Well That Was Silly

That game was at times hilarious, at times tragic, and at times rather boring. Timmy Tomas freaking out on Chimera was mother loving HILARIOUS! My face when Boyd Gordon came on the ice for the shoot out: Priceless “Is that BOYD?” I said when he rolled on to the ice. That was the perfect cap to my regular season. I loved being at the VC and getting my free umbrella, rally towel, and ANOTHER Caps hat (which I don’t wear hats and I have a bunch of free ones I’ve picked up over the years lying around the house). I bought the Caps yearbook and a Backstrom puck because I need MORE random hockey crap.

Our Weagle Scout:

THE WHOLE TEAM

Guys we lost but gosh darn it they’ve given us the best season of hockey in my short life! I’ve NEVER had any expectations from this team. Back when half these guys weren’t on the team and they were in the black and gold jerseys I knew they had loads of  potential but the problem was would it pan out or not? I didn’t care! The fact the boys finished first in the East and are going into the playoffs is more than I ever imagined! Two seasons ago we were barely making the playoffs! I’ve always been proud to call myself a Caps fan but these boys are heart breakingly good.

But, enough sissy effusions! We have a bunch of French Canadians to be kicking the butt of! NON! HABS! NON!

Here’s some pictures I took at warm ups usually I’d just through them on Flickr but I had a fancy DSLR camera I borrowed from a buddy so I’ll share them straight up:

I see your playoff moustache is coming in nicely, Jose.

I love how they have the exact same dopey eyed expression on.

I’m waiting for the magic playoff porno ‘stache! Do not disappoint!

He looks like a hate powered super hero.

“Another game, another bunch of rapid fan girls, uh my life is so hard! Whatevvver.”

Awkward juxtaposition…

Obligatory Green shot.

That shot is not quality but the look Tom Poti is giving Green cracks me up.

Obligatory Brooks shot

NEUVY FACE ON VARLY’S FACE!

Okay I’m sure I’ve tortured you all enough with picture time. Oh but one last one:

My sign for Jeff “Mr. Nasty” Schultz (ghetto tape job a last-minute emergency fix!)

Oh and sad Chronicles girls! Half the fun of seeing the Caps play the Bruins was to see our second favorite Slovak player Chara and he didn’t even play.

It’s Not Vacation Time Yet

That game started out sloooow. Nicki scored one in the first which was awesome but as Locker and Joe said they were playing like a high qualithy men’s league.

 And, for a while in the second the Caps were playing how much can we fail in one 20 minutes span? The Thrashers scored two unassisted goals, one of those B-mo kicking in to our goal on us. Then as the second began to close…

The Caps went out. of. their. minds. Ovie scored, AND AGAIN! Ovie has his fifty goal on the same goal as Nicki has his 100th point. They’re going to have to to split the puck. Chimera scored!

And, Nicki SCORED AGAIN! 101 points!

BUT WHO IS OUR WEAGLE SCOUT OF THE GAME?

Jeff Schultz!

I can’t help it! He  had  a +4 night! Via Japers Rink Twitter: Schultz is now at plus-48. No one has finished a season higher since 2002-03 (Hejduk, Forsberg +52).

Overall all the kids are alright.

(Oh and UW Badger Blake Geoffrion received the Hobey Baker award today. WHOOOO!)

Chim Chim Cher-ee….

Caps swept their regular season series with the Pens by winning 6-3 tonight. Ovie broke his long goal draught with not only 1 goal but 2. Overall is was nice to see an inspired effort by the Caps pnce again.

Fleury started the game but was pulled and Johnny was put in, who put on a surprisingly good show. In our net Varly looked pretty good for the whole game for perhaps the first time since his come back from injury. Overall the Caps in general looked fairly good.

Our Weagle Scout of the Game:

Jeff Schultz

That may seem fairly random but Schultz had a quietly REALLY awesome game. He was a poke checking  fiend and was a PLUS FIVE for the night.

In fact the only minus for the entire Caps team was S. Morrison but no surprise there. That was a nice way to end the last ever Caps vs Pens game at Mellon Arena.

Caps Look-a-Likes

Since the Olympic break means I have little to talk about Caps related I bring Caps look-a-likes.

Alex from the now defunct VH1 show “Megan Wants a Millionare” and Shamo!

We pointed this one out before but I thought I’d bring it up again (aka I need filler)

 

Andrei Chadov and Matt Bradley

Andrei Chadov is an actor who is described on a website for one of this movies (which I recommend; good film if you like the indies) as a “Russian heartthrob”. Congrats Matt you really COULD be a male model just you know in Russia.

1980′s Locker and Hershey Bears d-man Karl Alzner!

This one was all Sarah of the Punch in the Face blog. I didn’t quite see it at first but now I demand a DNA test.

 

Jeff Schultz and the first zombie in Night of the Living Dead! (aka William Hinzman)

UPDATE:

I forgot one:

Bjork and Hershey Bears goaltender Michal Neuvirth

It’s not mean because it’s true…

And this one was suggested by @ngreenberg:

 Ricky Schroder and Karl Alzner

A Statistical Look: Schultz

The Washington Capitals have an unsung Weagle scout. Okay well some people are privy to this and admit it but the majority of fandom especially the bandwagoners, boo hiss I know, are not. Well I present to you: Jeff Schultz.

No this is not another “I like Jeff Schultz; stop hating” post on another blog… okay yes it is. But here’s just the straight plan stats.

At the moment Jeff Schultz is tied for second as league leader in +/- in fact the only person who has a higher plus minus? Alex Ovechkin. And, only by one point (AO: 24 JS: 23) And I believe the only defense man in the league in the top three is Brent Seabrook (and, we all can agree he’s pretty awesome company to be keeping)

That makes him obviously second on the Caps in +/- too.

He has one goal. (a super awesome goal)

He has 11 assists which ties him for tenth in assists on the team with Eric Fehr and Mike Knuble.

He averages around 20 minutes ice time a game.

28 SOG. Ain’t to shabby for a non-offensive defenseman.

And why I can’t prove it statistically I would say his insane +/- is probably why Tom Poti has a good +/- also since they are often paired together because Tom is well… Tom and how he keeps that +/- up is flabbergasting to me.

So why I’m not saying I want a giant banner of Jeff Schultz hanging off the side of Ballston Commons. NO one wants that (Sorry, Schultz but it’s the truth) I’d like to see a little respect for Schultz. So keep this in mind next time your tempted to put down Jeff Schultz. Or keep it in mind when telling a Schultzie hater to stuff it.

Buffaslugs… Meh

Ugh, Caps lost to Buffalo 3-0. Despite the Caps outshooting and trying very hard they couldn’t get past the hot streak that is Ryan Miller.

So despite a relatively good effort we lost but lets not forget out boys are on a long road trip. They looked tired. And, Jose was almost beheaded by Juice in practice which might not help with the game.

Brian left the game early and never came back. Because, that’s all the Caps need.

Matty Perreault was out with a bout of food posioning he should be back soon.

Varlamov has a lower body injury and Neuvirth has been called up but, if you watched the game you probably already know that. (and therefore Holtby called up to Hershey)

Bradley who wasn’t even at the game because the birth of his son (Henry James Bradley if you didn’t know; cute!) was the player of the game; both kind of sweet and disturbing.

OUR Weagle Scout of the Game;

(http://washcaps.com)
Jeff Schultz!
Now I had a really hard time choosing but with the most TOI, even +/- and even a shot on goal I thought it was about fair.

Friday Night Wrap-Up

Capitals had the night off but the Bears and Badgers played on.

(http://pennlive.com)
The Heshey Bears exorcised the Phantoms 5-1. Everybodies favorite giant Carlson had three assists and Boyd Kane had two goals. Dubuc was called up for the game got his very first AHL goal. Here’s the full recap: http://www.hersheybears.com/detail.php?id=3016

(http://news.wisc.edu)
The UW Badgers beat the MSU Spartans 7-3. Smith and Davies had two goals each. Blake Geoffrion had an impressive 13/13 on faceoffs. Full recap here: http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-hockey/recaps/112709aaa.html

Slightly unrelated but I am also determined that there has been a mix up and this UW Badger named Justin Schultz (http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/schultz_justin00.html) is the real Schultz brother to Jeff Schultz and not the actual real Schultz brother because they look much more a like.

We Turn 200!

Our 200th post that is! Which is what you eyes are being graced at this VERY MOMENT! Wow, it was just back in August I wrote our 100th post.

And, as if to congratulate our 200th post; FLASH IS BACK! That’s right everybodies favorite Cech is back in action! Agianst the Kovachuk-less Thrashers. If we can get Gordon and Laing back soon I think that’s almost everybody.

And, like I predicted they would the Leafs beat the Ducks for their first win of the season. They would then lose last night to the Stars in over time in what I understand was a very well played game.

And, my fantasy team moved up and even though I haven’t done a thing to it seems to be doing well this week. Just goes to prove; I’m doing my best work when I’m not doing any work at all.

Why be literate when you have TV?! (Don’t be like Jeff Schultz okay kids?)
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2009/10/29/i-just-met-me-and-gotta-tell-ya-not-impressed/

Yeah for the blogs 200th post! And, many many more to come!

Grand Theft Suitcase

It was anything but a slow day in the Capitals and hockey world. You faithful blogger was unfortunately home to witness the many news events breaking via twitter because after having what I suspect may have been swine flu or another flu variant all last week, then getting well again in the nick of time to go to the convention, feeling good for two days, then waking up at four am this morning because she has apparently caught some stomach bug and because of all this was home again.

In Capitals news:

The team took their photo: http://capitals.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=810&id=47529 (please note for your viewing pleasure Semin sitting in Green’s lap; adorable)

Chris Borque was put on waivers after being told he was on the team. If he clears he stays. Kind of sucks either way.

Sasha Semin; apparently a fan of the five finger discount: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/ovechkin-interviews-boudreau.html

In more Russian news Mr. Ambassador, Semyon, and Semin stopped by the Library of Congress to meet some Russian ambassadors visiting for a gala.

The guys went on a team building paintball trip and Jeff Schutlz wore shorts to it… moron.

Ovetjkin blog has a kind of mix and mash of Ovie news including a picture of Ovie in paintball gear: http://alexovetjkin.blogspot.com/2009/09/ovechkin-at-library-of-congress.html

Scarlet Caps is apparently going to be having some updates of sorts soon. I hope by updates they mean “new glamor shots for Meghan to laugh her ass off at” because other wise I don’t care.

Random news:
For those of you who receive Versus (for those that don’t because of the Direct TV craziness; I am aware several people who called and complained vividly to Direct TV customer service were given NHL Center Ice free I don’t know if this will work for you but trying never killed anybody) will have Slap Shot on at 8 pm and at various random times through out the day Wednesday until 10:30 pm presumably to celebrate hockey season.

NHL Shop recently put out their fall issue and I was looking through when I see on the t-shirt page you can order a “Steve Avery” Rangers shirt… I certainly would want it if it actually said Steve Avery.

Via straight from the horses mouth AKA Patrick Sharp and his all-access videos, and I am fairly sure I heard this right, said that they call Patrick Kane “Hello Peek-a-Boo” http://blackhawks.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=894&id=47526

I’m Very Annoyed

That game sucked pretty bad. I would love to go in to long rambling details on what was wrong and what was right (very little) and vent but I shouldn’t even be writing this because my cold or flu or mutant virus from hell is getting much worse as the day goes on so take rain check my friends.

All I can say is Sasha Bear and Schultz looked the best out of all which was still not very good even then. Green and Ovie were just okay which did not please me. I am now going to go through my self under a bus or something. Anything to stop the pain of this cold and the Capitals.