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Posts tagged: Karl Alzner

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.

$Backstrom Can\'t Find Puck$

I Woke Up In A Great Mood; I Don’t Know What The Hell Happened

1 Comment February 10, 2012|clyde|Puck

The Washington Capitals played a pretty good game against the Winnipeg Jets for almost 58 minutes last night. Then, like Mike Damone in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” said, “I woke up in a great mood. I don’t know what the hell happened.” (All that’s new is old again or something not like that at all.) Everything was under control until a weenie penalty was called on Brooks Laich for playing the puck with a broken stick when the Capitals were already on the penalty kill. With Jets goalie Ondrej Pavalec on the bench for a sixth skater, the Jets got one back to cut the Capitals lead to one. Twelve seconds later, Dustin Byfuglien was dumping the puck into the Capitals zone from the redline when it deflected off Karl Alzner’s stickÂ and went the wrong way into the back of the Capitals net. Nothing going in the overtime and all of the sudden the Capitals lost in the shootout.

Sometimes it’s tough to be a Capitals fan.

Read some more from Ed Frankovic, On Frozen Blog, Russian Machine, District Sports Page and Japer’s Rink.Â See my photos below or on flickr.

$Ovechkin\'s Stick Breaks At Center Ice$

$Hendricks and Puck In Pavelec\'s Crease$

$Laich\'s Block Breaks Stick$

$Kane\'s Power Play Goal$

Friday The 13th of Firsts

0 Comments January 14, 2012|clyde|Puck

Years from now, when I talk to my daughter about last night’s game, we won’t remember that it was a critical Washington Capitals victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. We won’t remember the near epic collapse that had some striking similarity to the time when the Capitals gave up a 4-1 lead to the Toronto Maple Leafs little more than a year ago.

I’m not sure what we will rememberâ€¦.

It could be Karl Azlner’s first fight in the NHL. Or maybe it will be Troy Brouwer’s first hat trick in the NHL. There is an outside chance that we will remember that we sat next two friends of mine by pure happenstance for one period. But, if I really had to guess, it will probably be that she dropped her iPod, a gift from her grandparents,Â down a flight of concrete stairs in Verizon Center. And that it didn’t break, crack, or suffer any other meaningful damage. Instead, it suffered just a tiny dent in a corner that may have already been there for some time.

Anyway, read about the game at Russian Machine, Japer’s Rink, Ed Frankovic, and District Sport Page. Look at my photos here and on flickr.Â Thanks!

$Downie Connects With Alzner\'s Shield$

$Downie Can\'t Get Through Vokoun$

Chest Bump For the Win

4 Comments October 16, 2011|clyde|Puck

With DJ King in the Washington Capitals’ lineup last night against the Ottawa Senators, I’m sure you can imagine how thrilled my seven year old daughter was. 🙂 It was cool having her tell me every time he took the ice for his 6 minutes 58 seconds of ice time. Maybe he can get some more time next time. After all, he was credited with as many shots as Dennis Wideman, Jeff Halpern, Brooks Laich, Mike Knuble, Karl Alzner, and Roman Hamrlik combined and they had a total ice time of 104 minutes 28 seconds. Just sayin’.

It wasn’t the best game the Capitals have ever played, but it was far from the worst since Verizon Center became the place to Rock the Red. Any connection to the not very fancy stats above? I don’t know. Other people may have some opinions on that. People and blogs like The Peerless Prognosticator, Japer’s Rink, Russian Machine, Ed Frankovic, and DC Sports Page. I just take pictures and make odd observationsâ€¦ Like, did anyone else notice the chest bump Alex Ovechkin and Tomas Vokoun shared after the game ended? Is this what replaces the shoulder bump Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom used to do but haven’t done yet this season? Has anyone else noticed this stuff? Anyway, I hope you enjoy my photos below or on flickr. I can’t wait for the new camera (by Thanksgiving, I hope).

$Ward in Auld\'s Crease$

One Line, Two Swedes, No Waitingâ€¦Until The Lines Change Again

1 Comment January 17, 2011|clyde|Puck

The Washington Capitals gave up the first goal again yesterday afternoon, this time to the Ottawa Senators, but they scored the next and final three goals of the game to end their brief three game skid.Â The worst moment of the game came when the Senators Milan Milachek cross checked Karl Alzner into the board headfirst from behind and Alzner lay on the ice nearly motionless for a few moments.Â There was much relief through Capsland when Alzner continued taking a regular shift through the rest of the game after a brief trip to the dressing room.

I was alo glad to finally be able to capture an image I’ve been waiting for all seasonâ€¦an image of Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson on the ice at the same time.

Hopefully the Capitals are able to keep up their winning ways.Â Read more better stuff at Japer’s Rink, Russian Machine, The Peerless, and watch some TV at On Frozen Blog.Â SeeÂ too many of my photos below or on flickr.