Last night’s Caps playoff game on Comcast SportsNet attracted a peak audience of more than a quarter of a million viewers – 263,000 to be more precise – and averaged 190,000 viewers in the Washington and Baltimore markets. We also had tens of thousands of other displaced fans watching nationally on NBC Sports Network. Thanks for tuning in. Remember, tomorrow’s game is on NBC (3 p.m.) and Games 3 and 4 will return to Comcast SportsNet (both games at 7:30 p.m.).
There are so many pixels being generated. I wanted to say thank you and I hope our fans feel sated and happy with all the interest from the blogosphere on the playoffs.
I look to the Washington Post and several blogs for links and for pixels daily, too.
Here is a set of links with words; pictures; videos; and more!
Read all about it.
Watch the game tonight.
Feel pressure or don’t feel pressure.
Whatever works for you is good for me.
Wicked whatever starting this evening in Boston. Go Caps!
The last few days have been an interesting experience as we head into the playoffs.
We qualified for the playoffs this year – finishing in the 7th spot – with 92 points. It is our fifth consecutive year of qualifying; and it never does get old for me personally. Playoff hockey is the best experience – the most fun; the most high paced and electric time for our fans. The most pressure packed time for us all. We are all “Under Pressure”; watch this one.
I thank our fans for communicating with me so much and for your enthusiasm for the coming playoffs; I truly appreciate your support and your passion. I also thank you for renewing your faith in us and for renewing your season tickets at 93 percent to date. That means we will sell out every game next season as well as you continue to “Rock the Red”.
By most counts – garnering 92 points and qualifying for the playoffs would be considered a good regular season; but with our 7 and 0 start to the season – and our seemingly good off season – and with the expectations that were on us – this was considered a grind of a pressure packed season. Some writers/bloggers would say and have said we had “a bad season”. Under pressure.
I would note that I was in NYC yesterday at an exec and finance committee meeting for the NHL, there were several NHL owners in the meeting that didn’t qualify for the playoffs – their seasons were over – they felt pressure right now – the pressure they faced was to find ways to qualify for the playoffs next season. They all felt they had had bad seasons because they didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
I received a few emails today from bloggers and fans in Canada – that said there was no pressure on us -as the Toronto – based media had all picked Boston to easily beat us in round 1 – so we could play “loose and free”. What does that even mean? Did you know as an aside that the only team to NOT qualify for the playoffs once since the lockout- 7 years ago – is situated in Toronto; now that is pressure.
I have read that all of the pressure IS actually on us now as we head into the playoffs. We have only won 2 playoff series since I have owned the team. We haven’t lived up to expectations and haven’t dealt with playoff hockey pressure or game 7 pressure well it has been said and written.
And all of the pressure is on Alex Ovechkin to perform in the playoffs. Has anyone checked out Alex’s stats in the playoff games he has played in? 50 points in 37 games – 25 goals scored. There was a lot of pressure on Alex Ovechkin this season; as he “only” scored 38 goals and ended the season as the 5th leading goal scorer in the league.
So – what have we learned?
There is pressure if you don’t make the playoffs. There is pressure if you do make the playoffs. There is pressure during the regular season. There is pressure if you win in the playoffs as you move to a more pressure packed round. There is pressure placed on you from the media – and the media will tell you when there is no pressure. There is always pressure on you as Captain of a team.
It is time to internalize and accept that we are always under pressure and we must embrace it. We also have permission to be happy and to enjoy the playoffs. Go Caps!
I will be frank – I was nervous at times that we wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs; so I had no favorite in which team we would play – I was just hopeful we would be able to play at all and against any one. Read this article about the Boston Bruins and their comments about round 1.
It is a joy and an honor to be involved in playoff hockey. I respect the Bruins; their organization and they are the clear cut favorites – and they are the defending Stanley Cup champions.
As a cousin said to me today after asking me for tickets to the first game, ” Come on up early – we can grab a tonic – shoot the crap – and talk about how you are gonna get a wicked beating up here”. Nice.
Anything can happen; I know this is the third series in five years that we will start a rookie goal tender – that has to be a first I would think.
No trash talk from me on my blog. Only respect for the Bruins and happiness to have our team play anyone this playoff season. If you made the playoffs – you can win the Cup – and you have earned some measure of respect. Go Caps!
I credit our fans for the energy you provided to the team last night.
Thank you.
The roar from the crowd when the score of the Sabres vs. Flyer’s game was flashed on the screen with 3 minutes left in the game was truly astonishing; you were loud and proud and we are all grateful!
I am proud that we qualified for the playoffs; this is our fifth year in a row to qualify – that is the 4th longest active streak in the NHL; I believe in longevity and am hopeful we can deliver a team as we noted that can qualify for the playoffs over a decade or more.
This has been a grind of a season – weird bounces – injury after injury – even one at last night’s game to our goal tender - we now have two great goal tenders on the bench with aches and pains; it is a great testament to our team that we have yet a third option to play in net. Not many teams have that luxury.
We have one game left to play – we have qualified for the NHL playoffs but we don’t know where we will be seeded; we can finish in the 8th spot – in the 7th spot or in the 3rd spot. Stay tuned and we will all know opponent and schedules on Sunday evening.
Thank you for your expressions of support overnight in email; and thank you for being such great fans. Onward and Go Caps!
The Sabres won a wild one last night in OT against the Maple Leafs; I watched the game and couldn’t believe what I was seeing; the tying goal was one that will be talked about for a while. The Sabres scored 3 goals on power plays – after being down 3 to 0 after the first period. Scoring on the power play makes all of the difference in a tight race and in meaningful games – that lack of production from us on special teams is at the heart of some of our major issues right now – sad to say.
The Sabres played desperate hockey and have now tied us with 88 points. There are two games left to play; if we can win both of our games – we will qualify for the playoffs.
The Panthers lost in OT last night and now have 92 points – with two games left to play. They only need 1 point to win the Southeast Division crown. They too have two games left to play.
We play the Panthers at home on Thursday night. We obviously need a regulation win and the two points. No OT or shoot out win; a clean regulation win is what the Caps need to deliver to stay in the Southeast division race and go to the last game of the season in the hunt. A win is necessary at home to stay ahead of the Sabres as we still have the tie break in hand.
It all comes down to this – see you all tomorrow night at home against the Panthers. Go Caps!
In the playoffs special teams play in the NHL is magnified in importance.
Games are so tight. Killing a power play or scoring on a man advantage is sometimes all of the difference between success and failure.
Our penalty killing improved last season.
Our power play didn’t. In fact, it was a main culprit of our struggles. If you want to call it that…as we finished with second best record during the regular season.
But in the playoffs if we score on the power play we gain momentum. We win more games and we are more competitive. And we didn’t. We struggled on our power play which is painful for all with all of the talent and skill we have on that unit. I hear you all as you send me emails.
This is an interesting article on penalty killing and power plays; chocked full of stats.
We have a lot of work to do to make our power play more productive and less predictable. More stress tested when it really counts – in the playoffs. This is no secret. Stop our power play efficiency. Frustrate our team. This is an area where we will place much focus and attention to detail.
Amazing and well earned. Great to see for those who love the game of hockey!
Click here to see this news about Boston’s overnight TV ratings. Truly boffo!
I watched it. That was quite a game!
What a game last night.
Too close to call. So intense and hard fought. I enjoyed it as a fan of the game.
San Jose doesn’t score on a goal line shot that literally trickles on goal line through goal mouth and then gets jammed into post. Unlucky.
One team doesn’t score on its 5-on-3 opportunity! Skill on penalty kill.
A late third period goal 13 seconds left with the goalie pulled on a controversial icing call to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Unlucky.
And then a second OT fluke bounce and puck is in back of the net. Lucky and unlucky. The game winner. On to the Finals.
SO close – could go either way.
One winner – one loser – epic competition!
Check out the last paragraph in this article. Without pain there is no gain.