The Story on Semin

I’ll admit that when I heard Caps winger Alexander Semin had been booted off the Russian roster for the upcoming World Championship games in Moscow, I figured it was a formality, a hand slap, and that he would eventually gain reinstatement.
That’s not going to be the case.
According to Sergei Nemchinov, two-time Stanley Cup winner and [...]

Five Series Even After Game 2

Friday night, Saturday night and Saturday evening provided seven more tasty first-round tilts in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs. If there is a regret here, it’s that these games are ill timed and they often overlap with one another, forcing the starry-eyed viewer to make difficult decisions. Or to risk thumb injury in a vain [...]

Centers and D are the Keys

Thursday night’s Stanley Cup playoff contests serve as a reminder of lessons well known in these parts. Centers and defensemen can have enormous effects upon propelling a team to the playoffs, and they can also mean the difference once you get to the playoffs. Pivots and blueliners were difference-makers in each of the four playoff [...]

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

One of many great things about the Stanley Cup playoffs is that you don’t know when you’ll be going to sleep on any given night.
Like Wednesday night, for example.
On opening night of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, we hockey lovers were treated to a double overtime game and a quadruple overtime contest. You could [...]

Cup Crystal Ball Points to Canadian Capital

Okay, it’s playoff time. I’ll probably be incredibly off-base with these predictions, so exercise (or exorcise) judgment when placing any wagers.
Eastern Conference
#1 Buffalo over #8 NY Islanders in five games
If netminder Rick DiPietro was healthy, the Isles might be able to extend this to six or seven. That’s not the case. The Sabres are [...]

The Envelope, Please

Although the NHL does not announce its annual award winners until June, and finalists won’t be known for a few weeks yet, the balloting is basically finished. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association vote for most of the awards, although the NHL’s 30 general managers vote for the Vezina Trophy winner and the [...]

Winning the Lotto

Three years ago at this time, the Capitals defied the odds (they had a 14.2% chance) and won the NHL Draft Lottery. Although they finished 28th among the 30 clubs in final 2003-04 standings, Washington earned the right to choose first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. As we all know now, that was [...]

Seventeen Slings a Strike

At 6:58 this evening, Caps captain Chris Clark whipped a strike across the plate at RFK Stadium, as he threw out the first pitch prior to the Nats’ game with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nationals pitcher Jason Bergmann was on the receiving end of the pitch. The Nats hurler, a native of New Jersey, went to [...]

Developing Defensemen

Judging by the wrath of the message board mavens, the Washington Capitals should be about ready to kick defenseman Steve Eminger to the curb. Why? Maybe because at the age of 23, Eminger is greying at the temples and should be 86ed in favor of younger prospects with more upside. Maybe because after parts of [...]