Opening Night!

I've been waiting for this day for quite a while now. After barely getting to see any caps playoff games back in spring due to exams (remember I live 5 hours ahead!), I can watch a caps game again. I'll be staying up until 2:30 AM to watch the Capitals destroy the Canes. I know caps fans all feel really optimistic at the start of every season, but I just have a feeling that 2011/2012 will be the Caps' year. We have strengthened our roster considerably, adding a top 5 goaltender in Voukon, and clutch players Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer. But then again, we will have to see what happens in the next couple of weeks to get a more realistic prediction. 

Right now, I see the Caps as a very realistic Cup contender, with the Canucks, Bruins, Sharks and Penguins being their main rivals.

In an unrelated note, in two weeks time, I will be flying out to North America for ten days. I'll be in NYC, Boston and Montreal, and I will see my first ever NHL game (Boston vs Montreal). I can't wait, and I will keep updates on the trip.

Caps win last preseason games, Go 3-3-1.

That's what I'm talking about! The Caps went into their last two games with a realistic regular season lineup, and they did well!

Firstly, the shootout win in Buffalo was promising. It was really good to see Troy Brouwer combine well with Backstrom and Ovi to let Backstrom score - this is now a possible line for BB. Also, a goal from Mike Green, proving he's still the same player since his injuries earlier this year, and another goal from Matt Hendricks, showing why he has earned his 1-way contract. A shootout goal in the 6th round from Backstrom was enough to seal the win. A good game from the Caps.


In their final preseason game, the Caps took on Chicago, and came out with a convincing 4-1 win.  The game started off badly, with Hossa scoring for Chicago within the first couple of minutes, but the Caps rallied, scoring three unanswered goals from Perreault, Laich and Green. Jay Beagle iced the cake with a minute to go with an empty net goal. Neuvirth was in net, saving 28 shots, and of course only letting one by, with a save percentage of .966, so arguably he was the star here.

In an unrelated note, I would like to thank the guys from Russian Machine Never Breaks (RMNB) for sending out a tweet about my blog last night!