Back to the Ice

The morning skate on Tuesday seemed disjointed and unfocused. If I had known that feeling was going to last all day for the Capitals, I would have watched Glee instead, so let's just look at the pictures:

A panoramic view of the Kettler Capitals Rink-

Ovie and Dale-

Troy Brouwer and his sign-

California Dreamin'

I wrote out this piece early on Wednesday afternoon full of pessimism regarding Vokoun's start against the Penguins and what else could happen but I was proved wrong, but still here is my thoughts from then.


 If only it were a dream. I have never been further west than Knoxville, Tennessee in my travels (thought I have been as far as Pakistan going eastward) so I don't know about the concept of jet lag, but it would seem to me that it would be hard for men who have been working on the same activity for approximately twenty years to forget how to do same activity because of a change in time zones. Still, in two games out in the golden state, the Caps lost 5-2 to San Jose and then to Los Angeles by the same score.

 That's nine goals given up by Vokoun in two games. (Neuvirth took over  in the third vs LA). In three of the four goals given up on Monday, they were the result of not moving side-to-side quick enough, a complaint I've had here since Day 1. On the Comast television broadcast, Craig Laughlin noted that Vokoun's new pads were harder, causing more of a rebound. Not the best strategy I would think for someone who cannot react quickly and has defensemen that seem to hinder more than help.

So logic dictates he's the starter tonight against Pittsburgh- a game on the newly minted NBC Sports Network against big time rivals? I'd love to know what brewing in the coffee pot at Kettler b/c I'm not seeing what they seem to be seeing. The net is going to be guarded by a man whose style is somewhere between a butterfly and the breaststroke? Even without Penguin big guns, I don't feel too confident about this one.

Ducks Practice 11/1/11

On November 1^st, the ice was still being prepared at Verizon Center so the Anaheim Mighty Ducks had their morning skate at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. They got the makeshift curtained dressing room treatment and an hour under the solid red wall proclaiming the home of the Capitals. I'd caption them, but I have no idea who any of them are beyond Hiller and his Movember mask.

Lokomotiv

Another sad day in a series of sad days this year for ice hockey.

 The plane carrying the KHL team Lokomotiv crashed in Russia today killing all but two.

 RT.com

Washington Times

NHL.com

Adding:

Russian Machine link of NHL tribute video

Update 9/12/11:
Alexander Galimov, the lone player to survive the initial crash, died from his injuries.

R.I.P.