Here's What Home Ice Advantage Sounds Like

We put together some clips of the crowd reactions from the Caps huge game 5 overtime win over the New York Rangers so you can see what it is like to be in a nervous but excited arena during the NHL playoffs.  And then, at the end, it all comes together as the crowd goes insane when the Caps pull out the win on a Mike Ribeiro game winner.  Check out the video.

Caps Overcome Two Goal 3rd Period Deficit, Win 2nd Straight

Down 5-3 with half the 3rd period behind them, Washington Capitals fans began to push the panic button.  Fans were firing the GM, cursing the team, and getting internally angry.  Read some of the tweets below.

But the Caps didn't care about those fans or what they thought.  Instead they just played hockey, tying up the game and winning it in OT.

In OT Backstrom slapped a perfect pass to Troy Brouwer setting him up on the breakaway.  Brouwer couldn't get the puck past the Florida goaltender but he followed his shot and stuffed the puck into the net for the Caps 2nd straight win.

The Caps scored first on a Mike Ribiero powerplay goal but the Panthers came back and notched 2 to go into the 2nd period leading 2-1.  One of the "highlights" of the opening session was the "fight" that took place between Alexander Ovechkin and Kris Versteeg (watch it here).

Alzner and Hendricks each scored in the 2nd period, but the Panthers got 2 goals of their own putting the Caps in a 4-3 situation going into the final frame.

After the Panthers scored almost 7 minutes in, right when the fans began to give up, the Caps came back with a Eric Fehr deflection goal and then an Ovechkin PPG off of the initial faceoff in a matter of seconds.

Just 32 seconds into the OT, Brouwer scored the game winner.

Ribeiro continues to be the Caps best player scoring a goal and picking up 2 assists.  Backstrom and Ward also had 2 assists.  Ovi also had an assist to go with his goal.  HOCKEY!  ASSISTS FOR EVERYONE!!!

The Caps won 2 in a row for the first time this season.  Next up, the Lighting on Valentines Day.  Be mine!

Ticked, Tacked, And Toed, Caps Crushed By Penguins

The Washington Capitals went into Pittsburgh on Thursday night looking for a season changing win, instead they left with their tails between their legs after a possible season-crushing defeat to the Penguins 5-2.  Two decent periods for the Caps weren't enough as they were manhandled in the 2nd.

After a good first period and a 1-0 lead, the Penguins went on a 5-0 run in the second period putting the game far out of reach for the struggling Caps.  A goalie change in the second after 2 Penguins goals didn't help as Holtby replaced Neuvirth and gave up 3 straight.  2 in 11 seconds and the third less than 3 minutes later.  If not for a few great saves the game could have really gotten out of hand.

The Caps goal in the first period wasn't exactly amazing hockey.  Marc-Andre Fleury took a shot to the head knocking him to the ice helmet-less as Mike Ribeiro tapped in the rebound.  After that it was dead season for the Capitals til the 3rd.

Alex Ovechkin was whiffing on pucks, falling on the ground, missing breakaways, and pinging the pipe with open net.  However he did show some fire after a penalty and ended up scoring another powerplay goal almost halfway through the 3rd period.  He picked up an assist in the first as well and he now has 7 points in 11 games.

Aside from Ribeiro's goal in the first he also picked up an assist on the Ovi goal.  Ribz has 4 goals and 9 assists on the season, that's 13 points and 5 multi-point games on the year.

Next up for the all but dead Caps, Saturday at home vs the Panthers...

Wizards Worst Team In The League...What? Caps? Really?

The Washington Capitals lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night at the Air Canada Center 3-2.  With the loss and a Florida win, the Caps are now in last place in the NHL.  Meanwhile, the Wizards are 29th out of 30.  Not a good year for Ted Leonsis.

The Maple Leafs attempted 40 shots on goal compared to the Caps 22.  Much of that had to do with the fact that the Leafs had 8 powerplays compared to the Caps 2.  However despite the penalty discrepancy, each team only netted 1 goal on the PP thanks to the Caps PK and some great goaltending by Michal Neuvirth.

The Caps got on the board less than 2 minutes in with a goal by the team's leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin Joel Ward (4) on a nifty pass by Mike Ribeiro which had Locker in quite the tizzy.  But the Leafs cashed in on the powerplay soon after.

Ovechkin notched a powerplay goal (I don't remember the last time he scored on even-strength) in the 2nd period off a pass by, you guessed it, Mike Ribiero.  Ribz is the Caps assist leader with 7 already on the season.

When the Caps weren't on the PK they were knocking the Leafs backwards.  But in the 3rd period the Maple Leafs went on a barrage, tying the game and then taking the lead in a matter of minutes.

The Caps made a final push in the final minutes (including Ovechkin running laps around the goal), but when an Ovi shot hit the post in the closing seconds, the Caps chances were up.  Final score, Leafs 3, Caps 2.

Next up for the LAST PLACE Caps, the Flyers at home on Friday...

Four Things To Watch For At Caps Training Camp

With the NHL in full swing and camps swiftly approaching, here's a quick look at who you should keep an eye on when you go to Kettler this weekend to observe camp (if it begins).

Mike Riberio:  Also known as the new kid in town; Mike Riberio is the latest addition to the Caps roster and is, hopefully, the missing ingredient on the second line. It'll be interesting to see who Oates pairs him up with and how his chemistry with the team develops over camp.

The Goalie:  Who's starting in net; The long running controversy for the Caps.  Is it Neuvirth, Holtby, or none of the above? Or wil GMGM go Vokoun and decide the Caps need another "vet" in the net this season (just kidding). While Holtby was the unlikely hero throughout last seasons Playoffs, don't count Neuvrith out just yet. No matter who ends up being the "starter" with a fast paced season both goaltenders will be needed.



Tom Poti who?; The biggest shock to Caps fans was hearing (or most likely reading) that defensive defenseman Tom Poti plans to participate in training camp this week. Poti, who hasn't played since the '10-'11 season, will probably be one of the most interesting people to see back on the ice. He's one of the seven players still on the Caps who played in the '07-'08 Playoffs and his health is still a question.

The Big Three: Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Green oh my; The three remaining "young guns" will also be ones to watch this week. (assuming Backstrom is well enough to participate in training camp)  Caps fans have a lot of questions about these fellas; Will Ovi get over his funk and start having 50+ goal seasons again? Can Green skate five feet without getting injured? Will Nick Backstrom be a more present force this season?

So come join us at training camp, and watch firsthand as these four situations develop.  See you at Kettler!

Written By Camilla Alsobrook

3 Reasons Why A Short Season Could Hurt The Capitals

3 Challenges With A Shortened Season

I. NO PRESEASON:  With a new head coach (Adam Oates) in town, it is extremely important to build team chemistry as quickly and as early as possible. With the majority of the team's star athletes playing international hockey during the lockout, all of the preseason team building time is essentially wasted. Unfortunately this could lead to some early chemistry struggles for the Capitals, specifically with new player like Mike Ribeiro.



II. NO ROOM FOR ERROR:  The Caps last campaign began with a Bang as the team started off 7-0, going 7-2 in October.  With 42 regulation wins, Washington  barely squeaked into the playoffs where they made it to the second round losing to the New York Rangers in seven games. If the 2011-2012 season was shortened to 50 Games the Caps could have been 25-21-4 and may have missed the playoffs entirely. A shortened season may be disastrous for a team who will need plenty of game time experience to get the hang of a new head coach's schemes and strategies.

III. NO TIME FOR INJURIES:  In an 82 game NHL regular season players with injuries will have more time during the season to heal completely before going down the home stretch. In a season where teams will be playing 39.1% less regular season games there is absolutely no room for any of the team's super star athletes to sustain any type of serious injury. Usually a team could survive 15 or so games with out one or two of it's stars out on the ice, but in a 50 game season, not a chance.

These three things are not certainties.  If the Capitals can pick up Adam Oates system quickly, gel with new players, keep the losing streaks at a minimum, and stay healthy, they will have a great chance to be a dominant team in this short season.

Written By Caps Contributor Aaron Ebert @AaronEbert22

Read The 3 Ways A Shortened Season Could Benefit The Capitals

Caps Development Camp: A Week Of Autographs

===================================================

We spent the entire week at Kettler Iceplex Covering Caps Development Camp.  This is our final entry from the week of hockey.

===================================================

Stewart arrived at the Ballston Mall at 7:00am.  He wasn't going to take a chance with any parking issues.  He wasn't going to try to fight the crowd.  He was going to get Mike Ribeiro's autograph.

The determined Caps fan staked out his territory soon after his arrival and nabbed the first position in line.  It didn't matter that nobody else was there.  It didn't matter that he would have to wait almost 3 whole hours.  Stewart would possess Mike Ribeiro's signature, and nobody would stop him.

(Center) New Caps Center Mike Ribeiro Signing Autographs - (Left) The Line At 9am - (Right) Stewart The Super-Fan

From morning practice sessions on Monday to afternoon scrimmages on Thursday to the Fanfest on Saturday, fans were autograph hungry.  Caps Development Camp was supposed to be a time for the players to learn about NHL-Style hockey but these young prospects learned something else; Caps fans are obsessed with autographs.

Caps Fanfest 2012 In Pictures

===================================================

We will be live at Kettler each day at some point for Development Camp.  So follow us on Twitter @Dru90 @Camcoco10 and @TheDugsSports for live-tweets and check back all week for coverage.

===================================================

On Saturday morning, the Caps concluded their 2012 Development Camp with a special event for all the fans.  Washington Capitals Fanfest was a day filled with fun for the whole family including face painting, street hockey, ice skating, moon bounces, and more.  Hundreds of fans came out for the fun, and here are a few pictures from the event.

 Fans Rush To The Game-Used Equipment Sale

Slapshot Skating With The Fans

Come back later to read about the final scrimmage and the autograph sessions.  Until then the pictures continue after the jump...

I Want My Babyback....

Cappy's Mikey C Ribz...Cappy's Mikey C Ribz...


According to an explosion that happened on Twitter, the Capitals now have a 2nd line center.  They traded Clay Eakin & a 2nd rounder for Dallas (I'm assuming starting?) Center Mike Ribeiro.  As someone who knows nothing about hockey positions, it was my understanding that this was a position that needed to be upgraded.  Also by looking at statistics and comparing Marjo to Mikey, this was apparently accomplished.

The reaction of fans on Twitter was mixed.  The "lover" fans immediately purchased their jersey's, changed their computer background to Ribeiro, and started their Ribz Shirtless Tumblrs.  The "medium" fans were happy to have an upgrade at a needed position.  The "want mores" are a little upset that Ribeiro is older and not the player they wanted.

According to the stats, Ribeiro scored 63 points last season.  To compare to the 2nd round game 7 losing Caps, top scorer was Alex Ovechkin with ... 65 points.  2nd place was Semin with 54.  I really don't see the problem here.

Well like it or not he is on the team...Oh and you can follow him on Twitter too...