THIS IS OUR TIME!

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

CAPS WIN IN OT!!!

HUGE win last night for many reasons! Here are my thoughts:

1. The system works! Last night is what we have all been waiting for ever since the season ended last year. I had said earlier in the year that the season was largely a formality and this team will be defined by what they do in the playoffs. They changed the system in the offseason to focus more on defense and there is no question you could see the benefits of it last night. We were much tighter on defense and granted NY is not much of an offensive team but we really held their quality scoring chances to a minimum. Loved the defensive effort. We look much more like a playoff team than we did a year ago where we knew we were going to give up goals and just hoped that we would out score our opponents.

2. SEMIN! After all the hub bub about this guy not being able to score in the playoffs, the guy comes up huge with the one timer in OT for the game winner. Great goal and a great way for this guy to get the monkey off of his back. Hopefully he can feed off of this and keep the goals coming.

3. OVIE! Solid all around game by him and good to see him get rewarded with the hard fought game tying goal. He certainly seems to have sacrificed individual play for the team and it was good to see the stars shine last night which is what they need to do. Again, fair or not, he will be defined by what his team's do. He needs to raise the Cup to solidify his legacy.

4. GREEN! Great game back by Mike Green. He logged in a lot of playing time and showed very little rust. I was confident that he would be able to play in terms of endurance and skills as he has been practicing with the team for months. The question was going to be if he got overly excited being back in a game. He was very good. Solid defense and showed some offensive spark when he needed to. Great to have him back.

5. NEUVY!!! Can't say enough about this guy. He said before the game very calmly that he wasn't nervous at all and was excited about this moment and that the Rangers are a decent team but that we are "Way better." Loved the confidence. The "experts" give the edge to the Rangers in goaltending with Lundqvist but Neuvy was stellar. He came up with a few very big saves and showed no signs of any type of jitters. After the game, he was happy but calm and said that it is one game and he needs to now get ready for Game 2 on Friday. I love his quiet confidence and calmness. Exactly what we need from our goalie.

6. ARNOTT! The guy has been brought in here for this moment. He has done everything he has been asked to do. He has provided that veteran leadership this team needs. He has addressed the team and been vocal in what it takes to win the Cup. He has also taken some of the burden off of Semin allowing him to be the playmaker he can be. I loved that he was the one that made the play and assist to Semin for the game winner. I also loved that after all of the celebration with the team after the goal, Semin specifically went over to find Arnott to give him a hug. The two of them seemed to have formed a pretty good bond which can only translate to bigger things on the ice.

7. Staying the course! Last year, if the team found itself in a hole, they would have pressed and panicked and not been able to claw itself out. The last few weeks of the season we have won a number of close games by one goal with several of those victories coming in OT/shootout. Those victories have helped prepare this team for the playoffs. Last night, there didn't seem like that aura of panic when we got down. They seemed much calmer and stayed with the system as opposed to guys trying to do everything themselves. When Ovie scored, it seemed like not only a weight was lifted off of the team but that there is strong belief in the system, the coaches, and the players. Loved it!

I know that it is only one game and there is a lot of series left but it was a HUGE victory. If you watch enough sports, you know that games seem to follow similar story lines. Last night, I felt like we were the better team during the game. We were playing well and we had a number of very good scoring opportunities (hitting the post twice and Lundqvist making what I considered a lucky save on Backstrom's breakaway). Still, we couldn't punch it in and seemed like we were a little snake bitten. Again, if you watch enough sports, we have seen this story play out where the team expected to win plays better but can't pull away and the then the "weaker" team gets that one goal and the entire complexion of the game changes. That's what happened last night. Still, I loved that the guys bounced back, tied it up, and ultimately pulled it out in OT and I love that the guys that scored were our stars. It's just the kind of victory that can set the tone and keep things moving in the playoffs. It's an emotional victory and it has to be pretty disheartening for the Rangers knowing that they were close to stealing home ice and taking the series lead. Just as much as an emotional high it is for us, it is equally an emotional low for the Rangers.

Now we have to take care of business on Friday. A win puts us in great shape. However, a loss would really negate the emotional win we had yesterday. I expect another great game from the Caps. I believe the series will be similar to last night's game with many blocked shots and limited scoring. Still, I gotta believe we are feeling confident and this series is now ours to lose. Looking forward to Friday.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

The road to the Cup starts tonight.

Questions will become Answers

The time is now.

Blackbirds are 1-0!

Tremendous game on Saturday. All the boys played hard and they were able to jump out to an early 5-1 lead. Think they got a little too comfortable with the lead and they let up a bit and allowed the other team to come back and tie the game 5-5. However, they regrouped and finished strong scoring a late goal on a perfectly timed corner kick for the game winner!

It was a hard fought victory and it was really good to see the team rally after squandering the lead. It was also great to see all the kids cheering for each other. To Scott's point, I know that at this age we aren't supposed to keep score but you can bet that every kid on both teams and most of the coaches/parents watching knew the score. I am not focused on winning. I am more focused on getting good effort from all the kids. Winning is a bonus and it's nice to see their hard work getting paid off.

Week 2 starts this today so I'm looking to get a good week of practice in preparation for game 2. The good thing about the game was that it identified areas we need to work on so I'm looking forward to getting some of the kinks ironed out this week.

GO BLACKBIRDS!!!

Caps draw the Rangers in Round 1 of Playoffs

Playoffs start Wednesday with the Caps hosting the Rangers in Game 1 of Round 1. This is the moment that we have been waiting for since the disappointing first round exit from last year.

The regular season was almost a formality and now it is time for redemption. The Caps fought hard in the latter part of the season and earned the top seed. Their reward is the Rangers. I would have preferred to have played the Sabres or Hurricanes (the two other possible teams we could have played). However, to be a champion you have to be able to beat who ever you are scheduled to play.

Keys to the game will include:

1. Goaltending: Neuvy gets the nod and he was very good during the season. However, he is a rookie so we'll see how he handles the large stage. The positive is that he has taken the Hershey Bears to multiple AHL championships so he is familiar with championship hockey but again, this is the NHL and the lights and stage will be much grander. The Rangers on the other hand have Henrik Lundqvist who is a workhorse and strong veteran presence that will be able to provide solid leadership. While Neuvy gets the nod, I won't be surprised in the least if Varly gets the call should Neuvy struggle. The leash will be short.

2. Will Semin show up? Semin was pretty much non existent in the playoffs last year. Should he struggle early on, you can bet that story line will pop back up. The best thing that can happen for Semin is for the Caps to win the first game and Semin be a strong offensive contributor. When he is on, he is one of the most talented players in hockey. However, he can go stretches where he struggles, gets frustrated, and ultimately disappears. I think the addition of Arnott has been huge for Semin and I expect much better play from him this post season.

3. Ovie. Can't talk about keys to the game without talking about Ovie. The guy often times puts too much on himself and can also start pressing. No one wants to win more than this guy but he does seem to have matured this season and understood and accepted his role. He is more of a team player as opposed to trying to be the hero. He needs to continue to play within the system and not get carried away.

4. Mike Green. Greenie is coming back from a concussion that he sustained against the Rangers back in February. It's going to be tough for him to step back into the rotation in the playoffs. Also, his play the last couple of years in the playoffs has been inconsistent. With Wideman out, it will be even more critical for Greenie to be solid. He typically leads the team in minutes and Wideman seemed to take over the role Green was playing so it will be interesting to see how he steps back into his role.

5. Special teams. Both teams are solid in 5 v. 5 play so special teams are going to be critical. Our PK has been stellar all year and the PP seemed to come to life in the latter part of the season so I feel pretty good about this.

In the end, we HAVE to win this series. We are playing our best hockey of the season now and the window is wide open for us. I feel like the Caps have matured and are ready for this moment. Even last year, as great as they were, I said all year that we are a year away. That time is now. We have a great mix of youth and vets and the younger guys have all played for a few years now and have played in the playoffs before. There should be no surprises this year. I believe the team understands this moment and understands what it takes to win and understands that this will be tough and ther is a mission that needs to be completed. It all starts on Wednesday evening.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

The Black Birds have arrived!

I am coaching my 7 year old's soccer team this year. We are the Black Birds. This is his first year playing and my first year coaching so there have been a lot of new experiences for us both. We just finished our first week of practice. It was great to get to know the players and they have gelled together quickly. After two practices this week, we gear up for our first game on Saturday. Unfortunately, we will be without who I consider our best player. Despite having never played before, my kid is probably the second best player on the team so there will be extra burden on him to score some goals for us. Hopefully everything comes together for us Saturday and we can pull out a victory.

GO BLACK BIRDS!!!