A few weeks ago, RMNB’s Chris Gordon asked Evgeny Kuznetsov about his finger twirl celebration.
“That’s not for you, you know,” Kuznetsov said to Gordon when asked what the inspiration of the celebration was. “You don’t have to know that.”
Kuznetsov said it was a secret, but recently RMNB reader Chris S. (@theSTOEHR) found something that could give us context.
Last night we were all captivated by Spaghetti Guy, a man slurping up the Italian dish off a square plate behind the Islanders bench. He had a white linen towel resting on his knee, lest he sully his fine blue jeans. Some Caps fans were left wondering if the same level of luxury could be found at Verizon Center. I conducted extensive research Friday morning and found the answer.
By Chris Gordon 5 years ago
During the first day of Winter Storm Jonas, a WUSA9 news crew stumbled upon Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin while conducting man-on-the-street interviews. It was the stuff of legend. The future hall of famer, whose game against the Anaheim Ducks had been postponed an hour earlier, was hurriedly getting gas right before the full brunt of the snow storm struck.
What resulted was internet gold. The reporter gasped when she saw who she had approached. Ovechkin, laughing, agreed to do the interview. The resulting video went viral, with national publications like Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Washington Post, Yahoo, and TSN all picking up the story.
The reporter who conducted the interview was WUSA9’s Prince George’s County Deputy Bureau Chief, Ellison Barber, a rising star in the industry. I spoke to her about her experience.
Photo: NHL
This morning, the NHL released a series of tweets promoting this weekend’s All-Star Game in Nashville. Each tweet included a graphic to get to know each team’s mascot. Slapshot, the Caps mascot, said his (its?) favorite country artist is Luke Bryan, which makes me wonder if Slapshot is secretly Karl Alzner, but that’s a topic for another day.
Then there was Slapshot’s favorite comfort food. Slapshot named Carolina pulled pork, and put Stormy in parentheses. Stormy is the Hurricanes mascot. Stormy says he is a pig, but he looks more like a mouse to me.
Eating another mascot is pretty hardcore answer. Is that even possible? RMNB investigates!
You know how when kids are young and cute their parents tell them to “make your mean face” and they scrunch up their little noses and furrow their little brows and everyone goes “aww, how adorable”? Yeah, the Caps made a commercial out of that concept. If you’ve watched them play on CSN Washington this season, you’ve probably seen it.
The commercial begins quietly, with the likes of Andre Burakovsky, John Carlson, and TJ Oshie trying to look serious and intimidating (but mostly appearing as though they’re trying to stifle a laugh). All’s quiet until, as if from the depths of Khazad-dûm, the steady doom-doom of war drums begins. Then the players make their mean faces. In total silence.
Until now. RMNB put its crack investigative team on the case and uncovered the original and totally unaltered cut of the commercial with the full audio intact. Enjoy.
By Nathan Burchfiel 5 years ago
In worlds-I-never-thought-would-cross news, former WWE world champion, dude I watched rassle during my childhood, and certified crazy person, The Iron Sheik, tweeted about Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin over the weekend.
If you pay close attention to Caps telecasts, you’ll learn something new every night. During Tuesday’s Rangers game, CSN Washington zoomed in on Alex Ovechkin on the bench, drinking Gatorade and staring at things. We also got a front-row seat to the Caps’ stick rack.
And that’s how we learned that TJ Oshie‘s nickname is Osh.
Last week in Calgary, TJ Oshie scored a goal in his third consecutive game. After setting up shop in front of the net, Oshie one-timed a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov to give the Caps a 4-1 lead. Calgary pulled (and later released) Karri Rämö.
Oh his way back to the bench, Oshie celebrated by kissing the blade of his stick. The smooch was a semi-show-boat-y celebration for the American hero, but he had good reason.
By Nathan Burchfiel 5 years ago
Every game, Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz jots his notes onto a notecard he keeps in his suit coat. As the Caps and Rangers left the ice for the first intermission on Wednesday, NBCSN showed a close-up shot of Trotz looking all philosophical-like, holding his top secret notes for all the world to see.
Photo: Capitals Instagram
Yesterday, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan spoke to the media about the first half of the Caps’ season. A large chunk of the conversation revolved around Mike Green and his upcoming UFA status, which Adam Vingan documented on NBC Washington.
MacLellan was also briefly asked about the lopsided Filip Forsberg trade and what he thought of him as a player. He replied honestly.
“I think he’s played well,” MacLellan said. “Obviously he’s one of the leading candidates for the Calder Trophy.”
He continued, “If you’re asking if I would like to do a do-over [on the trade]? Yeah. Sure.” Then he nodded his head a few times and flashed a coy smile. This became a national story.
Is it even fair for MacLellan to have to answer to this deal nearly two years after it was signed off on by his then-boss George McPhee? RMNB investigates.
