Russian Machine Never Breaks

Florida Capitals Pregame: Looking Up at the Southeast Division

On December 4, 2011, In Pregame, By Peter Hassett

Kris Versteeg wipes out. (Photo credit: Thearon W. Henderson)

How was your weekend? The Caps won. That was cool. I bet Coach Hunter is psyched. I lost my cell phone. That sucked.

On Monday night, the Capitals hit the road again, leaving a tumultuous three-game home stand behind them. They’ll be suiting up in Sunrise, Florida, which is a ludicrous name for a city. The hosting team? The Florida Capitals.

Marjory the Trash Heap was also assembled from other people's refuse.

Ahh, shoot! Florida Panthers. Sorry. But the Florida roster does sport four ex-Caps: Tomas Fleischmann, Matt Bradley, Jose Theodore, and Marco Sturm (who shouldn’t really count). How did so many Caps players end up in Florida? Over the summer, Panthers GM Dale Tallon got his checkbook out and started signing free agents all willy nilly just to reach the salary floor.

And now– somehow– the Panthers are at the top of the Southeast Division. No one saw that coming. This team was assembled from spare parts. We had joked that it was a retirement home. These guys shouldn’t have a cohesive personality, let alone a winning record. Instead, they’re 14-8-4 and they’ve commited the fewest minor penalties in the league. It’s disciplined and effective hockey they’re playing in Sunrise, which is still is a stupid name for a city.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
5 Comments
Leave A Response

Video: Former Cap Bradley Gets in First Bloody Fight of New Season

On October 21, 2011, In Photos, Video, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: Joel Auerbach

Ever since the Panthers beat the tar out of the Lightning 7-4 on Monday, they’ve struggled to put the puck in the net. On Tuesday, they traveled up to DC to face former teammate Tomas Vokoun and got blanked 3-0. Thursday, the trend continued.  Down one goal to the Sabres after 30 minutes of listless hockey, Florida was  looking for momentum.

Enter Matt Bradley.

After a neutral zone faceoff, the former Capital skated with purpose towards Paul Gaustad and shoved him. You know what happened next.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • •
 
5 Comments
Leave A Response

Florida Panthers Pregame: Matt Bradley vs. Alex Semin, and the Return of Tomas and Jose

On October 18, 2011, In Pregame, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Scott Audette

Photo credit: Scott Audette

The Florida Panthers spent their Monday night trouncing the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-4. The Cats used five powerplay goals to fend off a third period rally from their rivals in America’s groin. By now the Panthers are probably already on their way up to Washington.

Here we go. This is the game you’ve been looking forward to. Not the rematch with Tampa, the date with Pittsburgh, or Thursday’s face-off with Jagr. You have been amped for this game: Matt Bradley, Jose Theodore, Tomas Fleischmann– all your exes are coming over for a dinner party and it’s going to be AWKWARD.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
6 Comments
Leave A Response

Alex Semin Talks About His First Goal of The Year, Getting His Necklace Yanked Off, and Matt Bradley

On October 10, 2011, In Translations, By Igor Kleyner

Alex Semin goal

After taking a great feed from John Carlson, Alex Semin scores the Capitals first goal of the season on a breakaway.

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

It was hard not to notice Alex Semin on Opening Night. Not only did he score the Capitals first goal of the season on a breakaway, he also made his presence known physically with a big hit on Bryan Allen. Semin, who had one of his necklaces ripped off in the melee sparked by the questionable check, was given a two-minute minor for boarding. On Sunday, Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times reported that Sasha Minor will not face any disciplinary action from the NHL.

After the game, Slava Malamud of Sport-Express caught up with Semin to get his thoughts on the Caps victory, his broken jewelry, and celebrating his goals with a smile. RMNB’s Igor Kleyner has your translation below.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
18 Comments
Leave A Response

Have You Heard? The Caps Are Back.

On October 9, 2011, In Interview, News, By Chris Gordon

I feel like I’ve seen this person before… (Photo credit: Mitchell Layton)

Fans enter Verizon Center before the season-opener. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

One hundred fifty-seven days. That’s a long summer for Caps fans. And Saturday night at 7:09 P.M. Eastern Time when six ounces of vulcanized rubber tumbled toward the ice sheet it was finally over.

“The atmosphere was great,” Alex Ovechkin told reporters after the game. “The fans push us forward all the time. It’s nice to play at home, especially the first game. I know everybody was missing hockey here so it’s nice to come back.”

The trademarks of Caps hockey were all there last night: Sam Wolk pursed his lips to his horn and let lout three loud blasts at the drop of the puck; Wes Johnson bellowed out the name of Alexander Semin (heavy on the “r”) after Washington lit the lamp for the first time this season on Sasha’s tally; William Stilwell, better known as the Goat, let out a thunderous roar of “Let’s Go Caps!” as he stomped the metal beneath his feet when shown on the big screen in the second period.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
4 Comments
Leave A Response

A Primer to the Washington Capitals 2011-2012 Season

On October 3, 2011, In Analysis, By Peter Hassett

Primer to the 2011-12 Capitals Season

If you took a break from hockey after May 4th, when the Tampa Bay Lightning swept the Washington Capitals out of the playoffs, we completely understand. It was rough. But the new season is here, along with reasons for renewed hope. So in case you’ve been avoiding hockey in general and this blog in particular, we’ve prepared a primer to catch you up.

Here is everything you need to know about the Washington Capitals but were afraid to ask (2011-2012 edition).

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
16 Comments
Leave A Response

Winter is Coming in 15 Days

On September 23, 2011, In Opinion, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Michael Connor/The Washington Times

Photo credit: Michael Connor/The Washington Times

Editor’s note: To get you properly revved up for the season, each member of the RMNB crew will take a longing look back at some of our favorite goals from days gone by. You can call it nostalgia or cheap summer content, but it’s really a reminder: WINTER IS COMING.

The date was April 24th, 2009. The Washington Capitals had taken up their old tradition of digging a hole for themselves. The count was three-to-one, and the New York Rangers were looking to wrap this series up on the road.

So here’s the scene: John Tortorella is still dry, Sean Avery is wearing some D&G three-piece instead of his hockey sweater, and the Rags are on the power play. Your boy Boyd Gordon gets the puck behind Varly and sends it around the boards. It takes a weird bounce to get past the blue line– with Matt Bradley in close pursuit…

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • •
 
5 Comments
Leave A Response

The Sasha Cares Bar Graph

On August 17, 2011, In Opinion, Statistical Analysis, By Peter Hassett

Alex Semin

Photo credit: Chris Gordon

It was just another quiet August morning …until Neil Greenberg totally ruined it. Finding an interview between Matt Bradley and TGOR radio in Ottawa, Neil alerted the world using the twitters.

And then, sadly, no one on the internet wrote about it.

In the interview Matt Bradley seems to characterizes the Washington locker room as having a certain nonchalance, a malaise, insouciance, and probably other French words, too. Bottom line: Bradley thinks the Caps don’t care. And one player is called out by name: Alexander Semin.

But we think Sasha cares. We know Sasha cares. How do we know?

WE MADE UP A BAR GRAPH.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • •
 
25 Comments
Leave A Response

Vokoun Not Promised Starting Job, Just Happy to Join Winner

On July 3, 2011, In Interview, News, By Chris Gordon

At 35, Tomas Vokoun knows he doesn’t have much time left be on a winning team with a chance at the Stanley Cup. And for the Czech netminder, Washington, DC is the place be as he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal to come to the Caps Saturday.

“The money side, it’s not great but, you know, I think the opportunity is unbelievable,” he said on a conference call Sunday morning. “I decided that this chance for me to extend my career and play for a great team and have fun playing.”

Vokoun, who has at total of 262 big league wins, has been in the playoffs just twice in his NHL career, spending the last four seasons with the cellar-welling Florida Panthers. In those years in the Southeast Division with the Cats, Vokoun got an up close look at the resurgence of the Capitals in the Alex Ovechkin era and liked what he saw.

“I know how good that team is,” said Vokoun, who turned down a three-year offer from the Panthers. “I know I’m going to have fun. I’ve been on winning teams before but nothing like Washington. … I just felt I wanted to move on and try something different.”
Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
4 Comments
Leave A Response

Bradley’s Agent: We Have Not Received an Offer from the Caps

On June 30, 2011, In Interview, News, By Chris Gordon

Matt Bradley

By all indications, Matt Bradley will not be back with the Capitals next season.

According to Larry Kelly, Bradley’s agent, the 33 year-old winger never received an offer from Washington and is set to become an unrestricted free agent Friday, July 1, at 12 PM Eastern Time.

“They indicated a number of months ago that there would be an offer for him in eight to ten days and there’s been no offer and we’re not expecting one,” Kelly told RMNB. “I think Matt’s a very, very valuable hockey player and I think he’ll do fine in free agency.”

Bradley, who became a fan favorite in DC, has played the past six seasons for the Caps and registered 11 points including four goals in 61 games last year. The Stittsville, Ontario, Canada native has a total of 59 goals and 93 assists in in 677 career NHL games including playoffs. He was previously playing on a three-year contract that paid $1 million per season.

Tagged with: • • •
 
21 Comments
Leave A Response
« Older Entries