We bad

Face pincher

Former Capital Steve Eminger was retalitating for the vicious head crush that Ovie put on Bobby Ryan.

He's like a moose in an office

After scoring two goals in 11 games (Caps' record during that stretch: 6-5) since returning from a broken pinky finger, Mike Knuble now has eight goals in his last 10 games. And their record in those last 10? 9-1. Not too shabby.

As Boudreau has said, "He's a moose in front of the net," as seen in this photo posted on Japers' Rink:



Of course, Knubullwinkle has been a veteran influence on his teammates.

Chicken legs

Man hug

This has too much potential.

Semin's English is getting better

Don Cherry

Get to know a Phoenix Coyote

It's a little late, but here's a goofy interview with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov:

"It's only game."

"In November months it is a minus 32."

"Eight months in the year snow."

Ilya probably gets along well with Ovi. Both seem to like have fun ... um ... I mean ... like having fun with the media. I'd love to hang out with them in Vancouver.

I was trying to start an "Illllll-yaaaaaa" chant tonight. Didn't catch on. I don't think many other people knew enough about hockey to know who the heck was in net for Phoenix.

Just a meaningless regular season game

Crosby vs Ovechkin

I guess the Capitals are playing the Penguins tonight??? Something something ovechkin crosby something.

Anyway, here's a look back from a tussle from a game last season:



For some reason, I don't see Matt Bradley rushing to Ovi's defense.

Which brings me to another thing. Prior to this season, all the Crosby lovers Ovechkin haters said Crosby was better than Ovechkin because Sid was a better "team player" because he had more assists and didn't score as much, and Ovechkin was selfish because he scored goals and didn't dish the puck enough to teammates.

Now, this season, Crosby "came into this season wanting to give the opposition something else to stress about" and has scored more goals than he has assisted in, and he's now "rounded out his game" (see post #21). Now his stats are eerily similar to .... Ovechkin.

Crosby: 32 goals, 31 assists
Ovechkin: 30 goals, 35 assists (playing in nine less games)

So he's wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy better now?

I. Don't. Get it.

Meanwhile, Penguins fans say the Capitals will never win a Stanley Cup because their defense sucks. Last season, the Capitals gave up six (6!) more goals total than the (Stanley Cup Champion) Penguins in the regular season, and so far this season, the Capitals have given up 138 goals in 49 games and the Penguins have given up 143 goals in 51 games. Break out your calculators and you'll see the stifling Penguin D has given up 0.01 less goals per game!

And last but not least, unfortunately the game will be shown in HD, so be wary of who they show in the crowd in the game:

New Capitals action figure

A new Capitals action figure was unveiled at Verizon Center last night after the Red Wings game:



They will be available for an uncertain length of time, replacing the "Jose Three-Or-More" line of action figures.

Clyde's take, part 2

Why don't you make like a tree and Leaf?

Like leftover pizza, Clyde has some guest contributions from the Leafs game:

More to come. I just can't get over the awesomeness of rabid Flyers fans sulking through the third period tonight.

Screenshot from Verizon Center dance cam

I guess Jose Theodore got snubbed for Canada's Olympic luge team, so he's willing to try ice dancing now. Anything for Olympic glory!

And of course Ponikarovsky has Canadian eligibility since he lives in Toronto.

Get to know your Toronto Maple Leafs

The Caps are playing the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, and to get you primed for the game, check out the video of the team Christmas Party (starring former Capitals Coach Ron Wilson) that was obtained by Bloge Salming:



Now, when you are watching the game at home or happen to have tickets (like me), I challenge you to not have the urge to blurt out "Philllll Kessellllllllll!" anytime his name is mentioned or you happen to catch a glimpse of him whether live or on Comcast sweet low-def 72p HD.

I was watching Comcast low-def TV, and an NHL2K10 game broke out

The Capitals-Lightning game last night was kind of like me playing NHL2K10 on PlayStation 2 when I set the CPU ability to "All Star." Even a mediocre team racks up the goals. Then I get frustrated and turn the CPU ability to "Rookie" for the second period and get back in the game. And then I feel sorry for the mediocre team and turn it back to "All Star," and there are more goals from the opposition.

And then someone you would never expect drops his gloves. And then another you would never expect drops his gloves. (Seriously, NHL2K10 has the most random fights. I've had half the lineup fight at one time or another -- including Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin.)

Unfortunately last night, I couldn't just re-start the game with a press of a button.

Anyway, if you turned it off midway through the third period, the fireworks hadn't even started yet.

Yup, here comes Brads.

I keep forgetting there should be three options with Matt Bradley:

A. Stop him
B. Contain him
C. If A and B don't work, accept your beatdown.

JapersRink has links to various, um, recaps of the Ovechkin-Bradley-Downie incident.

Thrashers thrashing

Karen, and I made the trek to Hot-Lanta for the Capitals-Thrashers game. A friend of mine (a Thrashers fan) had a connection for some free tickets, and we were able to sit in row Q in the 100 level behind the Thrashers’ bench, basically on the blue line a few rows behind the tunnel to their locker room. Awesome seats, just in the right place to see most of the action but not too far down near the glass where it seems like you’re in a tunnel and miss some of the action.

I’ve been to every Capitals home game this season with one road game – with the Capitals Road Crew to the 8-2 drubbing on the Flyers in December in Philadelphia (this is foreshadowing).

We went down for warmups, and I got some great action shots of some Capitals drinking water and Gatorade.

For the national anthem, I felt relieved not to hear a single “Oh!” or “Red!” exclamation, but my shoulders sagged when the Atlanta crowd yelled “Night!” My Thrasher buddy said it goes back to the days of the Atlanta Knights.

There were quite a few Capitals fans, not as many as in Philadelphia and no big pockets of fans, just a scattering of 2-4 here and there throughout the arena.

Nothing news worthy about the game. The Caps won in an 8-1 snoozefest.

Seriously, when they were up 4-1 going into the third period, I was hoping the Caps wouldn’t allow a quick goal to get the Thrashers’ momentum going. But then Alex Semin scored (again), and then Dave Steckel (I was wearing my Steckel jersey and was especially happy for that), and then Tom Poti scored basically with half the net open, and finally, mercifully, Jason Chimera put an exclamation on it with his first goal as a Cap.

At the December game in Philadelphia, Mike Green and Thomas Fleishmann came out for the “Three Stars” announcement, and once again on enemy turf, Green came out as the third star, and Mike Knuble came out as the first star.

And now, on to the show:

One from Karen:

The unedited pictures are here, as well as many others.

John Carlson: Money

Capitals prospect John Carlson's goal to win the World Junior Championship for Team USA:



Too bad he didn't even see it (John Carlson's no-look shot in 20 frames).

To quote a movie (that came out when Carlson was six years old):

Mike: That was so fucking money. That was like the Jedi mind-shit.

Hover Chimera is hovering