Varly’s down with an injury, Neuwirth called up

According to the press release, Varly is on day to day with a lower body injury. Let’s hope it’s just soreness and that he’s okay. Jose in the net tonight.

Caps/Lightening Game Day and thoughts about smackdowns

So the Caps play Tampa Bay tonight, and Ovechkin is back in the lineup. I’m cautiously happy about this. The team has been doing VERY well sans the Great 8, and the reasons for Ovie’s absence are not good ones.

He was suspended for two games for that knee-on-knee with Gleason. I don’t think he should have been, because I think suspensions should be handed down for intended maliciousness, not for accidents. Ovie, while he skates on the edge and is a wild, vibrant player, is NOT dirty and would never target someone like that. On top of it all, he was hurt far worse than Gleason. Therefore, I’m concerned his suspension may have messed with his head a bit.

Ovie says he doesn’t care what people think about him, and maybe it’s true, but I think he does care about the game and playing it hard and clean. It’s easy to ignore people calling you dirty when you’ve never been suspended, but he’s been suspended twice now for things he shouldn’t have been suspended for.

Add to that, the team really HAS been doing a great job without him. They’ve stepped up to keep things together while he and Knuble are out. Will they be able to keep up this level of dominating play when Ovie comes back? Will Ovie be able to mesh with the team as they have been playing?

Or will the team as a whole slip back into some bad habits where they wait for Ovie to be spectacular and snatch victory from the jaws of not playing a full 60 minutes of hockey when they damn well should have?

Watching the Caps/Thrashers game with the folks at Japer’s Rink

Gotta love it. The Caps are up three to nothing and Japer’s is always a good place to be if you can’t be at the game.

Caps win home opener 4 -1 against the Bruins

And I missed nearly all of it. I didn’t get home until the third period, but IT’S HOCKEY SEASON!!!

Finally!

And what a way to start out. What I did get to watch…wow, controlled, focused play. Great communication and team awareness on the ice. Fantastic PK. Jose looking rock solid in the net. And all this on the road.

I can’t stop grinning.

Rangers Beat Caps 3-2

Well, it is what it is, but it was the first actual hockey game I’ve gotten to see since development camp.

Some thoughts -

Sugden more then held his own with Brash. I have to say, though, it’s weird seeing Brash on another team.

Aucoin had a really good game.

Jose held it together fairly well. He seemed more solid to me than he has in the past.

Ovie seemed a bit erratic to me, and I got really tired of listening to the Rangers’ announcers coo over how little body fat Ovie has.

Watching the game online with the crew over at Japers’ Rink is a total blast.

What is NHL.com thinking?

They have video clips of ‘Ten Best Goals of the Year’, and Varlamov’s amazing steal from Crosby is NOT ON THERE.

If they mean of the regular season, they should say that. Otherwise, Varley’s save belongs on that list.

Ovie – Class Act

I watched the NHL awards last night.

Um…yeah. I really preferred last year’s ceremony. That’s all I can really say without breaking the ‘if you can’t say something nice’ rule of thumb.

Well, except for this – I think Ovechkin is a class act. I’m happy he won his awards this year, even though I know he would rather have the Stanley Cup. But what got me was how the first thing he did was congratulate the Penguins on their win. He has more reasons to be upset about that than any fan, yet he was gracious and sincere (at least to my ears). What a guy.

I think we’re beyond lucky to have a guy like that fronting our team.

Hockey and fighting – a sport within a sport

I had a great conversation with a friend of mine today, and part of it involved fights in hockey.

Honestly, I’m a fairly new hockey fan. The first rush of astounded delight when I saw my first game from start to finish in February of 2007 has given way to intense fascination and the need to absorb as much information – rules, lore, history, stats, games – as I can. 

Look, after being a sports-free zone for 36 years (no the olympics do not count, they are every four years and don’t require the dedication it takes to support a team season in and season out, win or lose), no one is more surprised than I am with my hockey mania. My friends are tolerant, my family is bemused.

Whatever, just don’t get in my way when a game’s on.

And back to the fighting thing. 

BH (Before Hockey) I really didn’t pay attention to the sport other than to laugh at the jokes about going to a fight and a hockey game broke out. It really didn’t sound appealing at all as I’m not a violent type and, folks, take it from someone who has only recently come in out of the wilderness – LOTS of people only hear about the fighting and think of hockey players as thugs on ice.

But I’ve learned differently and this is what Hockey and Fighting really are – A sport within a sport.

Hockey is the main event, but within the milieu of skating and passing, offense and defense, there is element of Boxing. 

If Boxing is a legitimate sport, then stop making fun of the fights in hockey, all you hockey mockers, because a hockey fight is also a sport. 

I think it’s a question of people being confused because similar games – Football, Soccer, Basketball – don’t have this sort of hybrid tradition.

Some folks just don’t like peanut butter in their chocolate.

Sure there are guys who jump on other people during a hockey fight already in progress and punch at things that ought not to be punched, but a good hockey fight is as mannered and as ruled as boxing or fencing. Face off, drop the gloves, keep the helmet on (as much as possible), keep your jersey on (the fight strap is your friend), first guy on the ice loses. 

This isn’t someone beating the tar out of someone else for ice chips and giggles. This is about enforcing, this is about intimidation, this is about defense, this is about grabbing momentum and energy by the freaking throat and making it go your way. It’s a battle, and it’s never pretty, but if the rules are obeyed, it’s a hell of a lot less damaging than a boxing match.

Thoughts on Caps Hockey this season

Well, heck. 

I’m of two minds right now as I think about this year’s season of Caps hockey, and for some reason the two minds are playing tennis with each other.

Yay! Caps hockey, exciting because of the energy and enthusiasm of the team!

Boo! Caps hockey, exciting (heart attack inducing) because of inconsistency in front of the net and in the net.

Yay! We made it to the playoffs!

Boo! We got knocked out in the second round by the Penguins.

Yay! WE MADE IT FURTHER IN THE PLAYOFFS THAN LAST YEAR!

Boo! When the guys think they have it in the bag they let up and fumble.

Yay! VARLAMOV!

Um…can’t really see a downside to that one. Also, I have to say when the injury report came out after the end of round two, I was very impressed with how the guys kept battling. I know there is no way I would be able to do anything but sit on the sofa and feel sorry for myself if I had broken bones. The upshot for me is that Washington D.C. is far better off as a hockey town than it was last year. Also, the goalie situation is a lot brighter than it was.

The team has loads of potential and some very concrete things to work on this summer. This effort will certainly pay off next year because the work ethic these men have is stunning. 

Listen, it was a wild ride this year and the guys show every sign of improvement.