The Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers last night and gave the fans something to cheer about in their 3-2 victory. I thought this photo captured it kind of nicely. Ted Leonsis thought the crowd was loud and pointed everyone to Japers’ Rink to read all about it in the clips. That’s cool because that’s where I would point you to if you wanted to see 42 more of my photos from the game. (They’re also on flickr if you’re into that.)
The Washington Capitals defeated the Buffalo Sabres yesterday evening to earn their first victory of the season. After coming from behind to take a lead and hold it for an extended length of time, they capped off the game with a stick salute to fans. Joel Ward went RG3ing after scoring his third goal of the year, John Erskine scored and Alex Ovechkin netted the game winner.
See my photos over at Japers’ Rink or on flickr. If you’re a Caps fan, they should be well worth your time.
There is still time for the Washington Capitals to save the season, but how much? When you get caught in the headlights, sometimes you have to ride it out.
More of my photos from the Capitals loss to the Montreal Canadiens yesterday are on Japers’ Rink and on flickr. Check them out!
It had been over eight months since Verizon Center hosted NHL hockey. Finally, last night, the Washington Capitals played the visiting Winnipeg Jets. A sellout crowd of fans showed up, were wanded upon entry, used their trick(y) new Season Ticket Holder cards and hoped the little machines would spit out the seat locator tabs they were promised to do. I guess they worked okay for most people. Since the scanner went into a reboot loop when they tried scanning my card, I would say that was I was not one of those people. Those that were backed up in line behind me because of it would probably agree.
If the Capitals had shown up and put on a great show, it would have all been worth it (except the security theater part…best to just let TSA keep thinking they have that market cornered). But, they did not. They pretty much got bowled over.
On the other hand, what is pretty great news is that I’ve joined the Japers’ Rink team and will be sharing most of my hockey photos over there in “Clyde’s Shots.” It should be more fun to view them over there than it’s been here.
I’ll continue posting an image or two here from each game and the full sets on flickr as well, but my attention to clydeorama.com is going to shift to help me better showcase the rest of my photography.
I hope you’ll keep following me on that journey.
So, please jump on over to japersrink.com to see Capitals-Jets: The Night in Pictures or take a look on flickr.
In a sick, fateful twist of timing (really, is there any other?), my fancy new camera arrived from a New York camera shop just a few days after the Washington Capitals 2011-12 season came to an end last week. After taking the initial mandatory cat photos I was looking around the family room for something to shoot using some fancy new features and I saw the bobblehead set on top of a bookcase. Since I won’t be taking any Capitals photos with this camera for a while, I figured, “Why not?” I think my wife laughed at me a little, but that’s okay. I think the result was worth it.
The bobbleheads pictured (Nicklas Backstrom, Brooks Laich, John Carlson, Mike Green, and Alex Ovechkin) are part of the gift the Washington Capitals gave their season ticket holders for the 2011-12 NHL season. Tomas Vokoun was also included in the set and would normally be standing to Backstrom’s right, but I left him out for two reasons. The photo didn’t look quite right with him there (I tried) and Vokoun is almost certainly not going to be back next year so the photo might have a longer shelf life without him. For more about the bobbleheads, watch the Capitals unboxing video.
Question (not sure who asked): How far do you think this team is from winning the Stanley Cup?
Dale Hunter: Yeah you know some long it’s it’s the right way to play and you know and, ah, you know to to win and and ah that’s what you have to play it and you know it’s ah next year we’ll you know you can you can always start off and ah that’s your goal to win.
Wednesday night’s Washington Capitals victory over the New York Rangers in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs was the perfect relief for fans from their heartache following their loss in Game Five in New York on Monday. That loss brought the kind of fan depression that can only be cured by the next win. With this win, the Capitals stay alive and force a Game Seven. Oh Boy.
Read about the game in the regular places like Japer’s Rink, On Frozen Blog, District Sports Page, Ed Frankovic, and Russian Machine. Check out my photos below or on flickr.
After the game that wouldn’t end finally ended Thursday morning, I wrote something about an “I got this” vibe from the Washington Capitals. Saturday afternoon’s game validated that feeling. The Caps had it and defeated the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2. Thankfully, it was in regulation time, too.
There are three photos I’m especially happy with from yesterday’s game. One is the feature photo in this post of Nicklas Backstrom’s fist pump following his goal. We don’t get that kind of celly from him very often.
While I couldn’t quite tell how the Alex Ovechkin hit on Dan Girardi went down, but it was one of those rare times that I shot an in-focus, not-too-motion-blurred photo of a moment like that.
Then there is the photo of the sombrero on the ice in front of the Chipotle dasher board ad in front of a fan holding a sign reading “Rangers Are in Danger” with the puck sliding by for some Cinco De Mayo spirit.
There’s plenty to read and watch elsewhere about the game, like Russian Machine Never Breaks, Ed Frankovic, Japer’s Rink and On Frozen Blog. And check out more of my photos below or on flickr.
![\"Outta My Way, I Gotta Celebrate!\"](http://www.clydeorama.com/wp-content/gallery/rangers-capitals-20120505/outta-my-way-i-gotta-celebrate.jpg "\\"Outta My Way, I Gotta Celebrate!\\"")
I had always wanted to be at one of those marathon (this is the word everyone agreed to use, right?)Â multiple overtime NHL playoff games. I always figured that if it was at one and the Washington Capitals were playing, the Caps would, you know, lose because Capitals. This left me prepared, so it was easier to accept the outcome. Karl Alzner may have a had harder time, though.
The toughest time I had last night was watching the girl sitting in front of us. She was bouncy. Very bouncy. Not like a bouncy personality (well, I don’t know, maybe she does…I just don’t know her), but physically bouncy. Bouncy in her seat. Bouncy while standing. It was as if she could not contain herself.
When my youngest daughter was four years old, she would run in a circle through the kitchen, living room, dining room, and foyer screaming at the top of her lungs, “I CAN’T STOP! I CAN’T STOP!” and she couldn’t. Bouncy Girl last night reminded me of her. She blocked our view, was distracting, and not someone I would willing chose to sit behind (and be afraid to sit in front of lest she spill her beer). We asked Bouncy Girl a couple times to not lean so much and everything. We could tell she tried, but just couldn’t manage. It was different than the Masshole Boston Bruins fans two weeks ago. We wanted to see the game, but we were also being entertained by the show she was putting on. It was quite bizarre. Then, as the overtimes melted into more overtimes, she lost some steam and turned into the Not Quite As Bouncy Girl. It was alright.
For the broader Semifinals series, I’m a little surprised at how optimistic I am after that loss. Over the past year or two, almost every time the Capitals have taken a lead in a game there has been a tension in the air that, somehow, the Capitals would find a way to cough up that lead. For the few years before that, when the Capitals were playing dynamic, exciting hockey, being down a couple goals was never a worry. The Young Guns carried the air of “We got this,” and would pull out super exciting finished on a regular basis. Never any worry.
It’s probably just me, but that feels like the feeling in the air again. The current Dale Hunter brand hockey sure isn’t exciting like the Bruce Boudreau era, but what we want are wins, right? At least in the playoffs. So the Capitals are down 2-1 in the series. Braden Holtby and Matt Hendricks and everyone else last night sure were playing with the “Don’t worry, I got this” attitude.
Or maybe I’m just fooling myself.
To read more stuff about the game, you know where to go: Russian Machine, Japer’s Rink, District Sports Page, Ed Frankovic, and On Frozen Blog. Unfortunately, it looks like the box score was too big for Capitals Outsider to handle, so none of that. 🙁
A benefit of being late to post photos is that others have had a chance to post theirs. Check out Cheryl’s, Tom’s and Jen’s photos. And look at mine below or on flickr.
For now, just one photo that tells the whole story of the three overtime game.
More later.