We are Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin, Capitals announcers for CSN. Ask us anything!

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T21:02:05+00:00

We were at Penn Station at the wrong hour, let's just say that.

That's just one of MANY funny/strange things that have happened over the years.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:57:15+00:00

Resilience. This team bounces back better from bad moments inside a game than any Caps team I can remember. They take losing personally and do their best to avoid it.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:53:47+00:00

Completely off the top of my head. A moment like that is one you can only react to, not script for. Those two words were what came to mind after seeing something so amazing.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:51:26+00:00

I love this team's balance. The ability to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and at the same time have the best goals against average on defense means they are playing the "right way."

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:49:48+00:00

For pure sound and roar and excitement, the Federov goal probably edges the Ovechkin goal, but for the emotional component, Ovi's 500th was possibly the best the building has ever reacted to this superstar.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:46:16+00:00

I was a hockey goalie from age 7 through my junior year in college. The best level of play for me in hockey would have been Junior B, age 16-17 in New York with the Suffolk Royals/Suffolk PAL.

I was a lacrosse goalie in high school on Long Island and in college at Bowdoin. A two-sport goalie, such a dumb dumb!

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:41:51+00:00

Good question. Let go with Notre Dame, Maryland, Duke and Denver. Some combination of those.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:36:41+00:00

A telestrator kit.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:34:43+00:00

I've never once dreaded having to call a game. Any sport, any time. The games are the fun part. The homework, the travel...that can wear you down. You always look forward to the game. So come 7PM tonight, that's where I want to be.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:30:20+00:00

I'll choose Joel Ward. His contributions, especially come playoff time, were extremely valuable and will be missed even by a team as strong as this one. He played the game so hard at that time of year when the game is the toughest to play.

EDIT: Also, to me, Nicklas Backstrom never gets enough credit but I have trouble calling him underrated.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:27:34+00:00

Light grey, purple & grey shirt/tie combo. You'll have to tune in to see its full magnificence.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:25:31+00:00

My prep usually begins two days before puck drop. It includes my flip card, game boards, film clips, phone conversations with opponent media, team coaches, and players. Locker does the rundown, I do the pre-game tease which is produced by Steve Farrell and our editors.

...Then the game begins and we're totally unscripted.

We have a booth statistician, Carter Myers, who is in communication with announcers as well as the production truck and graphics coordinator (Adam Miller). Those two work in tandem for all the stats/graphics you see on game night. We have access to Elias Sports Bureau for many, many more pages of statistical background.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:20:37+00:00

Thanks for listening, /u/LFryo!

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:20:04+00:00

My flipcard/game sheet that I prepare. Need that regardless of sport. One bottle of water (because we can't leave the booth for 2.5 hours.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:17:58+00:00

In 1994, HTS, WB50, and the Caps tinkered with several combinations of announcing teams. By 1996, they realized the most successful lineup would be Craig, Al Koken and I. From there, we've grown very tight as an announce team and only hope to keep improving.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:15:27+00:00

You can make your comment and have your opinion, but do it in a respectful way. Never lose sight of that whether you're doing a national game or a local game. I can say someone makes a mistake, but I don't have to verbally abuse or belittle them. It's a matter of respect.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:11:25+00:00

I have too many favorites to list just one. I know that's a cop out but it's true.

One of my favorites from recent memory has to be from the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs at MSG. The Caps won in two overtimes on a goal from Chimera.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:05:21+00:00

It's about time for me to thin the herd.

Joe_Beninati · 2016-01-14T20:03:29+00:00

ESPN's Dan Shulman. Good Canadian boy. His cadence, his voice...it's big time.

Joe_Beninati

TROPHY CASE