Category Archives: Washington Capitals

George McPhee Was Mostly the Architect of an Identity Crisis

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Ten years ago, gifted by the draft lottery gods, and with a young but battle-tested general manager presiding over a roster rebuild he’d already appropriately earned plaudits for, the Washington Capitals were supposed … Continue reading

Posted in Alexander Ovechkin, David Poile, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Filip Forsberg, Front Office, George McPhee, Martin Erat, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, Seth Jones, Southeast Division, The curse of Washington hockey, The Great Old Patrick Division, Washington Capitals, Washington the cursed hockey town, Washington the hockey town | 8 Comments

So Where Are These Guys?

Hello All, We’ve been on hiatus since the playoffs for a variety of reasons (including a few folks’ relocations to new cities). We’ll still be active via Twitter and — when the spirit moves one of us — post on … Continue reading

Posted in Washington Capitals | 13 Comments

Hockey: The Mixed Martial Arts of Curling

John Hodgman has a little fun with our favorite sport in his new comedy special “Ragnarok”, which debuted on Netflix today Continue reading

Posted in Washington Capitals | Tagged | 1 Comment

Managing, and Excusing, the Ever Repeating Loop of Mediocrity

“I hope the Caps win a Stanley Cup before I’m dead.” — Kevin Fletcher, age 7, Alexandria, Virginia, earlier this week, relayed by his father on Facebook. The definition of precocious there. Good luck with that, Kevin. This Henrik Lundqvist … Continue reading

Posted in Alexander Ovechkin, Front Office, George McPhee, Marcus Johansson, Martin Erat, Media, Morning cup-a-joe, Much-needed realignment, New York Rangers, NHL referees, playoff hockey, Print, Southeast Division, Ted Leonsis, Thomas Boswell, Washington Capitals, Washington Post, Washington the cursed hockey town, Winter Classic | 8 Comments

Common Theme in Caps’ Watershed Moments This Season: Pittsburgh

The Capitals’ first season under Coach Adam Oates has come to a close, and it’s fascinating to see the storyline that took this team from ugly beginning to ugly end—with a lot of magnificent moments in between, and some positive … Continue reading

Posted in Adam Oates, Washington Capitals | 4 Comments

The Excuse That Won’t Hold Water; a Silver Lining; Breaking Down the Broken-Down Defense; And a Lesson in Execution

Sitting, waiting, and waiting at Metro Center for an Orange line train to come and take me home after Monday’s game concluded, I was reminded there are still a few things in Washington less effective than the Capitals offense was … Continue reading

Posted in Washington Capitals | 12 Comments

The Creation of a Culture for Winning

It’s a queer feeling, moving about Washington in this the season of the calendar of our perpetual discontent, and actually feeling good about the Capitals’ chances. This morning, well post cherry blossoms, I have a startling message to convey: We … Continue reading

Posted in Adam Oates, Alexander Ovechkin, Dale Hunter, George McPhee, Mike Green, Morning cup-a-joe, New York Rangers, playoff hockey, Steve Oleksy, Washington Capitals | 7 Comments

Home Stretch: Caps Get a Taste of Playoff-Style Hockey in Thursday’s Loss

It seems odd to lead off talking about a game the Capitals lost on a penalty kill in overtime by praising said penalty kill units.

But if it hadn’t been for some quality shorthanded time by Washington Thursday, a tight contest could have devolved into a serious letdown.

In their 2-1 loss to Ottawa, the Capitals ended up with their biggest total of minor penalties since March 22, and their largest total of penalty minutes overall since February 21, although Thursday’s numbers included a 10-minute misconduct for Jason Chimera. Continue reading

Posted in Karl Alzner, Washington Capitals | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Adam Oates’ Winning Coaching Philosophy: Be Professional

There are many ways we categorize coaches in the NHL: players’ coach, offensive-minded coach, defensive-minded coach—there’s a label for every situation. When a new guy steps into the head coaching position, he’s peppered with questions about his system, players’ positioning … Continue reading

Posted in 2 Points, Adam Oates, Washington Capitals | Tagged , | 10 Comments

On Moneyball Moves, and a One of a Kind Motivation

I am just returned from Pittsburgh, where Dad and I took in a most memorable Frozen Four. You know how a 16 seed has never knocked off a no. 1 seed in NCAA hoops? Well, it just happened in college … Continue reading

Posted in Alexander Ovechkin, Baseball, College Hockey, Frozen Four, Maria Kirilenko, Morning cup-a-joe, Other sports, Steve Oleksy, Washington Capitals | Leave a comment