March Madness

It is officially the stretch drive this weekend. With 8 games to go, we are 3 points back of Basingstoke and pushing hard to claw our way back into the top 8. Last weekend, we split again. That brought us two points closer to the Bison. Saturday's game against the Bison is obviously huge for us. We need to play our best hockey.

Basingstoke are a tough team to beat because they have so many talented players. They are short numbers but they have proven that means nothing. They are skilled and dangerous, they play a different style than every other team in the league and that makes preparing for them difficult. Our D-men will be tested both mentally and physically because they often make you lose concentration and that is when they hurt you. I am excited for the game as it is a playoff game!

Saturday's game is getting all the attention, and rightfully so, but Sunday's game is equally important. Coventry will be trying to distance themselves atop the league and take one step closer to the league championship. We beat them the last time we played them in Coventry and I am sure Paul Thompson will have his men ready for us on Sunday.

Finally, I would like to wish all the mothers a Happy Mother's Day! I hope our play this weekend can give you a few smiles!

Regards,

Doug

Play-off Chase/ Crane

Ten games remain in league play and we are very much alive in the hunt for the play-offs. We are currently 5 points behind Basingstoke and we play them twice more. This week we play Hull at home and Manchester on the road. Hull has struggled recently but they have played some very tight games. I am sure that Saturday's game is going to be a stern test. I know our fans will be loud as always!

Manchester is the team in my mind, other than Basingstoke, that is the key to our play-off aspirations. We play them three more times, twice on the road. I know that Tony Hand will have his team ready as they are trying to climb the standings and pass Cardiff. But we must find a way to beat them!

For me, this time of year is why we play hockey. Every goal is important, every game is crucial. We only have 3 more home games, we need all of your support in those games as we try to claw our way into the play-offs. Having Dino return to the line up was a huge boost with the loss of Mark Wires. Losing Mark was a tough blow to the team, but I was proud of how the team responded.

One player who deserves a lot of credit for our success is Ryan Crane. Ryan has 42 points and is currently 4th in the league for defenders. This past week he had two huge game winning goals. He has consistently been our best D-man. He is not flashy and does not get noticed like many of the other top players in the league. He has really stepped up his play the last two months, especially recently. He is going to be one of the keys to our success the rest of the way. I know he loves the city and is a player who is proud to wear the Capital uniform.

Trip to England, Dino, Knockout Cup

Beating Nottingham in the National Ice Center was one of the best wins we had all year. J.F. Perras played fantastic. He really was the key. We played very hard, and I think that hurt us on Sunday against Manchester. We did not have the jump that we needed. Give Manchester credit, they played a great game. It was great to see all the Capital fans in Manchester! I wish we could have won the game for you!

Dino skated with the team for the first time last Friday. It is great to have him back around the guys. His personality is really uplifting to the guys. He will be skating all week. He will not play against Coventry and is doubtful for the weekend. However, I will keep my fingers crossed.

Finally, lets beat the Blaze! We are in a semi-final for the first time in Capitals Elite league history. I am very excited by the prospect of bringing a trophy to the fans! We all know you deserve it. I am sure that you will be loud tomorrow night. Of course Coventry in the league leader. But I love being the underdog. They are the ones with all the pressure. We have played much better the 9 weeks, it is just a matter of keeping it going.

I look forward to seeing and hearing all of you this week!

Newcastle

I thought our game last night was our best team effort of the season. We played very hard for 60 minutes and unlike our previous couple games we had very few mistakes. I was very proud of the effort. I know the players were thrilled after the game. It was a big win for us and helped us climb within 5 points of Basingstoke. There is a lot of hockey to play, but I like the way our team is playing right now. It is the right time of year to be clicking on all cylinders.

Mike Stutzel had a huge game for us last night. Recently, it seems as though every night someone steps up. Of course, three goals were great, but he did a great job in the defensive zone against a very fast line, and he shut them down. I was very happy to see him get his first hat trick overseas.

This weekend we have two tough games on the road. It will be a stern test. I am sure Nottingham is ready to play us after being shutout in Scotland last time we played. After the game against the Panthers, we face the most dangerous line in the league headed by Edinburgh's own, Tony Hand. We play Manchester 4 more times. It is crucial that we play well against them down the stretch.