Monthly Archives: November 2010

As Noted – Chemistry is Good

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We have a very strong locker room. The players in Washington respect each other; have a lot of fun; show grit and character; protect each other; and are quite supportive of one another.

I have learned that good team chemistry is vital to success. Talent is important but having good dynamics and selflessness is also a key deliverable for our team and a fan base.

Matt Hendricks was a super addition to our team this off season. Not many people noticed. I am happy to see this article and am grateful that a light is being shined on Matt.

He is a terrific hard-nosed player. He gets along with all of his teammates. He is hyper-active on the ice and strong with the puck. He plays strong D in all situations; is tough as nails; and is a great guy in the room. And he is chipping in in so many little ways that make a big difference. His motor is always on.

These are the free agent signings I like our team to make.

Hungry players and great teammates only focused on team success. Thank you.

Get ready for a tough game on Saturday against the Flyers – a game where a player like Matt Hendricks thrives. Go Caps!

I Am Not As Easily Embarrassed

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The Celtics have a very good team; a deep team; a vet team; and a team that has been together for a long time. An elite team indeed. A proud franchise.

They went to the finals last season. Many pick them to do the same this season.

They have “embarrassed” Miami already twice this season.

We are rebuilding our team. We have a few key players out with injury. We played in a back to back road game after a win at home. It wasn’t pretty but we got to measure up what a great team looks like and we stayed pretty even for about 20 minutes. They have way more depth and size and weapons than we do right now – that is for sure. The bar is set high. It doesn’t intimidate me or us though. It shouldn’t you as a fan either.

I was happy with how we played hard and how we are playing younger players and rookies to get them minutes in hostile environments.

I remember when we played in Buffalo a couple of years ago with the Caps. Buffalo had a great team and we were “embarrassed” by their vet team – their first place team – and the Washington Post reminded me of how far we had to go to be considered an elite team.

Well. There you go. Things can turn around. Patience is key. Gauging best practices is important too. Live and learn. We are improving game by game. I see it in lots of little ways. We have a million miles to go on our journey together but I wasn’t embarrassed in the least last night. If it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger. Keep the faith and I hope to see you all on Friday night at home.

A Bad Two Minutes

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A good 58 minutes.

A 4-2 win.

First place in the NHL by three points.

Most goals scored.

It doesn’t get old saying any of that. It does get old that we can’t seem to play the full 60 minutes with best in league efficiency but we are productive and I thought we played very well defensively in the 3rd period and limited the other side to very few quality shots.

I watched the game on television and I too had issues with CSN plus and HD quality. We are on it.

Sorry about the one plate of messy nachos. Someone was concerned about that at the game. And also sorry about the line to get the free season ticket holder jacket. We hear you. We empathize with your pain. We will do our best to improve. Everywhere.

Go Caps! See you all on Saturday night. Rock the red that night. We will need all the help we can get.