The arena may not be full, but Capitals fans still know how to celebrate an Ovechkin Hat-Trick. No indication yet on if Crosby was caught bitching about the hats again. Do you think someone told Ovie about Milbury’s daddy comment on NBC? It was the first hat-trick for the Capitals this season, despite leading the league in scoring by far.

The Capitals and Penguins face-off today in the NBC Game of the Week, and a surprising number of Capitals Fans made it to the game, considering the weather. The photo above was taken at the opening face-off, however fans continued to file in for the majority of the 1st period. Metro completely shutdown service for above ground trains, and even the trains under ground were running very sporadically. Ted Leonsis addressed the issue of potentially postponing the game on his blog :

Postponing or rescheduling a game is a tough call for the NHL. If both teams are here and the on ice officials are here and the network trucks and staff are here and the building folks have arrived, then it is game on. It has been that way forever for all sports leagues. We are playing today. I have great empathy for our fans. I do not want to have anyone be in any danger but the game is on. You will all have to use your own judgement as to whether to come to the game.

So while it is probably against our better judgement, many in the area braved the elements and made it out to Verizon Center today. I personally made the trek from near BWI Airport, and witnessed countless vehicles stuck in the snow on my journey. I actually pulled two vehicles out of the snow with my retrieval strap on 295, both of which contained fans making their way to the game. Apparently Capitals fans are the only people in the region stupid enough to be on the roads today. Crazy stupid for a 14th straight victory against the hated Penguins.

Along with other teams, the Capitals are getting a DVD series soon called NHL: Washington Capitals – 10 Greatest Games, available March 23.

I must ask, though, do the Capitals really have ten memorable – or ‘greatest’ games in their history that are worth reliving? The game when they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998? The game when Dale Hunter scored on Ron Hextall in the playoffs? The virtually meaningless game when Ovechkin scored ‘The Goal’ in Phoenix?

I’m at a loss here, and even as a die-hard Capitals fan, this DVD set will not be on my Amazon wish list as I, like most other fans, believe Washington’s ‘greatest’ games will happen with the current core of players.

I am curious, however, which games are on the DVD. Let me know which games you think will be on this set, and we’ll find out for sure in March.

Okay, maybe not ever, but out of context, it certainly could appear that way.

On a third-period power play, Alex Semin turned the puck over to an Atlanta’s Rich Peverley, who took off for a breakaway, but was stopped by Caps goaltender Michal Neuvirth. Semin, who was hurrying back himself, then slid into the goaltender, knocking the puck in. Very embarrassing, for sure.

Even Coach Bruce Boudreau defended Semin. “It was a bad giveaway at the blue-line… To Semin’s credit, he knew he made a mistake and he worked really hard to get back, but sometimes those things happen.”

As for Neuvirth?

“We were kind of laughing at each other,” he said with a smirk. I asked him if he would get him back by maybe playing a joke on Semin. “I will,” he said.

There were plenty of empty seats at the Phone Booth on Friday as the Capitals took on the Thrashers, and the only explanation – aside from it being against a lousy team – is the falling snow. While it was announced as a sell-out, it’s obvious that more tickets were sold than were actually used. Even the press box had far fewer people than expected.

As the Caps won their 13th in a row, Capitals Outsider concludes that only the true fans came to witness them continue their streak.