O-lie O-lie...what a hockey game.

Olie has not been having a career year (far from it, in fact) as everyone knows and yet this Mike Wise column in the Washington Post from the other day about Olie leaving or retiring did not make happy. Why? Because he's been the face of this hockey club forever and his leadership skills have kept the youngsters in the game many, many times (remember those 40 shot nights Olie had to defend?) over the last few "rebuilding" years when the Caps didn't have a defense worth mentioning. But, oh, what a night he had against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday stopping 12 shooters in the shootout and making some spectacular during the game saves. Olie needed that and I hope it gives him confidence. The Caps still need him.

Matt Bradley made the only goal on the shootout, after begging Coach Bourdreau to let him shoot. He joked with his teammates according to Tarik El-Bashir's article that he was going to hold a shootout clinic for the Caps at practice the next day. Gotta love it.

In other Caps news, I'm thrilled Nicklas Backstrom got recognized as a "Young Star" and will be joining Ovie for the All Star festivities. If only the NHL would realize that the Caps also have the leading scorer among blue liners in Mike Green. And, thank you Coach Boudreau for pairing him with Shaone Morrison who is playing his "stay-at-home defense" role superbly allowing Greenie to generate offense.

Caps take on the Florida Panthers tonight and I'll be leaving shortly to meet up with two friends and will be introducing one of them to the game of hockey! So....

Let's go Caps!