2 + 2 = 8

A lot of people are expressing concern at the current lack of goals by Ovi lately. I’m here to tell you that maybe; just maybe, Ovi has something else in mind. Call it a hunch.

As Caps fans, we are a spoiled bunch. We have the greatest current NHL player on our team. (Debatable by some, but not by Caps fans). We have watched him win award after award, and accolades aplenty since his rookie year. Many have come to expect this to continue this season, but would any of us really be that disappointed if the only award Ovi and the Caps won this year was the Stanley Cup?

I can’t claim to have any personal insight on what is going on in Alex’s head right now in regards to his game, but there lots of clues to what he might be thinking.

Yes, Ovi is currently in the top 3 in the NHL standings, but, is his objective to be MVP? It would be nice, but I don’t think he is focused on that. He has made it quite clear to one and all; the man wants the Stanley Cup.

I like to think that his record is what it is because the man is a beast on the ice, it’s what he does. He couldn’t help that if he tried, but, two different sets of suspensions have shown that this team can win games without relying on Ovechkin. That’s a good thing. It also takes a great deal of pressure off of Ovi. I’ll say it again, the man is a beast, God love him, but it takes a whole team to win the ultimate prize. Let’s get real people; I would rather have him healthy going into the playoffs then injured, just because some moron like Downie tried to take him out during a regular season game to prevent him from getting a puck in the net. If he isn’t a scoring machine right now, just wait. I’d be more concerned if he wasn’t scoring during playoffs.

There is also the position of Captain to consider. The honor of being named Captain is not something I think he takes lightly, nor is it something that will be gone at the end of this season. It’s a promotion and sign of respect that is serious business. I enjoy watching this more mature Ovi play. Back at the beginning of the Olympics, in an interview translated by Russian Machine Never Breaks, Ovi is quoted as saying “It is better to celebrate wins, not goals”. I think in Ovi’s mind, this applies to Caps wins too. As an athlete, he has to apply that to his personal game no matter where he is playing. He makes great assists, doesn’t hog the puck like he is the only one who can score. He is not only a team player, but a team leader. Sure, there are times when he had a scoring opportunity that wasn’t taken, but just look at the other goal stats that the Caps have. We have 7 players with over 20 goals so far, and Mike Green could become another on that list before the end of the regular season. We have 9 players with over 20 assists. Under his captaincy, this has become a more well-rounded complete team. It’s no longer the Ovi show, but that’s something I think we can all live with.

So, as disheartening as it may be, let’s consider this Alex’s chance to rest up before the big show. He’s still on the ice, not on the bench, or God forbid; in the press box sitting out a game. He’s in there keeping his eye on the prize, staying an important part of his team’s success. Remember, the Caps already have the pieces in place to go all the way, and Ovi is one of the reasons why they are there. And as much as I would also like to see Ovi net a couple more to lead the league, if the only thing that we get out of this season is the Stanley Cup, I’ll be one happy Caps fan.

What’s Your Number?

I have a hard time deciding on a number for my Caps jersey, so right now, I don’t have one. I like to think I am a fan of the team, and picking a player is just too specific. What if your player gets traded? Seriously, how many times have you seen a Huet jersey, or a Jagr jersey (shudder), or a Clark jersey at Verizon Center? Do you think to yourself: “Whoops, somebody needs to buy a new jersey”? I do. And those suckers are expensive!

So you may say it’s a safe bet to buy an Ovechkin jersey. I would agree, thousands of other Caps fans would agree too. Don’t get me wrong, I love having Alex on our team. The man is…well, frankly, the man is the man! But is he my favorite player? The better question would be; is he the reason I am a Caps fan? No, but his skill and enthusiasm is one of the reasons I enjoy watching the Caps play.

How about a Backstrom jersey? Yes, Nick is a terrific asset to the Caps. He’s actually a very nice guy in person too. But is he my favorite player? Nope, although I do pay attention to his game and what he brings to the ice. How could you not?

Maybe a Green jersey? Have to admit, Mike’s stats make a good argument, but is he my favorite player? No, I find I’m not that enamored with the defensive game.

Ok then, willing to spend the bucks for a Semin jersey? The man does have a wicked wrister, but once again, no. I may be tempted once he gets more consistent, but for now, ain’t gonna happen.

I could always pick a former Caps player, like Langway. But that might make me feel kinda old, and the last thing I would want is to feel old! (Sorry Rod!) I’m also too old to pick a number because a player is good looking, even if there are quite a few of those to pick from. I don’t need to walk down the concourse with my husband, wearing a player’s number that I know I selected because he’s a hottie. Cougars aren’t usually married, I’m just saying!

If you’ve been paying attention, you should know by now that I am a goalie girl. So, is there a Theo, Varly, or Neuvy jersey in my future? Well, is there a Theo in the Caps’ future? Are Varly and Neuvy in for the long haul? Hopefully, yes, but you never know for sure. See where I’m going with all this?

I think Goat has the right idea, wearing a #74 makes good sense. But, with Goat getting pretty famous to other Caps fans, I’m going to let that be his.

Finally, there is the option of a number with “another” name above it. Can you imagine me walking around with a jersey that says CAPS GIRL on the back? Hell to the no, talk about a jersey foul! Only if I want to have it make an appearance on Puck Daddy’s site!

So, try as I might, I just can’t commit to buying a numbered jersey. I’m one of those fans who is repping the entire team. But, I’d love to know if you do, and also, which number and why. Maybe you can convince me to spend the money and get a new numbered jersey! Have at it!

Thanks, Caps Tweeps!

I have been on Twitter since February 23, 2009, happy one year anniversary to me. Thinking on that has given me an “attitude of gratitude” and so I would like to thank my fellow Caps Twitter tweeps.

None of you knew me prior to joining Twitter. For all you knew, I could have been one of those “bandwagon” fans. Looking at how long some people have been on Twitter, many of us could be qualified as such, but that would be a sad mistake to make. I have been a Caps fan for many years, thanks to my husband’s love of hockey, but didn't actually start attending games until the last few years. But when I joined Twitter, I never thought it was necessary to spell this all out. I was accepted as a member of the Caps Twitter community without question.

My original Caps jersey from the 80's, worn out stars and all.

Becoming a part of this online community gave me a second tier of knowledge that I had never had before. I sat back and listened, asked questions, and read blogs. Other peoples’ opinions gave me pause to consider. I found like minded people who also had a passion for Caps hockey. My Caps world was no longer confined to my husband and what little local media I could watch or read. (Don’t get me wrong, I am not dis’in my husband here. He is an avid hockey fan who has loved the Caps from the beginning. He has suffered ALL the lows and celebrated ALL the highs. His knowledge of the game comes from years of dedication to the team and has shared that with me).

As to being a bandwagon fan, je m'accuse! I will happily admit to jumping on a bandwagon for our AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Thanks to my pals on Twitter, and in large part, thanks to Teka (@sweetestofdekes), I truly learned how important the Bears are in relationship to the Caps. I’ll be honest, I never gave them that much thought until I joined Twitter and started following Teka. Another dimension to my fandom was added.

So, as I “celebrate” my one year Twitter anniversary, I want to thank everyone out there in the Twitterverse who has helped me become an even better Caps fan. Hopefully, I have returned the favor in kind…Any questions?

Snicks and Grins

Cabin fever can do crazy things to a person. This is the result:

In honor of Ovi’s first hat trick of the season and as a Captain, a little motivational poster.

The quote is pure Ovi.

In case you haven’t gotten a chance to meet our newest Washington Capital yet…

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting #25 on your score card….Jason Chimera!

Also, my discovery of Semin looking like Mick Jagger makes me want to pseudo-quote Mike Milbury and ask: “Who’s your Daddy?”

Everybody loves MG52, except the stylist who let him get photographed with this look:

 

Finally, for anyone who needs a special Valentine of their own:

See what cabin fever does?

Enforcing Checks and Balances (A “Woman's” Perspective)

There has been a lot of discussion on whether or not the Washington Capitals needed an enforcer this season. I understand, I really do. Old school Canadian hockey is full of hard hits, pummeling fists, and bloodied players. There was a time when that was what many people exclusively watched hockey for; the fights. To this day, many still do. I suspect quite a few European players balked at coming to play in the NHL in the past because of the fighting. For the most part, they don’t play that way over there; or didn’t back in the day, maybe that’s changed.

I will admit; watching all in-balls out hockey fights can be difficult for me. I don’t watch boxing, and I don’t like seeing those heavy hitting, blood drawing, face disfiguring fights during a hockey game. Scrums are one thing, all out fisticuffs are another. Maybe I’m being a stereotypical female here, but I don’t get off on the sight of blood. What I do get off on is watching skilled players finesse a clean check to the boards. I can see why some fans enjoy hockey fights, there are times when payback seems to be the only choice. But, do we need players whose sole purpose on the rink is to be an enforcer anymore?

Let’s look at a recent example of a situation where the question of the Caps not having an enforcer once again reared its head. It wasn’t that long ago; Caps vs. Tampa on 1/12/10. After all was said and done, Ovechkin was the one who was criticized for NOT fighting when Matt Bradley jumped in to protect him from Steve Downie. I appreciate what Brads did to protect Ovi during this clusterfuck of a game. He stated afterward: “We have a guy like that going after our best player; obviously we can’t let that happen.” But, you don’t have to be an enforcer to protect your teammates. There are plenty of players who are not enforcers jumping into that role on an as-needed basis. Yes, tempers flair and scrums break out, nasty hits are made and penalties; hopefully; doled out. Teammates do need to look out for each other. You know what they say, there is no “I” in team. (Yeah, yeah, there is a “me”, I know the joke). But the reaction to that incident brought more cries for an enforcer, and more people drooling for hockey fights.

From nhl.fanhouse.com, this quote: “According to the folks at hockeyfights.com, Ovechkin has been involved in one regular season fight in his dominating NHL career. And quite honestly, it wasn't much of a fight. On Tuesday night during Washington's 7-4 loss in Tampa Bay, we were so close to seeing what Ovechkin can do with the gloves off ... until Matt Bradley went and ruined the fun.”

 (Just as an aside, the comments to that posting are as telling as the last sentence of that quote. I have a feeling if Ovi did get into a fight, he would lay someone out. He is bigger, stronger, and more mature than he was back in 2006. As much as I don’t like hockey fights, that is one I would probably watch, but that still doesn’t necessitate having an enforcer. Maybe that's why Brashear was traded to the Rangers, Ovi and the Caps don't need that kind of protection anymore and can fight their own battles.)

The days when hockey only appealed to men are over. You see women fans and people bringing children to games. For all intensive purposes, it looks like the NHL is trying to cultivate this new market of fandom and seems to be responding by cracking down on the types of fights and penalties that the enforcer would be most responsible for. The NHL is also trying to protect players from the disastrous consequences of the type of career ending damage an enforcer can inflict.

I know I’m going against the grain when I say we don’t need an enforcer. North American ice hockey will always have scrums, bad hits, and fights. It is the nature of the beast and one that will not be exterminated easily, if ever. But designate players to be that particular beast? Maybe it’s time to make a line change.

One final note: When we meet up against the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow, I’m sure several Caps players will have targets on their backs. You know who I’m talking about, right? So I may have to invoke my prerogative to change my mind about enforcers. If what could happen actually does happen, I will be screaming along with the rest of you and humbly submitting my apologies, hat in hand, foot in mouth.

Socializing Social Media

What may have started out as quick 140 character tweets describing “What’s happening” has turned into a true social outlet that has expanded our world, our views and our circle of acquaintances. I have had a Facebook account for a couple of years but have been on Twitter for only 11 months. Of the two, Twitter is the site I check first. To me, the kind of social media connection found on Twitter brings new people into your life, whereas Facebook typically seems to keep you connected to a few “friends”, former coworkers, distant relatives or fellow alumni. I add quotes to “friends” because most of the time I find that actual long time friends that I connect with is done in person or by phone, not postings on Facebook. This may not be the case for other social media users, but I think it is pretty typical for the most part.

I will admit my initial foray into Twitter was because of articles of celebrities using it. I thought it sounded interesting and signed up. I soon found the majority of those accounts were self serving and their tweets were actually boring to read, lacking any connection to real people, so I went exploring. Following my passion for hockey, I found my “real” people and never looked back. These people are my Tweeples, these people are my Tweeps.

Twitter has become my place to interact with people from all walks of life that share my interest in hockey. I have Tweeps from all parts of the US, Canada and even the UK. We use Twitter like an intense chat room during hockey games, and share work day woes to carry us through until the next hockey game comes around. I follow and tweet with fellow hockey fans, sports bloggers, actual athletes, and a few people just getting started on Twitter.

Tweeples, with the exception of the fake celebrity accounts, are real people. Some of us may keep our actual identities under wraps, but our tweets are real. We discuss our lives, our families, our jobs, our pets, our everyday foibles and successes, in addition to hockey. We announce pregnancies and births, new jobs, new cars, and anything else we think may be of interest to other Tweeple we have come to know. We commiserate over job losses and sometimes even try to help them find a new one. We share our sympathy when one of us suffers the personal loss of a friend or family member. We agonize together when our team is defeated and joyously celebrate wins.

Once you have an established core of followers, you’ll find that your Tweeple are ok with it if you root for an opposing team. They don’t care if you prefer rock and roll over country music or drive an SUV or drink or smoke or sing karaoke, for that matter. They don’t judge you if you are married, single or divorced; a parent or grandparent; overweight or underweight; if you may or may not be considered attractive; or even if you are a student or an adult out making their way in the world. You’ll recognize which ones of your Tweeples are likeminded when new followers stop following rather quickly. I often laugh to myself when I look at the tweets of new followers and see they do not share my interests or sense of humor. I am usually not surprised when they are gone in a matter of hours. I know that those that hang in there are doing so for a reason, which makes me appreciate them all the more.

Many of us will never meet in person, but because of our mutual interest, we often make an effort to by participating in “Tweetups” and “Hockey Viewing Parties”. If a Tweep uses an actual photograph of themselves as their avatar, you may recognize them in person, but those of us that don’t could remain a mystery without some way to get together in real life. (At least a mystery in regards to getting the full visual picture of who they are, because our tweets usually give a pretty good indication of our personalities).

Shown in this photo: @MedicChick, @Lil_Knuckler, @Sproing_Buzz,

@lorirusso, @tyynimeri, @danawalker,  @love_the_game, @VaMedic,

@ahwahoo2006, @KellyinDC, @lisamcgrath, @markrussopga, @hockeymomva

These Tweetups and viewing parties are a great way to expand connections we make on Twitter. Sometimes they are large gatherings to watch away games and can last several hours, sometimes they are quick mini parties at a sports arena (like the #caps108 intermission ones). And, in case you were wondering; most, if not all, of these meetings for hockey tweeple include some form of drinking. It gives us an opportunity for getting to meet followers in person, shake their hand or give them a hug, put a real face with the tweep you have been “talking” to for months. We already know each other, because keeping up a false persona on Twitter is hard to do and you would get called out pretty quickly. So no one is really surprised by the tweep we are meeting for the first time, it’s just nice to make their acquaintance face to face. I have actually mapped my route from my seat at Verizon Center to the #caps108 meeting place so I could be sure I had the maximum time to see tweeple in person. It was well worth the effort! My tweeps are a great bunch of people!

There are people who don’t use or understand the concept of Twitter; my husband was one of them. In the beginning, he would laugh and say that these people aren’t real. Now after hearing stories about tweeps, seeing pictures they have posted, my sharing of sports news through bloggers that tweet, and actually meeting some of them at a #caps108, his perception has changed. Will he get on Twitter or Facebook? I doubt it, but that doesn’t sway me from participating in socializing through social media. My world is even larger because of it…Any questions?

A Waddle of Flightless Birds? Bring it!

I am not a hockey expert, I’m just a fan. I’m not even gonna pretend I am an expert by researching/reciting stats or quoting knowledgeable authorities. (You really didn’t expect me to, did you?) This is going to be an “emotional” post, not a “clinical” one. This one comes from the heart. So, here it is; while I eagerly anticipate every Caps game; the game coming up on Thursday against the Penguins is the one I am really looking forward to the most.

In my mind, all the changes to the Capitals that have been made since last season were made for playing against this one team. A team we haven’t played since last spring. Forget the Sharks, forget the Devils, forget the Flyers. Ok, yes, all of them are hard to forget, but my point here is this: I believe the current team roster was built to play the Penguins. Our current SYSTEM was built to beat the Penguins SYSTEM. The Penguins are the adversary that sticks in our collective craw the most.

Today’s Caps team has taken a while to build; with many adjustments along the way. We can’t develop the team to suit all styles, we have to focus on what we think is going to be needed for the big picture. The Caps are looking towards getting through the playoffs and ultimately on to the Stanley Cup. That most likely may include playing the Penguins, so maybe the focus is there. Don’t think we need to worry about meeting them post season? I hope you are right, but I’m not taking any bets on it right now. The Penguins don’t look like they are going to crumble and fall apart any time soon, as much as I would like to hope otherwise.

Consider all the changes the Caps have made since the last season. New acquisitions, trades and players coming up from Hershey, coaching changes, line changes, the whole 9 yards, (or should I say 200 ft?). Don’t kid yourself, our guys are not resting on their laurels. We’ve said buh bye to Johnny, Clark, Juice, and at long last; buh bye to Nyls. We said a hearty hello to Knuble, B-Mo and Chimera. Our team’s coaching staff welcomed Bob Woods and Arturs Irbe into the fold. We’ve had players switch between offense and defense, and from wing to center. Bruce is constantly making line combination changes, often from shift to shift. We’ve seen Varly take over from Theo, and Neuvy take over for Varly. I could go on and on about what has changed with this team, but hopefully you get my point.

The Capitals have developed a certain style of play (for the most part), a style that is not always competitively compatible with other teams. But, there are some teams that fall apart against our run and gun game. It is this basic style of game with this current base roster of players that has been getting tweaked for months now. And, the Caps may not be done yet. The trade deadline is not over and we may now have enough breathing room if a player that suits our needs and fits our style becomes available.

Yes, we all want to win against every team, but that is not possible and not realistic. You might be thinking that Ovi needs to score more. As far as I’m concerned, as long as Ovi scores enough to get us to the post season and then scores big time when we get there, I’m ok with him not making 50 in 50 or winning another Hart. He’s probably ok with that too if it means he finally gets his hands on the Stanley Cup. We also need Varly to get better and get back on the ice. (And it wouldn’t hurt if Theo kept his head on straight and played consistently. Let’s face it, he’s no Kolzig, or even Huet for that matter, but, we have seen the times when he is out there putting everything he has into the game for a win. It actually can be done.) We need players drawing penalties and making power play goals, not sitting in the sin bin cooling their heels. We need the defense protecting our net, we need the offense crashing their net. We need to scrap pretty displays of passing that don’t result in goals. But, we are getting there. When the stars align and the system works, our team and its victories are a joy to behold.

Never forget that winning the Stanley Cup is THE objective for our team. It is also THE objective for EVERY NHL team, so don’t think the Penguins aren’t looking for a repeat of last year. Who did they have to get past to get there? Who will we probably have to get past to get there? So is the upcoming game against the Penguins really all that I think it’s going to be? I’m counting on it! Win or lose, it should be exciting, entertaining, and one we may watch holding our breath until we turn blue red.