Caps Take A 2-0 Series Lead

High blood pressure. That was the common phrase for game 2 from the phone booth in DC. Three periods couldn't pick a winner so a fourth was needed and the Caps dominated the extra period from start to finish. Don't believe me? The Caps outshot the Rangers 8-0 and scored a game winning goal on the eighth shot in overtime.

For a full 60 minutes, neither the Caps or the Rangers scored a goal. The battle was mostly along the boards or as Pierre McGuire put it, "Behind the icing line." Seriously Pierre? The, "icing line?" No one calls it that. Technically its still the goal line. You could also call it the goal line extended like in lacrosse and no one would mock you. The icing line? No, just, no! NBC didn't stop there though, they filed a complaint that the Verizon Center was too loud. I'm proud of you Caps fans! 

Anyways, 60 minutes of high octane action wouldn't cut it. The game went into OT and Mike "Game Over" Green finished off the Rangers 8 minutes into OT. Henrik Lundqvist finished the game with 37 saves and played an outstanding game. He even earned first star of the game. Some of the saves he made where something that I can't explain. However, if you want an explanation and some great entertainment, maybe @CapitalsJesus can help. This hysterical account opened up just prior to the game. It is worth a follow as it has provided me plenty of entertainment during the game. 

The Caps take a commanding 2-0 lead on the series after this afternoons 1-0 OT win. The series moves to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Monday May 6th, 2013 at 7:30. I hope the guy that harassed my dad and I outside of MSG when we watched the Caps beat the Rangers 3-2 in a shootout on March 24th, 2013 is there and cries when we lose. That drunkard deserves it (haha)!

Until Next Time,

Will Hirsch 

It's Nice to be Important, but It's More Important to be Nice.

Game one went well.  Alex Ovechkin demonstrated a little more of his MVP-ness, Marcus Johansson did that really cool break-away thing, Jason Chimera was bear-hugged into the boards by Karl Alzner, oh and Holtby--and the crossbar--made a few great saves.  That's all fine and dandy if this were a post-game analysis, but that's not my intent.  I'd like to talk to you today about manners and hockey etiquette.

I was lucky enough to attend game one, and it was a very fun time for the most part.  Sure there was an annoying Rangers fan sitting a few rows ahead of me, and sure he danced when they scored their one goal...but he wasn't hurting anyone.  Cue the obnoxiously loud guy a few rows back.

I'm not trying to say that it's wrong to yell during a sporting event, or that fans shouldn't encourage a rivalry with each other--I myself shouted "Rangers Suck" across my college campus at a guy in a blue sweater--but it is wrong when the vocabulary takes a hurtful, if not hateful, turn.

I won't say the word that this man was shouting, or allude to it, but it was used very liberally.  He threw it around like Brock Lesnar throwing around 3MB.  He is a very vocal and obnoxious minority of Caps fans, and of hockey fans in general.  He wanted to be noticed and he wanted to make the entire game about him.  As the cool-minded majority, we need to report that kind of abusive and hateful commentary when it springs up.  It's fans like him that give hockey fans everywhere a bad name.

That's How You Do It - Caps Win Game 1!

Ovi reels away after scoring


 

The Caps came into last night's game, their first of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. knowing that they would face a tough series against the team that ruined their dreams in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals last year. They certainly showed they were ready for a good series with a great performance:

Caps/Jets Post-Game

The Washington Capitals faced off against the Winnipeg Jets tonight in a pivotal game.  The last ever Southeast Division title was on the line, and whoever wins it is all-time Southeast Division Champions.

Matt Hendricks gave Caps fans something to cheer about early when he banked a shot off the back of Pavelec and into the net at the 3:12 mark in the first period.  Only a few minutes later the Jets pressured and Big John Erskine was sent to the penalty box after a diving, last-ditch effort to stop a shot on a wide-open cage.
This is the point in the game that I went to make an omelette--ham, spinach, and Monterey Jack cheese--so I wasn't as closely glued to my keyboard to type the events.
The Jets had another near-miss with roughly seven minutes left in the first when a puck flip over Holtby and Erskine saved the day yet again by knocking the puck away from the line before it went into the net.  It was immediately called by the official to not be a goal and the play would go upstairs where the call on the ice was upheld.  Later in the period Matty P camped himself behind Pavelec's net and passed the puck out to a waiting Jason Chimera in front who pocketed his third goal of the season and gave the Caps a 2-0 lead in a game which they took into the second period.

The second period did not go well at first.  At the beginning of the period Evander Kane choke-slammed some of the momentum away from the Caps with an early power play goal, and Blake Wheeler tied it with 5:49 left to go in the period.  It wouldn't be long, twenty-seven seconds, before Nick Backstrom redirected a pass from Alex Ovechkin past Pavelec to give the Caps their lead back.  Then with 2:26 remaining Jack Hillen jumped into the play to put a shot on Pavelec and Matty P was there to knock home the rebound for his sixth goal of the season and second point on the night, and he gave the Caps their two goal lead back, which they would hold on to going into the third period.

The third period was quiet for a long time, until a Brouwer breakaway chance that missed but led to a strong series of chances for Washington, including a Volpatti backhander that hit the post.  A few minutes later Nik Antropov would shoot a wristshot past Holtby and under the crossbar to heat up the last eight minutes.  Then things got real real when Matty P. high-sticked Nik Antropov with five minutes remaining.  The Caps would have to kill it off to maintain their one goal lead.  The Caps' pk came up big, allowing the 'Peg zero shots during their power play chance.  Then with Alex-Semin.8 seconds left in the third Alex Ovechkin put a shot into the empty net and an awkward George McPhee celebrated.

Your Washington Capitals are the all-time, winner-takes-all, very-last Southeast Division Champs.

Caps beat Habs 5-1, Ovechkin's On Fire and Playoff Berth Edges Closer

Ovechkin celebrates one of his two goals

After the Senators snapped the Caps' eight game winning streak, this writer was worried that the result could  be a slide out of the playoff spots in the remaining games, but I needn't have panicked - because the Washington Capitals are ready to play some playoff hockey.
With Winnipeg losing in a shootout to the Islanders earlier in the day, the Caps knew that a win would put them three points above their Southeast division rivals with just three games to go in the regular season - and win they did, recap is below the jump....

Caps lose to Senators 3-1 in Possible Playoff Matchup

Green lays out Zibanejad

It had to end somewhere - the Caps' 8 game winning streak ended in Ottawa last night after a 3-1 loss. This score could have some important consequences on the playoffs (or lack thereof), but for now, onto the recap:

- After Washington's penalty kill was successful twice through the first period, with good defense from both teams, the action really started in the second period.
- The Senators came out for the second strong - with just a minute gone on the clock, Kyle Turris got the first of the night.
- It took ten minutes for the next score, with Ribz coming up to equalise with his thirteenth of the season, assisted  by new man Erat and Hillen.
- However, this was erased after just two minutes , after Conacher satched one for the Sens
- Despite two Capitals powerplays in the third, the score remained the same until Turris got his second of the night with Holtby pulled. The Caps lost 3-1.

This loss could be critical down the line. After Winnipeg's OT win against Carolina, they are now just two points behind the Caps in the standings with just four games to go - and as the 'Peg are in 9th place, this means there is no certainty of hockey for the Caps in May. Also, as the standings currently are, the Caps would actually face the Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarter final. Seeing as the Caps have lost both meetings with the Sens this year, this could be a bad sign (although they can redeem themselves on April 25 when they face off again.)

The Caps just have to put this loss past them, and there is no reason why they can't. Holtby did play well, stopping 33 of 35 shots he faced - those are playoff numbers. Whilst Ovechkin didn't score, he is still in great form and leads the NHL in scoring. Next opponent for the Caps comes in the form of Montreal, who are leading the Northeast Division but are 5-5-0 in the last ten, so this is by no means an impossible game for the Caps. After that, a crucial game against the Jets. 

Let's go Caps!

The British Invasion!

One of the most common questions I get about supporting the Caps is how I follow the team from so far away. Well, on April 4th I can answer all of your questions. In person. At the Verizon Center. It was foretold in my interview with Puckbuddys, here, and I am pleased to say it is all going ahead!

Yes, that's right, I will be attending my first ever Caps game! Safe to say, upon finding out (in front of hundred people), I reacted like a Justin Bieber fan, almost breaking down in tears in excitement  Having seen NHL games in person twice (Boston-Montreal at TD Garden and Montreal-Florida at the Bell Center), I can't wait to see the Caps face off against the New York Islanders!

I'll be on a school trip, but I have permission to host a meetup before the puck drops. More details will be made available on twitter closer to the time, but the meetup will be inside the arena. You can ask me anything about the website, my life, my hockey career, the Caps... - anything at all! I'll have lots of questions for the vets at The Phonebooth!

Caps fans, show us Brits all you've got! Rock the Red, Unleash the Fury and chant "Isles suck!"

See you there!

#TheBritishInvasion