United States v. Canada, group stage, 2010 Olympics.

’87 Canada Cup, game 3.

Off the top of my head I would say the Carlson game, but I missed most of it cause I was at the Caps/Habs game.

The last few years the WJC’s have been absolutely amazing. I would also have to throw in the Gold Medal Game from this year as being a fabulous game to watch.

Caps-Canes from early 2008-2009. Semin scored twice in the last 160 seconds to win 3-2. I remember AO and Semin 2-on-2 coming down, AO with the puck, everyone on the edge of their seats, with an audible collective holding-of-the-breath, and he passed, and Semin did the classic Semin-wrister. There was also a trail of blood afterwards since Semin had cut Rod Brind’Amour in the face, but they didn’t even bother to clean it up.

I also liked the Caps 5-2 Pens game from that season since that was my third Caps-Pens game in the Ovechkin era but only my first win.

I was also at the TBL game in which Pothier scored, and everyone gave him a standing ovation.

Boston U. vs Miami of Ohio, NCAA Finals at Verizon Center.

Probably the 2009 Frozen Four final. BU scoring twice in the last minute to tie and then winning in OT. I didn’t have much of a rooting interest but felt just awful for Miami.

Druce is loose! – Druce OT winner vs. NYR. Jumped up in the air to hug my brother. Quite exciting!

I would have to say the caps/pens on superbowl sunday in the snow, im married to a pens fan and we watched together,

I’m hoping Game 7 of Caps vs. Habs isn’t still on my short list 10 years from now. Somehow I don’t imagine that emotional roller-coaster will ever really fade from my memory. From the highest highs after Ovie’s goal, to the anger of seeing the referee wash it out, to the crushing low when the buzzer sounded.

Ouch… it still hurts.

Everyone hates it and has a horror story associated with it, but the Backstrom Own Goal Game against Pittsburgh.

Worst sporting experience of my life.

Caps-Panthers to make the playoffs in 2008. Not the best of games hockey wise, but by far the best hockey-related experience I’ve had.

The Caps vs. Pens playoff game 2 years ago where both Ovi and Sid had hat-tricks…that was an epic display we aren’t likely to see again…like ever.

Ive been to a lot of hockey games but only one made my mouth drop wide open and that was being at VC and seeing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjQMwzNw_Dw&feature=related

Capitals first ever win vs. Canadiens after 34 tries.
February 19, 1980 if I recall correctly.

The Super Bowl Sunday game vs. Pittsburgh. Not only the breathtaking game itself—the fact that it was on Super Bowl Sunday (and ended up being more exciting than the actual Super Bowl), during the middle of the Snowpocalypse, with a bunch of dramatic non-hockey factors going on. It was about as Disney-story as you could imagine. Down 4-1, I was pooping my pants from sadness and my Philadelphian roommate specifically said “I don’t think you’re going to win this one” to which I replied “I’ve got hope.” Who would’ve thought we’d win with a fucking Ovie hat trick and a goal in overtime. NBC couldn’t have asked for a better game.

I don’t really have a favorite, but I sure have a particularly memorable one: Easter Sunday, 2003, when St. Louis and the Lightning took the Caps down in triple overtime. It was pretty memorable by virtue of the fact that it was a triple overtime game, naturally, but what I really remember was how I felt walking out of the arena.

I was legitimately worried about the Capitals as a franchise – it seemed obvious the Jagr extension had been a mistake, obvious Cassidy has no idea what the hell he was doing, obvious that building around Jagr by bringing in his buddies was a bad idea. The was dressing Ciernik, Doig, and Kwiatkowski every night. The attendance for that game couldn’t have been more than 13,000. The franchise hadn’t hit rock bottom, but it was obvious they didn’t really know what they were doing and scrapping the whole thing and starting over was going to become a necessity, and I was just praying the team realized that.

Sitting through the 03-04 season with that knowledge led to a few heated debates with friends who were upset with the fire sale, and more in the ensuing couple of years when it was trendy to insist the team had failed and Leonsis didn’t care. Oh, well, I guess I’ve won those now.

I have been to a lot (and I mean a LOT) of sporting events, but I’ve never experienced a stadium/arena as loud and as pumped as when Fedorov scored that go-ahead goal with 5 minutes remaining.

Nobody (and I mean NOBODY) sat down or stopped screaming for the entire 5 minutes of game that proceeded. Deafening loudness. It was truly an awesome event to be a part of, and I’ll never forget it.

Ovi’s four-goals-and-a-broken-nose game. I went with a group taking advantage of student discount tickets, and the only other person who’d been to a NHL game before was a Habs fan. It was great just because of how the tides turned and everyone’s looks of amazement afterward, and one of my friends saying “you were right, number eight was the one to watch.”

2008 game 7 vs flyers

yea we lost in OT and i was right behind huet.

but how often do you attend a game 7?

Probably the Caps – Panthers game that clinched the SE Division. Also the Caps – Rangers game where Semin put on his Bongo performance.

The Caps – Habs game where Ovechkin scored while falling down, Caps – Pens when Crosby and Ovechkin had the “incident”, and also Ovie’s first game vs. Columbus.

The first Caps game I went to was also memorable.

Two words: Todd Fucking Krygier.

I don’t even remember the games I saw when I was in High School so as great as the 1998 run to the Stanley Cup finals was I have to DQ that entire year. I think the two most memorable I have been to were the Penguins game the day after the huge blizzard and a game against Montreal in 2008 where Ovie bounced the puck off the board and then made the goal while sliding on his ass.

Boston College winning the NCAA title (in OT) in 2001 over North Dakota. I was a senior at BC, and we’d been in the Frozen Four three out of the four years I was a student, and we finally got it in ’01. BC had last won the title in 1949. Campus exploded with awesome. It was fabulous.

Still remember the date: 12/23/02. Mario Lemieux scores directly off a face-off in a game in Pittsburgh against the Sabres. I think the Straka/Lemieux/Kovalev line combined for 3 goals in like one period to cap a rally, it was the most dominant performance by a trio I’ve ever seen. Seemed like every time they stepped on the ice, they’d put the puck in the net on some crazy bang-bang-bang play.

Runner up would be Game 2 Caps v. Pens, dueling hat tricks from Sid and AO. Even if the Caps won, it was something special….Even if you guys don’t seem to understand that once all the hats are picked up, it’s not appropriate to throw a stray one on the ice :)

I have vivid memories of the game where Semin destroyed Staal in a manly fight and the game where Ovechkin banked the puck off the boards and around Hamrlik.

I still remember watching “The Goal” live on TV, too.

Most memorable on TV – ‘98 SC Finals, the Tikanen Game (not in a good way, but it’s memorable all right).

Most memorable in person – 1986 Patrick Division Semis, vs the Isle. First playoff game I attended live. Caps won. It was great. It was eye-opening how much buzz and energy the building had.

Favorite on TV – Miracle on Ice. Including Rene Poussaint blowing the suspense on a “newsbreak”. It was still such a great feeling.

Favorite in person – It’s funny, I don’t remember the opponent, but it was the first time I’d seen AO live, and it was during his rookie season. Maybe it was the Canes? Anyway, AO scored twice and I had the exact same feeling I’d had when I’d first seen Gretzky live: “Holy shit, this guy is playing on a different level.” That was when I had faith that the Caps were going to right the ship, and I was so glad that hockey was being played again.

I thought my answer would be different (G7 vs. the Rangers? Final regular season game of 2007-08?) But it turns out the game I’m most pleased to have been at was this one.

Miracle on Ice. It is hard to adequately explain its impact given the historical context it occurred in.

Can’t believe I’m the first to post that.

I’ve seen too many memorable games to pick one, but if I’m limiting it to games I’ve seen in person Game 3 against the Rangers in 2009 might be one of the best. Caps are down 2-0 in the series, hold a slim 1-0 lead in the game and Callahan has a wide open net before Backstrom single-handedly turns the game (and series) around. His defensive play, followed by the rush up the ice then the awesome counter check on Callahan before assisting on the goal to make it 2-0 instead of 1-1 was one of the best plays I’ve seen in person.

That the Caps went on to win 4-0 and shut up all the obnoxious Rags fans that had their chests puffed up before the game made that play all the sweeter to see live.

On January 5, 2010 I had the great privilege to be in the Phonebooth to see Alexander Ovechkin lead his Washington Capitals team onto the ice with the captain’s “C” on his sweater.

The visitors that night were the Montreal Canadiens*, and as the oldest and most storied franchise in the National Hockey League, it was appropriate for them to bear witness.

I never bother buying the program, but I did for that game. It had Chris Clark on the cover.

And my Rink avatar was clipped from the first picture of Captain Ovechkin at NHL.com. —>

*Yes, yes I know.

In person, my biggest was the Tim Taylor’s big toe game. The building was rocking and Olie was despondent after the goal, and then just like that the series changed.

Took me a while scrolling down to see the 1980 Olympics. That was my immediate first answer. For me it wasn’t Rene Pouissant, but Walter Cronkite who ruined it.

One honorable mention, which is, in retrospect, a disappointment. I remember attending Jagr’s first home game as a member of the Caps. It may have even been an exhibition. The entire MCIC was staring at him with a collective “He is fucking huge” and “Cup, here’s we come.” How wrong were we?

Wow! I can’t believe noone has mentioned this one. I must be getting old, but I was about 5 rows behind Hextall laying in the goal while the Caps mobbed Dale Hunter after his OT winner knocked the Flyers out of the playoffs, and a million ghosts out of the Cap Center. I had no voice for 4 days, and I will never forget it.

Not my favorite, but for some reason that’s one game that is stuck in my mind. Awesome comeback, awesome ending.

And there is no way I could pick just one. I did a blog post last year and made it a top five.

I cheered for an hour, straight, until I lost my voice. I still have the SI cover with Ray lifting the Cup framed.

That was just an awesome series.. Hall of Famers and all-stars up and down the rosters, two of the game’s all-time great goalies, a Game 7 home victory.

For the record, I got a real kick out of the Japers’ Rink Pickup Game in January. That was just fun.

Two big ones. I was at the game where Dale Hunter scored in OT, and I was also lucky enough to have a friend in Buffalo who gave me a ticket to game 6 where Joe Juneau scored to send the Caps to the finals.

I was also at the Caps first home game and their first home win.

Caps v. Sens from the ‘06-’07 season. The most random selection ever but it’s always the first one I remember. I was still a relatively young and new fan back then and the Caps were down 3-0 within 10 minutes of the first. Kolzig was pulled, which I was semi pumped about because I had never seen Johnny play and in those days the Caps were pretty miserable offensively and there was no way they could rally from a 3 goal deficit. Clark won us the game in overtime 4-3, and hearing the building was something special. Even though it was half empty, it was fun to be there and hear the reaction from all the die-hard Caps fans. Johnny and Clark were the 1st and 2nd stars. I’m sure not many people remember this game, but it has stuck in my mind ever since. Other than that, the game v. the Panthers in 2008 where we clinched a playoff spot. Although I definitely wasn’t as emotionally involved as I am now because I don’t remember being nervous at all and there is no way now that I could sit through a game that intense/important today.

Game 2 of the 1998 conference semis against ottawa.

Caps won 6-1, olie played amazing. I remember leaving that night, and in my own 9 year old head, the caps were winning the cup. obviously didn’t work out that way, but that night i really thought it.

For pure crowd shenanigans, listening to people chant “crrraaaaack-head” at kevin stevens in one of the pens series in the early 2000’s was great, if innappropriate. I remember seeing him looking up into the crowd and just shaking his head.

On TV – ’98 EC Finals Game 6.

In person – The game that included this.

December 11/93 Caps vs. the Candiens. Being from the Maritimes, I don’t get to see NHL hockey unless on tv. Being a long time Caps fan, I made the 8 hour trek to Montreal to see my team play. Great on many levels. First time in Montreal and the old Forum, wow what atmosphere that place had. The Caps beat the Habs 5-3 and I got to finally see NHL hockey live.

I liked that Finals Game 4 between the Rags and Vancouver in ’94
(Canucks 1st Cup appearance, and Rags first championship in 54 years)

Canucks start out with a 2-0 lead but the Rangers come back. Late in the game Pavel Bure beams a scorcher off the crossbar from the high slot and it bounces back to start a fast-break the other way where the Rangers seal the win. (Boo)

When this happened:

Mine would have to be Gartner night, simply because it was the first hockey game I’d ever been to, not to mention an exciting win (albeit over the Leafs).

As far as recent memory goes, and counting only games in person, 2 come to mind.

1) The 10-2 win over Boston (March 3, 2008?) – Ovechkin hat trick in first, 50, 51, 52 etc
2) Ovechkin vs MTL – spin & pass to self off boards, sliding on his butt to beat Price. Amazing.

With honorable mentions to game 5 of the 09 Rangers series (Ovechkin’s goal) & Backstrom this past season vs Tampa and his insane shot blocking on the PK.

1) Peguins Caps game on Super Bowl Sunday
2) Caps Canadiens Game 2

I went to both of those games and will never forget them

1) My first NHL game, ‘85 @ MSG Rangers vs. Flyers. I Wore my Grandpa’s Ron Duguay Jersey; When Sandstrom pocketed the loose change from a Greshner slapper, I jumped into the arms of the president of Yale, and kissed him on the forehead to the horror of my aunt. After the game I got a slew of autographs, including GMGM.

2) The double hat-trick game. “Can you ask them to stop throwing hats?” Watched the 2nd period from a table in the Acela Club, and made $200 off my Pittsburgh loving thesis advisor. Far and away the best—and most satisfying—game I’ve ever attended.

3) the 10-2 drubbing of Boston in ‘08. I’d won tickets off Precap and was busy: on phone, cutting veggies for the next day’s lunch, admonishing the dogs for something, and the Fedex guy knocked. I turned to tell the dogs to back up and sliced off the tip of my thumb. From the hospital I emailed Vogs and Stretch that I’d be late and heavily bandaged—they really hate no-shows on ticket giveaways. I got there just before Ovi scored his first, double Hi-5’d my buddy and my thumb exploded, splattering blood on a whole bunch of people, including the hair of a woman 2 rows down. Memorable. :-D

BU vs Miami for the national championship

Took the bus down from Boston for the game, had about 10 people staying at my house. After watching a team for the entire year on the level you get to watch a college team (every single game, road trips to Maine, Denver, Vermont) and on the level you feel connected to a college team since you go to the same school having that kind of a finish is something that could only ever be topped if the Caps fall behind 4-1 in the last minute of a game 7 and score three goals to tie it up.

My most memorable game was on April,9 1983. It was the 1st home playoff game in Caps history (and the source of my avatar). After going through the lean years. It felt like they had won the Cup just to be there. I was so proud of them.

I caught a puck deflected off of a Bobby Gould slapshot and, even after the loss, he was nice enough to sign it for me.
Also, the vendors never asked me for ID (17 at the time). Crown and Coke FTW!

Sure, they lost the game and the series, but it was still great because I knew how big a step that game was even at the time.

The “Corey Hircsh Effect” Game which started in March of ’01, when Corey Hirsch entered the game for the Washington Capitals in the third period. The Caps were down 5-2 at the time and all hope was lost. that was until the Effect kicked in. Hirsch came in and shut the door on the Senators. Stopping all 8 shots he faced. Andrei Nikolishin, Trent Whitfield, and Adam Oates all scored to level the score, while Steve Konowalchuk scored the game winner with 1:28 left in the game. He never played another game for the Caps.
I remember being in the stands and saying….“Ohh they pulled Olie..wait who the hell is that?”

Recently the most memorable was home opener this last season. Good game, got sloppy at the end but a bunch of break away goals and AO goal was awesome. But more importantly as I got back to my friends with the beers, being my turn for them, my friend turns to me and says “Wait who’s that on your jersey” Before I could answer Brooks Laich goes off to the races to score.

“That’s who’s on my jersey!”

The game where Sasha slapped down Staal is a personal favorite of mine.

Season before last – Sharks vs Ducks Game 5 – game went to OT and we won. Was the greatest feeling ever (since it was an elimination game for us). Of course, that feeling was dashed with Game 6. But … (sighs)

Also – Opening home game last season .. I wasn’t sure at the time how I felt about Heatley. With the drama surrounding him, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to open my arms to him. But he made such a good first impression – hat trick – I couldn’t help but swoon.

The single most memorable game for me — actually causing me to recall it whenever the circumstances are repeated — is the Easter Morning game, Game 7 of the 1987 playoffs against the Islanders. No goalie before or since has made as many saves in a playoff game as Kelly Hrudey did in that one (73) for New York, and every time I hear a puck hit a post, the first image coming to mind is Pat Lafontaine banging one off the post and behind Bob Mason at 2:30 in the morning to win it for the Islanders.

After that, in no particular order…

The comeback against Ottawa when Corey Hirsch played what sholuld have been 20 minutes of mop-up duty and got the win when he stopped all eight shots he faced, and the Caps scored four in the third to win it.

The four-overtime loss to the Penguins that featured an overtime penalty shot for the Caps (a miss…naturally, because of bad ice) and a game-winner that was so soft it made Boyd Gordon seem like Al MacInnis (except it went through about 16 bodies on its way to the net).

Alex Ovechkin’s first game, first shift, when he planted a Columbus defenseman through the glass, then scored two goals.

Michigan State-Minnesota WCHA playoffs, one of the few times any team would be favored over a Herb Brooks-coached team. Two game, most goals format, the teams were tied after Game 1, then they were tied 6-6 after regulation of the second game. Along the way, MSU’s goalie took a puck to the throat, and still did not come out. Game went to three overtimes, and in the third Minnesota completed the upset, 7-6.

Right before Christmas, 1984, I was fortunate to see back to back games in Quebec and Montreal on my first multi-game “roadie”. These Caps…Stevens and Langway and Murphy…Gartner and Carpenter each with 50G…had been on a bonafide tear in the first half of that season. So it didn’t take much convincing from my (new) stepfather, with whom hockey was a significant shared interest, to make the 14 hour drive up to Quebec City, and then hit the Forum on the way back. Pat Riggin was out of his mind; we drummed the Nordiques and even pulled a point out of the Forum, which was a rarity in those days. It was full of awesome.