January 12, 2011, HockeyPrimeTime.com notebook on HBO series about Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

HBO series was itself a classic

Atlantic

Written by Denis Gorman

Friday, January 07, 2011 22:46

The all-access camerawork of '24/7 Penguins/Capitals' shed unprecedented light on NHL players' personalities. Good news for fans: The players didn't seem to mind. So why not do it again? Paul Martin stood outside the Pittsburgh Penguins’ dressing room on a recent Wednesday, discussing the television cameras that had spent the month of December following his team's every move, on and off the ice. “It has been no issues as far as distractions. They do a good job of keeping quiet and finding a space to work,” the seventh-year defenseman said about HBO’s 24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road To The Winter Classic before the Pens lost to the Islanders in a shootout. AROUND THE ATLANTIC The four week-long series trailed the Penguins and Capitals in the month leading to last Saturday’s Winter Classic at Heinz Field, which the Capitals won, 3-1. The last episode concluded with the final days leading into the NHL’s marquee event and the Winter Classic game itself. “It’s for a good cause," Martin said. "Hopefully it gets people excited about what we do and get a kick out of it.” Martin, who estimated that he had viewed “one-and-a-half” episodes, unwittingly starred in the first episode. Like any team, Pittsburgh was playing a team-building drill called "Mustache Boy." The skater that does not score a one-on-one practice goal is forced to grow and keep a mustache for a month. December’s contest came down to Martin and fellow blueliner Deryk Engelland. Engelland, who recently signed a three-year, $1.7 million contract, is known for his fistic abilities, while Martin brings offense from the back end. Naturally, Engelland won the one-on-one. Noted Martin, "A couple people have come up and said ‘nice mustache.’ ” That the NHL (and HBO) settled on these rivals for the annual outdoor game made for delicious anticipation. Pittsburgh and Washington are two of the NHL’s alpha male organizations. As such it was predictable that neither expressed complimentary feelings about the other. Nor was it a surprise that the players did not shake hands – spurning recent tradition – following the match. Reality, as it often does, made the expectancy worthwhile. Pittsburgh embarked on a streak of 16 wins in 20 games and Sidney Crosby torched the NHL for 50 points in 25 consecutive games. The Penguins’ success coincided with Washington playing its worst hockey of the season. The Capitals lost eight games in a row, highlighted by a 7-0 rout in New York. That game saw Alex Ovechkin engage Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky in a fight. Ovechkin and Dubinsky congratulated each other after the bout before the Capitals captain got to his feet and screamed an exhortation at his teammates to improve their play. Still, in the final analysis, the series allowed the viewer to learn about athletes they may have known for their on-ice exploits – or for the non-hockey fan, to introduce them to the personalities, the game and the physical toll the athletes willingly pay. Among the myriad images the viewer witnessed during the four weeks: • Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke’s childlike glee as he pulled practical jokes on a former teammate, Phoenix enforcer and Twitter superstar Paul Bissonette. • Pascal Dupuis, Mike Rupp and Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma opened the doors to their homes and let the viewer meet their families. • Ovechkin, 25 years old and amongst the best in the world in his chosen profession, still lives at home with his parents. • Most touchingly, Eric Fehr and his wife Rachel brought holiday gifts to an impoverished family and spent the day with them. Simply, 24/7 humanized the Penguins and Capitals. “We’re normal people,” Martin said. “We head home, have families. I think you’ll get a glimpse of our lives.” As the final shots aired, the viewer was left with a thought: Why not give another NHL franchise the "Hard Knocks" treatment? Who would not want to watch four to six weeks of in-depth, behind-the-scenes training camp with one of the NHL’s 30 franchises? Notes With New Jersey embroiled in a heated race for the first overall pick in this June’s entry draft, the time is right to begin contemplating which Devils will be in Newark come next training camp. The Boston Globe speculated in its Sunday hockey notes section that Lou Lamoriello could receive a package of picks and players should he move RFA Zach Parise. Parise told The Record of Hackensack that day that in his ideal scenario, he plays his entire career for the Devils. The Devils have Mike Commodore listed on their roster. However there are no reports that Columbus traded the defenseman to New Jersey. What is known is that Commodore wants to leave Columbus. … HPT.com examined the Islanders' rebuilding plan three weeks ago. The organization kept to its youth-is-key mandate by trading D James Wisniewski to Montreal for draft picks and dealing G Dwayne Roloson to Tampa Bay for minor-league D Ty Wishart. Both played well in their debuts with their new teams. Wisniewski scored two goals – including the overtime game-winner – in the Habs' 3-2 victory over the Panthers in Sunrise last Friday. Roloson was perfect in shutting out the Capitals, 1-0, Tuesday. The Hockey News suggested that Tampa has upgraded in net and that the personnel move could signal that GM Steve Yzerman believes his team can contend in the East. … In their first game sans Roloson, the Islanders topped Calgary 5-2 Monday night. Rick DiPietro started the game for the Islanders but left the game with what he called “a little tweak.” … Philadelphia enforcer Jody Shelley was suspended two games by the NHL for punching Vancouver D Andrew Alberts in the Flyers’ 6-2 loss last Tuesday. Shelley was ejected from the game for “intent to injure.” The Flyers placed G Michael Leighton on waivers Monday. Leighton cleared waivers and the organization placed him with AHL Adirondack. On Wednesday, the organization announced their January 23 home game against Chicago will be televised on NBC and that the start time has been pushed up from 4 PM to noon. … Rookie Mats Zuccarello scored his first NHL goal in overtime Wednesday night in the Rangers’ 2-1 win over Carolina. … The Canadian Press reported that Penguins forward Mike Comrie will miss 12 to 16 weeks after undergoing hip surgery. On Twitter: @HockeyPrimeTime and @DenisGorman Photos by Getty Images

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