Capital Spirit

I’m about to commit Caps-fan treason here, by way of an older post on this blog; the Sermon on the Mount; a lesson on Tarot; and a song by Uriah Heep. Whether I can do it in that order is something I’ll figure out as I write this.

Longtime readers may remember this post I wrote last summer in the wake of the Pens’ loss to Detroit in the Stanley Cup Finals. No one talked about it at the time, but I’m going to bring the question up one more time, and this time in a completely different context.

Last summer, the Caps were already done playing, and the postseason was over with Pittsburgh’s loss. It was an easy sentiment at the time. Detroit had just won another Stanley Cup, and even though I don’t like the Penguins, seeing them lose the way they did was enough to make even me feel a little bit sad for them. It bears repeating: I didn’t want to see the Penguins win the Cup, but I didn’t want to see them lose like that. Still, it was an easy question, because the Caps were already out of the picture, and the entire league was on summer break at that point.

It’s one thing to consider loving the Penguins when the Caps have no stake in the Penguins’ fate. It’s quite another when the Caps and Pens are now matched up in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Loving the Penguins in defeat in the offseason is something I might get the benefit of the doubt on. But for me to straightfacedly suggest, with no irony, that we should love the Penguins–in the playoffs–may raise an eyebrow or two before it’s over.

And yet, there are reasons that I think we really should do just that.

Item:

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
–Matthew 5:43-48, NRSV

I’m kidding, right? Penguins fans are known in some quarters of Caps Nation as Steeltown Sociopaths, and I can not be serious about loving them. Can I?

Actually, yes, I am.

Here’s part of my logic on this. I believe that there is such a thing as Divine Justice. Sooner or later, Light will always triumph over Darkness. Caps fans know all too well the hooliganism and rampant misbehavior that breaks out when the Penguins invade Verizon Center. I don’t want to start a cross-market squabble about us-versus-them, or about Caps fans being “better” than Penguins fans. That’s not my intent with this. For all I know–having never been to a game in Pittsburgh, and having, frankly, no desire to go to one–the mores of hockey fans in the Steel City may merely be much different from those here in Washington. Some of what Caps fans view as hooliganism may simply be accepted behavior in Pittsburgh, and fans who take to the road never get the memo to dial it down a notch when representing their city in a more conservative arena.

That said, there has almost always been a bit more tension in the air at the Caps-Pens games I’ve attended in the past few seasons. I have, once, seen a fight break out in my section while the game was in progress. These two teams don’t much like each other, and our respective game-night fans seem to always be one or two harsh words away from falling under Rule 47, if you see what I mean. Even with that said, I still think Caps fans come out on the right side of that Divine scale more often than not.

I believe that if we Caps fans focus more on being a source of Love and Light for our team–instead of worrying about how creatively we can taunt the Penguins–that we might end up with a slight edge on more subtle levels. And as we saw against the Rangers, it doesn’t take much to change an entire 7-game series.

Let the Steeltown Sociopaths be as hooliganistic as their little hearts desire. Let them misbehave. Heck, turn the other cheek, for all that. Because, in the end, I believe that if we win, it will be because we tried our best to be the good guys.

Item:

As to that song by Uriah Heep that I mentioned at the top of this essay, the song I’m thinking of is “Lady In Black.” Here’s how it goes:

“She came to me one morning, one lonely Sunday morning,
Her long hair flowing in the mid-winter wind.
I know now how she found me, for in darkness I was walking,
And destruction lay around me from a fight I could not win.

She asked me name my foe and then, I said the need within some men,
To fight and kill their colors, without thought of Love or God.
And I begged her give me horses to trample down my enemies,
So eager was my passion to devour this waste of life.

But she would not think of battle that reduces men to animals–
So easy to begin, and yet impossible to end.
For she, the mother of all men, had counseled me so wisely then.
I feared to walk alone again, and asked if she would stay.

Oh Lady, lend your hand, I cried, and let me rest here at your side.
Have faith and trust in me, she said, and filled my heart with life.
There is no strength in numbers, have no such misconception,
But when you need me, be assured I won’t be far away.

Thus having spoke she turned away, and though I found no words to say,
I stood and watched until I saw her black cloak disappear.
My labor is no easier, but now I know I’m not alone.
I find new hope each time I think upon that windy day.
And if, one day, she comes to you, drink deeply from her words so wise.
Take courage from her as your prize, and say hello for me.”

That Rangers series got a lot of emotions going among Caps fans, myself included, and by the end of the series, I can genuinely say that I was starting to feel a genuine, soul-level hate for the Broadway Blueshirts. Such is playoff hockey, I guess–you play the same team every other day for two weeks, and player and fan alike are going to be sick of the opposition. Now we have two teams who already despise each other, getting set for a best-of-seven. Welcome to the circus, indeed, Coach Boudreau.

But look at “Lady In Black” again. The lyric that jumps out at me here is “But she would not think of battle that reduces men to animals.” Hatred is not good for the soul–take it from someone who knows. So why should we allow a pre-existing hatred of the Penguins, multiplied by the emotions of the playoffs, to reduce us all to animals? Spiritually, would it not be better for us to approach this series with capital-L Love, and be a force for the good and noble in this series?

If Divine Justice is as fair as I believe it to be, and we Caps fans approach this series in Love, while letting the Penguins rage and roil in their hate, I believe that would report to our spiritual advantage. Let us stay high-minded, patient, and benevolent; let the Penguins simmer, stew, and, ultimately, self-destruct. We saw what happened when we turned the other cheek to Sean Avery: could the same work against the Penguins?

There is no strength in numbers. Have no such misconception. It’s an idea.

Item:

Finally, one quick Tarot lesson to finalize my thoughts here. In the Major Arcana, once you’ve gotten past the desolation of The Tower, the remaining cards run like this: The Star; The Moon; The Sun; The Last Judgment (Judgment for short); The World. The World represents completion, attainment, and victory. But you can’t win The World without going through Judgment. Judgment represents a settling of accounts, a final disposition, the last chance you have to give account for yourself. The World can’t be yours if Judgment is against you.

What that means in practical, down-to-earth terms, is this. I believe that if the Capitals are to win this series, they need to do more than just score more goals than the Penguins. Spiritually, I believe they must also demonstrate the character, rectitude, and integrity that has gotten them this far.

It is certainly true that the Caps can just score more goals than Pittsburgh, get good netminding, win the hockey games and leave the “woo-woo” stuff to the weirdo in the cloak. But I believe that misses the greater point. In the end, character matters. You cannot build the foundation for long-term success on the shifting sands of hatred. Long-term success cannot be built without some capital-V Virtue to base it on.

And that brings me full circle to the question with which I began. Should we love the Penguins? And should we love their fans?

I believe we should–and now more than ever.

While I’m all for standing up to defend our house, I would prefer that we do so in Love. I would prefer “Let’s Go Caps” to “Penguins Suck.” I would prefer “Var-LY! Var-LY!” to “FLEUUUUryyyy…FLEUUUUryyyy…” And I would much rather hear us cheering the Capitals than jeering the Penguins during Games 1 and 2. Let us stick to motivating our team, and refrain from giving the Penguins any energy–positive or negative–to feed off of. Let us Rock the Red, and tune out the tuxedoed terrors.

If I may make so bold, let me suggest this to Caps Nation: let’s conduct ourselves as though we’re on the side of the angels. Because, hey, you never know–maybe if we do, we just might be.

I have some personal matters to tend to tomorrow night, and I intend to do the reading for the series Friday evening. Until then, be blessed.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
EXCELSIOR

Well, the Capitals are now officially up against it after their third loss to the Rangers. And for the third time, they have lost by one goal. In their lone win in this series, the Caps hung a 4-0 shutout on the Rangers. In their three losses, they have scored a grand total of four goals COMBINED.

Now they’re coming home for Game 5, for what could turn out to be the last game we get to see at Verizon Center this year. I think they’ll find some way to win Game 5, and at least have the dignity to finish their collapse at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The way the Caps have been playing, I don’t think there’s anyone outside the Capitals organization who thinks these choke artists can win three straight.

Yeah, you read that right. In my defense, however, I’m angry tonight. And being quietly supportive doesn’t seem to be working very well, so perhaps an in-print keel-hauling may reverse our fortunes. If it does, this tirade will have done its job. If it doesn’t, then the vituperation will be richly deserved.

Credit where it’s due: Erskine has found his game, Varlamov has handled a trial by fire with remarkable aplomb, and Semin has been a lone bright spot on offense.

But when your best goaltender has a save percentage of .962 and goals-against of 1.01, but he’s still 1-2–IN THE PLAYOFFS–then it’s not your goaltender who’s to blame. Also, let’s not forget that three of the goals we scored in defeat were scored in one game–which we managed to lose behind some subpar goaltending from Jose Theodore. So, in Varlamov’s two losses, we’ve managed to score one goal. Total.

The blame for this needs to go squarely up front. I’m not going to make any friends by saying this, but here goes: Alex Ovechkin is the reason the Capitals are losing.

I can’t be serious, can I?

Why not? The man clocked up 50-plus goals in the regular season, and it took him four games to get his FIRST GOAL OF THE PLAYOFFS. Yes, he does have four assists, and yes, he does lead the team on defense at +3. But we’re not paying the guy to bring the Selke Trophy to Washington. We want the Stanley Cup. And it’s not going to happen if Alex Ovechkin keeps scoring goals at will in the regular season, only to turn around and go on a scoring drought in the playoffs.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Alex Ovechkin as a player, I think he’s great personally, and I’m glad we’ve got him locked up long-term. But when a repeat Rocket Richard winner only has one goal to his credit in four playoff games, he’s simply not getting it done. Alex has been doing wonders on D, yes. He’s assisted on half the goals the Caps have scored in the postseason, yes. But if he doesn’t start scoring goals–a lot of them–for the balance of this series, then he will have to accept a large portion of the blame for the Caps’ fate, for better or worse. If he starts racking up goals on Friday night, and keeps them coming until next Tuesday, and the Caps end up coming back from a 3-1 series hole, then absolutely, all hail Alex the Great.

But if he can’t put the puck in the net, and the Rangers end up pulling off a stunning upset, then we might have to downgrade him to “Alex the Pretty Good.”

Don’t get me wrong–I want to see the Caps win, and I think that if any team can climb back into a series like this, it’s the Caps.

But after a historic regular season, Caps fans expected much, MUCH better in the playoffs than we have thus far seen. I still hold out hope, however faint, that the Caps can win this still. However, I am still having to prepare myself, emotionally, for another postseason heartbreak. And it’s only the first round.

At this point, do the Caps have the heart to win? Alas, I have no answer. And I think that about says it all.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
DISPIRITED

Wednesday night’s loss was painful, and I left Verizon Center with no small sense of dismay.
But the misery wasn’t done, as I got an earful when I got to the office the next day.
One of my coworkers, who doesn’t follow the sport and probably would not be caught dead in a hockey arena,
Still knew the Caps lost last night, and was praising the Rangers and generally laughing like a hyena.
It takes no small lack of grace
To say you don’t even follow hockey, but then turn around in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and laugh in a despondent fan’s face.
She could have kept her mouth shut, and showed at least a modicum of class,
But no, it’s first thing in the morning, I’m visibly tired and unhappy, and–pardon my French–she still had to act like an ass.
I mentioned this to my lead, and the response I got was kind of lame.
In essence, “Why do you get so worked up? It’s only a game.”
The reason my love for the game, and the Caps in particular, is so strong,
Is that this team has given me, for the first time in my life, a place where I can say I belong.
I have spent three decades and change wandering this world, looking for some place in which to fit,
And when I saw my first Capitals game, I knew right away that this was it.
Everywhere else I’ve gone in my life, I’ve felt, at best, coolly accepted; at worst, like a freak.
The Capitals, to their everlasting credit, have let me be me, even if I can sometimes be a little too unique.
I ran into my first real case of class-wide rejection somewhere around age ten.
And I must have settled on all the wrong ways to deal with it, because it kept happening again and again.
Maybe I took it so hard that my whole view of humanity got totally skewed,
And I subconsciously decided I’d be better off with a life of solitude.
But then I found the Caps, and my loneliness looked less endless.
Maybe I wouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life feeling totally despised and friendless.
Unless you’ve lived it, you simply cannot understand what it means to suddenly feel connected,
After you’ve spent two-thirds of your life feeling totally rejected.
Accepting love is something that I know I don’t do lightly.
Before hockey, never in my life had I ever felt so accepted, so forthrightly.
Being unique had always gotten me, at best, tolerated, and at worst, hated.
So it’s something special to have my uniqueness not merely put up with, but actually advocated.
And that is why I care so much about the Caps, and why I want to see them win Lord Stanley’s grail.
And that is why I take it so hard when the Caps give their all, and still fail.
The Caps have done so much good for one small fan–does God not even see?
Or is Justice really as blind as all that? If so, she’d make a wonderful hockey referee!
“Only a game”? No way–the Caps have given me a place where I can finally feel contentment.
So why do some people, who ought to know better, insist on showing such resentment?
I hope–no, I intend–that the Caps will bounce back and win this set.
One loss is just one loss, and by no means is it over yet.
And if–no, when–the Caps come back to win this series, I won’t return the incivility.
I’ll simply turn the other cheek, to the best of my ability.
I won’t sin
By rubbing it in.
Come on, Capitals. You had a wonderful regular season, and the first round is not the time to choke.
And if you can’t win this series for yourselves, then at least try to win it for the crazy dude in the cloak.
You guys can pull it out.
I have no doubt.
Now, go show the hockey world exactly what you can do
By kicking the crap out of the New York Rangers on Saturday in Game 2!

CAPITAL SPIRIT
IS IT SATURDAY YET?

Hope this isn’t an omen.

The Tarot of the Angels deck that I’ve been using for predictions for the past year was recently damaged beyond service. I’ve ordered another deck, and will use an older deck for this reading. This one here was one of my first Tarot decks–one I have used for earlier predictions on this blog, in fact–and it’s still in very good condition. It also has a couple of features my lamented Angels deck doesn’t have–such as a timeline that actually comes into play in this reading. (Although I’m a little puzzled at the time it’s giving me.)

Deck: Quest Tarot (Martin)
Spread: Celtic Cross
Question: “How will the Washington Capitals do in their first-round series with the New York Rangers?”

INITIAL IMPRESSION: Distribution is a little odd, but I’ll deal with that at the end. I’m trying to find some really, really bad news in this layout, somewhere, so I won’t look like a complete idiot should the Caps lose. But frankly, I can’t seem to find any. Two Major Arcana cards here, both reversed, and that’s unusual. But only one is in a predictive position, and frankly, it’s giving an indication that really ought to have been obvious by now. There are a couple of Aces here, both face-up, and that’s good news. Lots and lots of Earth energy here, which portends a physical series. (It’s the playoffs. Duh.) This whole spread looks so positive that I’m wondering how accurate it can be. Is this too good to be true? Or are we just going to take it to the Blueshirts just like that?

BASIS: 3 OF WANDS, VIRTUE. Hard work has paid off; doing the right thing has been rewarded; expectations have been met. That is essentially what’s being said by this card in this position with regard to this specific question. Where do things stand right now? That’s what the Basis card represents. And where things stand for the Caps is, essentially, “Virtue is its own reward.” The Caps have been playing the regular season with skill, poise, and–importantly–class. The Caps finished the regular season with only 29 major penalties, third fewest in the NHL. That’s just under half the Rangers’ total of 59, seventh-most on the circuit. While some might grumble that less than three dozen majors is the mark of a sissy team, I would remind those people that the fewest number of majors of any team this season was 12, by Detroit. And sissies the Red Wings ain’t. Virtue has been rewarded here, and that’s what the 3 of Wands is saying here. The Caps are where they are because they have played this season with skill and class.

CROSSING: 10 OF STONES, RICHNESS. A Crossing card can describe either a path, an obstacle, or a false good. And you really have to read the whole spread to figure out which way to read it. Based mostly on the Outcome, I’m going to read this as a path–the path to Richness, essentially. This represents material abundance; being king of the castle; and coming home to a celebration. After a season-concluding week on the road, complete with an inglorious conclusion in Florida, the Caps now come home for Games 1 and 2 of the Conference Quarterfinals. Time to Rock the Red, and soak up the love from 18,277 red-clad admirers. A very fun road to be on, that’s for sure.

DISTANT PAST: MOTHER OF STONES, PERCEPTION. When this card refers to a situation, it’s a situation of calmness, serenity, and–here we go again–material abundance. If this is a hockey player, they’re a physical or “earth-y” player who’s got five to nine years’ experience. Now, I do keep a list of players by rank, and I was looking over all the 5-to-9-year players. And Matt Bradley’s name just jumped out at me loud and clear. I wanted to say this was John Erskine at first, but I just wasn’t feeling that from this roster. Matt Bradley has gotten a little too quiet for my taste as the season has drawn to a close–perhaps that’s why he’s showing up in the Distant Past position. But if he’s turning up here, his influence may yet be felt in the series against the Rangers. Take it however you will–either our calm and serene days are now officially ancient history, or Matt Bradley may be making his presence felt from out of the past. (Either that, or he’s so ancient-history by now that he’s headed for the press box.)

RECENT PAST: 2 OF WANDS, DOMINION. While this isn’t a card of outright victory, it is a “Yes! I did it!” kind of card. That almost certainly describes our regular-season performance: it’s been a regular campaign for the ages–at least, for the Caps–and we’ve hit the finish line and thrown up our arms in victory. Well, that is now officially old news. It’s past. It’s over. It’s done. Forget it now–that Dominion is officially in the rear view mirror. The playoffs are here, and it’s time to start a new journey. That’s not to say this card is going away–it’s just on its way out of the picture for now. The message here is to forget the regular season, and move forward with the REAL hockey season.

GENERAL DIRECTION: IX, THE HERMIT, REFLECTION, REVERSED. (Element: Earth) This is one of the two reversed Majors I alluded to earlier. And while this is in a predictive position, it’s not really a harbinger of bad news. How come? Well, The Hermit is about taking the phone off the hook and disappearing for a while. It’s about getting away from the stresses of life. It’s about taking a step back to take two more steps forward. Retreat; contemplation; monk in a monastery; mystic on a mountaintop; that kind of energy. When reversed, the meaning is essentially one of “get off your mountaintop and get on with your life.” The retreat in the woods is over; time to get back to the concrete jungle. The interpretation I’m about to offer here seems too easy to be genuine, but here goes nothing. The month of meaningless games against cupcake opponents is over. To find their way forward, the Caps need to get back to playing their regular game. Banish cute. You’re not playing for the highlight reels now, guys. You’re playing for the Stanley Cup. Come back to the real world, now, or it’s going to be an awfully long summer. (That’s a caution, not a prediction. The Outcome is more emphatic, and more positive, but no fair skipping ahead.)

IMMEDIATE FUTURE: FATHER OF STONES, GUARDIAN. There are only two Caps who have nine or more years experience that I’d put into the suit of Stones. Those are Brashear and Theodore. And frankly, Theodore was who I thought of right away the second I saw this card hit the table. This position is kind of the Celtic Cross version of “Coming Soon” at your local multiplex. And honestly, I’m not surprised to see this card in this position. There have been some who have said that Henrik Lundqvist is a better goalie than Jose Theodore. I don’t buy that, quite frankly, and I don’t have to ask him to know Jose doesn’t buy that either. He will take the crease with something to prove, and I think he’ll do just fine for Games 1 and 2. Beyond that, I can’t say–this card is an IMMEDIATE future card, not a long-term (as in, full series) one. If I’m reading this right, Jose Theodore should have two very solid outings in the first two games.

TEAM: ACE OF SWORDS, COGNITION. This is the only Air card on this spread, and it’s a good one. This card represents incredible mental acuity, out-thinking the opposition, cutting right to the heart of things, laser focus, and similar energies. The Caps have had a few days to prepare for the Blueshirts, and this tells me that they have REALLY been doing their homework these past few days. While the overall distribution is Earth-heavy, which may indicate a more physical series, the Ace of Swords in this position indicates that the Caps will still have the mental edge. They may not out-hit the Rangers, but they should out-think them. Overall, this is a VERY good card to come up to represent the team.

TIMELINE: in this specific deck, Aces also predict timelines. I’ll spare you the nuts and bolts of how it works, but it does involve having the month and date of birth of the seeker. I assume the seeker here is the Capitals organization, and the “date of birth” that I use is June 9th, 1972, the date the franchise was awarded to Abe Polin. Using that date of birth, the time that this Ace is predicting is 11 AM on October 19th. I have no idea what to make of that, but I will report it as part of the reading.

OUTSIDE INFLUENCES: DAUGHTER OF STONES, POSSIBILITIES, REVERSED. Two years or less at the NHL level, New York Rangers, physical player…Brandon Dubinsky, maybe? 113 PIMs this season? That’s who my intuition is telling me it is, so I’ll go with it. This card is reversed, so this is the “bad” version of whoever this card represents (Dubinsky, I think.) As a situation, this card can also represent a lack of possibilities, ignored opportunities, and not knowing truth from falsehood. That could be an outside influence bearing on the Caps’ series, or this could simply represent Dubinsky being one of the worse influences on the series. We’ll see.

HOPES AND FEARS: THE MOON, DREAMS, REVERSED. (Element: Water) I don’t want to call this a “nightmare” card–that would be the 9 of Swords–but it’s not a pleasant card to come up as a Hopes and Fears–that is, subconscious influence–card. Emotional fluctuations, racing thoughts, the past coming back to haunt you–that’s part of what this card can represent. It also represents deception: things may not be what they seem by the light of the moon, but when reversed, they DEFINITELY aren’t what they seem. I think there may be some players on the team who, subconsciously, are afraid of another first-round exit like the one they suffered last year. It’s an emotional time for some of the younger players: the last time they were the first-round favorite, they got chased on a ticky-tack power play in overtime of Game 7. There may be some subconscious fears of that series still lingering with some of the players. If I could give counsel to such a player, I would say this: Remember who you are. You are a Washington Capital; you are a champion of the Southeast Division; and you have teammates, families, fans, and a whole lot more who love you as you are. You can do this. Fear not.

OUTCOME: ACE OF CUPS, EMOTION. Love; joy; artistry; emotional fulfillment; creativity; abundance; enjoying the moment. There are a whole lot of very sweet interpretations of this card. But if Aces represent beginnings, and Cups represent emotion, then what we have here, essentially, is an emotional beginning. Not an ending; a beginning. If so, this series represents a first step. It is not the end of our journey. There will be a lot of love and joy surrounding the team in this series, so I don’t see three games in New York here. Three games in the Phone Booth, yes. And that will be when we take our next step.

DISTRIBUTION: EARTH 5, FIRE 2, WATER 2, AIR 1. As I’ve alluded to several times by now, this will be a very physical series based on the number of Earth cards I see here. There may not be a whole lot of conscious thought going on, but with an Ace of Swords representing the team, what Air energy is on the Caps’ side is most potent. Spirit and Emotion are about where they should be.

FINAL PREDICTION: Last year, I saw a 6 of Wands reversed, and shaded a bit on my way to a bad misread. Here, there’s not much to misread. An Ace as the Outcome is very, very good news, and a second Ace on the staff shows that the spiritual energy in play is very, very powerfully working in the Caps’ favor. Either this deck is toying with me, or this series is going to be a very, very good start to the Caps’ postseason. Based on the cards, I’m going to go with:

CAPITALS IN FIVE.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
WAITER, TELL THE KITCHEN TO KEEP THE CROW ON SHORT CALL

It’s just been an insanely busy couple of weeks. I’ve gone ahead and taken down the Magic Numbers table since the playoffs are now here, and there’s no point keeping that up. I have the last version of it saved, so in the event I decide to try this again next year–hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with it down the stretch–I won’t have to re-code the whole table, by hand, from scratch. Yes, I really DID hand-code that chart, in addition to keeping the numbers up to date for as long as I could. Some parts of that chart might have been easier if I hadn’t been forced to re-work them every time–knowing the head-to-head tie breaks down the stretch might have enabled me to keep the main chart going until the end, instead of wimping out with two weeks to go in the season.

A little late tonight for me to do full predictions for the Caps-Rangers series–I’ll hopefully be doing that tomorrow the second I’m home from my day job.

Nobody’s pledging my playoff beard?! Do I have to bribe you guys, or something? It’s for a good cause! Go to the Caps’ Beardathon site and pledge me! Please? ^_^

Game 1 is Wednesday night, and I intend to be there when the doors open. I will be in my usual garb, so I’ll be easy to spot. See you at the Phone Booth, as the Caps open the 2009 playoffs with (I intend) a convincing win on home ice.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
IT’S TIME

(Housekeeping: I will be updating the playoff numbers chart, for whatever it’s worth at this point, tomorrow night.)

It’s a hockey tradition: growing a few whiskers in the postseason. I had already planned on doing that this year anyway, so when I found out Washington Capitals Charities was raising money on the idea, I jumped at the chance. I do not have a photo uploaded yet: I will be completely clean-shaven for Game 1, and will update with photos after each game (assuming my technology cooperates).

For those of you who want to contribute to Washington Capitals Charities, I would be tickled red if you wanted to do so by way of my facial hair. Go to the Caps’ Beard-A-Thon site and look up Trevor White (that’s me). However much you pledge is up to you, but they do have a leader board, so… (hint)

Good game by the Caps this afternoon–a little too exciting for comfort, but two points is two points, and a record season is possible yet. For those who are wondering if I scored any bonus swag at Fan Appreciation Day, well, no such luck this year. (The row in front of me got gift certificates to Hard Times, I think.) The beach towel they gave all fans was nice, though.

And yes, they did show my Red Line Monday segment at the game the other night against Buffalo. No, I wasn’t aware they were going to be showing it–I was walking back into 417 with a Diet Coke, and I see my name up there and go, “Oh, heck, that’s me.” I got seated in a hurry–not that it mattered, no cameras around so I wasn’t getting a close-up. Didn’t hear any boos in the building, despite a sizable Sabres contingent (where the HECK did those clodhoppers get all those tickets, anyway?!), so that’s progress, I guess.

Anyway…if you want to chip in to Washington Capitals Charities, I’m growing a few whiskers this spring, and I’d love them to be for a good cause. Thanks much!

CAPITAL SPIRIT
AU REVOIR, MON RASOIR