Tag Archives: capitals

Sports Fix, The Features
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Eastern Conference Semifinals: Caps vs Penguins

Photo courtesy of
‘Ovechkin and Malkin, Friends at Last, Friends at Last’ courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

I’m in hockey nirvana.

When the NHL playoffs were finally set, one of the first things many fans here and in Pennsylvania did was figure out when and if the Capitals would actually face the Pittsburgh Penguins during hockey’s “second season.” It was a bit convoluted to work around, since both teams were highly seeded, and it looked – for about a week – that this year wouldn’t see the match-up we all secretly wanted (and dreaded). But then the Caps figured out they were actually in the playoffs and executed a very stressful and tense comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to stuff the Rangers.

And when Carolina shocked New Jersey with two quick goals in the last two minutes of their own Game 7, it was as if the hockey planets aligned. The match-up the NHL slobbered for had arrived.

Penguins. Capitals. Eastern Conference Semifinals.

And it promises to be one extremely wild, crazy, emotional ride for both cities. Find out why after the jump. Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Fedorov, Hero

Photo courtesy of
‘090127 Fedorov’
courtesy of ‘Dan4th’

Big night for Sergei Fedorov, who put in a beautiful goal with just 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd to sink to the Rangers and send the Caps onward to the 2nd round of the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 1998. I’m not sure what exactly Coach said to the Caps in the 2nd intermission, but I suspect it was the kind of pep talk that involved biting the head off a bat or something.

Looks like we’ll be facing the Pens in the second round. Sorry Ben Rome, your boys are going DOWN!

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed, The District
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DC Versus New York Tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of
‘Capitol – In Pre-Dawn Light – 3-9-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Tomorrow pits the best of DC sports against the best of New York sports:

  • Nationals at Mets at 1:10pm (on MASN)
  • Capitals at Rangers at 2:00pm (on NBC4)
  • DC United at Red Bulls at 3:00pm (on WTOP 1050AM & Telefutura)

So, who’s for taking down those feckless thugs in New York? Bring the spirit DC! See you at the sports bars!

Entertainment, Sports Fix, The Features
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Eastern Quarterfinals: Caps vs Rangers

Photo courtesy of
‘Ovechkin Waits For Puck’ courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

After one of their most successful regular seasons ever, the Washington Capitals are now ready to begin what many call the “real” hockey season: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tonight kicks off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, with the second seed Caps holding home ice advantage in facing the seventh seed New York Rangers. So how does it all break down, and what do we think will happen?

The Rangers are coming in with a simplified game plan: attack, attack, attack – and hope that goalie Henrik Lundqvist can stop all the pucks flung his way. It’s not the most sure-fire strategy, but it’s kept the Rangers hanging on the last half of the season and slipping them into the playoffs with a decent 11-6-1 record after March 4. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Four Sport Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘00001201’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

Wizards
Record: 17-59
Last Two Weeks: 1-8
Place: Last. Still and Always.

It’s nice to see that Gilbert Arenas is back off the bench and in uniform again, but I’ve got to ask: shouldn’t we let him wait so we can guarantee a #1 draft pick? I mean, it was great to see him on the court on Saturday, putting up 15 points and 10 assists at the Phone Booth, but shouldn’t we be conserving at this point? I don’t mean throw in the towel and throw the games, but c’mon. Let Agent 0 play in the summer leagues, don’t risk our draft pick, okay?

Just six games left for the Wizards, and I think it’s safe to say we’ve seen just about the worst performance in years. If they take 3 of the last 6 games, they’ll tie for the worst record in the 36 years they’re been here in DC. I’d put good money that they don’t win more than 2. Sad.

Capitals
Record: 47-23-7
Last Two Weeks: 4-2-1
Place: 2nd in the East, 1st in the Southeast

The Caps have clinched their playoff spot, and with just 5 games left in the season, it’s all about jockeying for opponents in the first round. As it stands, the Caps would face the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, a team they’re 3-1 against this season, outscoring them 14-11. In the unlikely event they finish in third, they’d be facing Carolina, who they’re more evenly matched with.

Can Ovi lead the Caps to the Stanley Cup? We’ll see.

Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Capital Delight

Photo courtesy of
‘090127 Alex Ovechkin’ courtesy of ‘Dan4th’

Ben here, filling in for Tom as he wings his way back across the Atlantic. He’ll have more National angst in a couple weeks, I’m sure.

Capitals
Record: 36-16-5 (77 points)
Position in Division / Conference: First / Tied for second

Two words to describe the current sports darlings in town: On fire.

And at just the right time. The Caps enter this week, just about 2/3rds through the season, at a red-hot pace and fighting with perennial standings goliath New Jersey on a near-nightly basis for the second spot in the Conference. The Caps are 9-2-2 in their last 13, though their road record needs some work, evening out at 14-12-4.

Ovie, to no one’s surprise, has scored 27 goals in his last 29, including a hat trick last night against a surprising Florida team. Alex Semin knocked in another point last night as well, notching himself as the teams’ fourth 50-point scorer this year. Mike Green had a NHL record eight game point streak for defensemen come to an end, however, but his success is typical of a well-oiled hockey team just hitting the right stride for the upcoming playoffs.

With the NHL trade deadline nearing, it’ll be interesting to see how McPhee sees the team and if any moves might be made. Barring a total failure by Theodore – who’s been showing consistent signs of his early Vezina career – the team look solid enough to go far come April and May.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Backstrom Out of YoungStars Game

Photo courtesy of
‘Nicklas Backstrom’
courtesy of ‘pimguy’

Nicklas Backstrom announced he was withdrawing from participating in the NHL YoungStars game during the All-Star Break festivities this weekend in Montreal. “This year I felt like it made more sense for me to give someone else that opportunity and use this time to rest and prepare for the second half of the season with the Washington Capitals,” Backstrom said in a prepared statement. “I can assure Caps fans that I’m not injured.”

Backstrom took part in last year’s game and currently leads the Caps in assists (36) and is second in points (48). He’ll be replaced by David Perron of the St. Louis Blues.

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Caps Continue Dominance

caps.jpg
IMG_1380 by jonlarge

Capitals
Record: 29-14
Place: 1st in the Southeast, 12 points ahead of the Panthers.
Last 2 Weeks: 3-3

The Caps may want to avoid any political holidays in the future, especially those involving the Senators. You know, the ones up in Ottawa.

Last night’s 3-2 loss was a tough one, as the Sens scored with less than two minutes remaining. The power play goal by Brendan Bell late in the third broke a Washington comeback and their three-game win streak as the NHL’s All Star break begins for the Caps.

Back on Election Night, Nov 4, the Caps faced Ottawa and lost then, too, in a 2-1 contest. Apparently, big political days and Caps hockey don’t mix. Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Features
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Red vs. Black: Ice Rivals

Photo courtesy of Teka England
Penguin!, courtesy of Teka England

Okay, in case you’re unaware, there’s a war scheduled for tonight at 7:30 pm. It’s set to rumble off up in Pittsburgh’s venerable Mellon Arena (hereafter called by its proper name, the Igloo) and features an interstate rivalry that dates back to at least the early nineties, depending on who you talk to.

Yes, I’m talking about tonight’s NHL hockey match-up, the Washington Capitals vs the Pittsburgh Penguins.

I bring it up because honestly, it’s a must-watch event in our household. More than American Idol and Top Chef – though the game should be over before Top Chef comes on – and usually warrants the phone being off the hook and ignoring any knocking at the door. (Though I dislike being forced to watch Comcast’s coverage due to Center Ice blackout restrictions – I cannot stand Craig Laughlin’s commentary. At all.) Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Penn Quarter, Sports Fix, The Features
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Caps Extra: Halfway There

Photo courtesy of clydeorama
Boudreau and Capitals at Bench, courtesy of clydeorama

I recently had the pleasure of chatting about hockey with John Buccigross, ESPNEWS Anchor and SportsCenter host – and the former primary host of NHL 2Night when ESPN covered NHL games. Bucci’s (as many call him) columns on hockey on the ESPN website are often insightful, humorous and engaging. Just don’t call him ESPN’s “hockey guy.”

Since the Washington Capitals have hit the halfway point, I wanted to give a mid-season review, so why not Bucci?

Sum up the Caps season so far. At or above expectations?

[Bucci] Right about where I thought they would be. Maybe a little better. They are certainly among the NHL elite. Time will tell if they can win low scoring playoff games and if they have enough playoff defense and goaltending when they play a good team every night for two months.

Areas of improvement?

[Bucci] Team defense, blueline, a goaltender to trust to win for two months, and keeping their goals against lower.

Goaltending. Can they be successful with just Johnson and Theodore (and some solid minor-league backups), or is this where McPhee needs to pull a trade-trigger?

[Bucci] This where GM’s earn their money. They get paid to make tough decisions. They have to make a determination if they have the goaltending to win the Cup. I would think they don’t because they are not a great defensive team. But, if they can improve in that area and they keep scoring goals, they might have enough. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Redskins Slide, Caps Keep Division Lead, Wiz Make Changes

raven.jpg
Raven at the Tower of London by Stephen Bolen

Redskins
Record: 7-6
Last Two Weeks: 0-2
Place: Last in the NFC East

I went to college about 75 miles south of Cleveland. When I arrived in late 1996, the area was in a funk over their beloved and now-departed Browns. Say the name “Art Modell” aloud, and you risks an ass-whupping. I learned to hate the Ravens. Everyone would boo in the sports-bar in Newark when they’d break to show their highlights, flip off the TV, and then go back to cry silently in their beers. So, I tend to think of the Ravens much like I think about, say, certain political television personalities in bow-ties. It’s not very nice.

Sadly, they were the better football team yesterday, winning 24-10 in a game that wasn’t even that close. Ed Reed picked off a pair of Jason Campbell’s passes, and the Baltimore Defense kept Clinton Portis to just 32 yards. That’s a recipe for domination, right there, and the Redskins just couldn’t overcome it. Three games remain for the Skins, and they’ll need to win them all if they want a shot at the playoffs. They’re 9th in the NFC, a half game behind Philly. Two out of those three games should be easy triumphs: next weekend against the Bengals, and then in three weeks against my beloved, yet utterly hapless, 49ers. The real game here is in two weeks against Philadelphia, who disarmed the Giants this weekend. Tune it up, Redskins, you’ve got to come up big for your city these next three weeks. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Redskins Win, Caps Look Good, Wiz Look Really Bad

FedEx Field
FedEx field by Gnomedude

Redskins
Record: 7-4
Past Two Weeks: 1-1
Place: Tied for Second in the NFC East with the Hated Dallas Cowboys.

Two ugly games in a row for the Redskins. This week, unlike last, the Skins came out on top. Clinton Portis continues to be a dominant force in the Redskins offense, with 143 yards on 29 carries, including some second-half sprints that rocketed the Skins to victory. Jason Campbell had an off-day, going 20 of 33 for 206 yards and a single TD. The defense, though, couldn’t stop the 2-9 Seahawks from putting up 228 offensive yards, most of that on the ground. They did, however, force a turnover with under a minute to go as the Seahawks were driving toward the end zone, putting the kibosh on the Seahawks’ last rally.

Up next? The 10-1 Giants. They’ll be here at FedEx on Sunday, and the Redskins will need an impressive showing to take down the top of the NFC East. Currently, we’re tied with the Hated Cowboys, and next week they play the Seahawks while we’re facing the Giants. Not exactly the matchup that we’re hoping for. So, if they want to keep their place, it’s win or die against the Giants. I’m not hopeful. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Ovie’s Back!


Another Celebration in the Spotlight
Originally uploaded by clydeorama

In case you were wondering, Alex Ovechkin is finally back on track with the Capitals. The Russian star and city favorite knocked in a power play goal and added three assists in last night’s 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, bringing his points total to 14 on the season.

It’s about time. Alexander Semin is starting to cool a little after his red-hot start and was absent for the second game in a row, nursing an “undisclosed upper-body injury” (oh, come on!). Having the Caps captain superstar slip back into gear after such a rocky October has to be relieving to many Caps fans as well as Coach Boudreau.

Next game is tonight against the LA Kings, continuing the Caps’ West Coast swing.

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Caps & Wiz, Redskins Bye

hockey.jpg
Nice save on the Post by pimguy

Before there was West Wing, there was Sports Night. One of my favorite piece of comedic/dramatic television ever is the Pilot of that show is the Pilot, wherein we get to meet the cast. The first introduction of Jeremy, the stats guy and sports nut, is hysterical, and it sums up my general problem with today’s column. See, I’m a baseball/football kind of guy. The winter sports are hard for me. But, because I’m a trooper, let’s take a look at how the local teams fared this week.

The Caps
Record: 7-5
Past Two Weeks: 3-2
Place: 2nd in the Southeast.

The story of the season so far has to be Alexander Semin. While he’s fallen from the top of the points chart, he’s still got 21 points in just 12 games, and his +/- of +11 is first in the NHL. The Caps’ front line of Semin, Ovechkin & Federov sounds an awful like a Russian Mob Law firm, and their effects on the Caps’ opponents might be equivalent. They ended up +7 on Saturday, though Federov left in the 3rd period with an unknown injury.

I keep waiting for Ovechkin to show off the superstar quality that he shined to a high gloss last season, but it just doesn’t seem to be coming. He’s stuck with just 8 points, and only two goals. If the Caps want to be a 1st place team, and I think Ted Leonsis wants them to be, then Alex is going to need to find where he left his accuracy. 4% accuracy just isn’t going to cut it in the NHL. Caps play the Lightning at the Phone Booth tonight, then head out to Carolina for the Hurricanes on Wednesday. Let’s see if you can’t get a few points, eh, Alex?

Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: A Plethora

united.jpg
Crew VS DC United by tuxxme

DC United

This Week: 0-2
Current Record: 11-15-4
Current Place: Out of the Playoffs

It’s a game of inches, sometimes, and yesterday’s final & decisive match against the Columbus Crew came down to the ruler. Unfortunately for us, the two near misses for United, with both shots hitting the goal posts, lead United to elimination. The last week’s been something of a rollercoaster for the club, as it was looking fairly grim a week ago that they’d even have the chance to make the playoffs under their own steam. However, it all lead up to yesterday’s showdown with the Crew. The loss moves United out of the playoff picture entirely, for the first time since 2002. DC’s winningest franchise is done for the season. It’s not all bad, though, as the return of Santino Quaranta is nothing short of amazing. He’s almost a shoo-in for the Comeback Player of the Year, after his multi-year bout with addiction.

The Redskins

This Week: Victory.
Current Record: 6-2
Current Place: 2nd in the NFC East

Another victory for the Skins this weekend in Detroit, but it was probably the ugliest I’ve seen. At halftime, they were down to the Lions. The Lions! The Hapless Lions! I’ve got a feeling it takes a special level of emotional resilience to be a Skins fan. At one point, things were getting pretty tense on the sidelines, as Jim Zorn let Clinton Portis have it with both barrels on the sideline as the star running back swooped a towel over his head and ignored the head coach.

It was Santana Moss who got things going for the Skins in the second half, with a pair of TDs. His 50-yard TD reception, burning the Detroit secondary like so many rioters burning houses, got things off on to a good start in the second half. His second TD, an 80 yarder, on a punt return, took the last of the fight from the Lions. Jason Campbell looked solid again, over 300 yards and just five incompletes against Detroit’s last in the universe Defense. They’ll face the Steelers in an election-week grudge-match that will likely have die-hard Skins and Steelers fans rooting for the other guys. The Redskins are one of the best sports/politics indicators. If the Redskins win the week before the election, the incumbent party keeps the White House. If they lose, it goes to the challenger. So, Skins fans, will you be putting your fanaticism before party, or vice versa?

Read on for Capitals, Wizards & Nationals News
Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: A Rough Weekend

RedskinsCheerleaders.jpg
Redskins Cheerleaders by culhane

The end of the Redskins game yesterday was abysmal. Check that. The whole game yesterday was abysmal, but the end defies description. The hapless 0-4 Rams came to Washington and ended up the 1-4 Rams. That’s right, the Redskins couldn’t even beat one of the worst teams in the NFL (sorry Chris) and embarrassed themselves at Fedex in front of 90,000. And they ousted me from my suicide pool, as well. So, I’ll be carrying a grudge.

The turnovers and special teams were big gaping holes in the effectiveness of the Redskins offense. 3 fumbles, abysmal punt and kick returns, and a secondary that gave up the big play with under two minutes to go. The big play in question was a 43-yard pass on 3rd and 13, and that setup the field-goal-as-time-ran-out cliché that was dominate in the NFL this week.

Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Laich, Fedorov Stick Around

ESPN is reporting Brooks Laich signed a 3-year deal worth $6.1M, ending his arbitration suit. If he can maintain his frenetic scoring pace, he’ll be a bargain-basement steal for the Caps and another feather in McPhee’s hat. If he slacks off…well, I’m sure the fans will let him know.

Also of note, the Capitals and Sergei Fedorov came to a deal; the former Red Wing signed a one-year contract worth $4M – surprising, since it’s a 34% pay cut from his prior contract. Most likely, it has to do with the reported friendship with a fellow Russian, some guy named “Ovechkin.”

Arlington, Fun & Games, Sports Fix
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Capital Summer

Slapshot Banner
Slapshot at Game 7
Modified; originally uploaded by clydeorama

Now that the dust has (partially) settled, let’s look at the Capitals. Yes, that’s right, I said Capitals. Hockey in July.

Because the summer is when a team’s foundation is made.

First off, Brooks Laich and Shaone Morrisonn elected to take the team to arbitration. Nothing to get worked up over, just that Ted’s going to pay a bit more for their services if things proceed as normal. Laich wants about double of his current $725,000 salary.

Matt Cooke has gone north and signed with the Penguins. Not terribly surprising, after Matt Bradley signed his three-year extension back in May. Continue reading →