The Significance of Weightlessness

When I heard about the new hashtag for the year, #ALLCAPS, I thought, "meh."

I didn't really get it. Since I'm one prone to use caps lock a lot on Twitter, particularly about hockey, I thought maybe it was an allusion to that? I didn't understand the "we are #ALLCAPS" messages because I thought, "well, I don't play for the team, so, not really?"

However, after the parade and rally on Tuesday, I finally understood it. Watching the Capitals party through the weekend, and seeing them continue to act like over-excited children at the parade was an unexpected joy. Seeing the players' celebration shenanigans of the weekend, hearing their heartfelt speeches at the rally, and their invitation for all of us (US) to sing along with them to "We Are the Champions," I finally understood what they really meant.

Every single moment of this celebration has been shared with the fans. Whether it was through the players' individual social media accounts (Instagram stories have never been more fun) or splashing around with fans in a Georgetown fountain, the Caps have truly wanted to celebrate this championship WITH their fans. To invite their fans to become involved and feel like a part of it all. Heck, at some point during the weekend, TJ Oshie handed the Cup off (like, all of it) to a group of fans to hold over their heads.

I've never seen a team do anything like it. They very well could have kept this celebration to themselves. The fact that the players had the presence of mind to realize that not only they wanted it, but WE wanted it is amazing. And they didn't hold back on letting their personalities shine. Thank God they didn't hold back.

I remember back in the Young Guns days that people used to blame Ovechkin for the Capitals' faults because he "partied too hard." Every weekend, there were new photos of him downing vodka shots at Russia House with Alexander Semin, not to mention the infamous photos from the boat in Turkey in the offseason. Some even suggested that Ovechkin's relationship with his own mother was to blame for the team's downfalls. Beginning several years ago, the light playfulness Ovechkin used to share with fans and the media died down a bit. His answers in media scrums became clipped, and his tone during interviews was usually stoic.

Sure, he'd still goof off at practice every now and then, but it was evident that the scrutiny, year after year, was getting to him.

Cut to Tuesday.

The Stanley Cup weighs 34.5 pounds, yet every time a Washington Capitals player hoisted it over his head at the rally, it was a reminder that the Cup represents a weight lifted.

I can't describe how happy it made me to see the old Ovechkin. The one who doesn't give a shit what words might fly out of his mouth in front of the media. The fun-loving one that enjoys being a goofball with his friends, dancing around in the club or even in the locker room at Capital One Arena before the parade. The one that dives into a public fountain and starts breaststroking.

It was everything seeing TJ Oshie drink a beer through his damn jersey and pouring it on his head upon his name being announced. It was everything seeing the unlikely hero, newly-shaven Brett Connolly just wordlessly head to the front of the stage and chug a beer.

It was everything seeing Nicklas Backstrom truly smiling for the first time since I've known him. He hasn't stopped smiling since. To see him share this with Alex Ovechkin, his long-time friend and teammate, has been so special.

It was everything seeing Philipp Grubauer, who I've been a fan of since he was 17, sprint off the bus during the parade and wave a DC flag over his shoulders and not let the dang thing go THE ENTIRE TIME. It was everything seeing Devante Smith-Pelly get all the recognition he deserves, particularly in the form of at least one, if not two "D-S-P" chants.

It was everything watching Nathan Walker, the first Australian to ever play in the NHL, score a goal in the NHL, get a point in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, and win a Stanley Cup get overturned by Ovechkin and Wilson. It was everything seeing Jakub Vrana make his case for favorite new-ish player when we hadn't seen all his personality before.

This team of wonderful dorks had been so missed. They've been stifled for so long, and seeing them let loose has been the best thing about winning the Stanley Cup.

Despite the lack of sleep, the intense sunburn and subsequent sun poisoning, the days missed from work, I wouldn't have missed this parade for the world.

Finally

"You know the Capitals, the hockey team? I heard about this promotion where you can get cheap tickets with a student ID. Let's go to a game!"

Those paraphrased words came from my coworker and friend Jennifer Baarson one day in February 2008. Both of us were working at a non-profit on 20th and M, my first job out of college. On the day of the game, we took an extended lunch break to Metro quickly over to the then-Verizon Center, went to the box office, flashed our student IDs (even though both of us were out of college) and got lower bowl seats for $30.

I played hockey in high school but had never been to, let alone seen on TV, an NHL game. Growing up in Chicago during the Bill Wirtz Era meant the Blackhawks were a completely foreign concept to me. At the Capitals game that night, I had no idea how much fun hockey was. Brooks Laich and Shaone Morrisonn scored in the first period. "Lol that guy's name is Semin." "I've heard about this Ovechkin guy." The Minnesota Wild scored in the second period, but goals from Eric Fehr and another from Brooks Laich sealed up the 4-1 win.

It was February 26, 2008. It is not an overstatement to say that is the day that changed the course of my life. It's the day I became a Capitals fan.

When I look back on it now, things progressed very quickly, though it didn't seem like it at the time. I went to my first Capitals playoff game that same season, Game 7 against the Flyers. It was my first taste of postseason heartache. That next Christmas, I got my first Capitals jersey as a gift -- Alexander Semin's #28. Less than a year later, I started this blog. I found Canadian junior hockey and started studying up on prospects. Soon, people were asking me to write for them. Like, reputable people. Only 18 months prior, I'd been making bodily function jokes about a player's last name.

2010 Capitals Convention -- with said bodily function joke-named player

So, I joined the ranks of the media, one of a few bloggers who regularly got credentialed. And I loved writing. I loved it and I was good at it. I started getting more attention. Once at development camp, a now-former Washington Post beat writer asked me everything I knew about a particular prospect. Me.

I never asked for credentials for games. I preferred to sit with the fans, yelling for goals, wearing a jersey, and joining in the occasional "ref you suck" chant. Side note, the Capitals were the first team in the NHL to credential bloggers and create a standard to regulate blogger credentials. I want to take this moment here to thank Nate Ewell (and later Sergey Kocharov) for supporting bloggers and giving press credentials to a little nobody like me.

There was at least one year that I went to nearly every home game. It was the last full season before I left DC.

A variety of circumstances took me back to Chicago in 2011. Around here, I continue to get a lot more questions about how I became a Capitals fan ("but... aren't you from here?") but my love of the Capitals hasn't diminished in the slightest. In fact, below is a photo of the car I got when I returned home (and I still drive it today).

My car is actually named "Ovie"

Even after I got back to Chicago, I was still writing for one outlet as the Southeast Division beat writer, even though I didn't live remotely near the Southeast Division. While I was searching for a full-time job, I was looking into graduate school. Doing a lot of sports writing had me looking into something I'd never considered before. I started researching sports administration/management graduate programs, and found that Northwestern University had one. I applied and got in. I could do this; I could actually have a career in sports. I never would have even thought of it if it hadn't been for the Capitals.

Years passed, and years of heartbreak and disappointment can take its toll. In this season, my 10th year of fandom, I watched the least amount of Capitals hockey since I became a fan. I don't know if it's the disillusionment or the quantity of TV shows that are out there and I apparently need to watch, but for whatever reason, I just didn't care much about this season. Of course -- the one year the expectations weren't high, that's the year they win it all.

Once the playoffs started this year, I began watching every game again (with the exception of Game 4 against the Lightning, months prior we'd bought tickets to see Deadpool 2 that night). Once the Caps got to the third round, the first time since I became a fan that I'd ever seen them reach that level, and against the Penguins no less, I was in disbelief. Then the Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup Final. I was STILL in disbelief. Now, they're Stanley Cup Champions. Still, disbelief.

When less than a minute remained on the clock in Game 5, I slammed my laptop shut, turned my phone on silent and turned it upside-down so I couldn't see notifications. As the clock wound down to zero, I started sobbing. Nothing has been more satisfying than seeing Alex Ovechkin lifting that 35 lb silver shiny Cup over his head. Ovechkin and Backstrom, the only two left on the team from when I became a fan, skating around with it broke me (in a good way I guess).

It's been a wild ride. I'm beyond excited to get on a plane Monday and see the parade in person.

Full Circle with Nathan Walker

photo by Chris Gordon, from 2012 development camp

On July 14, 2012, I was back in DC (for the first time since moving back to Chicago in November 2011) on a weekend trip and asked the Capitals media relations department if I could have media credentials for development camp. They said yes, and so I returned to the media area of Kettler Capitals Iceplex on that Saturday morning, and after the players left the ice, I asked to interview an intriguing 18-year-old camp invite with a surprising country listed under his hometown: Australia.

Today, that player made history. Twice.

Nathan Walker became the first Australian to ever play in the NHL, and then the first Australian ever to score a goal in the NHL -- in his first game!

I never published an article based on the conversation I had with Nathan Walker that day in 2012. I think I felt kind of bad about it because one of my questions was basically "why didn't you get picked in the draft?" and I was afraid I hurt his feelings. Back story: Nathan Walker was first eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, even ranked as high as #21 among European skaters before the draft. Yet, he was not selected in that draft. He wasn't selected in the 2013 draft either. The Capitals did later select him in the 3rd round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the last draft for which he was eligible.

Walker came as an invited player to the Capitals' 2012 development camp, and caused a bit of a stir with his unusual story. Walker was born in Wales, raised in Australia, and moved to the Czech Republic at the age of 13 (by himself) to embark on his hockey career.

I remember when he walked up to me (since I'd requested to talk to him) that day in July, the first things I noticed were that a) he is surprisingly short (I'm 5'6" and he wasn't much taller) and b) despite his unusual back story, he seemed genuinely surprised that someone requested to speak to him.

When he speaks, his accent is not strictly Australian; there's a bit of Welsh in there. It's definitely not an accent you usually hear on your digital recorder while pucks fire off boards in the background. He got into hockey when he was six years old because his older brother was playing. "I was the little brother, I always wanted to do what he was doing. I guess I just followed in his footsteps," he told me.

I asked him why he opted to go to the Czech Republic to play when he was 13, and he said his coach in Australia told him that "if you want to go anywhere in hockey, you've gotta go now." He left his family in Australia and went to live in Europe, in a country whose language he did not know, without his parents, because his coaches saw that he had potential. It speaks volumes about his drive and his work ethic.

When I asked about what his expectations were coming to development camp, he said, "I want to show them that I really want to play hockey." I asked if he had thought about playing in the Australian league (AIHL), but he said, "I played there a few games, last season, before I got injured straight away. I don't think I want to do any of that."

I suggested, "So you're really wanting to go for a higher level," and he enthusiastically agreed, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Today, five years later, he played at the highest level like he always wanted. And he won.

Throwback: Anaheim Ducks Kick Off "Movember"

Originally written by Erika Schnure for Hockey Primetime, 11/1/2011
Re-posted in honor of Teemu Selanne's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame

The Anaheim Ducks kicked off the month of "Movember" in style Monday, holding a "Shave Off" event in downtown Washington, DC while they are in town to play the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. The famously-mustachioed George Parros headlined the event, joined by Saku Koivu, Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne, Matt Beleskey, Sheldon Brookbank, Ryan Getzlaf, Jonas Hiller, Francois Beauchemin, Andrew Cogliano, Kurtis Foster, Dan Ellis, and Luca Sbisa.

The Ducks got a professional shave at The Art of Shaving's downtown DC store to get a clean start on their Movember facial hair. Movember, with which many NHL players are involved, is an annual event during the month of November during which men grow out their facial hair and raise awareness and money in support of men's health and cancers.

The cause is particularly close to Saku Koivu's heart. In 2001, Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and missed most of the 2001-2002 NHL season while undergoing chemotherapy. In remission since, Koivu said that Movember is an entertaining way to raise awareness and money for cancer research. "It's a fun way of getting awareness out and getting a couple laughs," Koivu said. "Obviously with the 'stache, boys look a little different.

"It's obviously a cause that's really important to me because it's in my history. It's so important to have the knowledge out there... Hopefully we can make a difference."

Last year was the Ducks' first year of involvement with Movember, and this year, Koivu said it was very easy to convince the rest of the team to participate. "George (Parros) brought it up about a week, two weeks ago and said, 'The month of November is coming up, and do you guys want to be still in it?'" Koivu said. "And everybody (agreed). That wasn't a tough one."

Corey Perry got particularly involved, clipping off half of Parros' mustache before his professional shave began. Luca Sbisa thought Parros unrecognizable once his shave was finished, jokingly introducing himself to Parros after he unveiled his clean-shaven look.

Perry shaving Parros' mustache (photo by Erika Schnure)

Parros after his shave (photo by Erika Schnure)

Goaltender Jonas Hiller brought along his special "Movember" mask, featuring roster shots of all the current Ducks, with various facial hair styles imposed over their faces. Hiller will wear the mask throughout the month of November, and it will be auctioned off in December to support the Movember cause.

Hiller's Movember mask (all photos by Erika Schnure)

Koivu expressed displeasure over the facial hair chosen for his image on Hiller's mask. "I wasn't really happy about that," Koivu joked. "I don't think I look too good with the mustache, but that picture there is like, I don't know what he was thinking."

Loss and Sports Fandom

(I wrote this a week after the Capitals got knocked out of the playoffs, but left it in my drafts)

I reflected a bit on this on Facebook the night of the loss, but over a week after the Caps lost game 7, I feel like I have a little more clarity.

I found the Capitals on February 26, 2008, back when the Capitals still did Student Rush promotions. The first NHL game I ever saw (and I spent just $30 on a lower bowl seat) was against the Minnesota Wild, and the Capitals won handily. Brooks Laich scored two goals in a 4-1 victory. I was in the 7th or 8th row of a mostly empty arena.

At the time, I was a few months out of college, only a few weeks away from eventually getting laid off from my non-profit job, and I thought I'd be working there for a while. I was barely thinking of what I would want to do in the future.

All I knew was that this team inspired me. I started this blog in January 2010, writing about a Tomas Fleischmann appearance that was basically a recap post for the people that were not able to attend. Little did I know that starting this blog would change my life forever.

Soon thereafter, people started asking me to write for them. Some of them asked me to write for them for money. I got media credentials for practices. My articles started getting featured weekly on the front page of FoxSports.com.

I came back home to Chicago and applied to Northwestern University's Master's of Sports Administration program and got in. I now owe tens of thousands of dollars to student loan corporations getting this degree so that I could hopefully work for a sports team, ideally doing community relations.

I'm not pointing all this out to brag or anything. I'm just trying to emphasize that none of these monumental events would have happened if it were not for the Washington Capitals. I have a deeply personal connection with this team because they changed my entire life.

This team and their wonderful media relations department is how I got to have my very first interview be with Philipp Grubauer during his first development camp. My first in-season roster-player interview was with Matt Hendricks. I regularly got to hold my recorder in front of guys like Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, and Nick Backstrom.

I take it personally when they lose. I know how much these guys care. I've never personally been there for a clean-out day, but I've seen plenty of their interviews.

They're the reason for so much good in my life, so much direction. So yeah, they're a little bit important to me. And it's devastating to see them get knocked out of the playoffs, especially when they were the odds-on favorites, to see them continue to be mocked and made fun of.

This group of guys this year was really the best I have seen. It wasn't like years before when they added people like Jason Arnott or Martin Erat (I don't want to talk about it) expecting that they would make a big difference. In the past few years, the Caps have brought guys like Justin Williams, T.J. Oshie, Daniel Winnik and Kevin Shattenkirk into the mix. Guys that have improved the lineup during the regular season.

As a fan, obviously I want my team to win. But of course, at the same time, I don't want to see this team get blown up.

I wish I didn't care so much. And people might say I'm stupid for caring so much. But if this team had never come into my life, my life would be a very different thing.

Sports fandom is stupid but there is a reason.

And frankly, this team changed my entire life. I went back to school for a master's in sports administration. My dream job became one with a sports team. If I had never cared about the Capitals, my life would have been so much different.

Throwback: Five American players to watch at the 2012 World Junior Championships

Originally written by Erika Schnure for Red Light District, 12/7/2011

On Monday, USA Hockey announced their preliminary roster for the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships in Alberta. 29 players are on the preliminary roster, and by December 22, they will be trimmed to a final 22. There are eight players returning from 2011's team, but it's some of the newer players that could be the biggest surprises. Here are five new guys on Team USA to watch in this year's tournament.

1. John Gibson, Goaltender

Last year, Jack Campbell and Andy Iles shared goaltending duties on the roster, but Campbell was the main man in net, as Iles spent just over nine minutes on the ice in total. Campbell's high draft selection (11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2010) could be attributed to his impressive first appearance on the international stage, playing for USA in 2010's tournament. He followed it up with another amazing performance in 2011, hence Iles' limited ice time.

But if there's anyone that could challenge Campbell for the primary spot in the net for the tournament, it's John Gibson. A second round (39th overall) selection by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, Gibson cut his teeth with the U.S. National Development Team starting in 2009. This fall, he headed to Kitchener, Ontario to become the starting goaltender for the Kitchener Rangers. Through 19 games played with the Rangers, he has 12 wins, a 2.58 goals against average, and .931 save percentage -- better statistics than Campbell.

The Pittsburgh native also has international experience. He was the starting goaltender for Team USA in the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, and recorded the best GAA and save percentage of any goaltender in the tournament. Though Gibson admits he didn't even know the World Juniors tournament existed until last year, any opportunity to represent the USA is something he takes seriously. "It's important to me," Gibson told The Record (Kitchener). "Any time I can represent my country, I want to do that."

Kitchener coach Steve Spott agrees that Gibson could very well end up the starter come tournament time. "I believe he’ll push Jack Campbell for the starting position," Spott said. "I believe he's going to give USA Hockey's coaching staff a lot to think about. He's just a money goaltender and will be a tremendous asset for them in that tournament."

2. Seth Jones, Defenseman

The youngest player on the preliminary roster (born Oct. 3, 1994), Jones comes from pro athlete stock. His father is "Popeye" Jones, who played in the NBA for 12 years and now serves as the assistant coach for the New Jersey Nets. Seth was born in Texas during Jones' three-season stint with the Dallas Mavericks. Seth definitely takes after his father in terms of size -- at 17 years old, he is 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds.

Jones, a two-way defenseman who spent last season playing with the U.S. National Development Team, caught the eye of Team USA general manager Jim Johannson in the team's summer evaluation camp. At the time, Jones was just 16 years old, and was already drawing comparisons to NHL All-Stars. "He reminds of me of Erik Johnson to a degree," Johannson said. "He is just an all-around solid player. He's the real deal. Good instincts in all areas and he plays the game in all zones."

Jones isn't even eligible for the NHL Draft until 2013, but he could earn himself a spot on the final roster for Team USA. NHL general managers are already champing at the bit to get Jones drafted to their team, and if he survives the cuts, his play in the tournament could catapult him to the top of the rankings for the 2013 draft.

3. Jarred Tinordi, Defenseman

Though two years older, Tinordi is much like Jones in several personal aspects. He is another product of the U.S. National Development Team, and his father too was a professional athlete. But hockey insiders are much more familiar with Tinordi's father -- former NHL tough guy Mark Tinordi. Like his father, Tinordi is a gritty, physical -- and huge (6-foot-7) -- defenseman.

Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2010 draft, Tinordi had originally committed to play at Notre Dame, but opted to go the junior route and signed with the London Knights. Last season with the Knights, he had 14 points and 140 penalty minutes.

Tinordi was part of Team USA in the 2010 Under-18 World Juniors, and won a gold medal in the tournament with the team. In addition to his skill, his leadership qualities are highly-touted. He captained the USA U-18 team, and currently serves as captain of the Knights. His size and work ethic could make him a valuable presence on the blue line.

4. Brandon Saad, Left Wing

Chicago Blackhawks fans are already very familiar with Saad's name -- the 2011 second-round (43rd overall) pick was a pleasant surprise in this fall's training camp, earning him the opportunity to play in two regular season games with the Blackhawks in October. After his two game appearances, he was sent back to his junior team (Saginaw Spirit), but he had already made a big impression on USA general manager Jim Johannson.

Because of the draft and commitments with the Blackhawks, Saad was not able to attend the summer's World Juniors evaluation camp, but Johannson had no issue with including him on the preliminary roster. "The bottom line with him is being able to show us that he wanted to be a part of the program and that his level of play was going to be what we were looking for," Johannson said. "He got off to a great start with Chicago and played a couple games with the 'Hawks. But more importantly for us, when he went (back) to Saginaw, he performed well, he's competing in all aspects of the game that we saw in him as a younger player and what he needed to improve on. He's shown that."

Since returning to Saginaw, Saad has 19 points in 11 games. Though he and Tinordi are rivals in the Ontario Hockey League, they were teammates on the American U-18 team that won gold in 2010.

5. Austin Watson, Center

Watson is one of the rarer players on the preliminary roster that have never been involved in the U.S. National Development Team, but don't count him out based on that. He made a name for himself in his first season in the Ontario Hockey League as a member of the 2009 Memorial Cup-winning Windsor Spitfires. Watson began his sophomore season with the Spitfires, and could have won a second Memorial Cup, but he was traded to the Peterborough Petes to close out the 2009-2010 OHL season.

Watson was drafted in the first round (18th overall) of the 2010 draft by the Nashville Predators. He's praised by scouts for his offensive ability while being able to play a grinder-style role, blocking shots and sacrificing his body to make plays. So far this season with the Petes, Watson has 28 points in 28 games.

In this deep pool of possible players, Watson could be a long shot to make the final roster, but his positive, team-first attitude may be his X factor.

Throwback: Caps power play resurges

Originally written by Erika Schnure for Red Light District, 10/25/2011

In the second half of the 2010-2011 NHL season, the Washington Capitals' power play went from one of the best in the league to practically non-existent. From February 2011 through the end of the regular season, the Capitals' power play went 16-for-88, just 18.1%. In the playoffs, it got even worse, ending in a 14.2% over nine games.

Coach Bruce Boudreau said that once the power play started to tank, it just got worse from there. "Last half of last year was a lot of 'panic-ville.' I think guys were holding their sticks too tight, trying to make the pretty plays all the time," Boudreau said. "When you're an offensive player, and you don't have the numbers that you're accustomed to, and every day people are asking you, 'How come your scoring's down?' Your confidence is down and you're not comfortable, and then you're trying harder. It may not look like you're trying harder, but you're trying to put square pegs into round holes, and you're doing things that you shouldn't be doing."

The poor power play of last season was a true departure from previous years. The Capitals finished second in the NHL in 2008-2009, and first in the league 2009-2010, with both seasons at 25.2% success on the power play. After the substandard success rate of the latter half of the 2010-2011 season, the Capitals finished the year in 16th place with 17.5%.

Now, seven games into the current season, the Capitals' power play is singing another tune. They're current first in the NHL on the power play, going 8-for-27, good for a 29.6% success rate while allowing zero shorthanded goals. That includes a 30.0% success rate at home.

What's so different about this year that is leading to an effective power play? Boudreau says that the players have stopped trying too hard and have returned to simple plays that work. "We're just getting back to what we're doing," Boudreau said. "I think with them seeing some success at doing what they're doing, they're going, 'Wow, let's just continue what we're doing.' Hopefully, it stays the same."

If you ask winger Mike Knuble, he attributes the success to the structure of the power play units. With Mike Green and Dennis Wideman healthy (both struggled with long injuries last season), the two offensive defensemen set up on the point, while fellow first unit components Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Troy Brouwer to cycle down low. Troy Brouwer was camped in front of the net while Mike Green scored two power play goals in Saturday's win against the Detroit Red Wings, and Knuble says crashing the net as Brouwer did is the key.

"There's times when we've gotten away from the net and you wonder why the power play is struggling. Then you look at the film, it's because you're not around the net enough," Knuble said. "So it's good to see that we have a net presence, it's the way to do things. It's the way that a power play should be executed. The skilled guys on the outside then you have somebody around the net that can finish and get in the way. It's a part of our success."

Boudreau and Knuble agree that last year's poor power play could have also been attributed to the separate lengthy losses of Mike Green and Dennis Wideman. "I think (Green's injury) had something to do with it," Boudreau said.

Knuble heaped praise on his teammates, saying, "It's great to have healthy Mike (Green), he's very sharp with the puck, and makes a lot of things happen. And Wideman I think, when he arrived last year (at the trade deadline) after Mike went down (hurt), he was tremendous, really was quarterbacking everything. When he went out of our lineup (injured) that was a big hole, too."

While it could be that Green and Wideman are healthy, the renewed power play success is more likely attributed to the fact that that the team isn't trying too hard, staying away from the pretty passes that go nowhere. Aside from a return to simplicity, Knuble also points to a more intangible, psychological reason for the power play progress.

"Guys are hungry right now on the power play," Knuble said. "Everyone who's moving the puck around is hungry and not just killing time and trying to look for the pretty play. Work hard and if you get an open shot, take it."

Throwback: Jose Theodore starts strong in Florida

Originally written by Erika Schnure for Hockey Primetime, 10/21/2011

photo by Getty images

The Florida Panthers made arguably the greatest amount of moves during the 2011 off-season, most notably in goal. After Tomas Vokoun walked to take $1.5 million in Washington, the Panthers brought in former Capital Jose Theodore, who spent the last year backing up Niklas Backstrom in Minnesota.

With a rebuild in full swing, it was difficult to tell how the new hodgepodge team would work together, but five games into the Panthers' season, the team is 3-2-0, largely thanks to the heroics of Jose Theodore. Theodore is standing tall with a .920 save percentage, 2.47 goals against average, and one shutout in four games played.

It hasn't been an easy road for Theodore. During two seasons in Washington, beginning in 2008, he was pushed aside in the playoffs in favor of Semyon Varlamov. Theodore called the  situation "a stinger," as he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He was officially relegated to backup status in 2010-2011 with the Wild, playing 32 games with a record of 15-11-3.

Theodore is turning over a new leaf in Florida, signing a two-year deal with the Panthers over the summer. "You look at where the team's going, especially I'm not 20 anymore, I want some changes now," Theodore told the Miami Herald in July. "I think this was the best fit."

He's been designated as the starter after goaltender Scott Clemmensen underwent minor knee surgery near the end of training camp. He's ready to rise up to that starting role. "Last year was a little step back, but I've got to show my teammates that I still play well at 35," Theodore told the Sun-Sentinel.

He made that impact early, flying out of the gate to begin the season and making 27 saves on the New York Islanders for a 2-0 shutout in the Panthers' season opener. It was the 31st shutout of Theodore's career. "(Theodore is) a competitor,'' C Stephen Weiss told the Sun-Sentinel after the game. "We knew he was going to be there for us."

Even though he's the starting goaltender now, Theodore isn't resting on his laurels - he knows that once Clemmensen returns, the fight for the starting goaltender position continues. After a lackluster training camp and preseason, during which he allowed 12 goals in two exhibition games, Theodore is working hard to show that he should remain the go-to guy in net.

"Let's not forget, Jose Theodore is a good player," Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen told reporters after last week's shootout win over Tampa Bay. "He's proven that over the length of a career. We felt that he was a No. 1 goalie, but for me he really had to earn it. He had a pretty stinky training camp, but since then he’s been pretty solid."

Thus far in the regular season, the team has been working well together, particularly with Theodore providing the support in net. In Theodore's eyes, the future looks bright for the Panthers. "I think we're working well together right now," Theodore told reporters Saturday. "We've been working hard in practices and we're starting to figure out what we got to do to win some games."

Notes

After a stellar preseason, Jets C Mark Scheifele scored his first NHL regular season goal Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Winnipeg Jets have four more games to decide whether or not to keep Scheifele in Winnipeg or return him to his junior team. ... Jets C Alexander Burmistrov, in his second year in the NHL, has shown a vast improvement from his rookie year. The 19-year-old is turning the heads of his linemates, including C Nik Antropov. "Definitely he's improved from last year," Antropov told the Winnipeg Free Press. "I can see that in reading the game and the patience he has shown on the ice, especially in the last couple of games." ... Florida Panthers G Jacob Markstrom made his first NHL start in a 3-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. Despite the score, Panthers coach Kevin Dineen blamed the defense for the loss. "(Markstrom) had a good solid game for us and gave us a chance to win,'' Dineen told reporters. "He can play in this league and it showed early on when he had that pressure on him. I'm proud of him under tough circumstances." Markstrom made 29 saves. ... The Washington Capitals are 5-0, their strongest start in franchise history. However, coach Bruce Boudreau knows that's no reason to get too excited. "When it comes to April and May I'm not going to be able to sit here and say: 'Hey, we were 5-0 and we got that record. Isn't that great?'" Boudreau told reporters. "It's not really going to hold a lot of weight. It's just the process of getting to where we want to get." ... The Carolina Hurricanes sent D Justin Faulk to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday. Faulk saw action in three regular season games after an impressive preseason. ... Six games into the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 1-3-2 record. General manager Steve Yzerman says the team has to be better. But he's not panicking quite yet. "The urgency in the guys' play is there," Yzerman said to media. "I like the effort of our team in every game. All teams go through stretches in a season where they struggle. Ours is just right off the bat."

Epic Windsor Hockey Road Trip 2: Electric Boogaloo

Last December, I took advantage of a long weekend to drive up to the illustrious Windsor, Ontario to see my Windsor Spitfires play at home for the first time. I only attended one game, but it was such a great weekend that I decided to make it an annual event.

I planned the most strategic weekend: two days off work, and a weekend schedule that included a bit of a doubleheader. On Thursday night, it was Plymouth at Windsor. On Saturday night, it was Windsor at Plymouth (just a quick 30 minute drive across the border in Michigan).

Crossing the Ambassador Bridge

So on November 7, I got in the car and began the less-than-five-hour drive to Windsor, Spitfires jersey tucked away in my suitcase. It was an uneventful drive, but once again, for the second time, I caught heat at the Canadian border after crossing the Ambassador Bridge. The border patrol agents, as they confusedly searched my car, told me "we're just trying to understand how you're from Chicago and a Spits fan." My thoughts: "I just am, let me in!"

But let's rewind and go back to why I'm a Spitfires fan, just as I explained to the Canadian customs agent that day at the border crossing. As we know, I became an NHL fan in February 2008, which was the time of the first NHL game I ever attended. I soaked up a lot of knowledge in that first year of fandom, and by May 2009, I was discovering and watching junior hockey for the first time in my life on the NHL Network: the Memorial Cup. It was then that I saw the Windsor Spitfires for the very first time.

Of course, that year, they were the dominant team in the tournament and eventually won it all, but I was attracted to them immediately. Their jersey colors were the same as the Capitals, and in fact, they reminded me a little bit of the Capitals' playing style. Consider Taylor Hall the Spitfires' Alex Ovechkin; Adam Henrique was Nicklas Backstrom, Ryan Ellis was Mike Green, Zack Kassian was Matt Bradley -- if Matt Bradley scored a whole lot more goals than he did as a Capital.

I did manage to get across the Canadian border after they deemed that I was really only bringing clothes with me into Canada and I found my dumpy motel on the west side of town. There are several restaurants and bars in the area that offer free shuttles to the Spitfires' games, so after settling in at the hotel, I made my way to one of them that I had not tried on my previous journey: Johnny Shotz, in Tecumseh.

I had dinner and a few beers there, and when my waitress asked me if I wanted gravy with the fries that came with my sandwich, I said, "um, YES." O, Canada indeed.

Sitting directly behind the penalty box was fun

I took the shuttle to the game, and took my seat in the row directly behind the visitors' penalty box (which was very well-attended that night).

The first period was... not pretty. The defense was still asleep, and goaltender Dalen Kuchmey was the casualty. At the end of the first period, the Plymouth Whalers were leading the Spitfires 4-1. It wasn't looking so promising.

Then, in the second period, the Spits apparently woke up. I'm not sure what Coach Bob Boughner said to them in the locker room, but it worked. By the end of the second period, the Whalers were only leading by one, with a 4-3 score.

In the third period, Plymouth scored fairly early on to take a 5-3 lead, but things really got kicked off nearly halfway through when Slater Koekkek scored a gorgeous shorthanded goal to make it 5-4. Then, with less than five minutes left, Cristiano DiGiacinto scored to tie it up. It was starting to get interesting.

It was a tense final five minutes. Particularly when Kerby Rychel scored to take a 6-5 lead with barely a minute left. The last goal, by the way, netted Rychel a hat trick. A few hats floated onto the ice, but moods were too tense to really overcelebrate. The Spitfires managed to hold onto the lead and notched a 6-5 win over the Whalers.

On the shuttle back to Johnny Shotz is when my entire weekend changed. Throughout the game and on my drive, I'd been tweeting about the Spitfires and the official Spitfires Twitter account had been retweeting my comments about driving from Chicago for some games. On the way back, I was talking with a few patrons on the Johnny Shotz shuttle, mentioning that I drove from Chicago for the weekend. One of the men I was talking to turned to the couple in front of him and told them "this girl drove all the way from Chicago to see the Spitfires!"

The couple turned around and said, "Wait, I saw you on Twitter!" Turns out that the couple had seen what the Spitfires had retweeted and were shocked that I was an actual person who actually was from Chicago for the games, and I was sitting there on the shuttle with them.

Then, the plot thickens. I introduced myself, and they did the same. They also told me that they were the billet family of one of the Spitfires players. That player was recent acquisition Eric Diodati.

And then my brain exploded. They invited me to dinner before the game in Plymouth on Saturday with them, the player's mother, and his grandfather. I accepted.

Friday was spent touring several southern Ontario wineries (seriously, there are like 15 vineyards along the coast of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario, who knew? -- I went to about five) and had a nice dinner at a hip restaurant in downtown Windsor. On Saturday morning, I went for a lovely run in the park near my motel.

I then got ready to head to Plymouth very early. Though it was an evening, 7:05 game, I was totally unsure of how busy/strict customs would be, and I was to meet Diodati's billets, mother and grandfather for dinner at 4:30, so I left Windsor around 3:00. The customs line was long at border patrol, but I blew through customs once I finally reached them, and so I arrived very early at the Plymouth arena.

I met up with my group at the restaurant in the Plymouth arena, and despite being among strangers, I had a great dinner. Diodati's billet parents are great, and I absolutely adored his mother and grandfather. I was so grateful for the dinner we had together, not only because I met new friends, but also because (as a giant prospect nerd) I got fantastic insight into the life of a junior hockey player. As Diodati was traded to Windsor only in October, there was a fair amount of talk about his fitting in with the new team, including direct comments from coaches and how he behaves at home. For reference, all very good.

According to Diodati's mother, Coach Boughner thinks Diodati has clicked immediately with defensive pair Trevor Murphy (which, watching the games, is completely true) and I also heard about scouts checking out Diodati at Spitfires games, so I got a little inside information there. Being as Diodati is an overager who wasn't drafted, seems a few teams are interested in picking him up as a free agent. I heard a little bit about the inside process of scouting, and I found the conversation very interesting.

Adam Bateman and other scratches

We then watched warmups and posited ourselves over the Spitfires tunnel. Diodati came out as we were standing there, and I nudged his mother and she shouted out to him, and he looked up and smiled (probably wondering who this woman in a Spitfires jersey was with his mother, grandfather and billet parents).

The game in Plymouth was no less exciting than the one in Windsor. Teams traded goals, and at the end of two periods, Plymouth led 3-2. In the third period, with barely five minutes left, Josh Ho-Sang scored basically the most disgustingly beautiful dangle goal I have ever seen and tied it up at 3 (I wish I could find it online).

Kuchmey in the tunnel before the game Saturday

That put them into overtime, which produced no goals, and so they progressed to a shootout. Plymouth's first shooter didn't score. Windsor's first shooter, rookie Nick Foss, scored. Kuchmey staved off two more Plymouth shots, and the Spitfires won the shootout with Foss' goal standing alone.

During the game, I'd gone from my third row seat to hang out with the Windsor section, which was essentially all players' parents (Ty Bilcke, by the way, looks just like his dad). I met the Spitfires' arena PA announcer, and he invited me to attend the Sunday matinee game. I was further persuaded by Diodati's billet parents, who had an extra ticket to the 2:00 game on Sunday in Windsor. Against London. I hopelessly relented. How could I resist?

During the Sunday game against London

So I delayed my departure from Windsor. I'd been planning to leave Windsor in the morning and arrive back home in Chicago in the early afternoon. But with the PA announcer, billet parents, and actual parents pressuring me, plus the prospect of seeing Dale Hunter and an elite team like London, I gave in, essentially said, "screw it, why not" and accepted the ticket. I planned to leave immediately after the game, putting me home in Chicago around 9pm.

I met Diodati's billet parents, his mother and grandfather at Johnny Shotz on Sunday morning to have breakfast before the game. We took the shuttle over and I found my (free) seat, five rows behind the net, after helping Diodati's mother purchase Spitfires player t-shirts with her son's (and her) name on the back (did I mention I absolutely love her?)

I'll be honest, for this game against London, I did not have high hopes. After all it is London, with Dale Hunter furiously chewing gum behind the bench, and I knew the game would be a battle. However, I highly respected how well the Spitfires played against them. The Knights won, yes, but Kuchmey saved the defense's butts a lot, and once the defense warmed up a bit, it was a big battle.

After a very tense game and the first two periods being scoreless, London unfortunately ended up victorious with a 3-1 win (though I must mention that one of those goals was an empty netter, but Kuchmey came out with 33 saves -- quite respectable for basically a rookie).

I was two for three on the weekend, but being in the Windsor area, my personal attendance record is three for four. I met some fantastic new people, including some billet parents who are fantastic, and I got some real insight on junior hockey players, directly from the player's mother and grandfather.

I got home around, as predicted, 9pm on Sunday night, but it was worth every second. Even though the game against London was lost, it was a very good and exciting game that I'm glad I stayed for.

All in all, this was basically the best weekend ever. Yes, it ended on a bit of a low note with the loss to the Knights and an unfortunate discovery of bedbugs in my motel, but I am so grateful to have met Eric Diodati's billet family, mother, and grandfather and gotten their insight on the whole "CHL experience," not to mention I liked all of them so much I basically spent the entire weekend with them.

I went into Windsor expecting to see two games and remain largely on my own. I ended up attending three games and spending basically an entire weekend with a player's billet and blood families.

I'm so grateful for my experiences over the weekend and all the crazy happenstance that led up to all of it. I absolutely cannot wait until next year's trip to Windsor, especially since I have friends there now that will ease border patrol questions! I feel that WFCU Centre is now my home, and I'm so glad that I have friends who populate it.

Focus on Prospects: Andre Burakovsky

It's draft time again! This is like Christmas in June to me personally.

photo by eliteprospects.com

Name: Andre Burakovsky

Position: LW

Shoots: Left

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 179 lbs

Birthdate: 1995-02-09

Hometown: Klagenfurt, Austria

With the Washington Capitals' first pick of the 2013 draft (23rd overall), the Capitals followed a trend of recent years and again went Swedish. Well, sort of. Andre Burakovsky, though Austrian-born, plays for Malmö of the Allsvenskan league (the Swedish Hockey League's minor league).

Dedicated NHL fans may remember Andre's father, Robert Burakovsky, who played 23 games with the Ottawa Senators in the 1993-1994 season. Though that short time was the only NHL ice Robert Burakovsky ever saw, he spent a total of 27 seasons in professional hockey, mostly in the Swedish Elite League. Andre was born during Robert's season with Klagenfurt AC in Austria.

Something that was discussed a lot by commentators during the draft was the recent influx of Swedish players coming to North America to play in the CHL and in the NCAA, due to many 16- and 17-year-old Swedish players being "too good for junior but don't play any minutes in the big league."

Burakovsky has been a casualty of precisely that situation, and as a result, his statistics last season are very underwhelming. In 43 games with Malmö's "big" club last season, Burakovsky had just 11 points (4g, 7a). He also played 13 games with Malmö's junior teams, and fared a little better there, scoring seven points (3g, 4a).

However, Burakovsky has had international tournament success, playing in the 2013 U18 World Junior Championships for Sweden in April (he did not make the U20 club, but had five points in five games at U18) and the Five Nations tournament this past February. The Five Nations tournament was really his coming out party, as he scored one goal and two assists in four games.

He's known as a very talented skater, with good agility and speed. But his real strength is his nose for the puck. He's a guy that always wants the puck, shoots often, and shoots to score. His shot and his shot placement are major positives that scouts have seen. Even though he seems to prefer to have the puck himself (which may be just fine considering his great puck possession skills), he's still a great playmaker, has excellent vision, and skilled hands. He is the kind of player who has the ability to be a total gamechanger.

Major criticisms of his game involve his play when he doesn't have the puck, namely, in his own end. Scouts point out that his defensive skills are lacking, and need work. However, being that he still does not have a lot of weight on his 6'2" frame, the defensive side of the game may come once he puts a bit of weight on his frame. Once that happens, he may be a little more willing to throw the body and muscle his way into puck battles. Being 6'2", one can only hope that he'll use his size appropriately once he gains that extra strength.

That's not to say that once he gains weight, he should suddenly become Chris Pronger, but if Burakovsky can round out his game by adding the defensive element, he'll be a very dangerous player that will cause major problems for opponents.

Explaining the 2005 CBA and the 2012 Lockout

Being a grad student means that I have to write my fair share of papers. Being a grad student in a Sports Administration program means that I sometimes get to write my papers on hockey.

Such was the case last quarter, when I had to write a final paper for my Sports Finance and Accounting class. The assignment our professor gave us was ridiculously broad. Basically, the assignment was "write a 6-8 page paper on a subject having some small relation to sports finance and accounting." As this was mid-December, I of course opted to write an assessment of the NHL lockout, what each side was asking for, and how the lockout might be resolved.

With the topic, I bit off way more than I could chew. I realized that in order to write the paper, I had to read several portions of the actual CBA, which is like reading a very complicated book of laws and statutes in terms of ridiculously mind-numbing jargon.

Even though the lockout is now over, I figured my paper might make a nice post for the blog for people who are still confused over what the whole fight was actually about.

Full text appears after the jump. It's not Shakespeare, as I was panicking and majorly scrambling to finish this on time. I should hope this would go without saying, but this is my own work and research and you cannot reproduce or use it for your own purposes without my express permission. Bibliography is available but too much of a pain to reproduce on Blogger.

Happy Caps Year in Columbus

I'd previously blogged about my other hockey trips, so I thought I'd do the same for my little trip to Columbus for New Year's Eve.

I moved away from DC on November 2, 2011, the day after an overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks, a win that was almost a singlehanded effort from Nicklas Backstrom (scoring the game-tying goal in the last 30 seconds, and then the overtime winner). It was also the beginning of the end for Bruce Boudreau -- the game that stirred controversy when he did not put Alex Ovechkin out on the ice in the last minute of the third period to try to tie the game.

It was my last Capitals game at Verizon Center, at least for the foreseeable future. I went to every single game of the season until my move, preseason included, and the Capitals were still undefeated at home at that time.

After I left is when the team spiraled downhill, and it was difficult to watch from so far away. And I thought the next time I would see the team is when they come to Chicago to play the Blackhawks in March. After attending about 30 games in 2010-2011 and every game until November 1 in 2011-2012, four months without seeing my team in person was going to be tough.

On Friday night, I still didn't have any plans for New Year's Eve. Sam (Caps fans may know him as The Horn Guy) mentioned to me the Caps Road Crew trip to Columbus, but I thought the Road Crew seats were sold out. But another friend, Karen, also had a group going, and had a last-minute cancellation, and thus a ticket.

So I made the decision. Just 8 hours before I got in the car, I paid for a ticket, got a hotel in Columbus, and packed up my Nicklas Backstrom jersey to be worn to a game for the first time in two months.

It's only about six hours from Chicago to Columbus, and it was smooth sailing through Indiana and Ohio. My hotel was about four blocks from the Arena, and after a quick change, I went to meet up with the Road Crew near the arena. At the bar, I met Caps fans from London (Ontario), Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and obviously DC. Caps fans really came from all over.

 

After getting into the arena, it was almost like being at a Verizon Center game -- Caps fans were absolutely everywhere. Nationwide Arena is beautiful. Being one of the newer arenas in the NHL, I enjoyed the design and features. The concourses are wide, and the seating arrangement is unique and also functional.

We headed down to rinkside for warm-ups, and I practically started crying when the Caps hit the ice. It was so great to see them, and it just made me incredibly happy. Dmitri Orlov was called up after I'd left DC, and as I was at his first-ever AHL game, I was so proud to see him in an NHL jersey in person for the first time.

As for the game, it wasn't looking so good after the first two periods. But thankfully, the Caps picked it up in the third period and scored four goals in less than seven minutes, including two Ovechkin markers. After a New Year's Eve fireworks display on the ice, we left the arena happy and went back to a nearby bar to watch the ball drop.

It was no Verizon Center, but it was absolutely worth the trip and there's no other way I would rather have spent New Year's Eve. And the experience will at least hold me over until two months from now, when the Caps come into my hometown of Chicago.

Pictures from the trip (including a bunch of warm-up photos) are here.

Second period mistakes cost Express

 Players look on as Devin DiDiomete (28) and Phil Rauch (20) fight at the end of the second period (photo by Chicago Express)

Coming into Wednesday night's game, the Toledo Walleye (DET/CHI) and the Chicago Express (CBJ) had already met six times this season, splitting wins evenly between them at three a piece. Chicago took the first three decisions, and the Walleye took the last three. After Wednesday's final decision, the Walleye have now won four, claiming a 4-3 victory over the Express.

The game didn't start out so bad for the Express. Mike Embach scored a beauty in the first period, taking advantage of a turnover at the opposite blue line to fly through the neutral zone, deke around three defenders, and put the puck top shelf. The goal sent the Express into the locker room with a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. But when the team stepped onto the ice in the second, things turned disastrous.

Walleye forward Christopher DiDomenico scored twice less than four minutes into the second period, first on a power play, then at even strength, making it 2-1 in favor of Toledo. After the Express began trailing for the first time in the game, everything went wrong. Pucks were continuously turned over, the defense was sloppy, and Express had significant trouble putting passes on their teammates' tape.

The Walleye took advantage, and struck again. Allen York misplayed the puck 10 feet in front of his own net, and suddenly Kyle Rogers had his sixth goal of the year. Just seconds later, Joey Martin got another puck past York, and it was 4-1 Walleye.

Instead of getting inspired, the Express got angry. A lot of chirping began. During a faceoff, Bobby Robins clearly asked Nick Oslund if he wanted to fight. Oslund shook his head no. Net mouth scrums got more and more frequent as the Express tried to get some kind of spark going. After putting only five shots on goal in the second period, the Express' frustration finally spilled into a full-fledged fight just after the horn indicating the end of the period.

Devin DiDiomete, fresh off injured reserve, went up against Phil Rauch. Though smaller, DiDiomete looked to get the better of Rauch, knocking Rauch's helmet off and eventually taking him down to the ice. The only punches Rauch landed were right on DiDiomete's helmet, resulting in a bloody hand for Rauch. DiDiomete was assessed a two-minute roughing minor, a five-minute fighting major, and a ten-minute misconduct, and as a result, missed most of the third period. Rauch received just a five-minute major.

But the fight appeared to serve its purpose. The Express came out in the third period ready to battle for goals. Five minutes in, several Express players crashed the net and ended up scoring, with Kyle Ostrow getting credit for the marker. Ten minutes later, Chaz Johnson scored a rocket of a one-timer from the dot on a power play.

It was 4-3 Walleye with five minutes to go, and the Express were not going to give up. With one minute remaining, Allen York sprinted to the bench to get an extra man on to try for an equalizer. Walleye goaltender Thomas McCollum faced a flurry of shots, but nothing got through, and the Express fell short in their comeback.

Though there were at least two goals that Allen York would no doubt like to have back, he made 29 saves on 33 shots as the Walleye outshot the Express 33-20.

Just after the final horn, there was an altercation between Chaz Johnson and Matt Krug of the Walleye. Something Krug said or did very obviously set Johnson off, sending him into hysterics as a referee struggled to hold him back. Johnson smashed his stick on the ice before finally heading down the tunnel, leaving the Walleye to celebrate their victory.

Given the nature of the scene, I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson faces any supplemental discipline from the league for unsportsmanlike conduct. It's fitting, as that capped off a game in which Johnson surpassed his 1,000th pro career penalty minute (he had four penalty minutes in total on the night).

Friday night, the Express face the Elmira Jackals (OTT/ANA). Tyler Donati, named the second star of the game with two assists, said the game plan against the Jackals is pretty obvious: "Play like we played in the third."

Express down Wings in a shootout thriller

 Kyle Ostrow scores the game-winning shootout goal (photo by Chicago Express)

It wasn't looking so good for the Chicago Express as they headed into the third period Friday night, down 4-2 to the Kalamazoo Wings. A few minutes into the third period, Eric Kattelus made it 5-2. The clock was ticking.

After two power play goals in the first 20 minutes, the Express looked to have stalled out in the latter half of the second period. They were finding it tough to carry pucks through the offensive zone, and shots from the blue line were immediately blocked by Wings players on the defensive. Worst of all, Express goaltender Allen York wasn't getting a lot of help.

But the crowd of 3,090 in the Sears Centre Arena got loud in the third, and the Express seemed to respond in turn. "Nothing out of the ordinary was said during the second intermission, we just knew that we had to step it up for the final 20," Express defenseman Scott Wietecha said after the game. "We were confident that if we went out, played hard and stuck to our style of play, we'd have a chance to climb back into it."

Wietecha (a Capitals development and rookie camp attendee) started it off for the Express in the third, getting a fluky goal from nearly center ice. He blasted the puck to the net, and goaltender Maxime Clermont got just a piece of it, sending the puck tipping off the top of his glove and into the net.

It was Wietecha's first professional goal, and judging by his delayed jubilant reaction, he didn't immediately know that he'd scored. "I didn't know it went in at first, but was pretty pumped when I realized I finally got my first one out of the way," Wietecha said.

The goal also set off the Express comeback.

By the time Wietecha scored, the Express had been down 5-2, and with Wietecha making it 5-3, the Express had about 16 minutes to make it a game.

They did. Wietecha's goal included, the Express scored three unanswered goals to tie the game and send it to overtime. Two goals were against starter Maxime Clermont, but just after Mike Embach made the score 5-4, Clermont lost his mask in a scrum and appeared to be cut in the face. Bleeding from his forehead, Clermont left the game and watched the rest of the action from the bench while back-up Riley Gill took over in the Kalamazoo crease.

Gill surrendered a goal to Chad Painchaud, his second of the night, and the Express had the game tied at 5-5, sending it to overtime.

Overtime was largely uneventful until 1:46 to go, when Painchaud took a costly hooking penalty to put the Express shorthanded for the remainder of overtime.

Your best penalty killer is often your goaltender, and Allen York was brilliant while the Wings had several quality scoring chances during their power play.

Scoreless through five minutes of extra time, the game went to a shootout. Kyle Ostrow scored in the fifth round of the shootout to finally get the Express the 6-5 victory.

One to watch: Mike Embach

I could barely take my eyes off Embach whenever he got on the ice. He had very fancy footwork and deked like Datsyuk, but a lot of times when he was carrying the puck, his moves were too fancy for his own teammates, and he'd end up sending a blind pass to no one. While he was busy dancing into the offensive zone, it seemed like he lost track of where his teammates were, and even where he was, and several times, he'd turn it over to the opposing defense by the time he got to the top of the circles.

Even so, watching his moves through two periods, I knew it was a matter of time before Embach put one in the net, and he did about seven minutes into the third. Embach needs some time in the pro leagues (he comes from four years at Ferris State) to really get his hockey sense under control while he's weaving around the D so that his passes can be on point and he can get farther into the zone. But the 23-year-old undrafted forward is a fun player to watch and might end up getting somewhere, even if it's only as far as the AHL.

Development camps and preparing for a pro career

Since I got to ask Scott Wietecha some questions, I had to ask about his experience at  Capitals camps this summer and how they helped him start his pro career. He had very positive things to say about his time in Washington.

"I definitely think that being at the Caps camps better prepared me for my first year pro. It has given me confidence coming into the season. I learned a lot from the coaches and the players that were there. Skating with Caps players and seeing how they prepared for the season was definitely beneficial. In Washington, I better learned from the coaches and staff what it takes to make a professional hockey player and picked up things on the ice too. It was a great experience."