I Have Nothing Good To Say

During the second intermission, there were not one but two text message marriage proposals flashed across the big screen. For both couples' sakes, I hope nobody said yes, because A) text messaging your marriage proposal? Seriously? B) any engagement that started at tonight's game is most certainly going to end badly. I'm thinking probably something involving some sort of decapitation.

Going into tonight's game, I thought it would be a chance for the Caps to have a real statement game, and they did. However, instead of saying "Take notice, NHL. We've arrived", they said "We all belong to some strange, Scientology-like cult in which we do not recognize the existence of anything labelled with the number two. In fact, we've never even heard of Brian Pothier." I don't know what the problem is, but something needs to be done about the Capitals' inability to put together a complete 60 minutes. With the exception of that ten minute stretch from the end of the second to the start of the third, the Caps pretty thoroughly dominated every aspect of the game. Yet here I am, lamenting yet another heartbreaking loss (albeit a somewhat contrived shootout loss, but still) to the Penguins.

This would normally be the part where I give the Penguins their due credit for their heroic comeback, but the fact is that they deserve no credit. The Capitals were the better team tonight and they flat out gave away two points. The fact that they get a point for trying is of little consequence and, quite frankly, offends me somewhat. The fact that this team will be rewarded in any way for this debacle is disgusting and the NHL needs to do away with the point-for-a-loss travesty.

Okay. I'm done. I've vented. I've said my piece. Let's take a semi-rational look. What was the deal with Hanlon's shootout lineup? Green? Clark? I love them both, and I know some of the other guys have had some issues in the shootout but I just don't get it. I get that Clark had the hot hand tonight with two goals, but they were both a result of hard work in front of the net, not his beautiful breakaway skills. I'm not one to get too upset about anything that happens in the shootout, because I still think it is a load of crap, but my opinion of it doesn't change the fact that the Caps are leaving points out on the ice. And making it absolutely unbearable to be around the Pittsburgh fans. (Thank God I can walk home because I don't think I would've been able to take the Metro. There is a very good chance I would have gotten into some sort of physical confrontation. Which is kind of scary in that I was completely sober and, even when I'm not, I don't get in fights with people.)

The worst part of the whole evening (or best, depending on your point of view about these sorts of things) is going to be the large welt I'm going to wake up with on my ankle tomorrow morning, thanks to my kicking my seat in frustration as I was getting up to leave. That was a poor decision.

Recaps From People That Matter:
-A View From The Cheaps Seats
-Bleatings From a Caps Nut
-Capital Punishment
-Japers' Rink (Pretty much everything you need to know is right here)
-The Peerless Prognosticator
-Puckhead's Thoughts