The View From Your Our Playoff Seat

Game Two Game Face at the Meadowlands
Sent by KB. Washington, D.C.

More pictures from the Devils/Sens game can be seen here.

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here, and don't forget to send your pictures here.

Rink Road Trip

A bit impulsively, Ken and I have decided to head up I-95 and take in tonight's Sens/Devils game (Jersey's inability to sell out is our gain). If you're going to be at the game, drop us an email (Japers dot Rink at gmail dot com) with a cell number and we'll buy you a beer.

Cheers,

JP

Kolzig, Hardee's And Hot Dogs

My buddy Dave of the very funny Quiet Library sent me an Olie Kolzig hockey card from back in 1990 (the card is from 1990 - Dave sent it this week), andI had to share it. As Dave said, "Olie looks like a line-cook at Hardee's in the pic on the back." Indeed, though now that he's got me thinking about food, I'm reminded that this card isn't quite as fantastic as the one in which Olie is on the bench holding a hot dog with "Olaf" written on it in mustard.

Update: Thanks to Gustafsson from OFB, here it is. Best... hockey card... ever.

U.S., Russia Cruise At Worlds

In Day One action over in Moscow Russia pounded Denmark, 9-1 (Alex Ovechkin, with a goal and an assist, was named the Player of the Game) and the U.S. beat up on Austria, 6-2 (Team USA Captain Chris Clark had a goal, Brian Pothier an assist). Elsewhere, the Czech Republic crushed Belarus, 8-2 (Jiri Novotny was held off the score sheet for the Czechs) and Finland shutout the Ukraine, 5-0.

Read much more on the tourney over at Mike Vogel's blog throughout the fortnight.

Of Socks And Sox

Know why hockey is better than baseball? I mean, Reason #872 that hockey's better than baseball?

Because the powers that be don't need to damn-near launch a Congressional investigation into whether or not a hockey player actually bled.

I always liked Gary Thorne as a hockey play-by-play guy, despite his annoying inability to pronounce Janne Niinimaa's and Mathieu Schnieder's last names, but the way he dropped the "paint" bomb the other night was truly bizarre. And the funny part about it (to me, at least) is the number of people who were/are willing to believe it, given how self-aggrandizing Curt Schilling has always been. And now it's all over the news - is it blood? Paint? Ketchup? Do people honestly care?

It's the biggest story in the baseball world this week and it's about a player who may or may not have gotten a little spot of blood on his sock. What a bunch of warriors.

Capitals Stalker Watch

Far be it for us to enable either drinking or stalking, but I figured I'd pass this along anyway. According to today's WaPo, the Russia House just north of Dupont Circle might be a decent place to run into, well, Russians (two of whom may be of particular interest) relaxing with a certain potato-based beverage:

No matter what night you stop by, you're bound to come across revelers from the former Eastern Bloc... including Washington Capitals winger Alexander Semin, whom I apparently just missed a few weeks ago, or even Alex Ovechkin, whom friends have spied enjoying a martini.

Hey, at least it's not Champions in Georgetown.

Neuvirth Steals The Show For Plymouth

Goaltender Michael Neuvirth, the Caps 3rd pick (34th overall) in the 2006 Entry Draft, is making quite a name for himself in the OHL.

The 18-year-old (and reigining OHL Player of the Week) has led Plymouth to a Western Conference Championship and is now 10-2 with a 2.31 goals against average and a .942 save percentage in the playoffs. Neuvirth and the Whalers now await the winner of the Sudbury-Belleville series to play for the OHL Championship.

Along the way, Neuvirth has received plenty of praise, including this from London (the team Plymouth just vanquished) head coach Dale Hunter:

"The Washington Capitals made a good pick with him. He was good down low. We had our chances."

Fifty shots on goal last night, to be exact, only one of which got by the Czech netminder.

It is, of course, way too early to tell, but with Neuvirth and Semen Varlamov both impressing so far, Francois Bouchard leading the QMJHL in scoring and, oh yeah, Nicklas Backstrom, the 2006 draft might be looked back on as one of the best in team history.

Technorati Profile

Know What The NHL Needs?

A mediocre team from a big city in the Finals.

NHL.com Mock Draft: Alzner A Cap

NHL.com has apparently gotten caught up in Mel Kiper fever ('tis the season, y'know?) and has thrown together a mock up of the first fourteen picks of the upcoming Entry Draft. Some of the predictions are head-scratchers (Patrick Kane falls to sixth?), and so is the rationale behind the Caps' pick:

No. 5, Washington -- The Capitals’ love of offensive players in recent drafts is well- documented. This team had 10 picks in last year’s draft and took seven forwards. It also grabbed two goalies among its first three selections. So, the backline is an area that has been ignored recently. No longer. This team gave up 51 more goals than it scored this past year, so the time to address defensive deficiencies is now. And Calgary’s Karl Alzner is as good a place as any to start. Already 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has the frame to handle NHL duty and he also has the smarts to not get overwhelmed in any situation. He is not as physical as some would like, but that is an area of his game he can develop. He also has the offensive foundation to complement Washington’s raft of skilled forwards.

First of all, if Kane is available at five, he'll be a Cap. Jakub Voracek could be too if he's there and Kane isn't. Then again, if Kane is available at five, that pick will be worth an awful lot in trade.

But I have a bigger gripe with the logic behind the Caps' supposed pick. To say that the Caps have ignored the blueline in recent drafts is flat-out ridiculous, given that in 2005 the Caps' first four picks (including two first rounders) and five of their first eight in 2004 (again, including two first-rounders) were defensemen.

The Caps might take Alzner at five come June 22, but it won't happen under this scenario and it won't be because they've been neglecting a need to fill the position.

Finley Heads Back To School

Joe Finley, the Capitals' second towering first-round pick from the 2005 Entry Draft, has decided not to sign with the Caps and instead will return to the University of North Dakota next fall. The lure of a paycheck and Hershey, PA apparently didn't dissuade the big blueliner, who has but one thing on his hockey mind right now:

"Quite frankly, I came to North Dakota to win a national championship," Finley said. "I don't want to make it sound like it's going to be an easy road, but with the type of guys we have staying, it's going to give us a great opportunity to achieve things we set out to do."

...

Last week, Finley went to Hershey, Pa., to visit the American Hockey League affiliate of the Washington Capitals, the team that selected him in the first round of the 2005 draft. He said it was a good experience, but upon returning to Grand Forks, the 6-foot-7, 252-pound sophomore informed UND coaches and the Capitals that he decided another year of college is in his best interest.

"There were some guys who left early last season and played in the AHL the whole year," Finley said. "Some guys made the NHL, but they'll still tell you how much they liked playing college. They'll tell you how much fun they had. You get better because you practice quite a bit and the travel schedule isn't so brutal."

"Money isn't the big thing," said Finley, who had a team-best plus-18 rating last season.

What would you do? Go for the dollars and get your pro career started or head back to school for a chance to win a Championship and be the big man on campus (literally)?

Meanwhile, In Moscow...

How badass is this guy?

H/t to Russian for the link

The View From Your Playoff Seat

If You Went To The Ducks Game With Earl Sleek Last Night,

This Is Probably In Perfect Focus Right Now.
Sent in by the one and only Mr. Sleek. Anaheim, CA

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here, and don't forget to send your pictures here.

Where The Boys Were

The Hockey News' Adam Proteau has compiled a great list of the Top 10 Playoff Quotes, including this gem from then-Rangers GM Neil Smith following a 1991 first-round series loss to the Caps (it was also the second consecutive year the Caps excused the Blueshirts from the post-season):

The playoffs separate the men from boys, and we found out we have a lot of boys in our dressing room.

The Parise-Eaves Connection

What do Jersey's Zach Parise and Ottawa's Patrick Eaves have in common? More than you might think.

From Admiral To Congressman?

According to The Politico, "A wealthy Chicago-area businessman who played minor league hockey for the Washington Capitals organization is expressing strong interest in challenging Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.)."

The Hill adds that this newcomer, who may, in fact, have his sights set on Dick Durbin's U.S. Senate seat, "only briefly attended college [and] would be vulnerable to attacks on his limited political background and qualifications."

The would-be-pol in question is a fella by the name of Steve Greenberg, who apparently played 80 games for the then-Hampton Roads (now Norfolk) Admirals of the ECHL back in the late '80s/early '90s (I wonder if he'll play up this military experience in his Congressional bid).

For all of you Dems hanging 'round these parts, here's hoping that Greenberg gets no closer to a job in Washington this time around than he did during his hockey career.

And yeah, slow news day.

Senators/Devils Preview

My FanHouse preview of the Ottawa/Jersey series is up. I went with the Devils in seven, though I have very little confidence in the pick. I was all ready to pick the Sens, but I know the series will be low-scoring and just can't see Ray Emery out-dueling Martin Brodeur over the course of six or seven games.

Is it too late to change my pick and just go with the team in the red, black and white uniforms?

Using The FCF To Predict The Second Round

Today's night off (gasp!) provides us with a chance to both look back on the first round and forward to the second, specifically at our predictions.

It turns out that the version of the Former Cap Factor (FCF) that had been released last year and used for the first round this year was still in beta. A slight tweak, and it's good to go for Round 2. The tweak? Apparently being a former general manager of the Caps trumps all. Therefore, the FCF now works as follows:

1. If one team has a former Caps' General Manager at the helm, that team is most likely to lose a given series.
2. If neither (or both) team(s) has a former Caps' General Manager and one team has fewer former Capitals than its opponent, it is most likely going to win any given series.
3. If teams have the same number of former Capitals, the team with the fewer games played for the Capitals is most likely going to win any given series.
4. If neither team has a former Capital and one team has a former Capital head coach behind the bench, that team is most likely to lose any given series.
5. If both teams have former Capital head coaches, the team with the fewer games coached for the Capitals is most likely going to win any given series.
6. If neither team has a former Capital or former Capital head coach, the team with the fewer former Capital draft picks is most likely going to win any given series.
7. If the teams have the same number of former Capital draft picks, the team with the fewer Capitals ties among assistant coaches/advisors/etc. is most likely going to win any given series.

How'd the new and improved FCF do in the First Round? Six-for-eight. Not bad, though it drops the FCF to 78% (18-for-23) since the start of last year's playoffs (applied retroactively, btw, no 2006 results change). But, as a wise man once said, history is history right now, so let's apply the FCF to the Round 2 match-ups:

• Buffalo (1) vs. N.Y. Rangers (6) - Buffalo continues to live the charmed life (for now) as their Dainius Zubrus isn't enough to doom them against the Rangers' Jaromir Jagr and Michael Nylander. Buffalo wins.
• New Jersey (2) vs. Ottawa (4) - Ottawa's Lawrence Nycholat played a handful of games for the Caps (more than he's ever likely to get for the Sens), and having coach Bryan Murray behind the bench seals the deal, Devils blueliner and former Cap draft pick Johnny Oduya notwithstanding. Devils win.
  


• Detroit (1) vs. San Jose (5) - The Wings' Robert Lang played 145 games for the Caps, while the Sharks' Mike Grier played 150 (over the same two seasons too... freaky). Throw in San Jose bench boss Ron Wilson as icing on the cake and you've got all you need for a Wings win.
• Anaheim (2) vs. Vancouver (3) - The Canucks' Jan Bulis and Trevor Linden faceoff against... no former Caps. The Ducks advance.

Could a rematch of the 2003 Finals be on the way? All FCF signs point to yes, but as it's only 78% accurate, play it safe... bet the apartment, not the house.

A Very (Get It?) Special TRL

Sean Avery on MTV's Total Request Live. I believe "jump the shark" is the phrase you're looking for. And if Elisha Cuthbert is the picture you're looking for, it's at the bottom of that link.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

The Beginning of the End. Saddledome, Game 6
Sent by Iris, a double d(ion) reader. Calgary, AB

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

TSN's Take On The Caps' Off-Season Game Plan

Scott Cullen of TSN (slogan: "Like ESPN, except we give a damn about hockey!") has his thoughts on what the Caps should (or will) do this off-season. The article serves as a nice compliment to what I posted this morning, because it goes into much more depth on some of the things to which I alluded.

Anyway, there's nothing earth-shattering in the article, but he does throw a few free agent names out there as possibilities, including Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Peter Forsberg, Mike Comrie, Tyler Arnason, Ladislav Nagy, Kyle Calder and Scott Hartnell up front and Roman Hamrlik, Andrei Markov, Brian Rafalski, Andy Sutton and Scott Hannan on the blueline [note: I linked each to each player's TSN.ca bio for your convenience, and if you're curious as to how much money the guy made this past year, head to NHLPA.com].

Of the players mentioned, only the thought of Sutton in Caps' red, white and blue makes me throw-up in my mouth, though some names obviously excite me more than others (and some are obviously more realistic than others).

But my real question after reading this article is, "What the hell is the basis for the TSN.ca Rating that Bryan Muir ranks as the top Caps' blueliner?!"

Caps To Unveil New Uniforms June 22

From the website:

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will unveil their new uniforms at a special Draft Day Party on Friday, June 22, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in conjunction with the live broadcast on Versus of the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, which takes place that evening in Columbus, Ohio.

The new uniforms will mark a return to a red, white and blue color scheme – the colors the Capitals wore from their first season in 1974-75 through 1994-95. The Capitals are the first team in the NHL to announce their plans to unveil their new uniforms, which are produced by Reebok and feature the Rbk EDGE Uniform System technology that was introduced at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas. The Capitals are the first team planning to have their new uniforms on hand at the NHL Entry Draft.

Further details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

If The Thrashers Fall And No One's Watching, Do They Make A Sound?

The silver lining for the Thrashers is that while they were busy getting swept out of the playoffs by the Rangers, at least no one was watching.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

"An Avs Fan Watching the Playoffs and Hanging with His Peeps"

Sent by Tapeleg from Jerseys and Hockey Love. Denver, Colorado

Tapeleg adds:

Don’t ask how long it took to make that, I need to keep my dignity. And note Pierre McGuire on the bench.

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

Locking Up Alex Ovechkin

For Caps GM George McPhee, the term "off-season" is something of a misnomer, as he certainly isn't going to be getting much (if any) of a break this summer.

What's on GMGM's agenda? Well, there's the Entry Draft in late June, for which the Caps have the #5 overall pick (and it has been speculated that the Caps will be busy in advance of that date, quite possibly moving that pick and/or a player or two for proven NHL talent).

There are restricted free agents to re-sign (or cut loose), including Brian Sutherby, Brooks Laich, Tomas Fleischmann, Milan Jurcina and Steve Eminger.

And there are, of course, unrestricted free agents to wine, dine and (hopefully) sign.

But there's something else in play that's probably been on GMGM's mind since August, 2005 - negotiating a contract extension with franchise winger Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin, who is under contract for next season but will become a restricted free agent thereafter if no extension can be reached, is eligible to receive an extension any time after July 1.

Will re-signing AO be on GMGM's summer "to do" list? I have no idea. But I'm sure the Caps' front office has a pretty good idea what they're willing to commit to to keep their superstar in D.C. To begin with, no player can make more than 20% of his team's total payroll (which, assuming the salary cap increases to$48 million for next year and stays there for the first year of the extension, would be a maximum of $9.6 million - the Caps will not be at $48 million in salary and Alex will not be re-signed at $9.6 million per year).

Ideally, GMGM et. al. would be able to sit back and watch Pittsburgh sign Sidney Crosby to an extension and use that as their point of comparison. Short of that, this summer's free agent market might give some clues (Thomas Vanek, for example, is an RFA 40-goal scorer), but there aren't any Ovechkins out there. My W.A.G. is that Alex will be in the $7 million/year range (a bit more than Ilya Kovlachuk signed for in October of '05 and around what Jarome Iginla signed for a couple of months earlier after leading his Flames to the Finals).

But how much money can the team really give the kid? How much would you give him? Remember, they're going free agent shopping this summer (and still have to sign Nickläs Backström), and they have Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Mike Green and Shaone Morrisonn as RFAs and Olie Kolzig and Chris Clark as UFAs next summer. It becomes pretty clear that the number of years - moreso than the number of dollars - may become the focus of negotiations. After all, there's no cap on the duration of contracts, is there, Rick DiPietro?

So whether or not AO's contract negotiations start this summer, it's undoubtedly weighing on GMGM's mind, and impacting every move the team makes. With an already-full plate in front of him, McPhee is going to have a very busy summer indeed.

John Tortorella Says What The Rest Of Us Were Thinking

While I don't agree with John Tortorella verbally attacking N.Y. Post columnist Larry Brooks after Friday night's loss, I couldn't agree more with the sentiment he expressed.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

Hockeytown Pregame
Sent by Christy from the one and only Behind The Jersey. Detroit, MI

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

Pre-Teen Wasteland

Quoting Alec Baldwin, "I don't give a damn that you're 12-years-old or 11-years-old or that you're a child..." this is still embarrassing, though nowhere near the heights attained by Star Wars kid or adult Pens fan.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

Don't worry, Sabre fans - he didn't touch it
Sent by David. Buffalo, NY

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

The Trotz Family Tree
Sent by the inimitable P.J. from Sharkspage. San Jose, CA

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here, and make sure to check out all of P.J.'s shots from Games 3 and 4 of the Sharks/Preds series.

Did He Really Say That?

Anything can happen come playoff time. Want proof? Look no further than this unlikely set of circumstances.

NHL Playoffs Drinking Game

As the hockey gets ever more serious by the day, so does the drinking. So whether you need to take the edge off while watching your team play or drown your sorrows because your team's season is done, grab the beverage of your choice, follow these simple rules, and enjoy the games (both on and off the ice). Oh, and if some of these rules don't apply by the time you read this, feel free to swap guys out like you're Bob Hartley.

Player Category - drink when:

1. Sidney Crosby snaps his head back to try to draw a call.
2. Ryan Miller makes a save look harder than it is.
3. Mike Sillinger loses a faceoff or Robert Lang wins one.
4. Dion Phaneuf rips a one-timer wide of the net.
5. Colby Armstrong tries to take someone's head off (drink three times if he succeeds in doing so).
6. Any Nashville Predator takes a diving penalty.
7. Alexei Yashin gets a shift.
8. You find yourself cursing Sean Avery.
9. Mike Modano does something - anything.
10. You find yourself dozing off during a Canucks/Stars game... and not because it's a late game.
11. A player's stick breaks doing something that shouldn't break a stick that costs that much money.

Coach Category - drink when:

1. You can hear Ron Wilson whistle for a line change.
2. Bryan Murray looks like someone kicked his dog.
3. When Bob Hartley- oh... nevermind.
4. Bryan Murray looks like he's ready to kick someone else's dog.
5. John Tortorella smiles sarcastically.
6. You can see Barry Trotz's neck (this rule is here so mormons can play along and follow only this rule).
7. Lou Lamoriello fires someone (finish your drink if/when he fires himself).
8. Jim Playfair is out-coached.

Television Category - drink when:

1. "Let's go, girls!" ad runs on Versus.
2. Joe Benanati Sub-Category - drink when Joe B.:
1. Notes a player's national origin or at which U.S. college he played.
2. Uses either the phrase "full and even strength" or "a man to the good."
3. Tells the viewers how much time "separates us from our [corporate sponsor] NHL on Versus intermission report."
4. Says "soccer styles it" rather than "kicks it."
3. Announcer uses the word "brink" or "stranglehold" (drink twice if not in a Game 4 setting).
4. There's an awkward moment in the Versus/NBC studio and it's totally Bill Clement's fault.
5. Announcer mentions how far apart, time-wise, Daniel and Henrik Sedin were born.
6. Impossibly young player's impossibly bad facial hair is shown on TV.
7. Announcer mentions what a winner Chris Drury is (drink twice if the words "Trumbull" and "Connecticut" are mentioned).
8. Drink nothing when Brian Engblom hedges on a prediction. We're all for having a good time, but no need to send anyone to the hospital.
9. Brett Hull looks like he's been eating well since retiring, doesn't he? Not a rule, just an observation.
10. Announcer mentions any of the following players as trying to shed a certain reputation (drink four times if the word "choker" is used): Marty Turco, Pavel Datsyuk, Daniel Alfredsson, Joe Thornton.

Now the fun part - it's your turn to add some rules. What've you got?

The View From Your Playoff Seat

"After The Game-Winning, Series-Clinching Goal"
Sent by Sonia. Queens, NY

Sonia, a transplanted Caps fan, adds:

I just can't cheer for [Jagr]. Ever. I overheard a great quote from the guys sitting behind me at the game after everyone was cheering for Shanny: "So... everyone cheers for Henrik, Shanny, and Avery... but no one ever cheers for Jagr!" It warmed my heart!

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

Part Of The Lexicon

"The John Druce's, you can't pick those guys out. Sometime, somehow they just appear." - Manitoba Moose head coach Scott Arniel on how the playoffs produce surprise heroes.

Druce scored 14 goals in 15 games for the Caps back in the 1990 playoffs (which ended for D.C. with a sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals). For his career prior to that run, Druce had scored 16 goals in 94 career NHL games.

Will Blog For Beer

Seriously, I will.

Anyway, being Spring and all, the good folks at Anheuser-Busch have decided to help us rid our gardens of annoying pests by luring slugs to their demise with a combination of booze and images of their own kind. Come to think of it, I think that works with Sabre fans too.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

"The NHL's Youngest Poet Laureate"

Sent by Russell from Sens Underground. Ottawa, ON

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

Pens' Role Players Rolling Over

Where did all the Pens' secondary scoring go? Evgeni Malkin's disappearing act has been well-documented (personally, I'm looking forward to the Where's Geno? series of children's books), but Pittsburgh has gotten absolutely nothing from their over-20/under-40-year-old forwards all series.

Luckily for Ottawa, the Penguins have never come back to win a series after falling behind 3-1 to a team from a country's capital city.*

* Statistic may be slightly less than 100% accurate.

Mixed Bag For Bean Counters Near And Far

League-wide, there's good news and there's bad news on the money side of things (at least with regards to turnstiles and TV's). Read about the numbers over at the FanHouse.

Closer to home, it was a mixed bag as well. Attendance was up ever-so-slightly (11 more fans per game, up to 13,916 or 76% of the VC's capacity, according to Sports Business Journal) and paid attendance and revenue were also up.

On the other hand, with more money spent on marketing and personnel (both on-ice and off), the Caps actually lost more money over the course of the 2006-07 season than they did during the previous campaign.

But here's the real bottom line for Caps fans - as Ted Leonsis has said time and again, "the losses are manageable and they are planned."

CapsNation has been told that "Change is Coming" this summer, and has taken that to mean new talent, new uniforms, new marketing strategies - in short, a re-birth of the franchise. One thing that is unlikely to change, however, is that the team will once again lose money. But if most of those losses stay on the ledger and off the ice, no one - from the Owner's box on down - will mind a bit.

The View From Your Playoff Seat

"The Sabres may have the series lead, but the Isles have the banners."
Sent by Murph. Queens, NY.

Thanks to Murph from Islanders Army for his view from Sec. 309.

He adds,

"That was one pissed off crowd last night. Hopefully the team is just as pissed off and steps it up in Game 4."

The VFYPS photo album can be viewed here.

Pens Fans, They're Just Like Us

They complain about their blueliners and offer horrendous ideas at improving the situation:

dz: [Josef] Melichar and [Rob] Scuderi have been brutal. Any [Joel] Kwiatkowski sightings? They say he is not physical but we need a guy to get the puck quickly to the forwards and he could jump in the play more.

Joe Starkey: Not a terrible idea. Don't know if it'll happen. [Michel] Therrien likes to keep lineup moves secret until last moment

Goose EGGs For Devils Top Trio

I don't know where Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta have been for the past two games for Jersey, but I know where they are now - over at the FanHouse getting called out.

Meanwhile, Martin Brodeur - who has just two wins in his last dozen playoff road games - notes that, "The puck is not bouncing (our way), but our bounce is due."

Yeah, Marty, you guys aren't getting any bounces.

Finally, speaking of bounces...

The View From Your Playoff Seat

"Broadway Blueshirts Win...Again"

Sent by Patrick. Brooklyn, NY

Is This Becoming A Trend?

You're not really going to let him score from there, are you, Marty?

Ouch.

Semin Kicked Off Team Russia

Tarik's reporting that "Alexander Semin has been kicked off the Russian national team for failing to report to training camp on time, according to the Russian Hockey Federation's website. The Capitals winger was supposed to play with Alex Ovechkin in the world championships in Moscow later this month."

Something tells me his absence isn't because he's so dedicated to the Washington Capitals that he didn't want to risk injury in a meaningless international event and will instead work on his passing, backchecking, English and, um, puck-handling in D.C. all summer (golf clap for KB on that last link).

UPDATE: Vogs has the low-down on what went down. To me, it sounds like an over-reaction from the Russian brass, but Sasha isn't without fault either. No word on whether or not Alexander Ovechkin smashed another iPod in reaction to Semin being singled out.

Is Colby Armstrong A Dirty Hitter?

Don at BoO thinks so, but I'll let you be the judge.

Here's his hit on Patrick Eaves from last night:

For some more of Colby's handiwork (lots of YouTuberrific goodness), head over to The FanHouse, but be sure to let us know - is Colby Armstrong a dirty hitter?