20 January 2012 – Capitals will be in Raleigh to play the Hurricanes. There will be a few Caps fans at the game and some of us might want to meet up before/during/after the game to compare grievances, frustrations, and Staal insults. Thoughts?

"I thought this was the hardest I’ve seen a team work this year that I’ve been coaching ... and that includes the Capitals too."

And a very big loss that we have yet to appreciate - Dmitry Orlov, the best defender of the youth world championship, in his potential compared with Sergei Zubov. Eagles [Orlov] - this is our future.

On the other hand, Dmitry still would have gone to Washington. He said that playing in the NHL - it's his dream. As such [can we hold him back]?

Rangers Announce Michael Rupp Awarded The Annual Ching Johnson Award For A Career Of Truculence
Madison Square Garden, July 1, 2011

Glen Sather today presented 31-year-old NHL pugilist Michael Rupp with the third annual Ching Johnson Award For A Career Of Truculence. The award, which comes with a multiyear honorarium of more than $1,000,000 per year, is intended to honor players whose career of fighting and agitating is coming to an end. No player who has received the Ching Johnson award has ever played more than 40 for the Rangers games in any subsequent season. Previous recipients include Donald Brashear and Jody Shelley. Said Brashear, "Its sort of like a genius grant -- you get the money, but you're not required to actually play effective hockey for the Rangers. I used my free time to learn Mixed Martial Arts."

Jeff Schultz of the Washington Capitals expressed his appreciation for the Rangers' approach to charity: "Every player in the league appreciates the New York Rangers' efforts, every single year, to raise player salaries. For example, in my own case, it's great security to know that when my career is coming to an end, I am eligible for the Wade Redden Honorarium For Leading The League In Plus/Minus That One Time. And the Gomez/Drury Fund For Paying Second Line Centers Like First Line Centers as well as the Sean Avery Hiring Obnoxious Players Even Admitting Nobody Else Wants'em ("HOPE ANEW") also do amazing work."

I'm glad there's hockey team goalkeeper Michal Neuvirthem. I really like hockey and watching regular representation. The Capitals will go as often as as possible."

This is a very direct and tough question. I respect Bruce a lot. He let me do a lot of things, he made me one of his top 6 forwards who had to play and influence the result. I thank him a lot for that. It's difficult for me to analyze his actions. This is because I did not watch all the games. I can only say that Bruce is a terrific person, a great human being. And as a coach he takes great care of all the guys. And at times it seemed to me that he was a bit soft with the guys. Maybe in some situations he should have been tougher [on them]. I know he has both of those qualities. What was the balance of those two qualities is difficult to say.

Nicklas Backstrom did miss regular season games due to a fractured thumb. But according to both McPhee and Boudreau, the center was healthy in the playoffs. Backstrom had two assists in nine playoff games.

"I expect him to be back. He's a good coach."

Their role players outplayed our role players.
Their highest paid players outplayed our highest paid players.

In fact, their role players outplayed our highest paid players.

There's always going to be a section of Ovechkin's fan base, in and out of Washington, that'll say it's not about him — it's about a supporting cast that doesn't step in the postseason.

In a seven-game series, based on the history of the player and his team, that's accurate.

In a Game 3, facing a dire second-round predicament against a Tampa team not giving them an inch, it's an excuse. The next 48 hours are Ovechkin's time. There's no other way to measure it.