Good Monday morning Caps fans. I hope you all are having a good start to your week and that you’re well rested after the weekend.

It was a nice end to the weekend on Sunday night, with the Caps getting right again with a 2-0 win over Seattle to claim not only a much needed three points but also the Cascadia Cup.

This has not been a great year for either Portland or Seattle but winning the Cascadia Cup is always a big deal. To clinch at this point of the season in dominating fashion is a sign of how far the Caps have come to the summit of the Western Conference elite. This shouldn’t be taken for granted, even though Vancouver will want more prestigious silverware before it’s all set and done.

The performance was also quite good. While the Caps didn’t generate many clear cut chances in the first half, they dominated in every phase of the game and ensured Seattle could not get anything going offensively.

The introduction of Ryan Gauld in the second half gave them a spark and something different in the attack, helping to create more meaningful chances. By the time Emmanuel Sabbi slipped in Rayan Elloumi for the opening goal, a Caps breakthrough seemed inevitable. Thomas Müller grabbed a second minutes later off of a rare indirect free kick and the rest was history.

Elloumi was one of the standout performers, even before the goal. Called upon in an emergency (after Jeevan Badwal sustained a head injury), Elloumi was excellent on the ball in his passing and looked confident taking players on. He held the ball up well, played some nice interchanges with Müller and Gauld and took his goal when the chance came. It has been a rough last month for Elloumi and you wondered if he needed something to reset his confidence. Apparently, that reset came last night.

Oliver Larraz continues to improve with each passing match in midfield. The Caps are reportedly bringing in another young midfielder, Sebastian Ramirez, from Colombia. That signals the front office is comfortable with him continuing to play a big role in the midfield going forward and, with how he’s been playing, who could blame them?

The Caps didn’t answer all of the questions that have been dogging them over the last eight games but this was a big win ahead of an important week. A six pointer against Houston awaits Wednesday and there is no better way to generate momentum than a dominate win over a rival.

Shameless Self Promotion

More on the Caps’ Cascadia Cup winning triumph on Sunday night.

Best of the Rest

More on the Caps’ pursuit of Ramirez.

Nashville blew out Inter Miami over the weekend to bolster their status as Supporters Shield favorites.

CF Montreal has banned two fans amid an investigation into anti-semitic remarks allegedly directed towards New England forward Dor Turgeman.

Vancouver Rise snapped a winless streak in dramatic fashion on Saturday as they beat Halifax 2-1.