Ted's Excited About the State of the Team

I can honestly say this is the most comfortable I have felt with our team since we bought it from Mr Pollin; we have so many options–so many good young players–so many seasoned vets; so many prospects who can push the vets and will make Hershey a very good team this year.

I share Ted Leonsis' enthusiasm about the current state of the Washington Capitals organization. And when I say organization I mean the Caps, Bears, and Stingrays. This team has never had the depth, in both veterans and quality prospects, that it does right now. Each team will have a chance to compete for their respective championships. And for the first time since the Caps were swept by the Red Wings in the cup finals, this has the feel of a Stanley Cup championship team. We have an exciting season of hockey ahead of us.

An In Depth Look at Josh Godfrey

Defensive prospect Josh Godfrey is one of those players that is going to make the Hershey Bears extremely fun to watch. He has a booming slap shot that has been clocked in the triple digits. Look for him to spend the entire season in the AHL as he looks to develop his all-around game at the professional level.

It's Time to Jump on the Stingrays Bandwagon

With the Caps and Bears seasons' now over, it's time to turn our attention to the South Carolina Stingrays and their run towards the Kelly Cup.

The 'Rays begin their South Division Finals series against their instate rivals, the Columbia Inferno, this Sunday at 7:05 pm at the North Charleston Coliseum. It will be a best-of-five series with the rest of the schedule as follows:

Game 2: @ South Carolina Tuesday, April 29th at 7:05 pm
Game 3: @ Columbia Friday, May 2nd at 7:05 pm
Game 4: @ Columbia Saturday, May 3rd at 7:05 pm (If Necessary)
Game 5: @ South Carolina Tuesday, May 5th at 7:05 pm (If Necessary)

During the regular reason the Stingrays went 7-3 against the Inferno, including a 3-2 record at home.

South Carolina will also be getting some re-enforcements for this series from the Hershey Bears. Forwards Andrew Gordon and Steve Pinizzotto plus defencemen Patrick McNeill and Grant McNeill are all set to rejoin the Stingrays since the Bears season has come to an end. According to Andrew Miller, Pinizzotto and Grant McNeill will be ready for game 1 on Saturday, while Gordon and Patrick McNeill will be ready for game 2 on Tuesday. This could be a windfall for the 'Rays as Gordon was tied for 8th place in the AHL playoffs in points having tallied 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 five games with the Bears. During the regular season, Gordon had 8 goals and 6 assists in just 11 games with South Carolina.

Should they advance past the Inferno, the Stingrays would face the winner of the Cincinnati Cyclones-Reading Royals series for the right to move on to the Kelly Cup Finals.

The Next Wave of Prospects Hit Hershey

Josh Godfrey

With their junior seasons now over, defensemen Josh Godfrey and Karl Alzer have joined the Hershey Bears for the remainder of their playoff run. Now these are two players that should have Caps fans everywhere excited about what they bring to the table.

Godfrey, the Caps 2nd-round choice in the 2007 NHL draft, is another offensive defensemen that brings a cannon of a shot from the point. He had 17 goals and 34 assists in 60 regular season games with Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL and was a +31. Godfrey should provide immediate dividends to the Bears power-play.

Alzner, the Caps 1st-round choice in the 2007 NHL draft, is a franchise defensemen who could have contributed to the Capitals this season if they have chosen to keep him in Washington. The team decided against rushing him though and returned him to the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL for another year of seasoning in juniors. He had 7 goals and 29 assists in 60 games during the regular season and was a +26.

If the Bears can pull out a victory tonight in Wilkes-Barre, both players could be available for game 6 back in Hershey according to Tim Leone. Now that would be exciting to see.

"Don't Stop Believin"

Stingrays Advance, Bears Live to Fight Another Day

The South Carolina Stingrays jumped out to a 2-0 lead, then held on for dear life to advance to the next round of the ECHL playoffs, the South Division Finals.

Late in the 1st period Matt Scherer tallied his 1st goal of the playoffs to put the Stingrays on top. Then in the 2nd period Capitals' prospect Travis Morin notched his 6th goal of the postseason, on the power play, to give SC the worst lead in hockey, a two goal lead. Goaltender Davis Parley made it stand up though, despite the fact the Gwinnett Gladiators outshot the Stingrays 20-6 in the final frame, they could not beat the 25-year old netminder. Parley had his 1st shutout of the postseason, his 5th of the season, and South Carolina survived another game 5 for the second straight series. They will face the winner of the Texas-Columbia series which is surprisingly enough, headed to a game 5 even though the Wildcatters finished the regular season with a 38 point lead over the Inferno. I guess that is why they play the games, right?

The Hershey Bears got some help from a familiar face in Eric Fehr on their way to 3-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Fehr, who had just returned to the Bears following the Capitals playoff exit, provided two helpers, including the game-winner, 20 seconds into overtime on Alexandre Giroux's 2nd goal of the game. The Bears will now head back to Wilkes-Barre for game 5 with their backs still against the wall trailing the Penguins 3 games to 1.

"Don't Stop Believin"

"Don't Stop Believin"

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

And just like that our season was over. It felt like someone had punched you in the gut, my stomach hurt, my throat began to swell. I can only imagine what the players must have been feeling when Joffrey Lupul's backhander found a it's way past Cristobal Huet. It was heart-breaking and completely unexpected. Nobody could have possibly imagined that the Flyers would come into Verizon Center, less than 24 hours after their own heart-breaking and demoralizing loss in game 6, and steal a win from this team of destiny.

But that's hockey. That's why we love this game. The passion displayed from each and every member of both sides is what makes it so special. My hats go off to the Flyers, they are the heels of hockey, a team you love to hate. A team that gets under your skin and makes you despise them with every fiber of your being. But without them, I wouldn't feel as passionately about the Caps as I do. So, I guess I have to say thank you to the Flyers and their fans. Let's do it again next year.

And speaking of next year, is it here yet? I'm already looking forward to rookie camp in July, a chance to start anew. Another round of promising young Capitals about to make their impact on the capitol of hockeytown.

As the off season progresses we'll be looking at what the Caps have to do in depth in order to extend their playoff run next spring. It seems as though they are already working on it though. Earlier today GM George McPhee, while declining to give specifics, did confirm that Bruce Boudreau is going anywhere. That would have been the number one priority on my offseason to do list for the Caps. For now, here's a short list of what's next:

1. Sign Cristobal Huet.

- I'm not going to get into the specifics of what they should offer him in terms of years and dollars. But the Caps made the choice this season that he is our number one goaltender. In response, Huet put together the best month of his career, and made one highlight save after another. McPhee made the great move to get him here, now he just needs to close it out and keep him here.

2. Upgrade the Defense

- If there was one thing that this series made me realize is that the weakest part of this team is it's defensive group. That's not to knock any of the players themselves as they played some of the best hockey of there lives. Specifically John Erskine and Steve Eminger grew leaps and bounds during the postseason. Let's hope they can carry it over into next season. And when I say they need to upgrade the defense, I'm not saying that they need to go out and sign some stud free agent. They have prospects coming through the ranks that will be ready to contribute soon. Karl Alzner and Sami Lepisto should be given every opportunity to make the team out of camp this fall. Oh and did I mention Steve Eminger, he'll be a restricted free agent this summer. Qualify him and play him next season, he has earned a place on this team.

3. Figuring out the Forwards

- This is going to be the hardest job for McPhee this summer. What to do with potential free agents Fedorov and Cooke while realizing that this lineup will already be adding two players this fall with the healthy returns of Michael Nylander and Chris Clark. Plus, prospects such as Chris Bourque, Andrew Gordon, Francois Bouchard, and Mathieu Perreault will all be fighting for a spot in camp. At the same time you also have Eric Fehr, who seems to be hitting his stride, and Tomas Fleischmann, who continues to develop, fighting for playing time. It's going to be a logjam up front. I'd love to see Fedorov and Cooke back with the team this fall, but there just might not be room for them.

This summer will be interesting. It's time to rest and recharge as we get ready for the Caps to make the leap next season into a Stanley Cup favorite. Just one request for all the fans out there, be ready to go from day one this fall. Let's "Rock the Red" again real soon.

In the meantime, don't forget about our prospects who are fighting for their lives tonight. The Hershey Bears face elimination trailing 3-0 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. While the South Carolina Stingrays face the Gwinnett Gladiators in the finale of their best of five series tonight in Charleston. Good luck to both teams in carrying on the Caps tradition of "Don't Stop Believin."

The One That Got Away?

No one can argue with GM George McPhee's success lately in drafting talented young players. The Capitals collective prospects right now are ranked 6th in the NHL by Hockey's Future. But last summer, sitting in the number 5 position, McPhee had a tough decision to make. Go with a potential franchise defenseman or a top line center to compliment Nicklas Backstrom. He chose to go with the defenseman (even though he began to announce the center as his selection) and so Karl Alzner was the pick. (Stanley Leary/Associated Press)

The man he bypassed was center Sam Gagner who was chosen one spot later by the Edmonton Oilers. While Alzner was sent back to the WHL this season for another year of seasoning with the Calgary Hitmen, Gagner stayed with the Oilers. The decision to keep him with the big club has payed off for GM Kevin Lowe. Gagner was named the NHL rookie of the month for February after leading all rookies in scoring, 3 goals and 10 assists in 12 games. He is also tied for 2nd in the NHL in shootout goals with 5 in 15 chances.

Capitals fans should expect to see Alzner in the lineup sooner rather than later. Once his junior season is over he should join the Hershey Bears for their Calder Cup run. But at least for the near future, the debate will rage on. Should McPhee have taken Gagner instead?

Caps Come Up Empty in "Biggest Game of the Year"

It started out good as the Capitals dominated the first half of the opening period and took a 1-0 lead on the road. However, a couple of things happened that just told you despite their early success the Caps were in for a long night. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

First of all, they had multiple chances to score but failed to do so. Viktor Kozlov hit the post on a sneaky wrist shot that should have made it 2-0, and Tomas Fleischmann whiffed on a wide open net from about 16 inches away that should of then made it 3-0. And what have we learned about today's NHL? If you don't capitalize on your chances, it's going to come back and bite you. Well that's exactly what happened.

The momentum changed when defenseman Mike Green was called for a post whistle roughing penalty. Now I have a big problem with this particular penalty. I believe it was Erik Cole who had charged Kolzig and and swatted multiple times after Olie had the puck secure. In the "old" NHL, Greenie would never have been penalized for standing up for his goalie. But it seems that in the "new" NHL, the players are not allowed to police themselves anymore. This was a horrible call that swung the momentum in favor of the Hurricanes and quickly tied the scored at one. Later in the night, Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was penalized in the exact same scenario in a game against the Flyers. That power play resulted in a Daniel Briere goal and a 1-0 lead that Philly ended up squandering with three seconds remaining. Referees seriously need to be more lenient in these situations and allow the players the ability to police themselves.

Now that I got that rant off my chest, the referees were not to blame for the Capitals ineptitude on the penalty kill. The combination of poor defensive coverage and the inability of Kolzig to secure a loose puck led directly to the 'Canes four power play goals. Before the game Kolzig had described the matchup as the "biggest game of the year". Well in such an important game, godzilla failed to deliver and continued his run of inconsistency this season. Without a doubt the weakest position on the team this season has been goaltending. And with Kolzig set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, you have to believe that we will have a new #1 next year for the first time in a decade.

After this outcome, Sunday's game versus the Devils now becomes the most important game of the year. If the result is similar, the Capitals should reevaluate their position going into Tuesday's trade deadline. With the playoffs becoming less likely, they should look at moving a John Erskine or Steve Eminger, who could provide defensive depth for a playoff team, and forwards Matt Bradley or Matt Pettinger, who once again could be depth players in the right scenario. Of course these moves would not provide much in return except for draft picks, but they would allow players such as Sami Lepisto, Chris Bourque, and Andrew Gordon an opportunity to get some ice time heading into next season.

Also, expect some of our better prospects to join the Hershey Bears for their playoff run. Defenseman Karl Alzner, Joe Finley, and Josh Godfrey along with forwards Francois Bouchard, Mathieu Perreault, and Luke Lynes could all play key roles for the Bears this spring.

The future looks bright, but for now we have one more season of jumping on the Hershey bandwagon as they look for their third straight trip to the Calder Cup finals.

Bears Fall in Rochester

Hershey got two goals from Joe Motzko, extending his team lead to 21 on the season. But it was not enough as the North Division cellar dwellers, the Rochester Americans, upset the Bears 4-2 in front of 7,424 at the Blue Cross Arena. Check out the highlights with the video courtesy of B2Networks.

Hershey Bears On The Air Tonight!

Just a reminder for everyone out their with Directv that the Hershey Bears will be on tv tonight as they start their road trip against the Lake Erie Monsters. The game will be broadcast on FSN Ohio (637) and FSN Cincinnati (638). Or if you don't have Directv then the NHL network will be broadcasting a replay of the Bears game last Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre against the Penguins. Don't miss out on this opportunity to see some of our future Capitals in action!

Stingrays Quietly Putting Together an Impressive Season

They are the little brother of the Washington Capitals, sometimes forgotten because of the success of their big brother, the Hershey Bears. But the Stingrays are making their case to receive more attention this season.

After missing out on the postseason last year for the first time in the franchise's 14-year history, the team is doing everything in it's power to get back there. First year head coach Jared Bednar led the Stingrays to a 12-game winning streak through December and early January. And after the streak ended in Florida, all the team did was win two out of three games in Texas against the best team in the league.

Coming into last Sunday's game, the Wildcatters had a 23 game point streak (18-0-5) and the ECHL's best record with a stunning mark of 27-3-2-4. The teams had already split the first two games of a three game weekend series with the Stingrays winning in overtime on Friday night 4-3, and the Wildcatters responding on Saturday with a 4-2 victory.

On Sunday, the Stingrays jumped out to a 3-0 lead on their way to a 4-2 victory officially ending the Wildcatters impressive unbeaten run. The third goal of that game was a shorthanded goal scored by Travis Morin, who has been impressive in his first professional season out of Minnesota State. He currently has 17 goals, 22 assists, for 39 points in 34 games with South Carolina, and he'll be a part of the ECHL All-Star game later this month on January 23rd.

Besides Morin, four other Capitals prospects have spent time this season with the ECHL club. Maryland native Stephen Werner, undrafted prospect Steve Pinizzotto, defensive prospect Patrick McNeill, and forward Andrew Gordon out of St. Cloud State.

After their impressive trip to Texas, the Stingrays returned home and defeated the Augusta Lynx 5-1 Tuesday night to move into sole possession of second place in the South Division. Veteran Cail MacLean and rookie Pierre-Luc O'Brien each had 3 assists in the win, and recent Hershey Bears callup Grant McNeill added his second goal of the season.

The partnership between the Capitals, Bears, and Stingrays has to be viewed as one of the best in hockey. So while the Bears are looking for their 3rd straight trip to the Calder Cup this spring, don't forget about the Stingrays down the stretch as they look for their 5th Kelly Cup Championship in team history.

Hershey Re-Signs Robitaille

The Bears have brought back agitator Louis Robitaille, a left winger who's a fan favorite in chocolatetown. Here's the link from Hershey's homepage.

Update: Robitaille and his girlfriend Lauren Young are expecting their first child in February. Congradulations Louis!

We've Officially Bottomed Out

There is absolutely nothing going on in the hockey world right now. And as a result, there is not much to talk about.

• If you're looking for a great analysis of the Capitals defensive corps, check out On Frozen Blog's article here.

• If you live in the Hershey area, the Bears are looking for national anthem singers for the upcoming season. Check out the details here.

Hang in there, we're less than six weeks away from the start of training camp.

Hershey Bears News

From their homepage:

BEARS ANNOUNCE RETURN OF RIGHT WING SCOTT BARNEY
07/31/2007 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2007

BEARS BRING BACK RIGHT WING SCOTT BARNEY FOR UPCOMING 2007-08 SEASON

PROLIFIC SCORER BACK IN HERSHEY LINEUP THIS SEASON AFTER 19 POINTS IN 19 POSTSEASON GAMES IN 2007 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS

HERSHEY – The HERSHEY BEARS announced today that right wing Scott Barney has been signed to a contract for the upcoming 2007-08 season. The announcement was made today by BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst.

Acquired in early March from the Grand Rapids Griffins, Barney scored six goals in 11 games after coming to Chocolatetown. He was one of HERSHEY’S most prolific scorers in the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs, scoring 10 goals and assisting on nine others in 19 playoff games. A proven goal scorer, Barney scored 32 goals in just 53 games in 2005-06 with Chicago (AHL), and 20 goals in 44 games for Manchester (AHL) in 2003-04.


Last week the Bears also agreed to terms with Quintin Lang:

QUINTIN LAING RETURNS FOR 2007-08

HARD-NOSED WINGER BACK FOR SECOND SEASON IN CHOCOLATETOWN

HERSHEY – The HERSHEY BEARS announced today in conjunction with the American Hockey League the club has signed left wing Quintin Laing for the 2007-08 season.

Laing, who played the previous five seasons for Norfolk (AHL) prior to joining HERSHEY in 2006-07, scored a career high 15 goals last season and accumulated 43 points. The winner of the 2006-07 BEARS Unsung hero award, Laing added seven points in 19 games during the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Toronto Star on Boudreau: NHL Job is Just a Matter of Time

The Toronto Star is singing the praises of Hershey Bears bench boss Bruce Boudreau. They, like most Capitals and Hershey experts, believe that he will end up in the NHL as a Head Coach someday soon.


Boudreau's coming up big behind the bench
TheStar.com - Sports - Boudreau's coming up big behind the bench

`I don't know what else I could do if it wasn't for hockey,' ex-Leaf says of coaching the AHL's Bears

June 01, 2007
Kevin McGran
SPORTS REPORTER

They used to say he was too short to play in the NHL. Surely they can't say he's too short to coach in the NHL.

Bruce Boudreau did what he was supposed to do in junior hockey and the minors to impress scouts, coaches and general managers. He scored. Lots. And his teams won. Plenty.

But the guy they called "Gabby" couldn't catch a break. The Maple Leafs, who drafted him out of the Toronto Marlboros, treated him like a yo-yo. He was up and down to and from the minors for seven consecutive seasons. Despite his talent, his 5-foot-10 frame was apparently the obstacle to a long NHL career.

Now 52, Boudreau has an impressive resumé as a minor league coach with a .583 winning percentage. Last year, he coached the Hershey Bears to the Calder Cup. This year, the top farm team of the Washington Capitals is at it again, defending their title by taking on the Hamilton Bulldogs in a best-of-seven series that series begins tonight in Hershey, Pa.

"This is my 32nd year of fighting to get to the NHL," said Boudreau yesterday. "It's always your goal. You're always plugging away and hoping something will happen. But at the same time, quite frankly, I don't know what else I could do if it wasn't for hockey.

"I loved everywhere I've gone. I just keep doing what I do and hopefully somebody will notice."

And he's been everywhere, a member of 16 pro teams as a player. Boudreau actually got his pro start in 1975 with the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints' top farm team, the Johnstown (Pa.) Jets of the North American Hockey League. It happened to be where and when the movie Slap Shot was filmed.

Boudreau landed a bit part playing for the Hyannisport Presidents against Paul Newman's Charlestown Chiefs. He wore No.7.

"I'm the little hog that stays in front of the net because I knew where the camera was," said Boudreau.

Perhaps it was there that his reputation as the Crash Davis of pro hockey began. He was a prolific scorer in the minors. One of four players in AHL history to top the 100-point mark three times in his career, Boudreau sits 11th on the AHL's all-time scoring list with 799 points in 634 games over 11 seasons, and his 1.26 career points-per-game average ranks second among the 71 members of the 500-point club. No player scored more in the AHL in the 1980s than Boudreau.

"I'm not as good looking as Kevin Costner," said Boudreau, in reference to the Bull Durham star. "It's sort of a compliment. But at the same time, Crash Davis, no matter how good he did, was never going to get to the big leagues. That, I hope, is the difference."

He believes he'll coach in the NHL someday.

"I'm very happy with the Capitals," said Boudreau. But if anybody ever came along, I would certainly look at it."

Former St. Louis Blues coach Mike Kitchen, Boudreau's friend since they were teammates on the Marlies, thinks it's a matter of time.

"He recognizes talent so well," said Kitchen. "As we all know, there's only 30 of those jobs out there.

"It's being patient, and timing is everything in those jobs."

The First Live Edition of The Capital Fanatic.com Show

Sunday, June 3rd @ 6:00 PM ET.

Tune in,
Listen,
Call in (646) 478-5432,
IM Capital Fanatic using Google Talk

Just click the link and you're there.

The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 5

In this episode I’m going to do something a little bit different as I’ll take an in depth look back at Game 2 of the Hershey Bears Eastern Conference matchup with the Manchester Monarchs. And the Capitals locked up another big piece of the puzzle this week, I’ll take a look at Nicklas Backstrom and why there’s so much excitement surrounding his signing.

Podcast People.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 5

Podbean.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 5

My Podcast.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 5

The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 4

In this episode the Hershey Bears have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, the IIHF World Championships have concluded, and the Capitals announce their admission plans for their Draft Day Party and Uniform Unveiling. All that and more on the fan’s voice of the Washington Capitals, the CapitalFanatic.com show.

Podcast People.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 4

Podbean.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 4

My Podcast.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 4

The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 3

In this episode a lot of stuff to get to as the Hershey Bears are sitting pretty in their series with the Penguins, while the NHL playoffs and World Hockey Championships continue to heat up. The South Carolina Stingrays have a new head coach and the Capitals have signed another recent draft pick to an entry level contract. All that and more on the fan’s voice of the Washington Capitals, the CapitalFanatic.com show.

Podcast People.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 3

Podbean.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 3

MyPodcast.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 3

The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 2

In this episode I talk about the upcoming World Championship Tournament that begins April 27th, the Hershey Bears as they begin their defense of their 2006 Calder Cup Championship, and the South Carolina Stingrays as they begin their search for a new head coach. Visit any of the following links to listen to the show. I welcome your feedback not only on the show, but also on the site that you believe is the best to host the podcast.

Podcast People.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 2

Podbean.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 2

MyPodcast.com
The Capital Fanatic.com Show: Episode 2