#1 We taking over
Rumor has it that when the Carolina Hurricanes were awarded the NHL Stadium Series they didn’t want their opponent for the outdoor game to be the Washington Capitals. Why? Simple.
Capitals fans travel well and they knew they were going to travel well for this game with Raleigh being four and a half hours away from the D.C. area. Fans will drive down and lots of us will be there. Heck, even I will be there so if you run into me come say hi.
Last time the Capitals were on the road for an outdoor game was the 2011 Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field where it was estimated that at least 30,000 Caps fans made the trip in a over 60K NFL stadium.
In the fall, Carter Finley Stadium is home to the North Carolina State Wolfpack. It seats 57,583. If at least 20K Caps fans show up or even 25K it would level the playing field and make this road game nearly a neutral site or home atmosphere. It’s up to us to bring it.
While many of us will be there, Alex Ovechkin won’t be due to the death of his father. Our hearts and prayers are with the Ovechkin family and we hope the Caps can get a win for him. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC and ESPN plus.