emotional support goalie

The Caps and Their Hidden Talents

Charlie Lindgren: Playing the guitar

Nic Dowd: Losing at rock-paper-scissors

Trevor Van Riemsdyk: Throwing socks into a hamper from across the room and never missing

Anthony Mantha: Playing video games

Tom Wilson: Speaking French (not so hidden, we all know he was really nice in French class)

Conor Sheary: Juggling

Darcy Kuemper: Cooking

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Cooking

Alexander Ovechkin: Hockey player

There is an exact science to the Washington Capitals’ pregame routine, which takes place in the tunnel prior to warm-ups with captain Alex Ovechkin leading the way.

From the outside – especially for those who have never watched ice hockey – it can seem like a word salad with strange hand gestures and occasional shouting. For the Capitals, it makes complete sense, and it would be odd not to do it.

“It is, uh… it is strange,” T.J. Oshie laughed. “But somehow, we all understand what’s being said and what’s going on. It’s kind of like hearing your two-year-old speak. Other people can’t understand them, but we know what they’re saying, so it’s great, it’s fine.”

Sammi Silber deserves a goddamn Pulitzer for this comprehensive breakdown of the Capitals’ pregame tunnel routine but my three favorite things:

LOUD NOISES: John Carlson, who is out indefinitely, said there are two words that’d sum up the whole routine: loud noises. Ovechkin would recognize Carlson with “I got my chicken parm babe, but,” to which Carlson raised his arm up as the Russian held the “but,” and when Ovechkin ran out of breath, he asked “whatchu want” as Carlson would point down and then engage in a quick handshake with No. 8. It’s a reference to a 2017 Paisano’s pizza commercial which starred Wilson and other D.C. sports personalities. Ovechkin is also famous for having chicken parmesan as he pregame meal.

CAFE MILANO: [Gustafsson] added that his favorite routine of late is the one that incorporates fellow first-year Capital Sonny Milano. He recently joined the handshake line and saw Ovechkin incorporate the D.C. restaurant “Cafe Milano” into the pregame formation. Ovechkin will greet him and Martin Fehervary with the following message if they’re together. “After the game, we all going to Cafe Milano to drink shots of Marrrrrtini (a play on Fehervary’s name) and then we gonna eat… Milanese…” Ovechkin will say, followed by the names of various types of pastas, sauces or foods with an “-ase” tagged on the end.

“I think a lot of it is made-up words… just whatever comes to his brain, and he just adds ’-ase’ to the end of it,” Sheary laughed.

Milano still has no idea what the captain is saying, but he’s into it. “I just nod my head and smile. I’m not too sure what he’s saying but whatever’s working,” Milano chuckled.