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Posts tagged: Braden Holtby

The Long, Long, Long Ride

1 Comment May 4, 2012|clyde|Puck

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 doesâ€¦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.

$Backstrom Can\'t Find Puck$

And Just Like That

1 Comment April 23, 2012|clyde|Puck

The Washington Capitals never had a lead in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they tied it up three of the four times they trailed. The fourth time, they had no opportunity as Tyler Seguin scored the Bruins fourth goal in overtime to win it for the Bruins, 4-3. And just like that, there’s a seventh game in Boston to come on Wednesday.

I have nothing else to say. Fortunately, Ed Frankovic, Japer’s Rink, Russian Machine, and On Frozen Blog do. You can see my photos below or on flickr.

$Wideman Can\'t Keep the Zone$

$Ward Celebrates Green\'s Goal$

$Knuble Doesn\'t Score$

$O\'Rourke Yells At Krejci$

$Thomas Looks For Ovechkin\'s Tying Goal$

It Was Holtby’s Show

0 Comments April 20, 2012|clyde|Puck

The Washington Capitals bounced back last night to even their series against the Boston Bruins at two games a piece on the back of a 44 save performance by goaltender Braden Holtby. It was kinda like, “Wow,” from the 400s. Ah, yes, the 400sâ€¦where it takes a dozen Verizon Center security guys to bounce a couple drunk looking for trouble. These were not the asshats from Monday night, just garden variety drunks in a bad mood looking for a bad time.

Like always, there are better places to read about the game like Japer’s Rink, Russian Machine, District Sports Page, On Frozen Blog and Ed Frankovicâ€¦and I am still a very happy camper because Capitals Outsider is still doing box scores.

See my photos below or on flickr and thanks for stopping by again!

Did That Really Happen?

0 Comments March 28, 2012|clyde|Puck

Before the Washington Capitals hosted the Buffalo Sabres at Verizon Center last night, former Capitals Peter Bondra answered questions from Capitals season ticket holders in a “chalk talk” session. It was pretty lightweight, but enjoyable, which was good, because for Caps fans, everything went downhill after that in a 5-1 beat down from Buffalo.

Braden Holtby gave up 3 goals on 18 shots. In a follow up to his excellent defensive play while on a power play Sunday night, Alex Ovechkin coughed up the puck leading to a Sabres shorthanded goal.Â Bah. Everyone was talking about how this game was going to be like a game seven in the playoffs. Sadly, they seemed to follow the model of the Eastern Conference Semis game seven in 2009 against the Penguins.

The added salt in the wound heartbreaker of the night was seeing a flag flying (literally) Sabres fan occupying the seat of Capitals super fan, Elliot Segal from DC101’s “Elliot in the Morning” radio show.

I made my own mistakes, too. I kept accidentally changing (and not noticing for a while) a camera setting that led some serious overexposure. Like the Capitals, I’ll hang my mistakes out in public for everyone to see. Except maybe some of these might be kind of cool.

If you want to read about the game (do you really want to?), try the regular places like Japer’s Rink, Russian Machine, Ed Frankovic, District Sports Page and On Frozen Blog.

My photos (overexposed and all) are below and on flickr.

$Sabres Celebrate in Holtby\'s Crease$

$Miller\'s Eye$

$Big Sabres Fan in Elliot In the Morning\'s Seat$

$Sulzer Passes Big Sabres Fan in Elliot In The Morning\'s Seat$

Even The Ones That Got Behind Him Didn’t Go In

0 Comments March 26, 2012|clyde|Puck

The Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals played a pretty high energy game last night at Verizon Center. Perhaps what was most surprising was that there were no fights. The hitting was hard and tempers were definitely flaring, but no one threw down. For a short time I really thought I we might see Roman Hamrlik get into a rare fight by throw down with Setphane Veilleux after Veilleux used some nasty stick express his outrage over Hamrlik flipping him to the ice. But it was not to be.

What was to be was Braden Holtby pitching a shutout, supported with goals by Jason Chimera, Mathieu Perreault, and Alex Ovechkin (who is hungry for more, although I always seem to miss or mangle the focus on the “feed me” gesture). Without Holtby heroics in the first period, he may have just been holding on late. Getting out of the first period 0-0 was the best thing that happened to the Capitals all night, and they have Holtby to thank for that.

For reading, go where the words are like Russian Machine, Ed Frankovic, Japer’s Rink, District Sports Page, and On Frozen Blog. You can see my photos below or on flickr.

$That Puck Ain\'t Going In$

$Celebrating Perreault\'s Goal$

Mr. Ovechkin, Tear Down This (Bulin) Wall

0 Comments March 10, 2011|clyde|Puck

The Washington Capitals hosted the Edmonton Oilers last night at Verizon Center.Â Wow, there are so many things that could be featured as the high point. Braden Holtby’s shutout. Jason Arnott’s 900th NHL career point, Dennis Wideman’s 200th NHL career point, Alex Ovechkin moving to third place on the Capitals all time scoring list, Eric Fehr notching two goals in his return from a 22 game absence, Marco Sturm’s first point as a Capital, the dreadful decisions of Nikolai Khabibulin that led to two of the Capitals’ goals, the Capitals sixth win in a rowâ€¦feel free to stop me any time. So, just go to the regular places like Japer’s Rink and Russian Machine, and Ed Frankovic. And, of course, don’t forget the Capitals Outsider box score.

Look at my photos here or on flickr.

$Ovechkin\'s Power Play Goal #1 at Verizon Center of 2010-11 Season$

$Capitals Celebrate Fehr\'s Power Play Goal$

The Ballad of Braden Holtby

0 Comments January 25, 2011|clyde|Puck

UPDATE: Now With Lyrics!

“The Ballad of Braden Holtby”
(Sung to the tune of The Clash’s “Lost in the Supermarket“)

I’m all lost with this shootout gimmick
I can no longer save happily
I came in here for a special offer
A chance to play in the big time league

I didn’t lose so much as I lost out
My team forgot to score for me
We had a team that used to score at will
But those days seem so long ago

I heard the people who paid for their tickets
Scream and chant so loud for me
Hearing that noise just made me play better
That’s how it was all through the game

Chrous

I was tuned in, I saw all the shooters
I saved pucks from back of the nets
I’ve got my big strange goalie routines
I flip my bottle and I feel a bit free

In overtime I kept holding the line
And took the team to shootoutville
Came the shinny dekes on a rookie goalie
And the silence makes me lonely

Chorus

And it’s not here
It disappear
I’m shootout lost

——————————–

Three games, three goals againstâ€¦and then there was a shootout.Â The Washington Capitals helped out rookie goaltender Braden Holtby in the first two games of his most recent call up from the Hershey Bears by scoring a few goals in each game and allowing Holtby’s stellar play to stand on its own without buts, excuses, or caveats of any kind.Â This time, he was thrown into the deep end of the shootout after Matt Hendricks was the only Capital that found a way to solve New York Rangers goalie Martin Biron in 65 minutes of regulation and overtime.Â Holtby was easily deked and solved in the shootout by Rangers shooters Wojtek Wolski, Mats Zuccarello, and Artem Anisimov. If there wasn’t a shootout book on Holtby before this game, there will be next time.Â Hopefully, Holtby can bounce back with Capitals goalie coach Arturs Irbe’s assistance and render that book out of date when someone tries to use it.Â Still, it’s the same old story we’ve been seeing for some timeâ€¦a little offense goes a long way, but too little doesn’t go far enough.

Japer’s Rink and Russian Machine have great write ups and Capitals Outsider has the box score you need to read.Â Look at photos below or on flickr.

How Did You Like Them Apples?

0 Comments November 6, 2010|clyde|Puck

The Washington Capitals made it exciting again last night when they hosted the Boston Bruins for the second and final time of the regular season.Â Alexander Semin put on another show with a WOW shorthanded goal. Braden Holtby made his NHL debut after Michal Neuvirth ran into some issues in the third period. I don’t know why I’m talking about the game, all the bloggers you would expect have already done a great job like Russian Machine Never Breaks, Japer’s Rink, Ed Frankovic and the rest. You know where to find them.

What they won’t tell you about is how one of my daughters appeared on the video scoreboard (sorta) during warm ups and my other daughter was treated to a game puck by linesman Tony Sericolo.Â Some of my photos are here and on flickr.Â I hope you enjoy them!