3 players Capitals should be grateful for this Thanksgiving
Gobble gobble. It’s time for another Washington Capitals Thanksgiving themed article before I leave the house and head to Capital One Arena. We’ve talked about who should sit at the kids table, some recipes, and 5 things to be grateful for. Now it’s time to do 3 things to be grateful for that’s player focused. We also talked about what they need to do for a win tonight.
#3 Sonny Milano
Sonny Milano is on a two game point streak and in those two games he’s had a goal and two assists. In addition he’s also on a two game assist streak. But that’s not even close to why we’re thankful and grateful for him.
We’re grateful for his hair which happens to be the best hair in the league. Even T.J. Oshie admits it, who has good hair himself. And that hair will be on full display in January when the Caps are doing all fan giveaway featuring a chia pet of Milano. It is sure to be the hottest promotion this season.
If you’re looking for another reason to be thankful for him, look at his age. He’s 27 which means he’s under 30. And he’s the youngest player that makes this list.
#2 Alex Ovechkin
I know what you’re thinking, why is Alex Ovechkin number two on this list and not number one? It’s tough to explain but if this was any other year he’d be number one. But due to unfortunate circumstances that happened earlier this month, he’s number two on this list.
Ovechkin is fun to watch. He brings an unmatched personality and skill to his game. We are very fortunate and grateful that he’s ours. Superstars tend to go from team to team in other sports such as the NFL and NBA. Sometimes that’s the case in the NHL.
Ovechkin has been a Washington Capital since their first selection in the 2004 NHL Draft. He will be a Washington Capital for life. Even after he hangs up his skates. The best part is thanks to 2018, we no longer have to go to bed and wonder if he’ll ever win a Stanley Cup. He did. And nobody will take that away from him or us.
Whether they win another one or not in Ovechkin’s career, we’ll always have that spring of 2018. The way he lifted that Cup and screamed is one of the best Cup lifts of all time in my unbiased opinion (OK maybe a little biased).
#1 Nicklas Backstrom
By now you’ve probably got that vibe that this season was the last season we’d see Nicklas Backstrom set foot on NHL ice. Earlier today I watched the new show on Monumental Sports Network called District Countdown where they broke down the top 10 moments of the Backstrom and Ovechkin bromance.
I won’t spoil anything from that TV show but I will say there wasn’t a dry eye from me when that show ended and number one was revealed.
On Jeff Marek’s weekly podcast this week, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan called in for an interview and the news from GMBM was very grim:
“It’s just a difficult situation all around and he made a decision here just a little bit ago that he’s going to exit and that’s the way he’s going out. I give him a lot of respect for the way that he did it.”
Words can’t describe how much watching Backstrom and Ovechkin play together has meant for all of us as Caps fans. We got to watch these two grow up before our very eyes. Now only Ovechkin is still around and it’s hard to fathom that if he breaks the record the assist won’t come from Backstrom.
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But we are beyond grateful for Backstrom and we hope he heals his hip and enjoys some well deserved time with his wife and three kids. Thank you for everything Backy! We miss you and will continue to miss you.