Hitler Reacts to Bruce Boudreau's Firing

For all you non history buffs out there, there is a German movie about World War II called "Der Untergang."  It means "The Downfall," and, as you can probably predict, chronicles Hitler's final days inside his Berlin bunker at the end of the War.
Long story short, there is a scene in the movie in which Hitler is informed by his head lieutenants that the city is doomed and will fall to Allied forces.  The Fuhrer, predictably, flies off the handle. This video has been spoofed many times with Hitler's rage falling on many things, such as the result of the 2011 Winter Classic (by PuckBuddys), the Montreal Canadiens trading Jaroslav Halak, and the Heat losing the NBA Finals this past year to the Mavericks.  Now, it's the Caps' turn. My dad found this one about the firing of Bruce Boudreau.  Have a watch.  A bit of NSFW language.

Very nicely done.

Editors note: this post and video is meant solely for entertainment purposes and is not in any way an endorsement of Nazi Germany or Adolf Hitler.  If you are offended by the video, please let me know.

Practice: Nov. 30

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday morning as they prepared for Thursday night's huge clash with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.  Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green was put through his paces by head strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish on the ice for about 30 minutes before the rest of his teammates took the ice for practice.  Despite the fact that he has now skated for four consecutive days, there is no timetable for his return to the lineup, even though he is "feeling better."  Sigh.
As for the actual practice, the lines remained the same as they were for Tuesday night's loss to the Blues: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Semin-Johansson-Eakin, Ward-Laich-Chimera, and Hendricks-Halpern-Knuble, with Mathieu Perreault taking rushes with the fourth line.  Why Mike Knuble continues to be banished to the fourth line on a regular basis despite his excellent play, even with a new coach, makes no sense to me.  Ho-hum.  On to the next one.

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

Capitals Name Jim Johnson Assistant Coach

Per a team release, the Washington Capitals have named Jim Johnson an assistaint coach, replacing Bob Woods. Johnson was the head coach of the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League in 2009-10, and had spent time as an assistaint coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning that same year.  He is expected to work with the defense and penalty kill, Woods' roles with the team.

Gameday: vs. St. Louis, Nov. 29

Welcome to the thunderdome.  Win or go home.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the St. Louis Blues to Verizon Center Tuesday night as they attempt to rebound from their poor November so far under brand new head coach Dale Hunter.  The Capitals enter tonight's game losers of two in a row with 12-9-1 record, which gives them 25 standings points.  Those 25 points are good for second in the Southeast Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.  The Blues, who made a head coaching change of their own earlier this season after a poor start, are now 13-8-2, are 7-2-1 in their last ten games, and have won three in a row under Ken Hitchcock.  They have 28 standings points, which places them third in the highly competitive Central Division and fifth in the Western Conference.  This is the one and only meeting between these two teams this season.

The Blues will start Jaroslav Halak in goal, leaving the NHL's best goalie in terms of winning percentage, save percentage, and goals against average (Brian Elliott) on the bench.  We all know why Halak is infamous to Caps fans, but on the year the Slovak netminder is 3-7-2 with a 2.57 GAA, .895 save percentage, and one shutout.  He made 25 saves his last time out, a 3-2 loss to the Kings on November 2nd.  St. Louis will be missing two of their top forwards for this game, as David Perron and Andy McDonald are both still out with concussions that have kept them from game action for a long period. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo will also be absent because of a hamstring injury, while fellow blueliner Kent Huskins is out with an ankle injury that required surgery earlier this season.

With a new man in charge, speculating on a starting goalie for the Capitals is pointless, though it seems that Tomas Vokoun will earn the nod.  Both goaltenders have been very poor over the last month.  Vokoun let in five goals on 28 shots in his last outing, a loss in Buffalo, while Michal Neuvirth allowed six goals on 33 shots in his last outing, a 6-3 loss to the Rangers inside Verizon Center.  Both have season GAAs above 2.8 and save percentages below .906, and it remains to be seen who Hunter will call upon to right the ship.  Mike Green, who skated Monday for the second time since getting hurt (again) on November 11th, is out, as is Jay Beagle, who has missed the last six weeks with a concussion.  John Erskine, who had missed the last week or so with a shoulder injury, will return to the lineup, meaning Jeff Schultz is scratched. Cody Eakin, who was the healthy scratch among the forwards last game, will return to the lineup in the place of Mathieu Perreault.

Puck drops for this one 7:08-ish.  Um, check back later.

Practice: Nov. 28

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday at 12 noon for a practice as they prepare for Tuesday night's game with the St. Louis Blues with newly minted head coach Dale Hunter. Some updates from a crazy Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green skated before any of his teammates for about thirty minutes in full pads.  There is no word on his availability for Tuesday's game, but it is likely in significant doubt.  There is no timetable on his return to game action, per General Manger George McPhee.
Every other Capitals player besides Jay Beagle was present for the skate; Beagle watched most of the practice in a jumpsuit from the bench.  There were no new lines to report, as Hunter spent most of the skate beginning to implement his new systems and such with a game coming up so quickly.

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

Capitals Fire Bruce Boudreau

Per a team release, the Washington Capitals have parted ways with head coach Bruce Boudreau.  Boudreau had been the head coach of the Capitals for just over four calendar years, winning over 68 percent of his regular season games to go along with four Southeast Division champsionships and a Presidents' Trophy. However, Boudreau failed to lead the Capitals to any postseason success, winning a total of 17 playoff games and blowing series leads of 3-1 and 2-0 during his tenure.

Dale Hunter, who had been coaching the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League, has been named his replacement.

Rapid Rewind: Blasted In Buffalo

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Buffalo, Nov. 26

Time to get back on that horse, boys...

The Washington Capitals are in Buffalo, New York, this evening to take on the Sabres as they look to rebound following their pathetic showing against the Rangers Friday night at Verizon Center. Washington enters tonight's contest with a 12-8-1 record, which gives them 25 standings points and places them second in the Southeast Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres, on the other hand, enter the game at 12-9-1, also with 25 points. Their 25 points have them third in the Northeast Division and ninth in the Conference.  Buffalo has lost three in a row, coming off a 5-1 waxing at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.  This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season.

Lindy Ruff is likely to call on regular backup Jhonas Enroth to start tonight because all-world starter Ryan Miller is out with a concussion.  Enroth has carried the mail for Ruff recently, playing almost every minute since Miller went down two weeks ago, and has a 7-3-1 record on the year with 2.40 GAA, .922 save percentage, and one shutout.  Buffalo also has a multitude of injuries to deal with besides Miller.  Defenseman Tyler Myers and winger Tyler Ennis are both out with long-term injuries, while winger Brad Boyes, tough guy Patrick Kaleta, and defenseman Robyn Regehr are all questionable with minor injuries that have caused them to miss time over the last week.

Tomas Vokoun will start for Washington tonight following Michal Neuvirth's poor performance against the Rangers on Friday night.  Vokoun made 22 saves in his last start, a 4-3 win over Winnipeg on Wednesday, and on the year he owns a 2.66 GAA, .910 save percentage, and a shutout to go along with a 10-4-0 record. The Caps need him to have a huge game and right the ship following their flat game on Friday.  On the injury front, the Caps are without Mike Green (groin) and Jay Beagle (face/head), while John Erskine is questionable with a shoulder injury. Cody Eakin will be the healthy scratch, allowing Mathieu Perreault a chance to re-enter the lineup and make some noise.

Puck drops for this one 7:09-ish.  Check back later.  Roll tide.

Video: The Baby Penguins Can't Handle Holtby

Check out this video of Braden Holtby's great celebrations from last night's Hershey Bears/Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins game.  Spoiler alert: the Penguins didnt like it, and the Bears won the game.

Holtby was assessed a misconduct penalty for his awesome cellie.  Typical Penguins organization baloney.

Credit to Ian Oland and Kyle Mace of Sweetest Hockey on Earth for the video.

Rapid Rewind: Rude Awakening

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. NY Rangers, Nov. 25

Coming off his best game of the year, can Sasha keep it up?

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Rangers to Verizon Center Friday afternoon as they look to continue momentum picked up from their two wins this week.  The Caps enter tonight's game 12-7-1, which gives them 25 standings points and places them second in the Southeast Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.  Washington won their last game 4-3 in overtime over the Jets on Wednesday night.  The Rangers, who have been one of the league's best teams after a poor start, are 10-5-3 on the year for 23 standings points which has them third in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Conference. The Blueshirts have won seven of their last 10 games, but fell to the Panthers 2-1 on Wednesday.  This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season.

John Tortorella will go with his rock, Henrik Lundqvist, in nets for the second consecutive game.  Lundqvist, consistently among the league's best in every single goaltending category, made 36 saves in a 2-1 losing effort on Tuesday and has his usual outstanding peripherals as well: the Swede has a 7-4-3 record, 2.12 GAA, .935 save percentage and a shutout to his name this season.  The Rangers will be without several key players for today's game.  Defenseman Marc Staal has yet to play a game this season with a concussion that he suffered last year on a hit from brother Eric, while winger Wojtek Wolski has a sports hernia and center Mike Rupp has a bum knee.  All of New Yorks' big guns, however, including shiny new acquisition Brad Richards and newly minted captain Ryan Callahan, are healthy and will play.

Tomas Vokoun is expected to start in goal for Bruce Boudreau following his win on Wednesday, in which he made 22 saves.  Vokoun has started three consecutive games for the Caps and on the year he owns a 2.66 GAA, .910 save percentage, and a shutout to go along with a 10-4-0 record.  On the injury front, Mike Green (groin) and Jay Beagle (face/concussion) are both out with long-term injuries and are not even skating at the moment.  John Erskine is considered questionable with a shoulder injury, but even if he is healthy, it seems unlikely that he would crack the lineup with how well Dmitry Orlov has been playing well in his stead.  The healthy scratch among the forward corps is anyone's guess, as Joel Ward is likely to re-enter the lineup after being benched Wednesday for missing a meeting.

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

Rapid Rewind: Chimera Does It Again

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Winnipeg, Nov. 23

"No, Sasha, shots vodka got you benched."

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Verizon Center Wednesday night for a Thanksgiving eve contest as they attempt to build a winning streak after their 4-3 win over the Coyotes on Monday.  The Caps enter tonight's contest 11-7-1 for 23 points, which places them second in the Eastern Conference and eighth in the Eastern Conference.  Winnipeg, on the other hand, are 8-9-3 for 19 points, and have won three games in a row including a 6-4 defeat of the Flyers on Saturday night.  The Jets' 19 points have them fourth in the Southeast and twelfth in the East.  This is the second of six meetings between these two teams this season; the Jets lead the series 1-0 after smoking the Caps 4-1 inside MTS Centre last week.

Ondrej Pavelec will earn the start in goal for head coach Claude Noel.  Pavelec's overall numbers this season look supbar at 7-7-3 with a 3.17 GAA and .898 save percentage, but Pavelec is certified Cap killer, shutting them out twice last year and already owning a 31 save masterpiece in last week's game.  Washington's sputtering offense has a tough task ahead.  The Jets are missing their second-best defenseman in puck mover and power play quarterback Tobias Enstrom, but are otherwise fully healthy for this important Divisonal clash.

Following his win over Phoenix on Monday, Tomas Vokoun seems the logical goaltender for Bruce Boudreau to go with for tonight's game.  Vokoun has played his way to a 9-4-0 record this season, along with a 2.64 GAA and .912 save percentage; he made 20 saves in that 4-3 win over the Coyotes.  On the injury front, Mike Green (knee/groin) and John Erskine (shoulder) are both out, which means that Dmitry Orlov will remain in the lineup.  The healthy scratch among the forward corps will be Joel Ward, as he slept in and missed a team meeting earlier in the week.  A weird guy to be on the chopping block.

That's all for now.  Check back later.

Practice: Nov. 22

The Washington Capitals were on ice Tuesday morning for a practice coming off their 4-3 win over the Coyotes on Monday night.  Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex as DC prepares to take on Winnipeg Wednesday night:

Today was a very optional skate, with several of the Caps' regulars missing out.  The only players that skated were Alexander Semin, Tomas Vokoun, Michal Neuvirth, John Carlson, Mathieu Perreault, Jeff Schultz, Cody Eakin, John Erskine, and Dmitry Orlov.
Alexander Semin, who was a healthy scratch for Monday night's win, was testy after practice and did not want to speak extensively with the media.  Bruce Boudreau indicated that he has not decided what the lineup will look like Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Jets.

That's all for now.  Check back later.

Practice: Nov. 20

The Washington Capitals were on ice Sunday afternoon at 12:30 for a practice following their 7-1 hammering at the hands of the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.  Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Bruce Boudreau: taking blowtorches to lines since 2007.  The Caps' coach debuted more fancy trios at the skate: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Chimera-Laich-Knuble, Eakin-Johansson-Ward, and Hendricks-Perreault-Halpern-Semin.  Yes, you read that right.  Alexander Semin, on the fourth line.

The recently recalled Dmitry Orlov took part in practice as well, rotating in with Jeff Schultz on a pairing with Karl Alzner.  Roman Hamrlik was paired with Dennis Wideman and John Carlson with John Erskine.  Okay then.

Mike Green was absent from practice again and is clearly nowhere near being healthy enough to play in a game again.  Man, that stinks.

That's all for now.  Check back later for a game preview of Monday's tilt with the surging Coyotes.

Gameday: at Toronto, Nov. 19

Time to start winning again...

The Washington Capitals are in Toronto, Ontario, this evening to take on the Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada.  The Capitals, losers of three straight, enter tonight's game at 10-6-1 for 21 points following their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.  Those 21 points place the Capitals first in the Southeastern Conference and third in the East; however they are only third in the East because of their Division standing and there are several teams below them in the standings with more points.  The Maple Leafs, who, like the Caps, got off to a hot start but have slowed down since, come into tonight at 10-7-2 for 22 points. Those 22 points place them second in the Northeast Division and sixth in the East coming off a 4-1 loss to Nashville Thursday.  This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season.

Rookie Ben Scrivens is likely to earn the nod from Toronto coach Ron Wilson for the eighth game in a row as regular starter James Reimer is out with a concussion.  Scrivens is 2-3-1 on the year with a 2.95 GAA and .899 save percentage, and made 18 stops on 21 shots in his last outing, that 4-1 loss to the Predators.  Toronto's forward corps is decimated by injuries at the moment, and Wilson will be without Mikhail Grabovski (leg), Clarke MacArthur (upper body), and Matthew Lombardi (hand) for tonight's game.  Pylon Defenseman Mike Komisarek will also be missing from the lineup with an upper body injury.

Tomas Vokoun will be called upon to right the ship for Bruce Boudreau's men following Thursday night's atrocity from Michal Neuvirth.  Vokoun is 8-3 on the year with 2.36 GAA, .922 save percentage, and one shutout.  He made 28 saves in his last outing, a 3-1 loss to Nashville on Tuesday.  On the injury front, the Caps are still without Mike Green, who has a pulled right groin injury and has still not even skated since getting hurt last Saturday.  Mathieu Perreault seems likely to be the healthy scratch once more, though Jeff Halpern or Matt Hendricks could also get sat.

Puck drops around 7:11 because of Canada and their second national anthem and because Don Cherry will probably light the set on fire with his suit.

A Waste of Talent

I've been silent for the most part over the past week as I dig through a mile of schoolwork and other commitments in the final moments before Thanksgiving break at school.  No postgame writings, so I haven't had a chance to discuss the Caps after every night like I normally do.  So here it goes: Caps hockey analysis, comin' in hot!

Man, what is wrong with this team?  The Capitals started the year on fire, winners of seven consecutive games out of the gates.  They had everyone talking for the right reasons: Tomas Vokoun was being a rock, the offense had, for the most part, returned, and DC was also managing to play some sound defense.  They were a complete hockey team, or at least it appeared so.
Since then, however, your Washington Capitals have looked disoriented and just downright bad at times, compiling a 3-6-1 record since their 7-0 start.  This came to a head Thursday night in Winnipeg when the Capitals suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Jets, who are and will continue to be one of the worst teams in the league.
Mike Green's absence hurts and there is no doubt about that.  Green is one of the Caps' best players and their best defenseman; not having him in the lineup is a tough hole to plug.  But it's not an excuse.  The Capitals want to be considered a team of champions, and champions don't let injuries get to their team.  Champions man up and go out and win without that star.  Like the Penguins are doing.
Alex Ovechkin - (expletive).  You're the captain of this team and you are the highest paid player in the league, as you will continue to be for the next nine years.  Play like it.  14 points in 17 games is not where you need to be.  Adapt your game, and stop cutting to the middle on the rush.  It hasn't worked for the last year, it's not going to magically start working again just because Russian machine says so.  And play defense.

Gameday: at Winnipeg, Nov. 17

Oh, hey, those uniforms are different!

The Washington Capitals will be in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Thursday night as they attempt to shake their two game losing streak against the newly minted Jets.  The Capitals enter tonight's action 10-5-1, which gives them 21 standings points coming off a 3-1 loss to the Predators on Tuesday.  With those 21 points, the Caps lead the Southeast Division based only on winning percentage, and are third in the Eastern Conference solely because of the fact that they are winning the Division.  Winnipeg comes into tonight's game at 6-9-3 for 15 standings points following a 5-2 trouncing of the Lightning on Monday night.  The Jets stand last in the Southeast and fourteenth in the Conference with those 15 points.  This will be the first of six meetings between these two teams this season.

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to get the call in nets from Claude Noel, his eleventh consecutive start.  Pavelec has struggled so far for Winnipeg to the tune of a 5-7-3 record, 3.26 GAA, and .895 save percentage, though he does have a shutout this year.  Pavelec also dominated the Caps last year, shutting them out twice, and is sure to be a tough test despite his subpar numbers so far on the campaign. The Jets will be without star puck-moving defenseman Tobias Enstrom (shoulder) and former Cap Eric Fehr (shoulder) in terms of injuries, and have yet to field their full lineup so far this year.

Michal Neuvirth will get the tap on the pads from Bruce Boudreau for the first time since last Saturday.  On the year Neuvy is 2-2-1 with a 3.14 GAA and .891 save percentage, and made 17 saves in his last outing, a 3-2 shootout loss to New Jersey.  On the injury front, Mike Green is still out with a right groin strain and is not even on the trip; in fact, Green has not skated since he injured himself last week.  Here we go again.  Mathieu Perreault should be the healthy scratch for Washington for the second game in a row.

Puck drops for this one 8:07-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Nov. 16

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday in Nashville as they prepare to take on the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night north of the border.  Some notes from Bridgestone Arena:

Mike Green has not yet joined the Caps on their trip as there was some hope that he may.  That almost surely rules him out for Thursday's game in Winnipeg as the defenseman works his way back from a strained right groin.
In terms of line combinations, Bruce Boudreau pretty much stuck with what he used during most of Tuesday's poor showing in Nashville.  The lines were: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Chimera-Laich-Semin, Eakin-Johansson-Ward, and Hendricks-Ward-Knuble-Perreault.

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

Gameday: at Nashville, Nov. 15

"You see, we heff to score goals, more...win games."

The Washington Capitals will be in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday night to take on the Predators as they attempt to rebound from their shootout loss at the hands of the Devils on Saturday night. The Capitals enter tonight's contest with a 10-4-1 record, which gives them 21 standings points in 15 games.  Those 21 points place the Caps first in the Southeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference.  Nashville comes into the game at 8-5-3 for 19 points following an overtimes loss to the Canadiens on Saturday.  Those 19 points have them third in the Central Division and eighth in the Western Conference.  This is the first of two meetings between these two teams this season.

Barry Trotz will go with star Pekka Rinne in goal, the Finnish backstop's third consecutive start in the Nashville cage.  Rinne has started all but one game for the Predators his year, compiling an 8-4-3 record to go along with a stellar 2.28 GAA, .929 save percentage, and three shutouts.  Fresh of signing a new seven-year, $49 million dollar contract, the Vezina Trophy finalist is out to prove that he is one of the league's best.  Center David Legwand, Nashville's leading scorer, is out with an upper body injury and will not play, but other than that Trotz's men are fully healthy and ready to go.

Tomas Vokoun seems likely to get the call in goal from Bruce Boudreau following Michal Neuvirth's loss on Saturday night.  Vokoun is 8-2 on the year with a 2.39 GAA, .921 save percentage, and one shutout, and he made 32 saves in his last start, a 3-1 win over the Devils.  On the injury front, Mike Green is not with the team because of a right leg injury that he suffered against the Devils on Friday. John Erskine, who missed Saturday night's game and forced Brooks Laich to play defense, is likely to return, which means that Mathieu Perreault is the likely healthy scratch in the forward corps.

Puck drops 8:07-ish.  Check back later.

Practice: Nov. 14

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning as they prepare for a Tuesday night showdown with the Predators in Nashville. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green did not skate because of another injury to his right leg that he suffered Friday night in New Jersey.  Green is listed as day-to-day for now, and will not be with the Caps for the start of their upcoming three game road trip.  The defenseman could, however, join the team before their games in Winnipeg or Toronto and play then. Man is made of glass.

As per usual, Bruce Boudreau blew up his lines following Saturday night's shootout loss.  The combinations were as follows: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer, Chimera-Laich-Semin, Eakin-Johansson-Ward, and Hendricks-Perreault-Halpern-Knuble.  Presented without comment.

Roman Hamrlik, who suffered an upper body injury over the weekend, said that he is feeling better and hopes that he will be ready to go against Nashville Tuesday.

That's all for now.

Information from Sky Kerstein was used in this post.

Gameday: vs. New Jersey, Nov. 12

Can the Caps sweep their back to back?

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New Jersey Devils to Verizon Center this evening for the second half of a home-and-home as they try and build on their win last night.  The Capitals enter the action tonight with a 10-4 record, which gives them 20 standings points coming off that 3-1 victory over New Jersey.  Those 20 points place DC first in the Southeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference.  The Devils come in 7-6-1 for 15 points, which places them fourth in the Atlantic Division and ninth in the East. This is the second of four meetings between these two teams this season.

The Devils are likely to start backup Johan Hedberg, as head coach Peter DeBoer indicated that this would be the plan since midweek.  Hedberg, the de jure backup, has put up de facto starter numbers this year when he has played, compiling a 5-3-1 record, 2.34 GAA, .920 save percentage, and one shutout.  The Devils will be without two of their top forwards for tonight's contest, as top center Travis Zajac has missed all year with an achilles injury and left winger Ilya Kovalchuk has an unspecified leg injury that has kept him out the last week. Other than that, DeBoer is expected to keep the same lineup that he rolled with last night.

Tomas Vokoun seems the likely choice to man the cage for Bruce Boudreau's men after his stellar 32 save performance Friday night.  Vokoun is 8-2 on the year with a 2.39 GAA, .921 save percentage, and one shutout.  On the injury front, Mike Green is out after suffering another injury to his right leg on Friday night; Jeff Schulz will replace him in the lineup.  Other than that switch, the Caps are expected to keep the same lineup, which means that Mathieu Perreault will be a healthy scratch and Alexander Semin, despite coming under heavy fire last night after being benched in the second period, will retain his place.  Shocker.  (Kidding).

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

Gameday: at New Jersey, Nov. 11

Crash the net! Work hard! Aaaaand, again!

The Washington Capitals are in Newark, New Jersey, Friday evening to take on the Devils as they attempt to get back on track following two straight losses, including an especially discouraging effort at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.  The Caps come into Friday's action with a 9-4-0 record, which gives them 18 standings points and places them first in the Southeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference.  New Jersey, on the other hand, is 7-5-1 for 15 points and have won three in a row, including a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Those 15 points put the Devils fourth in the Atlantic Division and ninth in the East.  This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season.

Devils coach Peter DeBoer is likely to go with the legendary Martin Brodeur in goal, his third consecutive start for New Jersey.  Marty has struggled this season with injuries and inconsistency but made 21 saves on 23 shots in his last outing and has won two straight starts.  Overall, he has a 2-2-0 record with a 3.00 GAA and .885 save percentage.  New Jersey may be missing star winger Ilya Kovalchuk for the game, as he has missed the last two contests with a leg injury. Top line center Travis Zajac, who has missed the entire year with an achilles injury, is on injured reserve and will not play.

Tomas Vokoun is expected to get the call from Bruce Boudreau following Michal Neuvirth allowing five goals on Tuesday.  Vokoun has a 7-2-0 record on the year to go along with a 2.54 GAA and .915 save percentage and a shutout, but has been decidedly poor recently, allowing 11 goals in his last seven periods of play following his tremendous start.  On the injury front, Mike Green is considered questionable because of a right ankle injury that he suffered almost three weeks ago, but there is optimism that he will be able to play.  If he can, look for John Erskine to take a seat in his favor.  Up front, the healthy scratch is anyone's guess, as Matt Hendricks, Mathieu Perreault, and Cody Eakin all seem to have a chance at getting a seat in the press box.

Puck drops for this one 7:08-ish.

Practice: Nov. 10

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Thursday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they prepare to meet the Devils in Newark Friday night.  Some updates from Arlington:

Marcus Johansson took a maintenance day, so the Caps trot out some shiny new lines.  They were as follows: Ovechkin-Perreault-Brouwer, Semin-Backstrom-Laich, Chimera-Eakin-Ward, and Hendricks-Halpern-Knuble.
Once again, Mike Green participated fully in practice.  His status for Friday's game is not known at this point, though both he and Bruce Boudreau were optimistic that he would play.

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

Practice: Nov. 9 - AGAIN!

The Washington Capitals were on ice for an intense practice bag skate Wednesday following their pathetic showing against the Dallas Stars Tuesday night.  Some notes from Arlington:

The team participated in about 90 minutes worth of suicides, one-on-one battle drills, group conditioning, and overall Miracle-ish drills that left the entire team, shall we say, gassed.  Think Bruce Boudreau was trying to send a message?
All 22 Caps on the active roster were on the ice, including Mike Green, as the defenseman continues to work his way back from an ankle injury.

Rapid Rewind: Seeing Stars

Ew.

Check out the recap on RtR by both myself and my esteemed colleague Andy Green here.

Gameday: vs. Dallas, Nov. 8

Nicklas Backstrom has been great so far this year.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Dallas Stars to Verizon Center Tuesday night as they attempt to rebound from their disappointing loss to the Islanders on Saturday night. The Caps come into tonight's game with a 9-3-0 record for 18 standings points, which leads the Southeast Division and is third in the Eastern Conference.  Washington does hold games in hand on both teams above them in the standings, Toronto and Pittsburgh, however.  Dallas, predicted by many to be a borderline playoff club, have started the season tremendously, with a 10-3-0 record for 20 points, coming off a 5-2 spanking of the Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon.  Those 20 points lead the Pacific Division and the Western Conference, and are second only to Pittsburgh's 21 in the entire NHL.  This is the one and only meeting between these two teams this season.

Dallas bench boss Glen Gulutzan is likely to go with his starter, Kari Lehtonen, in goal for the fifth consecutive game.  Lehtonen made 30 saves in that 5-2 win over the Hurricanes during his last outing and has been excellent all year, posting a 10-1-0 record to go along with a 2.14 GAA and .936 save percentage.  The Stars are likely to be without enforcer and also good hockey player Steve Ott for tonight's game, as he has a hip injury that has forced him to miss Dallas' last two contests.  Other than that, the Stars are fully healthy and wield a dangerous offensive lineup.

Michal Neuvirth seems the favorite to start tonight's contest following Tomas Vokoun's awful game against the Islanders on Saturday.  Neuvirth played well on Friday of last week during his first game in almost a month, stopping 24 of the 25 shots he saw in a 5-1 drubbing of Carolina.  On the year, the sophomore Czech goaltender is 2-1-0 with a 2.96 GAA and .902 save percentage.  Mike Green is not going to play with his right ankle injury; the defenseman has missed the last five games and John Erskine will remain in the lineup in his stead.  Mathieu Perreault will be the healthy scratch after playing (rather poorly) in Saturday on Long Island.  DJ King will also be a healthy scratch.  Whoops, he's in Hershey.

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

Practice: Nov. 7

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning after a day off Sunday as they prepare to try and bounce back from a loss Saturday with a home date with the surging Dallas Stars Tuesday.  Some notes from Arlington:

Mike Green practiced fully with his teammates for the first time in over two weeks, rotating in with the other six defensemen on the roster during drills.  Per Bruce Boudreau, the defenseman is still "day to day." There was no announcement involving his ability to play Tuesday, but his participation in a full practice is certainly a good sign.
With DJ King's assignment to Hershey, the Caps debuted some new practice lines.  The top line reverted to it's normal Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer and the third line remained the same at Ward-Laich-Chimera.  The second like, however, had Cody Eakin on it along with Marcus Johansson and Alexander Semin despite Eakin's benching on Saturday, while the fourth line was Hendricks-Halpern-Perreault-Knuble, leaving no obvious healthy scratch for the first time in, like, ever.  Depth is a good thing.

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

Gameday: at NY Islanders, Nov. 5

The Islanders always, always, play the Caps tight.

The Washington Capitals are in Uniondale, New York, this evening to take on the Islanders as they attempt to build on their two game winning streak.  The Caps come into tonight's game with a 9-2 record, which gives them 18 standings points coming off their 5-1 spanking of the Hurricanes Friday night.  Those 18 points lead the Southeast Division and place the Caps third in the Eastern Conference, though the Caps hold multiple games in hand on both teams in front of them, Toronto and Pittsburgh.  New York, on the other hand, is on the other end of the spectrum, coming into the game with a 3-5-2 record for eight standings points coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Jets Thursday night.  Those eight points place the Isles last in the Atlantic Division and tied for last in the East with Boston.  This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season.

Islanders coach Jack Capuano will go with Rick DiPietro in goal for the third consecutive contest.  New York's 15 year man is winless on the year with a 0-1-2 record and has compiled a 2.50 GAA and .909 save percentage in his three starts.  Nevertheless, we all know how talented DP is and he has the ability to steal a game.  Up front, the Islanders are without top prospect Nino Niederreiter, who has a groin injury and has missed the whole season up to this point.  Outside of el Nino, however, New York is fully healthy.

Tomas Vokoun is exepcted to get the call from Bruce Boudreau after he yielded Friday night's start to Michal Neuvirth.  Vokoun has struggled recently, allowing three or more goals in his last two starts, but still has awesome numbers on the campaign: a 7-1-0 record, 2.36 GAA, and .920 save percentage to go along with one shutout.  On the injury front, Mike Green is still questionable with his right ankle injury that has caused him to miss the last two weeks, while Jay Beagle is still out with a concussion and will not play.  Mathieu Perreault, who was scratched last night in favor of Cody Eakin, will return to the lineup in place of the latter despite Eakin's first NHL goal on Friday night.  Per usual, DJ King will join Eakin as a healthy scratch.

Puck drops for this one 7:07-ish.

Rapid Rewind: Category Five (to One)

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Carolina, Nov. 4

Wil Mike Neuvirth make his return tonight?

The Washington Capitals are in Raleigh, North Carolina, tonight to take on the Hurricanes as they attempt to gain some momentum following their 5-4 comeback win over the Ducks Tuesday night.  Washington comes into tonight's contest with a 8-2-0 record, good for 16 standings points.  Those 16 points lead the Southeast Division and place the Caps third in the East, though both Pittsburgh and Toronto hold multiple games in hand above them.  Carolina enters the action tonight 5-4-3 for 13 points, following their 4-2 win over the Lightning Tuesday night.  Their 13 points put them in third in the Southeast and seventh in the East.  This is the second of six meetings between these two teams this season; the Caps lead the season series 1-0.

Hurricanes boss Paul Maurice will call on his stalwart, Cam Ward, in goal for the second consecutive game.  After getting off to a poor start, Ward has been tremendous over his last eight outings, and has a 5-2-2 record to go along with a 2.30 GAA, .929 save percentage, and one shutout.  Up front, the Hurricanes will be without top line winger Jussi Jokinen, who suffered a leg injury Tuesday against the Lightning and will be out 3-4 weeks, but otherwise are expected to field their full lineup.

Michal Neuvirth is expected to get the call in goal for his first start in almost a month tonight following Tomas Vokoun's poor showing Tuesday against the Ducks.  On the year, Neuvirth has a 1-1-0 record along with a 4.10 GAA and .877 save percentage; he allowed four goals on 26 shots during a relief appearance in Vancouver last weekend.  On the injury front, Troy Brouwer and Mike Green are both questionable with shoulder and ankle injuries, respectively.  Jeff Halpern is slated to return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch in Washington's last game, and that spot would be opened if Brouwer sits.  If Brouwer plays, it remains to be seen who would sit to accommodate Halpern.

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

Practice: Nov. 3

The Washington Capitals were on ice Thursday morning for a practice as they prepare to meet the Carolina Hurricanes Friday night in Raleigh. Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green skated for about 35 minutes in full pads.  The defenseman worked for about 20 minutes by himself prior to the start of practice and then stayed on ice with his teammates for 15 minutes, but then left for the locker room.  Again, at least he's skating.  I don't see him playing this weekend barring a miracle, but he will go on the trip.
Troy Brouwer was also absent for the second consecutive practice, clouding his status for the next two games, but will go on the trip.  Alexander Semin jumped up to the top line, while Bruce Boudreau again took a blowtorch to two of his bottom three units.  The third line of Ward-Laich-Chimera went untouched, but Boudreau put Eakin-Johansson-Perreault and Hendricks-Halpern-Knuble out there.  DJ King took rushes on the third line as an extra forward.
Jay Beagle also announced he will return to skating tomorrow and that a return is not far off.

That's all for now.  Check back later for a game preview.
Information from Ben Raby was used in this post.

Practice: Nov. 2

The Washington Capitals were on ice for practice Wednesday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex following their thrilling 5-4 comeback win over the Ducks on Tuesday night.  Some updates from Kettler:

Mike Green started the day skating with his teammates in full pads, but left after a short time and watched the remainder of practice from the bench with his pads off.  Green has not played in the last three games because of a right ankle injury he suffered October 22 against Detroit. Hey, at least he's skating.
Troy Brouwer did not partake in practice at all after taking a hard fall late in Tuesday's win and presumably injuring his right shoulder, the same one that required offseason surgery this past summer.  His absence, however, was classified as a "maintenance day."
Joel Ward took Brouwer's spot on the top line with Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin.  The other lines were as follows: Eakin-Johansson-Semin, Chimera-Laich-Knuble, and Perreault-Halpern-Hendricks, with DJ King taking extra line rushes with the final unit.
Information from Sky Kerstein was used in this post.

Video: USA Prime Credit Strikes Again

In case you've been living under a rock for the last year, Discover Card has been running an excellent advertising campaign involving "Peggy" and an incompetent credit card company called "USA Prime Credit," which seems to be located somewhere in Siberia.
Discover has recently come out with two new commercials, both fantastic, featuring the stars of the last two Stanley Cup Finals.
First, we have Tim Thomas:

Aaaand then, Patrick Kane.

Utter hilarity. My only question: why wasn't Kane's the one filmed in a cab?

Rapid Rewind: Pot Roast

Read my RtR game recap here.

An Interview With Trinity Head Coach Matt Greason

Last month I had the chance to interview the new head coach of the Trinity College Men's Ice Hockey team, Matthew Greason.  Coach Greason has been working with the United States National Development Program for the last two years, coaching players such as Jack Campbell (11th overall in 2010), Jarred Tinordi (22nd overall in 2010), Rocco Grimaldi (33rd overall in 2011), and Jacob Trouba, a highly touted defenseman who the Capitals could pick if they receive a top ten selection in this year's Draft via the Avalanche.  Providing, of course, that Colorado plays poorly enough to warrant such a position in the draft.
Check out the interview below.

Capitals Recall Cody Eakin

Per a team release, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Cody Eakin from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League this morning.
Eakin, 20, was Washington's third round selection, 85th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and has three goals and five assists in ten games for the Bears so far this season.  He will participate in today's morning skate.

Gameday: vs. Anaheim, Nov. 1

The Caps won a wild one the last team these two teams met.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Anaheim Ducks to Verizon Center Tuesday night as they attempt to get back to their winning ways following their poor showing in two games north of the border last week.  The Capitals come into tonight's contest with a 7-2-0 record, having lost their lost two games, for a total of 14 standings points.  Those 14 points lead the Southeast Division and place the Caps third in the Eastern Conference.  The Ducks, meanwhile, enter the action Tuesday night with a 5-5-1 record, which gives them 11 points coming off their 3-1 loss to Columbus on Sunday night.  Their 11 points stand last in the Pacific Division and eleventh in the Western Conference.  This is the one and only meeting between these two teams this year.

Jonas Hiller will get the start in the Ahaheim net after yielding his last start to Dan Ellis on Sunday in Columbus.  Hiller, coming off a season-ending concussion last year, has a 4-4-1 record so far this season, accompanied by a 2.55 GAA and .904 save percentage.  The Ducks are fueled offensively by their big line of defending Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan, while ageless wonder Teemu Selanne leads Anaheim in scoring with three goals and ten points in 11 games.  The visitors will be missing left winger Jason Blake because of surgery to repair sliced tendons in his hand, but otherwise have a clean bill of health across the board.

Bruce Boudreau has selected Tomas Vokoun to be his starter despite his poor showing in Vancouver on Saturday.  Vokoun has a 6-1-0 record on the year in eight starts with a 2.15 GAA and .932 save percentage to go along with one shutout.  On the injury front, Mike Green will not be ready for tonight's game because of a sprained right ankle he suffered ten days ago against the Red Wings.  As such, John Erskine, who has missed every game so far this year because of offseason shoulder surgery, will make his season debut for Washington tonight in Green's stead.  Cody Eakin will also make his season debut in the place of Jeff Halpern, though it is not clear why the veteran center is taking a seat.  The recently waived DJ King, providing he is not claimed by another team by noon today, will be the healthy scratch.

Puck drops 7:37-ish.  Check back later.