a sharp dressed man. And, yes, I did think I might include Alex Semin in this offer, especially since he thought it was appropriate to wear a tee shirt to a wedding, but one man at a time.

So, I leave you with one question; why pick on Alex? Easy, any man who can look this good deserves a friendly, gentle reminder that he should always look this hot:

(via Men's Journal)

Hockey Fan or Stalker: Take the Quiz

2010-05-23T15:03:00.005-04:00

It’s the off season, how do you plan to spend it? If you’re a hockey fan, you’ll get by, reading trade and re-signing rumors, whining slightly about how there’s nothing to do and anxiously wait for the fall. BUT, if you’re a hockey stalker, you are plotting and planning your schemes to meet players even if they go to Turkey for summer vacation.

Not sure which category you fall into? Take the quiz!

1. You go the Kettler to watch practice because:

a. You enjoy watching what the team is working on to face their next opponent.

b. You might get to meet Brooks Laich.

2. You hang out outside Kettler after practice is over because:

a. You might get an autograph and/or picture of your favorite player.

b. You might get to meet Brooks Laich and maybe even get a chance to slip him your phone number.

3. You leave Kettler and discover you are following the car of one of the players. Do you:

a. Smile and tweet to everyone (from a red light, of course) that you just saw Brooks Laich in his car.

b. Throw on the sunglasses, change lanes, and drop back 3 car lengths to follow Brooks Laich because you might find out where he lives or shops.

4. You frequent restaurants that are known as player hangouts because:

a. It’s a cool sports bar in your neighborhood that just happens to be a player hangout. It’s cool; you go there all the time, in season or off season.

b. Even though you had to drive 45+ minutes to get there, you go as often as possible because you might get to meet Brooks Laich and actually touch him and flirt with him.

5. You happen to know the home address of a hockey player. Do you:

a. Keep it secret, the guys deserve their privacy.

b. Keep it secret, check to see if there are any rentals available nearby, call Mayflower and start planning your move to his building or neighborhood.

6. You follow on Twitter or friend on Facebook people who have some connection to the team because:

a. It’s great to get the inside scoop of what’s going on with the team from insiders.

b. You might find a way to use them to your advantage to meet Brooks Laich.

7. You’ve gotten this far in the quiz and you:

a. Laugh because you recognize it’s a joke.

b. Feel insulted. No way do you do any of those things, you just happen to really, really like Brooks Laich and one day you’ll meet him and talk to him and date him and become his wife and have his children and everyone will be jealous but you’ll be living happily ever after as Mrs. Brooks Laich, so who cares what everyone else thinks, because no way are you a stalker.

So, how did you do? If your answers were mostly ‘a’, you can breathe a sigh of relief, you’re never going to be mistaken as a stalker, you’re a fan. But, if you answered mostly “b”, you are the only honest person to have taken this quiz…Any questions?

(note: I selected Brooks as the focus here because he is such cougar bait, but you can substitute any young Caps bachelor of your liking, whether it's Ovi, Sasha, Nicky, Mike or Varly. But, if by doing this, your answers change from a's to b's, please don't come to me for their addresses, I selected "a" on question #5!)

My Winning Season

2010-04-12T11:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the final game in the Capitals regular season for 2009-2010. Not only was it a winning season for them, but it was a season of win for me too. I can’t say when I’ve enjoyed a rollercoaster ride more.

I was very fortunate to enjoy a lot of Caps awesomeness in person this season. My season of win actually began at Caps development camp on 9/7/09. I had never been to watch any skating at Kettler before, what a great way to start. It was the first time I ever got to watch hockey players up close. I can tell you right now, it sealed the deal on my fascination for the game. Not only did I get to see the players that were being considered for the team, but also some Caps players that just had to get back out on the ice too. I even got to watch Neuvy and some other guy in net who got to play all of about 10 minutes in a regular season game once.

My second trip to Kettler was for Veterans Camp on 9/13/09. I got my first glimpse of Knuble, Cash and Beagle, as well as all the guys I’ve been cheering on for a while. I got a greater appreciation for how hard they work to perfect their game. And an appreciation for the camaraderie they share as a team. Who knew? Ok, a lot of you all knew, but I didn’t!

Next came the Caps Convention on 9/26/09. What a total fandom adventure that was! Not only did I get to hear great hockey stories and Q & A sessions, I was fortunate enough to get a picture with Nicky and autographs from Brads, Laich, Morrisonn and Bourque. I’ll admit the autographs from Shaone and Chris were not the highlight of my day, but the rest of day was pretty awesome and exhausting!

Finally, time for the season opener on 10/3/09. It was against the Maple Leafs and we won; final score 6-4. The Southeast Division Champions banner was hoisted to minor fanfare. Highlight for that game, to quote my tweet at 9:18 pm that night, “We caught the fucking puck!” Oh yeah, Mike Green bobble head swag was also obtained.

November rolls around and it’s the Caps/Panthers game on 11/7/09. We win again, final score 7-4. Witnessed Matty Perreault’s first NHL goal. Our Pocket Ovi was a star that night! Ovi and Green didn’t play that night, Ovi’s pesky upper body injury kept him in the press box. That was also the night that Florida Panthers center Gregory took a shot to the face, which resulted in the Hubs and I being shown on national TV as they escorted him off the ice. Didn’t tell anyone at the time, but I do have the video saved. (Why, I don’t know, but saved it is).

Then December rolls around, this month’s game was against the Hurricanes on 12/11/09. Final score 4-3, Caps winning in overtime. That was the night Tim Gleason took home his own special souvenir, 30 stitches in his face from blocking a wicked shot from Ovi. It was also our first live OT game of the season and it ended with a GWG from Mike Green. Nail biter of a game.

The New Year in game attendance arrives late in January. The game was 1/23/10 against Phoenix. Final score: 4-2 Caps. It was the sixth game of the winning streak we all enjoyed this season. It was also my first opportunity to see that glorious “C” on the chest of Alex Ovechkin. Watching Neuvy in net that night was also a great highlight for me. And, finally, this was also the night that inspired my Ode to Tweetup’s post. It was an epic #caps108 that night!

February brings the Olympics and no Caps game for us. We took the opportunity to go up to Hershey and finally take in a Bears game. My winning season continued on 2/27/10 with the Bears winning 9-2 over Bridgeport. Sadly, I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to devise a plan to get my camera into Giant Center, so I only got one decent photo with my cell phone, but, I finally got a chance to watch Holtby play a game and could not keep my eyes off the man. I have my own video of his quirky antics on my iPhone to enjoy whenever I feel a little blue. It was a great road trip, and we hope to do it again soon.

March was my only failure to obtain Caps tickets this season. I wanted to go to the Rangers game on 3/6/10. Sadly, tickets could not be obtained and we missed witnessing Theo’s first shutout in person.

Finally, time to close the season out. Last night against Boston was the first loss I’ve seen at Verizon Center all season; Bruins won it 4-3. (Come to think of it, I only saw one loss at Verizon Center 08-09, but that’s a blog post that didn’t get written). It was also my first in person shootout finish of the season as well. Now I’m not counting this game as a loss in MY winning season. Who could be disappointed with game that included a Chimmer/Thomas “scuffle” and a shootout finish with Brads and Gordo taking the shots! To cap it all off, who wouldn’t enjoy watching hockey players disrobing for fans? (Yeah, not really, but a girl can dream, right?)

So there you have it. My winning season. Oh, and the Caps winning season as well. It’s been a hell of a year, but it’s not over yet. I don’t expect to have tickets to any playoff games, unless some kind soul decides to reward me for my winning ways. Not to worry though. I’ll be there in spirit and hope to continue more winning next season.

(All of the pictures in this post can be found on my Flickr page with lots more. ~~Well, except for the last picture from yesterday's game. Still editing the 895 shots taken and my real job is taking precedence over that happening any time soon. But they will get there~~. Done now, check them out!)

2 + 2 = 8

2010-04-04T13:31:00.003-04:00

A lot of people are expressing concern at the current lack of goals by Ovi lately. I’m here to tell you that maybe; just maybe, Ovi has something else in mind. Call it a hunch.

As Caps fans, we are a spoiled bunch. We have the greatest current NHL player on our team. (Debatable by some, but not by Caps fans). We have watched him win award after award, and accolades aplenty since his rookie year. Many have come to expect this to continue this season, but would any of us really be that disappointed if the only award Ovi and the Caps won this year was the Stanley Cup?

I can’t claim to have any personal insight on what is going on in Alex’s head right now in regards to his game, but there lots of clues to what he might be thinking.

Yes, Ovi is currently in the top 3 in the NHL standings, but, is his objective to be MVP? It would be nice, but I don’t think he is focused on that. He has made it quite clear to one and all; the man wants the Stanley Cup.

I like to think that his record is what it is because the man is a beast on the ice, it’s what he does. He couldn’t help that if he tried, but, two different sets of suspensions have shown that this team can win games without relying on Ovechkin. That’s a good thing. It also takes a great deal of pressure off of Ovi. I’ll say it again, the man is a beast, God love him, but it takes a whole team to win the ultimate prize. Let’s get real people; I would rather have him healthy going into the playoffs then injured, just because some moron like Downie tried to take him out during a regular season game to prevent him from getting a puck in the net. If he isn’t a scoring machine right now, just wait. I’d be more concerned if he wasn’t scoring during playoffs.

There is also the position of Captain to consider. The honor of being named Captain is not something I think he takes lightly, nor is it something that will be gone at the end of this season. It’s a promotion and sign of respect that is serious business. I enjoy watching this more mature Ovi play. Back at the beginning of the Olympics, in an interview translated by Russian Machine Never Breaks, Ovi is quoted as saying “It is better to celebrate wins, not goals”. I think in Ovi’s mind, this applies to Caps wins too. As an athlete, he has to apply that to his personal game no matter where he is playing. He makes great assists, doesn’t hog the puck like he is the only one who can score. He is not only a team player, but a team leader. Sure, there are times when he had a scoring opportunity that wasn’t taken, but just look at the other goal stats that the Caps have. We have 7 players with over 20 goals so far, and Mike Green could become another on that list before the end of the regular season. We have 9 players with over 20 assists. Under his captaincy, this has become a more well-rounded complete team. It’s no longer the Ovi show, but that’s something I think we can all live with.

So, as disheartening as it may be, let’s consider this Alex’s chance to rest up before the big show. He’s still on the ice, not on the bench, or God forbid; in the press box sitting out a game. He’s in there keeping his eye on the prize, staying an important part of his team’s success. Remember, the Caps already have the pieces in place to go all the way, and Ovi is one of the reasons why they are there. And as much as I would also like to see Ovi net a couple more to lead the league, if the only thing that we get out of this season is the Stanley Cup, I’ll be one happy Caps fan.