What HBO's 24/7 Showed About the Caps Problems

Seeing the Redskins simply play the team on Hard Knocks in a preseason game got me 'downright giddy,' so you can only attempt to understand my anticipation and excitement for the premier episode of the Caps on HBO's 24/7.

All along, I thought this would be an amazing show, putting Sidney Crosby's lameness and robotic nature as a pathetic contract to the fun-loving Ovechkin leading his high-flying Caps. Well, yeah........

With the Penguins in the midst of a 12-game winning streak, and the Caps puttering through a then 6-game losing streak, everything was upside-down. The Penguins were the loose and fun team, while the Caps personalities all came across as stale. HBO clearly focused their Caps footage on the sullen locker room, and I imagine this quiet was compounded by not many Caps speaking English as a first language.

What I took from this could be much bigger though. I know it is hard to judge a team in its worst times, but I think that sullen locker room I just mentioned is the problem. This team has struggled with inconsistency in effort and focus the past couple seasons, and one has to think that these issues can only be cured by improved leadership.

Bruce Boudreau is certainly a presence and did all he could to rally the guys, but there was an absence of vocal player leadership. This team is led by a bunch of Russians who clearly are not 100% comfortable speaking English, which I imagine is a significant hindrance to vocalizing encouragement. Even Backstrom came across as quiet, if not awkward, when skating with children in DC. Mike Green could, and maybe should, be the guy, but is also pretty quiet and not someone who can captain and NHL team. Jason Chimera kind of put some words out there at one point, but should have been a stronger presence, or gotten some support. Poti? Laich? Anyone?

Meanwhile, the Penguins were ahead 2-1 going into the 3rd period of what would be consecutive win number 12 and had a few guys yelling and getting the team amped, such as Tyler Kennedy; the passion they displayed would have led you to believe the Pens were losing. This is an extenuating circumstance for the Caps, and maybe they are just as boisterous when winning, and maybe being loud isn't the best method for every team, but 'a man is judged by how he responds to adversity,' and behind the scenes, the Caps did not respond to the challenge.

Other quick notes:

• Gabby could indeed have made Rex Ryan blush with his stream of f-bombs. Fantastic! DC Sports Bog counted 31 f-bombs by the Caps' coach.
• The highlight of the show for me was Ovechkin defending the cross-check that got Semin ejected because it opened a big cut on the opposing player's neck, 'Maybe he has sensitive skin.'
• I had no idea NHL refs actually would tell players to 'finish the fight.' 
• As I briefly mentioned above, Lars showed no personality. He may actually be a hockey robot.
  Boudreau's first closeup interview definitely showed a little ketchup or something left on his face.
• My 2nd favorite quote was the Penguins rookie after having his entire room moved into the hotel hallway, "We are going to find whoever did this, and probably do nothing about it."
• I wish the Caps had a team competition in which the loser had to grow a mustache for a month.
• The Penguins have lost both games since episode 1 ended, so episode 2 could be very different.
• On the other hand, the Caps lost #7 in a row tonight, so maybe not.

(Image courtesy of Japers Rink)

Least Likely Gillette Spokesperson Ever

In what will go down as one of the upsets of the years, Gillette named Alex Ovechkin their newest spokesperson today to promote shaving products...........as in the items one uses to maintain a tidy beard. Good luck with this beast of a man:

Ovie joins the clean-cut Derek Jeter, among others, as spokespeople. The best part of this for me? How pissed baby-faced Sidney Crosby will be that he didn't get this endorsement.

(Images courtesy of 1.bp.blogspot.com, meltyourfaceoff.files.wordpress.com, and 3.bp.blogspot.com)

Wale - The Black & Gold, Complete With D.C. Shoutouts Aplenty

Can you spot 'em? I'm going on record saying this song is dope.

D.J. King Will Break His Hand While Breaking Your Face

The newest Capital, D.J. King, is no small cookie. At 6'2" and 221 pounds he's around Alex Ovechkin's size, but instead of scoring highlight-reel goals and pissing off jealous Pittsburgh scrubs and getting with stone cold foxes on boats in Europe, he lets his fists do the talking. Gotta applaud him for that.

He even broke his hand beating the snot out of Krys Barch last season. Dedication to your craft. Toughness in the heat of battle. Bad-freaking-ass.



While I'll miss the somewhat unrealistic hope for a guy like Stefan Della Rovere to become a leader and pest on the Capitals in the near future, he was never gonna be the guy to lay down the law at the NHL level this year when need be. King can be that guy.

I was skeptical at first, but what the hell - he's already off to a good start in my book.

When told what Pittsburgh's Max Talbot had to say about Alex Ovechkin yesterday, King shot back, "Wow. I guess that's not going to be happening too much longer, I guess."

Having your teammate's - and captain's - back AND pissing off fans of a hated rival within hours of joining the team? Sign me up.

What Is Our LeBron Equivelant?

LeBron's a douche.

See, doesn't that feel good? Say it out loud. One, two, three, maybe even four times.

I don't know what it is about LeBron. Maybe it's because he beat the Wizards in three consecutive playoff series, or that he complains more than my little sister when it's her time of the month, or that he created his own three-step "crab dribble" which was eventually adopted by the NBA and put into its rulebook. You know, just for him.

It could be any one of those things but in all likelihood it's every one of them, combined with the self-fellating ego-maniacal spectacle that was last night's traitorous announcement to the world that "The Chosen One" would be taking his talents to South Beach.

Before he made his announcement I didn't really care what team he'd select. I was so LeBronned out after a week of LeBronning by ESPN that I just couldn't take it anymore.

But of course I watched. I mean, everyone and their infant baby watched, and I'm sure the ratings for the announcement were sky high. And when he announced he was leaving Cleveland, doing so in that fashion, on prime time national television and dragging "The Decision" out like it was a goddamn "American Idol" episode starring Jim Gray as Ryan Seacrest, it struck a cord in me.

D.C. is a depressing sports town. We've gone over its merits before. But Cleveland? They haven't won a title since the Browns brought home the bacon in 1964. That's unheard of.

And to have their hearts and souls ripped out from them by this 25 year old arrogant prick wearing a picnic table button down shirt because he wanted to go play with his buddies in Miami - which effectively ruined his legacy - was just too much to take.

It got me thinking: what would be our equivalent to what LeBron did to Cleveland fans last night? Nothing really compares, but I have some ideas.

• John Wall demands a trade before the season starts, holding the Wizards hostage and refusing to show up to practices. Contract be damned! The kicker: he's demanding to be traded to Miami.
• The year is 2016. Stephen Strasburg has won two straight MVP's and is easily the best pitcher in the land. He spends his free agent summer being courted by every team out there, but anyone who knows anything can tell you that there are really on three options: staying with the Nationals, signing with the Yankees, signing with the Red Sox. Knowing full well the Lerners aren't stupid enough to fork over the kind of dough that Boston and New York are glad to (ballpark estimate ~ 10 years $790 million), he could put Nats fans out of their misery early by making his priorities clear. Instead, he inspires hope, says it's not about the money, only to bail at the last second in a nationally televised one-hour special devoted to him for a star-studded team that can carry him to the promise land. What a nightmare.
• Alex Ovechkin demands a trade, but only two teams make his list: the Flyers and the Penguins. And he does so immediately after we win a Stanley Cup, and then leads the team he's traded to to five consecutive Stanley Cups.
• Daniel Snyder murders a small child for complaining about the price of hot dogs at Fedex Field and gets away with it by framing John Riggins, who spends the rest of his life in prison paying for a crime he didn't commit. Are you still with me, or did I take it too far?
• Joe Gibbs comes out of retirement to sign a life-time contract with the Dallas Cowboys. If you didn't think it could get worse, it does. After winning several championships with the Cowboys, he withdraws from the Hall of Fame completely, only to get nominated a few years later as coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He is elected first ballot, and they erect a shrine of Joe Gibbs in all his Cowboys glory.

Ever been kicked really hard in the nuts? That's what those bizarre hypothetical scenarios feel like. I can't even imagine how Clevelanders feel this morning. I'm assuming 90% of the workforce called in sick. Or just angry.

Unofficial Capitals Awards Odds

Tonight in Vegas, Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin have a chance to make history. According to a tweet by PR guru Nate Ewell last night, not since Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey have two teammates repeated as NHL first team all-stars. Ovechkin is a lock and, no disrespect to Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith, Green should be too.

Odds of this happening, determined by yours truly without consulting official odds-makers in Vegas, using a calculator, or putting down the bottle:

4 to 5

Two-time reigning MVP Alex Ovechkin is nominated again for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is voted on by the media. His competition is Henrik Sedin, who led the league in points, and Sidney Crosby, who tied for the league lead in goals with 51. While Ovechkin was bested in points by Sedin and equaled by Crosby, he dominated in points per game with a whopping (and career best) 1.51. Some are convinced that two absences due to suspension, a flameout in the Olympics, and the star-studded Caps lineup will hurt is chances to take home the trophy. Fair or unfair, I am one of those people, and I think Sedin ultimately takes home the Hart (althought I hope I'm wrong).


Odds of Ovechkin winning the Hart Trophy, determined by yours truly without consulting official odds-makers in Vegas, using a calculator, or putting down the bottle:

3 to 2

The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is given to the league's most outstanding player, as voted on by the NHL Player's Association. Ovechkin has won this award two years in a row and there is no reason it should end this year. While media members may fault Ovechkin for "dirty" play, players surely realize that there isn't a more dominating presence on the ice. I am fairly confident he will take home this trophy for the third year in a row.


Odds of Ovechkin winning the Ted Lindsay Award, determined by yours truly without consulting official odds-makers in Vegas, using a calculator, or putting down the bottle:

1 to 2

Now on to the difficult stuff and, as usual, it's Mike Green in question. The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded by the media to the NHL's top defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability at the position. While there are many tight races to be won tonight, this one will be subject to the most scrutiny. It's easy to determine a defenseman's offensive contributions through goals, assists, and points, but to quantify his defensive abilities is a much more daunting tasks. Advanced metrics such as GAON/60 and +-ON/60 help paint the picture but not every voter trusts them, let alone knows about them. Two things can sway these voters: their eyes and what everyone else is saying. Their eyes should tell them that Mike Green is the most dominant offensive defenseman in the game, and the stats back it up (76 points in 71 games to lead all defenseman). However, their eyes are also telling them that Green is prone to bad turnovers, that he gambles too much in the defensive zone, that he is cashing in on a number of easy assists to superstars like Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom. Making matters worse, there is a stigma surrounding Green, mostly undeserved, that he can't play defense because he's so good at offense. Just blame ignorant Flyers fans for that one. He's not freakin' Sandis Ozolinsh, people.


Nevertheless, Duncan Keith's consistency throughout the season as the steady rock of the Chicago defense will win him his first Norris Trophy. Drew Doughty will finish a close second, and Green a close third. I don't see Green ever winning a Norris if he fails to do so this year, especially as a young stud like Doughty matures into a better Chris Pronger, minus the douchiness.

I will be stunned if Green wins this award.

Odds of Mike Green winning the Norris Trophy, determined by yours truly without consulting official odds-makers in Vegas, using a calculator, or putting down the bottle:

3 to 1

The festivities begin tonight at 7:30 ET. The boozy pregame begins whenever you goddamn feel like it.
 

Alex Ovechkin's Life is Better Than Yours

I had seen the first picture, but not the other two of Alex Ovechkin partying on a yacht in Turkey this summer until today. I must say that these types of pictures used to make me much happier, reveling in the fact that our Russian superstars could party and still dominate the league. Now that we, ummm...yeah, I can't help but think that Sidney Crosby is living in his boss's basement, shooting pucks into a washing machine and Ovie and co. should be doing power skating or defense 101. Ohhhh, wait, that's right, Crosby choked even worse than Ovie in the playoffs. So that means while Ovie is living it up, Crosby is just living in a basement, awesome.

No comment needed

Looks like she won the kissing Ovie competition

The art of seduction? Crosby, take note

(Images courtesy of brobible.com)

Shirts All DC Bros Should Own

Let me tell you a little about myself - I'm a bro.

I usually wear this on my sleeve, even though it's probably less apparent through the internet than face to face interactions.

In that light, here are some shirts all bros or aspiring bros should own. I already own a couple; so should you:

Brian Orakbro

Stephen Strasbro

Alex Brovechkin

Adam Brones

Bro Theismann

Don't Ice Me Bro

Top-5 Most Popular DC Athletes Right Now

I know, I know, this post has already been run by Steinz over at the WaPo (a voting in which I participated), but SB Nation DC also had a list today, so I thought it would only be fair to jump on the bandwagon and chime-in.

The term 'popular' is left vague so there is room for interpretation, but here is how I define it - as a combination of recognize-ability (name recognition), and being well liked; I believe that a notorious person can still be popular. My initial list for Steinz a few weeks ago was this:

1. Ovechkin
2. McNabb
3. Orakpo
4. Backstrom
5. Zimmerman

My logic:

• Ovie is widely known and loved and has to be #1. That said, the overwhelming popularity of the Redskins in this town pushes football players to greater heights. I realize McNabb has not played a game, but he is more widely recognized than Ovechkin; as Chad Dukes and Lavar Arrington said on WFAN a month or so ago, if you put McNabb and Ovie in a mall, McNabb would be the one who more easily creates a mini-riot. As much as I hate him and that the Skins acquired him, he is a close #2.
• I skipped Portis and Gil because I thought they were not generally well liked.
• I should have replaced Rak with Cooley, but thought Cooley's injury removed him from the spotlight too much.
• Strasburg had not played a game and was not as widely recognized as he is right now.
  
• Backstrom was fresh off of a season where the Caps elevated themselves to the #2 team in the DMV, so was very newsworthy.
  

Ah, how quickly things change......my list for today would look like this:

1. Ovie
2. McNabb
3. Cooley
4. Portis
5. Strasburg
6. Backstrom
   

• I ranked 6 because at this moment, Strasburg is #5, but his hype will likely die down after about 2 months, and I expect him to drop a few slots. The only way he stays that high is if he puts up All-Star/Cy Young candidate numbers immediately. When
  
• Rak was a mistake the first time, I should have put Cooley in that spot; Rak is just not as widely known as the man formerly known as Captain Chaos.
• Portis is not completely well-liked, but my Dad, who is not a sports fan, knows him, which puts him in select company.
• Ryan Zimmerman is having a terrific season but struggling for All-Star votes, so it is hard to put him anywhere near my top-5 anymore. He just isn't widely recognized, and won't be until the Nats contend, or he does something outlandish like gets a tattoo on his face.

My only major differentiation from the Steinz and SBNDC lists are the omission of Gilbert Arenas, but come on, isn't he closer to the least popular athlete in DC? I can see John Wall, London Fletcher, and Mike Green pushing for honors, but I think that list of 6 is head and shoulders above the rest right now.

(Image courtesy of misterirrelevant.com)

Sidney Crosby is a Choke Picasso

So let's get this straight.

Ovechkin scored 5 goals, 5 assists and was a +5 against the Canadiens in 7 games, before bowing out in Game 7 at home in a tight one-goal game. The Caps blew a 3-1 series lead. As a result, notable national media members called Ovechkin a choke artist (Wilbon, on PTI).

Crosby scored 1 goal, 4 assists and was a -1 against the Canadiens in 7 games, before bowing out in Game 7 at home while being dominated 5-2, in which he took an awful penalty early allowing Montreal to open the scoring with a PP goal. The Pens blew a 3-2 series lead. Notable national media members have yet to weigh in. So allow me to fill in the gap.

If Ovechkin's performance makes him a choke artist, and Crosby's performance was marginal - nay, fractional - by comparison, and against the same Canadiens team playing WITHOUT THEIR 4 BEST DEFENSEMEN, doesn't that make Crosby a CHOKE PICASSO!?!? You know my answer.

Sidney Crosby: Choke Picasso. Seen with two of his lesser-known works: Malkin and Fleury.

UPDATE: Since the point of this post is being horribly misconstrued, I'll state it explicitly: it's absurd to pin team successes and failures on one player, isn't it? You can't give Crosby the credit for winning a Cup and a Gold in order to deride Ovechkin for choking, unless you're also willing to blame Crosby entirely for the Pens losing. There is a logical fluidity here that the anonymous fly-by Pens fans are having trouble with in the comments. Consider yourself learned.

Are the Caps in Halak's Head?

At around the 1:45 mark of this interview, Ovechkin stated the following in regards to Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak:

"I was watching the replay when Fehrsie scored the goal [in Game 2]. And his arm was shaking when he drink water. He is nervous. He knows all the pressure is on him and it's a good sign for us."

I watched the goal highlight again, and sure enough around the 0:16 mark...



Looks like a shaky goalie to me. We'll see if it translates to Halak's home ice too. Safe to say, though, Halak's facing an offensive giant that has awoken from its slumber. And he knows it.

Caps Sweep Regular Season vs. Pens; Are NHL's Current Hottest Team

So much for "coasting" into the playoffs. That's four wins in a row, tops in the NHL at the moment:

1. basically without even trying,
2. against teams trying their faces off, and
   
3. without their/the NHL's best defenseman (Green) for the past two.

Wishin' you were still in red, Brent?

I should note the Blackhawks have four wins in a row too; but the Caps beat them most recently, so tie goes to the awesome.

Other sweet things about tonight: (and why didn't someone alert me to the simplicity radness of bullet points earlier?)

1. The Caps swept the season series from the Pens.
   
2. The Pens are now 0-9-1 against the Caps (0-3-1) and Devils (0-6) this season, the East's #1 and #2 teams, respectively. But the regular season means nothing. Sure.
3. Ovechkin potted two, and is now tied with Crosby for the lead in the Richard race (48).
4. The Caps continue to get absolutely screwed on the penalty disparity against the Pens, yet equal them in power play goals. 1-4 for the Pens, 1-1 for the Caps. That's 15 games in a row where the Pens have had as many or more power plays than the Caps. Hmm.
5. Jeff Schultz.

As for Schultz. If he remains healthy (quickly, find some wood and knock on it), this will be the first playoffs these Caps have ever had with him. If you recall, he was injured against the Flyers in '08, and broke his rib during game 1 against the Rags last spring and missed the rest of the playoffs.

His presence would be at least a good thing, possibly a great thing. He was a +5 with 2 assists tonight while logging 25 minutes of ice time. He absolutely shut down Crosby (power play goal) and whatever other chumps pass for "scorers" on the Pens these days. My subjective memory tells me that Malkin has a hard time solving Schultz's well-positioned, large body. What I'm saying is, Schultz could just be the secret playoff weapon nobody is talking about. If tonight is any indicator, I am right.

So hooray to the streaking Caps, losing Pens, the magical Mr. Nasty and Ovechkin back where he belongs atop the goal-scoring charts. I cannot wait to see these dinguses in the playoffs.

[Image via REUTERS/Jason Cohn]

This Is Why People Think Crosby is a Loser

I have to admit, sometimes I don't get the blind hatred for Sidney Crosby. He is a great hockey player and a respected leader of his teams. Recently he's even proven to be clutch. Let's just admit it, mmkay? So when people whine "Crysby" this and "whiny little baby" that, I often shrug my shoulders and go "meh." Maybe it's just the hockey fan in me. But then a moment like tonight's comes along, and I am reminded why people think Sidney Crosby is a loser.

Now, the replay cuts in before we can see what incited #87, so the video is sort of lacking context. But short of Zetterberg slicing Crosby's first-born son to pieces - an impossibility considering that Crosby still lives with uncle Mario - context cannot explain the extent of this childish behavior. All that can explain it is "loserness."



The game is over. Zetterberg's back is turned. Accept defeat and move along. Don't cross-check a guy from behind to start a pointless fight. Ovechkin gets all the grief these days for being "dirty" and "reckless," but he'd never react to a loss like such a sore loser. You'd also never see Ovechkin joining a fight he wasn't involved in...



...nor would you see Ovechkin jump and sucker punch a guy before a face-off (start at 0:36 mark):



I mean really. What a joke. So thank you, Mr. Crosby, for reminding me why I'm supposed to hate you. It'll make Ovechkin's inevitable triumph over you that much sweeter. I'm not even afraid of the jinx anymore. Ovechkin eats jinxes for breakfast and craps victory.

Do You Realize How Good Nicklas Backstrom Is?

After Ovechkin received his game-misconduct early in the 1st period today, the NBC announcers left the Caps for dead. They kept harping on how this is Ovi's team, and they lacked spark without him, and the outlook seemed hopeless, and yada yada yada. All of it was true. One salient fact was overlooked, however: Nicklas Backstrom was on the ice.

There are a handful players in hockey who you can tell immediately what kind of game they're going to have; but only a few where you can tell that kind of game is going to involve total domination. Backstrom is one of those elite few, and he had that jump in his step today. The announcers didn't seem to realize this.

Even through the sluggish first two periods, he was the most noticeable player on the ice. He skated hard every shift, challenged the vaunted 'Hawks defensive corps one-on-one and had the puck on a string all game long. When it mattered most he grinded out an ugly rebound goal to cut the deficit to 1. Then in OT, he stifled a 'Hawks scoring chance on the doorstep and turned it up ice before absolutely OWNING two Canadian Olympians (Seabrook and Keith) with a curl-and-drag for the game-winner. Oh and he added an assist for good measure.

Backstrom is one of only two NHL players in the top 5 in points, assists and +/-. He is quietly one of the best defensive forwards in the league. He won a completely unwinnable game almost single-handedly. When Eric Belanger skated off the ice after the game, he told Pierre McGuire: "we never did that in Minnesota." That's because you never had a guy like Nicklas Backstrom on your team. Ovechkin for good reason overshadows him, but world, you are on notice: Nicklas Backstrom is an unstoppable hockey machine too.

Wilbon Blows My Mind Yet Again

Michael Wilbon is an idiot.

In his recent column for WaPo's "World Wide Wilbon", he goes above and beyond what I consider ignorant and irresponsible journalism. I say stupid things from time to time, but I'm just a guy blogging for fun. I don't get paid. Wilbon gets paid. To constantly say things devoid of logic and fact:

One of the biggest Olympic winners has to be Canada's Sidney Crosby, who at 22 years old has already won Olympic Gold, the World Championship and the Stanley Cup.

Sidney Crosby has never won a World Championship. Never. Last time he participated, Canada was shut out 5-0 by Finald in the bronze medal game. Canada did win the World Championship in 2007, but without Crosby. Oh, and by the way, Ovechkin won a World Championship with Russia in 2008. Excellent reasearch, Wilbon. I'm glad you're too busy to spend 46 seconds on the internet like the rest of the truth-seeking world.

These graphics from Wikipedia, albeit not the most reliable source but in this case 100% accurate, would have been tremendously helpful. Ovechkin's and Crosby's International histories:

Then:

Right now, Ovechkin would need a telescope to see Crosby, who's that far ahead in this race.

Crosby won a cup his third trip to the playoffs. Ovechkin will presumably participate in his third postseason this spring. Crosby has an MVP trophy. Ovechkin has two. Crosby has a World Junior Championship. Guess what? So does Ovechkin. Because Wilbon doesn't really follow hockey and instead dabbles when tempted to rile up the Caps' fanbase for no particular reason, he couldn't possibly have understood that the Penguins' rebuilding process essentially began one year earlier than the Caps'. And why would he? It's not like we're talking about the NBA, so who cares?!

Another priceless quote, this time regarding Ovechkin's semi-altercation with a fan holding a camera:

Somehow, Ovechkin's lapses in judgment (or was it a disregard of civility?) went largely unnoticed. Ovechkin is damn lucky he's not black and playing basketball; my brethren in the national (and local) media would have put on their Sunday church robes and preached him to death by now. We'd have read about "those thug basketball players" and such. Ovechkin, apparently, is for whatever reasons, beyond their reach. He's untouchable. All these folks writing and talking about the Winter Olympics and I haven't seen a word of criticism directed at Ovechkin, famous as he is.

I just...can't...no words. None. Links to contradict his assertion that Ovechkin is "untouchable"? Sure, here are just a few: THN, Puck Daddy, Deadspin...But Wilbon, perhaps the reason Ovechkin isn't being crucified (in your eyes, at least) is because nobody really knows the truth behind the camera incident. It's all speculation.

Unless, of course, google translations of youtube videos in which Ovechkin is described as a "100-pound hockey player" are considered fact. Then I profusely apologize for discrediting your opinion.

The Bog already touched on this in depth, and a lot that is said here is somewhat repetitive. I just had to get my two cents now so I can mentally prepare for Wilbon's next truly groundbreaking story.

Caps Vancouver Scorecard: How'd They Do?

Sidney Crosby scores the gold medal-winner while Alex Ovechkin gets torch duty at the closing ceremony. That's about all you need to know about how the Olympics ended if you're a Caps fan. But let's not let one sour ending obscure the fact that this was an incredible tournament for fans of hockey, both new and veteran; there's no better advocate for the game than the game itself when it's played in such a fashion.

But what about the players the Caps sent to Vancouver? Five players represented three countries, and all are returning to Washington without medals of any kind; raise your hand if you picked Sami Lepisto to medal over Ovechkin and I'll give you a loonie.

Take a bow, Lars. [NHL]

Now that the games are behind us, let's review the Olympic exploits of the Washington contingent and rate them, figure-skating style, based on expectations:

Semyon Varlamov, Russia - 10.0

The young Russian didn't play a single minute at the Olympics, and that's just as the Caps wanted it. He was there to learn while not getting re-injured, and watching games from the press box next to Vlad Tretiak isn't a bad way to do that. Incidentally, the Caps first player back from Vancouver made 30 saves for Hershey last night, so it appears that he's finding his game. Let's hope all that knowledge turns into wins in D.C. come April.

Nicklas Backstrom, Sweden - 9.1

Many observers expected the Olympics to be Backstrom's Bäckström's turn in the spotlight, and the young Swede did not disappoint, leading his team in scoring (1G, 5A) while averaging around 19 minutes in six games, without taking a single penalty. More impressively, it appears the young Swede has firmly planted himself as Sweden's top pivot, skating more minutes than Henrik Sedin and Henrik Zetterberg. For a national team that prides itself in skill down the middle as the Swedes do, that's worth celebrating (and rewarding with a long-term deal).

Tomas Fleischmann, Czech Republic - 6.2

Not a bad showing for Flash, who posted three points (1G, 2A) in five games while skating second- and third-line minutes for a plucky Czech squad that was ultimately bounced by Ovechkin's shoulderRussia. He played mostly at center, but it will be interesting to see if he stays there when the Caps take the ice on Wednesday in Buffalo.

Alex Ovechkin, Russia - 4.5

Perhaps the most hyped player in the tournament, from gap-toothed grin to flame-adorned skates, Ovechkin registered two goals, two assists, one symbolic hit for the ages and one unproductive shootout, while averaging more than 18 minutes in four games for a dysfunctional, miserably-coached Russian squad, of which he was the face. That's the good news. The bad news: Ovechkin's off-ice behavior, primarily an embarrassing camera-shoving incident, has damaged his off-ice image worse than his team's on-ice performance against Canada. For a fan base that takes anything negative written about Ovechkin as a personal affront, that matters in this equation, if not on the ice. Oh, and now it's Crosby 2, Ovechkin 0. Your move, Alex.

Alexander Semin, Russia - 3.1

A disappointing tournament for Ovechkin's linemate, but what were you really expecting? Yes, he showed nice chemistry with Ovechkin on occasion, and yes, his pass to Evgeni Malkin for the goal of the olympics was a thing of beauty, but twice the number of PIMs (4) as points (2) is simply unacceptable...and yet, not entirely unexpected either. Sigh. But on the plus side: Semin can throw his weight around when it matters least!

Caps Schedule Down the Stretch

With all five Olympians headed home empty-handed and the season's "second half" less than a week away, now's as good a time as ever to focus all our energy on the one thing that could save this city: Washington Capitals hockey.

The Caps schedule down the stretch is extremely favorable. Some numbers for you:

• Only 8 of their remaining 20 games will be played against current playoff teams: @BUF, @CHI, PIT, CGY, OTT, BOS, @PIT, BOS.
• 12 games will be played at the Verizon Center (23-3-3).
• 8 games will be played on the road (18-10-5).
• The combined record of the Caps opponents is 573-480-170, a win percentage of .538. For comparison's sake, the current easiest strength of schedule is .547. Who holds this distinction? None other than the Caps, clearly victims of never having to play themselves.

Assuming the Southeast Division is wrapped up in only a few weeks (the magic number is currently 15 points and will only decrease once play resumes), the Caps will look to clinch home ice throughout the entire playoffs. The final 20-game schedule is very, very exploitable.

I guess three questions remain before we begin the final trek; these will hopefully be addressed later in the week:

1) How will a monumental Olympic collapse affect Alex Ovechkin's game down the stretch?

2) Will the goaltender "situation" sort itself out any time soon?

3) What the HELL is George McPhee gonna do come March 3, trade deadline time???

The Perfect Day of Hockey - The Symbolic Hit

USA wins, Ovie crushes Jagr, Backstrom scores, and Crosby stinks, what else can I ask for? We've had some great days of hockey recently, but in case you have been living in a bombshelter, the American men pulled off a major upset of Canada, 5-3, thanks to 42 saves from Ryan Miller. I know, I know, not everyone around is rooting for the most powerful country in the world, but most of us Caps fans are American, and have to dislike Canada for keeping Mike Green off of the team. This is only the first round, so lets not begin putting this in the same sentence as 'the Miracle on Ice', which pitted amateurs against pros in a knockout game. But for us DC fans, seeing team Canada crash and burn without the help of Mike Green is sweet; it also is satisfying to see the guy who made the team ahead of LamborGreeny, Drew Doughty, somehow lead Canada in ice time and generate nothing on the scoresheet except for a -1. Even sweeter is seeing Sidney Crosby post an embarrassing -3, which included deflecting the first American goal into his own net. You know what I realized tonight? I am happy Crosby is not American, so I don't ever have to cross my allegiances because of him.

On top of that, Ovie is making headlines for his open-ice destruction of Jaromir Jagr.

This massacre is already being called "The Hit", which is funny because the play is not something completely out of the ordinary for the best hockey player in the world. My favorite part of the hit is not just that Ovie is garnering all the love for being a badass, but that he crushed Jaromir freakin' Jagr, aka public enemy #2 of Caps fans, behind Crosby. Of all the players in the world, Jagr may even be the guy I want Ovie to crush the most; the beautiful symbolism of the Caps successful present and bright future crushing the bad memory of the past is just too perfect.

Note: the original video posted was removed, the best clip I could find is the attached one and I have no idea why a cat playing the piano is involved.

(Image courtesy of media.nj.com)

Ovechkin v. Crosby - America's New Favorite Matchup?

Granted: ESPN.com polls are unscientific. Granted: the question is quite narrow. Granted: over 60% of voters chose a different matchup. Granted: A 1.3 overnight rating for NBC's Sunday afternoon Caps-Pens ridiculously awesome game is relatively small.

But still. Nearly 30,000 votes are in as of late Monday evening and the results are surprising, especially for ESPN readership.

Hooray for pluralities! Now, the voting map has few surprises:


But Arizona and Nevada!?!? Bettman, you see that? The gamblers want in!

Caps, Bears and Ovie Show the Penguins, Lil' Penguins and Crosby Who's Their Daddy

If you were too buried in snow to see yesterday's Caps-Pens game, find a replay and watch the best win in DC sports in a while. Not only did the Caps beat their arch-rival, the Pens, but they did it in the biggest game of the NHL season thus far, and in incredibly dramatic fashion for their 14th straight win. I thought the Rags win was as good as it can get for a regular season game, and I'll admit that the Redskin playoff victory 4 years ago over Tampa got me more excited, but I'll put this game up with anything I've experienced; this is one we'll remember forever, just awesome.


What you may already know is that the Penguins were up 2-0 after the first period, thanks to a couple goals from Sidney Crosby, eventually held a 3 goal lead, but were then rocked by an Ovie hat trick that brought the game to 4-4 and sent the contest to overtime, where Ovie rang the pipe for the game winning assist to finish the 5-4 comeback victory.

What you may not know is that while the Caps were playing the Penguins, the 'lil Caps', aka the Hershey Bears, were playing the 'lil Pens', aka the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins; nothing crazy there, but get this: the 'lil Penguins' took a 2-0 lead after 1 period, eventually grew their lead to 3 goals, then succumbed to a Bears rally led by a Mathieu Perrault hat trick that brought the game to 4-4 and sent the game to OT, where Perrault had the assist on the game winning goal to cap the Bears 5-4 comeback victory. You can't make this stuff up. The Caps have now won 14 in a row (and 17 out of 18), with the NHL record of 17 looming. The Bears have won 10 in a row, and 22 of their last 23 dating back to December 12th. While this doesn't quite make up for game 7 last year, let alone the years of pain at the hands of the Penguins, this sure feels pretty amazing.

One thing this game did clear up for a few idiots in the rest of the world is that Alex Ovechkin is the best player in hockey, hands down. Sure Crosby captained a cup winning team last year and stepped up with 2 first period goals in this huge game, but Ovie took over the contest. Big players make big plays in big games, and Ovie rose to the occasion. Although the hat trick and game winning assist should be all the evidence you need, Crosby was virtually non-existent after the first period, whereas Ovie only seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.



Count Mike Milbury among the potential converts, as he proclaimed after the 1st period that Crosby's 2 goals were his way of saying, "'Hey Ovi, I'm still your daddy right now?'" Milbury also said Crosby's performance was "pretty special in the first period." Too bad his performance was pretty ordinary in the 2nd, 3rd, and overtime periods, when Ovie proceeded to show Crosby who the best player in the league is. As you may have heard, Milbury completely ducked this question in the following intermissions, and when asked about the comment by a Caps blogger, ended up in a physical fight. At this point, if you don't think the 2-time defending league MVP is the best player in the world, then you are a blatant homer or hold some irrational bias. Ovie is averaging almost 1/3 of a point per game more than any other player in the league - that is absurd! I understand that it can get boring having the same guy win MVP every year (see Malone, Karl over Jordan, Michael for MVP in 1997), but when one guy is the best player year in and year out, then he deserves the award every season.

This may not mean much if we implode in the playoffs, but for one sweet, sweet day, the Caps organization showed the entire Penguins organization who's their daddy.

(Image courtesy of AP via Japers Rink)