Washington Capitals 2010-2011 ongoing thread

[SirClintonPortis]

Don't get your hopes up. Ottawa and New Jersey are the new bottom-feeders of the NHL. The Caps always inflated their record when similar teams were rife in the Southeast Division.

[hooskins]

We will see how we play tonight.

[skinsfan_nn]

Way to spank those HABS ASS tonight!

3-0 Varly solid between the pipes for the shutout.

That would be 4-0-1 in the last five. Tonight was a great way to end 2010 and a solid come back in the last five after the eight game skid!

LETS KEEP GOING STARTING WITH THE SHIT BIRDS ON THE 1ST/2011 at the Winter Classic! Start the New Year out in the WIN column.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals - Boxscore - December 28, 2010 - ESPN

GO CAPS!!!!!

[GMScud]

Hell yeah. Great win. I'm ready for one of these young netminders to step up and take the job. Varly looked great tonight. I can't wait for 24/7 tomorrow night!

I think having a clean sheet tonight was a big deal. Well done boys.

[Dirtbag59]

Certainly much more fun seeing them win again. Also nice to see the emphasis on defense. However it's driving me nuts seeing this powerplay go in circles on top of Crosby scoring seemingly every other game.

[skinsfan_nn]

Winter Classic moved to 8 p.m.

Winter Classic game time moved to 8 p.m. ET for Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capital - ESPN

GO CAPS!!!!!

[GMScud]

Pretty cool that this will be a night game. I found this on ESPN insider. I copy/pasted so you all can see it. I really hope we go all the freaking way this year. As much as I love Ovi, I can't say I disagree with any of this:

From this article:

This year's Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh showcases the two best players in the NHL: Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Since the two made their NHL debuts during the 2005-2006 season, pundits and fans have favored one or the other, and have subsequently favored either the Penguins or the Capitals as Stanley Cup contenders. But what do the guys who actually go head-to-head with these two superstars think?
We asked 26 players from 10 teams, five Western Conference and five Eastern Conference, who really gets top billing. We promised anonymity; they promised to tell the truth. Then we asked a few more questions -- about Sid and Ovi, Pittsburgh and Washington and the NHL's wildly popular New Year's Day game.
What did we find out? Everyone has an opinion. And nearly everyone watches HBO.

1. Who's the best player in the NHL, Crosby or Ovechkin?
100 percent of the players polled said Crosby is the best player in the NHL. Why? He's "a more complete player," "he's very dynamic and comes to play every night," "he's a leader," "he can change the game all by himself" and "he makes everyone around him better." This is a huge sea change from May 2009, when Sports Illustrated published a poll of 324 NHL players in which Ovechkin took home 51 percent of the vote as the league's best player. Then, Crosby was tied for eighth, with just 1.9 percent of the vote.

2. Is Crosby a dirty player?
In a TV interview during the first intermission of a Nov. 29 game between the Rangers and Penguins at Madison Square Garden, New York forward Brandon Dubinsky dubbed Crosby a "dirty" player. Replays showed Crosby had indeed kicked out the left skate of Rangers forward Ryan Callahan in a textbook "slew foot" move that went uncalled by the refs. Rather, Callahan was called for interference on the play, and Dubinsky obviously took exception. However, 100 percent of players in our poll said no, Crosby is not dirty. He merely "plays the game hard" and "with a bit of an edge," and "if you're going to hit him, he's going to come after you."

3. Which player do you respect more, Crosby or Ovechkin?
Team accomplishments ruled this question. 65.4 percent of players chose Crosby, because "he's won a Stanley Cup and a gold medal." 11.5 percent of players chose Ovechkin, "because he's more himself." And 23.1 percent of players said both, because "either one would turn me inside-out."

4. Which player would you want as a teammate more, Crosby or Ovechkin?
84.6 percent of respondents chose Crosby, because "he's a winner," "he does everything well" and "he seems like a nice guy." 15.4 percent of respondents chose Ovechkin, because "he's a beauty" and "he seems to have more fun."

5. If you could join either the Pens or the Caps, which team would you choose?
69.2 percent of respondents chose the Penguins, because "they're deeper" and "they have a better chance of winning." HBO's "Winter Classic 24/7" also hurt the Caps in this department. Said one respondent: "Pittsburgh seems so organized and professional about everything they do. Washington looks more like a tornado out there."

6. Which team do you fear more in the playoffs, the Pens or the Caps?
76.9 percent of respondents chose the Penguins, because "they've won before and know what it takes," "they're more balanced and have better goaltending" and "their firepower is scary."

7. Which team has the better coach, the Pens or the Caps?
50 percent chose Pittsburgh's Dan Bylsma, while 34.6 percent said they couldn't answer without playing for both coaches. HBO's "24/7" was a contributing factor here, too, as several players cited Boudreau's expletive-laced performance in the show's first episode as the reason he comes in second to Bylsma.

8. Which team has better fans, the Pens or the Caps?
53.8 percent of respondents chose Pittsburgh, because "Pens fans are everywhere." 30.8 percent chose Washington, because "the fans are classier" and they "really Rock the Red." 15.4 percent said both buildings are loud and they couldn't choose a winner.
9. What city do you enjoy visiting more, Pittsburgh or Washington?

Despite the fact that, according to one player, "Washington seems stuffy and stuck-up because when we go out for dinner, everyone wears a bow tie and looks so smart and makes me feel out of place," 25 of 26 respondents said they prefer to visit Washington. Why? Because of the city's history. Respondents said Pittsburgh is "cloudy and dreary" with "not a lot going on." The one respondent who did choose Pittsburgh? He grew up there.

10. Where would you most like to play a Winter Classic?
Dozens of locations were mentioned, but Yankee Stadium in New York City took first place with 26.9 percent of the vote. Rogers Centre in Toronto came in second, with 15.4 percent of the vote. Other suggestions? Montreal, Comerica Park in Detroit, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Winnipeg, Lambeau Field in Wisconsin, BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Beaver Stadium at Penn State University, Ohio Stadium at Ohio State University and anywhere in "God's Country" of Alberta, Canada.

11. Is playing in the Winter Classic a career goal?
While most players didn't designate the outdoor game as a "career goal," 50 percent of respondents who had not already played in the game said they'd love the opportunity to do so. Why? Because "playing outside reminds you of being a kid" and "brings back memories of when you'd play outside with all of your friends."

12. Are you happy with how the league determines who plays in the Winter Classic?
75 percent of players said they understood the league's rationale, and were in favor of "picking the league's best players" and "anything done to grow the game." But 25 percent said they "wished it was more fair" and that "everyone would get a chance."

13. Will you watch the Winter Classic?
88.5 percent of respondents said yes. The other 11.5 percent have games of their own that day, and wouldn't want to interrupt their afternoon nap.

[Dirtbag59]

Crosby is on a hot streak so the questions concerning who's the better player are simply a product of Crosby on a hot streak while Ov adjust to a new style of play. Keep in mind Ovechkin has won the last 3 Ted Lindsey Awards, which for those who don't know is the league MVP as voted on by the players. Crosby has only won it once though it's probably safe to say that Crosby will win his second this year.

Still as much as I hate Crosby he does seem like a good guy.

[skinsfan_nn]

Way to take care of those shit birds...with a little CAPITAL PUNISHMENT! 3-1

Nice WIN to start 2011 on the 2nd grandest stage in hockey.

Great job Varley and Fehr! A notable evening for Mr. BIG JOHN as well, but a nice team effort.

Hell of a WINNER CLASSIC!

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins - Recap - January 01, 2011 - ESPN

GO CAPS!!!!!

[mooby]

C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAP!

This might be one of the rare times where we see a DC sports team actually show up and win a convincing game on national t.v. Enjoy it while it lasted folks.

Hopefully this will be the first of many Winter Classic wins. It looked awesome on t.v., I really hope the Caps get to host one of their own, at Nats Park or somewhere.

[Dirtbag59]

So classy of Captain Crosby to make sure the teams didn't shake hands after the game.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

So classy of Captain Crosby to make sure the teams didn't shake hands after the game.

Yeah eff him. Great win for the hometown boys tonight. I'm really looking forward to Caps-Pens 24/7 on Wednesday.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Yeah eff him. Great win for the hometown boys tonight. I'm really looking forward to Caps-Pens 24/7 on Wednesday.

Yeah, I'll finally be able to bring myself to watch 24/7 now that I know it has a good ending. Opps, sorry for the spoiler.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

So classy of Captain Crosby to make sure the teams didn't shake hands after the game.

He was probably still sore from the bump Stecks gave him at the end of the 2nd period. Like others have said eff him though, Idgaf about the Pens or their high and mighty superstar.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

So classy of Captain Crosby to make sure the teams didn't shake hands after the game.

they did have an exchange of hands though!

f pitts sports, GO CAPS!