Well, this is an interesting collection of talent we've got here today for our Capitol's Talk

podcast as we introduced for the very first time, Samantha Pell, who covers a team for the Washington

Post. And as I told you in the text, there is big pressure on you because Izzy Kishudian was a huge hit when she

joined us.

You know, I will try to live up to Izzy's very, very high standards.

But yeah, happy to be here.

Your first initial take on, we waited a long time for Caps Penguins, your initial takeaway

from the loss on Super Bowl Sunday. Yeah, well, actually was my first Caps Penguins that I've ever covered. So I just think it was a really entertaining game back and forth. I never thought that, you know, it was ever dull at any moment. I think the third period, obviously, we all know. That was how the Caps play. That's how they play their identity. They were hitting. Obviously, Tom Wilson ended with a game high.

13 hits. His also career best. So I think initial thoughts was Samsonov was fine, as Ruden also

said after the post game. You know, obviously a lot of things to shore up. Powerplay obviously

wasn't working, but the P.K. looked good. So I think all around it was fine. Fine. Exactly. Brian McNally, that's, that is the word I was going to pass along to you.

When Todd Reardon said, Leah Sam's own up was fine. What did you think?

If he had said, meh. I would have gone with it, right? It was fine. Again, fine. Okay.

The thing is, the problem is, our bar for Penguins' Caps games is so high that that was a really entertaining, fun game. And I'm kind of like, well, it wasn't a classic. I kind of wanted, like, dueling hat tricks or two feet of snow and fans fighting their way to the building and all that stuff. You take what you can get.

So that's apparently his level, Ben, Raby. That's the level where he needs to get Cavs Penguins is double hat tricks, fans fighting, and a foot of snow for Brian McNally to be happy. I'm not going to back down from that. That's what I expect from this rivalry. I didn't get that yesterday. So it was good. Ben. Ben.

I'll say for the first of So it was good. Ben. Ben.

I'll say for the first of four over the next few weeks, I thought it was great. Let's get three more of those. I think the capitals have a little pent-up anger now. Maybe they'll unleash

on February 22nd when the two teams meet again. I thought for chapter one, round one of four,

I thought it was pretty good.

I agree, although as usual, I felt like missed opportunities.

It's going to cost you, and the penguins only need one chance,

and that's kind of how that game ended.

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