Rangers Who?

Caps played the rangers tonight, and I must say I was horrified at the end of the first period. As I sat in the bar and frowned at the screen, something told me, even though the game was over based on the score, the caps were not done yet. The start of the second rolled around and a new caps team graced the ice. By the end of the 3rd period the game was tied at 4-4 and it was send into over time. God bless Morrisonn and his OT goal. We needed that win, especially after having out butts handed to us by the Flyers, which i must say was the most painful thing I have had to endure since they beat us in game 7 OT of the playoffs last year. So Congrats to the boys in red (or in tonights case white), you pulled it out yet again. Amazing how a team who has majority of their starters missing can still kick some butt and rock the red!

ESPN Top 10

I think every week during hockey season, ESPN needs to run the Top 10 hockey hits, fights and goals. I am tired of seeing a man run up and down a court, just to put a ball in a basket. And to think that he is getting paid millions of dollars to do that. Puh-Lease! I want to see someone driving someone else into the boards. I want to see someone rip off another players jersey. I want to see a hockey player skate through two hits and get a fluke goal. Now that is quality entertainment!

What do you think this is? Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Men, what are we going to do with you? I was watching an adult league game last evening and it was the playoffs, and holy hockey sticks, you would have thought it was the freakin Stanley Cup Playoffs. First, let me talk about the teams. The men, grown men, on both teams were flipping out over lack of penalty calls. Boys, just because you can't stop, or skate, and you skate right into another person stick, does not mean you were tripped. It means you are a moron who can't skate, and ran into someones stick. If you are skating up the boards and an opposing player is right up next to you, and you fall into the boards because you got a wittle scurred, does not mean you were checked. It means you are a WUSS! Anyone watching this game would have been dying of laughter the whole time. Not because of the constant unnecessary bickering, but because of the men who were completely wasted, because they had decided to drown the ravens loss against the steelers in alcohol. Yes, it was a tough loss, but if you know you are going to play a hockey game, wait till after the game to duke it out with captain morgan. Now, for you officials, get over yourself. You are officiating an mens game, not an NHL game. No need to get nasty with the players or the score keeper. So what, a player told you to F off. You probably told him to suck it just a second earlier. Yes, thats right, people sitting on the benches can hear what you say. Do not shake your head at the score keeper because they are on their cell phone. They aren't stupid like you, they can talk and push a tiny button to start the clock all at the same time! I know, almost impossible to do but it can be done. Do not tell me your played minor league ice hockey, because by the looks of your skating, i'd be surprised if you played college club hockey. What is it with washed up men thinking they are better than they are. This is supposed to be fun, not stressful. I know men are competitive, but my god. GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!

The Boys Are Back In Town

So tonight the Caps whipped up on the Sens, and the boys are back in town, also known as Mike Green, Sergei Federov and Alexander Semin. Sergei Federov had 3 points and Mike Green had 3 points. The aggressive plays by both the defense and offense were impressive. However, lets discuss the less than impressive officiating by the wonderful NHL refs. The missed 2 obvious tripping calls, both on Mike Green, and called a weak hooking call on Giroux. Lets be real here, that was Bull Shit!!! I mean come on refs, open up your damn eyes because your missing a good game! Get off your knees, your blowing the game for god sakes. Ottawa you played like crap, and Ottawa fans, do not even try to use the officiating as the reason you lost because the calls were swinging your way all game! I felt like I was watching game 7 of the Caps vs Flyers all over again. Either way, even with the crappy calls the Caps still scored 5 goals, and Bent Johnson only gave up 1 goal. He deserved the shut out and it was a lack of defense on the play that allowed the goal, not his goaltending.Greeny looks great, and has his step back. Ovie is finally getting momentum, and Federov, well it's Federov, need I say more. Semin is the Russian Machine Sidekick. Hello Boys!!! Guess what ladies and gents, the boys are back in town and they are ready to rock the red. Is it in you?

Shark Attack

San Jose sharks are dominating the NHL this year. I am currently watching them kick the ducks in the tail feather. Way to come out of know where San Jose. So far they have only lost 5 games this year, which is incredible, and the only game they lost at home was in OT. Can you say stanley cup contenders. I think the NHL is under Shark Attack!!!

He's Bacccckkkkkkkk

I was so excited watching the Caps game last night, because unexpectedly I saw #28, Alexander Semin take the ice. Semin had been out because of an upper torso injury. Prior to his injury, he was leading the league in points. He was an asset that the Capitals were missing greatly. No we need Green and Federov to return and all will be well with the Capitals franchise. Just for the side note, we beat boston 3 to 1 :-) C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS....Give me a Hell...Give me a YEAAAAAA....Stand Up Right Now!!

You Think You Know...But You Have No Idea

Ok, so someone tell me what is it with girls, and them trying to act like they know a single thing about hockey, or sports in general. Yes, I know, I am a girl, I am well aware everytime I try to look at my feet and see mounds instead, but it does not mean I have to like or evenr respect other girls. I was watching hockey tonight, and these girls are talking about the game like they actually knew whats going on. First off, let me start by saying hockey is not a sport you can learn. You can learn the game and rules, adn you can study stats, but if you haven't been raised with hockey, you will never have the knowledge that some fans possess. Hockey is like a religion. Most fans grew up loving the sport, and skated at some point in their life. They probably would pick hockey over any sport on any given day, I know I would. Anyway back to my point, why do girls decide when they hit their 20's that being a sports chick or into sports is "cool." Your true sports girls have been involved in sports their whole live, and no playing 4 or 5 years of a sport does not count. When you hit double digits then come talk to me. To top it off these girls usually are the ones who made fun of the tom boys or sports chick in yester year and now you think you know a thing or two. As I sat and watched the game I could hear girls yelling "what are you doing, you can't do that," to the Bruin who laid a hit on a Cap. Guess what ladies, he can do that. Stop yelling offsides when the puck passes 2 red lines, the refs arm is up for an icing call. When they say light the lamp, it does not mean hit somebody, it means they scored a goal! If I hear one more girl in stilletos with a pound of make up on her face tell me shes a hockey fan, and then tell me she is excited for the playoffs coming up, I might spill me beer all over her. The playoffs coming up are for football not for Hockey!!!!!! So for my girls out there and my boys, who know what im talking about give me an Amen. To all you girls who think you know....guess what? You have no idea!

For your viewing pleasure...

Tyler Sloans hit on Langkow. Never skate with your head down.

From Ovechkinator on youtube

Stop, Oh, Back it up, and Let me see your hips SWING

The season is in full swing, and many teams are in the playoff hunt. Play offs are months away, but many teams that are in the same division have extremely close records this year. In the Atlantic division, the Penguins only trail the Rangers by 4 pts, which is 2 games (assuming, Rangers lose 2 and Pens win 2 without going into overtime). The Bruins trail the Canadiens by 5 points in the Northeast. In the Southeast, the Hurricanes trail the Capitals 4 points. Over in the Western Conference, the Blackhawks trail the Wings by 9 points in the Central division, and in the Northwest, the Flames trail the Canucks by only 2 points. The only division that does not have a close race is the Pacific division and the Ducks trail the Sharks by 13 points. San Jose had dominated the NHL this year. San Jose is 14-0-2 at home, which is incredible!
Now, lets talk about some of the best hits of this season so far. I am gonna start off with my personal favorite since we all know I am a Caps fan. Tyler Sloan, #89 made is debut with the Capitals when they played the Sens in Ottawa, Sloan, in his first game, laid out Langkow. It literally looked like Langkow hit a Mack Truck. Another awesome hit was Letang of the Penguins hit on White of the Thrashers. He was seeing stars, or penguins, for sure. Lets look at Richards from the flyers hit on Schubert of Ottawa. Hopefully the impact of his head on the crossbar taught him that just because you have the puck in front of the net does not mean your going down. Those are just a few of the awesome hitting we've seen in the league this year. So boys just stop, oh, back it up and let me see your hips swing!

So I am a little late...

Ok so hockey season has been going on for months now, and I am just getting back to writing. Im stupid and forgot my password. So I am gonna jump right into it. HELLO WASHINGTON CAPITALS. Lets talk about how the Caps are twelve men deep into their AHL farm team roster and are still playing their hearts out, and are still first in the division. Mike Green not being defense is starting to hurt us but what can you do. Brashear is not fighting enough, and I would like to see more face pounding and ass kicking, if thats not too much trouble. These young Hershey Bears are really proving themselves. They are brought up through the system, thrown into the major leagues and still holding their own. Props to you boys aka Lepisto, Alzner, Collins, Sloan, Helmer, Aucion, etc. Get it together boys, get healthy, we still got over half a season to go!!!

Interesting....

Ok, being a figure skating coach is not easy. I know all my friends who play ice hockey think its this prissy sport where we just prance around and look cute...well its not...and recently they found that out. For the first time I heard hockey players give credit to figure skaters, partly because of the video I am posting at the end of this lil blurb. Now do not get me wrong...hockey is my favorite sport and I don't think there is anything more sexy than a guy in a hockey uniform laying some nice hits on the other team...and I agree that it is probably the most hardcore sport out there, but don't count out us figure skaters so quick. Watch and learn boys ;-)

Video from Azertynin from youtube!

Hockey players are the best comedians

Tonight I was watching a hockey game at the rink I coach at, and I was sitting in the time box, and for the first time ever I payed attention to what was being said by the players. After laughing harder than I have in a very long time, I decided that hockey players need their own comedy spot on Comedy Central, but that will never happen so they get a spot on my blog. Let me start by saying this was a mens league and there is no checking. The first guy gets put in the box because he laid a sweet hit on a guy who was mouthing off. So when he gets in the box he looks at the ref, and says, "that wasnt a hit, I just stopped....a little to close to the boards, and he just so happened to be there." The he that the player was referring to was the other player. I looked at him and said "I am guessing you just so happened to lower your shoulder too?" Of course he just got a grin on his face. Later on the period, I noticed the guy who got stitches in his face two weeks ago finally had a visor on his helmet. It was about time. Two weeks in a row he had to get stitches. Of course he was mouthing off the whole time, but when you listen to names they come up with to call each other....you have to laugh. Then I started thinking....hockey players are big guys...and the levels of ice hockey when you play in a youth league are mites, squirts, peewees, bantams, midgets and Jrs. Now why on earth would you name levels after tiny things when the people playing are big?? I never understood that. Back to funny hockey players...you have to love the refs. They get criticized from every which way, the best part is they control the game. So for you hockey players and coaches reading this...unless you want an unsportsman like conduct penalty...shut up when they put you in the box. You know you deserved the penalty. When you slash the guy in the face, don't try and use the excuse that he ran into your stick. When you trip him, you can't claim you were going for the puck if its half way down the ice. Just take the penalty like a man and get even on the score board. I mean feel free to throw the gloves and stick and fight every now and then. Ballet gone bad is always fun to watch :-)

It can't come soon enough...

So hockey season cannot get here soon enough. Right now its about 2:30am and I am watching sports center, and the lack of hockey highlights makes it not interesting. So im gonna list all the reason as to why hockey season needs to get here:

1) the fighting...who doesnt love a good old dropping of the sticks and gloves?

2)the rivalries...every team has them, and for some reason i feel like this year will be no different

3)the atmosphere...everyone knows the atmosphere at a hockey game is like no other.

4)national anthems...yes...plural. Where else can you find a bunch of americans singing the canadian national anthem?

5)the playoffs!! Stanley cup playoffs are like no other playoffs...and thats when things really get good.

6)Top 10 hits...everyone loves watching the hitting...especially when they rerun it over and over on ESPN.

I think its time for the season to start!!! I have to post my favorite saying for the ending of this little blurb. "If there isn't hockey in heaven, then I am not going!"

Do you believe in miracles?

So its about 4am and I cant sleep so i decided to watch the movie Miracle. For those of you who have not seen it, it is a true story about the 1980 USA olympic hockey team and their incredible victory over the soviet Union at the games held in Lake Placid, NY. After watching it, i decided to pop in the video my dad taped of the actual game from 1980. I would have to say that the movie was more realistic than I ever thought. Everything down to the equipment was right on key. In the movie they used wood sticks, not composite, and all the padding was old fashion hockey padding. Because I am a major dork, I cried when the beat the soviets...by the way...this could easily be my hundredth time watching this movie and I still cried. Yes I know...I could very well be the only girl in the world who has not seen 'The Notebook", yet cried during sports movies. The coolest thing I found in the movie is that Buzz Schneider, a member of the 1980 USA team, was played by his son, Billy Schneider. This movie, proves that once again, hockey is the best sport out there. It can evoke emotion and in a time of need gave people not only a chance to dream, but a night to believe!

Below is a clip taken from youtube thanks to Murphystar1. This could easily be the best speech in all sport movie history!

Unsung Heros

So, I was watching hockey clips on youtube of the Washington Capitals because they are my favorite team, and I started thinking about our "heros" or "superstars." Obviously we have Alex the Great and there is no denying his talent. He is a fantastic skater and is a pro at handling the puck. We have the great Federov, who is a veteran that is much needed on a team where most of the rising stars are so young. After watching a lot of footage, I have to give it up to Mike Green and Brook Laich. Mike Green, who plays defense, had a total of 56 points last season. You tend see him play both offense and defense, which is not uncommon in ice hockey because the puck changes hands so often. He skates like a forward, hits like a defender and plays like a true canadian. Brook Laich plays center and last season had a total of 37 points. He is quick on his feet and brings an amazing presence to the ice. On a side note, while browsing youtube, I found that the CAPS voted Laich the "ladies man." I'd have to say its a tie between him and Green, which is funny because they are very good friends. Looks like we may have a little competition off the ice eh? Back to my point...I really think that the dynamics of the team would be much different without these two fantastic players, and therefor they are the Unsung Heros of the Washington Capitals. I cannot end this entry without mentioning the player who I think is the next rising star of the Washington Capitals and that is our very own Nikki B or Nicklas Backstrom. He is a center, is only 20 years old and had a mind blowing 69 points last season. I am honored and happy to say with talent like Backstrom, Ovechkin, Federov, Green and Laich...We have UNLEASED THE FURY!

Why the NHL and hockey take the cake...

Hockey is unlike any sport. It is one of the few professional sports where we see athletes that play for the love of the game and not necessarily for the money. The name on the front of the jersey is always more important than the one on the back. When a goal is scored, not only does the person who scored get credit, but so does every player who assisted. When a goal is scored, its not all about the person who put the puck in the net. Everyone that was one on the ice when that little red light went off huddles together to celebrate. This is unlike football where we see the athlete who ran the touchdown into the end zone, celebrate on his own, before taunting the opposing team. Not once did he or any fan think, that O-line did an awesome job blocking. ESPN ranked hockey as the second hardest sport to play. It fell short of first to boxing by only six tenths of a point. When considering all the fighting we do in hockey, it makes you wonder why we fell short of first place to a sport where the only goal is knock out the other guy. In hockey we have to knock the other guy out and put points on the board! Hockey is a game of skill, not of luck. It is fast paced, and there is never a dull moment. These athletes have to skate their hardest, be able to stop on a dime, control a stick and a puck, look for their teammates to pass to, watch for the big guy from the other team who is probably head hunting, all while balancing on a thin piece of steal, and you wonder why football or baseball aren't considered to be harder than ice hockey. Not only are the players awesome, down to earth, guys who just wanna kick some butt, but the fans are amazing. Organized chanting that usually is displaying our disapproval of the officiating, high fiving the guy sitting next to you at the game...even though you have no idea who he is, and an overall sense of community. You know that at some point you bonded with someone for the mere fact that he or she was a die hard hockey fan just like you. So the NHL is the 2nd hardest sport (should be the first, but hey take what you can get), the athletes are all about community and about the love of the game, and the fans are amazing! Who says you cant have you cake and eat it too??

Just for your entertainment...

This is how you earn the most penalty minutes in NHL history...Flyers Vs Senators!!!

Changes for the 08-09 season?

As most dedicated hockey fans saw last season, the officiating throughout the NHL was very inconsistent. Even more importantly, it was inconsistent during the play-offs. Goaltender interference could arguably be one of the most inconsistent calls made. Will this problem be solved during the 08-09 season? Let's hope so. What is more frustrating that an obvious call that was not made? Not only is frustrating to fans but it is obviously frustrating to players and coaches as well. As we all know one missed call or bad call can change the dynamic of the game. This season is the 91st season of the NHL...and where would us hockey nuts be without this amazing sport? Not yelling at the refs...telling them exactly what we think of that ridiculous call through our television set, even though they can't hear us, nor would they care if they could...thats for sure. This season will also be the fist season since the lockout that every team will play each other at least once. So for all you fans who want a rematch, you'll get it. For all you players who have something to prove, now would be the time. It should be an intense and interesting season to say the least, eh?