Practice: Oct. 31

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they attempt to regroup from their disappointing showing last week in western Canada.  Some updates from Arlington:

Mike Green once again did not practice, putting his status for Tuesday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks in serious doubt. The defenseman has missed the last nine days with a twisted ankle suffered against the Detroit Red Wings on October 22.

Bruce Boudreau also blew up his bottom three lines in typical Bruce Boudreau fashion, keeping the top unit of Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer intact but switching the other units as follows: Semin-Johansson-Chimera, Hendricks-Laich-Ward, and Perreault-Halpern-Knuble, with DJ King taking extra reps.  This is anarchy, I saw.  Anarchy!

John Erskine also took reps with Jeff Schultz instead of Sean Collins, meaning that he may have been cleared for contact and could return against the Ducks on Tuesday.
DJ King has also been waived, a request that the winger made to General Manager George McPhee and was granted so he could try and play somewhere else.

That's all for now.  Check back later for my game preview.

Gameday: at Vancouver, Oct. 29

Quick! Who will the Sedins match up against?

The Washington Capitals are in Vancouver, British Columbia, this evening to take on the Canucks on Hockey Night in Canada as they close out their two game road swing through the western half of our neighbors to the north.  The Capitals come into tonight's contest with a 7-1-0 record, which gives them 14 standings points coming off of their first loss of the season Thursday night in Edmonton.  Those 14 points lead the Southeast Division and are second in the East, four points behind the Penguins with four games in hand.  Vancouver, the defending holders of the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, have struggled so far this year, compiling a 4-5-1 record for nine standings points.  As such, the Canucks are fourth in the Northwest Division and twelfth in the Western Conference.  This is the one and only meeting between these two teams this season.

Roberto Luongo will return to the Vancouver cage after yielding the last game to backup Cory Schneider.  Luongo is off to his typical slow October start, with a 2-3-1 record to go along with a 3.45 GAA and .868 save percentage in six starts, and was pulled in the second period of his last outing.  Luongo is one of the league's best, however, and can heat up at any time.  He also has a lifetime 2.25 GAA against the Caps, and has given up two goals the last two times these teams have met, both Vancouver victories.  Alain Vigneault's men will be without Mason Raymond as he continues to recuperate from a broken back suffered during last year's Stanley Cup Final, while defenseman Kevin Bieksa is considered questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Bruce Boudreau will roll with Tomas Vokoun in nets for the eighth consecutive contest.  Vokoun stopped 17 of 19 in his last outing in Edmonton, but had no chance on either goal and kept the game from getting out of hand with several excellent saves.  On the year, Vokoun has a 6-1-0 record to go along with a stellar 1.83 GAA, .940 save percentage, and one shutout.  In terms of injuries, Mike Green is almost certainly out for the second consecutive game because of an ankle sprain he suffered last weekend against the Red Wings; Sean Collins will once again take his place.  DJ King is expected to be the healthy man to take a seat, as has been the case for all but one game this season.

Puck drops for this one 10:10-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 28

The Washington Capitals were on ice Friday afternoon at Rogers Arena in Vancouver as they prepare to take on the Canucks in that same space Saturday night.  Some updates from far out west:

Mike Green missed his fifth consecutive practice with his right ankle issue; he is not expected to play tomorrow night and has not been able to skate comfortably since sustaining the injury.  GM George McPhee does not think that Green's injury is a long-term issue at this point. Bruce Boudreau added that he hopes to have the defenseman back next weekend.
Jeff Halpern took a maintenance day off, with DJ King taking his spot on the fourth line.  The other three lines remained the same as they have been for the last two weeks: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Semin-Johansson-Knuble, and Ward-Laich-Chimera.

That's all for now.  Check back later for my game preview.
Information from Katie Carrera was used in this post.

7-1 Ain't Too Shabby

Oh, no.

Okay, okay, so the Capitals lost last night.  They went into their set of weekend games in western Canada talking about avoiding a trap game against one of the worst teams in the league...wait, what's that? The Edmonton Oilers are the second best team in the West and lead their Division?  Well, I'll be.
Honestly, this loss means absolutely nothing to me, and it shouldn't bother you, either.  Nikolai Khabibulin partied like it was 2004 tonight, and sometimes these things just happen.  You get beaten by a goaltender when you outplay an inferior team.  And make no mistake, the Oilers are an inferior team.  But as you can tell from my quip above, they are not the worst team in the league anymore. Frankly, it's not even close.  And with the news that the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (details here), is staying up for the entire year, they're not going to go away.  That line is going to be terrorizing the Western Conference for the next 73 games as well as the next 15 years.
But enough gushing about the Oilers.  This is a Caps blog, and last night, the Caps got beat.  So what went wrong, besides Khabibulin playing out of his mind? Don't you dare panic.
Too many penalties.  If you take nine penalties in a game, whether they were actual penalties or not, you're going to lose, especially against a team with so much talent up front as the Oilers.  That's a discipline problem that lies deeper than one game, but you get these games from time to time where you literally can't do anything without getting called.  Despite that fact, though, this is a trend that can't go on.  Don't let the referees take over the game, adapt your game.  No more excuses.
Stationary power plays.  On the Caps' 6-on-4 power play late in regulation that gave them a golden opportunity to tie the game, Nicklas Backstrom won the faceoff cleanly and got the puck to Dennis Wideman.  Over the next 30 seconds, I counted nine passes and not a single shot towards the net.  The Caps talk and talk about shooting more on the power play, and when they do it, it works. However, they usually do it when they're already winning or the power play isn't crucial.  They have to get that shoot first mentality on ALL of their power plays, because when the playoffs roll around, there are going to be a ton of critical late game man advantages that they have to be better on.
One positive note: the team defense Thursday night must have been spectacular, with only nineteen shots allowed, the lowest total of the season.  Though the Caps had been winning before, they had been giving up way too many shots, and that was remedied against the Oilers.  When you give up 19 shots in a game with Tomas Vokoun in Nets, you're going to win most of the time.

So, I say: 7-1 ain't too shabby.  On to the next one.

Rapid Rewind: It's a Trap!

What do you know? These kids can play.

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Edmonton, Oct. 27

The Caps won 5-0 the last time these two teams met.

The Washington Capitals are in Edmonton, Alberta, this evening to take on the Oilers as they play their first of two games in western Canada this week.  The Capitals come into tonight's game with an unbeaten record of 7-0-0, which gives them 14 standings points. Those 14 points pace the Southeast Division and place them in second behind Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference following their 7-1 smashing of the Red Wings last Saturday night.  The Oilers, a year after being the NHL's worst team, come into tonight's contest with a 4-2-2 record, which gives them ten standings points.  Edmonton won their last contest over the Canucks 3-2, and are second in the Northwest Divison and sixth in the West with their ten points.  This is the one and only meeting between these two teams this season.

Veteran Nikolai Khabibulin is likely to get the tap on the pads from coach Tom Renney, as he has played well so far this year following a disastrous 2010-11 campaign.  The Bulin wall has started five games this year and is 3-0-2 with a ridiculous 0.97 GAA and .963 save percentage to go along with one shutout; he made 35 saves in Edmonton's 3-2 win over Vancouver on Tuesday.  Ryan Whitney (knee), Ales Hemsky (shoulder) and Darcy Hordichuk (knee) are all out for the Oil long term and will not play.  Up front, Edmonton boasts one of the best young lines in hockey, as Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have between them over half of the total points accumulated on the Oilers' roster. Gee, I wonder who that third line will play against...

Bruce Boudreau will go with Tomas Vokoun in nets, the goaltender's seventh consecutive start in the Washington blue paint.  Last week's NHL Third Star of the Week is 6-0 on the year with a 1.80 GAA, .944 save percentage, and one shutout; he made 32 saves in his last game, Saturday's 7-1 win over the Red Wings.  On the injury front, Jay Beagle and John Erskine are both still out with upper body and shoulder injuries, respectively, and did not make the trip.  Mike Green is questionable at best with a twisted right ankle that he suffered Saturday night; Sean Collins will take his spot in the lineup if he is unable to go.  DJ King will once more be the healthy scratch.

Puck drops for this one 9:38-ish inside Rexall Place.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 26

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday afternoon inside Rexall Place as they prepare for their game against the Oilers Thursday night.  Some updates from Edmonton:

Mike Green was once again absent from practice because of his sore ankle and it now seems unlikely that he will suit up Thursday night.  Sean Collins will take his place in the event he can't go.  Said Bruce Boudreau, "It doesn't look good."
The lines remained the same as they have for the last week: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Semin-Johansson-Knuble, Chimera-Laich-Ward, and Hendricks-Halpern-Perreault.
Tomas Vokoun has also revealed that he will play Thursday night's game, not Michal Neuvirth as some had thought earlier in the week.  That means Neuvy could make his return to action in Vancouver, certainly not a desirable situation.

That's all for now.  Check back later for my game preview.
Info from Katie Carrera was used in this post.

Practice: Oct. 25

The Washington Capitals were on ice for practice Tuesday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they prepare for Thursday night's game against the Oilers in Edmonton.  Some updates from Arlington:

Mike Green missed practice for the second consecutive day with what is being described as a twisted right ankle.  As a result, Sean Collins has been recalled from Hershey of the AHL.  Collins skated with Jeff Schultz in practice, while Dennis Wideman moved up to play with Roman Hamrlik on the second pairing and the top set of Karl Alzner and John Carlson remained the same.
Jay Beagle was also missed practice for the tenth consecutive time with his mysterious "long term, upper body, inferred to be a concussion, but not really a concussion according to Beagle" injury.  I doubt he travels on the trip, but he may. With the way Mathieu Perreault is playing, he probably won't see the lineup regardless.  All three other forward lines remained the same: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Semin-Johansson-Knuble, and Chimera-Laich-Ward.
The Caps are flying to Edmonton Tuesday afternoon, where they will practice inside Rexall place Wednesday afternoon before their game Thursday night at 9:30.

That's all for now.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 24

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex following Sunday's off day as they prepare for their road swing in western Canada at the end of this week.  Some updates from Arlington:

Michal Neuvirth practiced again, which is an encouraging sign that he is nearing a return to game action rather soon.  I think that he will start at least one of the games on the upcoming road trip, probably Thursday's in Edmonton, but we'll see.  It's a luxury the Caps can afford at this point.
Jay Beagle didn't practice again, as has been the case for almost two weeks now.  He's still week-to-week with what is believed to be a concussion.
Alex Ovechkin got hit above the eye with a puck towards the end of practice, and left the ice bleeding, presumably to get cleaned up.  He came right back, though, so it's likely nothing serious.
Mike Green also missed practice with what is being described as a maintenance day and "nothing serious." However, after practice, Green was seen walking around with a significant limp and his right foot wrapped heavily.  When asked if he will play Thursday, Green responded "we'll see."  Oh, boy.  Not this again.

That's all for now.  Check back later.
Information from Katie Carrera was used in this post.

McPhee's Moves Making the Grade (So Far)

I'll say, sometimes these things write themselves.

As you may have heard, the Washington Capitals are 7-0-0 and flying high as one of the NHL's best teams so far in their 2011-12 regular season.  The Caps are playing shutdown defense, explosive offense, and are getting dynamite goaltending to help fuel the streak.  The usual suspects are up to old tricks, including Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, and Alex Ovechkin, but you already know what those players bring to the table every night.  With so many new faces on the roster because of George McPhee's heralded offseason moves, I thought I would take a look at how each of Washington's new players are faring in red. Have a look after the jump.

Rapid Rewind: Statement Made

Yeaaaa buddy.

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Detroit, Oct. 22

Talk about a measuring stick game.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Detroit Red Wings to Verizon Center tonight for one of the biggest games of their young season so far as the NHL's Conference leaders face off. The Capitals come into tonight's game unbeaten in six games with a 6-0-0 record, which gives them 12 standings points coming off their drubbing of Philadelphia on Thursday night.  Those 12 points pace the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.  Detroit also comes into tonight's meeting unbeaten, and their 5-0 record represents the Wings' best start in 39 years.  Their 10 standings points place them first in both the Central Division and the Western Conference following their 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets last night. This is the first of two meetings between these two teams this season.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock will roll with his backup, Ty Conklin, in goal tonight after starter Jimmy Howard played last night in Columbus.  Conklin has only made one start this year, but he was exceptional, making 29 saves in a 3-0 shutout of the Avalanche two weekends ago.  The Red Wings will be missing two defensemen for tonight's game, as Brendan Smith is suspended for a hit he laid in the preseason and Mike Commodore is dealing with a knee injury that his on injured reserve.  Other than those injuries to their depth defensemen, the Wings have a clean bill of health across the board.

Tomas Vokoun will earn the nod in goal for the sixth consecutive contest tonight. Vokoun has been an absolute beast in the last four games following his less than stellar Capitals debut, but nevertheless is 5-0 with a 1.96 GAA, .939 save percentage, and one shutout this year.  He made 40 saves in Thursday night's 5-2 win over the Flyers.  On the injury front, the Caps are expected to be without Jay Beagle (concussion), Tom Poti (groin), and John Erskine (shoulder).  Beagle has not practiced since his fight with Arron Asham last week and is therefore likely not going to return anytime soon.  His continued absence means that Mathieu Perreault will continue to be the Caps' fourth line right winger and DJ King will be the healthy scratch.

Puck drops for this one 7:08-ish.  Check back later.

Around the NHL: Semyon Varlamov Is Really Good

Check out this amazing save that former Caps goalie Semyon Varlamov made Thursday night against Chicago, absolutely robbing the Blackhawks of a sure goal and keeping his mates within striking distance.

The Avalanche lost the game regardless, but are still off to a great start and Varly has been a huge part of that with his sterling 2.17 GAA and .938 save percentage.  Before you ask: yes, I would make the trade 100 times again.  The Avalanche are a very young team with a lot of talent, but the West is extremely competitive and even with this hot start, I think it will be very hard for Colorado to maintain this high level of play.  And then, of course, is the fact that Varlamov's lower body is, well, made of papier mache.
At the same time, I really hope that Varly can play well but the Avalance can keep losing.  Nail, Ryan, and Mikhail are calling.

Practice: Oct. 21

The Washington Capitals were on ice Friday for practice following Thursday night's 5-2 win over the Flyers are they prepare to welcome the Red Wings to Verizon Center on Friday night.  Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Jay Beagle missed practice once more and has been downgraded to week-to-week, which all but confirms what many have assumed for the better part of a week: that the fourth liner has a concussion. Every other skater on the roster participated in the skate, but there were no lines, as it was a power play oriented practice.
Michal Neuvirth skated both before and during practice and though he likely will not be ready to back up Tomas Vokoun tomorrow, Bruce Boudreau said he very well may play on next week's western Canada road swing.  Dany Sabourin is still with the team and will back up Vokoun tomorrow if need be.

That's all for today.  Check back later tonight for my game preview.
Information from Adam Vingan was used in this post.

Rapid Rewind: Fly By Shooting

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Philadelphia, Oct. 20

Florida was Florida.  Time to up the game a little bit.

The Washington Capitals are in Philadelphia this evening to take on the Flyers as they look to continue their stellar start to the 2011-12 campaign. Washington comes into tonight's contest 5-0-0 for the first time in franchise history, coming off their dominant 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.  Those five wins in five games give them ten standings points, which paces both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.  The totally revamped Flyers have gotten off to an equally impressive start to their year, as they are 4-0-1 for nine standings points, which is second in the Northeast Division and fourth in the East.  Philadelphia crushed the Senators their last time out, 7-2.  This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this year.

Peter Laviolette will give the call in nets to his $50 million dollar man, Ilya Bryzgalov.  The former Coyotes and Ducks stopper has been superb since signing his massive free agent deal this offseason, posting a 3-0-1 record in four starts to go along with a 1.99 GAA, .927 save percentage, and one shutout.  In terms of their lineup, the Flyers are missing defensive and faceoff specialist Blair Betts due to an injury that has kept him out all season.  Other than that, though, Philadelphia brings all of their big guns to the table for tonight's game, including some number 68 guy.  The Flyers will also debut shiny prospect Brayden Schenn, the crown jewel of the Mike Richards deal, tonight after he was recalled yesterday.

Bruce Boudreau is expected to start Tomas Vokoun in goal, his fifth consecutive start in the Washington blue paint.  Vokoun has been absolutely superb the last week, and is coming off his first shutout in a Washington uniform; that came Tuesday night against the Panthers.  On the year, Vokoun has posted a 4-0-0 record so far, which is accompanied by a 1.94 GAA, .935 save percentage, and the one aforementioned shutout.  On the injury front, Washington is still missing the services of Tom Poti (groin), John Erskine (shoulder), and Jay Beagle (face/head).  DJ King is expected to be the healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.

Puck drops 7:09-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 19

The Washington Capitals were on ice for practice Wednesday morning as they prepare to meet the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night in the city of brotherly love.  Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Michal Neuvirth skated for about 30 minutes before practice started by himself, taking shots and testing his injury right foot. He left when the official practice began, and Dany Sabourin is still with the team as the backup, which seems to indicate Neuvy will not be ready for backup duty Thursday.  Bruce Boudreau offered no timetable on his return.
Alex Ovechkin missed practice with what is being called a "maintenance day" and to rest "bumps and bruises."  Matt Hendricks took his spot on the top line with Nicklas Backstrom and Troy Brouwer (don't expect that to last).  The other lines remained the same from Tuesday night's win, with the exception of the fourth line, in which DJ King took Hendricks' spot: Semin-Johansson-Knuble and Ward-Laich-Chimera.
John Erskine continued to rehab his shoulder injury, skating as the seventh defenseman as he has all year.

The Caps will fly to Philadelphia this evening and then have their morning skate tomorrow at Wells Fargo Center.
Info from Katie Carrera was used in this post.

Rapid Rewind: Just Business

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Florida, Oct. 18

Winning ugly?  Meh, it's early.  I'll take it.

The Washington Capitals will look to continue their perfect start on Tuesday night when they welcome the Southeast Division rival Florida Panthers to the Verizon Center Ice. Washington comes into tonight's game with four wins in four games, which gives them eight standings points coming off of their 2-1 win over the Senators Saturday night.  Those eight points place them first in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.  Florida, on the other hand, has six points in their eight games, compiling a 3-1-0 record; the Panthers smoked the Lightning last night 7-4.  Those six points place Florida second in the Division and seventh in the Conference. This is the first of six meetings between the two teams this season.

Brand new Florida coach Kevin Dineen is likely to start his backup goaltender, top prospect Jacob Markstrom, in goal tonight because starter Jose Theodore played last night in Tampa Bay.  Markstrom has yet to play in a game this year, and only has one appearance in his NHL career, in which he allowed three goals on 21 shots in two periods of action.  Nevertheless, Markstrom is one of the most highly regarded young goaltenders in hockey and is expected to be all that and a bag of chips, so the Caps will not be getting off easy if they do in fact face the young Swede.  The Panthers are missing center Mike Santorelli due to a shoulder injury, but otherwise should have everyone healthy for tonight's game.

For Washington, Bruce Boudreau will likely give the nod in goal to Tomas Vokoun, who has started the Caps' last three games and won them all while posting a 2.57 GAA and .922 save percentage.  He is likely to be backed up by either Dany Sabourin or Braden Holtby, as Michal Neuvirth is still "very sore" because of a bruised right foot.  On the injury front, Tom Poti (groin) and John Erskine (shoulder) are both out with long term injuries, while Jay Beagle hasn't practiced since his fight with Arron Asham because of facial injuries and is very questionable at best.  DJ King is likely to be the healthy scratch, with Mathieu Perreault returning to the fourth line in his stead.

Puck drops for this one 7:08-ish.

Neuvy Time On Hold

Michal Neuvirth's injury: not a big deal.

When the Capitals shocked the free world on July 2nd by signing free agent goalie Tomas Vokoun for pennies, almost everyone who followed the Caps and hockey in general thought that Vokoun would be the number one option in goal over incumbent Michal Neuvirth.  That belief was held firm up until the day before the season opener, when Bruce Boudreau shocked everyone again by naming Neuvirth his opening night starter, an honor typically reserved for the number one goalie.  As such, talk of a "goalie controversy" immediately spread like wildfire. This was Bruce Boudreau, after all, who is known for doing outlandish things when it comes to goaltending.  Could the Caps really start the season in a ludicrous goaltending timeshare?

Practice: Oct. 17

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they prepare for Tuesday night's showdown with the Panthers.  Some updates from Arlington:

Michal Neuvirth returned to the ice for the start of practice, but left after 20 minutes of participating in drills with his teammates.  Bruce Boudreau did say that the goaltender was "sore," but would not provide any more information.  The goaltender would, however, saying that he has a bruise on the top of his right foot from getting hit by a shot and is in "a lot of pain."  Dany Sabourin has also been reassigned to Hershey of the AHL, which could (could) mean that Neuvy is nearing a return.  We'll see.
The top three lines from Saturday night's win remained the same: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Semin-Johansson-Knuble, and Ward-Laich-Chimera.  DJ King, who played on Saturday to much chagrin, took rushes as an extra forward while Mathieu Perreault took his spot on the fourth line with Matt Hendricks and Jeff Halpern.  Jay Beagle did not practice again because of the injuries he sustained when Arron Asham crushed him fought him last Thursday night.  No timetable has been released as to when Beagle could be back.
John Erskine continued practicing regularly; the big defenseman is working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery.  No date has been set for his return.

That's all for today.  Check back later tonight for my Caps/Panthers preview.
Thanks to Brian McNally for info in this post.

Day Off for Caps

The Capitals have Sunday off following last night's thoroughly unconvincing win over the cellar-dwelling Ottawa Senators.  They'll be back at it for practice Monday at 10:30 AM.

Gameday: vs. Ottawa, Oct. 15

So far, so good.  Can DC maintain their hot start?

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Ottawa Senators to Verizon Center Saturday evening as they try and continue their flying start to the season and build momentum from their overtime win in Pittsburgh on Thursday.  The Caps come into the game with a 3-0-0 record, which gives them six points and places them first in the Southeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa, on the other hand, are coming off a 7-1 shellacking at the hands of the Avalanche and have a 1-3-0 record, which is good for two points and places them last in the Northeast Division and fourteenth in the Conference. Saturday's contest is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season.

Senators coach Paul MacLean will go with his backup, Alex Auld, in goal tonight after starter Craig Anderson was blitzed for 7 goals in his last appearance.  Auld has played on one game this season, coming on in relief last week; he allowed two goals on nine shots in that one.  The Senators do not have any significant injuries on their roster and should bring a fully healthy team into Verizon Center.

For Washington, Tomas Vokoun is the likely starter following his impressive performance in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, and partially due to the fact that Michal Neuvirth is not fully ready because of a lower-body injury.  Vokoun has won both of his starts this year while posting a 3.29 GAA and a .899 save percentage.  On the injury front, Jay Beagle is almost certain to miss tonight's action with facial injuries sustained during his fight with Arron Asham, while Tom Poti (groin) and John Erskine (shoulder) remain sidelined with their respective injuries.  Mathieu Perreault is expected to be the healthy scratch while DJ King should take Beagle's place on the fourth line.

Puck drops for this one 7:07-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 14

The Washington Capitals were on ice Friday at 11:30 AM following their 3-2 win over the Penguins Thursday night as they prepare for Saturday's contest with the Ottawa Senators.  Some notes from Arlington:

Jay Beagle was absent from practice after his fight with Arron Asham Thursday.  Boudreau said after practice that Beagle has a "fat lip," but no concussion.  I don't think we see him against the Senators tomorrow, though.
Other than Beagle's absence, the lines remained the same as they were for Thursday's win: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Semin-Johansson, and Ward-Laich-Chimera.  Mathieu Perreault took Beagle's spot on the fourth line, while DJ King took some rushes as an extra skater on that unit.  The defensive pairs remained the same, with John Erskine also working in from time to time.  Erskine is currently working back from a shoulder injury.
The Capitals also returned Braden Holtby to Hershey this morning, which means that PR director Sergey Kocharov was the second goalie with Tomas Vokoun once more as Michal Neuvirth is still out.  While Holtby's departure could bode well for Neuvy, it could also mean that the Caps simply want Holtby to play tonight for the Bears before recalling him to back up Vokoun again Saturday. However, Boudreau revealed that Neuvirth is feeling better after practice, and could practice tomorrow during the morning skate and then be well enough to back up Tomas Vokoun.  We'll see.

That's all for now.  Check back later for info involving Saturday's game.
Thanks to Adam Vingan for some info in this post.

Rapid Rewind: All Aboard the Vokeswagon

Yes, I know it's the same picture. I'm making a point.

Find my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Pittsburgh, Oct. 13

Tom Vokoun needs to be much better this time around.

The Washington Capitals are in Pittsburgh this evening to take on the Penguins in the biggest game of their young season. Washington comes into Thursday's action with four points in two games, which places them first in the Southeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference coming off of their 6-5 win Monday night over the Lightning.  The Penguins, on the other hand, have started the season on an equally high note, coming into tonight's game with seven points in four games, which places them first in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.  Pittsburgh has yet to lose in regulation this year despite the fact that Sidney Crosby has not yet played in a game this season.  This will be the first of four regular season meetings between these two teams this season.

Penguins bench boss Dan Bylsma will go with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal for the second consecutive game.  Fleury is 3-0-0 in three starts this season, during which he has complied a 2.60 GAA and .911 save percentage.  Pittsburgh is still without Sidney Crosby due to his concussion, as I mentioned above, while star center Evgeni Malkin has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury; the Russian sniper is not expected to be ready for tonight.  Other than those very significant injuries, Pittsburgh has a clean bill of health across the board.

Tomas Vokoun is expected to get the nod in nets from coach Bruce Boudreau for the second straight game, partially because of Michal Neuvirth's lower-body injury. Vokoun is 1-0-0 this year in his one start, in which he allowed five goals on 28 shots.  On the injury front, both Tom Poti and John Erskine are still out with groin and shoulder injuries, respectively, and are not expected to play.  DJ King will be a healthy scratch for Washington, well the second will likely be either Jay Beagle or Mathieu Perreault.

That's all for now.  Puck drops for this one 7:07-ish.

Practice: Oct. 12

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday for a practice following Tuesday's off day as they prepare for their primetime showdown with the Penguins Thursday night. Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Bruce Boudreau allowed a grand total of two games to try and get his top two lines to gel, as the head coach has already switched the right wings up.  Troy Brouwer and Mike Knuble swapped spots Wednesday, meaning Knuble was on the second line and Brouwer the first.  It's an interesting prospect and one that certainly could prove to be fruitful, but I don't think Knuble on the second line is maximizing his talent.

The other two lines remained the same from Monday night's win: Ward-Laich-Chimera and Perreault-Halpern-Hendricks.  DJ King took rushes with the third line as an extra forward, and Jay Beagle filled that role on the fourth line.  All seven defensemen were present and accounted for, including John Erskine, who is rehabbing a shoulder injury.

Michal Neuvirth was missing from practice, which meant  that PR director Sergey Kocharov was the second goalie with Tomas Vokoun.  Neuvirth has, according to coach Boudreau, a lower body injury, and it is not known at this time if the goaltender will travel to Pittsburgh.

The Caps will fly to Pittsburgh Wednesday afternoon before their game Thursday night, which is scheduled for 7 PM.

Thanks to Brian McNally for some info in this post.

Rapid Rewind: Third Line's the Charm

Find the link to my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Tampa Bay, Oct. 10

Mike Green winds up on his game-winner Saturday.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to Verizon Center Monday night as they try and build on their momentum following Saturday's season opening win over Carolina. The Capitals come into tonight's game tied for first in the Southeast Division with 2 points in 1 game, which also places them sixth in the Eastern Conference.  Tampa Bay, on the other hand, is also tied for first with two points in two games, which has them eighth in the Conference.  The Lightning are coming off a 4-1 beating at the hands of the Bruins on Saturday night in Boston. Tonight marks the first of six meetings this season between these two teams, and also the first time Washington has faced Tampa since they were swept out of the playoffs by the Bolts last May.

Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher will start Dwayne Roloson in goal, the ageless wonder's second start this year.  Rollie made 32 saves in his debut, a win over Carolina, and has a 1.00 GAA to go along with a .970 save percentage.  The Lightning are led offensively by Martin St. Louis, who has two goals and an assist in their two games so far, but his entire line is lethal; mighty mite is set up with Steven Stamkos and Steve Downie.  Boucher does not have any injuries to deal with this early in the season; his healthy scratches will be known later this morning.

Tomas Vokoun is expected to make his Capitals debut this evening in goal after surprisingly yielding to Michal Neuvirth for Saturday's opener.  Vokoun finished last year with a 22-28-5 record to go along with a 2.55 GAA, .922 save percentage and six shutouts for the Florida Panthers.  The Capitals are led offensively by Nicklas Backstrom, who has two assists on the young season. On the injury front, John Erskine and Tom Poti are both out with shoulder and groin injuries, respectively, and will not play.  Based on practice yesterday, I would guess that Marcus Johansson will return to the lineup to center the second line and that Mathieu Perreault will be a healthy scratch with DJ King; whether that is actually the case will be known after the morning skate.

Puck drops 7:08-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 9

The Washington Capitals were on ice Sunday morning at 11:30 AM for practice following last night's 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.  Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:
Every Capital on the roster skated today except for Roman Hamrlik, who was just taking a day off after leading the team in ice time yesterday.  The defenseman's availability for Monday night's game with Tampa is not expected to be in any jeopardy.
Bruce Boudreau's lines returned to normal a bit today, with Marcus Johansson back in between Troy Brouwer and Alexander Semin on the second line.  All other units from last night's win remained the same, which means that Mathieu Perreault was taking extra rushes on the fourth line.
Tomas Vokoun is still expected to start in goal tomorrow night.
That's all for now.  Follow me on Twitter here for all your needs heading in to tomorrow's game.

Rapid Rewind: Game Over

As I wrote to you all earlier in the summer, my game recaps will be exclusively on RockTheRed.net this year.  Read my first one here: Caps' Green Delivers Goods in Opening Win.

Updates From the Morning Skate

The Washington Capitals were on ice this morning at 10 AM at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they prepare for tonight's season opener with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Some updates from Arlington:

Marcus Johansson will be a healthy scratch tonight; he will be replaced in the second line center role by Mathieu Perreault, who will skate alongside Alex Semin and Troy Brouwer.  Jeff Halpern also did not skate because he is observing Yom Kiuppur; he will be in his regular fourth line role tonight with Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle.  The other lines were Ovcehkin-Backstrom-Knuble and Ward-Laich-Chimera.

Dennis Wideman did not skate, presumably because of a maintenance day, but is, for now, expected to suit up tonight with Jeff Schultz.  Both other defense pairings stayed the same from yesterday.

Michal Neuvirth was first off ice and will start the game as expected.

That's all for now.  Follow me on Twitter here for all your needs before, during, and after the game.

Gameday: vs. Carolina, Oct. 8

Leh go.

The Washington Capitals will begin another quest to bring it all home Saturday night, when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to the Verizon Center ice for their 2011-12 regular season opener.  The Capitals had another banner regular season last year, winning the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row and the Southeast Division for the fourth consecutive campaign with a 48-23-11 record, good for 107 points.  After winning their first round playoff series 4-1, the season came to a crashing halt when they were swept out in the second round of the postseason.  The Hurricanes, on the other hand, failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year and the fourth year out of five since their 2005-06 Stanley Cup win.  They were third in the Southeast and ninth in the East with a 40-31-11 record, good for 93 points.  Carolina was also beaten in their opener last night, falling to the Lightning by a 5-1 score.  Tonight's meeting is the first of six between the two teams this season.

For Carolina, bench boss Paul Maurice will give the nod in nets to stalwart Cam Ward, who has been the Hurricanes' franchise goalie for the last half decade. Ward was a workhorse last year, leading the league in starts, minutes, and saves while compiling a 37-26-10 record to go along with a 2.54 GAA, .923 save percentage, and four shutouts.  Carolina is led offensively by superstar captain Eric Staal and reigning Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner, as well as shiny new offseason acquisition Tomas Kaberle on the blue line.  The Hurricanes also have an interesting rookie, Zac Dalpe, who is a dark horse for some to win the Calder.

Washington coach Bruce Boudreau has surprised everyone by selecting Michal Neuvirth to be his goaltender for tonight's game over offseason prize Tomas Vokoun.  Neuvirth was very solid last year, posting a 27-12-4 record with a 2.45 GAA, .914 save percentage, and four shutouts, which led all rookie goaltenders. He is certainly capable of getting the job done, as he proved last season, but this is definitely a shock given Vokoun's reputation.  On the health front, the Capitals will be missing defensemen Tom Poti and John Erskine, who are on the mend with groin and shoulder ailments, respectively.  DJ King and Marcus Johansson will be the healthy scratches.

Puck drops 7:07-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Oct. 7

The Washington Capitals were on ice this morning at 10:30 AM at Kettler Capitals Icepleg as they prepare for Saturday night's season-opening tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Some notes from Arlington:

Dennis Wideman returned to practice after he missed yesterday's skate for a "maintenance day."  Wideman skated on a defensive pairing with Jeff Schultz, as expected.  The other defensive pairings were Roman Hamrlik with Mike Green and John Carlson with Karl Alzner.  John Erskine, who has still not been cleared for contact, rotated in during drills.
Alex Ovechkin is still not back from Russia while he attends to his family following the death of his uncle. As of now, the plan is still for him to return in time for tomorrow night's opener.
With Ovechkin absent, Marcus Johansson took his spot on the top line, skating on the left side with Mike Knuble and Nicklas Backstrom.  Mathieu Perreault, who was in that spot yesterday, centered the second line with Troy Brouwer and Alexander Semin.  The other lines remained unchanged from yesterday.
The one bit of shocking news out of Kettler this morning, however, is that Michal Neuvirth, and not Tomas Vokoun, will start tomorrow night's home opener.  I, um, yeah.

That's all for now.
Thanks to Sky Kerstein for info used in this post.

Practice: Oct. 6

The Washington Capitals were on ice this morning at 10:30 AM at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they prepare for their season opener Saturday night against the Hurricanes.  Some notes from Arlington:

Captain Alex Ovechkin is still in Russia attending to his family following the death of his uncle.  As of this writing, Ovechkin is expected to be back in the United States and ready for Saturday night's opener.
With Ovechkin absent, Mathieu Perreault took his spot on the top line alongside Mike Knuble and Nicklas Backstrom.  The other lines were Brouwer-Johansson-Semin, Chimera-Laich-Ward, and Hendricks-Halpern-Beagle.  DJ King, Keith Aucoin, and Kyle Greentree, none of which are expected to crack the lineup Saturday, also skated.
Dennis Wideman was not present for practice, having left practice early Wednesday before the bag skate, presumably to rest his leg.  It is not known if Wideman has had a recurrence of symptoms from his compartment syndrome, but Bruce Boudreau has insisted that he has six healthy defensemen, of which John Erskine is not one.  That would lead one to believe that Wideman is 100%, but it's a bit worrisome that he is not able to do any high energy exercises with opening night around the corner.
Jeff Schultz, who is Wideman's supposed partner on the blue line, skated with the still injured John Erskine, while John Carlson and Karl Alzner and Roman Hamrlik and Mike Green were the other defensive parings.

That's all for now.
Thanks to Sky Kerstein for some info in this post.

Capitals Make Final Cuts

Per a team release, the Washington Capitals have made their final cuts heading into Saturday's season opener with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Dimitry Orlov, Cody Eakin, and Mattias Sjogren have all been assigned to Hershey of the AHL.  This means that Mathieu Perreault and Jay Beagle have made the team.
Look for Beagle to open the season on the fourth line, and for Perreault to be a healthy scratch to start.

Ready to Roll

The Caps' power play has heated up a bit in the last 3 preseason games.

With a less than stellar preseason behind us, it's almost time for the real show to start.  In less than five days' time, your 2011-12 Washington Capitals will begin their season on the Verizon Center ice against the Carolina Hurricanes.  It's been a long, hot summer, and now we're right around the corner from it all beginning again.  And as usual, expectations are high in the District.  In fact, they were high before preseason.  But now that the preseason is over, and there are several things that I saw that bode well for DC.  Take a look after the jump.

Gameday: vs. Chicago, Oct. 2

The Caps won 4-3 the last time the two teams met in DC.

The Washington Capitals will play their final game of the 2011 preseason tonight when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to Verizon Center. Washington is 2-3-1 in the preseason, having won their last game against Columbus, while the Blackhawks are also 2-3-1, having lost their last game to the Penguins.  This is the final game for both teams this preseason, and the Capitals will open their regular season Saturday night in Verizon Center against the Carolina Hurricanes.

For Chicago, coach Joel Quenneville is expected to give the nod in goal to starter Corey Crawford after Ray Emery played on Friday.  The Blackhawks' bench boss is also likely to play most of his big guns for tonight's game, including Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.  Winger Patrick Sharp is out, however, having undergone an emergency appendectomy last month.

Bruce Boudreau will start Michal Neuvirth in goal, having given Tomas Vokoun the nod in Washington's win over Columbus.  Gabby is also expected to play most of his "A" lineup in the final preseason tuneup, including Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, and Nicklas Backstrom.  The Capitals currently only have one major injury, and that is to defenseman John Erskine, who has still not been cleared for contact following offseason shoulder surgery.

Puck drops 5:07-ish.