It's OUR Turn To Be Heard, Caps Fans

Here we are on the eve of game 5. The Caps are in a familiar spot to all fans, and a very familiar spot to those of us who might be described as the "long-suffering" variety. The Caps are up three games to one in this first round series of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers.

However, their stirring comeback and thrilling double-OT win on Wednesday night was a very unfamiliar way to have gotten here. The Caps aren't exactly known for putting a W up when playoff games get lengthy, and there are a couple of marathons that have become the stuff of legend, especially for those who were there (and bear the mental scars to prove it).

Could it be that we've finally seen the watershed playoff moment that we've been hoping for over the last few years? We'll get at least part of the answer tomorrow night. While the ultimate outcome is based on what the gentlemen on the ice do, there's always the matter of game-time atmosphere.

That's where we, the denizens of the F Street Arena enter the equation.

A lot was made about comments made by Coach Boudreau on the Kirk & Mike Morning Show earlier this week about how Madison Square Garden wasn't exactly, let's say, up to par in a facilities sense, and how the building wasn't as loud as we'd been in DC. The fans at the Garden responded pretty well, and were full-bore as the Rangers built a 3-0 lead in the second. In unison they asked the chanting question of "Can You Hear Us?" We could, everyone could. But when that lead evaporated in the third, the answer switched from a resounding yes to a, well, "well, kinda." As is to be expected, the crowd couldn't quite find the same voice that they had just a few hockey minutes earlier. Although the game was still tied, it sounded (at least via the television) like the home team had already lost.

I'm not saying that's why the Rangers never got any jump back from that point on in the game (the Caps play had something to do with it, I'm sure), but I get the feeling that a little something to feed off of from the stands might have been welcome by the boys in blue on the bench at that point.

I'll admit it, there have been plenty of times that I've been as blase as anyone else this regular season. Even some of my tweets as recently as Wednesday night were nothing short of "Stereotypical Bi-Polar Long Time Caps Fan." Honestly, there were a lot of reasons (or excuses, depending on one's point of view) that contributed to my malaise and periodic frustration. When the Caps gave up leads this season, I got cranky. When they looked like they didn't care, it was hard for me to. However, all of the trials and tribulations that the team and the faithful have gone through since October, hell, since last April, could all start to fade into the rear-view mirror, starting tomorrow. If there's any part, no matter how infinitesimal it may be, that we might have in making that happen, we need to make damn sure we do it… all afternoon long.

This one's going out on nationwide network television. It's time to bring it.

I'm ready to squash some bad memories tomorrow. I hope everybody's with me.

Chatting With Nestor Aparicio From WNST

Shortly after the Caps had vanquished the Chicago Blackhawks in OT last Sunday, I was on my way to the Metro and ran into Nestor Aparicio from WNST in Baltimore. He asked me to shoot a little bit of video for his site, and the result is below.

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 35–37 - March 9–13, 2011

It feels like there's been a lot of stuff written about the Caps over the last few days, so I'll just jump into it and keep it (kinda) brief.

On The Ice

The Caps had a blowout victory against an Edmonton team that they should have beaten in a blowout. This might not sound momentous, but it's something that Caps fans have not necessarily been used to seeing at any point in the last few seasons. The better news was that they built on that drubbing by winning a tight game against a desperate division rival and gutting out an OT win against last year's Cup Champions (both games featuring what I wouldn't jump to call balanced officiating, at least from my perspective). All in all, it was a pretty swanky three-game stand for the home team and the fans.

In The Stands

Each game was celebrated as a continuation of the sellout streak on the big screen, but there were, again, plenty of empty seats visible from my vantage point. Those who ventured to F Street on Wednesday night were involved in one of the most party-type atmospheres since opening night against the Devils, and the Friday night crowd was up to the task of stirring the Caps on to victory.

Having a game start at what felt like 11:30am on Sunday was not exactly the best recipe for raucousness, and there were way too many Blackhawks fans in the house. That said, when things started drawing to their conclusion, the effects of an early Sunday start began to wear off and the noise level reflected it. Anger always helps, and the stripes provided enough of that to shake off the haze. In the end, the ovation for Knuble's OT GWG was pretty thunderous.

Post-game I ran into Nestor Aparicio from WNST up in Baltimore. We chatted for a bit, and he mentioned that they had coordinated a bus trip from Charm City to see the game, and wondered how Caps fans in the 495 area would receive those from the 695 area. I basically told him that it didn't matter where they're from as long as they were rooting for the guys in red once inside, nobody's checking ZIP codes at the door.

Oh yeah, and in case you hadn't heard, DJ Pauly D was there to beat that beat up in person on Sunday. Although I'm still trying to wrap my head around how a guy whose song is based on some kind of "Guido Pride" thing was playing at ShamrockFest. Puzzling.

Above Our Heads

The Caps Game Entertainment crew caught me off guard this time around. Once I think I still had my soda straw in my mouth, another I was leaning over chatting to someone. Well played, gentlemen. I gotta be on my toes these days.

I've forgotten which game it was (would it kill you to jot down a note?), but on one of the evenings, when the Caps scored in the third period to take a lead, the time left on the clock was 13:37. If you don't understand the significance of that, congratulations. You haven't wasted too much of your life online. Heh!

And So…

Eight wins in a row sure feels significantly better than eight losses in a row. No reason to stop now, right? RIGHT?!?!

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 33 & 34 - March 1 & 3, 2011

So, I was working up a note about my reasoning behind glossing over shootout losses for last Friday, with every intention of including it in a recap of the game on the 25th. Then the game against the Rangers (which we will speak of no more) happened, and I decided to add blowout shutouts at home to the "let's just move along, shall we?" list. Hopefully there will be a little bit more for me to write about over the last few weeks of the season. But there's some legitimate goodness to speak of in the meantime.

On The Ice

The initial inclination about Tuesday's contest would be to say that the first 59 minutes were a frustrating struggle, and the last three saved the day. That wouldn't be entirely fair. The first five minutes of the game were pretty outstanding as well. It was those pesky 54 minutes in between good parts that were a bit hard to stomach. The new guys seemed to blend in as well as can be expected with the short notice, and Sturm almost made his mark early with a shot that went through Lawson, but trickled wide.

The Caps wound up going 7 periods without a goal at home, scoring just one goal in the last 11 (and that goal from Ovechkin against LA was so early, that game felt like a virtual shutout) before the GTG and OTGWG sent everybody home, well, more slightly relieved than happy, I'd say. Still, it's nice to see a number besides a 1 or, thank the fates, another 0 under the Caps name on the board at home. It was also encouraging to see them keep plugging away and not totally fall apart in frustration. Jason Arnott's post game comments (the best summaries of which can be found here and here), may just be words right now, but I am definitely excited to see the results of him putting them into action.

Stringing together the first back-to-back wins at home since Thanksgiving was a great way to follow the late heroics on Tuesday. There was the usual "let the other team score first" maneuver, but the sluggishness to respond was not evident the way it has been in spots recently. Goals from combos of grit and skill kept the pace with St. Louis, giving Jason Arnott the chance to welcome himself to our little show with his GWG on a honey of a pass from Semin. Does Semin make that pass to another player besides perhaps Ovechkin? I know it's only a couple of games and a few interview snippets, but I'm thinking the newest 44's impact could be a lot bigger than numbers he puts up on the ice.

In The Stands

After the Rangers had quite a warm visiting team welcome on Friday night, I was expecting a bit of the same on Tuesday for the Islanders. From where I sat, that wasn't the case. Although I would venture to say that's a result of empty seats not being able to cheer for either team. A Tuesday night against a currently lackluster opponent doesn't exactly bring out the throngs. That said, those Caps fans who stuck around and made it to the light at the end of the frustration tunnel on Tuesday were pretty raucous as the game wound down. Was it faith? Was it legitimate enthusiasm? Was it the byproduct of frustration? Perhaps it was a bit of all three (for me it was a LOT of the latter), but whatever it was, it resulted in some volume that hasn't been heard on F Street in too long.

While there were a few more fans on Thursday night dressed as empty seats, and way more dressed as CEO's than usual, there was a palpably different vibe from the mounting frustration of Tuesday. This was a crowd made up mostly of people antsy to cheer for something good, and they got their chance. The noise during that timeout taken by the Blues late in the third was very nice to hear. It's always a weird feeling to not have The Horn Guy in the house, so I hope I picked up at least a bit of the slack.

Above Our Heads

A shot from Semin in the third period on Tuesday night that clearly soared well over the goal and into the netting above the glass prompted the goal horn to sound. Initial theories were that they wanted to see if the horn still worked in a game situation.

Is it me, or is drinking on the job apparently required of the organ player at the F Street Arena?

Did anybody else notice George McPhee in the tunnel behind the bench waiting for Jason Arnott to finish his post-game interview Thursday night? I saw him for a split-second on the big screen, and thought it a little unusual.

Speaking of being on screens, I was apparently on during the broadcast last night late in the third, during the aforementioned Blues timeout, then they ran the commercial I was in last year. Kinda cool, at least for me.

And So…

For the first time in a long time there were a lot more happy faces and a lot less running the gamut from perplexed to furious on their way out of the arena. Again, although it's early, the arrival of Jason Arnott and his attitude are looking promising to many of us who were looking for something to latch onto in the "hope" department while providing a potential anchor for a second legitimate scoring line, which can only help the overall team dynamic. Last night really wound up being a whole lot of fun, which isn't really something I could say with a straight face a whole lot recently. Three straight wins, and a little blink by the Lightning, and we could be in for a very interesting weekend which could make the rest of the stretch run a lot more interesting than I previously expected it to be.

Reason #736 (Or So) Why I Am Still A Jerichoholic

As many of you may or may not know, I'm a bit of a professional wrestling fan. I got hooked as a kid, and have never really gotten away from it, even when I find myself groaning at how ridiculous it can get from time to time. One guy that I've been a fan of for a very long time is Chris Jericho. He's done a few things "outside the ring" that I've enjoyed as well, such as forming a metal band with a group of rocker friends, hosting a game show last summer, and writing a couple of books.

So, as one might expect after that last paragraph, I'm currently reading his new book: Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps (the follow-up to the immensely enjoyable 2006's A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex. In it, there's a great passage about his experiences at the 2002 NHL Awards Show. He talks about a mildly illicit affair in a closet with the Stanley Cup, then gives the following summary of his first impression of the show hall:

The attendees of the awards show were milling around, exchanging stories and kibitzing with each other. Here was Jarome Iginla talking to Patrick Roy. There was Scotty Bowman sharing a laugh with Cam Neely. On the dance floor, Moe Mantha was breakdancing with Harold Snepsts. And over in the corner, Gary Bettman was playing with a brightly colored ball of yarn.

Even in a prelude to a story about getting to meet Wayne Gretzky, there's room for a little jab at Ol' Gary. Nice job, Mr. Jericho.

Oh, and so far the book is a damn entertaining read as well, whether or not you enjoy wrestling. It's full of entertaining, occasionally off-the-wall tales about life at home and on the road from a guy who's been both a pro wrestling superstar and a not-quite superstar rock & roll frontman who's rubbed elbows with some iconic people in both circles and beyond.

T-Minus 10 Games And Counting

Beginning with tonight's game against the Rangers, there are only 10 home games left for the Washington Capitals in the 2010-11 season. Last time I checked (and I'm not a journalist, so I didn't check TOO hard), the Caps have only won five home games since the first of December, 2010. It's been a rough stretch with a lot more consolation gatherings afterward as opposed to victory celebrations. The fact that the losses have run the gamut from the hard-fought toughie to the hard to stomach might have taken some of the sheen of invincibility that many of us felt about F Street for a good little while there.

It would be nice to see some of the renewed vigor that they've shown over the last few games, coupled with a bit of a vacation from the familiarity (that started to breed some contempt, especially after that loss to the Kings) of the F Street Arena, start a completely different trend as the last chapter of the season gets underway.

I have a gut feeling that we might not see anything of note happen on Monday, so it's very likely up to the troops currently assembled to get it going. Can they? If there's a good time to find out, it sure seems like it would be now. Much like I was during the last season of Lost, I'm starting to get a little antsy to get some of those answers I've been patiently waiting for since last April. (Fingers are again crossed to avoid Barney Gumble in a clown suit.)

Seriously. Let's go, Caps!

The Home Stands That Were: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 20–26 - December 21, 2010–January 8, 2011

I've put together an admittedly slap-dash recap of the home games that have taken place since the last post I did on this subject. It's a little more "stream of consciousness" than usual, but I figured it was better than leaving the gaping hole. Hopefully someone else will agree.

Read more »

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 19 - December 15, 2010

And the beat(ing of the Caps) goes on.
(I was gonna put a picture of Sonny and Cher, with Ovechkin's head in place of Sonny Bono…
… but I got worried about lawyers.)

Were there some bright spots? Sure. Were there some improvements over the last week or so? I guess so. Did the Caps win? Nope. And that, in the end, bums me out. As a man who puts together an entertaining and eclectic four-hour block of music each week might say: "Yuck! With a hand gesture!" But was it all bad?

Read more »

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 15–18 - December 4–11, 2010

They finally did it. My first in-game beer. Ever.

I don't even know where to begin with this last stretch. Suffice to say that I have been wearing out my self-protective "Pre-Season Until January" mantra since last Saturday night against Atlanta. Nothing seemed to go right for the Caps, at least in the "results" category, and the high point of the homestand was a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. That last bit pretty much sums up the level of despair generated on Verizon Center ice last week. At least nobody in the stands caught the flu from the team, as far as we know.

Read more »

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 13–14 - November 26–28, 2010

Just one of Varlamov's denials over the weekend.

I had to shake off the remnants of the previous day's food coma and get down on F Street as the Caps continued their quest to fully rebound from a rather hideous game on 11/22 against the Devils. The first steps of rebounding took place on Wednesday in Carolina. Were the next ones coming on the ice in DC?

On The Ice

Friday night's drubbing of the Lightning made Caps history, being the first game in which the Capitals have scored five or more goals and also blanked their opponent. Unless hats being thrown on the ice bother you to the degree that you feel the need to complain about it, it's pretty hard to find a negative from Friday night. The best shared observation of the night is that when the Caps took their feet off the gas on offense, they put the hammer down on defense. Nice to see!

Sunday looked a bit like we might be getting a repeat performance, even with the newly-shuffled lines (which seemed to baffle all observers) and newly-swirled trade rumors going around (which baffled no one). Then Cam Ward really buckled down and stymied the Caps after spotting them a 2-0 lead. Would have been nice to see Mr. Steckel win that draw at the end of regulation, but hey, they picked up the extra point in the gimmick.

In The Stands

Friday evening's game was very well attended, considering the odd start time and the holiday hangover. Apparently, as a way to make up for the absence of The Horn Guy, it became "Pant Ants Giveaway Night" at the F Street Arena. That is to say that there was a pretty hefty amount of foot traffic in the aisles, regardless of the action on the ice. But while folks were in their seats, they were good and vocal.

Speaking of not having a Horn Guy, I tried my best to fill in for my buddy, but those are some big shoes to fill. I would like to thank the Caps for having things very well in hand for the third period, letting me take it easy. Heh!

Sunday's game featured a few more prolonged bits of silence than I really like. Of course, watching an officiating performance like that will tend to have that effect, I guess.

Both games featured a couple of post-Thanksgiving pageant participants with quite the festive get-ups. At least one of the headdresses made it onto the broadcast Friday night after the hat-trick.

After the game, I ran into a couple, originally from the Czech Republic, up from their home in North Carolina just to see the Caps. I hope they made it to either Lyon Hall or the Front Page and got to meet a player or two. (Actually, I wish I could have made it to the Front Page last night, but it just wasn't in the cards.

And finally, kudos to the gang in "The Corner Bar" (sections 107 and 108) and the successful conclusion to their "Trade Flash" campaign.

Above Our Heads And Beyond

One abbreviation sums up the best thing about this homestand's in-game entertainment advancements: PIP. The picture-in-picture to keep live action on the big screen while replays are being shown is a fantastic development. I assume this opens the door for more and more replays. Well done, gang!

Speaking of opening the door, there were some good gaps for crowd noise during stoppages in play on Friday night. I like that we took advantage of them to make said noise. And in case you were wondering, yes, I was a bit bummed that there was no "Bustin' Loose" for the sixth goal. Heh!

This Week's Bonus Public Plea

Just one thing I ask of those attending games in the future. If you are getting up to go to the concession stand, please wait for a whistle. Barring that, at least have the discussion about what you and your friends want before standing up to go. If you don't, and someone behind you asks you to sit down (and I do mean "asks," not "tells" or "demands") after standing up for ten seconds right in front of them while the game is going on, just give a quick "my bad" and sit down. The alternative course of action doesn't seem to end well.

And So…

Things seem to be back on track, with the customary few kinks left to iron out (well, except for Friday night). With a new piece in the mix, things could get interesting in the next couple of weeks. Fingers are crossed. See everybody on Saturday!

Photo credit: Stewart Small / Facebook

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 12 - November 20, 2010

At least the "Monster Nachos" were pretty good.

Saturday night on F Street and the Broad Street Bullies were down from Philly to take on the Caps. It's always usually an interesting game when these two teams get together. Whether it's good or not is often up for debate, and could depend on who you ask afterward.

On The Ice

It really looked a lot like the Caps spent a lot of tonight perfecting their dual identities of late. Strong one moment, and somewhat clueless the next. Of course, they weren't exactly helped out by the guys in stripes during one of the most oddly-officiated games that I can recall seeing on F Street in a while, or by the insane amount of posts that they hit both early on and at the bitter end.

The Caps' ability to fall behind 3-1 after scoring first was aggravating. On the flip side, their ability to storm back from a two-goal deficit entering the third was the kind of thing that makes you wonder just how scary they could be if they found the right rhythm and consistency from night to night. Nicklas Backstrom's and Jason Chimera's goals in the third combined to be my highlight of the night. The other two Caps goals were no slouches either, just for the record.

My "Lowlight of the Night" was easily the third goal for the Flyers, scored by Jeff Carter as he just skated through the gaps left between the entirety of the Caps team and lifted a wrister past Neuvirth. I was shocked on the big screen replay to see just how easy of a time he seemed to have skating right on in.

The ship could use a little tightening. Hopefully there's a bit of a practice waiting for them in the next couple of days before heading up to Jersey.

In The Stands

Also in the category of "continuing recent trends" was the amount of Flyers fans in attendance tonight. There was a bit more orange and black apparel than the home game on the 7th, as well as the recently usual amount of no-shows, especially early. However, it was still a strong home crowd that had some great volume right out of the gate. I think a decent visiting team's fan presence tends to help stoke the fires.

Particularly impressive is the emotional tenacity that a lot of the crowd had, even as the Caps almost let the game get completely away from them. When the fury was unleashed in the third, the noise was robust, and the place went wild when Chimera scored the tying goal a few moments later.

Notably in attendance tonight, over to my right in section 106, was NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. I couldn't quite tell if the referees were getting so involved in the action in the second period just to show off for him or what. What I do know is that at least one fan caught up with him during the second intermission to give him a piece of his mind about the officiating performance up to that point. Let's just say it wasn't exactly a rave review.

Above Our Heads And Beyond

OK, I know that the technology behind the CrowdWave games is legit, and that the software and hardware is still being tweaked. That said, two of the three sections in tonight's "Rink Race" must have been either empty or full of corpses tonight. I say that because only half of section 107 was even participating, much less waving their arms enthusiastically enough to win. Oh well, it's still a work in progress.

Great timing for "Unleash the Fury" tonight. Nice faceoff in the offensive zone, crowd ready for a comeback goal, and perhaps in need of a little extra push over the cliff. Nicely done.

Forgot about this one last night, but seriously, 92% of the people that sent in an answer thought that Rod Langway had won the Hart Trophy? For shame.

And So…

We saw promising bursts of talent and sticktoitiveness (two comebacks in the third) coupled with stretches of head-scratching breakdowns (the go-ahead goal after capturing all of the momentum with the previously mentioned comeback), punctuated with occasionally putrid officiating (really, a phantom hook for a full minute of 5-on-3 for Philly?). Somehow, out of all of that mess, the Caps managed to wring out a point. It wasn't a particularly satisfying point, but it counts.

That's the bright side. On the not-so-bright side, there are still some really important question marks looming over the Caps. Most of them don't look all that much closer to being answered now--just under two months into the season--than they did in September.

Invoking the "Essentially Pre-Season 'Til January" mantra again tonight, I'm not really going to sweat it too much. But I don't have to. I just hope that those who do have to sweat it are working on it.

Photo credit: Joe Roos / Facebook

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 11 - November 17, 2010

Another weeknight tilt, but this time against an emotional, if not divisional rival in the Buffalo Sabres. I had a pretty bad feeling going into this one, but it looks like I was (mostly) off-base. I think the Redskins "game" on my birthday was still throwing me off a bit. (Once again, I want to say bravo to Chad Dukes for his epic rant on Tuesday.)

On The Ice

Oh, Caps, is there any lead you can't try and squander?

I keed (a little bit, at least), as there was progress made last night over the recent pattern of letting those big leads slip away. They never actually relinquished the lead, and found a way to clamp down on a Buffalo team that had a lot of momentum in the second period. Seeing the Caps come out and play a solid third period, withstand a late flurry, and have it all punctuated by one of the prettiest empty-net goals ever from Alexander Semin felt good.

Now, to work on those mid-game lulls…

In The Stands

Wednesday nights in the regular season will never be known for regular electricity in DC, but usually the Sabres bring out a decent amount of passion in the Caps fan community. This Wednesday night seemed to bring out a lot of Caps fans dressed as either blue seats or Sabres fans.

Not sure what was blowing in the wind that resulted in, as one of my friends noted on Facebook, "the most opposing team's fans I've seen since we've been rocking the red," but it wasn't pretty. The Buffalo rally in the second really highlighted it. Hopefully it's not the shape of regular season things to come.

Above Our Heads And Beyond

Thankfully, there was no appearance on the big screen by "Drunk Bills Fan," or Otis Day and the Knights serenading us with "Shout" (a noted staple in the songbook of Buffalo sports fans). Whatever the reason, I am thankful for that.

However, during the very first stoppage in play, the organist let go with the rhythmic chant that those in blue and yellow could sing along to, in the form of the five-beat/five-clap chant. I understand that it's a good idea to mix things up instead of doing the same thing over and over and over. However, there are some nights where some things can just stay on the shelf, of only for the one game.

From a more positive perspective, I like the very high-quality look of some of the new video packages, especially the new second period intro and the "extremely letterboxed" video that played later on. Nice work, gang!

And So…

The streak continues at home. There can be nitpicks about the way things are getting done, and there very well should be, but the fact remains that the points are piling up in the standings right now. Since I'm still holding to my mantra of "pre-season until January," I'm OK with nights like this for now.

Let's just hope, after seeing what they're capable of in a loss against Tampa, the Caps can hold the Flyers to less than seven on Saturday night.

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 10 - November 14, 2010

Unfortunately, I missed this one. I had prior obligations this evening. As a result, I missed something that might never happen again, as John Erskine not only scored the game-winning goal and had a pretty stout fight with Eric Boulton, but he was also named first star of the game.

That's what I get for missing the game. Hope everybody had a great time. Sounded like quite the roller-coaster ride from the text updates I was getting, most notably the one informing me that "Bustin' Loose" was again played after the Caps sixth goal.

Very nice.

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 9 - November 11, 2010

Even the light rig behind the goal wasn't immune to the action on this night.

Apologies for the lateness on this one. It's been kind of a crazy time since last Thursday.

On The Ice

I always seem to take a little extra pleasure out of wins against the Lightning. I'm not sure why, but there's just something about the team that kinda irks me. Add a hat trick on top of it, and it's a full evening as far as I'm concerned.

In The Stands

Southeast Division opponent… check.
Weeknight game… check.
Semi-uninterested crowd… check.

There's just something about these match-ups that brings the apathy out, at least early on. As things got heated down the stretch, and the goals kept coming, the crowd got riled up as well. There was a pretty good amount of energy in the place as the final minutes played out as well, which is always nice to see and hear.

Thanks to a few machinations on the part of my buddy Jay, my folks were in attendance for the second time in three games. They picked a heck of a game to follow up the previous Friday night's contest against the Bruins with, and had a blast. (Especially my old man, who was happy to see that all of those years we spent bellowing at the TV together when I was a kid have panned out - heh!)

Above Our Heads And Beyond

The Veteran's Day montage was a nice touch. There's always at least a few nods to vets and active troops during each home game, but this one had a cool personal touch that made it a bit more special.

Other than that, I only have two words to sum up my favorite part of tonight's game presentation: Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers' "Bustin' Loose."

May this always be the song played when the Caps' goal total climbs high. The exuberance behind it, coupled with it being a home-grown hit, makes it one of my absolute favorites.

And So…

We got a nice win to get a firm hold on the top of the division, coupled with some fun extracurricular activities for me and my folks. Can't complain.

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 6–8 - November 3–7, 2010

The Caps played three games in five nights, and I managed to fit a wedding somewhere there in the middle. Forgive me if this one is a little scattershot.

On The Ice

Gotta love the fact that the home team is racking up the wins where they can.

Of course, if they could avoid some of the drama, that would be appreciated. Giving up three goals to start the third period in two consecutive games against the Maple Leafs and Bruins is a little worrisome, and certainly is a setback to the "Quest for a 60-Minute Effort" that we all hope they're on. However, finding the resolve to take those games back is admittedly encouraging. Finishing strong on Sunday against a pretty strong Philly team, without Brooks Laich (even if it did take a little help from Chris Pronger's wayward stick) was good to see.

Now, if they can find a way to start keeping games away from the fire in the first place, instead of having to pull them out of it in the end…

In The Stands

It felt as though everybody in the house was just mentally somewhere else during the opening 20 minutes on Wednesday night. Even a near-goal (two, if you count both chances in the same sequence) from Mike Knuble didn't jumpstart anything in the stands for long. A fight that felt staged and unnecessary between DJ King and Colton Orr followed a few minutes later, and the indifference from much of the stands was palpable. Thankfully, the Caps had their big outburst in the second, and that got the fans into it enough to spur them on even after they surrendered the lead in the third. Although I was on the concourse (per usual) those who remained in their seats seemed to enjoy the gimmick.

There was one particularly noticeable Leafs fan in section 108, who almost seemed to be the driving force in Toronto's comeback effort early in the third. He was routinely standing up and hollering, both for his team and almost pointedly at several fans around him. Kind of surprised, but glad, that it didn't get ugly over there.

Friday night had its ups and downs as well, but wasn't quite as apathetic to begin with. A good chunk of me and my wife's friends and family were in town for the game, so I was hoping they would get a good taste of how much energy the crowd at the F Street Arena can provide, and those in attendance did not disappoint. Obviously there was more grumbling when the three-goal lead evaporated, but things reached a nice crescendo towards the end. All of our personal special guests had a blast.

Sunday games are always just a bit different, at least for me, because the start time is usually, um, unusual. The home crowd brought it pretty strongly for a late afternoon game. Having the Flyers in town probably helped a good bit, and it always makes me happy to see and hear. Big thanks to my man The Horn Guy for doing a lot of the heavy lifting at the Flyers game, as I was still a little groggy from the festivities the day before. That may have also contributed to my mini-rant at Mike Green at the end of regulation, who quickly shut me up with his GWG not 40 seconds later. Well done, sir.

I've seen it mentioned on a couple of blogs in the last few days, there sure seemed to be more visiting fans over this home stand than there have been in a while. Certainly nothing like it was before the Caps became the hot ticket in town, but a little out of the recent norm.

Above Our Heads And Beyond

Wednesday night, from the opening drop of the puck while the strobe light was still going off in the Olympia ice resurfacer's home corner, I could feel that there was something just a little "off" in the air. Overly-long TV timeouts (thanks, TSN) that began and ended awkwardly, and slightly mistimed announcements just added to the "out of wack" vibe. Even the second-earliest unleashing of the fury--during the first TV timeout of the third--didn't quite reach its usual grandeur. Oh well, there's bound to be an off-night here and there.

Friday night was a bit of a return to form, and a return of the cool metal weagle sign that they let me hold up on opening night. I was a little surprised that there was no attempt to unleash fury that night. Guess it was an instance of "holding it back to keep from wearing it out." Special thanks, as tweeted on Friday night, to the fine folks on the Game Entertainment crew for finding a place for ZO2's "Red Line Highway" in the musical rotation! Thanks as well to my outstanding ticket rep Justin for helping me secure the tickets for the visitors, and the shout-out on the matrix boards.

I can't even think about anything else, entertainment-wise, beyond the picture at the top of this post and the sequence it was involved in. The "Clyde's Fan Of The Game" segment fires up, and who would happen to be up there but my lovely new wife, looking mortified to be on camera, followed by a quick cut to the picture above, and then it was time for me to make the usual ass out of myself. Heh! Big thanks to Wes and the rest of the gang involved in that one. It really was a perfect end to a great weekend.

And So…

I could not have asked for a better week/weekend from the Caps both on and off the ice to surround the best thing that's ever happened to me. Well, I guess if I was being greedy, I could ask for them to have avoided the shootout on Wednesday, but that just seems unreasonable.

I took long enough to post this that I actually finalized it in the post-game glow of the Caps win in MSG. Now I'm really looking forward to Thursday!

Photo credit: Picture of the big screen by Stewart Small / Facebook.
Picture ON the big screen from Wes Johnson / Twitpic

Two Point Nights, Coincidental Timing, And Great Gifts

In all of the run-up to the big event this past weekend, I had the chance to spend some time with my (now) wife's parents and aunt. In the time since I met Aunt Lou a few summers ago, the subject of my Capitals fandom has come up on more than a few occasions, as it is often wont to do.

Well, this past Friday, Jill and I were each given a "pre-wedding gift" that we were to open straight away. As I was unwrapping mine, I was told that it would be a sort of test to see how much of a Capitals fan I really am, and asked if the names Mary Jane and Ron Weber meant anything to me (which, of course, they do, as they should to any Caps fan of tenure worth their salt.

I opened the box, and inside I found this:

That's right, my new bonus aunt (I prefer "bonus" to "in-law" because it seems more positive) gave me a pencil that belonged to Ron Weber, with whom she has a mutual friend out in Michigan, the night before I was gonna get married, which happened to be just a couple of days before he will be honored with the Foster Hewitt Award at the HHOF. Not too shabby, eh?

Now to find a place of honor for it.

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 5 - October 23, 2010

This is where I'd be putting image 18 from this image gallery
if I wasn't freaky about image rights and stuff like that.

Another one gets pulled out of the fire in a one-night stand before hitting the road.

On The Ice

I'm sure the simmering grouchiness in pockets of the crowd was exacerbated by the schedule, what with this game following two of the more frustrating Caps games in recent memory. Thankfully the second line (featuring the 2010-11 debut of Matthieu Perreault) found a wavelength that worked for them, channeling a hat trick from Alexander Semin, comprised of three very highlight-worthy goals. After the Thrashers tried to spoil the party (and some people's fantasy teams) by knocking Semin's third goal out of the GWG spot, Tomas Fleischmann took advantage of his time on the ice in OT and sent the crowd home happy.

I can't be convinced (at least at this point) that the Capitals don't benefit greatly from having Matthieu Perreault in the lineup, preferably (for me) in the spot he was in on Saturday night.

On the flip side, "Mike Green: Power Play Specialist" didn't do all that much for me (or for the increasingly stale power play, for that matter).

In The Stands

The groans were fast and furious in the early-going, and really kept up until Alex Semin pinged his first goal in. But the crowd really came alive in response to the disallowed goal from Mike Green, and had really good energy from there through to the finish.

Semin was on target all night long, even after being announced the first star of the game. A minor mishap (which I will blame on the "safety" netting) as he gently flipped a puck to a very little fan in the corner of the rink redirected the puck to give the little guy (gal?) a slight bonk on the head. Number 28 was immediately up against the glass apologizing and making sure the youngster's noggin was OK. Everybody seemed to be smiling after all was said and done. Pretty unique souvenir story for the kid, eh?

Above Our Heads And Beyond

Fury was unleashed, mildly streamlined CrowdWave games were played, referees microphones provided epic levels of feedback. It was a full evening.

And this might just be me talking (and, I would hope it is, unless somebody else swiped my keyboard without me noticing), but Caleb Green is the man as far as singing the anthem is concerned.

And So…

The Caps did well oHated the first half, really enjoyed the second half. Much like a movie (or a pro-wrestling pay-per-view), if the ending works out well, it casts a much better light on the rest of the event.

Now, if the Caps can start turning that light on a little bit earlier in the show from here on out…

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Game 4 - October 19, 2010

It's more like the home game that was, so this should be a brief-ish recap.

On The Ice

Marcus Johansson provided my Caps highlight of the night by scoring his first NHL goal in the second period. And it was pretty. Hopefully a snippet of things to come from him. The PK is still looking rather stout as well. That 5-on-3 kill late in the second felt like a potential game-changer.

Other than that, there wasn't much to write home about. It's always tough to watch that type of frustrate-a-thon, and doubly so when it's a home game. One bounce or slightly better-directed pass could change the entire complexion of the game, but it just doesn't quite happen. Essentially, any games that conjure up memories of late April, 2010, aren't going to rank high on the "favorites" list.

Maybe a teensy bit of a strategy shift/simplification on the power play might be in order? Maybe?

In The Stands

Did the Caps install random ejector seats between the first home stand and the Bruins game? There seemed to be a whole lot of people who just couldn't wait to get up and see what was going on up on the concourse. There's always a bit of traffic, but it really felt like a parade. Maybe the 7:30 start and the extended Versus Network TV time-outs threw everybody's rhythm off a bit. (That might also explain the amount of people who started rolling out about halfway through the third period.)

Above Our Heads And Beyond

Perhaps this bit should be renamed "In My Ears" this time around, because that's where the ringing sure was before the game even started. DJ Stretch's tunes during warm-ups were cranked relatively loudly in the seating bowl, but not bleedingly loud, and I was ready for it after the last home game. Besides, the players and other fans seem to dig it. What I wasn't prepared for was the screechingly loud AM radio piped through the speakers on the concourse and the rock-concert volume level of the music and PA before, during, and after the opening video hoopla. I honestly couldn't talk to anyone in my immediate vicinity without shouting.

I know it might sound weird for me to be complaining about noise at a hockey game, but there's a pretty big difference between crowd noise (which is always welcome, awesome, and in some cases, damned impressive) and media noise. I loved that the crowd could drown out the sound system during the opening home stand. If I had a vote, I would check the box next to "Opening Night" on the volume level ballot. I guess it was a bit of A/V's revenge on Tuesday night. Hopefully it was a special occasion.

And So…

Not the best night ever at the F Street Arena, and the lack of chemistry/clicking on the offense is a little bit of a red flag, but they've got a chance to get back at them pretty much right away, so hopefully they can wash taste of this one right out of their mouths. (Especially Mr. Neuvirth. Get well soon, man!)

Aside from that, I still anxiously await the return of the six-dollar nachos to the lower level.

The Home Stand That Was: One Goat's Opinion Home Games 1–3 - October 9–12, 2010

Since I'm not the most prolific writer on the internet, and there are plenty of other sources to get much more in-depth recaps and info about the games as they happen (such as here, here, here, or here, in no particular order), I'd just compile a brief collection of some of my impressions of the recently completed homestand.

(Bear with me, as this is definitely a work in progress.)

On The Ice

I certainly can't find anything to complain about in the area of results. There were definitely some stretches of dicey play by the home team in each of the three games, but any time there's a higher number on the left side of the scoreboard than the right, I tend to go home happy. A few tweaks on the power play, and we could be in for a lot of fun coming our way.

In The Stands

Opening night was a madhouse. The place was packed, the atmosphere was electric even as the Caps fell behind twice in the early going. There was almost a welcome back party vibe throughout the night. As the score blew open and the eventual fisticuff parade took shape, it only got more raucous.

Over the next couple of games, things seemed to simmer down just a little bit. I think there was a bit of the old fashioned weeknight malaise combined with opponents that don't exactly inspire intense emotion. The quick-hitting schedule might have generated a little bit of fatigue amongst the regulars as well.

Above Our Heads And Beyond

Being the opening homestand, this will probably be the biggest that this section ever gets.

Count me in as digging the new opening video. I like the song, if only because it features a clappable drum beat, unlike the very fanfare-ish music featured last year. (It doesn't hurt that it's also a bit of a pro wrestling reference, heh!) As referenced by Dan Steinberg at the DC Sports Bog, there are sparks, metal, and even a bit of Wes Johnson, which I agree are all good things. By extension the overall "metal plates" theme for the graphics works for me.

Speaking of Wes, the PA voices and music seemed to be at a much more reasonable volume than last season, especially in the playoffs. I like that the crowd could be loud enough to overpower it at times. On top of that, the music itself is a pretty stout upgrade over the playlists of the previous years.

The irreplaceable unleashing of the fury in video form, complete with the newly filmed Tom Green bits, feels like a win to me. I think it definitely takes it from being "one of those things" and turns it into a "Caps thing."

Unfortunately, on a personal note, one of the "improvements" to the F Street Arena over the summer was to take the six-dollar nachos away from the concession stands on the lower level. They've been replaced by the "Mondo Nachos" for nine bucks. While they are admittedly impressive-looking, they're a bit harder to eat without a mess, and get cold much more quickly.

After a little bit of recon, it appears that the six-dollar nachos are still around, but they seem to be quarantined to the upper level. Here's hoping a shipment of old-school trays makes its way to the stand behind section 106. (People say you should avoid dairy for a good voice, but I'm pretty sure there's no actual dairy in that cheese.)

And So…

It's great to be back at the F Street Arena for a game that counts, even without the six-dollar nachos. The new bits and pieces of the presentation seem to be falling into place nicely. There wasn't a single unhappy ending in the set, leaving the Caps unbeaten at home to start things off nicely. Plus I even got to do a little "heavy lifting" on opening night. Welcome back to DC ice, Caps!

(Now, if they could just get a little more consistent on that power play.)

Photo credit: Stewart Small / Facebook

Editing Makes Me (Almost) Look Coherent

More than a few minutes after the Washington Capitals home opener this past Saturday night, I was approached by a nice young lady who asked if I wouldn't mind talking to a camera for a few minutes. Follow this link (or click the image above) to view the tidy 97-second version of my adrenaline-addled ramblings.

Thanks to Madeline Marshall for happening to walk by at the right time, heh!