PRE-GAME
I rode the METRO into D.C. for about a 1/2-hour ride. As the train got closer and closer to MCI Center, the number of Caps jersey-wearing fans increased exponentially. Every player from Kolzig to Jagr to Bondra to Simon and everyone in-between was represented.By the time I was one stop away from the Gallery Place station (MCI Center), it was barely even standing-room only. I didn't exactly know where to go when I got off the train, but I had a pretty good idea that following the Caps jersey's would work out and it did. Jumpball told me that he would meet me "out front" with a friend of his and he would call my cell phone at about 2:45 so I tried to figure out where "out front" was. I parked myself "out front" and watched the scalpers try to sell (and buy!) tickets under the "Sale and Resale of tickets is Prohibited" sign. It's a funny thing to watch these guys try and sell tickets and buy tickets to resell later. If you walked by with a ticket in your hand, you would be sure to get hit with, "Got any extras?" but if you walked by with empty hands you were guaranteed a "Need any tickets?" And anytime someone said, "Yes," they were swarmed upon by every scalper within hearing distance, all of them claiming to have the better seat for the better price.

Right at 2:45 my cell phone rings and it's Jumpball.

"Where are you at," he asked.

"I'm between the Will Call and Nick Stef's Steakhouse," I told him.

"I'm between Will Call and Modell's," he replied. I saw the general area and we both started walking towards each other. Sure enough, Jumpball had on the blue Caps cap that he said he would and so the first Gurupie meeting was down. Just 2 more to go. Jumpball, his friend, and I waited inside of "out front" for Greenbelt and philflyboy who were going to arrive together. We knew that philflyboy would have on a Smallworld cap so we tried to guess what color it would be. We guessed white and we figured out we were wrong when we saw a guy walking up with a black Smallworld cap on. So we had all found each other. Finally. Game time was drawing near and we all did the usual introductions. 4 Gurupies in one spot was an interesting thing to experience. You always guess what the person on the other side of the post looks like or sounds like and it's usually always wrong. It was good to be able to finally put a face and a voice with a name and a post.

After the introductions, Greenbelt distributed the tickets and we rode the elevator up to the suite level (or is it sweet! level?) Right after we made it through the ticket-tearer you could tell this was going to be an experience that most people don't get at a hockey game. And it wasn't.

THE GAME
The first period was nothing to write home about. EDM took a 2-0 lead mostly because of sloppy play by the Caps. Greenbelt, a true Caps fan, spent most of the first period groaning and the rest of us could sympathize. We talked a lot and got to know each other a lot. Finding out what we do for "real" and even talking a little fantasy sports. Ok, so it was really a LOT of fantasy sports talk.

The second period was decidedly better for the Caps. Just off the end of a Power Play that split the 2 periods, Peter Bondra put in his first goal of the afternoon. And then it happened. They announced the goal scorer and who got the assists and I instantly said, "Yes! That's 70 points with the assists by Gonchar and Oates" (Too bad I forgot that I only had Oates on my "No Goalie" team). We all got a good chuckle about always seeing the fantasy sports side of the game. Peter Bondra slapped in a second goal before the 2nd period was over and WAS was on its way. Steve Konowalchuk (WAS) and Mike Grier (WAS) got into a bit of a scuffle mid-way through the 2nd period and Steve Staios (EDM) and Joe Sacco (WAS) didn't want to be left out and had their own fight. The great thing was that the refs were too busy with the other scuffle because it involved the other 8 players on the ice and Staios and Sacco were pretty much able to go at it with no refs breaking them up. Sacco got the takedown and the crowd went wild.

The third period was all WAS. Dmitri Khristich got the lead at 3-2 for WAS with a goal early in the 3rd. Again, fantasy implications. I had picked 3-2 in Pick'ems. Since I knew that I had retaken the lead from philflyboy (which I mentioned to him earlier before the game) I had to let him know that I was on the line for a perfect pick at that point. philflyboy couldn't remember if he had picked WAS 3-2 or 4-2. So with just a couple of minutes remaining most of the fans were hoping for an insurance goal and I was hoping for nothing. Nothing from either team. Then Peter Bondra had to go and ruin things and get a hat trick. So now you know why I gave it a big thumbs down. You'll note that phiflyboy has a smile on his face. It turned out that he picked WAS 4-2, so now he was in line for the perfect pick. After all the clean up crews cleared the ice of all the hats, the game resumed and ended 4-2 to the delight of philflyboy, even if he didn't know for sure at the time.