It's Wonderful Day In Bristow

Ah I arose today refreshed and looked out the windows here in scenic Bristow - life is good - why, lots of reasons but first I've gotta say: weren't the Caps fun to watch last night? In case you didn't watch they won again 5-2.

Also I've been pretty pleased at the last week's NCAA football results. The NCAA results I liked best you may ask - well that's a tie between Arkansas beating LSU (nothing against LSU I just love how the underdog has upset the 1-2 so much this year); the WVU win; and the VT-UVA game (again not because I don't like UVA). The three things all likely add up to this: a Big East Team (WVU) in the BCS Championship game and definitely add up to a former Big East team winning the ACC championship. I didn't think it was that cool when the ACC basically raided the Big East of it's growing football prowess now they are reaping what they've sown.

The Caps game was pretty awesome. They scored 3 power play goals to go up 3-0 before the Hurricanes got their first in the last minute of the second period. The team's approach is clearly to take a more proactive stance and play more aggressively and it sure seems to be working. It's also just so much fun to watch them again, now that they play the entire 60 minutes. The Hurricanes played hard all 60 minutes too and I thought after they scored that second goal - "Oh no here we go again." However, the 'Canes second goal seemed to energize the Caps and the crowd as much as it energized the Hurricanes. If Ovechkin's power play goal in the first period was pure excitement, his fore-checking and back-checking in the third was awesome power; and his second goal that put them up by two was the athletic artistry we all love to see. Once again Poti and Pothier served as solid anchors with significant ice time (23:41 and 20:10 receptively); and Erskine had a reasonably good game as well (18:42 TOI; 4 SOG; +/- -1; 2 PIM).

Overall my summary is it was a solid effort by both teams and I really liked the outcome. High points: A) I thought this was the first game I watched that Nylander earned more than every bit of his pay. B) The line combo of Fleischmann - Nylander - Pettinger worked. C) Olie the Goalie was solid "between the pipes" as well turning back 35 of 37 shots. Olie's play in the first five minutes of the first period was key to them having a lead at the end of the first. If your keeping count I was 4 1/2 of 8 on predictions. (I'm giving myself 1/2 for Erskine being in and Schultz sitting - hopefully we'll see Eminger soon so we'll know he's NOT being too heavily shopped. I think you can figure out which of the others I'm taking credit on; and even though Brashear had another good game - 8:48 TOI; 3 SOG; +/- 0 and no PIM I didn't feel right taking any credit on prediction #8.

So as I sip my coffee here in suburban Northern Virginia, all is right in the world, except I just realized that I'll miss the Caps game on Monday since I'll be with my son at his interview with our Congressman's (Tom Davis) interview board for Service Academy nominations. So I'll probably give them to one of the other crazy hockey fans in ICx Technologies corporate headquarters. Oh well, I'll just have to wait till Wed to go see their 4th win in a row under their new coach, Bruce Boudreau.