The Streaking Washington Capitals

With the number one spot in the East clinched, the Presidents Trophy within grasp, and the largest goal differential in the league by 28 goals (+78) the Alexander Ovechkin led Washington Capitals are undeniably the most dangerous team in the NHL.

They are also one of the league's streakiest.

The Capitals have racked up three-or-more consecutive wins seven times this season, including two six-game streaks, and an unbelievable 14 game-winning streak that lasted from January 13th until they fell to the Canadiens in overtime 28 days later on February 10th.

However they've also had their losing streaks. Five times the Caps have dropped three consecutive games, and once, early in the season they lost four straight.

Perhaps no other statistic better illustrates the nature of Washington than this: following a victory, the Capitals have an impressive 35-14 record. However, following a loss they are a pedestrian 13-13.

And when you look at the team's record outside of that dominant 14-game stretch, they are 35-27. Still top-notched? Absolutely. But much further in line with the other elite teams.

And their goal differential? During that unearthly streak the Capitals outscored opponents 78 goals to 33, winning each game by an average of 3.2 goals. The rest of the season they have outscored their opponents 220 to 187, winning each game by an average of only .5 goals.

There is no denying the Capitals are an imposing team, and are entirely capable of plowing through the Eastern Conference to the Stanley Cup Finals. But there is also another - not as unlikely as it might seem - outcome to the Capitals dominant regular season: That of the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.

The '92-'93 Penguins won the Patrick division by 13 games, and the Presidents trophy by five. They were a team that finished the regular season with an incredible +99 goal differential (367-368). A team that put together the NHL's longest winning streak ever, rattling off 17 consecutive victories. A team better than the previous two Penguins squads who amounted back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. And a team that stumbled in the second-round of the postseason, losing in seven games to the downright mediocre New York Islanders.

Few doubt the Capitals chances of raising Lord Stanley's Cup in two months time, and for good reason. But perhaps too few realize the likelihood of the streaky team tripping up, dropping consecutive games, as they have done more than a few times this season, and making a disappointing early exit.

The Bizarro Season

And now for something completely different. Not a blog post. Not 400 words about something that happened ten seconds ago and will be yesterdays news tomorrow. No, a nice little essay on the first season back from the lockout and the effects on it's statistics. As you'll see, I've obviously been reading Bill Simmons too much, and the short essay is jammed with footnotes. Sue me, it's a good style and if you're going to steal, steal from the best. Bleacher Report knows what I'm talking about.

Can't really say I've used this format before, so until I figure out a decent way to bring this to the interwebs, it's a PDF. Which is great, because then you can easily print it out and take it to the can to read. Or read it and give it to a friend (really, it's what Al Gore would want you to do, tree killer). You might just want to leave out the part where you took it to the toilet though. George Costanza knows what I'm talking about.

Read the PDF

It Promises Lots of Words and No Pictures

When not making cheap cracks about Peter Pocklington on Twitter, or watching George Laraque's Octane alcoholic-energy drink commercial, I sometimes actually write about hockey. Usually no one reads those. Understandably, they're longer than 140 characters and they don't have videos of scandalously hot women stretching.

However, if your in the mood and were wondering just what those Providence Bruins of the AHL were up to these days, why not buckle up and take a ride down the information super highway to Hockey's Future. Why, it's as easy as clicking this link. Or this one.

Or even this one: Providence Bruins 2009-10 Preview

Oh George Laraque, now you have gone too far.

Since you are reading this on a computer, I can safely assume you are sitting down. And that's a good thing, because you'll need to be for what I'm about to tell you. So that means if your one of those weird people with standing or treadmill desks, stop being so damn smug and just take a seat.

Georges Laraque has appeared in an advertisement for an alcoholic beverage that ... (gulp)... exploits women to sell its product.

Yes, it is true, and the powers of Youtube even have the video so we can all watch this senseless exploitation, perhaps multiple times. You know, just to fully understand how distasteful it is.

[go ahead, just stop reading the article and scroll down to end to watch it]

Okay, so it's not exactly the first time a commercial for an alcoholic beverage has flaunted beautiful women as means to make its product appealing. But I myself can tell you through firsthand research that, while cracking open a cool one might be refreshing as you sit down to take in a game at the end of a long day, it does not, as the commercials may hint, make my television room overrun with smoking hot biddies.

I think we can also safely assume that Flo-max is used by guys that aren't always out on white-water rafting or at a ball game with fellow aging brosephs. And I seriously doubt anyone ever has used one of those outside tubs I always see on commercials between innings of a baseball game, for guys whose peeps are on the fritz.

It's commercials people. They lie, but only mostly because they're expected to.

But, okay, yes, I have to agree that this commercial is definitely at the far end of the extreme. It goes further than most that just coyly employ a girl way too hot to be a bartender explaining why this particular brew is superior. But it's the one-minute cut, by the time it actually airs it'll be cut down to 30 seconds.

And lets be honest, your just going to fast-forward through it anyways.

The Canadian Press - Laraque assailed for sexist-deemed ad