Caps Briefing: Great News From Ballston
Usually at this time of year the Washington Capitals are a distant memory and an icy dream in the warm hearts of their fans. Today, though, we watched 14 likely team members (12 returning Capitals plus Karl Alzner and Jose Theodore) practice together at Kettler Capital Iceplex. This unusual level of commitment is a positive sign for a team on the rise. Even better, we are pleased to report that Caps captain Chris Clark looks ready to play hockey.
The former 30-goal scorer missed most of last season after he pulled his groin and it didn't heal properly. Team officials have said they expect him to participate in training camp, which begins September 20, but Clark also said he had scheduled one more visit to a specialist in Vancouver, so it still sounded fairly iffy. Today, almost two weeks ahead of training camp, Clark participated in all the same drills and non-contact scrimmages as his teammates. He kept up with everybody and clearly had a good time.
At one point, while waiting for a skating drill to start, Clark collected a loose puck in the corner and wristed a shot 200 feet toward the opposite goal. It hit the post and the few in attendance shrugged. What did it matter if a guy who no longer even has to be the team's second best goal-scorer can't quite hit an empty net from two hundred feet away? How often is he going to have to shoot from that far? At least he was close. At least he was skating and shooting again.
Ovechkin's former guardian and partner in crime, however, smiled and pulled in another loose puck. Again he shot two hundred feet at an empty net. Again the puck curved in a long, lazy arc, and again he hit the same post. Clark nodded, still smiling. That's when we realized he wasn't aiming for the net, and collectively gasped.
He was aiming for the post. From two hundred feet away. And he hit it. Twice. Then he pulled in a third disk, batted it back and forth a couple times and turned his frame ever so slightly to focus on the other post. He shot smoothly, accurately, generating power by shifting his weight forward from one leg to the other and displaying no trace of lingering pain. Again the puck flew over the neutral zone and slid from the blueline toward a 2.375" outside-diameter steel pipe.
This time he missed by six inches, but really, the point had been proven. Chris Clark is not only ready to play. He is a man of superhuman precision and accuracy. A finely tuned missile delivery system worthy of top-secret classification. Look at this face. Learn to recognize it. Be aware of this smile when you drink in Arlington's bars. Do not, under any circumstances, play darts with Chris Clark.
Photos by Eli Resnick