Ed. note: We’re gonna prepare you for the Caps-Bruins series from every angle this week.

The playoffs are a physical grind, but we shouldn’t underestimate the psychological dimension either. Remember We are Louder, anyone? For that reason, the Washington Capitals’ upcoming series with the Boston Bruins is kind of daunting. Those guys have psy-ops down pat thanks to their demented, violent mascot, the Bruins Bear.

I’m kind of jealous. The Bruins Hockey Rules commercials are pretty fantastic. In the series, the Bear punishes fans for violating some unspoken code–  like dating a fan of another team in the division…

…or leaving the game early to beat traffic.

Those spots build shared identity for Boston fans, a cohesion they can rely on in the hunt for sixteen wins.

But the Bear isn’t just for policing Boston fans. He’s a world-class troll. Check out these signs targeting Bruins’ opponents.

We can expect D.C. to be the subject of mockery in coming weeks. That’s okay. We have a sense of humor, right? And besides: we’re freaking D.C. No one can make fun of us better than we can.

But how should we respond? We must be clever, pointed, slightly cruel, and above all– fun. We’ve got the RMNB Brain Trust working on this day and night, but we solicit your opinions as well.

Crash the net.