Caps Steven Oleksy Fight Vs Drayson Bowman of Carolina Hurricanes

Here's a fun GIF of recently called up Steven Oleksy fighting on Tuesday night down 3-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes.  I believe that is Drayson Bowman on the other end of that nicely connected fist to face:

Here's Oleksy fighting in a Hershey Bears Game

A Farewell Letter To Alexander Semin

On Thursday afternoon it was announced that Alexander Semin had signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Reactions to the news was different depending on who you asked: some people were happy you weren't going to be taking those ever so famous stick penalties with us, some were shocked that a team would pay you 7 million dollars a year, and some were crushed that you would be "rocking the red" with another team.

My reaction was a little different.  I became a frequent watcher of the Caps in 2006.  I was 10 years old and my father finally convinced me to start watching hockey.  At that point, you could say the team wasnt very good.  The Caps finished 14th in the Eastern Conference with only 70 points that season.

The phrase of the time was "Wait until this young Caps team grows up," but quite frankly, Washington DC was tired of waiting.  And thankfully, the waiting was soon over.  Just one year later the Caps won the 2007-08 Southeast Division title.

The Caps team was carried by 4 fledgling snipers...four "young guns"... Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, and Mr. Alexander Semin, for whom I write the following letter:

Dear Alexander Valerevich Semin,

Around 2 PM yesterday, it was announced that you would be moving on from the Caps. Your new home would be Raleigh, North Carolina, to play for the Hurricanes.

The joy that your Capitals teams of the past 4 years brought me was indescribable.  A lot of that joy came from watching you play.  The goals, the assists, the stick penalties, the division titles and the President's Trophy, all lit up my life.

This past season, however, was different for you. You scored a career low in goals and the thought that you "don't try" was brought to a new level thanks to your ex-teammate Matt Bradley, and the fact that you were a little careless with your stick in the offensive zone.  Many people lost faith in you.

I however, did not.

Sure I got angry a few times like everyone else, but I knew for a fact that you cared much more then people thought.  It was a shame how it all ended for you in DC after all the great memories you provided for myself and the fans.

You could call me "Bad Melissa" because I don't care.  I don't care about the stick penalties.  I don't care about the perception of your attitude.  I care about the times when hope was lost and you were there to help bring it back to DC.  For that I am forever grateful.

I'm going to miss you on the ice in a Caps sweater, but I hope you have fun down in Carolina.  Just don't score on the Caps when you guys play each other...please :)  And most importantly, THANK YOU for everything you have done for the team I love.

Sincerely,


Melissa


Hopefully you understand how I feel about the former Caps forward.  And hopefully some of the new players can fill the void that he left behind.  Let's Go Caps!

Written by Melissa B, Caps Basketball's BROLO correspondent.  You can find her on Twitter @Unibrouw

Caps Fall Another Game Below .500

But don't worry, they moved Up in the standings!!! Hockey!!!

The Caps took a tough loss to the Hurricanes in Overtime on Tuesday night.  As the Caps do, they made a comeback in the final 3 minutes to force the OT and pick up the pity point to move a little bit higher in the standings.

The Caps probably would have won had it not been for turnovers and nobody being back on defense.  That play where Widman pulled an Adam Dunn and swung and missed on a puck instead of getting his body on it or just backing up was just terrible.

Why do the teams we play convert on breakaways and odd man rushes, and we don't?

Next up is another huge game against the Lightning on Thursday.  The Lightning who had the Caps number last playoffs.

I'm having a great time watching these games, watching the standings, and watching a team that has a chance to make the playoffs.  Maybe that is a benefit of picking up the Caps this season, because I feel like nobody else has their eyes open.  People can't watch.  Deep breath...1 point...

Tonight Is The First Night Of The Rest Of Your Life!

It's been a really really messed up week...
Two games of torture, Five days of bitter...
And my Ovi got benched in front of me...
He's a Russian dime, but it's not time for me to quit her...

We've seen the first part of the movie.  The team wins a bunch of games, life is good.  (Highway to the Danger Zone plays)  The team starts assuming they will win games and stops playing hard.  The losses start to pile up.  The team finds itself out of the playoffs.  (Love Hurts plays).  Then something magical happens.  The team bonds together over some event and decides to work together to achieve a common goal.  The team goes on the ice no longer as a group of individual stars, but as a team!  (Highway to the Danger Zone plays again!)

The Caps have lost a majority of their games since that great start.  They are really struggling. Well the only thing to say is...

La, la, la...whatever
La, la, la...it doesn't matter
La, la, la...oh well
La, la la...

That is the point in the movie we are at tonight.  Tonight, the Caps make their triumphant return to the NHL.  The Caps from games 1-7.  Remember those guys?  Ovi was smiling and not sitting on the bench.  Semin was committing those silly O-Zone penalties that we all hated but laughed at when the game was over and the W was in the books.  What a silly goose!  Green was healthy, Voko was Loco, and Knuble was Knubling.

Tonight is the time to start over.  Remember game 1, at Verizon Center.  A huge victory over the Carolina Hurricanes to start the 7 game winning streak.  Well, the Hurricanes are back.  The game is at Verizon.  The streak is at 0 and is dying to reach 7.  The time is tonight.

Tonight, Tonight, there's a party in the 400's top of Verizon...
Tonight, Tonight, and we're dancing on the edge of that weird chinatown gateway sign...
I don't know if I'll make it, but watch how good I fake it (diving)
It's all right, all right, Tonight, Tonight...

You've Got A Friend: Hurricanes @ Capitals

James Taylor Edition

Carolina Hurricanes @ Washington Capitals

Sunday, January 15th (5pm) CSN

I've seen fire, and I've seen rain...

Sometimes the Caps are fire.  They come out strong in the first period, get on the scoreboard early, play physical hockey, and win games.  Hot Hot Hot.    Sometimes the Caps are rain.  They turn the puck over, they fail on the power play, and they don't get enough shots on goals.  Cold Cold Cold.

I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end...

A 7-0 start that featured 30 goals.

I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend...

A 13 game span that featured 9 losses and a coach being fired.

But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again...

As of late we have seen more fire than rain.  The Caps are only 2 games back of the division lead.  They have won 6 of their last 8 games and Tommy V has emerged as the team's goto goaltender.  How sweet it is!  Are good times here again?  This game against the Hurricanes is a good chance to find out.  Let's keep the fire burnin...

Ice To See You Carolina, Enjoy The Sauce

The Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2nd time this season (5-1) to go to 9-2. Nuevy kind of had a nice game and Marjo had an awesome assist in what was a "chippy" game with lots of "almost fights". The Caps got lucky early as a Hurricanes goal was called off due to an incorrect quick whistle. Rookie callup Eakin picked up his first career NHL point with a secondary assist, and then scored a goal later to elicit a scream that could be heard around the neighborhood.

One of the Hurricanes is named McBain and every time the announcers said his name I laughed. All I could think of was the character from the Simpsons. And speaking of the Simpsons every time Jeff Skinner missed a shot I imagined super nintendo Chalmers screaming SKINNER!

Here are my notes and questions for the night:

• Announcer quote of the night: "Shampoo is there to keep the peace" about referee Pierre Shampoo.
• I Lied, real announcer paraphrase of the night: "I think you have the best sauce on the team". That sounds so gross. What exactly is sauce?
• Why did the refs break up every shoving match. Is there a fighting protocol that I am unaware of?
• Carolina has 2 Cams. Does any other sports "town" have even one Cam? What is that short for anyway?
• Do Hurricanes fans really call themselves Caniacs? Do they really have a "honk honk honk" guy too? And what's with the mini honking thing...if you watched on TV you heard what I was talking about.
• Ruutu: Bounty Hunter, Ewok, Disney Character, Avatar, or Hockey Player?
• And of course, always remember: ROW ROW ROW ROW ROW ROW

Carolina In My Mind Grapes

There are a lot of great hurricanes. The rum drink that you puke up at Krystal on Bourbon Street at 4am. The 40's that you duct tape to you hands during Edward Fortyhands. The Bob Dylan song about the boxer and the movie with Denzel. The guys from The U who got free cash & hookers because they played football. This sweet ass jeep. Hurricane Chris, Ay Bay Bay! And the baller ass mo'fo in this video.

There are also a lot of bad hurricanes too. Katrina. Andrew. Clinton Portis. The wrestler pictured below. And of course. The Carolina Hurricanes.

Fine. I'm kidding. The Carolina Hurricanes aren't bad. They have 1 more Stanley Cup than the Capitals and have been around for half the time. In NHL '94 they were called the Hartford Whalers, and were a team that nobody in the entire world ever played as. In 2009 the Caps would have beat the Hurricanes and then won the Stanley Cup....if they didn't lose to Pittsburgh first...sad.

When I was down in Chapel Hill last weekend (In the eye of the Hurricanes...XXX) I saw 0 Hurricanes gear (although someone did ask me if the 'Canes won last night) I saw 10 different people rocking Charlotte Hornets gear. (The greatest team in NBA history). Wow, I kinda wish I knew something, ANYTHING, about actual Hockey.

Game Notes:

• The Hurricanes have a Chuk. Zach Boychuk. That's not a good sign. In NHL '94 Chuks scored goals all the time.
• I figured out who hates Mike Green. Its those Caps fans who are the Redskins fans that smash beer bottles on the ground at FedEx and try to fight people after a loss. Oh and he probably won't play.
• Do they play a lot of Petey Pablo at Hurricanes games? Come on & Raise Up!
• This is the first repeat of the season, the Caps won the season opener in OT.
• Neuvy Neuve will be in goal for the Caps

Caps Win! Other Team Still Rewarded...

The Caps pulled out the win in the season opener against the Hurricanes on Saturday night. That means 2 points in the standings and a great way to open the season.

However the Hurricanes were also given a point in the standings, even though they lost the game. Hockey people explain why this is the rule and how it works out, but despite that, I still don't like it. It just doesn't work into the American sports attitude of the winners are winners and the losers are losers. "Well you almost won, so here's a point". What if we gave all the Little Jimmies ribbons and metals just for participating in a game, even if they lose...oh we do that already? Wait what happened I blacked out.

The difference between a Caps win and a Wizards win in the home opener is that the Caps are kind of expected to win (10 straight home opener wins), and the Caps are expected to be a top team. When the Wizards win a home opener I stare at the standings page for hours at a time. Looking at them tied with 15 other teams for 1st place in the league at 1-0.

With the Wizards you have to savor every victory and enjoy the moment. With the Caps you kind of have to say "Is it (insert month the NHL playoffs start) yet"