(photo by Mike Stobe)

This isn’t exactly ground-breaking news or anything, but it’s safe to say that birthdays typically start to lose their luster right around the time folks turn 21.

Once you’re legally an adult and you’re allowed to buy your own beer, there’s not much else to look forward to – unless you’re dying to rent a car in your name.

Even though my 21st is long gone, birthdays have always held a special place in my heart – mostly because, for as long as I can remember, they’ve been celebrated by taking in a Washington Capitals game.

What started out as a family tradition has long continued into adulthood, and this year my wife and I celebrated the annual tradition with a road trip to Long Island in hopes of watching the Capitals secure victory over the New York Islanders.

Because the Caps are the only team in town worth a damn, it’s no secret that getting the best seats in the house doesn’t come cheap. In fact, a quick scan of the secondary market shows that a person looking to sit right on the glass at the Verizon Center is going to have to spend at least $250 to $350 per ticket.

Hockey might be a blue-collared sport, but the best seats in the house aren’t exactly priced for the blue-collar crowd. Well, at least in Washington.

Islanders games, it turns out, aren’t exactly on the same level as Capitals games. So when we realized the Caps were scheduled to play the Islanders in New York on my birthday, we quickly realized that we could get two great seats for next-to-nothing.

How cheap, you ask? We scored two tickets in Section 102, Row A (face value of $150 per) for a grand total of 97 bucks. That’s after all of the bullshit “convenience fees” and other nonsense.

Even factoring in tolls and gas money, that’s still a much cheaper evening than trying to pull off the same seats for a home game. And as luck would have it, the Caps Road Crew decided to join us.

Well, technically they were making the trip to Long Island with or without my wife and I. But it was nice to see so many other Capitals fans in attendance.

On the way up to the game, a friend informed us that Saturday night’s game was going to be a “white out,” meaning all Islander fans were encouraged to wear white in support of the home team.

Well, I’m guessing we were the only people to get the memo. That’s because – even if you choose to ignore the sea of red in attendance – there were still way more New Yorkers sporting non-white apparel than those actually playing along.

And sadly, apathy was the theme of the evening. Most of the locals we talked to that evening were either Rangers fans who were cheering for the Islanders only because the Capitals are ahead of the Rangers in the standings or had been given free tickets.

In either case, they preferred the New York emerged victorious, but they weren’t going to lose sleep if things didn’t actually play out that way. And look, I’m sure there were plenty of Islanders fans in the Coliseum Saturday night, but they weren’t sitting in Section 102.

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(photo by Scott Audette)

When the Washington Redskins make headlines away from the game these days, it involves road rage, inappropriate fondling and late-night knife fights that result in trips to the emergency room.

Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Washington Capitals.

The Caps are in the news today and it’s for good reason – as the team announced that forward Matt Hendricks signed a two-year extension worth a reported $1.6 million.

While his offensive numbers aren’t all that eye catching (seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 57 games this season), Hendricks has managed to stand out for other reasons.

Like the immortal Ron Burgundy with “Jack Johnson” and “Tom O’Leary,” Hendricks has made a name for himself thanks to his willingness to drop the gloves. He’s got 12 fights under his belt already this season and he’s even sought advice from teammate D.J. King on how to be a better fighter. You know … just in case.

While it’s always enjoyable to see someone step up and defend a friend or teammate, it still nothing short of amazing to see how D.C. has completely embraced such a devoted blue-collar worker.

Respecting someone’s hard work is one thing, but on a team loaded with elite players such as Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green, how has Hendricks risen to the title of “fan favorite” seemingly overnight?

(Laughs). “I don’t really know,” Hendricks said. “I guess I just work hard and maybe people haven’t always seen that in sports. But you’re right – they’re definitely embracing me and it feels good.

“I’ve noticed a change,” he continued. “I’ve gotten a lot more face-to-face time with fans through appearances and things like that, and it’s been really nice to feel so at home here in Washington. It’s always nice to meet Caps fans and to play at the Verizon Center, where you’ve got 20,000 fans or whatever behind you.”

This isn’t Hendrick’s first NHL stop. He was drafted by Nashville back in 2000 and spent two seasons in Colorado before coming to Washington on essentially a tryout basis without any kind of contract during the Capitals’ training camp.

The 29-year-old played well enough to earn a one-year deal with the Caps though and has rapidly risen from obscurity thanks in large part to hockey’s first-ever reality show. But we’ll get to that in a little bit.

I was curious to know if Hendricks had been so warmly received in his other stops along the way during his career.

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(photo by Christian Petersen)

Remember when Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma called Washington Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth “shaky” during HBO’s amazing 24/7 series?

Well, even if you don’t, it’s safe to say that Neuvirth does because he’s now posted back-to-back shutouts of the Penguins in his first two appearances against the Penguins since Bylsma’s infamous line was captured on television.

While forward Brooks Laich has gone out of his way to say he never saw a minute of the HBO series, Neuvirth and most of the rest of the roster happily admit they watched and enjoyed every minute of it. And the usually quiet Neuvirth has been unusually outspoken when it comes to games against Pittsburgh.

“I made a few saves early in the game and I was feeling pretty good,” Neuvirth said. “I was confident the whole game.”

I think it’s safe to say those words were carefully chosen. I mean, confident is pretty much the opposite of shaky, right? At least he was a little more subtle than the last time these two teams squared off.

“Before the game, I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm-up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight,” Neuvirth said.

But honestly, as long as Neuvirth continues to play like this against Washington’s biggest rival – he can do and say whatever the hell he likes. Neuvirth stopped all 39 shots he faced Monday night on top of his 22 save effort on Super Bowl Sunday.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but if you post two shutouts in a 15-day span against the hated Penguins … well, you’re quickly on your way to becoming a fan favorite.

Neuvirth had his “A game” from the moment the puck dropped – stopping 18 shots in the first period alone. But it’s not just the sheer number of pucks Neuvirth faced that was most impressive, but it’s the way he played in net all night long that really made this his best effort of the season.

Even with Penguins players such as forward Jordan Staal regularly bumping into him and crashing the crease, Neuvirth refused to get rattled. Pittsburgh might have got the initial shot on net without issue, but there was rarely ever a rebound or second chance.

Neuvirth was that good. He took away the angles and did a masterful job of eliminating juicy rebounds that a blue-collar team like the Penguins typically feasts on.

“When he can corral them and smothers them like he’s got Velcro on, that’s when I know Michal’s on top of his game,” said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. “He was seeing everything. They had a lot of ‘in the crease’ kind of chances, and he was seeing everything. I knew he was going to be good.”

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(photo by Greg Fiume)

Even though their top-line forwards were held scoreless, the Washington Capitals were able to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 thanks to a total team effort on both sides of the rink.

Never was that more evident than when Capitals forward Matt Hendricks was whistled for goalie interference in the early stages of the second period.

With seconds remaining in Hendricks’ penalty, rookie center Marcus Johansson gathered the puck, accelerated quickly and found himself on a semi-breakaway with forward Dave Steckel.

Once he entered the offensive zone, Johansson feathered a backhander towards the net and Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury inexplicably seemed more concerned with Steckel than the oncoming puck, so it floated untouched into the cage and gave Washington a 2-0 lead.

The tally was Johansson’s first shorthanded goal of his young career and it came at the perfect time –giving Washington a much-needed boost after defenseman Mike Green was knocked out of the game in the final seconds of the first period after a slapshot struck him in the side of the head.

The loss of the team’s top defenseman could have been disastrous, but Johansson’s timely strike turned momentum back in Washington’s favor.

“That was a really nice goal,” said center Nicklas Backstrom. “I asked him about it afterwards and he was surprised it went in. But it was a good shorthanded goal and we haven’t been scoring many of those this year.”

The play was made possible because of everything Johansson brings to the table. He’s solid in the face-off circle and he’s defensively responsible, so his coaches trust him on the ice during penalty kill situations.

What stands out most with Johansson’s game is the speed in which he can accelerate with the puck. That, more than anything, enabled the rookie to get up the ice with enough separation to get the shot off in the first place.

But even when he’s not scoring goals, Johansson’s play of late has earned praise from his teammates.

“Speed is his game, you know, and carrying the puck,” said forward Mike Knuble. “Now you’re seeing some patience. He made a great play to me in the third period when he saw me coming and he kind of let it develop. He let it happen and then gave me the puck right on my stick. I didn’t score, but you want to get those types of chances. They’ll start going in.”

Backstrom, who plays the role of unofficial mentor with his fellow countryman, feels that Johansson’s first-career shorthanded goal is a sign of things to come.

“He’s got a lot of speed,” Backstrom said. “He’s a very skilled guy and he takes care of the puck. And he’s a pretty good shooter. He’s pretty much got everything. The biggest thing he and I talk about is just adjusting to a new league. But he’s coming along.”

And Backstrom isn’t alone in his assessment.

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(photo by Greg Fiume)

You may remember that during HBO’s 24/7 Caps/Pens series, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma let it be known that he didn’t think very highly of Washington Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth.

In fact, he went as far as to tell his players that he thought the rookie goalie was “shaky” and encouraged his players to take advantage of it during an early season showdown between the two rivals.

And even if you forgot that little subplot heading into Sunday’s matchup, there was at least one person in the building who was keenly aware of that bulletin board material.

“Before the game, I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm-up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight,” Neuvirth said.

Fast forward to the end of the game and Neuvirth made good on his word – stopping all 22 pucks he faced in a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh. It was the second shutout of Neuvirth’s young career.

“I’m really happy that I shut them down,” Neuvirth said. “It’s even better for me right now.”

Much like the Super Bowl itself, one of the major storylines of this game was the injury list – with Pittsburgh missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the Capitals still without Alexander Semin and Eric Fehr.

And okay, Fehr’s name doesn’t carry the star power of the other three gentlemen listed in the previous paragraph, but he was the breakout star of the Winter Classic. So let’s cut him a break.

Even without all of those big-name players, this was a highly enjoyable game for Caps fans – especially those who have been waiting for the Capitals to put together strong showings in back-to-back games since November.

Coming off of an emotional 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Friday night – one that featured a complete, 60-minute effort – the hope was that Washington would be able to shake off the normal sluggish start that has been a trademark of these midday matinee matchups. Thankfully, that’s exactly how the game against the Penguins played out.

The Capitals started strong and dictated play for much of the afternoon. And the best part of all was that while the top line provided the bulk of the scoring against Tampa, the rest of the roster was able to pick up the slack against Pittsburgh.

Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom combined for three goals and five assists in the win over the Lightning, but were no-shows on the stat sheet against the Penguins. So Brooks Laich, Marcus Johansson and Mike Knuble stepped up and happily paved the way to a Washington victory.

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(photo by Mitchell Layton)

There’s nothing else in the world like being a sports fan. Seriously, it’s crazy when you stop and think about it for a second.

I mean, the highs and lows I feel on a weekly basis thanks to a group of professional athletes brought to my hometown by luck, chance or whatever you want to call it is astounding.

Most sports fans will never have the chance to meet and/or interact with the professional athletes that represent their city, and yet, one untimely mistake by a 20-year-old rookie (who otherwise might never have stepped foot in Washington, D.C. if not for being drafted by your favorite franchise) has the ability to ruin my entire weekend.

The fact that these people carry as much weight in my life as a friend or relative is dumbfounding when you really think about it.

As I get a little older and gain more perspective, I find it easier to accept that my favorite teams can’t win them all. I think it’s safe to say that the Washington Capitals, for example, will never go 82-0. And honestly, even if they did go undefeated, there’d still be a slice of the fanbase who remained incapable of being satisfied.

Last season was the best in franchise history, and it wasn’t good enough for some. A team that lost at least 40 games a year from 2003-04 through 2006-07 finally turns the corner and goes 54-15-13 and all it did was give some fans a sense of entitlement.

Apparently the Capitals are supposed to owe me something because I choose to cheer for them.

I spend a few bucks here and there taking my family out to the Verizon Center and now – all of the sudden – a team that’s never really won anything since the day the franchise was stood up, is expected to flip some magical switch and steamroll the competition on a nightly basis.

Anything less than video game-level blowouts on a nightly basis should result in coaches and players losing their jobs.

And that’s ridiculous. I want to grab the vocal minority – those who tried to start the “Fire Bruce Boudreau” chants during the second period of the Montreal game this week – by the neck and shake some sense into them.

I want to try and make them understand that even if the Caps never win a single Stanley Cup championship in my lifetime, they’ve brought me more joy than any other sports team I’ve ever cheered for.

Back in the day I was the kid sitting in the stands chanting “We Want Pizza!” while praying Peter Bondra scored one more goal so I’d win a free meal I’d never actually redeem. These days, I’m sitting in the press box quietly crossing my fingers that tonight is the night Brooks Laich regains his scoring touch.

Either way you look at it; there are a million worse ways to spend my free time.

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(photo by Mitchell Layout)

Okay, it’s time to vent.

While it was a great idea to dedicate a night in honor of Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli, the pregame festivities were fairly pointless.

Talking with fans beforehand, the overwhelming opinion was folks hoping for a heartfelt pregame ceremony with video tributes for the former Capital, but everything before the puck was dropped seemed rushed and clunky.

Why even have him out on the ice if he’s only going to be a part of a 10-second dog-and-pony show? The video tributes throughout the game were much better, but by that point Ciccarelli was tucked away in the owner’s suit or some other luxury box and the fans were robbed of seeing his reaction to the kind words shared by his friends and former teammates.

The way it was handled this time around, fans were robbed of the opportunity to share a heartfelt moment with a former great. Here’s hoping next time the Caps start the festivities a little earlier to give Caps fans more than a few seconds with one of their favorite former players.

Speaking of brief moments of joy followed by disappointment – how you liking that Capitals offense these days?

They get off to their best start in more than a month, only to fall asleep at the wheel for the final two periods. By the time regulation ended, there couldn’t have been a single Caps fan, player or coach in the Verizon Center who had a good feeling about how the story would end on this night.

Of course, true to form this season, the Capitals fell apart in a game that required overtime and lost to the Canadiens 3-2 via shootout.

The Caps might have referred to last night as “Turn Back the Clock Night,” but the results were very much more of the same uninspired hockey that’s been the calling card of Bruce Boudreau’s guys far too frequently this season.

Earlier this week, I made my argument that the Capitals are a team suffering from an identity crisis. And my stance on the new-look Caps paved the way to a healthy debate (and a disturbing visual of farm animals wearing lipstick).

Since this topic continues to engulf the Capitals these days and the opposing team last night happened to be the same squad that started all of this drama in the first place, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the subject.

Revisionist history now suggests that Washington was bounced by the Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs last year because their run-and-gun style of play can’t work in the postseason.

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