Alright folks, it's done.  I got confirmation on our ice slot today.  We play January 2, hitting the ice sometime between 8 and 9 PM.  They are putting together the paperwork and I should get it in the next few days.  Then I'll know exactly what time we go on but they said we definitely have a 90 minute slot around that time at Kettler Iceplex.

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Back by popular demand, I'm busting out the MS Paint!  This time let's take a look at the Caps' weakest unit, the PK.  In order to do this I'm going to demonstrate how the Caps approach their PK, demonstrate the flaws, and compare the approach to the San Jose Sharks' PK unit. Why the Sharks?  Because they are deep with scoring threats, including some serious elite talent at the top, capable of rolling out three lines that can hurt you, and they have a solid checking fourth line that gives them huge contributions on the PK.  In other words, they are built almost exactly like the Caps.  Oh, and they are the top PK unit in the league.

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So I played again tonight, and barring waking up in a near-crippled state I'd say I'm good to go.  The way I see it there are two ways we can go about this from here.  We can pick a date that works, then find a rink to suit that.  Or we can pick a rink, then find an available date.  Let's hash it out in the comments.  I figure we need 20-30 skaters and 2-4 goalies.  Here are the rink prices I have so we can rule out any rinks that are non-starters.  

Rockville Ice Arena:  $300/hr plus tax

Ashburn: 300/hr plus tax but could be flexible on off hours

KCI: 335/hr; 502.50 for a 90 minute slot

Cabin John: 175/hr

Fairfax: 335/hr

Piney Orchard: 330/hr

Laurel: 325/hr; 536.50 for 80 minutes on ice

Bowie: 230/hr but limited availability; 287.50 for 1 hour on ice

Alright folks, I've been mooching off everyone else's contributions to the Rink long enough.  Consider this me dipping my toes in the creative waters.  This is a pretty simple example; nothing profoundly insightful, I don't think.  Look at this as dry run to test a) my skills at this stuff and b) your reception/interest in it.  I've got some much more ambitious ideas in mind but right now I don't have the technological set up to realize those dreams.  Hopefully I'll be set to do it soon, but if there isn't much interest it's all moot anyway, right?  So with that backdrop here's my first attempt at breaking down some Caps hockey.  Also, let's keep one thing in mind: Hockey is not played in still frames.  Keep the live action example in mind and reference it as you must to inform the context of the still shots I provide.

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