Sunday, January 8, 2012

Caps/Kings pregame

Chin up, Caps fanbase. It was just one loss. We haven't had any real losing streaks under the new Dale Hunter regime, and I doubt the Capitals plan to start now. There are obstacles to winning this next game, of course, such as both Backstrom and Green most likely not playing--but there were always going to be obstacles. 

No time to dwell on any of that, because the hockey season is moving along. No defeat without the next game right around the corner. The hunger returns, and that's never about just one player. 

Wandering dangerously close to 24/7 narration here so I'm going to get right to the preview, but the gist is: things to do. Kings to obliterate. We're moving on. 



APPROPRIATELY NAMED PERSON AWARD

Jonathan Quick is a revelation. Somehow, on a team that's having a season that rivals the Caps for sheer potential for disaster, this guy has managed to hold down a .934 SV%, a 1.93 GAA, and is leading the league with six shutouts. 

Eek.

Here's hoping that the Caps brought their magic sticks on the road (maybe they just didn't use them Saturday night)--or alternately, that the Kings play their backup against us, because we like it when that happens. 



SUPERSTAR AWARD

The Kings are so glad they caved on Drew Doughty's contract, because they wouldn't have wanted to miss out on his minus-two, 3-goal season. 

Good thing they've got that locked down for seven years. That was a close one. 



SUTTER VS HUNTER

I think we all know who would win in a cage match, but unfortunately the league does not allow hockey games to be determined by coach-vs-coach cage matches at this time. 

Sutter is an even newer coach than Hunter is. Not really an accomplishment--with the turnover rate this season, there's probably more job stability burger flipping at McDonalds. Sutter's Kings are 5-1-3 so far, which isn't bad, but they also lost their last game 1-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who've been functioning as less of a hockey team this season than a punchline.

In the words of ESPN's Kings blog, "That was the kind of performance that got the last coach fired."



I am thinking the Caps need to win this one for the sole reason of making us happy. I know they take these things into consideration.

Lots of hockey this week, and that makes it a good week no matter what happens. The Kings are a good warm-up for the Pens, and we still need the points, so I hope they make this one count.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, the "reactions" down at the bottom of posts are gone now, because I realized that I actually don't need that much validation in my life. You now only have one option, and that's "go Caps."

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