Okay, fair enough. The Caps are 15-3-0 against the Southeast division. Even though they have played more games against Southeast division opponents, they have lost fewer games to the Southeast division than any other team in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh is 8-4-2 vs. the Southeast. New Jersey is 12-5-0 and Buffalo is 7-6-1.

Now granted, some of those Southeast Division losses for Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo came at the hands of the Washington Capitals themselves, so let’s see how Washington stacks up against the other Eastern Divisions.

Washington is 10-4-3 versus the Northeast Division. That means 23 of Washington’s 101 points have come at the hands of Northeastern opponents. Buffalo, who currently leads the Northeast Division with 82 total points, has only garnered 22 points against their divisional opponents.

Washington is 12-3-3 versus the Atlantic Division. There are no teams in the Atlantic division that have more wins than Washington’s 12. Pittsburgh is 12-7-1 versus their own division; New Jersey (ranked second in the ATL) is 12-7-1 also, and Philadelphia (3^rd) is 12-6-1. The Capitals 27 points off the Atlantic division are more than any other team in that division.

Now the Caps’ 33-point lead in their division is what clinched their playoff spot, but they also have a 14-point lead over the entire Eastern Conference. The top three teams in the Atlantic Conference are separated by 9-points, and the top four of the Northeast division are separated by 10.

Washington also has a 5-point lead over the rest of the league, so maybe the critics might want to consider that before chalking the Caps up as a product of a weak division. 68 of Washington’s 101 points have come at the hands of their other non-divisional opponents.

So, moving on, let’s talk about Alex Ovechkin’s “game misconduct” penalty from yesterday and possible multi-game suspension. Let me start off by saying the refs were right to call a penalty. Most everyone believes that “boarding” was the right call. If you don’t see that as a penalty, maybe you shouldn’t join this argument because you judgment is clearly biased.

Here’s the official NHL rule on Boarding 42.1 “A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards. The severity of the penalty, based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee.”

Now, watching the replay, you can clearly see Ovechkin shove Campbell as they both went to fly around the back of the net. Campbell was already low, and the hit was ill-timed, but if you watch the replay, and are honest with yourself, boarding, by definition, is the right call; same as an unintentional high-stick, the outcome determines the penalty, not the player’s intent.

…but wait, there’s more; 42.3 of the NHL rules “Major Penalty – The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a major penalty, based on the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of boarding an opponent.” See, it doesn’t refer to the “intent to injure” and leaves it at the discretion of the referees. Campbell did hit the boards pretty hard and head-first.

Very few rules refer to “the intent” of a player; this is usually handled by the referee’s discretion. An unintentional high-stick (when you “accidentally” hit an opponent in the head or face with your stick) is a minor penalty. If you hit an opponent hard enough to draw blood, even if you didn’t intend to hit him, it’s an automatic “double-minor” (back-to-back minor penalties of two minutes each served one after the other by the offending player).

Now, let’s consider how boarding can be called. If a player knocks down another player close enough to the boards that the other player goes full speed into the lower-boards, that’s the definition of a minor penalty. The other degrees are not as clearly defined.

If the ref feels it’s unintentional, he may, at his discretion, leave it as a minor penalty. If the other player hits the boards with a great degree of force, but it still seems “unintentional” the ref can call it a double minor. If it seems that the player intentionally knocked the other player down, and rode him hard into the lower boards, the ref can call that a major penalty.

In this case, Alex did knock him down, and both players went hard to the boards. At full speed (remember, the refs can’t see all the different camera angles we can, and they can only see it at full speed) it looks like the definition of a major penalty.

Now here’s the rub; Section 42.5 “Game Misconduct Penalty – When a major penalty is imposed under this rule for a foul resulting in an injury to the face or head of an opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed.” Campbell (the player knocked down by Ovechkin) did not return to the game. It sucks, but it’s in the rules; Campbell was injured (or at least reported he was) so by the rules, Game Misconduct is automatic.

Now, here’s the kicker; Section 42.6 “Any player or goalkeeper who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts under Rule 42 and/or Rule 44, in either Regular season or Play-offs, shall be suspended automatically for the next game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.”

This will be Ovechkin’s third Game Misconduct of the year. By rule he should receive a mandatory two game suspension.

I know; Matt Cooke (of Pittsburgh) throws an elbow into Marc Savard (of Boston), hard enough to knock Savard out for the season (Savard was carried out on a stretcher) and not only is he not penalized in the game, but he isn’t even chastised by the league. Meanwhile, Ovechkin, who didn’t intend to hurt Campbell, was not only thrown out of the game, but will most likely receive a (at least) two-game suspension.

The league office needs to review this. They need to come out and say that the penalty should have been ruled a double-minor instead of a major penalty. They need to over-rule the game-misconduct and waive the suspension. While the refs did not have the luxury of multi-angle, slow motion replay; the league office does.

I don’t think it’ll happen. The league has tried very hard to paint Ovechkin as nothing more than a “goon.”His previous Game Misconducts were “trumped up” calls. Watch the replays of those hits. Neither of them were as bad as anything done by Matt Cooke.

Last season, Matt Cooke played for the Washington Capitals, and his team-mate Donald Brashear was suspended for five games during the playoffs for a similar hit (though Donald didn’t throw an elbow). The league said it was Brashear’s “obvious intent to injure” that resulted in the suspension, but the player hit by Brashear didn’t even leave the game (certainly not on a stretcher like Savard did).

So, what’s the league to do? No matter what they do, someone’s not gonna be happy. If they suspend Ovechkin, fans nationwide are going to be up in arms about suspending the two-time MVP for two or more games while letting Matt Cooke, a relative nobody skate away scot-free.

If they don’t suspend him, fans of other teams nationwide are going to scream that Ovechkin is getting superstar treatment. What I’m going to say next is probably going to surprise everyone, including my wife.

To hell with it; suspend him. It’s in keeping with what the league wants to do anyway, and I really don’t want to hear it from every other fan of every other team. The Caps were down 3-0 to Chicago (the third best team in the league) and they came back to win 4-3 without him.

The Caps are a lock for the playoffs anyway, and they’ve proven they can win without him. So instead of six 20+ goal-scorers, they’ll have five. Ovechkin serves his time, comes back to play, and nobody can say a damn thing.

I don’t agree with a suspension, but if the league doesn’t suspend him, then people will howl about how the Caps are getting preferential treatment and it will tarnish a possible Stanley Cup win. We fans know that the suspension is a crock, but do you really want to hear it from the rest of the league? The ignorami who will say “well of course the Caps won because the league loves Ovechkin?”

Yeah, me neither. Leave that kind of stuff for Pittsburgh. The Caps can win in spite of the bad calls, and even in spite of any suspension the league feels fit to hand out to Ovechkin. Teams still have to worry about Backstrom, Semin, Knuble, Laich, and Green. That should be enough to keep ‘em busy.

C! A! P! S! Caps! Caps! Caps!

I knew this game was big, but when I got a call shortly after Team USA tied the game from someone who never watches hockey to ask me “did you see that?!” I knew it was a good game.

It’s a rare thing when the losing goaltender is named MVP, but Ryan Miller certainly earned it, and when he returns to Buffalo Wednesday night, I expect his home crowd is going to salute him appropriately.

For the Caps, it’s back to business. After going into the Olympic break on a three game losing skid, the Caps would like to right the ship. It’s never easy for the Caps, and their matchup in Buffalo on Wednesday pits the highest scoring team in the league versus arguably the best goaltender in the world (at least as noted in these most recent Winter Olympics).

The last time Washington squared off against Buffalo was just before Christmas in a 5-2 win at Verizon Center. Earlier that month, Buffalo shut-out Washington in a 2-0 game in Buffalo.

On the heels of that matchup, the Caps will return to DC Thursday night where the Tampa Bay Lightning will be waiting. The last time Washington faced Tampa it was a 3-2 decision for the Caps as part of their 14-game winning streak. Many Caps fans will remember the 7-4 loss in Tampa that sparked that winning streak in early January.

The Caps round out their week with a matchup Saturday versus the Rangers. The Caps last game versus the Rangers ended in a 6-5 decision for Washington in early February; also part of that winning streak. Washington is 2-1-0 versus New York this year, and that one loss came way back in October in a 4-3 loss at Verizon Center.

The Caps hit the ice yesterday with their full team back on the ice. They have 20 more games to play over the course of 40 nights. I don’t expect any big trades before the deadline, but you never know with George McPhee; the man has pulled rabbits out of hats before.

It’s good to be back, I’ll be sporting my Brooks Laich jersey tomorrow!

C! A! P! S! CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!

In four games, Ovi registered 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points. The Great 8 now has a ridiculous 36 points in his last 17 games. His last performance of the week was probably his best, as he out-dueled the Pens’ Sid The Kid by scoring a hat trick and bringing his team back from a 3-goal deficit. He was given the first star for the week.

It seems like just last week that Ovechkin trailed Henrik Sedin in the NHL’s scoring race, but he currently stands alone, and with a little distance between him and the pack. Ovi now has 86 points – 42 goals (1st) and 44 assists (6th), and is eight points clear of Sedin.

Nick Backstrom wasn’t too bad himself last week, and picked up the third star. He equaled Ovechkin’s 10 points with 2 goals and 8 assists. He now has 73 points and moved into a tie with Joe Thornton for fourth in league scoring. He is well on his way to his first 100-point season.

As impressive as the points totals for the two Caps scoring aces are, it’s equally telling that they are two of the league’s top three plus-minuses. Ovi has a stunning plus-42 (1st), and Backstrom has a plus-32(3rd). You know what else is impressive? The guy that holds the number two spot in plus-minus is also a Capital! Jeff Schultz is second overall with a plus-37, giving the Caps the top three slots in the category and the ONLY three NHL players that are above plus-30.

The Caps have now extended their franchise record win streak to 14 games. They are just three shy of the NHL record set by the 1992/1993 Pittsburgh Penguins, and as luck would have it, Washington has 3 games this week before the Olympic break. It will be tough-sledding as all three games are on the road – Canadiens on Wednesday, Senators on Thursday, and the Blues on Saturday.

Will the Caps Rock the Red all the way to an NHL record? Keep tuning in to find out.

Needless to say, the Washington Capitals have extended their winning streak to 14 and Alex Ovechkin has once again proven his dominance over Sidney Crosby.

Washington didn’t play well yesterday. I can spend an hour whining about the mistreatment by the officials, but needless to say, the Penguins were given an ample edge to win the game yesterday by both the officiating crew and the Capitals themselves.

After Crosby made the game 2-0 Ovechkin finally answered for the good guys. After Jordan Staal made it 4-1, the refs had successfully eliminated the Caps top scoring line by having Mike Knuble, Nicklas Backstrom , and the Great 8 all in the penalty box.

Eric Fehr helped cut the lead to two, but shortly thereafter more Caps penalties gave Pittsburgh a 5-on-3 advantage to end the second and begin the third period. The Caps’ penalty killers helped keep Pittsburgh from converting on either penalty.

When all of the penalties finally expired, the Caps could finally get down to the business of winning with their top line back out on the ice. It was Alex Ovechkin with the Caps’ third and fourth goals to tie it up. Interesting tidbit; this is the second consecutive year Alex Ovechkin has registered a hat-trick on Super Bowl Sunday.

This was a huge hat-trick. It was the first hat-trick scored by a Washington Capital this year. It was the game-tying goal for Washington, and with the Penguins sitting on the bench with two players with two goals each (Crosby and Staal) it was poetic that it would be Alex Ovechkin that got three goals, and would force an overtime period.

I had been on the edge of my seat the whole game (well, technically it was an ottoman directly in front of my TV), but when Ovie scored I jumped to my feet screaming “Yes!! Yes!!! Ovie with the hat-trick!! Yes!!!” I was so excited I sent the cat running for cover!

She must have thought I’d lost my mind because I had spent most of the afternoon screaming profanities at the TV. The profanities would continue when Malkin wasn’t called for cross-checking Semin to the ice; he wasn’t called for the subsequent hook as he jabbed his stick into Semin’s belly and began yanking. No, the ref’s arm didn’t go up until Matt Cooke broke his stick trying to get the puck away from the boards.

The refs called it a slash, but it was clear they didn’t see a Cap slash Cooke’s stick, they just saw the broken stick and decided that was evidence enough to give Pittsburgh a late power-play, with the game tied and a little less than five minutes to go.

The Caps’ penalty killers were up to the task, and they kept the game tied forcing an overtime.

As the teams skated out to start the overtime period four-on-four, I just knew the refs were going to call something. I think I was just as shocked as Pittsburgh was when the penalty they called was against Pittsburgh. After getting away with damn-near everything throughout the game, it was a stick-check to Alex Semin’s face that drew the penalty.

Brooks Orpik had both hands on his stick, and pushed it right into the Alex Semin’s face. This wasn’t “incidental” and it wasn’t even the dirtiest play by Pittsburgh during the game. Orpik’s take on the hit was that Semin was “a baby” but I got news for you Orpik; it was intentional, it was illegal, and you’d gotten away with plenty throughout the rest of the game.

It was Orpik’s penalty that gave the Caps a 4-on-3 advantage and it was Alex Ovechkin’s shot that gave Mike Knuble the tip in goal for the win.

Even though the house was empty except for me and the cat, I lept from the ottoman again and began running up and down the hallway screaming like a crazy person!

The once cocky Pittsburgh fans on ESPN’s section 140 message board had changed their tune from one of ridicule, to a stance of “it’s only a regular season game, no big deal.”

Yeah, it didn’t stop them from telling us all how great Cindy Crybaby was when he got his two goals and tied Ovechkin for the league lead in goals (the tie only lasted until the second period, Alex now leads by three). Got news for you Pitt; the Caps extended their winning streak to 14, and you have been two notches in that streak. We all know the streak has got to end sometime, but we didn’t have to suffer the indignity of losing it to you. For just one night, whenever the hockey press goes on to tell us all how great your Crosby is, he is a footnote to what Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals did to you.

What was it you Pittsburgh fans kept saying? “Only losers whine about the refs?” Well, look at the score-board. 5-4 and look at who is whining about the refs now. The Caps overcame you, and your officials and still found a way to win.

Want to talk more trash? The Caps are 11-3-3 versus your division. The Caps have more wins against your division than anyone of the teams in your division; including you.

The Caps have three more games before the Olympic break and they are all this week. Those three games all take place on the road and they happen in the span of four days. The Caps start things off in Montreal on Wednesday, then shift over to Ottawa on Thursday. They wrap up against St. Louis on Saturday as the final game before the Olympic break.

This isn’t good for Washington, as Ottawa just ended an 11-game streak of their own and they will be on their home ice facing a Caps team that will have played a game the night before.

For now, the streak continues…

C! A! P! S! Caps! Caps! Caps!

One More Side Note: While Washington was busy facing Pittsburgh, their AHL team the Hershey Bears were facing Pittsburgh’s AHL team. Hershey also found itself with a three goal deficit. Hershey also had a player get a hat-trick (Matt Perrault) and Hershey beat the Baby Pens in OT.

Seeing the Mike Knuble goal helped ease any fears I might have had; that was Harlem Globtrotter-esque. You could easily set that play to “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Ovechkin comes in on the net from the right; fakes a shot and swings around behind the net. Ranger’s goalie Hendrik Lundqvist slides over to the other side of the net, expecting the wrap around from Ovie and what does he see? Nicklas Backstrom coming in on him from the left front.

Lundqvist takes the post and commits to blocking the wrap-around from Ovechkin, dropping to his knees with his ankles out (they call that “the butterfly”). Ovechkin passes up to Backstrom, but Lundqvist sees that he still has a reasonable angle on Backstrom, so he recommits (decides not to get back to his feet and take a new position).

Backstrom takes the puck and backhands it between the legs of the defender that is immediately behind him and catches Mike Knuble coming in with speed from the right. The whole play couldn’t have taken more than two seconds, but you know it was going in slow motion for Lundqvist.

As soon as he saw the puck clear his defender and Mike Knuble closing in on it, he knew he was beat, and there wasn’t anything he could do but pray that the next sound he heard was either the “clang” of the cross bar or the “thunk” of the boards.

I do have to admit to being a little concerned when New York made it 5-3 and their power-play looked unstoppable. Personally, I’d rather the Caps be a few goals behind early than jump out to a big lead. My reasoning is that when the Caps’ jump out to a big lead, it’s too easy for the players to start to take their foot off the gas and let a team back into the game.

When the Caps are behind though, they focus on getting the puck into the net.

Ovechkin’s 500^th career point is a great example of that. Ovechkin’s coming down the left side. It’s just him, the defender, and the goalie. Alex pushes the puck way right like he’s about to turn to the inside, or maybe try one of his classic shots where he uses the defender as a screen. The defender takes the inside position, but Ovechkin draws the puck back to himself and pushes it between the defender’s legs.

Ovechkin draws his stick in, and slides around the defender to the outside, and picks the puck back up on the other side of the hapless defender. Lundqvist again takes the near-side post but Ovechkin slides the puck towards the middle and flips it up over Lunqvist’s left shoulder for the score.

The Capitals currently lead the league in points, goals, and goals-per-game, yet no single player on the Caps roster has registered a hat-trick (three goals in one game) this season.

New York played a great game last night; their power-play was outrageous. They scored five goals and they still lost the game. There was a lot to be encouraged about for the New York fans, but I know how heartbreaking that kind of loss can be.

ESPN ranked the Capitals 2^nd in their weekly power rankings this week. They recognized Washington’s (at the time) 11 game winning streak, but still placed them second behind San Jose. They even mentioned in the rankings about how tough it must be to be on an eleven-game winning streak and still be ranked number two. If I’m Boudreau, I’m showing that ranking to the players today.

“These people don’t respect you,” I’d say. “Even though you haven’t lost in nearly a month, nobody wants to give you any credit. You’re Washington; you play in a lousy division, you’re not from a ‘hockey-town.’ The only thing you’ve got going for you right now is this win streak. The best way you can get back at these guys is to keep on winning. The more you win, the more you make these guys look like fools.”

“We all know this winning streak must end, but you decide when,” I’d continue. “The only way we are going to silence our critics is to win the whole-friggin’-thing. Bring the Cup to Washington, and you’ll have earned their respect.”

Caps face Atlanta tonight. This has all the markings of a “trap-game.” Washington pasted Atlanta 8-1 last time, and Atlanta just lost their best player in a trade to Detroit. The Caps need to go into this game thinking that enough is not enough. They need to keep their feet moving and their sticks down. Don’t win it in the first period, win it in the third.

Yesterday I was wearing my “retro” white Ovie jersey (I still can’t get the hang of “sweater”) and today I’m wearing the “retro” black one. Let’s keep the ball rolling and go for the baker’s dozen!

C! A! P! S! Caps! Caps! Caps!

So where do the Caps stand? Well, after their late December meltdown, the Caps slid pretty far in the standings giving up their seat atop the NHL leader-board. Just seven days ago, the Caps were two points behind Chicago and six points behind San Jose. The Caps are now two points ahead of Chicago and have closed to only 1-point behind San Jose for the top spot in the NHL.

The Caps have increased their lead in the Eastern Conference standings from three points ahead of New Jersey, to eight points ahead of New Jersey and have increased the lead in their division to 23 points. The remaining teams in the Southeast division aren’t fighting for first anymore; they are fighting for second. Florida, Atlanta and Tampa have 57, 56 and 55 points respectively and second place seems to change every other day. The margin from worst to first in the Southeast is 35-points! It’s the widest margin in the NHL.

Washington could forfeit every game between now and March 8th and still be leading the Southeast division.

Many are worried that the Caps may be “peaking too early.” I think what we are seeing in Washington is a team that is showing that it can accomplish whatever goals they set for themselves. Sure Coach Boudreau is not talking about the winning streak to the media, but you better believe that the players are focused on it.

This team believes in itself; the players believe in each other. The “superstar effect” is gone. These guys aren’t waiting for Ovechkin or Semin to make the game-winning play; they all want to make the game-winning play.

Since Ovechkin was named Team Captain, the team has gone 13-2. Ovechkin isn’t leading the league in goals. He’s not even leading the league in points, and he’ll tell you he doesn’t care about such things. What he does care about is winning. Last year the touchdown play was Backstrom to Ovechkin for the score. This year it’s Ovechkin to Backstrom; or Flieschmann to Fehr or Laich to Semin etc..

It’s easy for a team to “watch out” for one guy. Whenever Ovechkin is on the ice, he sees the opponents’ “top line.” With scoring coming from all four lines, and from their defensemen, the Caps are hard to stop. Washington averaged 4.67 goals per game in January and are averaging 3.82 goals per game for the season. That’s a half-goal per game better than anyone else in the league!

So the question on everybody’s mind is where will the winning streak end? Will it be tomorrow in Boston (4^th in the Northeast with 55 points)? Thursday in New York versus the Rangers (4^th in the Atlantic with 57 points)? Friday when they come home to face Atlanta 24-hours later (3^rd in the Southeast with 56 points)? Sunday versus Pittsburgh (2^nd in the Atlantic with 69 points)?

Let’s break down the upcoming opponents.

Tuesday, February 2^nd @ Boston Bruins

Last Game: Thursday October 1^st at Boston, Caps won 4-1

Boston may not be doing very well this year, but it’s hard to know which Boston team you’re going to face. Boston has gone 0-3-2 in their last five games, and 1-7-2 in their last ten, but their one victory in that time period was over the San Jose Sharks (who currently sit at first place in the league, 1-point ahead of Washington).

Thursday, February 4^th at New York Rangers

Last Game: Tuesday, November 17^th, @ Rangers, Caps won 4-2

New York has a history of giving the Caps trouble, especially in Madison Square Garden. When the Caps last visited the Garden, they escaped with a two goal lead only because New York had pulled their net-minder trying to get the tying goal. New York carried Washington to a full seven games in last year’s playoffs. New York has won only three of it’s last 10 games including a 3-1 victory yesterday over Colorado. The secret for the Caps here is not to over-look them.

Friday, February 5^th vs. Atlanta Thrashers

Last Game: Saturday, January 9^th, @ Atlanta, Caps won 8-1

Atlanta has faced Washington three times this year, and all three times were in Atlanta. The Thrasher faithful watched their team fall by scores of 5-4, 4-3, and most recently 8-1. Atlanta will be looking to return the favor to the Washington fans in Verizon against a Caps’ team that may have been softened up playing back to back games. The only two players on the Caps’ roster that will be well rested will be Mike Green who will be returning from his three game suspension, and the goal-tender (unless Boudreau is going to have one goalie play both in New York and again the next day at Verizon which is highly unlikely).

Super Bowl Sunday, February 7^th vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Game: Thursday January 21^st, @ Pittsburgh, Caps won 6-3

Thursday, January 21^st was the first time the Penguins and Capitals had seen each other since game 7 of the ’08-’09 playoffs. Washington hung six goals on them at the Igloo; since then Pittsburgh has won three of it’s last four games and will be looking for similar retribution as Atlanta. Pittsburgh is the toughest opponent for the Caps this week (by the numbers) so hopefully Washington isn’t looking too far ahead.

Unbelievably, the only one of these upcoming opponents the Caps have lost to this season has been New York and it was at Verizon Center (and you have to go way back to the fourth game of the season; Thursday, October 8^th Rangers won 4-3). New York is also the only opponent on the list to play the Caps at Verizon this season.

As long as the Caps keep doing what they’ve been doing, there is little reason for them not to continue this streak. Let’s just take it one game at a time and hope for a history making win in Boston!

C! A! P! S! Caps! Caps! Caps!

That may not seem like a massive number, but it’s the longest winning streak for Washington since they had ten straight wins in 1983-84 season – over 25 years ago. In fact, it equals their longest streak since 1989.

WashingtonCaps.com Senior Writer Mike Vogl posted a great piece about that streak 21 years ago. There are some great Caps names from the past in the article – Dino Ciccarelli, Pete Peeters, Bob Rouse, Calle Johansson, Mike Ridley, and the late Doug Wickenheiser to name a few.

Check out Mike’s blast-from-the-past here.

You can check out my game wrap-up here.

Washington is now NINETEEN points clear of their next closest Southeast Division opponent. Wow.

I suspected it was going to be busy, so I got to the restaurant early. First thing I noticed was that there were TV’s everywhere. Each showing something different. Each TV had something different on it from ESPN to Tennis to basketball, just all kinds of sports. You would expect in such an environment that there would be a cacophony of noise from the many TV’s, but none of them had the volume turned up.

Instead, they had a wireless box at each table where you could select which TV you wanted to listen to, and adjust the volume yourself. I know this may be “old news” to the many of you who have been to one, but to me it was new, and I thought it was cool.

So, since I was there early, I ordered dinner. I had the center cut sirloin, and the redskin potatoes (I’m a sucker for anything “Redskins”). The food was excellent! Later in the evening I ordered the Buffalo Chicken dip with tortilla chips and it lasted all of about 5 seconds. My server was on top of things as well. My beer may have gotten low a few times, but he never left me without or wanting.

The Caps’ fans began pouring in around 6pm, and I noticed the most popular jersey was Nicklas Backstrom’s. I know they are called “sweaters” (to you hockey purists out there) but I haven’t grown accustomed to calling them that yet. A sweater is something grandma gives you for Christmas with little reindeer on them that you wear once (usually on Christmas so she can get a picture of you in it) and never wear again.

The environment was very family friendly, and I loved seeing four year olds wandering around with their little Ovechkin jerseys. I think I even saw a six-year old with a Varlamov jersey; Mom and Dad are raising him right! Slapshot was a big hit with the kids as he posed for pictures, signed autographs and acted silly for the kids (in one instance he posed for a pic with two little girls and “accidently” covered their faces with his hands).

The Caps gave everyone a complimentary red plastic cup with the team logo on it; inside was a single raffle ticket. Throughout the night they would draw for prizes such as autographed pucks and sticks and gift certificates from Glory Days Grill. I was one number away from winning a puck autographed by Coach Boudreau, a Glory Days T-shirt and a $10 gift card. The gentleman across the aisle from me won a stick signed by Alex Ovechkin. A guy behind me won a Mike Green signed puck, and the guy across from him won a puck signed by Alex Semin. (though I didn’t “win” anything, it wasn’t a total loss; my wife had bought me Mass Effect 2 for the Xbox 360, and had it waiting as a surprise for me when I got home).

As the game started, the restaurant turned up the house volume for the projector screen, the cowbells began ringing and the familiar cheer of “C! A! P! S! CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!” began to fill the restaurant. When Brendan Morrison scored the game’s first goal 65 seconds into the contest the place went nuts! I can’t accurately describe what it was like to be there other than to say it was only second to being at the game itself. When the Caps scored (which they did often in their 7-2 thrashing of New York) I could barely hear myself yelling over the noise of everyone else doing the same!

For a full list of the Caps’ upcoming “Away Parties” you can click here and trust me when I say you won’t regret going! The Glory Days Grill in Gainesville has invited all Caps fans out for the Caps’ game versus Pittsburgh on February 7^th, where you can watch the game and stick around for their Super Bowl festivities!

For more info on Glory Days Grill in Gainesville, you can click here.

Here’s a few things to start off with. Did you know that the Caps have scored four or more goals in all but two of their eleven games this month? The Caps faced down Detroit (who even though banged up is always a dangerous opponent), Pittsburgh, and Phoenix. The Caps scored 13 goals in those three games. They were also 38% on the power play scoring 5 PPG’s on 13 attempts. More impressive, the Caps were flawless on the power-play this week allowing no power-play goals. That’s 0-15 for the Caps’ opponents in the past three games.

The Caps outscored their opponents this week by a combined score of 13-7. These teams didn’t just lay over for the Caps, as the Caps’ goal-tenders faced an average of 38 shots per game. I don’t know what it is about the Caps’ bench, but both of their goal-tenders have had a taste of it here recently, and their game seems to have improved as a result. The Caps’ combined goaltending this week was 3-0-0 stopping 107 of 114 total shots with a .938 Save % and a 2.33 Goals-Against Average (GAA).

Jose Theodore has had the hot hand this month, but even so, he still managed to dig deep and come up with two impressive games, and a dozen highlight-reel stops versus Detroit and Pittsburgh. Michal Neuvirth seems to have finally shaken off the demons from his bad game in Tampa and put up an impressive win over Phoenix.

Ovechkin may have had a rare “pointless” game versus Detroit, but he shined where Caps fans wanted it most; versus Pittsburgh. Especially after Penguins’ pseudo-star Sidney Crosby got a garbage goal on a broken play to give the Eskimo-Chickens the lead, Alex responded with two goals and an assist. I personally would have loved seeing Ovechkin get the hat-trick because if you thought Sadly Crieslikababy was upset about the hats in Verizon Center in game two last year, he’d have been suicidal about hats raining down from his own rafters.

So, what are the Caps doing differently? Well, the Caps penalty kill stat gives us the first clue. The Caps have changed their mindset in the defensive-zone. The Caps used to play more of a collapsing umbrella style of defense which was focused more on taking away the shooting lanes and forcing attackers to the outside. Now the Caps have gone to more of a box-style of defense where they keep the goalies’ sight-lines clear and can play more aggressive on the outsides. In essence, they are taking away the passing lanes and trusting their net-minders to make the stops.

This allows the Caps to chase down the puck-carrier into the boards and pinch him in so that he has to shoot, or risk turning the puck over.

The Caps are also playing more aggressive in the attacking zone with a focus more on setting up plays than taking the quick shot and getting back to play D. They try to get the puck in deep, and then feed the puck back to their waiting defenders at the point. Now the defender can go point to point across the ice. Dump the puck back into the corners or activate themselves and charge the net. This system doesn’t rely on Alex Ovechkin to make the play every night, and instead has allowed a lot of Caps’ players to flourish; such as Eric Fehr.

Fehr had 15 goals in his first 113 games; he has had 14 in his last 36. Nicklas Backstrom has long been known as Ovechkin’s “set-up man” and has had consistently high numbers of assists; he is on pace to score 30 goals this season. Nearly half the Capitals’ bench has double digits in goals.

So, we now know how the Caps’ did this week, so where do they stand?

The Caps are:

1^st in the Southeast Division with 72 points; 19 points ahead of Florida in second place.

1^st in the Eastern Conference; 3 points ahead of New Jersey in second place.

3^rd in the League overall; 6 points behind San Jose in first, and 2 points behind Chicago.

1^st in average Goals per Game with 3.74; San Jose is second with 3.28.

1^st in Power Play Scoring % with 26.0; Montreal is second with 24.7.

1^st in win % when the opponent scores first (.579); New Jersey is second with .500

Coming Up:

The Caps are busy this week with four games. The first comes tonight as the Caps play their only away-game for the week in New York versus the Islanders. The come home tomorrow to face off against the Anaheim Ducks, and then they welcome two division rivals to Verizon Center as they take on the Florida Panthers on Friday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.

If the Caps pull off a win tonight, it will be the third straight season the Caps have had a seven game win-streak. Prior to Boudreau’s arrival the Caps went 13 seasons without winning as many as seven games in a row.

Want to join other Caps’ fans for a “Road Viewing Party”? Then you’ll want to check out Glory Days Grill in Gainesville (7581 Somerset Crossing Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155) for the Official Caps Viewing Party. There will be giveaways, premium raffle items as well as food and drink specials. Tonight’s game versus the Islanders will be on as many as 6 big screens! Happy hour runs from 4-7pm leading up to the game and at 9pm there will be $5 Appetizers. You won’t want to miss Slapshot and your fellow Red-Rockers for this party! Who knows, you might even see me there!

C-A-P-S!! Caps! Caps! Caps!

Let’s Go Caps!

We have a lot of games to cover, so I’m going to dive right in. Our first starts with the 7-4 loss in Tampa; definitely not the way anyone wants to start their week.

Tuesday, January 12th, @ Tampa Bay – The Caps had won the past 12 meetings versus the Bolts as they came in to Tampa on this evening. The Tampa crowd was electric after the Lightning charged ahead and struck the Caps down in the first period, 4-1. Coach Boudreau changed the conductor in net, pulling Neuvirth and calling Theodore to the front. The Caps managed to tie it up in the second, but Tampa managed to zap Theodore for a goal, and still carried a 5-4 lead into the third. Tampa created a bit of friction in the final period, adding two more goals to their lead, and the static boiled over between Steve Downey and Alex Ovechkin. After several fighting majors were doled out in the third period, the Lightning would leave the Caps Thor (norse god of thunder for those who didn’t catch the reference) as they would go on to win by the final score of 7-4.

Grey Area – Immediately after Downey and Ovechkin left the penalty box for their roughing minors, Downey wanted to go for real, and tried to pick a fight with the Great Eight. If he wanted to dance, Alex was ready to oblige. Both players tossed their gloves, and Alex tossed his helmet, but before the two combatants could lock horns, Matt Bradley came to the defense of his Captain and rode Downey to the ice. Bradley was ejected from the game under the “third man in” rule. The refs made the correct call based on the letter of the rule, but not on the spirit of the rule. The rule prohibits another player from jumping into a fight, once two players are already engaged. The key word is engaged. Ovechkin and Downey had both tossed their gloves, so it could be argued that even though they were 10-feet apart, they were “engaged” in combat. The rule is designed so that one player doesn’t have to fight two at the same time. Alex skated away after Bradley jumped in, so it was a fair fight between two combatants, but the refs followed the letter of the law and ended Bradley’s night.

Wednesday, January 13th, @ Florida – It was beginning to feel like deja-vu for Caps fans as Washington fell behind 4-1 for the second time in as many nights. Most fans in Washington have learned that when it comes to the Caps, nothing is over. Roaring back with three goals in the third period, the Caps would carry the Panthers into the shoot-out. After both teams went scoreless for the first three rounds, Florida (who shot first) would put up the game’s first tally. The Caps matched them score for score over two rounds, when Theodore finally made a big stop, it was Thomas Fleischmann with the game literally on his stick that would deposit the game winner.

A cornucopia of interesting factoids – This game marked the first time the Caps had come back from a three goal deficit this year. Jason Chimera got his first Gordie Howe Hat-Trick (a goal, an assist, and a fight) as a Capital, Chimera’s goal was his 10th of the season and he has become the 11th Capital with double digit goals on the season, the Caps had played 18 of their last 27 on the road, of that 18, they played 16 different opponents.

Even with the Caps busy schedule, they still had time to visit with the kids of Bristow Run Elementary School

Friday, January 15th, vs Toronto – It took less than a minute for Alex Ovechkin to unpack the bags for Washington and set out the game’s first goal. Even though the Caps had just come off a three game road trip, and had played their last game two nights ago, they seemed energized to be home. The Caps would skate all over the Leafs and finally looked like the power-house team that they are, winning6-1.

And more interesting factoids – The Great Eight’s goal in the first period marked the eighth time this season that the Capitals had scored on their first shot on goal. Mike Knuble’s two goals were his third multiple goal game of the season, it was also the 34th time that a Capitals’ player has scored two goals in a game this season. No Caps player has earned a hat-trick (shoot-out goals do not count towards a hat-trick). The Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis extended an invitation to “Capstronaut” (a fan that has been showing up to games in an astronaut costume) through his blog to join him in the owners box; “Capstronaut” appeared in the owner’s box during the game. I personally found it a very cool move on Leonsis’ part.

Sunday, January 17th vs Philadelphia – This was the game Caps fans had been waiting for. The true litmus test for Washington who had faced Tampa, Florida, and Toronto. Those were games the Caps were supposed to win (even though they lost one). Philly was going to be the real challenge. In the first period, Philly and Washington exchanged goals twice and it was 2-2 after 1. Both teams battened down the hatches in the second period, but not before Alex Semin beat Ray Embry making it 3-2 after 2. In the third, Philly was given an early power-play opportunity to tie things up, but instead Brooks Laich stole a drop pass and ran it in for the shorthanded score. Later in the period, Ovechkin would get his first penalty shot goal of his career (he is now 1 for 6). Philly’s last goal came on a late power-play 6-4, but it would be too little too late, the Caps would win 5-3.

And still more interesting factoids – Brooks Laich had his first three point night since October of last year, and scored his first shorty in four straight seasons. Ovechkin registered his 2,000th career shot 4.5 years into the league, no other player in NHL history has registered 2,000 shots in less than six years. The Caps had never won a Sunday game, and it was the first time this season they had won an afternoon meeting. The Caps’ last penalty shot goal was October 13th, 2008 (Nylander vs. Vancouver).

It doesn’t get any easier for the Caps this week as they face Detroit, Pittsburgh, and the surprisingly good Phoenix Coyotes. Hopefully the Caps can give me a big win for my birthday tomorrow versus Detroit.

Hold on tight fans, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Let’s Go Caps!