Why It Sucks to be a NOVA Caps Fan

Start rant here:

Since Alex Ovechkin broke into the league, Caps fans have been crawling out of the woodwork. There are Caps fans everywhere it seems, in the DMV, Sweden, even Pittsburgh.

However, this article is for the group (which includes me, by the way) of Caps fans that are always forgotten, it seems: those of us who live in Northern Virginia.

Let me explain. Since Ted Leonsis announced the 2015 Winter Classic would be hosted in DC, many bloggers have been trying to push the Caps to host it in Baltimore. BALTIMORE!! As in 53 miles from DC. As in:

• 79 miles from Loudoun County
• 57 miles from Fairfax County
• 76 miles from Prince William County
• 84 miles from Fauquier County
• 44 miles form Arlington County

All of these counties in Northern Virginia have sizable populations of people and Caps fans. Considering that probably around 50% of the Caps fans in the DMV are from those five counties, it seems completely illogical to host the Winter Classic in Baltimore, right? 

Yet, we have people such as Greg Whyshynski of Yahoo Sports talking about how amazing Camden Yards of M&T Bank Stadium would be, especially because it's central to the Caps and Philadelphia Flyers (because that is who we are apparently playing) fan-bases, although I don't know why the organization would push for as many Flyers fans as Caps fans, especially when there are more than enough Caps fans to fill a stadium.

Heck, even the good guys at RMNB recently tweeted that they would have preferred the game to be at Camden Yards. It was probably a joke, but it kind of proves my point: nobody cares about the NOVA guys.

The main reason this happens is NOVA is all suburbs. We just don't have the big-time city here to have a professional sports team, and therefore can't have a big time stadium here. But say blowing the top off of the Ballston mall and playing in Kettler was an option (hey, that would actually be pretty awesome. Think about it: you're shopping for whatever, and Tom Wilson comes flying and smashes Claude Giroux through the glass. I'd go see that). All the NOVA guys would love it, but there would be a huge backlash from all the Maryland fans, and I would agree that it shouldn't be held in NOVA.

Even now, when Nats Park is all but confirmed as the location, the reason is not the commute for the poor NOVA fans, but instead the opinion (a very valid one, I might add) that a DC Winter Classic should be held in DC. Not in Baltimore. Not in Landover. Not in Arlington. In Washington DC. 

Besides, Baltimore already has a special game each year. Yes, it is a preseason game, but that doesn't change the fact that the Caps already do a lot of marketing in Baltimore, when there is an untapped gold mine in Northern Virginia who the Caps should try to expand out towards.

Somehow, to the rest of the hockey fans, Caps fans are either from DC or Maryland. They seem to forget the rather large contribution we Northern Virginians make to the fan-base. Usually, that doesn't matter much.

But hopefully the Caps organization will remember that there are more fans than just those in DC and Maryland.

End rant here.

Circling Back: Best Caps Games from 2013

It's hard to believe 2013 only has four more days left. Since the start of the 2013 season on January 19 until, well, today, we have seen some of the most emotional, nerve-wracking games in recent memory, otherwise knows as Caps hockey.

What follows is my opinion of the best of the best this year.

5. WAS @ PIT: Mar 19; 2-1 Pittsburgh
Why did a loss get in here? Two main reasons. Although this was a loss, this game began the resurgence of both the Caps and Alex Ovechkin, who went on a tear after the game, scoring 23 goals in the last 23 games to win the Rocket Richard trophy and lead the Caps to the playoffs. Although they lost this game, the Caps were arguably the better team, despite playing one of the best teams in the league, and this game started the Caps on a rampage where they only lost four more games, and didn't receive points in only two more. This was the most complete game of the season to date for the team, and they have been playing much better since.

4. April 23 vs. WIN: Apr 23; 5-3 Caps
This game was for all the marbles, as the top two teams in the Southeast Division went at it. If the Caps won, they clinched the final division title ever, while if the Winnipeg Jets win, well, with tough games against Ottawa and Boston on the docket, things don't look good for the Caps. However, after blowing a two goal lead, the Caps scored two straight and held on to beat the Jets and complete their stunning comeback from the bottom of the standings to win the division.

3. Game 5 vs. NYR: May 10; 2-1 Caps (OT)
One of the most heart-stopping games all year, in Game 5 of the playoff series against the Rangers, with the series tied at 2, the Caps shook off a goal by Brian Boyle in the first minute to tie it up on the power play in the second period, then after great performances by Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist, send the game into overtime. Another heart-pounding nine and a half minutes ensued, with both teams getting good chances, until finally Mike Ribeiro pounded a rebound past Lundqvist to give the Caps the victory and series lead. Unfortunately, as we all know, the Caps weren't able to complete the series win, but that game at least gave Caps fans reason to cheer.

2. WAS vs. TBL: Dec 10; 6-5 Caps (SO)
Alex Ovechkin's individual effort alone sends this game near the top of the heap for the year. After going down 3-0 early to a Steven Stamkos-less Tampa Bay Lightning team, OV scored four of Washington five goals, including the tying goal with thirty second left in regulation, to send the game into OT and eventually the SO, where the Caps completed the stunning comeback to defeat the Bolts. Nick Backstrom also had a phenomenal game, assisting on all of OV's goals and adding a goal himself to boot. Although it wasn't really important, it was incredible, and that's good enough for me.

1. Game 2 vs. NYR: May 4; 1-0 Caps (OT)
Of all of the emotional, nerve-wracking, heart-stopping, or whatever other adjectives I've used so far games, this was the most. Lundqvist and Holtby stood on their heads for 68 minutes, until Mike Green's overtime power play goal off the crossbar beat King Henrik and the Rangers to give the Caps a 2-0 series lead. What made this game number one, though, was not just all of this, but the controversy that ensued with the delay of game penalties. First, the Caps killed off a slashing penalty late in the third. Then, right after that, Karl Alzner seemed to have batted the puck over the glass, but the referees decided the puck was tipped (Rangers fans are still crying about that call). Then, less than two minutes into the extra frame, the Rangers did get a power play, when Steven Oleksy went off for delay of game (irony, huh?), which the Caps killed, and then the Caps got a power play when Ryan McDonagh went off for delay of game (I'm sensing a pattern here). Green scored, and Caps fans went home happy.

Honorable Mentions:
WAS @ PHI: Nov 1; 7-0 Caps
WAS vs. BOS: Mar 5; 4-3 Caps (OT)
WAS vs. PHI: Dec 15; 5-4 Caps (SO)
WAS vs. STL: Nov 17; 4-1 Caps
WAS @ NYR: Dec 8; 4-1 Caps

What do you think? Anything else you would add? Any games you would replace in the Top 5? Tell me in the comments.

Pre (Well, Sort Of)- World Junior Championship Caps Prospect Rankings

The World Junior Championship got underway today, with Canada and the USA already winning as of this writing.

Five Caps prospects are participating in the Championship also, three for team USA and two for hosts Sweden. How will the Championship change the positions of these prospects in a post-Championship list? Let's find out with the first list, a prelim.
*Note: Anybody currently on the Caps roster (including Wilson, Latta, and Grubauer) or anybody injured (Kundratek) were not included in this.

1. Evgeni Kuznetsov
2. Andre Burakovsky
3. Riley Barber
4. Madison Bowey
5. Nate Schmidt
6. Connor Carrick
7. Thomas Dipauli
8. Stanislav Galiev
9. Christian Djoos
10. Patrick Wey

Stay tuned to see how the World Juniors change this ranking, and follow the Championship on NHL Network and NHL.com.