A Capitals Affair Expanding to New Platforms

Hey everyone, we'll be expanding to new platforms, and one of those platforms is already set. I've created a Facebook page with the blog information in it. I'm sending several of you guys a verification through Facebook to ensure that I am really the writer of this blog. Please click yes so I can become the author of this blog on Facebook.

I'll be setting up a Twitter account, which basically means you can get web, RSS, or text notifications on new blog posts and in-game updates. Make sure to consider signing up for it, you can personalize settings and what not. All you need is a Twitter account which takes seconds to sign up for, and it's free. Take a look at www.twitter.com.

After that bit of advertising, it's time to talk Caps, and they got their first preseason loss tonight in Philly. I'll be going to the game on Friday where I'll be able to update Twitter for the first time ever! Keep an eye out for it if you want to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

The Deal

Okay, so here's the deal. I'm going to start putting the opinion pieces up here, and not the game recaps. Those will go to DCSportsFan, and we'll stay with more of an opinion sort of thing here. It will be delayed, as obviously the first priority is DCSportsFan, but we'll try our best and see what happens. Next preseason game is Oct. 3 against Philly, and I will be in attendance as far as I see it now. Haven't decided whether I'll be posting an opinion for that one, but there will definitely be a game recap for it on DCSportsFan. Stay tuned Caps fans!

One Month Away

Folks, we are just one month away from the Caps season opener. Training camp starts very shortly and Bruce Boudreau will be at the Verizon Center on Monday... so things all of the sudden are getting started very quickly. My coverage will start as soon as I can get to training camp (there's a media day on Sept. 19th!) so that's exciting already! Keep it tuned here!

Capitals to Host Open House at Verizon Center Sept. 15th

I'm going to start posting press releases. Here's something relevant from my archives... something I hope to attend:

Capitals to Host Open House at Verizon Center on Sept. 15

Bruce Boudreau to sign autographs

ARLINGTON, VA., – The Washington Capitals will host an open house from 6-8 p.m. at Verizon Center on Monday, Sept. 15. The event will allow fans to select their season-ticket plans for the upcoming 2008-09 Capitals season.

Ticket packages available include full season and partial plans including 22 Game Weekend, Pick 11 and “Pack the House” Six Packs. Special packages are also available for games against the original six franchises, former Patrick Division opponents, weekend games and a current rivals package.

Jack Adams Award winner and Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau will be at Verizon Center to sign autographs and meet fans. In order to allow as many people as possible to meet coach Boudreau, there will be no posed pictures and fans are allowed to receive only one autograph per person.

Steve Kolbe, the radio voice of the Capitals, will host the event and Slapshot and Capitals inflatables will also be on hand to entertain children.

Refreshments will be available and participants are encouraged to RSVP at WashingtonCaps.com or by phone at 202-266-CAPS by Sept. 11.

Up Close and Personal with Chris Clark

Sorry for the delay, but at long last... here it is. My interview with Chris Clark. I got caught up with moving in at my dorm at the University of Maryland. The same UMD that treated us with a 14-7 win over the University of Delaware Blue Hens on Saturday. Anyway, with that brief excuse out of the way, here is my interview with Chris Clark:



How are you healing up from the injury? (KG)

Good. It feels 100%. (CC)

So are you ready to go out there and kick some butt? (KG)

Yeah. (CC)

So what do you expect out of the team this year? (KG)

A lot about kind of what we finished last year. We finished real strong. We can carry that into this year. We got basically the same team, new goalie obviously, but unbelievable goalie, so I think he can step right in and help us right away. (CC)

Beating Philly this year? (KG)

Yeah, that’s our goal. (CC)

Getting rid of those Philly fans? (KG)

Yeah, that’s our goal. (CC)

That’s exactly what I want to hear. (KG)

What are your personal goals for this season? (KG)

Personal goals have a lot to do with team goals this year. We have a really good team, it’s not every year that management will put together a team like this where you can get close to the cap or at the cap and spend the money, so we really have to show that we can do it this year. (CC)

What’s it like playing under Bruce Boudreau, I know I’ve seen on the ice, it’s been a completely different team. What differences did he come in and make behind the scenes, all we were seeing was on the ice? (KG)

A lot of his power play stuff, he really turned it around, that was one of his specialties coming in , we have great talent on our power play, but it took him to change a couple things, our power play really took off at the end of the year. Just confidence, he came in thinking we were gonna win, knowing we were gonna win, just instilling that in us. (CC)

Any other comments about the season, anything like that? (KG)

Just looking forward to it, start right now, it’ll be great. (CC)

With that, my conversation came to an end. It was time for Clark and Bradley to sign autographs for fans assembled at the Verizon Center for the Open House. Not sure when my next update will be, but be sure to keep checking back, or subscribe to the RSS feed.

Up Close and Personal with Matt Bradley

Here we go with my conversation with Matt Bradley. I hope you guys enjoy it... and I plan on putting the interview with Clark up tomorrow. Sorry for the delay but I wanted the fresh article to be up on the press for a few days. No word on when any future interviews will take place... but I'll keep you posted.

With that old business out of the way, here is my interview:


How did that feel scoring 10th round of the shootout, going out there, waking us all up? (KG)

It was a lot of fun, I was getting worried there for a while when Brash went over and John Erskine went over there, I turned to Bruce and I said I’m going, I didn’t even really give him a choice, it was a great experience for me personally, it was, I don’t get to shoot in many shootouts and for me to score the game winner was huge, but it was definitely a fond memory I have of last year, and hopefully OV and those guys never let it get that late in a shootout again so I don’t have to go out there and embarrass myself next time. (MB)

It wasn’t really embarrassing, you scored. (KG)

What are your goals for the team this year? (KG)

Last year we all talked about making the playoffs, but I think this year it will be more short term goals, like starting off the season well, last year we had a terrible start, and we really had to work to get back in the end and get into the playoffs. So I think if we have a solid start and kind of finish the way we did last year we’ll be in a good position. (MB)

Goals for yourself? (KG)

I just wanna, I’m gonna play my role on the team, obviously we have a lot of offensive guys , but I feel like I can contribute more offensively and still be a good defensive player, and add some physical play out there as well. (MB)

Any other comments about the season, excitement, obviously, very exciting to be getting out there. The excitement level is great, I was at the home finisher when you guys beat Carolina, are you looking to carry on that excitement level, that enthusiasm, that intensity? (KG)

Yeah, I mean, the fans last year made it super fun coming to the rink the past couple months there, and we wanna come out this year and have a great start, it feels like it’s been a long summer which has actually been shorter than the last couple because we actually made the playoffs but it feels longer and I think we’re all excited to get back on the ice and get back into it and hopefully build on what we started last year. (MB)

You shutting down the Philly fans this year, sending them back home to Philly? (KG)

Yeah for sure, that was a great series with them, they played well, they deserved to win, but that won’t happen again this year. (MB)

*UPDATE* on Clark and Bradley interviews

Okay so press date was today, July 20th, on DCSportsFan. You can find the full article at this link here. I'll be posting the full interviews this weekend or early next week, whenever I choose. Matt Bradley's interview will be first, followed by Chris Clark's. And now we play the waiting game, as the Caps don't actually start until early October. So there's a little bit of time... could there be a countdown element in the right side of the page? Maybe... you'll have to stay tuned for that. That's all for today.

Update: The right content has been rejiggered, including a countdown that I plan on updating quite furiously throughout the season, such as "Next Home Game" or "Trade Deadline Ends". Keep it posted.