If one believes the time stamps on these posts (and in the beginning, we didn't quite know how to manipulate them) it was exactly four years ago at this time we published our first post kicking off this adventure. Call us sentimental but we can't think of a more perfect date and time to bring things to a close after four years and 1,428 postings. Yep, that's right, we...

Well, well, well... It looks as if the last time we spoke about the Albert Haynesworth situation, we spoke too soon... (So what else is new???) For a guy who had the cards on his side, he played them about as poorly as anybody ever could. To reiterate, had Hanyesworth shown up for training camp in the best shape of his life, he would have put Mike Shanahan in a no-win situation...

Well, if there's big news we need to catch up on, it is the Redskins going out and acquiring Donovan McNabb for a pair of draft picks, including this year's second round pick. Put us in the unimpressed camp for a number of reasons. We've always thought that McNabb was slightly overrated as quarterback. He was able to dominate a down NFC East when the NFC as a whole...

All right, let's keep the train rolling...Nicklas Backstrom: A+, He shattered his career highs in points and goals this season. Ok it was only his third NHL season but he established himself as a top level player in the NHL and handled things much better in the playoffs this season than he had in his first two. His Game 2 Hat Trick was a testament to that. The pressure is...

FYI, a skater has to be on the NHL roster for half the regular season or 3 playoff games to qualify for this review. We're going to review all three goaltenders though.Joe Scorvo: C, A deadline pick up who has already been told not to expect an offer from the Caps and won't be back next season. We're not surprised that he isn't being retained but we are disappointed...

Well, the Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways... As disappointed as we were with the Caps untimely demise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, it turned out for us, and maybe the Caps too, to be a blessing in disguise. With everything that has gone on in our personal and professional lives since Game 7, we have a hard time wondering just how in the world we would have...

San Jose in six.Montreal in seven.We're working on a Smorgasbord that we hope to have up later today.

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post: upended, no shock, back in the lineup, just how good, all kinds of questions. Examiner. Caps.com.The Neutral Observers:NHL.com: Recap, spoiler, not happy, yet another bad call, moves paid off. AP Wire. Canadian Press. TSN.ca. CBC.ca. ESPN.com.The Other Side:Montreal Gazette: Penguin Scum next, playoff hockey, four wins, paid the price. Canadiens...

Well, at least we still have their baseball team...We can't say were all that surprised right now. We don't know what it is but there's just something about this franchise. If it isn't a hose job or a freak injury or a bad bounce or who knows what else, then this franchise just can't seem to get out of its own way. How else do you explain the blown playoff...

Series A: Washington Capitals (57-31; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (42-46; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):Caps Playoff Game #7, Home Playoff Game #4, NHL Playoff Game #117Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet...

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post: coming back home, stopped cold, shot chart. Caps.com.The Neutral Observers:NHL.com: Recap, game changer. AP Wire. Canadian Press. CBC.com. ESPN.com.The Other Side:Montreal Gazette: refusing to lose, busy night, starting to believe, big debut, more practice needed. Canadiens.com.Final Thoughts:We posted the shot chart above to drive home our point...

Not where anybody wanted to be... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...THE GOOD:Eric Fehr got a goal late. It was too little too late for this game but it broke up the shutout because as bad as it is to be going into a Game 7 under these circumstances, it would be 100 times worse if Jaroslav Halak had pitched a 54 save shutout at us tonight.Montreal has been flopping like fish out...

Series A: Washington Capitals (57-30; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (41-46; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):Caps Playoff Game #6, Road Playoff Game #3, NHL Playoff Game #116Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet...

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post.  Examiner.The Neutral Observers:AP Wire: powerless, he's a hockey player.  Canadian Press: calmer approach, stop the streaking.Open Source Intelligence:Montreal Gazette: doing the job, tough work.  Canadiens.com.Today's Spin:First of all, we hope that Bruce Boudreau goes against his own grain and benches Tomas Fleischmann as he really should.  Fleischmann...

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post: blown chance, reality check, individual honors. Examiner: missed opportunity, power outage. Caps.com.The Neutral Observers:NHL.com: Recap, nerves of steel. AP Wire. Canadian Press. CBC.ca. ESPN.com.The Other Side:Montreal Gazette: stayin' alive, great goaltending, successful juggling act, No, not this year pal, got away with one. Canadiens.com...

Something never change... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...THE GOOD:After giving up two early goals, Semyon "The Saviour" Varlamov recovered with a solid performance to keep the game from getting further out of hand.For the first time this season, the Caps Penalty Killers shutdown the Montreal Power Play. The Caps were 6 for 6 tonight.THE BAD: No way to sugar coat it...

Series A: Washington Capitals (57-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-46; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):Caps Playoff Game #5, Home Playoff Game #3, NHL Playoff Game #115Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid...

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post: big plays, big lead, Red Menaces. Caps.com.The Neutral Observers:NHL.com: Recap, happy hard hatter, down in the dumps, getting shorty. AP Wire. Canadian Press. CBC.com. ESPN.com.The Other Side:Montreal Gazette: on the brink, no answer, can't have him yet, don't blame Carey. Canadiens.com.Final Thoughts:We'll give credit here where...

Just too darn good... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...THE GOOD:Jason Chimera has been a thorn in the side of the Canadiens all series long and tonight he comes up with the Game-Winning-Goal.Mike Knuble with the back-breaking shorthanded knoal tonight, the second one for the Caps in as many games. He added an empty-netter to help seal the deal late in the game for his second...

Series A: Washington Capitals (56-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-45; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):Caps Playoff Game #4, Road Playoff Game #2, NHL Playoff Game #114Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid...

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post: second period blast, the sound of silence. Caps.com.The Neutral Observers:NHL.com: Recap, team effort, still not going there, keep composure. AP Wire. TSN.ca : Canadian Press, who's next? CBC.com. ESPN.com.The Other Side:Montreal Gazette: sitting ducks, fell apart, maintaining focus, against all odds.Final Thoughts:The key here for the Caps...

So much for the Montreal Home Ice Advantage... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...THE GOOD:Brooks "and Dunn" Laich loses the face shield and picks up the game-winning-goal. The only one the Caps scored from distance tonight.Boyd Gordon returns to the lineup and gets a shorthanded goal to start all the scoring by taking the puck to the net and whacking away at it with...

Series A: Washington Capitals (55-29; 121 points; 1st Southeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Montreal Canadiens (40-44; 88 points; 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 19th Overall):Caps Playoff Game #3, Road Playoff Game #1, NHL Playoff Game #113Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 7:07 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic...

The Local Yokels:(Com)Post: big comeback, big game guy, energy guy. Examiner. Caps.com.The Neutral Observers:NHL.com recap, surprise win, A Real American Hero. AP Wire. Canadian Press. CBC.com. ESPN.com.The Other Side:Montreal Gazette: tied back up, liked the goaltending, leaning to the left. Canadiens.com.Final Thoughts:So Montreal is feeling ok heading home after blowing...

Now it's on... Onto the Battle Damage Assessment...THE GOOD:The Caps may have to call up another defensemen for Games 3 and 4 in Montreal because we have a hard time believing that Canadian Customs is going to allow John Carlson into their country tomorrow. The Rookie notched his first playoff point and scored the game tying goal late in the third period. We have to think...