A Farewell Grapple…err...Bear Hug for Brash

Image Courtesy of The Bog

Now that free agency has settled down and we head towards development camp next week (which I will be attending and I’m pumped about), I’d like to take a minute to say goodbye to one of my favorite Caps over the last three seasons…a guy that helped us get through some of those tough nights during “the great rebuild.” With those cement blocks on the ends of his arms (that some people might consider fists), Donald Brashear won the hearts of Caps fans and managed to keep a dying art alive here in the district while hockey began to prosper. Now he's off to Bluer Pastures...

You always knew by the growl in Joe B’s voice that Brash was at it again. You’d hear the whistle and see the gloves go flying…and it was on. I always waited with baited breath for The Donald to land that big left hook that would knock his opponent into next week. While fighting seems to be flirting with extinction in hockey, I think we’ll all realize how much we miss Brash next season. His mastery of the dying art served him well as "master protector" for our valuable “young guns.” Alex Semin’s back knows how things go when he’s out there without backup. Brash never put up big points, and rarely did he dazzle you, but he sure knew how to win a crowd. He was great for the DC Hockey community, and I think Caps fans should appreciate the great respect he always demonstrated with regards to that relationship. He was always patient after practice, signing autographs and goofing around with fans. I will always respect him for his intensity on the ice and his genuine but quiet demeanor off it.

Brash "takes on" Mike Green at Practice

Personally, I’m very sad to see Donald go. I know he’s become a “fan” of this blog on facebook, and I certainly hope he continues to read it and think of the “home” that he made here in the district (get at me Brash!). I know it will be hard for me to see him in that Blue Rag next year, but I’ll root for him from here on out. We can always look on the bright side…he gets to see Riley Cote twice as much next year…to do some more of this…

Quick Wednesday Thoughts

Image Courtesy of Tim Shaffer

Yesterday was an unexpected big day for the Caps in free agency, with the signing of ex-Flyer Mike Knuble. Knuble brings exactly what the organization was looking for in a first line winger with size (6’3”, 230) and a nose for the net. He has a penchant for posting up in front of goalies and banging home rebounds, which will be huge playing alongside shot machine Alex Ovechkin and deft passer Nicklas Backstrom. He contributes on the PP and PK and has a killer instinct. It’s big to take a top-six guy like this away from a big rival. As it was brought up on EITM on DC 101 this morning, he’s been part of more than one Caps broken heart, between his 2OT winner in Game 4 of the 2008 Stanley Cup First Round and his membership on the 1998 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Winner (Over the Caps in 4). BUT if you watch his GWG in that fateful Game 4, he shows exactly why we signed him (and for reasonable money and term at that). He wins a tough battle on the boards behind the net, gets in front, takes a shot, doesn’t give up and then bangs in a rebound. That’s just what we missed (and Sidney Crosby accomplished) in the Pittsburgh series back in May. Watching that clip is like getting a shot. You know it hurts, but you know how you're benefiting from the contents in the end.

Secondly, Brash gets signed by the Rags to come and protect the brittle Marian Gaborik. There’s no way the Caps could afford Brash at $1.4M, but fans will miss his presence in the community and the team will miss him in the locker room.

Lastly, Tony Romo gets some brownie points (via the Bog) for showing some class in not trashing Skins fans yesterday. In a related story, there should have been another “You’re From Fair-fax” chant for the fans that showed up to Congressional in #9 Jerseys yesterday. C’mon Redskins fans!

Look at for an upcoming post from me on FBS…I’ll let you all know as soon as it’s up.