The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

MDSKINSFAN wrote:Man it feels good being up 2-0. Lets hope they can just keep on rolling and at least win 1 game in Pitt. (Both would be perfect, completing the sweep on their ice!)

The Caps with a two game series lead against the Pens, I have seen this storyline once or twice. I'm glad that all BB has to do is go back to the first series against New York to show them how fast a lead like that can evaporate in the NHL playoffs.

Yeah, I'm happy we're up 2-0, but they gotta do something about cry baby standing in front of the net all the time. If it means a 2 minute minor for roughing or interference, so be it, but get that punk outta there.

My two favorite players are making the difference, though, in Brooks Laich and David Steckel.

Sign me to a one game contract. I can't skate all that well, but good enough to plow into Crosby and get him out of the crease.

Relive the game here and check out some of my thoughts on the game.

Sir_Monk wrote:Bob, I was wondering what Sid's stat sheet would have looked like if John Erskine was playing back there as opposed to Mike Green. For all the good things Green does, he is not the physical presence that Big John is.

Anyone else catch the post game were Crosby explained to the press that after Ovechkin's 3rd goal, he went and asked the officials to make an announcement to stop throwing hats on the ice? What a tool that guy is!

You know it wouldn't be three goals.

Two of his goals came from the crease and you know Erskine would not have let him stand there.

I missed the pre-game, did they say what the nature of his injury was. I've seen him listed day-to-day.

JansenFan wrote:Yeah, I'm happy we're up 2-0, but they gotta do something about cry baby standing in front of the net all the time. If it means a 2 minute minor for roughing or interference, so be it, but get that punk outta there.

Someone needs to crush him. When does Brashear come back? Game 6 if necessary or somewhere around there? I want him to light him up. But I would like to see it sooner so I would definitely like to see Mike Green or John Erskine crush him when he gets in front of the net.

I didn't even hear about when he asked the refs to stop the fans from throwing the hats. Thats ridiculous! He is a cry baby which is one of the reasons why, in America at least, that Ovi is passing him as the fan favorite and the face of the NHL.

PulpExposure wrote:Really great game!

Sir_Monk wrote:Anyone else catch the post game were Crosby explained to the press that after Ovechkin's 3rd goal, he went and asked the officials to make an announcement to stop throwing hats on the ice? What a tool that guy is!

Yeah I saw that. What a whiny little girl.

No, I didn't see that, but it only goes to further my already low opinion of him.

Hey Sid, maybe we shouldn't sound the horn during goals either. Maybe we can do away with that red-light cuz I know it distracts you from your game...


Whatta jerk...

MDSKINSFAN wrote:When does Brashear come back? Game 6 if necessary or somewhere around there?

Yeah, the Caps win last night means that Brashear will definately get at least one more playoff appearence, and it would either be in game six of this series, or in game one or two of the next series (depending upon whether the Caps can sweep the Pens or not).

What a line – The line of Matt Bradley, Brooks Laich and David Steckel has produced goals in back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and has been one of the best lines for Bruce Boudreau on the ice. Bradley has four points (2g-2a) and is a +4 in his last five games, including the game-winning goal on April 24 against the Rangers which turned the series around. Laich has three assists and is a +4 in his last five games; while Steckel has four points (2g-2a) in his last four games, including back-to-back goals in the last two games. This line’s ice time has significantly grown with Bradley averaging 13:49 in the last five games, Laich averaging 15:61 and Steckel averaging 16:84 in the last five games. Secondary scoring has been a big part of the Capitals success in the playoffs.



Hershey Bears Update

Washington’s AHL affiliate took a 2-0 series lead in the AHL playoffs with a 3-1 win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last night. Game 3 is Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre .

Bob - any word on a possible Kunitz suspension, for the cross check to the head of Varley just before Crosby scored the 3rd goal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_2Fb2V8EfU

Sir_Monk wrote:Bob - any word on a possible Kunitz suspension, for the cross check to the head of Varley just before Crosby scored the 3rd goal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_2Fb2V8EfU

I'm not Bob, but apparently no suspension.

PulpExposure wrote:

Sir_Monk wrote:Bob - any word on a possible Kunitz suspension, for the cross check to the head of Varley just before Crosby scored the 3rd goal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_2Fb2V8EfU

I'm not Bob, but apparently no suspension.

I didn't figure there would be. The Caps haven't whined to the league enough to get anyone suspended.

I'm with Ovie, I think it's BS. He should have gotten at least a game.

My question is this. With Brashear suspended and John Erskine out, who pummels that beyotch next game? Matt Bradley's not afraid to fight, but the last time he fought it didn't work out too well for his face. Semin is 1-0 in fights, but I'm not sure a slap fight would send the right message. Maybe its time for Ovie's fighting debut, although I had hoped he would throttle Sid the Baby for his first one.

On the road again – The Washington Capitals are 2-1 on the road in the playoffs this season, having won Games 3 and 6 at Madison Square Garden . The Capitals have become comfortable on the road as of late, they were 12-5-3 in their last 20 regular season road games. In the last series against the New York Rangers Tom Poti and Alexander Semin led the team with five points (2g-3a) on the road, while Nicklas Backstrom (4a) and Alex Ovechkin (2g-2a) each had four points. In the playoffs the Caps are outscoring their opponents 4-2 in the first period and 9-5 on the road. Rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov is 2-1 with a shutout, a 1.68 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage in three playoff road games.


Note of the Night

Venturing out – Washington has won three in a row in the regular season at Mellon Arena and is 3-0-1 in its last four visits. The Capitals have had significant success anywhere on the road of late, including a 2-1 record in the playoffs. They were 16-6-3 in their last 25 regular-season road games and 10-3-3 on the road after the All-Star break.



Five More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without

Hats off – Alex Ovechkin's hat trick in Game 2 was the first of his playoff career (he has eight in his regular-season career). It was the first playoff hat trick for a Capital in 85 games, since April 26, 1993 (Al Iafrate). That game, like Game 2, featured hat tricks for each team, two of the four times that has happened in Stanley Cup playoff history.

Opposing Hat Tricks, One Game, Playoff History

2009 Alex Ovechkin, WSH Sidney Crosby, PIT

1996 Trevor Linden, VAN Joe Sakic, COL

1993 Al Iafrate, WSH Ray Ferraro, NYI

1983 Paul Reinhart, CGY Mark Messier, EDM



8's stage – Alex Ovechkin has scored goals in five of the last six games (seven goals in that time) and has 11 points in nine games in the playoffs. He ranks first in the league in shots, second in hits and tied for fourth in plus/minus (rankings entering Tuesday's games). He has had multiple-point games in seven of the 16 playoff games he has played in his career and has points in seven of the nine games this year.



Five alive – Washington carries a club playoff record five-game winning streak into Game 3. The Capitals have outscored opponents 18-9 during the streak and 23-11 while winning six of the last seven games. Nicklas Backstrom (7a) has a point in all five games of the streak, while Simeon Varlamov has set a club record for goaltenders with five straight playoff wins.



One better – Washington has won three straight one-goal games after dropping its first three one-goal decisions of the playoffs to the New York Rangers.



Comebackers – Washington has won its last three games despite allowing the first goal in each one. The Capitals had started the playoffs 0-2 when allowing the first goal.

JansenFan wrote:My question is this. With Brashear suspended and John Erskine out, who pummels that beyotch next game? Matt Bradley's not afraid to fight, but the last time he fought it didn't work out too well for his face. Semin is 1-0 in fights, but I'm not sure a slap fight would send the right message. Maybe its time for Ovie's fighting debut, although I had hoped he would throttle Sid the Baby for his first one.

I would pay real money to see Alex go after Sadly Crieslikababy (I believe that's the phoenetic Canadian pronounciation of Crosby, much like Roy is pronounce Wah)

I expect Alex will either go after him, or that guy who cross checked Varly.

I wouldn't count Jurcina or Poti out of the fisticuffs. They may not fight often, but you never know.

Bob 0119 wrote:

JansenFan wrote:My question is this. With Brashear suspended and John Erskine out, who pummels that beyotch next game? Matt Bradley's not afraid to fight, but the last time he fought it didn't work out too well for his face. Semin is 1-0 in fights, but I'm not sure a slap fight would send the right message. Maybe its time for Ovie's fighting debut, although I had hoped he would throttle Sid the Baby for his first one.

I would pay real money to see Alex go after Sadly Crieslikababy (I believe that's the phoenetic Canadian pronounciation of Crosby, much like Roy is pronounce Wah)

I expect Alex will either go after him, or that guy who cross checked Varly.

I wouldn't count Jurcina or Poti out of the fisticuffs. They may not fight often, but you never know.

Someone needs to knock the guy out who hit Varly. The NHL needs to be consistent with their suspensions. Brash gets suspended pretty much a whole series but guys don't get suspended for that cross check and there was a late hit in the Wings-Ducks series just like Brash's and the guy didn't even get a game or a fine. If Ovi does get in a fight I want it to be with Crosby. Crosby thinks he can fight now because he won 2 cheap ones this year by sucker punching and pulling a guy down by the head on a face off. He needs to fight a real fighter straight up to see what happens when you don't fight like a sissy.

MDSKINSFAN wrote:

Bob 0119 wrote:

JansenFan wrote:My question is this. With Brashear suspended and John Erskine out, who pummels that beyotch next game? Matt Bradley's not afraid to fight, but the last time he fought it didn't work out too well for his face. Semin is 1-0 in fights, but I'm not sure a slap fight would send the right message. Maybe its time for Ovie's fighting debut, although I had hoped he would throttle Sid the Baby for his first one.

I would pay real money to see Alex go after Sadly Crieslikababy (I believe that's the phoenetic Canadian pronounciation of Crosby, much like Roy is pronounce Wah)

I expect Alex will either go after him, or that guy who cross checked Varly.

I wouldn't count Jurcina or Poti out of the fisticuffs. They may not fight often, but you never know.

Someone needs to knock the guy out who hit Varly. The NHL needs to be consistent with their suspensions. Brash gets suspended pretty much a whole series but guys don't get suspended for that cross check and there was a late hit in the Wings-Ducks series just like Brash's and the guy didn't even get a game or a fine. If Ovi does get in a fight I want it to be with Crosby. Crosby thinks he can fight now because he won 2 cheap ones this year by sucker punching and pulling a guy down by the head on a face off. He needs to fight a real fighter straight up to see what happens when you don't fight like a sissy.

If someone tries to "take out Crosby" the league will fine and suspend them the likes of which we have never seen.

They will protect their "golden boy" and make Brash's suspension look like a breeze in comparison.

The only reason Brash got six games was because the Rangers had already been complining about all kinds of other things that the league needed to do something to shut them up.

It's a sissy way to go (constantly whining about things to the league office) but it was effective.

The league doesn't want to completely eliminate "big hits" any more than they do fighting. It's the blood that draws a crowd. It's like wrecks in NASCAR.

If the league really wanted to put an end to it, then yes, everyone would get a suspension to match Brash's. If they really wanted to stop fighting, it would be an automatic two-game suspension along with a game misconduct, and major penalty.

They don't want that, they really just wanted to show New York that they weren't taking sides in ignoring all of their other trivial complaints.

Remember the good ol' days, when teams just stuck up for their own instead of whining and crying about it to the league?

JansenFan wrote:Remember the good ol' days, when teams just stuck up for their own instead of whining and crying about it to the league?

Yeah, and when players didn't complain to the refs about the fans tossing hats out onto the ice during a "hat trick!"

Yeah, it would appear those days are gone...

So far so good tonight. Ever since I started watching Caps playoff hockey I have been hooked. I now have a home team that is finally showing they have what it takes to possibly win a championship. Take it to the penguin cap man and make cappster a happy guy.

Not related to this game but I heard on The Junkies this morning that the Caps only sell tickets to the home games ONLY to people with VA, MD, or DC area codes.

If it's PA or somewhere else out of the area, they're not allowed to buy any.

Snyder.... take another note!!!!!

Someone wanna tell the refs they CAN call penalties on BOTH teams.

How do you let two guys tackle the goalie and hold him down with no penalty, but call that same goalie for one when he gets up?

1-1; here's hoping Ovie burn Fleury for the game winner!

Six straight penalties.

Is that home cooking I smell?

BACKSTROM!!!!!!!!

Caps finally get a Power Play and make the Pens pay with the PPG!

Here we go. Playoff OT's don't end until someone scores.

There is no shootout, first goal wins no matter how long it takes!

LETS GO CAPS!!!!!

The defense didn't look too good tonight. There were too many shots on goal and the one that sealed the deal is the kind that kill ya. Varlamov is a freakish type of goalie and I don't blame him for the loss tonight. The Caps didn't play enough D and I thought that the passing was rather poor. Then again I am a newcomer and don't know much about hockey.