Bye, Bye, Jon-Jon!

Jansen was released today. Good move. I like the guy and he has been a great Redskin but he has suffered too many serious injuries (A ruptured Achilles tendon in 2004, two broken thumbs in 2005, a torn calf muscle in 2006, a broken ankle in 2007 and a sprained knee in 2008) and he is 33. He has WAY too much wear and tear on the body. Apparently he thought he could still play and the Skins let him come in and prove it but the coaching staff didn't feel like he could compete and let him go. The good thing about that is they still gave him enough time to hook on with another team and probably serve as a backup and it also pretty much locks up Stephon Heyer as the RT. He has to feel pretty good that he is the guy. Heyer has worked hard and wanted that RT position badly.

PATHETIC!!!

Can't really say much more. To win Game 6 the way that we did in OT and then knowing we are coming back to our house for a Game 7, you'd think the Caps would be pumped to play. We got demolished. I suppose I can take some comfort in knowing the better team won. All series I didn't feel like we were the better team. The victories we had in the series, we stole. Sure, we had some decent stretches and some good goals and luck counts for something but when you really look at the series, we were not the better team.

In nearly every game, there would be long stretches where the Penguins were in our attack zone. They out shot us by like 80-90 shots in the series. For goodness sake, we were out shot 18-5 in the first period yesterday. Who did it look like came out ready to advance in the playoffs? Brooks Laich said it best after the game when he said that it was a really good year but unfortunately it will be remembered for this loss. Absolutely no energy. I was embarrassed watching the game.

I understand that several of the Caps were injured but that's no excuse. At this point, every team has players playing with injuries. It is hard to take solace in the fact that we had a good year and that we may have found a future franchise goalie and we have the greatest player in the world and we have a young core team built around the superstar but it's still hard to accept the type of effort that was given yesterday. Honestly, we looked like we were in a slower gear and we were just fumbling around with the puck. It felt like a youth league team up against an NHL team. Green again was non existent, Semin kept tripping over the blue line, the veteran Federov takes a stupid retaliation penalty, defensive lapses, can't clear, can't crowd the net, taking long range slap shots with easy looks. That won't get it done.

Worse is that I think we were outplayed but I really felt like we were outcoached in this series. I don't understand all the nuances of hockey and its strategy but all year we were one of the top shooting teams in the league and we were obliterated in that category in this series. I can understand one or two games but when it happens in every game of a 7 seven game series, there seems like there is some coaching that goes into that.

Look, I really like this team and feel like we should be encouraged because of the young talent we have on the Caps but it was an inexcusable effort yesterday. Given the type of season we had, the playoffs were a disappointment. I said all along that the only way this season would be a success was to get to the conference finals. Hopefully we can use this as a learning experience but next year we have to go in thinking we are a top tier team and the goal legitimately must be winning the Stanley Cup.

I suppose I will now shift my focus to the Cubbies...until football season starts creeping closer.

Win and go on. Lose and go home.

It's as simple as that for the Caps tonight. They took the early 2-0 series lead only to fall behind 2 games to 3 but battled back in a nail biter for a victory in Game 6. All of that sets up what should be a memorable deciding Game 7 show down. I imagine the atmosphere will be electric. Big stars shine in big games and I think Ovie is looking forward to tonight. However, just like in Game 6, we will need others to step up because the one thing the Penguins will now allow happen is for Ovie to beat them. Mike Green should have his stick back tonight so it would be a great time for him to show up in the playoffs and make something happen.

Hopefully Varly comes up big as well. It's strange because outside of one game this series, he has been spectacular in the playoffs and I almost feel like we expect to see that kind of performance each game. We all know that you need great goaltending in the playoffs and need for the goalie to come up with 2-3 great saves. I just hope he has at least one more in him tonight.

I said yesterday that the Philly series in 1988 was the greatest. As we get closer to tonight's game, this has the potential to be the greatest series given the rivalry and the stars and the almost Stanley Cup Championship type feel this series has garnered. A win tonight and we will have stolen this series because we have been outplayed but it will certainly rank right up there with any series the Caps have ever played.

I'm looking forward to this game with great anticipation and the nerves are already beginning to flutter. I'm sure the same is true for all Caps fans. So a final call out to all Caps fans...UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

LETS GO CAPS!!!!

CAPS WIN!!!!

FANTASTIC game!!! Caps come from behind and do what many thought they weren't capable of doing and win a game in OT on the road IN PITTSBURGH!!! The great news is that we force a series deciding Game #7 back in D.C. on Wednesday night. The bad news is that we still are not playing that well.

Last night was tremendous in that we won but there were long stretches where we were just getting beaten. We started the game with some aggressive play and got 3 or 4 shots early but then we just fell apart. We were outshot 18-5 in the first period alone. Thank God for Varly because without him, we wouldn't even be able to sniff a Game #7. That guy's play has been unbelievable. The other big issue is that we are still giving up WAY too many odd man rushes. You can see that the Penguins defenders often times skate with the forwards on the attack to create these rushes. Also, our defenders have to do a better job of reading the plays. They will some times go up and try and make a hit at mid ice but doing that takes them out of position and results in the odd man rushes. We have to be smarter. Another concern is still Mike Green. That guy is no where to be found. All season, in nearly every game, he had an impact and you were aware of him on the ice but in the playoffs he has virtually disappeared.

Still, I am happy for the victory. Ovie guaranteed the win and that we would be coming back for a Game #7 and he was right. The best part about it was that we scored 5 goals and he didn't have a single one. The goals came from our supporting players like Kozlov, Semin, Fleischman, and Steckel who fittingly got the OT game winner after missing the open net game winner in Game #6. That's just what we needed. Sudden death hockey is some of the best sports has to offer. Each shot we take, you hope it finds a way in and each shot the opposing team takes, you pray is stopped. You can't help but think that when they hit the cross bar in OT, how one second and one inch can be the difference between playing on or going home. It's funny too because all too often sudden death goals end up being softer shots or fluke type rebounds or deflections. You just hope that you get the right deflection. Last night, we did.

Anyway, hopefully we get more of the same goal scoring from people not named Ovie on Wednesday because it's clear the Pens are being very cautious defensively when Ovie is out there. The Penguins are making us find a way to score without Ovie and last night we did. We need to find a way again on Wednesday. Who is going to step up and be the hero? I have to say again though that I cannot say enough about Varly. That guy has been unbelievable and is the Caps MVP for this series. Nerves of steel and cat quick reflexes combined with unbelievable flexibility. This guy is a beast!

Couple of other notes about last night's game that really bothered me was that when we took the lead and there was still like 13 minutes left, we just fell into one of our lapses. I was counting down the minutes and the minutes were taking forever and it felt like an eight minute power play. We stopped being aggressive which I prefer not to do but fine. Worse was that we stopped playing good defense and it was like lets just stand around and watch Varly get pelted and see how many shots he can stop. For F sake, make a play...somebody! Given the way the Penguins were just attacking and controlling the puck, you just knew it was a matter of time before they scored. That cannot happen.

Also, the Caps have GOT to take more shots. Just take the shots. Fleury is not being tested. He is not as good as Varly. You can't score unless you take shots and the Caps are not testing this guy. The support guys are not taking the shots when they should. Yesterday, there were a few times when I felt like guys were looking to make the extra move or the extra pass and it ended up getting broken up without a shot. Just take the freaking shot! We will score on this guy!

Finally, the refs are still blowing the calls. I feel like we have kind of gotten the shaft in that department this series but for God's sake, how do you call that type of cheap ass slashing call on Laich with two minutes left in regulation in a tie game when the team you call it on is facing elimination?!!! Thank God we didn't lose it on that power play because that would have been a very bitter way for the season to end.

Anyways, there are still issues but we find ourselves in another Game #7. We seem to thrive in these elimination games but they sure are nerve racking. It will be good to be back at home and I know Ovie loves this stage. The Red will be Rocking and it's going to be an unbelievable atmosphere. It's been a great series that shouldn't come as any surprise to go the full seven games. I'm looking forward to it. We'll see who steps up and who cracks under the pressure.

LETS GO CAPS!!!

Do or Die Tonight

So the Caps had a much better game on Saturday night. However, they still ended up losing at home and now have to go back to Pittsburgh down 3 games to 2 and their season on the line. They definitely played better Saturday and took a 1 goal lead into the third period but lost it. Ovie was able to tie it with 5 minutes left and it was sent into OT and I felt good that they would come out on top and they had a chance only 20 seconds into OT when Steckel had a wide open look from close range but he mishit it and he missed the net.

Malkin ended up getting the game winner about 5 minutes into OT on an intended pass that richocheted off of Poti's stick right into the Caps net. It's unfortunate and the second time we have lost like that in OT in this series but typically that's what happens in OT. It's a fluke goal or unlucky bounce or something like that that ends it. Sudden death OT in playoff hockey is some of the most intense moments in all of sports and you just hope that you can come out on top.

Whatever. After taking a 2 games to none lead in this series, we find ourselves where we are and it's a must win for us tonight in Pittsburgh where we have not played well in this series. Hopefully we can find a way to pull out the victory and bring this back to D.C. Frankly, there is a lot of pressure on Pittsburgh as well. They won't want to come back to D.C. and getting that fourth victory in a series is always the toughest.

For the Caps, we need another great performance from Varly. We also need heroics from Ovie but need for others to step up and get goals. The question is who is going to step up. Again, we need Green to start playing. The Caps tried to inject him more into the offense on Saturday and maybe that is what is needed. Maybe Federov should play more defense as he is very good setting up plays and playing the point. However, his speed is a liability. That's the other thing. WAY too often in this series the Pens have had odd man rushes. That has got to stop. We have got to find a way to slow down and limit their number of shots. The Caps all season have typically outshot their opponents but we are getting killed in that department in this series. That's a tough spot to put our young goalie in. Boudreau is a great coach but I kind of feel like we are being outcoached in this series.

Bottom line is that we need a win. There is no other way around it. We have to find a way to win this game. I love what the Bruins were able to do last night down 3-1 in their series. They blew out the Hurricanes. We need a game like that tonight to get some momentum back. We need to play with reckless abandon and throw everything out there tonight. We have no choice because there may be no tomorrow.

LET'S GO CAPS!!!

It's on like DONKEY KONG!!!

Big game tonight. The Caps have a chance to take a 3-1 series lead and bring it back home for Game 5. The Pens have the opportunity to hold on to their home ice advantage and tie the series.

I expect the Pens to play again with a sense of desperation. It will be a question if the Caps can match their intensity. I don't think we can expect Varly to put up the same type of game as he did in Game 3 (although I hope he does). We need to go up early and get that crowd out of it and then continue to pressure.

Bottom line, we need to be more aggressive and play with a sense of urgency. We need to skate and get open and we need to be aware of their forechecking and clear the puck and start our attacks and take shots. Much of the season, we have been an attacking hockey team but last game we were on our heels the entire game.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Hopefully Mike Green and Alexander Semin decide to show up tonight.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

Pens win

Caps didn't lose this one. They were beaten. We had our moments when we were alright but all in all, we were beaten. The only reason this wasn't a blow out was because of the unbelievable play of Simeon Varlamov.

Seriously, it looked like the Pens always had extra guys on the ice. They were outhustling and outplaying us. We just looked like we were not in the same gear as those guys. It's very disappointing given that we jumped out to the early lead and we had the great play from Varlamov. The scary thing is that we can't expect Varly to play that well every game so it's unfortunate that we blew this opportunity.

What was also very disappointing was how often the Pens were on the power play. I know that there may be some claims that the refs were not fair but we just have to be smarter. There may be some conspiracy theorists that think the NHL wants this series to go on so the refs were biased but again, we just need to be smarter. Even when they weren't on the power play, the Pens looked like they were. They were forechecking us like crazy. We couldn't even clear the puck. It was embarrassing. I understand that the Pens were in a desperation/must win game and they had a big crowd behind them but we missed out on a golden opportunity.

When we tied it up with 1:50 left, the crowd fell silent and I thought we might be able to rally but we didn't.

I suppose this sets up a huge game on Friday. If we win, we take a 3-1 series win and are coming back home. However, a Cap loss means that the series is tied, momentum will have shifted to the Pens, and it becomes a best of three.

CAPS WIN!!!

Now that is what I call playoff hockey!!! Unbelievable! It was a night when the games biggest stars shined and a night when a 21 year old rookie is showing that he is a star in the making. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby each scored hat tricks for their respective teams but it was the Caps that came out on top pulling out the 4-3 victory. Ovechkin again showed why he is the world's best player by not only scoring in multiple ways at critical moments of the game but once again being physical and laying out Penguins with his jarring hits. After Crosby scored the opening goal, Ovechkin tied it with his first goal. In the third period, on the power play, Backstrom faked the slap shot and passed to Ovie who sent a blistering slap shot past Fleury to take the lead 3-2. Less than three minutes later, Ovie skated with the puck in a 1 v 1 situation and used the defender as a screen and sent a wicked wrist shot top shelf to seal the victory for the Caps. The goal resulted in the pumped up crowd to throw their hats honoring the Great 8 for his hat trick. Typical Crosby cried to the ref about how long the hats were on the ice and the celebration. Despite his talent, Crosby is the biggest cry baby in the league and everyone knows it.

The big story of the night was the hat tricks by both Ovie and Crosby but you can't help but be amazed at the play of Simeon Varlamov. This guy has been playing out of his mind. There is no question that we would not be anywhere close to where we are if Theo was in the net. We all know that you need great goaltending in the playoffs and I said that in every game the goalie is going to have to make about 3 tremendous saves in order to win the game. Last night, Varly did it again making some ridiculous saves. This guy is playing with confidence and toughness that you would expect from a seasoned veteran. What's funny is that no one wants to talk about him. Boudreau doesn't talk to Varly and just lets him do his thing. After the game, Ovie was interviewed by Versus and he was asked about the stellar play from Simeon and he said that he wasn't going to talk about him.

Bottom line, this is exciting hockey with back and forth action, tremendous individual play, great scoring chances, superb goaltending, all tied up in a great rivalry. It doesn't get a whole lot better than this.

The Caps take a 2-0 advantage in the series and now head to Pittsburgh. It's nice to be up 2 to none; however, we did what we were supposed to do and protected our home ice. Now we have to play in Pittsburgh where the crowd will certainly be pumped and hostile and the Penguins will be playing with desperation. We also know from our Ranger series that teams are very capable of coming back from big deficits in a series.

Interesting side notes are that Malkin hasn't shown up yet so I expect him to get back on track. I said before the series that with Ovie the bigger the stage, the more he enjoys and he is performing. I also thought that guys like Malkin and Crosby would struggle given the attention of the series and the spotlight that would be put on them. Crosby has performed but Malkin is no where to be seen. Malkin is a shy guy and I think he is intimidated by Ovie. On the Caps side, I am still disappointed with the play of Mike Green. He just looks like he is uncomfortable out there for whatever reason. He needs to relax and play his game. The tough part is that it has been going on for most of the playoffs but hopefully he will snap out of it. I also expect Semin to get into the goal scoring mix.

Again, the series shifts to Pittsburgh tomorrow night. I expect another high flying, action packed game. The series is living up to the hype and I expect tomorrow will be no exception.

Until tomorrow...UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

Rock the Red Tonight!

Game #2 tonight. Good Game #1 on Saturday and it was good that the Caps pulled it out. The interesting thing is that it was very clear to see how different the Penguins play from the Rangers. The Rangers series was more of a bump and grind series with the Rangers playing strong defense and great goal tending.

The Pens series is going the way I would expect with more of an up tempo, European feel to it which I believe plays well with the Caps. I think it took us a while to adjust coming off of the 7 game series with the Rangers but I expect us to be better prepared tonight.

Game #1 was exciting. Varlamov let in the one REALLY soft goal but more than made up for it with his play, particularly with the, as Robs would say, "ridiculou" save on Crosby. The announcers said it was the save of the playoffs and you won't find me disagreeing. As I have said, you need strong goalie play in the playoffs and we've certainly gotten it.

I do expect higher scoring games in this series with the offensive talent and the style of play. I think our defense is better and if Varly can keep it up, I think our goaltending is better. The one thing we really have to look out for is when the Pens are on attack, they do a lot of crossing paths once they get over the blue line. Where the guy skating on the right with the puck will veer to the left and the guy on the left will go right and skate behind the other guy. This can cause confusion for the defenders. Basically, it's like playing zone defense in football. Stay home and don't get crossed up because if we do, it can leave someone wide open for an easy shot.

It would really be great to see the Caps take the 2-0 series lead tonight. I've mentioned this is the series I want to win. While I hope we win the Cup and wouldn't be totally surprised if we did, getting past Crosby, Malkin, and the rest of the Penguins would be enough to tell me that it has been a very successful year.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!

Redskins to sign O lineman and other Mini Camp thoughts

The Skins are close to signing Jeremy Bridges. Bridges is a 6-year NFL veteran who has played for the Panthers the last three years and started 28-of-41 games at guard in that span. He is listed at 6-4 and 326 pounds.

This would a positive move. I don't know the guy but we could certainly use some depth on the O line and it's good to get some veteran help and guys with experience.

Other news is that mini camp apparently went well and the rookies did well especially Orakpo who was used on the line but seems like he was used more at LB. Devin Thomas has apparently improved but tweaked his hammie so had to sit for parts of the camp. D.J. Hackett, who the Skins tried to sign last year, is in camp this year and knows Zorn's offense from his days in Seattle and apparently had some good catches. Also, Kelley Washington also from the Panthers played pretty well. Zorn said that we aren't as pressed to sign a WR given that we have several to choose from.

All in all, I like the signings and what I hear from camp. If one of these WRs can step up and be a significant contributor, it will make JC's job much easier and take some coverage and load off of Moss. Also, hopefully the line will stabilize to give JC some time.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT!!!

This video is a couple of years old but it shows all the reasons why Alex Ovechkin is the world's greatest hockey player.