Quick Notes

The Caps won their last preseason game against the Nashville Predators 2-1. Washington's goals came from Jay Beagle and Mike Green, and goaltender Michael Neuvirth was 13/14 in saves, as he started the entire game.

Today, Matt Hendricks, the LadyHatTrick award winner of the preseason (he scored a hat trick in Washington's 6-2 win over Columbus) signed a one-year contract with the Caps.

In case you were wondering, one of the Caps' blast-from-the-past players, Brian Willsie, was released and places on waivers...
...Okay, I didn't think you cared either. I just thought to let you know.

Tomorrow, the Capitals play their first game at the Verizon Center this preseason against the Boston Bruins (1-1-1 in preseason) at 7:00 pm. By now, the Caps have cut their roster down to 33 players in time for tomorrow's match. Washington will follow tomorrow's game with another face-off against the Bruins on Wednesday, this time in Boston.

Finally, as a sidenote, there's an on-going battle among outsiders about who is to be the #1 starting goalie this season for Washington: Semyon Varlamov or Michael Neuvirth. Both have been very good in their first two starts (Varlamov played 30 minutes in Columbus and stopped all shots), and both have seen significant time with the big club. Now that the job is between the two, I will ask you which do you think should start for the Caps.

Stay tuned for more Caps' notes/news soon. Just an update to make sure everyone knows I'm alive.

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NFC East Notes:

The Dallas Cowboys finally won their first game of the season by the way in a solid 27-13 victory over the Houston Texans. The Redskins and Giants both lost, however, and the Eagles continue to perform strongly with Michael Vick as their starting quarterback. Nonetheless, the Eagles have had the easiest schedule in the division, so I'm not putting too much weight on that.

Just thought I'd share.

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MLB Notes:

You'll get MLB notes once the playoffs begin.

Caps win first preseason game

Put one in the "win" column for Washington as the Caps ran through the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight 6-2. Tonight's goal scorers were Tomas Fleischmann (2), Matt Hendricks (3), and Cody Eakin.

However, my top player for the game was Marcus Johansson. I planned on scrutinizing him during this game to see how he would show up in real in-game situations. When I saw him during rookie camp, he was impressive, but I never put too much weight on how he would perform for the actual team. He had a solid game with two assists and finishing +2 for the night. His passing and playmaking was what I hoped to see from a center who wants a spot on the big squad.

Semyon Varlomov was also solid through 30 minutes, allowing no goals and going 20-for-20 in net. Braden Holtby came in for the next half of the game and stopped 17 shots allowing in only two goals.

I was least impressed with Alex Semin, who took half of Washington's penalties, including a late slashing call. I don't understand how he continues to make these silly stick infractions, and I understand it's only preseason, but if Flash can at least show up during the preseason, it would be nice for Semin to as well.

Otherwise, for a first game, the Capitals looked pretty good. Next analysis of the team will come at the end of preseason. Definitely happy that hockey is back. So necessary... now to get these preseason games on TV... *spoiled*

Caps Preseason to Begin Tonight - mini analysis

Hello everyone! I'm finally back to writing about the sport that brought all of us together on this page - hockey! Last night, I caught myself watching the few preseason games that were televised, specifically the Flyers/Devils game where the Flyers won 4-3 in a shootout) and the 5-0 demolishing of the Maple Leafs by the Senators. Tonight, the Washington Capitals begin their exhibition season in Columbus to face the Blue Jackets.

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The Caps will start tonight despite a quiet offseason in terms of a lack of moves to the roster. No new additions were made, and only until later did Washington lose a player. Of course, we all know now that player was Eric Belanger, who was promised a trade would be made so that he can remain on the team, but that that trade was never made, and Belanger moved on to sign with Phoenix, angry as ever at the Caps' organization. Unfortunately, I am not in the front office, and General Manager George McPhee has not said much about the lack of roster additions/trades/etc., so not much else can be confirmed about the situation; although some details that aren't really worth going into have emerged.

With Belanger gone now, the solidity of the center position is now further weakened. Other than David Steckel and the oft-injured Boyd Gordon, the Caps are left with Tomas Fleischmann, Mathieu Perreault and Marcus Johansson to fill in the remaining spots at center. With the team in "Win Now" mode, this may be seen as a questionable approach to the team's concerns regarding center.

However, as I mentioned way in the beginning in the offseason, people should hold their horses in lacking faith in the team. It should be noted that this does not mean that someone won't become available during the season. McPhee has been a fan of renting players, and may be just saving space for someone acquired before or by the trade deadline. There does not seem to be a question whether the Capitals will have the ability to win the division and do well in the playoffs. So with Washington staying competitive during the year with what they have, the mentality could be that there is no rush to improve until there is more of an indication of players' abilities and the market.

Of course, this season, most people are not going to expect the regular season the Caps had last year. Especially because the rest of the Southeast Division improved immensely during the offseason, there is no way the Capitals are winning the division by 30 points again... I don't want to say that last season was a fluke overall... But it was a fluke. This doesn't mean that the Caps weren't that much better than every other team in their division and most teams in the Eastern Conference, but just that the numbers were slightly inflated and most likely won't be repeated.

Nonetheless, the Caps' chances to win it all this year are still high. Tom Poti in his new two-year extension took a pay cut to stay in Washington because he feel his best chance to win is with Washington. Although, it should be noted, the window for winning is only open for so long. During the firesale years, fans of the Capitals were promised a Stanley Cup by now, and at this point, the Caps have had the ability to do it in the past couple of years. With enough frustration from early playoff exits, the squad probably has the drive now built up to make it as well. The ultimate judgment will come soon enough.

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By the way, in case you were wondering, the Washington Post job has been working out really well :)

The State of Women Sports Writers Just Got Really Messy

There are somethings that I can't ignore in this world: I am very, very short; I am loud; I am a woman; I am a person of color; and that somethings will never change. One of those things that will never change seems to be that the world will never be fair enough to truly accept a woman who does her job alongside men in a male-dominated field. That's just the way it is. As proof of this, this past week I have been faced with numerous people coming to me for my opinion on this matter of Ines Sainz and a few players on the NY Jets.

A recap of the incident (as many tend to just hear and never read themselves), Sainz was present at Jets practice when apparently, head coach Rex Ryan had players run drills in extremely close proximity to the sideline where Sainz was standing. Following this incident, the New York post reported that Jets players were "catcalling" Sainz and that when Sainz was confronted to see if she was okay, Jets lineman Kris Jenkins said, "This is our locker room!"

As a result of her discomfort, Sainz wrote on Twitter in Spanish about how uncomfortable she was in the locker room as she was trying to do her job, while adding that she felt that was appropriately dressed (interesting she has to add that).

A couple of days later, Redskins running back, Clinton Portis, was asked to give his thoughts on the situation (here from DC Sports Bog). His words, however, only turned this issue into an even bigger one, saying that essentially, women shouldn't be in the locker room unless they expect to get hollered at because men and women just have this undying lust for each other at all times....

Now this is a personal issue for me, and we can't get around that because, like I said, there are things I cannot ignore. Being a woman is one of them. And it is difficult for others around me to ignore that I am a woman as well. So with this knowledge, many people have asked for my opinion and wondered if I felt this was a real issue.

Having been in professional team locker rooms, specifically the Washington Capitals' locker room, I am in there to do a job. I repeat: A JOB. There has NEVER been ONE moment in my short-but-thus-far-successful sports journalism career where I spent lusting after one of the players in the locker room. When I go to cover hockey for The Hockey Writers, I don't go to the locker room with hopes of finding [insert player] putting their shirt on and that he will wink at me or something. I'm there to get some sound bites just like the rest of the writers in there so that I can complete my story efficiently.

So it hurts when someone says that I don't act professionally in a locker room because supposedly my mind is on a player's body than what my JOB is.

The other implications of what Portis said adds to this "she was asking for it" mentality. Ines Sainz is gorgeous. She is absolutely beautiful and there's not much she does to hide it; after all, why should she? Yet, according to what Portis says, because she's beautiful and walking into a locker room, if she gets disrespected, she deserved to be disrespected.

My response to that is, regardless of what she wore to Jets practice or any Jets event, the only thing she deserves is respect. When I go to Capitals games, or any sports game representing the media, I tend to dress more on the conservative side, with slacks and button downs. However, I might don the occasional business skirt, and I deserve the right to be able to walk to the locker room without fearing that some player or person is trying to find a way to look up my skirt. This code of respect toward women extends beyond sports journalism, but for now baby steps, we're just talking about at the workplace - the locker room.

Then, to add fuel to the fire, here come the media personalities (yes, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh spoke) and the real thoughts of men (message boards and post-article comments) coming to give their opinion on Ines Sainz. I heard talk that made me feel like I needed to be put back 30 years ago - people actually have been asking "should women even BE in the locker room?"

All of a sudden, all that I have worked for, all that I have done to make it this far to become a true sports journalist, is being questioned. People don't think I should have access to the same information as my male counterparts because I'm a woman!?! Because I have different sexual organs!?!? I have never been more appalled in my life that in 2010, we are questioning whether women should be near locker rooms because there is no way that either party can act professionally. Not 1678, not 1894, not 1950... 2010 we don't think that women are capable of accomplishing what men can because we're different.

Pardon me, but then it would be pretty easy to justify that women shouldn't be in the same press box as the male writers because we lust after each other too much; then we easily have something against women because if they don't receive the same access as the men do, they can't report as fruitfully as they potentially could have with the access. This leave ground for women not writing anything good and then passing it off as, "Well they couldn't handle writing for a sports team"... Just remember, you would have to ban men from women's locker rooms as well.

Finally, a point that exists, but isn't as emphasized here is the exotification of Ines Sainz. The woman is Mexican and reports for a Mexican outlet, TV Azteca. Let's be honest; in America, there is a culture where men have their fantasies about women from other countries and ethnicities. If you've been to college and taken a few sociology/gender studies courses, there's proof of it there. Having parents from South America, when I tell people this, all of a sudden there becomes this aura and out come the words: Ooooh, that's exotic... I'm not a plant or an animal, I am a human being; thus, I'm not exotic. Of course Sainz being a beautiful woman, she is objectified from the start. But the further objectification allows things like this to become acceptable, like she's a real novelty (sociology minor at American - had to note this).

I haven't even gotten into all of the problems female reporters face covering sports. But this issue between Sainz and the Jets brings out a lot of elephants in the room (it's like a herd I tell you!). I shake my head furiously at those who want to come at me for sounding like a feminist. You're absolutely right - I am a feminist in the most broadest of terms: someone who simply just wants equal rights for men and women. I will say that I certainly do not want sameness. I want my prerogative to get pretty for a night out, wear makeup and dresses, and I like getting in places for free on weekends.

But when it comes to my JOB, I take that very seriously, and as with every other job, there needs to be a sense of respect and equal treatment toward every person in that environment, man or woman. And I hope that this is not just the way it is, and that instead of blaming Sainz because of how she looks or her sexual organs, we can acknowledge that we need to focus on treating women with that respect while in the workplace. After all, We're only respecting you men by not staring at all of your "packages."

I got this job at this place... you might have heard of it...

Hello all! I know it has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time since I last wrote for you all on Crashing the Net.


Well, this post is to say that the oddities in my life that have been keeping me from posting have been resolved and I will be back on here delivering the hockey gospel that you all are so desperately waiting for. No worries - September 16th is the rookie camp for the Washington Capitals and you WILL be reading updates from here...


However, there is bigger news: I am now officially an employee of The Washington Post!!!!! Albeit, it's with high school sports, but that's how everyone gets their start. Nonetheless, I'm in! It's been a long time dream of mine to be working with them in the sports section, and finally, as a college student, I am working an entry level job at The Washington Post.


Again though, don't worry. I will continue writing for Crashing the Net and The Hockey Writers. In fact in both publications, I will have rookie camp information for you. I can't forget all of you anyway!


So I'd like to thank my readers of both Crashing the Net and The Hockey Writers, because with you reading, it kept me motivated. That only got me to do bigger and better things as time went on. It's only been just over year ONE with Crashing the Net and already I feel like I've done a lot with it. Thus, in a way, I couldn't have done it without you.


Okay enough cheese here. I will see you all at the Caps' rookie camp in a couple of weeks. Until then, sit tight, and I will return soon... *music plays*

It's been a long time...

Hello readers, new and regular:

It's been a while since I wrote my last post on Crashing the Net, or on The Hockey Writers. Many of you have contacted me about doing a new post, and trust me, I've been wanting to do another post more than anything. However, sometimes, it's not even that easy to just up and write a new post.

It is a personal issue, and I am trying my best to deal with it. I want to have time to write like I did before, and I will soon enough. But things have just been so hectic it's been hard to even go on the internet to read anything. With my classes at American about to start and my hopes of getting everything taken care of before then, I have to focus on that first and foremost.

Yes, I know you are specualting what it is. Well guess what? I'm not telling you! But regardless, it's important to me and it must be handled before I take care of anything else.

Not to worry, I will return. I'm telling you: I WILL RETURN! It may not be until the end of September or whenever, but I will be back, so stick with me! All I ask of you all is to hope everything works out for me. The sooner the better.

Thanks for your understanding guys, and I look forward to being able to give you more of what you want - MOAR HOCKEY!

Love,
Angie

Eric Fehr Returns!

Eric Fehr signs with the Capitals for $4.4 million for two years. Needless to say, I'm down with the cause.

Last season was the first chance folks got to see a healthy Fehr on the ice. When Fehr was in Hershey, he dealt with injuries that hindered his full skill set from coming out. Even in the beginning of this season, the 24-year-old's ice time was very limited because of injuries as well.

As mentioned before in my pre-signing post, despite Fehr's little ice time, he proved to be very efficient, if you look at his production for the time he was on the ice. He's also fantastic defensively, as a potential two-way forward is always welcomed in Washington.

I look forward to seeing him on the ice even more next season.

So Tomas Fleischmann is left to re-sign... I may have mixed feelings about him like I have mixed feelings about whether I like Jefferson Starship, but there must be something worth re-signing - I feel it. Plus, with the Caps' love for re-signing players grown within the system (the past three signings example enough?), I would assume Flash sticks around too, leaving probably 3 million for someone else...

Stay tuned... the saga will continue...

Jeff Schultz re-signed

" If Schultz deal is as reported #Caps would have about $10.8 million left to sign Fehr and Fleischmann and then fill the last 3 roster spots."
@Bmcnally14 - Twitter around noon today

Today the Caps re-signed Jeff Schultz for a 4-year deal for up to $3 million. With this piece of information aforementioned, it seems there probably is a plan in place to make some kind of move to obtain players for the Caps.

As mentioned before, Schultz has slight potential to be a solid guy on the team. A four-year signing would say Washington would say the same. I still think that Schultz's numbers were inflated because of the entire team's performance early in the year. However, I will give him full credit for 129 blocked shots, which is more of an effort from him to do so than a lot of other defensemen on the Caps (129 blocked shots is pretty below average for what the Caps could be doing in that department). Maybe that stat will go up this year.

Once the Caps accomplish re-signing Flash and Fehr then, there is room for a cheap outsider, or two reeeeeally cheap outsiders. I sure hope whomever the Caps get is quality and will be a difference-maker and not a random Joe-Coschmo... Speaking of which, Joe Corvo signed back with the Carolina Hurricanes for $4.5 million today. I didn't want him back anyway.

I can just see this method of signing though being like waiting to get a new game console or a phone. You see the console or phone, and you think it's cool, and you'd love to have it, except you know that paycheck is for other things like groceries or your girlfriend (t-he-he). So you have to wait for the price people pay to go down, and then once it's at your liking, you go get it. It is in hope, however, that by the time the price goes down a bit, the product doesn't suck or have issues because the better ones are gone already... I digress...

So two moves in two days, we will continue on with this saga of WTF Caps. Until later... or until Ilya Kovalchuk signs with someone... *turns television to ESPN 10 to watch hour long announcement of where he will play - in Russian*

*Evgeni Nabokov signed in the KHL btw. Sorry teams that need a goalie. He probably is on the downside anyway.

Boyd Gordon Counts in the Offseason, Right?

Just quickly, I would like to state that the Capitals have re-signed Boyd Gordon for under a million for one year... It's a move! Be happy!

Gordon was out for a large portion of last season from injuries. However, Gordon's above average faceoff percentage, efficiency on the penalty kill and hard-nosed style for going after pucks are things the Capitals NEED going into next season.

This doesn't mean though that there's nothing else the Caps need and that there are no other holes to fill. Contrary to popular belief, the Caps have a little more cap room than we like to believe, depending on who they choose to re-sign and keep through next season. As previously stated, I would have loved to trade Alex Semin, but as we've all exhausted, no one wants to carry that burden ($$$ wise of course!). Washington will be able to make-do then with what they currently have.

In acceptance for what the situation is, I can't complain because "it is what it is."

Caps Offseason Signing Issues Continue

As if the sense of urgency folks feel for the Capitals to sign players wasn't enough, three current Caps players filed for arbitration yesterday: Tomas Fleichmann, Eric Fehr, and Jeff Schultz.

With this now becoming a primary concern, and as the Caps look into future players they must re-sign, the rush to sign outside players becomes less of an issue. While I still think Washington has holes that need to be filled by a player from the outside i.e. defense, I can vision signing these Caps more of a priority.

I'm really a big fan of Fehr. Fehr, 24, had his best season to date last year, and I think his presence will make a difference in the future for Washington. Despite his limited time on the ice, Fehr still was able to get 21 goals and finish with 39 points. The numbers seem low for the high-scoring Caps offense, but Fehr scored goals at very opportune times and made things happen when he did get out there ratio-wise. He also did show up in the playoffs when he was put on the ice. I say give Fehr more time on the ice and he'll be able to show

Jeff Schultz. Yes, I always call him a traffic cone, and, yes, I sometimes attribute his improved numbers from last year to the performance of his peers and not his own (things like plus/minus - a misleading stat I believe). But for the flak I always give Schultz, I think he could actually fully turn out in about one more season.

The Caps do need defense, and with Schultz's familiarity of the system and improving play, he could become pretty useful. For the time he spent on ice last season, the team will ability to evenly distribute time among defensemen; Mike Green can get a break!

Finally Fleischmann... I used to defend him often. My favorite showing of Flash came when he returned from his blood clot and displayed some versatility, helping the Caps power play slightly and also playing on the penalty kill. He recorded 51 points this year, adding to that necessary secondary scoring.

But the 26-year-old winger's invisibility during the playoffs put question marks around him. Almost Semin-esque, Flash can choose to show up or not; usually when he's picked on he'll show up big, but if left alone, he seems to fade away. Nonetheless, I say sign him and see what he'll do when Bruce Boudreau leaves him alone and trusts him to show up. Maybe the key will be to not pick on him and test him, but to just let him play. After all, I'll admit I wasn't the biggest fan of scratching Flash for Scott Walker in Game 7 *bitterness*.

Like I said before, however, the Caps still have holes they need to get filled now if they intend to win at all. I COMPLETELY understand that the prices that these quality players went for on the first couple days of free agency were slightly astronomical. But who wouldn't want to play for Washington? Had the Caps been in the front of the race for some of these guys, they definitely could have gotten some players for a more reasonable price. My addiction to Pawn Stars on the History Channel and experience in sales have shown me that negotiations can work in your favor, and with such negotiations, some folks will make accommodations to close the deal.

All of this just shows that Caps fans just have to deal with it (like that's anything different). None of us outside of the front office really know the plan that GMGM has for the team (of course, unless you work directly with the team). For all we know, the Caps could care less about winning the Cup this or next year and want to wait another five years... O_o... Okay, I doubt that but still...

As a fan for over a decade now, I still don't know exactly how to feel about this offseason. All year, I thought this was the Caps' best chance to win it all, and then fairly quickly, that idea was shot to hell. So naturally, I assume that next year would lead to victory with a couple of additions. Clearly though, it's not that simple. I would love to see the Caps make moves to win tomorrow, but I guess if I would take winning three out of four seasons over winning once, and never seeing it happen again.

Looking at other Caps news, rookie camp begins next week. That's about it.

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And all condolences to the family of former NHL player, Bob Probert (Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings), who passed away yesterday at the age of 45 from heart failure. About the time I began watching hockey, Probert was still playing. He retired in 2003. Can't tell you how much I loved watching those clips of his fights when I was younger. It's definitely a little more personal in actually having memory of watching the guy play.

Caps Inactivity on Day 1

So I haven't been here for a while. I've been working quite a bit, as I am on a mission. But I have a day off today so I thought I'd take advantage.

Yesterday was the much anticipated first day of NHL free agency. All the hockey fans who have gotten over the NHL and AHL playoffs and the Draft have been looking forward to this day. I personally was even more excited for free agency than the Draft.

Noon came around and I'm hearing a few deals of defensemen signing with various teams. Many who expected the Capitals to sign a defenseman yesterday were quite disappointed, and actually rather pissed off. The heavily desired defenseman Anton Volchenkov from the Ottawa Senators ended up signing with the New Jersey Devils (something NJ hardly ever lacks anyway). Former Capital Sergei Gonchar can finally dodge the hate from Caps fans as he left the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Senators, who let go of Volchenkov.

Other defenseman signings included Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin who went to Pittsburgh, Dan Hamhuis, who left for the Vancouver Canucks, Jordan Leopold who is now a Buffalo Sabre and Toni Lydman now on the Anaheim Ducks.

I, along with a few others, believe Washington could really use a quality defenseman; one who could preferably stay at home and truly play defense. I am one who advocates signing a free agent, because considering the Caps' window for being a top Stanley Cup contender, I would hope they are trying to win it all this year. After next year, I believe that window starts closing, especially after the shortcomings of the previous two seasons.

An aggressive approach to signing this free agency period would be important. The best would be gone after Day 1, and most likely none would be left after Day 2. If you know what you need and want, I say go after it.

However, I also understand the delay. Most of the defenseman signings yesterday, regardless of how quality these guys were, were in price ranges that I don't think the Capitals want to deal with right now. I am a proponent of being smart at least when being aggressive.

Nonetheless, the sitting-down-doing-nothing approach does slightly annoy me, and annoys many other true Caps fans as well (trust me, it's not just those who don't understand hockey who are frustrated). The only move Washington has made today in Day 2 of free agency was sign goalie Dan Sabourin (name sounds familiar I know). This was clearly a move to replace Michael Neuvirth, who the Caps are ready to bring up permanently to the big team along with Semyon Varlamov re: the unsigning of Jose Theodore.

Another free agency concern for the Capitals includes a strong center. I was a huge Eric Belanger fan during the season; it's always great to have another great faceoff guy on the team. There seem to be players on the AHL Champion Hershey Bears that could potentially fill that spot i.e. Mathieu Perreault, etc. I'm not opposed at all. But I would assume the window argument as well. Regardless my main signing concern is defense.

It's only 10 a.m. though on Day 2. I'll be patient and see what happens.

That Was Quick - On to the Stanley Cup Finals

So I tried to make a successful round in picking teams again, and yet, again, I failed. At least it couldn't have been as astronomically bad as the last round since there aren't as many teams to scout, analyze, and pick. However, I still managed to be wrong.

Out West, I figured the Blackhawks were too good for the San Jose Sharks. Chicago in previous series looked a little bit inconsistent, as they did during the season. Nonetheless, I just didn't see the Sharks being better than the Hawks. It was as easy as that.

I still thought that the series would be a little more competitive, predicting the Hawks winning in six or seven games, but the Sharks ended up completing a four-game sweep of San Jose. The individual games featured a Sharks team that was very good and had a lot of fight, but the Hawks were just that much better.

Chicago looked dominant, despite their slow starts. Three out of the four games, the Sharks scored first, although Chicago would often get their legs moving later in the game and dominate the remaining time.

The Blackhawks, at least, were the one team I can say I picked correctly all the way through, as I had them in the Stanley Cup Finals since the beginning of the playoffs. In fact, my Western Conference picks were not that heinous throughout the entire playoffs, so congratulations to me!

In the East, however, the mess continued for my predictions. I assumed that the Flyers would struggle mightily, as they still didn't have Jeff Carter and lost Maxim Lapierre, and thought that they spent everything they had completing the historic 3-0 comeback against the Boston Bruins. I also thought that the Canadiens would have had luck on their side, and the continuing stretch of Jaroslav Halak's impenetrability.

Boy, I was wrong...

The Canadiens decided to play dead and lose 6-0 in Game 1 to the Flyers in Philadelphia. But I wasn't moved because in the last series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Habs lost 6-3 in Game 1 and won that series in seven games. So I had no worries.

Again, I was wrong...

The Flyers continued to punish the Canadiens, winning Game 2 by the score of 3-0, giving them another record in the books in having the longest scoring stretch. I had faith after Montreal returned the favor by winning Game 3 5-1 on home ice, and figured that they just needed to change the venue.

Then came Game 4 and the Habs went back to the same crappy-crap-crapshoot style of hockey, losing that one 3-0 in another scoreless effort with only 17 shots (they call that something like the Diffusion of Responsibility in psychology). You must give credit when it is due, though. Michael Leighton, goaltender of the Flyers, has been outstanding in the place of Brian Boucher. Just imagine if he went down - Chris Pronger or something would have had to play goalie.
*Lester Patrick for the New York Americans anyone?

Game 5 was hopeful for those who picked Montreal to win, as they seemed to win every game where they faced elimination. This hope was built up when they scored first in Philadelphia. But once they let in an unfortunate goal (video coming soon), it went downhill from there. The Habs regained life after being down 3-1 coming within one goal at 3-2, but they were unable to get the equalizer and there it was - the #7 seeded Philadelphia Flyers were the 2010 Eastern Conference Champions in the playoffs.

How the hell this happened is beyond me; it baffled me enough a #7 seed got home-ice advantage in the Conference Finals.

Oh well, I am on my knees with this one to be right...

STANLEY CUP FINALS

#2 Chicago Blackhawks over #7 Philadelphia Flyers in 5 games

The Blackhawks are too legitimate to lose to the Flyers in the Finals. The Western Conference has shown to be much stronger, and that the best teams truly do win out. I will give the Flyers credit to steal one game from them, but I highly doubt they have enough to win, even though they got almost their whole team back, minus Boucher.

I don't care that Barry Melrose predicted this final from the start. I still am bitter, I will admit. Considering the Flyers ran through a team they owned during the regular season a million times in New Jersey, then played a #6 seed and an #8 seed, they were given a better path than most of the other teams playing in the playoffs for an extended period of time. Nonetheless, they got past it, and I will give them that.

Still, the Blackhawks are winning, and I'm going to need them to win anyway. I live in a place there are wayyyyy too many Flyers fans right now.

The Finals will begin Saturday, May 29 at 8 p.m. on NBC at Chicago.

And no worries Red Sox fans, hockey season is almost over, and I will be getting to baseball soon :).

NHL Playoffs Round 3 - This is getting old...

"It's the NHL Playoffs," you say. "Why would you be getting tired of this!?"

Simple answer. It's not the playoffs I'm tired of, it's that I CONTINUE TO BE WRONG EVERY TIME!

We already went through how in Round 1, the Caps, Devils, Senators, and Coyotes were my downfall, and how the Caps were the source of intense grief.

I was at least content with my Western Conference picks. The West was much more predictable since they all seemed to be seeded at their appropriate talent level.

The East, however, was a mess. According to my Crashing the Net post, I would have only predicted one series correctly. But I covered my tracks by claiming on fellow sports guy Jay Scott's radio show that the Flyers would have a very high chance of defeating the Devils because of the Devils' failure to match up well against them.

So we move on the Round 2. I should have gotten through the tough part, right? Well, not so.

I easily explained away how the Canadiens would be too tired. The Habs would have spent too much energy to come back against the Caps with all that shot blocking to play the Penguins, who seemed to handle the Senators pretty well.

Flyers were too battered after losing two big players in Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne during Round 1. Secondly, the other underdog, the Bruins beat the Sabres in five games (at least I called that one), and would probably finish off the Flyers easily.

Out West, I expected the Sharks to choke in the second round like they normally do, and predicted the Blackhawks would have just a little bit more for the Canucks in a tough six or seven game series.

So much for all of that!

Caps fans were quite frustrated after the Penguins beat the Habs 6-3 after three straight games of the Caps scoring only one goal against Jaroslav Halak. The following game, Montreal turned back to form, winning 4-3. The rest of the series the two teams traded one-goal wins and losses until the Canadiens won Games 6 and 7, winning Game 7 convincingly by a score of 5-2, now dethroning the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Bruins were handling the Flyers pretty well, and were on the verge of sweeping them going up 3-0 after Game 3. However, Simon Gagne returned to the Flyers, and so did their ability to win. Philadelphia would take over the pace early on in the next three games, and tied the series at three-all. The Bruins turned the tide very early in Game 7, and led 3-0, taking a 3-1 lead after the first period. The Flyers took the game completely in the second period though, and went on to win the game and the series 4-3 in regulation. Much to the dismay of the Bruins' home fans, Philadelphia became the first team in 35 years and only the third in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit and win.

For the Sharks, I just sounded really stupid, as they ran through Detroit, beating them in five games. Needless to say, I had no founding for picking against them, and I will admit that.

At least I was accurate for once, choosing the Blackhawks to win over the Canucks in six games. I expected the individual games to be closer, as the Hawks were able to average 3.83 goals in the series (about five in every win) and won games like Game 7 5-1 and Game 4 7-4. But Game 1, the Canucks won 5-1 and won Game 6 by a score of 3-1, making me question their consistency like I did before.

So here are the Conference Finals predictions (sigh)... here we go...

Eastern Conference Finals
Round 3
#8 Montreal Canadiens defeat #7 Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games

Western Conference Finals
Round 3
#2 Chicago Blackhawks defeat #1 San Jose Sharks in 6 or 7 games

STANLEY CUP FINALS
#2 Chicago Blackhawks defeat #8 Montreal Canadiens in 5 or 6 games

I look forward to the possibility of an Original Six Stanley Cup Final. It's great for hockey to see these teams experience the glory again.

Many can make the sentimental pick for the Blackhawks considering the following circumstances: The Hawks had classic greatness in the days of goaltender Charlie Gardiner (who died after winning the 1934 Cup, in case you didn't know, new hockey fans) in the 1930s, and then in the 1960s with Tony Esposito, Bobby Hull, and Stan Mikita (need I go on listing?). Then the Blackhawks had their more recent years of sucking, and now experience the possibility of winning a Cup with young superstars.

However, the way Montreal has gone back to the old ways of playing and added the confidence in young players i.e. PK Subban. You can almost put behind you the fact that they won 24 Stanley Cups, including their last one coming in 1993. Either way, it would be a great series, and definitely the best for viewers watching.

Of course, as a hockey fan, we all know I'm going to watch regardless, and I'm going to enjoy it. I'm just going to boycott a Flyers entrance to the Finals a different way.

p.s. I am working on fixing my East Coast bias, so no worries, West Coasters, I've got your coverage this round!

NHL Playoffs - Round 2 *FIGHT!*

It is the advent of the second round of the NHL playoffs, and I feel absolutely rotten about my picks.

But before I dive into my second round predictions, we must interrupt this program for a little message about the Capitals...

...Aside from the fact that my bracket's all messed up, my heart is broken as a Capitals fan. Of course. Yes. Throw it at me that the #1 team in the NHL lost to the absolute last team in the playoffs. I've already thought about it and it kills to know that the Flyers and the Bruins/Penguins would have only been demolished by Washington had they gotten past this round.

As I mentioned in the playoff preview article in The Hockey Writers, the Caps would need to make their playoff series short and sweet. A four or five game set with the Canadiens would have been ideal, as the Habs were not seen as a threat to advance anywhere in the NHL playoffs, so the top tier squad of the Capitals should have been able to trounce the Canadiens.

The Caps, however, began the series poorly, losing Game 1 and barely winning Game 2. Games 3 and 4 displayed the kind of dominance the Caps were capable of, as they won 5-1 and 6-3 respectively. But the instead of using this game to send Montreal golfing, the Caps lost that one 2-1.

Game 6 was the most pivotal and deciding factor in this series as to who was going to move on. Washington had every chance to keep the game close. And had they even won 4-3 instead of the final score of 4-1, they would have been in better shape to beat Halak and the Montreal defense in Game 7.

I already talked about Game 7 though, and it's all in my Game 7 reCAP on The Hockey Writers. So let's not dwell on here about it...

...As a result, my predictions of the first round winners were almost shot to hell. Besides Washington's epic fail, the Flyers did, in fact, beat the Devils like I said on the radio show, but not like I said on my Crashing the Net bracket. The Ottawa Senators didn't pull off the upset over the Penguins like I had thought/hoped, and the Boston Bruins' attack was too much, even for Ryan Miller of the Sabres, as Buffalo lost in six games. Thus, all top three seeds in the East were eliminated.

Out West, I almost had it, except for I predicted that the Coyotes would be able to be a nice story throughout the playoffs, especially after beating Detroit, but that didn't happen. The Red Wings let the series go to a Game 7, only to embarrass the Yotes 6-1 in the final match. So much for "throwing the snake" in Phoenix.

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Nonetheless, here we go again, with an updated version of the playoff predictions:

Eastern Conference Semifinals (Round 2)
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins defeat #8 Montreal Canadiens in 5 games
#6 Boston Bruins defeat #7 Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games

Western Conference Semifinals (Round 2)
#2 Chicago Blackhawks defeat #3 Vancouver Canucks in 6 games
#5 Detroit Red Wings defeat #1 San Jose Sharks in 6 games


Eastern Conference Finals (Round 3)
#6 Boston Bruins defeat #4 Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games

Western Conference Finals (Round 3)
#2 Chicago Blackhawks defeat #5 Detroit Red Wings in 7 games

Stanley Cup Final
#2 Chicago Blackhawks defeat #6 Boston Bruins in 5 or 6 games

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Any remarks, comments, criticisms, or condolences, place them in the comments section or hit me up via Twitter @LadyHatTrick.

Webisode #72 - Real Talk on Sports w/Jay Scott 4/13/2010

Well hello there everyone! The NHL playoffs begin tonight, April 14 and I expect all of you to watch the games tonight. The Capitals start tomorrow against the Montreal Canadiens. It should be fun to experience this historic run for the Stanley Cup for the Washington Capitals.


Before you commence your playoff rituals for your teams though, do check out my appearance on Jay Scott's Real Talk on Sports radio show, talking about the NHL playoffs, making predictions, and giving you reasons why the NHL playoffs are so exciting. It's all here --> Webisode #72 - Real Talk on Sports w/Jay Scott 4/13/2010... for those of you who are part of BGLOs, Jay is a man of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., so support him and listen!


For a full account of my picks throughout the playoffs, let's go with this:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Round 1
1 Washington Capitals over 8 Montreal Canadiens in 4 or 5 games
2 New Jersey Devils over 7 Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games
3 Buffalo Sabres over 6 Boston Bruins in 5 or 6 games
5 Ottawa Senators over 4 Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games

Round 2
1 Washington Capitals over 5 Ottawa Senators in 6 games
2 New Jersey Devils over 3 Buffalo Sabres in 6 games

Round 3
1Washington Capitals over 2 New Jersey Devils in 5 or 6 games

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Round 1
1 San Jose Sharks over 8 Colorado Avalanche in 5 or 6 games
2 Chicago Blackhawks over 7 Nashville Predators in 6 games
3 Vancouver Canucks over 6 Los Angeles Kings in 5 games
4 Phoenix Coyotes over 5 Detroit Red Wings in 6 games

Round 2
4 Phoenix Coyotes over 1 San Jose Sharks in 5 or 6 games
2 Chicago Blackhawks over Vancouver Canucks in 6 or 7 games

Round 3
2 Chicago Blackhawks over 3 Vancouver Canucks 6 or 7 games

STANLEY CUP FINALS
1 Washington Capitals over 2 Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games

If you have questions as to why I took this route to see the Capitals in the Finals, PUT IT IN THE COMMENTS SECTION! I'll be more than happy to read your comments/questions/criticisms and foster some discussion on the topic. Enjoy the read and hope you enjoyed listening to Jay's show!

If you want in-game updates on Capitals games, news on the team, or you want random bits of life's occurrances, follow @LadyHatTrick on Twitter!

Caps vs Pens Last Night: A Thriller Once Again. And New Headshot Rule

If you didn't catch the Capitals and Penguins game at the Verizon Center last night here in DC, then you missed a great one. Washington won the game via shootout style 4-3 on home ice. Yes, I understand that some of you may be turned off because of the media hype between the Crosby and Ovechkin "rivalry." But you must not be a hockey fan if that alone makes you ignore such a great matchup and ultimately, and great game.

The Caps were down 2-1 entering the third period when Alex Semin began the surge with a shorthanded goal to tie the game, followed by Eric Fehr's 21st goal of the year to give Washington the lead. However, Jordan Staal of the Penguins tied the game again at three, and the game went into overtime.

In the shootout, things looked bleak early on for Washington, as Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby lifted the Penguins to an early twi goals to none lead. Alex Ovechkin, who has not always been so successful in the shootout, scored, along with Alex Semin and Mike Knuble, who recieved his first career shootout goal. Along with Jose Theodore stepping up in net after the first two Penguins goals, the Caps ended up winning 4-3 on home ice against Pittsburgh.

For a full recap of the game, check out my post on The Hockey Writers at http://thehockeywriters.com/capitals-penguins-game-3

While I claim this game to be one of the best games to watch all year, the whole first half of the game was dominated by the team in black and white - yep, the referees. I try to avoid making complaints about officiating these days, but when it was as blatant as it was last night, it's hard to avoid the discussion.

The Capitals had five penalties called against them, while the Penguins had one penalty. What was hilarious was how the Penguins power play dominated the flow of the game. The Caps penalty kill was rather impressive, allowing only one goal, despite the constant pressure the PK unit faced.

It was difficult to watch the seemingly uncompetitive matchup. Still, the Cardiac Caps did a great job of persevering through all of that and ultimately winning the game in the shootout, which isn't always the case in those situations.

Nonetheless the officiating was HORRIBLE and ATROCIOUS! Like as if it was illegal to call a penalty on Pittsburgh. It's one thing to see a lot of calls, but for it to go all one direction is ridiculous. Even the most neutral of spectators got livid at the number of missed calls that should have been on Pittsburgh (tripping anyone?).

Whatever, the Caps won, and are up 3-0 in the season series with Pittsburgh. I look forward to leaving the series to the regular season. I want to see the Caps win a Cup after all (will be revisted at a later date).

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Also, today it was announced that the NHL has approved a new rule prohibiting "a lateral, back-pressure or blind-side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact..."

...Meaning, they're disallowing headshots... which I thought was already kind-of-sort-of against the rules, but I suppose not if they just approved of one today. Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza called the decision a "band-aid" solution. According to The Ottawa Sun, an unnamed player says this is partially because the players had wanted this rule implemented last season, and it was not put in until this season as a result of the outrage from the Matt Cooke incident.

That is a little unfortunate, since concussions were an issue the League was trying to look at before, and logic tells me that cutting down on head-hunting and risky hits would help decrease the number of concussions players were experiencing. But since when did logic matter in sports?

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Finally, as if anyone's bracket wasn't already burned, shredded, or eaten up by some animal/child/adult-person, the wildness continues. Cornell is out of the tournament though! The one underdog team that I was willing to cheer for is now out. You don't go with logic when it comes to this.

In fact, I heard some guy's 6-year-old was on point this year with some picks based on mascots... If there's something I NEVER put money on, it's NCAA basketball. Every year. I get angry watching some game because I did not pick that team to win, and they go almost all the way, if not entirely to the final two.

*If you were unaware, I don't like underdogs. Davidson? I hated them (I can revisit this later too)... well, unless they were American University *open bias*.

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I' will be at the Calgary Flames/Capitals game at the Verizon Center on Sunday. The game starts at 3pm. Follow me @LadyHatTrick1 for in-game updates and commentary.

Ovechkin Suspended for 2 Games - Fair?

During Sunday's thrilling Capitals 4-3 OT comeback win against the Chicago Blackhawks, Alex Ovechkin was ejected after what appeared to be a boarding infraction when he pushed Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell and Campbell fell injured on the boards.

I'm going to post the hit here so that once again, you can make the call:




I will concede to this: The hit wasn't the best hit that Ovechkin could have made. I don't agree that he hit him in that situation. Knowing that Ovechkin has probably the strength of a god, he should have known better and probably have drawn back while Campbell recovered the puck - THEN lay a big hit on him.

HOWEVER, the most was given to Ovechkin as a result of this hit. Following the incident, Ovechkin heads to the penalty box for a five minute major. Then, it was learned that he received a 10-minute game misconduct. THEN, Ovechkin is ejected from the entire game!

Luckily for the Capitals, this happened early on, and gave the team ample time to adjust so that they could comeback from a three-goal deficit to win.

Unfortunately for Ovechkin, today there was a hearing and it was decided that the Capitals' superstar forward was going to be suspended - again - for two games...

Now, like I said, I'm not entirely defending the hit. Ovechkin has to learn how to keep his strength in check, regardless of how "reckless" he wants to play. But did it warrant a suspension? No. It didn't even warrant the ejection even, and the major penalty would have done.

Where Ovechkin hit him (referring back to the video), it was actually on the shoulder pad of Campbell, and not entirely from behind, as originally thought. Also, the hit occurred a little further than where a typical boarding penalty would be called. Nonetheless, Ovechkin still hit Campbell in a dangerous spot, and in the position of an official, of you are on the fence with a call, especially like boarding, you would go ahead and call it.

So in a perfect world, Ovechkin would have been still called for a five-minute major penalty for boarding. A game misconduct might be a little more, but the hit was dangerous, and I would even let that go. But an apologetic Ovechkin still had to leave the rest of the game? Not so sure about that one.

As harsh as it may sound, Campbell is slightly also at fault for not obeying one of those rules that every hockey player is told from youth: keeping your head up. Campbell could have been more prepared for an incoming body. Campbell was also not in the best place to play the puck; thus, putting anyone who came across him at risk for hitting him dangerously. There is no benefit to this, as that is no strategy, so it wasn't done purposely.

Here's where the biggest of big problems lies... Why isn't Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins suspended? Where was his penalty/game-misconduct/ejection/suspension sequence? In my previous two posts, I make reference to Cooke's elbow to Boston's Marc Savard's head. This hit ended Savard's season, and puts the Bruins without a key player. However, it was concluded that Cooke will receive no punishment...

O_o... Yet, for a much less intentional hit that was not to the head, rather an unfortunate situation of bad timing aka shit happens, Ovechkin got a suspension added to his in-game punishments. Funny, because this Cooke hit just occurred last week!

It is in hope that the NHL gets a consistent system together - and not consistency regarding lack of suspensions for headshots. The second the NHL got some good press for the Olympics and the success of the Capitals, then things like this take precedent. I will not disclose further thoughts as to how I feel about how they made this decision to suspend Ovechkin. But, if you know me personally, you already know what I have to say.

At least Versus and Direct TV have reached a new deal today. Now to get hockey on a better channel... Not gonna happen under Gary Bettman's watch unfortunately.

In Light of Matt Cooke's non-Suspension...

It was deemed today that Matt Cooke will not be suspended for the headshot on Marc Savard that was discussed in the last post. On Thursday, March 18's Penguins/Bruins matchup, I will be looking for Bruins players to be hunting down Cooke...

...Meanwhile, I came across this today and...

...*Dead* I died. This ENTIRELY made my day.



Hope you laughed.

The Hit: Matt Cooke goes without a suspension yet

Oh my goodness! I finally have a laptop back! I have missed y'all so much!

The last thing that occurred before we were separated was the final result of the 2010 Winter Olympic ice hockey tournament. Team Canada won the gold medal against the United States in quite dramatic fashion. But we already saw it, we already know, and it was brought up again on the cover of last week's edition of Sports Illustrated.

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Anyway, I thought I'd give mention of the Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Cooke's "legal" hit on the Boston Bruins' Marc Savard a few days ago. After all, I shall give Boston some love after last night's awesome Dropkick Murphys concert here in DC.

If you haven't seen the hit, here it is:

From about 1:00 to 1:23 they do a slow motion replay of the hit



I'll let you decide if that hit is dirty or not. But I will be the first to say I think that deserved a suspension immediately, and certainly more than two games.

Matt Cooke, first of all, is a repeat offender and known for being a dirty player. He was suspended two games last season for another headshot incident against then-Carolina Hurricane Scott Walker. There have been other occassions where Cooke has made a questionable hit on players i.e. (you may hardly remember but) the hit on Vincent Lecavlier when Cooke played for the Washington Capitals.

Putting past incidents aside and just based on the hit itself, there are plenty of things that show there should have been a suspension. There was no intent by Cooke to avoid Savard after Savard took the shot. While it would have been difficult for Savard to move out of the way of a looming Cooke, Cooke had time to take a extra step to the side or so to get out of the way of Savard.

While the argument that NHL disciplinarian, Colin Campbell, gave stated that there were no flying elbows, Cooke seemed to have raised his left elbow a little bit while passing Savard. Had he not intended to hit Savard, there would be every effort to tighted his elbow to his own body.

He was finishing a check? I think not. That check need not to have happened to begin with. Had I been coaching a group of kids, there's no way I would let my players hit a player in that situation in that manner when there is a way to avoid it. Cooke's check/take out would have had no impact on the play; therefore, I deem it unecessary. I would not advise my players to make an unecessary check when there would be maximum four other more plausible options on the ice.

I could go on and on about why I hate this hit and I think it deserves some kind of suspension. The best justification for a sspension to me though is that Cooke is a repeat offender. This way, it's not just a "knee-jerk reaction" to suspend him, which I would say to a first-timer (*cough* like they do to Ovechkin *cough*). Headshots>knee hits

The NHL has to stop these kinds of hits. Concussions are a huge risk, and there have been a lot lately. And I do think that the David Booth hit earlier this year on Mike Richards deserved a suspension too, so I wouldn't be a hypocrite.

Like I said, I'm not the disciplinarian here. I'm just a well-versed hockey fan that has no role in the NHL and its decisions. So whatever I say has no bearing on what happens aka it doesn't really matter. I know this. But I'm still going to complain because I can.

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If you REALLY missed me, don't worry, I'm still on here, Crashing the Net. But I also write for TheHockeyWriters.com, listed as the Washington Capitals correspondent. I do hope you all check it out and feel free to comment there as well.

USA will play Canada on Sunday

Just for some quick notes, the United States will look to win their first gold medal in 30 years against Canada on Sunday at 3pm EST.

Canada played tonight against Slovakia and seemed to be in control of the game, leading 3-0 after 2 periods. Canada kept getting power plays, and if Slovakia was lucky enough to even get a shot off on Luongo, Luongo was impossible to break through.

About halfway through the game, Slovakia finally was able to get one shot past Luongo to make the game 3-1. But after this, Slovakia suddenly obtained more opportunities down in the Canadian zone, and with 5 minutes to go, Michal Handzus scored for Slovakia, and they were only down by 1 goal.

The rest of the game was spent in the Canadian defensive zone, and had Pavol Demitra not BARELY missed a wide open net, the game would have gone into overtime. Who knows what would have happened then?!

Nonetheless, Canada held on and won 3-2.

People get your drinks up, it's "Hockey Day in North America" - via @stlblueschica on Twitter.

USA wins 4-2 against Canada.

A very shaky Canadian team that hasn't quite gelled yet, a confident and determined Team USA with Ryan Miller in net should aid in a gold medal for the Unites States of America.

I haven't really thought about it, but I woul dhave no clue as to how I will react if Team USA was to win it all. It would probably be extremely surreal, so it probably won't hit me for a bit. Regardless, expect me to be super happy and doing something silly.

Unfortunately, the silly thing would not be having the privilege to miss my psychology midterm on Monday; my professor is Canadian. No way I'm gonna get out of that one.

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On a side note, in regards to the Canadian women's celebration, I have mixed feelings.

I'm okay with OPENING the bottle of CHAMPAGNE on the ice, to be honest. I mean, after all, it is their home ice, and it must be pretty special.

But, on the other hand, BEER? Really ladies? Beer on the ice? And trust me, being a lady who is used to hanging out with the boys, I'm not mad at them because they are women and drinking. But that's just not classy. If the men won the gold medal there, I would oppose them drinking on the ice as well, especially beer. I mean, rappers don't pop beer anyway.
Either way, I'm not a fan of the move by the Canadian ladies.

They were wrong, and I hate that they even apologized, because a.) they weren't sorry; therefore, b.) the apology was half-assed. Their "apology" is not accepted by me.

We're exposing a lot of impolite and hostile things about our "peaceful" neighbors. LOL... of course I love all my Canadian folks though. You all are fantastic and DIE-HARD fans. *whisper voice* but we're beating you Sunday ;).

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Finally, I looked on ESPN, and they had Zach Parise talking, but had labeled it was Jamie Langenbrunner speaking. Sigh... Even at this point, they still give hockey the poop-end of the stick.

From here on out, GO USA! (And props to Slovakia! I have them winning bronze)