Earlier today, the power went out at Kettler Iceplex as the Capitals were on the ice, preparing for their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against Tampa Bay which kicks off tomorrow night at the Verizon Center. Geez, I sure hope the power outage didn't have anything to do with Lightning. more ›

In the 1990s, Brent Johnson was a terrific starting goalie for the St. Louis Blues. He led a good team, stopped the shots he had to stop and won more than he lost. He set a (since broken) playoff shutout record. At that time, the Capitals had a great starting goalie of their own named Olaf Kolzig. Towering over other NHL goalies of the day at 6'3", Kolzig wore the nickname Zilla with pride, even getting it painted on the back of his helmet. Two years ago, Johnson came to Washington and became Kolzig's unquestioned backup. For two years he struggled unsuccessfully to shake that tag. more ›

Clarifying the intriciacies of replacing himself at his job, Boudreau told the Canadian Press, "Until further notice, I'm here." more ›

Yesterday, I found it difficult to write about Washington's loss over the weekend to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It had nothing to do with the play on the field, which amounted to a carbon copy of the previous week's loss. Jason Campbell strove mightily to lead the team past their mistakes, only to be done in by mistakes of his own. A game changing moment came when the offense failed to obtain some badly needed... more ›

Two games after we suggested the Washington Capitals were trying to lose games for better draft position, the team has won back to back games against teams fighting for playoff spots by a combined score of twelve goals to two. In home games on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, the Caps cakewalked over the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning, and climbed from twenty-seventh place all the way back to twenty-fifth in the... more ›

When DCist talks, the Washington Capitals listen. We'd like to thank the Caps for taking our suggestions to heart at the trade deadline. We'll certainly have more advice for them this summer, when free agents become available. Now if they can just slide down two or three spots in the standings, they'll be one of four teams in the lottery for the first-overall pick. They'll have a great chance to avoid picking up a couple... more ›

With the NHL Trade Deadline approaching, the Capitals had better make up their minds pretty quickly whether they'll be buying or selling. With starting goaltender, team leader and future saint Olaf Kolzig on injured reserve for three weeks with a torn ligament in his knee, the team is undoubtedly thinking "sell", if not thinking about reaching for the cellar of the league standings and getting into the lottery to draft Angelo Esposito. However, the... more ›

Here's the good news: Jason Campbell looked good in his first game as, well, anything for the Washington Redskins. The descriptives you'll hear all week will be "poise" and "command," traits that he showed in abundance both on the field and, with an easy charm mixed in that'll only make you want to root for the kid more, in his post game interviews. His stat line isn't world-changing: 19 of 34 for 192 yards only... more ›

In Jason Campbell's last full season as a starting quarterback, the then-senior at Auburn threw for a massive 2700 yards, completed nearly 70% of his passes, and accumulated 20 touchdowns offset by 7 interceptions. This translated to an unreal 172.89 passer rating. That's the good news for Redskins fans, who learned Monday that Campbell would be starting in place of embattled veteran Mark Brunell this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Bucs. The bad news for fans isn't necessarily that bad: Campbell is completely unproven at the pro level, having logged zero minutes on the field of play. more ›

Having dismissed Frank Robinson at the end of the season, the Nats are casting a wide net for possible replacements. Reports yesterday regarding the sudden firing (and availability) of four-time World Series winner Joe Torre now appear to be premature, according to the NY Post. With the nascent Torre-to-the-Nats campaign already toast, we take a look at the other candidates in the rumor mill... Lou Pinella Experience: Played briefly for O’s and Indians, but mostly... more ›

After getting thrashed at home by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the tune of 11-1, the Nationals experienced something of a wake-up call. The Nats might have looked around and found out that they were in the basement of one of the worst divisions in baseball. They might have done some research and found out that Friday night's beat-down was at the hands of franchise whose entire existence has been marred by futility... more ›

DC United's 17-year-old phenom, Freddy Adu, has previously expressed his desire to play overseas in a more competitive league. We just didn't think that time would come so soon. Clubcall.com is reporting that Adu will be playing in Europe as early as this January. Reportedly, Adu has been linked to English Premier League giants Manchester United. Given that the team's owner is American Malcolm Glazer (owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), this move makes some... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds The Washington Capitals are done for the season. The team finished the last week of play by going 3-1 with wins against Florida, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta. The Capitals were expected to finish at the bottom of the NHL this season, and by finishing with the third worst record in the league, the team certainly lived up to those expectations. On the other hand the Caps... more ›

This post was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds Last Wednesday night the Capitals visited the Panthers in Florida and played them close. Excellent touches in the offensive zone led to goals, however, defensive breakdowns and a lack of discipline hobbled the Caps in the end. Most of the first period was hockey the way it should be, fast and without much stoppage in play. Over the next two and a quarter periods the game... more ›

The blossoming shrub that was the Washington Redskins' successful 2005 season bore fruit yesterday, as it was announced that the team will play in the inaugural Monday Night Football game of the 2006 season. The synergy is practically PTI-tastic, as it will also be the first MNF game for area sports curmudgeon Tony Kornheiser. And because Monday Night Football moves from ABC to ESPN this year, nobody will be watching the game without buying something.... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds Good news has been in short supply for the Washington Capitals lately. They have lost four of the last five, with their only win coming against the up and down Toronto Maple Leafs. In the home game against the Leafs the Capitals looked strong, shutting down the Leafs offense and playing the penalty kill very well. However, back-to-back 5-0 loses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds For the first time in the last 28 attempts the New York Islanders beat the Washington Capitals in New York, thus keeping the Caps from failing to capitalize on their win against the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier in the week. The 5-3 loss was more a result of a foolish penalty late in the third period than a poorly played game. Prior to the third period... more ›

The Washington Redskins and the Tampa “Bay” Buccaneers are interesting opponents – so many contrasts, so many links. Like a meeting between the oldest and youngest NFL coaches. Like a playoff rematch between the last team to bounce Washington from the post-season. And Washingtonians still chafe over the fact that that young coach, Jon Gruden, won his Super Bowl with a quarterback most think should have been kept in DC. Earlier this season, when the... more ›

It wasn't three days ago the D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams ebulliently announced that he had won a bet with Philadelphia Mayor John Street over last Sunday's Redskins/Eagles match-up. more ›

Going into the weekend, Redskins fans had a lengthy wishlist. A New England win over Tampa Bay, a Pittsburgh victory in Minneapolis, and Atlanta loss in frozen Chicago (which was aided and abetted by Rex Grossman, which means we can no longer say that Steve Spurrier never did anything for us), and, of course, a December victory over arch-rival Dallas Sunday evening at the Jack. So, umm…check, check, check, and, CHECK. The end result... more ›

For a football team climbing toward a playoff berth from the mushy middle of the conference standings, the way that ball bounces can make you or break you. Last week, after the win over Philadelphia, the fortunate bounces emerged as a talking point among the Redskins’ players—all of whom seemed keenly aware how important it was that they got to those loose balls whenever the need presented itself. Against Tampa Bay, however, the Skins... more ›

After dropping three of four in Milwaukee over the weekend, the Nationals hit the reset button and return home for a seven game homestand, welcoming NL West bottom-feeder Colorado to DC for a three game series that begins tonight. The Nats lead the NL East by 1.5 games over the Atlanta Braves, who split a four game series with the NY Mets over the weekend. The good news is that the Nats have played lights-out at home (best home record in baseball). The bad news is that the Nats' offense continues to sputter. The good news is that the Rockies have lost four in a row and share the dubious distinction of owning the lowest win total in the majors (31) with the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays; mere percentage points separate the Rockies from the worst record in baseball. The bad news, again, is that the Nats' offense continues to sputter. In theory, the series against Colorado should be a good opportunity for the Nats to beat up on a bad team. more ›

It’s a been an offseason of change and occasional tumult for the Washington Redskins, but the tangible future is finally snapping into view. We’re talking 2005 schedule: time for Skins fans to start marking their calendars and arguing over how the field of opponents is totally going to yield the 10-6 record to make the playoffs. In addition to the division home-and-homes, the Redskins are matched against teams from the NFC and AFC West,... more ›

The NFL football season begins tonight with a rematch of last year�s AFC title game. This means the 2004�05 kickoff for the Redskins is only a few days away. The Skins open their season Sunday at FedEx Field with a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expectations are running high in the nation�s capital with the return of former head coach Joe Gibbs and the trade that brought in Clinton Portis for... more ›