Despite attempted Tampa Rocketman sabotage, the Capitals found liftoff in Game 1

The Capitals sent a message with a 4-2 victory in Game 1 in Tampa Bay, but not without some attempted sabotage from Tampa Bay’s favorite astronaut.

The Washington Capitals played their first Eastern Conference Final game in 20 years tonight in Tampa Bay, and blasted the Lightning early on to take a 1-0 series lead with a 4-2 win.

Even with the win, the Capitals had to overcome plenty of challenges, and perhaps the toughest of the night was ignoring the antics of Tampa Bay’s favorite astronaut and trying to keep a straight face.

The mad spaceman didn’t end his antics there, and he continued to try and taunt the Capitals bench all night long.

It took some resilience, but the Capitals were able to power through and take Game 1 of the series.

But who is this astronaut? His name is Rocketman, and he is actually a mascot for Malektronic LLC, which originally started the gimmick as a way to give away free portable speakers during one game. It worked so well they decided to sit him right on the glass in order to keep up the publicity.

Whenever Rocketman gets on TV, it’s just free advertising.

There is not one man behind the suit, either; multiple people have donned the mantle of Rocketman depending on the event. Malektronic CEO Ben Malek is the only person who can be placed to Rocketman, which became awkward when it was revealed he used to be a diehard Chicago Blackhawks fan during the 2015 Stanley Cup Final when Tampa played Chicago.

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Despite the loss, all hope is not lost for Rocketman and Co.. Game 2 will take place on Sunday May 13, where the Tampa Bay Lightning can look to even this series at one game apiece before heading to Washington for games 3 and 4. Rocketman will have to bring his best performance to distract the Capitals next time.

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