Crib Notes - Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals
Finished First in the Southeast. Lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs to Pittsburgh in 7 games
Acquired all-time quarterback Mike Knuble via free agency
Acquired Brendan Morrison via free agency
Let Donald Brashear, Victor Kozlov and Sergei Federov go as UFAs
Resigned Boyd Gordon, Shaone Morissonn, Jeff Shultz, Milan Jurcina and Chris Bourque.
Shaone Morissonn broke my spell check

Questions going into 2009-2010:
Who's the day 1 starter: Semyon Varlamov or Jose Theodore?
Can Ovy score 70?
Is there enough secondary scoring on this team?
If Ovk throws up 130 points will the Caps need secondary scoring?
Can Mike Green top last season's totals?
Will Chris Clark play a full season?
Who is the SABR mathmetician who signed Michael Nylander to a $5.5MM/year contract?
Do the Canes have enough to outpace the Capitals?
Or are the Caps a lock to win the division again?

Poised for a breakout season:
Nicklas Backstrom has already broke through but if all goes right for this team he will flirt with 100 points.

If you had to buy one Caps sweater:
Our buddy wears a white Brooks Laich because he claims Laich's game "speaks to him".

Player whose game you need to like:
I've posted about my love of Mike Knuble before.

Reason to get behind this team:
There may not be a ceiling to Ovechkin's game.

Reason to hate this team:
Green's website.
Either that pic is in the insert for the latest Crazy Town record or a photo from Mike

Random thought:
Fergie's body is sick but your buddies would still goof on you if you took her home.

Old guys:
Mike Knuble is 37
Michael Nylander is 36
Brendan Morrison is 34

Young guys:
Karl Alzner is 20
Backstrom is 21
Ovy and Mike Green are 23

Tough guys:
Brashear is gone so John Erskine will look to handle the thug load.

Favorite old school Capital:
Alan May or Mike Liut

Reason why I am writing this so late:
I have a men's league game tonight and I am going to the beach tomorrow and I don't want to break my streak of doing 30 teams in 30 (business) days.

Goaltending coach:
Arturs Irbe
Our Head Political Correspondent and Washington, DC Bureau Chief, confirmed that Irbe wears his goalie skates when going through drills in camp.

Nostalgia:
How hasn't this team retired Peter Bondra's uni yet?

Interesting?:
The last time we went down to a game in DC our buddy got thrown out for passing out while riding down an escalator on his back.

NHL 94 players:
Peter Bondra, Dimitri Khristich and Mike Ridley up front.
Al Iafrate and Kevin Hatcher on D with Don Beaupre in net.
Rod Langway was rated a 44. A bigger injustice this blogger knows not.

YouTube:
Bondra was just plain nasty. He sneaky dominated the 1990's


- Nemmy