By Rand Paul
Obama acts as though we no longer have a Constitution
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
In the corner of the Boston Bruins' locker room, hanging from the hooks in Andrew Ference's stall, is a yellow running singlet with the team's "Spoked B" logo on the front.
Pavel Datsyuk is one of the NHL's most feared scorers, a wizard with the puck who is equally adept at setting up his teammates for easy plays. Jonathan Toews has at least 23 goals in each of his six seasons in the league, and Patrice Bergeron is one of the top offensive threats for one of the league's best teams.
Because the Washington Capitals were done before the final horn in Game 7 Monday night, those watching had some extra time to contemplate general manager George McPhee's work this offseason. But after the Caps became the only NHL team to make the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past six years and not reach at least the conference finals, don't expect much to look different when they open the 2013-14 season.
After the marathon bombings, the cities of Boston and New York put aside their bitter rivalries and joined in their mutual love of sports and country.
Dale Hunter's 2012 team flipped a switch when the playoffs began. Adam Oates' team showed in Game 1 against the Rangers that nothing changed from the regular season.
After a victory late in the regular season that included two goals by Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom was asked if it felt like the "good old days" when the franchise cornerstones powered a high-scoring team. "It depends how it is in the playoffs," he said. "And we weren't that successful in the playoffs in the past."
Scoring his 11th and 12th goals of the season, the defenseman reminded everyone of his value to the Washington Capitals in Saturday night's 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins.
Holtby will start the regular-season finale against the Boston Bruins as he and the Caps get into playoff pattern.
With one more game left that has no bearing on their seed, the Caps are left to wonder whether they'll face the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs or New York Islanders in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they begin next week.
Growing up playing hockey, Matt Hendricks remembered the kind of language he would hear. It wasn't always appropriate. "Words were probably thrown around a little bit too loosely," the Washington Capitals forward said.
Spirits were high and the mood was loose, but coach Adam Oates ran his team through a full practice. It's business as usual as he and the Caps figure out how to approach this time before the playoffs begin.
Bomb-sniffing dogs and military in camouflage fatigues joined the police patrolling Fenway Park on Saturday, when the Red Sox dressed in a specially designed uniform for their first home game since the Boston Marathon attacks and the ensuing manhunt that shut down their wounded city.
A defiant David Ortiz stood on the Fenway Park infield and told the crowd to "stay strong," bringing a rousing cheer from Bostonians weary from a week of bombings, stay-at-home orders and a manhunt that locked down the city for a day.
A defiant David Ortiz stood on the Fenway Park infield and told the crowd to "stay strong," bringing a rousing cheer from Bostonians weary from a week of bombings, stay-at-home orders and a manhunt that locked down the city for a day.
The teams announced about four hours before their night games were scheduled to start that they were scratched.
