The Hockey Stop

This past Super Bowl weekend was simply awesome for fans of hockey and football, and specifically followers of the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals and New Orleans Saints.

Most of the Monday morning water-cooler discussions rightfully centered on the Saints' feel-good victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Miami. New Orleans' win was the tonic this nation needed to have something to feel good about in the midst of a seemingly endless jobs drought and divisive rhetoric about, well, almost every issue being debated in Washington. Plus the still raw memories of Hurricane Katrina's devastation.

This nation and the city of New Orleans needed a Saints victory and we got it. So thanks to Drew Brees and company for a hell of a performance last Sunday. You gave the whole country (outside of Indianapolis) something to celebrate and come together over and that is special.

If the Saints had won the Super Bowl and nothing else happened that would have been enough. But two of perhaps the most exciting hockey games of the year took place in rainy Los Angeles and snowy Washington, D.C. and what a treat they were!

First on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center I was lucky enough to nab two $100 seats for $20 each from my co-worker to the game. So my friend and I hopped on the subway and headed downtown to the arena where we took our seats seven rows up and one section to the right of the visitors bench. I was so close I could almost hear backup goalie Chris Osgood talking shop with Todd Bertuzzi, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings teammates.

The many Detroiters in attendance had a lot to cheer about in the first period as the Wings built up a seemingly impenetrable 3-0 lead going into the intermission. But then the Kings came alive and scored four unanswered goals in the final two periods to win 4-3 on a shot by Michael Handzus past Jimmy Howard to send the purple-and-black-clad fans into a frenzy.

The win was L.A.'s ninth straight, which set a franchise record for consecutive wins. As I waited for the Blue Line train at the Pico station with the celebratory Kings fans, I couldn't wait for NBC's national telecast of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in D.C.

Because of the record snowfall in D.C. the game was somewhat in doubt. The Pens had lost in Montreal 5-3 the day before and since the D.C. area airports were closed they had to fly to Newark and take a bus down to Washington. They even stopped at a rest stop in Maryland to pick up some Burger King (I won't say it was the fast food that caused the Penguins to lose because the meat industry might sue me).

Like the Kings, the Caps had to overcome a three goal deficit to extend their winning streak to a mind-boggling 14 games -- only three short of tying Pittsburgh's 17-game streak set in 1993. The Caps were down 4-1 before Eric Fehr cut the lead to one and then two goals by Alex Ovechkin for a hat trick tied the game before a near capacity crowd ready to let loose after the Great Blizzard of 2010. Caps fans were rocking the red at the VC no matter what the conditions were. They probably would have sledded across the Arlington Memorial Bridge, along the National Mall and up 7th Street to get to the game if that was the only form of transportation.

And the Caps provided these loyal, courageous fans with a thrilling finish. With everyone in Capitals Nation still feeling the bitter sting of the 7th game playoff loss to the Pens last year, the Caps turned the table for at least one day by beating the Pens 5-4 in overtime off a Mike Knuble tip-in past Marc-Andre Fleury to send the red-clad crowd into the snow happy (and this Caps fan doing cartwheels in his apartment in Los Angeles).

What a weekend!

Other notable news from around the rink:

Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke's son dies

The hockey world is in mourning over the tragic loss of Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke's son Brendan at the age of 21. Burke, the student manager of Miami University's NCAA hockey team in Oxford, Ohio, died along with a friend at the scene of a two-vehicle collision during heavy snow in Wayne County, Indiana at around 2:50 p.m. Friday. Brendan was driving back from Michigan State in East Lansing because he was interested in attending the law school there.

Burke's youngest son made headlines last November when his father revealed to the media that his son was gay.

"I think it's important my story is told to people because there are a lot of gay athletes out there and gay people working in pro sports that deserve to know there are safe environments where people are supportive regardless of your sexual orientation," Burke said.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release that Brendan was "a young man of courage and character. Words simply cannot express our sorrow over his loss."

New owner for Lightning

Boston Red Sox minority owner Jeff Vinik has agreed to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning pending approval from the league's Board of Governors. The St. Petersburg Times writes about how GM Brian Lawton will be on the hot seat as he tries to impress his new boss.

Caps-Pens TV ratings

NBC's broadcast of the Caps-Pens last Super Bowl Sunday scored a 1.3 overnight rating, which tied the season high of the Pens-Flyers telecast of two weeks ago. It was also the best ever rating for a Pittsburgh-Washington game.

Caps embrace social media

The Washington Post's Gene Wang has a story on the Caps and owner Ted Leonsis' embrace of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote the team. Here is an excerpt courtesy of Kukla's Korner Hockey Blog:

"The Washington Capitals in recent years have moved more aggressively than any other NHL team toward embracing social media Web sites such as Twitter and Facebook, targeting supporters who get their information from non-traditional outlets.

Now, with the team in the midst of a franchise-record winning streak led by one of the world’s most dynamic hockey players in Alex Ovechkin, owner Ted Leonsis is hoping the social media strategy will pay off in expanding the club’s popularity and engagement with fans.

“The team blew up, and the team got great with really young kids who were very identifiable by the same generation that used that technology,” Leonsis said last week from his office at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “So the co-mingling of this understanding of social media and technology and the team doing great, and the city wanting a winner, has really made this a very magical time for the franchise.”

Leafs-Ducks-Flames in huge deal

Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke had seen enough.

The storied franchise has been mired in mediocrity in recent years and this year has been particularly bad with the Maple Leafs sitting second to bottom in the league with a record of 17-28-11 for 45 points.

Toronto aims to get back on the right track with this blockbuster deal pulled off Sunday -- Toronto gets defenseman Dion Phaneuf from Calgary and Stanley Cup-winning goalie J.S. Giguere from Anaheim.

The rest of the seven-player deal with the Flames includes right wing Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie to Toronto for forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White.

My opinion? This is a smart move for Toronto. They needed to shake things up and as the old saying goes -- defense wins Cups and the Leafs just added two stonewalls in back of their blue line. And Phaneuf has the ability to light the lamp often as well, which is always a plus with a defenseman.

Sale of Tampa Bay Lightning could come soon

The financial mess the Lightning face -- the NHL had to bail the ownership out to make payroll -- could soon be resolved, according to a report in the St. Petersburg Times.

The report says that talks are underway about selling the team to Boston hedge fund manager Jeff Vinik. The article says there is speculation that an NHL-brokered deal could happen swiftly.

Many Lightning fans are likely rooting for this deal because the current ownership is not very popular because of their non-hockey background and flashy Hollywood-type decisions such as hiring Barry Melrose as head coach. We all know how that worked out. On the other hand, Vinik is a minority partner in the Boston Red Sox so he knows about how to run a winning franchise. He also managed the Fidelity Magellan Fund in the 1990s so he is wise to the financials and would probably not get himself into a situation where he fails to pay his players.

But the most intriguing part of the story? The speculation from The Hockey News that Vinny Lecavalier may be traded in order for the team to cut costs. Lecavalier would have to waive his no-move clause. He is in his first year of an 11-year, $85 million deal. One potential place Lecavalier could end up is Los Angeles. To be continued ...

Caps aim for franchise record Tuesday

Speaking of the Lightning, the Washington Capitals beat them 3-2 in a matinee affair at the Verizon Center Sunday on a game-winning third period tally from Alex Ovechkin. The win was the Caps' 10th straight, which ties the franchise mark set in 1984.

The red-hot Caps have a chance to set the franchise record for most consecutive regular season wins on Tuesday when they face off against the struggling Boston Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden.

And while Washington's explosive league-leading offense has propelled the team to victory after victory, solid penalty killing and clutch saves from Jose Theodore and Michael Neuvirth have contributed as well.

I've been saying for awhile that the Capitals are one shutdown defenseman away from being a Stanley Cup contender. I still believe General Manager George McPhee will be shopping for a veteran sacrifice-the-body-in-front-of-the-net blueliner to put the final piece of the puzzle in place for a Stanley Cup run.

The goaltending situation I believe to be resolved as this past winning streak has shown. Number one goalie Simeon Varlamov is nearing a return from injury and has been getting some important schooling from Caps goaltending coach Arturs Irbe. Varlamov is sure to match his high skill level with more maturity when he returns. That said, veteran Jose Theodore is playing his best hockey since he became a Cap, and rookie Michael Neuvirth has been playing solid under pressure. Plus there is highly touted prospect Braydon Holtby, who has been tearing it up in Hershey but has yet to play an NHL game. Needless to say, the future between the pipes for the Caps is a bright one.

Jonathan Quick with save of the year?

I expect to be watching a replay of L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick's unbelievable save on the ESPY Awards.

On Sunday in New Jersey, the talented young netminder was sprawled on the ice with bodies in front of him blocking his view when a Devil lifted the puck off the ice into an open net only to see Quick's glove hand rise up and snap the puck out of the air. All this while Quick's eyes were probably staring at the skate blade of one of the players in front of him. It was spectacular and one of the reasons the Kings rallied with two goals late in the third period to win 3-2 and go 5-0 on their road trip.

The Kings are certainly ready for the playoffs and could potentially ride their hot goalie deeper into the postseason than many pundits think they will go.

Here are the game highlights. Quick's spectacular save is at the 4:35 mark:

Whether or not the Washington Capitals have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup this year remains to be seen (Pens and Devils in the East and 'Hawks and Sharks in the West are tough tasks to say the least).

But Cup or not, the Capitals reached a significant milestone tonight in the history of the franchise -- their 5-1 home win against the Ducks was their eighth straight, which is the team's longest winning streak in 26 years.

There is still a lot of hockey left to play this year, including the Vancouver Winter Olympics, but right now the Capitals are the best team in the NHL, or at least the best team in the Eastern Conference. Washington is tied with Chicago and positioned only two points behind San Jose for the league points lead with 76.

All streaks must come to an end at some point, but for long-suffering Washington, D.C. sports fans (think Redskins, Wizards and Nationals) this is a moment to savor.

This lonely Caps fan in the City of Angels is definitely enjoying it.

Haiti is only 681 miles from Miami, Florida, which is a little more than half the distance it took the visiting Capitals to return to D.C. following their 5-4 shootout victory over the Panthers Wednesday night at BankAtlantic Center.

Given the proximity to South Florida and the many Haitian-Americans living in the region, the Panthers collected donations from fans before the game for the countless victims of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince on Sunday, Jan. 10.

Panthers fans will also have the opportunity to donate to relief efforts at the Lightning game this Saturday.

"This was a tragic and devastating event for the citizens of Haiti, as well as the numerous South Florida residents that have family members residing in the area," said Florida Panthers President & COO Michael Yormark. "We encourage our fans to help support this worthy cause and help the victims who are suffering from this unfortunate tragedy."

Also, yesterday the NHL announced it was donating $100,000 to UNICEF for Haiti relief.

"The catastrophe in Haiti requires an urgent response from the National Hockey League family," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "The victims need food, water, temporary housing and basic medical supplies, and the emergency effort by UNICEF is helping to provide those critical commodities to communities in desperate need."

To donate and find out more information about the earthquake visit www.unicef.org.

Here is a brief video of Panthers fans dropping off donations before the game:

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin has been named captain.

NHL.com is reporting that Ovechkin took to the Verizon Center ice this evening wearing the "C" on his sweater. The above picture courtesy of WashingtonPost.com shows Ovechkin wearing the captain's "C" during pre-game warmups before the match against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Capitals were captainless for a short period following the trade of Chris Clark to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The 24-year-old Russian becomes the 14th team captain in franchise history and the first European-born player to lead the Capitals.

Click here for the story on NHL.com

Video of Ovechkin putting on the captain's sweater for the first time:

Former New York Islanders announcer and veteran Washington, D.C. sportscaster George Michael died on Dec. 24 at the age of 70 from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Before he paved the way for ESPN SportsCenter with his pioneering highlights show, "The George Michael Sports Machine," Michael was a color commentator for the Isles for several seasons in the 1970s.

Links:

AP Obituary

Tribute from the Washington Post's Michael Wilbon

The Washington Capitals paid tribute to Michael on their website with the following statement:

George Michael, legendary sports director and anchor at WRC-TV 4 in Washington, D.C., and the creator and host of the George Michael Sports Machine, passed away Thursday. Michael, who covered the Capitals for decades, was 70. Ted Leonsis (pictured above being interviewed by Michael on the "Sports Machine" in 2002), Dick Patrick and George McPhee shared their recollections of a Washington sports institution.

“George Michael was one of the most respected, thought-provoking and honest reporters I ever encountered,” said Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals majority owner. “George never skirted the tough questions and always provided ample opportunity to discuss differing points of view. His knowledge and candor made D.C. a much better sports town. Our thoughts are with George’s family and many friends.”

“I remember first meeting George in the early 1980s,” recalled Dick Patrick, Washington Capitals president. “He had unbelievable energy and passion for sport and people. ‘The George Michael Sports Machine’ show established a new ground in covering and reporting on sports. George always was well prepared for any topic, fair in his commentary, opinionated in his comments and entertaining in his delivery. He was a role model for sportscasters in D.C. and around the country.”

“George Michael held D.C. sports teams to the same high standards he demanded of his broadcasts, and the entire community appreciated him for that,” said George McPhee, Capitals vice president and general manager. “He was passionate and fair, a professional whose impact in this city and the entire sports world will continue to reverberate for years to come.”

As the National Hockey League skates into the second decade of the new millenium, a recap of the Oughts is in order -- both the highlights and lowlights.

Overall the NHL is on a positive track as profits are up, the game has never been more exciting to watch and technological innovations are changing the way fans view and interact with their favorite teams. But there are also some financially failing franchises, injuries are on the rise and professional hockey is still a distant fourth behind the NFL, NBA and MLB in Americans' sporting passions.

Just some of the many trends and moments worth examining.

WHAT RECESSION? Despite the global financial crisis, the NHL had its most profitable year in 2008-2009 and team values rose $3 million with revivals in Chicago, Washington and Pittsburgh leading the charge and new deals with companies such as Honda and Cisco providing a boost.

LOCKOUT LOW POINT Remember the 2004-2005 lockout? I know, it has faded from memory as fast as a Joe Thornton slap shot. But this was no doubt the lowest point for the league in the past decade. The NHL earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first North American professional sports league to cancel an entire season. It is nothing short of a miracle the NHL was able to survive and now thrive after the devastating "lost season."

NEW RULES: THE GOOD In an effort to woo back disaffected fans following the lockout, the NHL instituted new rules to make the game more exciting to watch. Perhaps the most significant change was cracking down on the neutral zone trap defense, which was made famous by the New Jersey Devils. While the Devils had much success with this style of play, they were widely criticized for making the game boring. New rules that opened up the neutral zone took effect such as doubling the width of the blue and red lines, lifting the prohibition on two-line passes and vigorously enforcing obstruction penalties such as hooking and holding.

Another significant rule change was instituting the shootout if an overtime regular season game ends in a tie. While some argue that the shootout is a cheap gimmick, I would argue that it has made the game more exciting by showcasing the skills of shooters and goalies and preventing teams from settling for a tie because there is always two points on the line.

NEW RULES: THE BAD Automatic "no-touch" icing was initially going to be part of the new rules but it wasn't adopted. Bad decision. Injuries due to players racing for the puck is a major concern that could be alleviated by automatic icing. Also, that funny-looking trapezoid zone area behind the net should be eliminated. Restricting the area where a goalie can play the puck is unfair and unnecessary.

THE RISE OF THE EUROS The influx of European talent has enhanced the NHL's international appeal and made the game more fun to watch. The Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals are prime examples. In 2008 Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup when Detroit downed Pittsburgh. The Caps are bursting with European talent such as Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Tomas Fleischmann and Simeon Varlamov just to name a few. Plus, the NHL has moved some of their regular-season openers to Europe. This season games were played in the Czech Republic and Sweden. Expect many more games played overseas in the next decade.

WINTER CLASSIC The now annual New Year's Day outdoor game has been a great success by turning historic venues such as Wrigley Field and this year Fenway Park into ice hockey rinks and airing the game to a national TV audience on NBC. The inaugural game in 2008 at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium broke the NHL attendance record (71,217) and the Wings-Hawks game at Wrigley last January had the highest TV ratings of any hockey game in 33 years.

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS The upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver is going to be an amazing showcase for the NHL's best players representing their countries. The fact that it is in North America is a huge bonus because the games will be shown in prime time. Could Team Canada and Sidney Crosby play Team Russia and Alex Ovechkin for the gold medal?

THE COYOTES CONUNDRUM The fate of the Phoenix Coyotes was one of the biggest question marks heading toward the end of the decade and was a black eye for the league. The saga in Arizona started when the Coyotes filed for bankruptcy on May 5. Since then, there have been a circus of potential owners -- some wanting to keep the team in Phoenix and others wanting to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario. On Dec. 18, Ice Edge Holdings purchased the team and are expected to keep the franchise in Phoenix.

AN UP AND DOWN DECADE ON TV The decade started on ABC and ESPN and is ending on NBC and Versus. While many fans including myself have been critical of the NHL's contract with Versus, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel because of the NBC Universal-Comcast deal.

The reason I believed the NHL should have stayed on ESPN, despite its anti-hockey bias, had to do with leveraging matchups such as Pens-Caps from last year's playoffs in order to reach the maximum audience. Versus (formerly the Outdoor Life Network) has always been a niche channel with limited reach. Thus, one of the greatest playoff series in recent memory was not hyped as it should have been.

But Comcast owns Versus and the hope is that there will be more cross-coverage and promotion with NBC and that Versus and its hockey coverage will benefit from the power of NBC. So while the past decade has been mixed on television, the future certainly looks bright. Also, the NHL Network, NHL GameCenter Live on NHL.com and the NHL Center Ice package have given more options to watch out-of-market games.

NHL BECOMING MORE DIVERSE Despite the stereotype of NHL players being as white as the ice they play on, the NHL has quietly become more colorful as the decade has progressed. There are currently 26 blacks, nine Asians, six Hispanics and eight Jews playing in the National Hockey League.

Montreal Canadiens fan Ryan Stotland, 22, is bringing his Le Tricolore (3 Colors) jersey and his bike to South America on a 12,000 kilometre (7.5 thousand mile) journey to raise awareness and funds for two causes -- climate change and skin cancer.

His four-month, seven-country expedition, which has already raised over $110,000 and is currently rolling through Ecuador, has been recognized by the Habs in a video message endorsing his charitable efforts.

The Habs are making news themselves with the announcement today that the storied franchise's sale to the Molson family has been approved by the NHL Board of Governors.



The ownership change comes the same week Montreal celebrates its 100th anniversary, culminating with Friday's game against Boston at the Bell Centre.

Hopefully, Ryan will be able to watch his Habs celebrate their 100th season wherever he will be in South America.





Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has been suspended two games by the NHL for a knee-on-knee collision with Carolina's Tim Gleason during Monday's 3-2 Caps victory in Raleigh.

Ovechkin exited the ice with a sore knee following the hit and the MRI results have not yet been made available to the media so he is officially listed as day-to-day.

I attended the Caps-Sabres game at Verizon Center last week in which Ovechkin received a game misconduct and was ejected from the game after a hard check on Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta.

According to the NHL rulebook, a total of three game misconducts in the general category during the regular season results in an automatic one-game suspension. The general category includes charging (Buffalo game) and kneeing (Hurricanes game) so it wasn't a given that Ovie would have been suspended.

Here is the Game Misconduct rule:

23.1 Game Misconduct Penalty - A game misconduct penalty involves the suspension of a player or goalkeeper for the balance of the game but a substitute is permitted to replace immediately the player or goalkeeper so removed.

23.3 Fines and Suspensions – General Category - In regular League games, any player or goalkeeper who incurs a total of three (3) game misconduct penalties in the “General Category” and exclusive of other designated categories, shall be suspended for the next League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. For each suspension of a player or goalkeeper, his Club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000).

OTHER NEWS:

• New Jersey Devils radio color analyst Sherry Ross made history last Wednesday by becoming the first woman to provide play-by-play of an entire NHL game in English.

• The NHL Network is currently previewing on The Dish Network. It is available to basic cable subscribers on channel 403, but not in HD. The promising network provides nightly highlights, live look-ins, full game broadcasts and expert analysis.

• Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, the longtime former home of the city's NHL team, is being renovated after 10 years of neglect. The $57 million facelift will transform the historic arena, which opened in 1931, into a retail and recreation complex.

Saturday night as I sat in a bar at the Verizon Center that Abe Pollin, who died Tuesday at 85, built, and watched the professional hockey team on TV that Pollin founded, and as I sat with my parents who are reliving the city life of their Chicago youth in a condo located in an area of Washington, D.C. that was once as dangerous as Afghanistan but is now the Times Square of our nation's capital, all thanks to Pollin, it hit me that this kind and generous man has touched my life in such a positive way and countless others as well.

Little was I to know that Mr. Pollin would pass a few days later on the day his beloved Wizards were to play the 76ers at The Phone Booth.

When I learned of Pollin's passing today my initial reaction was as if my own grandfather had died. For Pollin had so much influence on the lives of those connected to Washington, D.C. that he felt like everyone's grandfather.

Yes, he was criticized at times for putting loyalty above winning, but his legacy will be nothing less than the transformation of the most powerful city in the world.

This reminder was everywhere this misty, cool fall evening as I left my parent's condo, which again they would not have been living in if Pollin didn't decide to build the Verizon Center in a rundown part of D.C.

As we walked by the sleek new office buildings, stylish restaurants, upscale hotels and condos, lively bars, and the new convention center, they were all vivid reminders of the economic floodgates Pollin helped open over 10 years ago.

And to see the beehive of activity in Gallery Place-Chinatown is the ultimate testament to Pollin's lasting legacy.

As the Verizon Center crowd exited the arena following a Wizards win, a picture of Abe Pollin was displayed on the big screen at F St. and Abe Pollin Way.

At that moment I wanted to simply say thank you.

So here it is -- thank you, Abe Pollin for the Washington Capitals, for making downtown D.C. the place to be, for strengthening my relationship with my father and his wife, and for exemplifying Hope and Yes We Can long before another visionary became a resident of Washington.

Hockey players are supposed to be some of the toughest guys on the planet. I mean when you are from towns such as Moose Jaw, Canada and Moscow, Russia then you are likely to have Superman-like immunity.

However, a recent rash of Swine Flu victims is challenging that notion.

The four cases reported so far have NHL teams scrambling to prevent the H1N1 virus from spreading.

Washington Capitals left wing Quintin Lang joins Edmonton's Ladislav Smid (pictured above), Colorado's Peter Budaj and Doug Weight of the New York Islanders in being diagnosed with the dreaded virus.

The Canadian Press reports that Smid did indeed test positive for the Swine Flu, but the 23-year-old defenseman didn't miss a game and was back on the ice after resting for two days. Other Oilers players have been hit harder by the seasonal flu. The players are taking the initiative to stay away from the rink if they feel sick.

After Avs backup goalie Budaj came down with H1N1, the team put a plan into effect, reports The Denver Post. If a player is diagnosed he will be isolated while preventative medications will be given to his teammates.

Newsday reports that Weight has returned to the Isles lineup following his bout with the Swine Flu, in which he missed three games. Weight chose to isolate himself from his family and teammates while he was recovering.

According to The Washington Post, some of the precautions the Caps are taking include hand sanitizers being placed around their Arlington, Virginia practice facility. But when hockey players share the same locker room, water bottles, equipment, towels, sweat and blood, is it really possible to stop the flu from spreading?

Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said the following to the Post's Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir:

"I'm hoping to shake fewer hands. It gets in your hands and fingers, and germs get in your cuticles. Everybody you meet is nice and wants to shake your hand. You don't want to be rude and say no, but . . ."

Injury News Update: The latest injury news comes from Pittsburgh where it was revealed today that Penguins star Evgeni Malkin will be sidelined 2-3 weeks with a strained right shoulder. The loss comes soon after it was announced that defenseman Sergei Gonchar will be out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist.

Rahm Emanuel, Robert Gates, Ben Bernanke, Alex Ovechkin. Alex Ovechkin? That's right. The Russian scoring machine is ranked number 48 in GQ Magazine's 50 Most Powerful People in D.C. list.

While the human highlight reel has yet to secure a Stanley Cup for the nation's capital, the great 8 has helped turn the once woeful Capitals into a winner and as GQ states: "Washington loves a winner."

And with the Redskins, Nationals and Wizards causing hypertension from Arlington to Adams-Morgan, Ovechkin and the Caps have been the only team in town to give Washingtonians reason to hope.

And with the Verizon Center rocking the red at every Caps home game, there are some well-known bandwagon politicos cheering on the home team.

David Gregory, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman have all been spotted at the Phone Booth. Alright, so it's no Jack Nicholson at the Lakers game, but these power players are D.C.'s version of Hollywood stars.

But there is one famous resident who has yet to watch Ovechkin work his magic and he lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But as the campaign slogan goes, "Change Can Happen."

This is a story from my beloved birthplace of Washington, D.C. about two proud professional sports franchises that are going in opposite directions.

One, the Washington Capitals, are on the cusp of a Stanley Cup because their owner, Ted Leonsis, did all the right things. The other, the Washington Redskins, are a perpetual disappointment because their owner, Daniel Snyder, did everything wrong.

So what did Leonsis do right and what can Danny boy learn from his success?

First, let's get one thing crystal clear for those of you readers who aren't familiar with the sports obsessions of our nation's capital -- Washington is a football town, not a hockey town. There are many historical and demographic reasons for this that I won't get into. But when it comes to sports, despite their current state of mediocrity, the 'Skins are number one and the Caps are somewhere behind the Wizards and in front of the Mystics and D.C. United.

That said, Leonsis has turned a night at the Verizon Center into an event where loyal Caps fans and bandwagoners alike "Rock the Red" to cheer one of the most exciting and talented teams in the NHL.

And how did this happen? Listen up Danny boy.

Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee built this franchise through smart (and lucky) drafting, smart trades (or not trading) and a solid developmental system. But when Abe Pollin sold the franchise to the AOL exec in 1999 Leonsis made some of the same mistakes that Snyder continues to make -- namely throwing heaps of cash at over-the-hill or simply unmotivated players. In this case, it was signing Jaromir Jagr to the largest ever contract in NHL history -- $77 million over seven years with an option for an eighth year. Jagr didn't live up to expectations, playing uninspired and mediocre hockey during his time in Washington.

Then in the 2003-2004 season Leonsis and McPhee made a decision to unload all the high-priced talent (or former talent) in what some refer to as a "fire sale."

This is where luck came into play as the Caps nabbed the number one draft pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and chose Russian sensation Alexander Ovechkin. The rest as they say, is history. Ovechkin has turned into arguably the greatest professional hockey player in the world and his playful personality and fun-first attitude has created a buzz in D.C. not seen since Joe Theismann was taking the Redskins to Super Bowls and setting team records. Oh, and Theismann just happened to be the last D.C. pro athlete to win league MVP back in 1983 before Ovechkin won the first of two Hart trophies in 2008 and was given the keys to the city by Mayor Adrian Fenty.

The Capitals have developed and signed young talent such as Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, Mike Green and Simeon Varlamov. They also hired head coach Bruce Boudreau who took the team from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to the playoffs, earning him the Jack Adams Award as best coach. This past offseason the Caps mixed in some veteran talent with the addition of Mike Knuble, who is not afraid to crash the net and score dirty goals, something the Caps were missing in the grind of the playoffs.

And the fans are excited for a long playoff run this year. And why shouldn't they? They have watched their owner and GM guide this team the right way, methodically putting all the pieces together over the years. And this is the result -- an electric atmosphere on the streets of Gallery Place-Chinatown around the Verizon Center and loads of talented young players on the ice who are growing together into a Stanley Cup contending team.

On behalf of all Caps fan I want to say a big thanks to Ted Leonsis for rebuilding this franchise the right way and putting the fans first.

Now what not to do.

Our $1.3 billion Bethesda native Daniel Snyder really, really wants to win. But all he gets is mediocre and sometime horrific results (anybody watch the Lions game?). So why is that? It probably starts with how he was able to buy the team and the stadium following the death of Jack Kent Cooke -- borrowing $300 million from a French investment bank and assuming $155 million in debt.

What does he do next? Strips off the name of beloved owner Jack Kent Cooke from the stadium in Landover, Maryland for a naming rights deal with FedEx. I find it ironic that Snyder has no problem getting rid of the Cooke name but when it comes to the name Redskins, which many consider a racist slur, he won't budge. This despite the possibility of losing millions of dollars because the group fighting the name is taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. These Native Americans are trying to get the high court to deny the Redskins trademark because they consider the name and logo to be offensive.

The name Redskins by the way was coined by their racist owner George Preston Marshall who refused to integrate the team until 1962 when he was forced to by the federal government under the threat of revoking the lease on D.C. Stadium (now R.F.K. Stadium). But will Snyder change the name like Pollin did with the Bullets? Of course not.

Just a side note -- there actually was another professional football franchise in Washington before the Redskins arrived from Boston. The Washington Senators played for one season in 1921 and were also referred to as the Washington Pros or Washington Presidents. So there you go, three nicknames that could replace the unfortunate name Redskins.

So how does Snyder treat the fans and employees? How about suing season-ticket holders. I must be kidding right? Nope. The 'Skins sued 125 season ticket holders for $3.6 million. Because of the economic downturn the ticket holders asked to be released from multiyear contracts and instead of negotiating the Redskins sued.

And the employees are treated even worse. According to the Washington Post, six former ticket sales agents have filed suit against the Redskins arguing that they are owed thousands of dollars in overtime pay that the Redskins won't pay because of "a federal exemption for amusement and recreation workers."

And on the field and the sidelines it gets even worse. Poor decisions by Exec VP of football operations Vinny Cerrato and the impatience of Snyder in building the franchise through the draft and smart trades has led to a team of overpaid and underperforming players who talk a big game but consistently have nothing to show for it where it actually counts on the scoreboard.

Let's run through the list of awful free agent signings -- Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier, Adam Archuleta, Dana Stubblefield, Jeremiah Trotter, etc... And now Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall signed to astronomical contracts, and guess what ... underperforming.

Then there is the questionable decision to replace Joe Gibbs with an untested quarterbacks coach named Jim Zorn. His bizarre play calling is starting to reveal what a mistake that was.

And quarterback Jason Campbell has never been able to get the confidence he needs and the creativity a pro quarterback needs to make plays on the fly.

So, to all those disgruntled 'Skins fans who are furious at the organization after ending the Lions' 19-game losing streak -- there is hope in the District and it comes from a bunch of Cup-hungry young hockey players who are poised to bring a championship to Washington, D.C.

Title: NHL 2K10
Rating: E 10+
Price: $49.99
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Visual Concepts
Platforms: Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2
Trailer:



Title: NHL 10
Rating: E 10+
Price: $59.99
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Canada
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Trailer:



Both games reviewed on Xbox 360

Ice hockey video games have come a long way since the 1979 release of "Hockey!/Soccer!" for the Magnavox Odyssey² console, as this screen shot proves.



Thirty years later the video game industry "is all growns up," to borrow a quote from Vince Vaughn in "Swingers." Remember the scene when Trent and his buddies are playing "NHL 95" on the Sega Genesis? That was a big deal for a game to be featured in a major motion picture. Now, games such as "Halo 3" and "Guitar Hero" have a bigger budget then some indie films and according to market research firm NPD Group, game sales reached $21 billion in 2008.



Two companies have come to dominate the sports videogame market -- EA Sports and 2K Sports -- and both have rival releases on shelves in anticipation of the NHL season beginning in October. Electronic Arts has eight years on 2K in making hockey titles and it shows. "NHL 10" is quite simply not only the best hockey game ever but one of the greatest sports games period. That is to take nothing away from "NHL 2K10," which is a solid title. But "NHL 10" is superior in nearly every aspect, and while both titles are worth the purchase price, spending ten more dollars on "NHL 10" is a good investment.

MARKETING

2K Sports nabbed the greatest hockey player in the world as their cover athlete -- Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin (they also scored Kobe Bryant for "NBA 2K10"). But they didn't just slap him on the cover.

At the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Ovechkin participated in a motion-capture session for the trailer. If there is an award for videogame trailers then this one should win -- the trailer magnificently captures perhaps the greatest goal ever scored -- Ovechkin's "The Goal" against Phoenix. We also get to see Ovie's controversial too-hot-to-touch stick celebration after scoring his 50th goal last season at Tampa Bay. And the tagline for the game plays on Ovie's Russian-inflected English -- "Is Party Now."

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is the cover athlete for "NHL 10." The slogan? "Is punch cab driver now."

Advantage: NHL 2K10

GAMEPLAY

"NHL 10" offers agile and realistic gameplay, with a helpful tutorial to adjust to the controls. A new function which works very well is the ability to pin a player to the boards on defense and kick-passing the puck along the boards and out of trouble on offense. Also, if the controls are too complicated, gamers have the ability to play with simpler pass and shoot controls and even use the original "NHL 94" controls. The in-game action feels realistic in the way the players skate, stick handle, shoot, pass and play defense.

The gameplay is the weakest part of "NHL 2K10." One wishes the developers spent as much time on the controls as the bells and whistles during the pre-game warmup. The playability actually took a step down from "NHL 2K9," as the players are sluggish in this version. It can be frustrating when the players skate around so slowly because it is hard to set up plays. Even Ovechkin doesn't skate fast. The deke moves aren't very effective, and tend to slow down the players even more. There are also too many penalties called for infractions like boarding and hooking, which slows the pace of the game down even more. Plus, there is too much lag time between faceoffs and sometimes the instant replays will drag on after the action ends.

Advantage: NHL 10

GRAPHICS

Visually both games are stunning. "NHL 2K10" enhanced their arena introductions and each venue looks spectactular with attention paid to details and vivid colors. The ice also looks amazing, with the crisp reflections of the scoreboard and the realistic wearing down of the surface as the period goes on. While the inside of the buildings look great, there isn't enough detail in the crowds or the players. The camera always keeps somewhat of a distance from the crowd and even the players on the ice.

This is in contrast to "NHL 10," which zooms in on the crowd and the players often, which in turn makes the game more compelling to play. The fans are drawn out realistically, for example there are even visiting team jerseys scattered throughout the stands, and the crowd cheers at the appropriate time. And the details on the players down to the stubble on their chins is amazingly realistic, making the instant replays a joy to watch.

Advantage: NHL 10

SOUND AND MUSIC

Veteran commentators Gary Thorne and Bill Clement provide insightful analysis and play-by-play coverage for "NHL 10," while San Jose Sharks commentators Drew Remenda and Randy Hahn are the voices again for "NHL 2K10." Remenda and Hahn do an excellent job with the material they are given. And that is the problem. Their commentary is too generic and repetitive, which after a while gets to be annoying. And sometimes they will send it rink side to John Shrader where he will say something like "I just finished talking with the coach of the Washington Capitals and he wants to see more forechecking" or some other generic statement.

On the other hand, Thorne and Clement are a pleasure to listen to, as they provide historical context to a rivalry, pepper in some color commentary about the host city, or talk about a player's stats from last year. In other words, it is way more specific to each team, each player and even each matchup.

The music soundtrack is good in both games, with the usual pop punk and hard rock suspects. An odd selection in "NHL 2K10" however is the inclusion of hip-hop song "Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco and Matthew Santos. It is perhaps more appropriate in a soccer or basketball game. The "NHL 10" standout is "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day.

Advantage: NHL 10

Many NHL franchises and sports venues are getting on board the green bandwagon by taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint.

This trend encompasses all of professsional sports, as The New York Times noted in a recent article titled "Getting Sports Events to Go Green," which focused mostly on Major League Baseball's efforts to green the game. For example, the Boston Red Sox use solar panels to heat water at Fenway Park.

So what has hockey done to lessen waste and pollution when thousands of fans pack arenas across North America? One initiative is called NHL Green -- a partnership between the league and GreenLife with technical guidance from the Natural Resources Defense Council. The NHL will use this alliance to develop a league "Green Plan." But what are individual teams doing right now to reduce their carbon footprint?

Here are the greenest NHL arenas based on factors such as easy access to public transportation, energy efficiency, eco-friendly construction materials, recycling options and other environmentally friendly aspects.



Arena: Consol Energy Center
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Neighborhood: Downtown
The Stanley Cup champs are moving into a shiny new venue after waddling in the decrepit Mellon Arena -- the oldest and lowest capacity arena in the NHL. And what an arena it will be! The Consol Energy Center will not only help the Penguins in Pittsburgh, but the real penguins in the rapidly melting polar ice caps. When the arena opens for the 2010-11 season it aims to be the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified NHL arena. The Consol Energy Center will feature a gigantic glass atrium facing downtown that will bring in more natural light, lots of green space around the building, environmentally friendly paints, alternative energy sources and locally purchased construction materials. Plus easy access to public transportation allows fans to take the subway or bus to the game instead of driving.





Arena: General Motors Place
Team: Vancouver Canucks
City: Vancouver, Canada
Neighborhood: Downtown
Vancouver aims to be the greenest host city ever when the 21st Winter Olympic Games head to British Columbia in February, 2010. In June of 2006 the Vancouver Organizing Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that the hockey games would be played on NHL-sized rinks so there would be no environmental impact by expanding the ice size at GM Place (to be called Canada Hockey Place for the Olympics) and UBC Thunderbird Arena. GM Place is serviced by the SkyTrain "Stadium-Chinatown" station. SkyTrain is Vancouver's elevated rapid transit system.





Arena: Madison Square Garden
Team: New York Rangers
City: New York City, New York
Neighborhood: Chelsea
It's hard not to be green when garden is in your name and you are situated atop the busiest train station in North America -- Penn Station. Thus, "the world's most famous arena" makes the list for being so damn accessible without a car.





Arena: Pepsi Center
Team: Colorado Avalanche
City: Denver, Colorado
Neighborhood: Downtown
The Pepsi Center is not only retrofitting their building to make it more environmentally friendly, but also is taking the initiative to educate visitors about the importance of energy conservation. The arena teamed with Xcel Energy to launch a website with tips on how Colorado residents and businesses can save money and energy by going green. The Pepsi Center also features the Power Zone where kids and adults alike can play interactive trivia games, learn about wind and solar power, and more. The venue has also installed solar panels and designated hybrid-only parking spaces and a no-idling zone. The Pepsi Center is serviced by bus and Denver's light rail system. The closest station is Pepsi Center/Elitch Gardens on the C and E lines.





Arena: Philips Arena
Team: Atlanta Thrashers
City: Atlanta, Georgia
Neighborhood: Downtown
The 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak caused minor exterior damage to the Philips Arena. Since then it has been only good news. The arena not only survived the tornado but is thriving -- Pollstar recently named Philips Arena the No. 1 U.S. venue for the first half of 2009 and earlier this year the arena became the first existing NBA or NHL arena to achieve LEED certification. The arena is also served by mass transit. The Philips Arena/CNN Center subway stop is an easy walk to the venue.





Arena: Staples Center
Team: Los Angeles Kings
City: Los Angeles, California
Neighborhood: Downtown
The Staples Center makes the list simply for trying to get car-centric Angelenos out of their leased luxury SUVs and onto the subway to see a game. The L.A. Metro recently released the above video advertisement to encourage fans to take the Blue Line light rail to the Staples Center. The Kings offer ticket discounts to metro riders and the venue provides secure bike racks. Other green initiatives include a dynamic recycling program, low-energy lighting, green cleaning chemicals, waterfree urinals and 1,727 solar panels installed on its rooftop.





Arena: TD Garden
Team: Boston Bruins
City: Boston, Massachusetts
Neighborhood: Downtown North section
The future just got brighter for Boston and the planet because TD Garden recently installed an energy-saving LED lighting system that will light up the arena's exterior at night. According to the website GreenSportsVenues.com: "The project provides a 60% decrease in kilowatt consumption over the previous equipment." The lighting system also automatically shuts off at 2 a.m. to save energy. The lighting changes colors depending on the team playing, so for example when the Bruins hit the ice the color will be yellow. And to celebrate a victory the lights can even do the wave with special effects.





Arena: Verizon Center
Team: Washington Capitals
City: Washington, D.C.
Neighborhood: Gallery Place/Chinatown
The "Phone Booth" has turned Gallery Place/Chinatown into the hottest neighborhood in the nation's capital while doing its part to cool down the planet. When former Caps owner Abe Pollin decided to replace the U.S. Air Arena in Landover, Maryland he significantly reduced the carbon footprint by locating the new arena above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro Station -- making the arena easily accessible via subway for fans in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs. The Verizon Center was also the first indoor venue to install a high-definition LED scoreboard. Light-emitting diodes are significantly more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Honorable Mentions:

Honda Center -- Anaheim Ducks
Large recycling program and locally grown produce used in restaurant.

Air Canada Centre -- Toronto Maple Leafs
Located next to Union Station so easy access to public transit.

Bell Centre -- Montreal Canadians
Located in the heart of downtown, the arena provides easy access to public transit.

Xcel Energy Center -- Minnesota Wild
Recycling program, green cleaning products, low-energy lighting, low-flow water in restrooms, bike racks and bus vouchers for employees, education zone display with info on renewable and alternative energy.

Prudential Center -- New Jersey Devils
The newest arena in the NHL is also one of the most accessible via public transit -- the facility is located two blocks from Newark Penn Station.

The National Hockey League lags behind baseball, football and basketball when it comes to television ratings and national attention, however, when it comes to ESPN The Magazine's seventh annual Ultimate Standings, the fastest sport in the world simply dominates.

Many hockey fans will be pleasantly surprised as they read the latest issue of "The Mag," which hit newsstands on July 13. That's because five of the top 10 teams are from the NHL out of 122 professional franchises ranked from the NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA.

The teams are ranked based on eight major categories -- wins vs. ticket prices, fan relations, ownership, stadium experience, players, coaching and championships won or soon to be won.

The Carolina Hurricanes (2), Detroit Red Wings (4), Washington Capitals (6), Pittsburgh Penguins (8) and St. Louis Blues (10) are the five teams in the top 10. The Anaheim Ducks are ranked 11th.

There are only two NHL teams in the bottom 10 -- the New York Islanders (115) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (120).

The Islanders should be able to reverse their fortunes by recently signing No. 1 draft pick John Tavares to a 3-year deal and starting construction soon on their new arena, dubbed "The Lighthouse Project."

As for long-suffering Leafs fans? Maybe new president and GM Brian Burke can help bring the team back to its glory days just like he brought a Stanley Cup to Anaheim as GM of the Ducks.

Getting to the playoffs would be a nice start. While the Leafs haven't won a Stanley Cup in 41 plus years, it's been four years since they skated into the postseason.