While watching the Bruins game...

A couple thoughts really stick out. No, not the opening fights, or hard hitting game, or Brooks Laich's continued (surprising) offensive push.

First, the Caps should never show this commerical again. Ever. I am as big an Ovie fan as you can find, but even I think this is a ridiculously bad...and not in a good way:



Two: Was GMGM wearing a mock turtleneck during the Nicklas Backstrom special with Lisa Hillary? I think he was, which completely cancels out any points he got for his superior wrangling skills in getting Cristobal Huet for a second round pick. And not just a mock turtleneck, but a pinstriped suit on top of that. I think someone's closet it still stuck in 1988, when Michael Keaton, mock turtlenecks, and men drinking red wine was hot.

PS: Matt Cooke...I'm not sure I believe that knee on knee hit to Allen was an accident.

PPS: Ouch. Chara just hurt his shoulder and went to the lockeroom. If I'm a Bruins fan, I'm flipping off the game and hurrying to Church for some Hail Marys.

PPPS: No, I didnt mean to live blog the game. Sort of happening by accident, inspired by that bad commercial and the mock turtleneck.

PPPPS: A triple minor on Brash, a penalty for Erskine, and a penalty for Poti. $%&^!!!!!!

Some more from Steinz

Dan Steinberg talked to Michael Nylander and Nicklas Backstrom about Bruce Sringsteen, the Swedish Embassy, and of course... cheese.

Plus, Backstrom comes over to the Nylanders two or three times a week; he went to Nylander's son's hockey game last weekend. "I'm not the babysitter; I'm his seventh kid," Backstrom said.

And jeez, the kid has good taste:

If you're curious, Backstrom's favorite song is "The River," and his second-favorite is "Streets of Philadelphia."

Peter, Jr.

CBS Sports takes a look at Nicklas Backstrom, the "young Forsberg":

But even if the launch of Nicklas -- that's with a "C" -- Backstrom's NHL career has come without the kind of fireworks that some might have anticipated, the soft-spoken Swede who turns 20 next week hasn't exactly disappointed anyone around the Washington Capitals either.

"He's right where we want him to be," said Washington coach Glen Hanlon. "If you expect him to be a 50-goal scorer, well that's not going to happen because he's not a goal scorer. He's a playmaker and a two-way centerman who will always be in the right spot at the right time."

Mmmm....meatballs

Dan Steinberg's take on Nicklas Backstrom's introduction to the Caps.

A brief excerpt:

"No girlfriend, no hot dog, no beer," Leonsis said, of Backstrom's baseball game experience, speaking to his dedication to hockey. In fact, when I asked Backstrom for his favorite author, hoping he'd say, I don' t know, Selma Lagerlof or something, he said "I don't read."

UPDATE: You can get the Cap's official take here.

Goodbye Sweden, Hello DC

Tarik El-Bashir at the Washington Post has gotten word that Nicklas Backstrom has signed an entry level deal with the Caps. Backstrom was the Cap's top pick (4th overall) in the 2006 draft and has spent the past year playing in Sweden. He would be one of two centers (along with a pair of D-men and maybe a winger) that the Caps need to fill holes in the roster.

I am posting a video of Backstrom shooting some pucks below. There is really nothing special about it, except the way his golden hair glistens under the light as he gives us a little fistpump at the end. Yes, I have high hopes for Backstrom.



UPDATE: You can get a good take on the Backstrom deal here.

Backstrom coming to US?

Tarik El-Bashir at the WaPo has an unconfirmed report that the Caps and their 2006 top draft pick Nicklas Backstrom have agreed to a deal. Backstrom has been playing in the Swedish league and is regarded as a future 1 or 2 center for the Caps.