Report Card: Matt Hendricks

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is forward Matt Hendricks, who finished his third season as a member of the Washington organization, but his ninth professional season overall, on this past campaign.

Season Summary: Hendricks played in 78 games this year, compiling four goals, five assists, a minus-six rating, and 95 penalty minutes.  As can be expected for a defensive forward like him, he went through long scoring droughts, but in general, Hendricks did what he always does: skate hard, hit people hard, be responsible, drop the gloves every once in a while, and chip in with the occasional goal.  Also of note are his ridiculous shootout moves, which helped the Capitals make the playoffs because of winning games in the skills competition.  His puck possession was rather poor at -5.72, but that is to be expected to me when you are a forechecker and shot blocker like Hendricks.  He did all of this while facing the tenth-hardest competition among Capitals forwards. Grade: B-
Role Play: While the roles of the Caps' "young guns" decreased under Dale Hunter, it was the "wagons" like Hendricks who were thrust in to the spotlight as players to lock down games, block shots, and play a hard 18 minutes a night to grind out wins.  Hendricks's role expanded into the latter, and he met the challenge admirably, proving that he can be a viable bottom six forward in the NHL that is more than just a pair of fists; similar to Shawn Thornton.  One thing that was predictable but still disappointing was his decrease in points from 25 to 9, but with the defensive improvement he encountered, it's not fair to pick too many nits. Grade: B

Report Card: Dmitry Orlov

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who finished his second season in the Washington organization on this past campaign.

Season Summary: After beginning the year in Hershey, Orlov was recalled in late November to try and jump-start a stagnant Washington defensive corps.  He responded well, recording four points in his first nine games and making opposing players respect his huge shot.  Orlov was rather consistent with his offensive production, but hit a wall in the middle of the season before finishing very strong with 7 points in his final 14 games.  He was benched in mid-March for a defensive gaffe in Chicago, but returned in late March and finished the year in skates.  All told, the young Russian played in 60 games with 3 goals, 16 assists, a plus-one rating, and 18 penalty minutes.  His corsi rating of -0.39 was the third-best among all Washington defensemen, but he did it against the weakest competition on the Capitals' roster and some of the weakest competition across the entire NHL for defensemen who suited up in more than 40 games. Grade: B
Role Play: As I mentioned above, Orlov was brought to Washington to be an offensive sparkplug, and he did that just fine, showing why he has been one of the Caps' most highly-touted prospects since he was drafted.  He has his low points, like being torched by Viktor Stalberg in Chicago and losing coverage occasionally, but that's to be expected from someone who, as of this writing, cannot drink the United States (legally, at least).  No one expected Orlov to be a stud this year, and 19 points, a plus rating, and limited mistakes are not something to gripe about for a prospect in his first NHL season. Grade: B+

Report Card: Michal Neuvirth

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who finished his fourth season in the Washington organization on this past campaign.

Season Summary: Ouch.  After starting opening night against Carolina and picking up a win, Neuvirth got hurt soon after taking warmups and did not play again until late October, at which point he was decidedly poor.  He seemingly turned a corner around Christmas when he was given five straight starts, but in the Caps' first game after the holidays in Buffalo he had the worst start of his career, allowing three goals on six shots in just over 11 minutes.  Down the stretch, Neuvirth improved slightly, but was also very bad for stretches, such as a string in mid-March where he gave up four or more goals in five of seven appearances.  Despite all of this, however, he was in line to start in the playoffs because of an injury to Tomas Vokoun before he himself fell victim to a hip flexor strain on April 5th against the Panthers.  Overall, he was 13-13-5 with a 2.83 GAA, .903 save percentage, and three shutouts in 38 games 30 of which were starts.  Grade: C-
Role Play: As a backup goalie, particularly one as young and good as Neuvirth, your job is to be able to help your team win and not let in soft goals regularly, neither of which Neuvirth was able to do on a regular basis.  There was no consistency, and quite frankly, the only reason his numbers were not worse was because he shut out two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, Toronto and Montreal.  He wasn't able to carry the load at times, which I expected from him.  This was simply Neuvirth never finding his groove and falling victim to a sophomore slump.  The result: a poor season.  This wasn't the coaching staff's fault, either, for playing a better goalie than him (Vokoun) when he was healthy. They didn't "need to give him a chance."  This is the NHL, where as a 24 year old, you earn your playing time.  Mikey didn't.  Grade: C-

Report Card: Jay Beagle

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is center Jay Beagle, who finished his fifth season in the Washington organization on this past campaign.

Season Summary: The season started and ended on sour notes for Beagle, who sustained a serious concussion in his second game of the year against the Penguins and then broke his foot near the end of DC's postseason run.  Beagle played in 41 regular season games total, recording four goals, an assist, a plus-five rating, and 23 penalty minutes.  However, Beagle made a real name for himself on the defensive side of the puck, establishing himself as a regular under Dale Hunter in mid-February and playing every night from there on in.  Beagle won 57.7% of all the draws he took, remarkable for a player who was playing wing before this season, while being relied upon to play big minutes on the penalty kill and block shots.  Despite these positives, however, Beagle was the fourth-worst puck possessor among Caps forwards with a -6.09 corsi rating, and he put that figure up facing middle of the pack competition - literally.  Beagle's QoC was 8th out of 15 forwards that played in 20 or more games. Grade: B-
Role Play: Beagle entered this year with little to no expectations to become a key player or a regular, but he banged the door down under Dale Hunter and stole the show late in the season as one of Hunter's go to guys in the dying minutes of games as a player who proved he could shut games down.  As I noted above, he won faceoffs at a very high clip and by the time the playoffs rolled around, he was one of the most important players in Hunter's system because he was relied upon.  He responded to those minutes not with scoring, but with defense, and when healthy, really impressed me by working his butt off and never quitting on a play. Grade: A-

Report Card: Mike Knuble

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is right winger Mike Knuble, who finished his third season with the Capitals and his 16th NHL season overall on this past campaign.

Season Summary: To say it was a rough year for Knuble would be an understatement.  The aging power forward saw his streak of 20-goal seasons end at nine, for one, and he scored six goals, his fewest since 1999-2000.  For another, his ice time plummeted, and he played 72 games, his fewest without an injury in more than five years.  Knuble saw himself go from top-line right winger under Bruce Boudreau, to the fourth line under Boudreau, to the fourth line under to Dale Hunter, to the dungeons under Hunter when he was benched late in the season.  In addition to those six goals, Knuble had 12 assists, a -15 rating (tied for worst on the team), and 32 penalty minutes.  His puck possession metrics were not very good, either, checking in with a -11.48 5v5 corsi rating (the worst on the team), though this did happen against the fourth-toughest competition a Capitals forward saw.  It's also important to note that he had the second-worst PDO on the team at 982, so that could have been a reason for his bad scoring output. Grade: C-
Role Play: This is tough, because Knuble's role off the ice as an alternate captain and a Stanley Cup champion is almost as important to what he brings on the ice.  Knuble's salary was pretty outlandish for what he accomplished on the ice, but after the fan base, and I think Knuble to an extent, accepted his checking line role, I actually think old Mike was pretty good and was a good sport about the whole thing.  He was strong on his skates, forechecked well, and crashed the net, hitting the post it seemed a countless number of times.  But he didn't complain and came in to work every day to play his tail off.  Still, his preseason expectations were at least 15 goals, and he didn't get that done or even come close. Grade: C+

Report Card: Joel Ward

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is right winger Joel Ward, who finished the first year of his career with the Capitals, but his fifth NHL season overall this past campaign.

Season Summary: Ward got off to a hot start for a third line winger, posting four goals and seven points in his first 12 games as a Capital.  After that, though, he produced at a far lesser clip offensively, and was bumped between the third and fourth lines regularly before being sent to the press box in late March, where he remained until the final game of the regular season.  Overall, he played in 73 games, recording six goals, 12 assists, a plus-12 rating, and 20 penalty minutes.  Ward was right in the middle of the pack in terms of even strength corsi rating at -2.20 and the competition he faced.  He was also the 2nd luckiest forward on the team, with a PDO of 1027. Grade: C+
Role Play: An overly aggressive signing from the beginning, Ward, like Hamrlik, is a victim of the contract that George McPhee handed him last summer.  He was brought in to be a "playoff performer," with seemingly little regard to his decidedly average career regular season statistics.  However, Ward did play very good defense when he was on the ice, at one point moving through a 19 game stretch towards the end of the season where he was not on the ice for a single goal against of any kind.  You have to give him credit for playing that kind of lockdown D, but at the same time, you expect more from a player making the kind of money that Wardo does. Grade: C-

A Conversation with Jacob Trouba

Check out my latest for Rock the Red, in which I interview top 2012 NHL draft prospect Jacob Trouba about a multitude of topics.  You can read the article here.

Report Card: Roman Hamrlik

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is defenseman Roman Hamrlik, who finished his first NHL season with the Capitals, but his 21st NHL campaign overall, this past year.

Season Summary: Hamrlik got off to a simply wretched start in Capital red, recording one point, a goal, and a -7 rating in his first two months in Washington.  Hamrlik continued to struggle even after that time frame, and was pulled from the lineup in late February, prompting him to ask for a trade at the deadline that obviously did not come to pass.  He returned to the lineup in mid March and played pretty much all night the rest of the way.  Overall, the veteran Czech played in 68 games, recording two goals, 11 assists, a plus-11 rating, and 34 penalty minutes, so after after such a terrible start, he picked it up a lot down the stretch.  He also was second on the team with 149 blocked shots, only four behind team leader John Carlson in 14 fewer games.  He was second on the team among defensemen in even strength corsi rating at 0.26, and he did it against the second-easiest competition among those rearguards. Grade: B-
Role Play: The following defensemen not on entry-level contracts made similar to Roman Hamrlik this season: Kris Letang, Matt Carle, Brent Burns, and Ryan Suter.  Quick, which one is the outlier?  Simply put, though Hamrlik was not a total disaster, particularly after his start, for a player making as much as he is, more is expected.  George McPhee said that he hoped Hamrlik would help the power play, but he didn't play with the man advantage all season.  He blocked shots well and put up a handful of points, but you can get that for a lot less than a $3.5 million cap hit.  Nevertheless, it isn't totally fair to judge Hamrlik based only on his contract, because he was solid if completely unspectacular for a portion of the year. Grade: C

Report Card: Mathieu Perreault

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is center Mathieu Perreault, who finished his fifth season in the organization on this campaign.
Season Summary: Beginning with a surprise inclusion to the opening night lineup, Perreault won a spot on the team out of training camp but endured an up and down season.  Perreault played for long stretches in October, November, December, and January, but was also sat down for long periods during that time frame.  He finally stuck in the lineup in February, playing almost every game down the stretch from the first of that month onwards.  Overall, the young Quebecois played in 64 games, compiling 16 goals, 14 assists, a plus-nine rating, and 24 penalty minutes.  He also led the team in even strength corsi rating at 11.54, though he did do it against the second-easiest competition on the team and while getting a bit lucky. Grade: B-

Role Play: As noted earlier, Perreault basically made this team as the thirteenth forward because of his inbetween size and skill; he's not big enough to be a bottom six player but hadn't displayed statistics of a top six player, either. Regardless, he was on the team to fill in for struggling or injured players, and he did so admirably.  No performance was more notable than his hat trick against the Bruins in late January after a suspension to Alex Ovechkin.  I wasn't expecting much from Matty this year because of what I, and many, thought was a size issue.  He proved me wrong, and proved to be a valuable member of this team with some timely, if inconsistent, scoring. Grade: B+
Playoffs: After playing the first four games of the Boston series, Perreault was sat down to accomodate for Mike Knuble's return to the lineup in game five.  In those four games, I thought he played well; though he was held pointless with a -1, he was getting chances and not making poor decisions.  Like Halpern, I was upset to see Keith Aucoin keep getting ice at Perreault's expense.  One thing to note, however, is that his previously team-high corsi rating plummeted to -10.30 in the playoffs -- but to be fair, that was right in the middle of the pack among Capitals forwards in a postseason devoid of puck possession. Grade: C

Future Potential: A restricted free agent, the 24 year-old Perreault is eligible for arbitration this summer because he received a one-year deal this past summer. It seems a lock that George McPhee will extend a qualifying offer to Perreault considering his play this year, which would mean that Washington would retain his rights.  However, according to Renaud Lavoie of RDS, the Canadiens will be interested in Perreault's services this offseason, which would require a trade. Lavoie also noted that many teams called McPhee about Perreault in season, but each time McPhee turned those teams down.  With the Caps in desperate need of a second prime center, Perreault could be part of a package, but unless that scenario comes to pass I think he will be in DC next year and continue to improve; he seems to have turned a corner this season that I look forward on watching him improve upon. Grade: B+


The next report card will feature defenseman Roman Hamrlik.

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Report Card: Jeff Halpern

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is center Jeff Halpern, who played his first season in seven years but his fifth overall with the Capitals this campaign.

Season Summary: Halpern played in 69 games this year for the Capitals, tallying four goals, 12 assists, a -1 rating, and 24 penalty minutes.  His corsi rating was -0.65, the fifth best on the team among forwards at even strength, and he did it against the fourth toughest competition among Washington attackers.  Most importantly for Halpern, however, he won faceoffs at a 58.4% clip, which led the team by a significant margin and was 7th in the NHL among players that took 300 or more draws.  He played pretty much every night until the late stages of the year, at which he point was clearly frustrated with his performance and the way he was being deployed.  69 games isn't shabby, but for a guy like Halpern, he expected more, and he said so in his end of year media availability. Grade: B-
Role Play: Halpern was brought on to this team to do exactly what he did - provide a stable, reliable defensive player in the bottom six that can win faceoffs, kill penalties, and provide a little bit of offensive pop.  Halpern did all of those things very well, and, as far as we know, was steady in the locker room the way you would expect a former captain to be steady in the locker room.  When McPhee signed him, he knew exactly what he was getting, and Halpern was just that.  He had a right to be frustrated with his playing time down the stretch, without a doubt. Grade: B+
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Report Card: Jeff Schultz

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is defenseman Jeff Schultz, who finished his seventh and most turbulent year with the organization this past season.

Season Summary: As noted above, Schultz endured the most tumultuous season of his NHL career during this campaign.  Sarge started out the season where he belonged, in the lineup, and performed well for the most part.  After Dale Hunter was hired as coach, Schultz played less and less in December before being benched in favor of John Erskine for the entire month of January despite being substantially better than him.  After February 1st, however, Schultz played almost every night until being sat down in late March; he played in 52 games total, his lowest by far in a full NHL season.  He posted a goal, five assists, and a -2 rating to go along with 12 penalty minutes; he also had a -4.94 corsi rating at even strength, the fourth-worst among the eight defensemen that played in more than 20 games.  He did all of this, however, while facing the fourth-hardest even strength competition among those eight defensemen. Grade: C
Role Play: Jeff Schultz came into this season as the sixth defenseman, and he played that role.  What you want from the sixth best defenseman on your roster is someone who doesn't mess up every time he is on the ice, is defensively responsible, and can block shots.  Contrary to popular belief, Schultz can do all of those things, as evidenced by his statistics and the fact that he blocked 58 shots. No one expects Schultz to be the best defenseman on the ice, but as a complementary player, he did well.  Good thing, too, because that's what Schultz is. Grade: B
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Report Card: Cody Eakin

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is forward Cody Eakin, who finished his first professional season this year with the Capitals and their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Season Summary: As many expected he would in his first season out of major junior in the Western Hockey League, Eakin split his time between Washington and Hershey throughout the season.  Eakin was called up a month into the season and played pretty much every night for a month before his lineup time dwindled in late December.  It picked up again in mid January, but Eakin only played in one game after February 1st, and it was as an injury replacement. Overall, the young center played in 30 games, recording four goals, eight points, a plus-two rating, four penalty minutes, and 31 shots on goal.  Eakin's corsi rating was -1.12, not good, but not terrible either, compared to some of the other numbers on this team this season. Grade: C
Role Play: Eakin was called up to be a spark, and during his first month in the Washington lineup, he was just that, recording two goals and five points in November.  But after that, he really cooled off, being relied more upon a checking role that he struggled in.  Overall, however, I would say that for a third round pick playing his first professional season, Eakin was pretty darned good considering all of the circumstances.  I didn't expect him to do much at all, and though I feel as though I was in the minority here, he didn't disappoint me. Grade: B
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Report Card: John Erskine

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. Next up is rough and tumble defenseman John Erskine, who completed his sixth, and most frustrating, season in the Capitals organization this year.

Season Summary: During this campaign, Erskine suffered through by far the most turbulent season in a Capitals uniform.  After being injured at the start of the year, he was in and out of the lineup for a prolonged period before finally being yanked for basically the remainder of the regular season in early February. Overall, Erskine posted zero goals, two assists, a plus-three rating, and 51 penalty minutes in 28 games, the second fewest he has ever played at the NHL level.  Erskine also had the sixth-best even strength corsi rating among Capitals defensemen (-5.07) who played more than 20 games, and he did it against the second-easiest competition on the team. Grade: C-
Role Play: John Erskine is a guy who is on your team to hit people and clear out the front of the net.  He's not offensively gifted, he's not a shot blocker.  He's a low-end sixth defenseman/healthy scratch.  That's what he was this year.  When Erskine was in the lineup, he was physical, he was mean, and he was tough.  He cleared people out in front of the net and he hit people.  But that's what is expected of him, and it's not particularly valuable to this team, or any team, really. Nevertheless, he did what many people pegged him for heading in to this season, which was, quite frankly, not much. Grade: C+
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Report Card: Keith Aucoin

As the 2011-12 season has come to a close, the time has come to evaluate what it meant for the Capitals, both as a team and as individuals.  As such, as the summer progresses, I will be writing a report card, or individual evaluation, for each player who played in 9 (~10%) of the team's games, or 4 playoff games. First up is career minor leaguer Keith Aucoin, who worked hard to earn a spot on the roster and carve out his niche under Dale Hunter.

Season Summary: Aucoin played in 27 games this year, recording three goals, eight assists, and a plus-four rating after being recalled from Hershey of the AHL for good in early February. He didn't record a single penalty minute, and took 21 shots on net while playing a mainly fourth line role.  Also of note is that he compiled an even strength corsi rating of 10.48, the second highest among all Washington forwards that played more than 25 games.  This year was a great experience for Aucoin, as he played the second most games he ever had at the NHL level, and also welcomed a child in to the world; I think that's what's most important, the experience.  Grade: C+
Role Play: Aucoin was called up by Dale Hunter in early February because of the torrid pace he was on for AHL Hershey; he had a ridiculous 70 points in 43 games when he got the call to the show.  Hunter and McPhee called him up to provide an offensive spark, I presume, for the fourth line, as that's where he played most of his minutes.  The 11 points he produced were probably more than anyone expected, but at the same time, Aucoin was never a consistent presence and often made the lineup at the expense of Mike Knuble or Mathieu Perreault for some reason.  Grade: B-
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What's In a Coach?

Following the Capitals’ loss in game seven of the Eastern Conference semifinals last Saturday, the thoughts of many people immediately turned to Washington head coach Dale Hunter.  Would he be back?  Would he choose to come back, or would General Manager George McPhee make the decision for him?

Monday morning at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, we all found out.  McPhee announced at his end-of-season media availability that Hunter would, in fact, not be back as the head coach of the Capitals, deciding instead to return home to London, Ontario.  And that was that.

With Hunter’s departure, however, the Capitals don’t have a coach.  They need one, the sooner the better.  To set the stage for the appointment of the next coach, I’ve prepared a list of job requirements, or qualities, that I’d like to see in the next Washington bench boss.

The ability to fix Alex Ovechkin: As we all know, Capitals winger and captain Alex Ovechkin is a shell of his former self.  Ovechkin’s point output plummeted to 65 this year, down from 85 the previous season and 109 the season before that.  His corsi rating has also taken a nosedive, and it was the 7^th best out of the 11 forwards who played 50 or more games for the Capitals this year – against the second easiest competition on the team.  Goal scoring, since the lockout, has gone down, as have power play opportunities.  But the Capitals, and probably their success, are tied to Ovechkin because of his contract and his status as one of the faces of the NHL.  In all likelihood, he isn’t going anywhere, and no NHL team, particularly one that is as heavily invested in one as the Caps are in Ovechkin, can win when it’s star player isn’t doing what he’s supposed to.  This is a big problem, and “team play” or not, getting Ovechkin on track is an important, and difficult, task.

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Moving On

Monday was a rainy day in Arlington, Virginia.

As light rain pattered across the giant glass window that serves as the entrance to Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Vice President and General Manager George McPhee strode around the corner and towards the throng of reporters waiting for him.

“Good morning,” McPhee said.  “Thank you for coming.”

“I imagine the first question will be about Dale Hunter.  This morning, Dale and I met at about 10 o’clock, and he let me know that he will not be able to return as the coach.  He’s going to head back to London.  I guess we’re all fathers and sons and husbands first before anything else, and if we have our priorities right in this life, then family comes first.  And Dale, he needs to go home.”

And just like that, it was over.

Dale Hunter’s reign as the head coach of the Washington Capitals was over after 169 days, 37 wins, and 37 losses.  It was over in less than a season.

But it’s over.  And that was the right call.  For club and for coach.

Dale Hunter did a tremendous job as the head coach of this team.  There is no doubt that he came in and changed the culture of the Capitals by holding everybody accountable for their play.  They were annoying, tough, and stubborn.  They were like Dale Hunter as a player.

"He had this club playing the way he played,” said McPhee.  “Home or road, winning or losing, healthy or hurt.  He had this team playing hard."

He got this team, his team, to buy in to his system.  And he put together a nice little run, winning seven playoff games and knocking off the Stanley Cup Champion Bruins before falling to the Rangers in seven games.

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Lots more to come from Kettler over the next few days.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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Dale Hunter Resigns as Capitals Head Coach

The Washington Capitals announced Monday morning that head coach Dale Hunter will not return to the team to coach next season.  Hunter resigned on Monday after a meeting with Caps GM George McPhee and after speaking with his family about whether or not to return.  The OHL team that Hunter owns and used to coach, the London Knights, are in the Memorial Cup tournament, and Hunter will go back and watch from a suite.  "I'm a fan," he said.
"Im going home," said Hunter.  "To the team, to the farm.  To my family."

Lots more to come from Kettler over the next few days.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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Lots to Come on Monday

Monday afternoon in Arlington, the Capitals will hold their end-of-year media availability following their loss to the Rangers in game seven on Saturday night. Make sure you follow along by following me on Twitter here for all of your news, as I will be at KCI.

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Inspiration, Dreams, and Our Way of Life

It's game seven tonight.  You knew that.  Want to get pumped up?  I dare you to watch the following videos and tell me it doesn't want you to play hockey right now.  I dare you. Follow @HarryHawkings

Gameday: at NY Rangers, May 12: Round Two, Game Seven

And so, it will come to a close...

The Washington Capitals are in New York, New York, this evening to take on the Rangers to and play the seventh and decisive game in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.  The Caps and Rangers have traded wins in this series, with both teams holding a 2-1 record on home ice, and the Capitals forced this game with a decisive victory in game six; the score was only 2-1 but the Caps led virtually the entire game and were methodical in the execution of their game plan from start to finish.  Now, you have the ultimate test of nerve in sports, game seven, for the second time in this remarkable, and in almost all ways unexpected, playoff run.  You know the rules here.  Win, you play the Devils for a shot at the Holy Grail.  Lose, you play golf.

As he has for every Rangers playoff game in the last seven years, Henrik Lundqvist will get the call in goal from head coach John Tortorella, who told reporters Wednesday night that his team "sucked" more than four times. Lundqvist, however, has been excellent, making some great saves to keep his team in games and posting a 1.73 GAA, .936 save percentage, and one shutout over his 13 playoff starts.  Outside the crease, the Rangers will be without two forwards, as center Brandon Dubinsky (leg) has yet to resume skating and winger Mats Zuccarello Aasen is absent with a wrist injury; neither player has played in this series for New York.

Braden Holtby, the MVP of Washington's playoff run so far, will start in goal for the Caps.  Holtby, a 22 year old rookie from small town Saskatchewan, has posted a 1.95 GAA and .935 save percentage in his 13 playoff starts.  On the injury front, center Jay Beagle has to be considered questionable at best heading in to the game with what is being described as a leg injury; Beagle missed game six after taking a slap shot off the knee in the later stages of game five.  If Beagle is unable to play, expect no lineup changes, which means Jeff Halpern plays; if he can, my guess is that Halpern would come out.  Regardless, expect Mathieu Perreault and Mattias Sjogren to be scratched up front and Dmitry Orlov and John Erskine to remain benched among defensemen.

Puck drops 7:42-ish.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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Readying for the Storm

Here we go again.

Saturday night inside Madison Square Garden, the Washington Capitals will play a game seven in which one team is the favorite.  One team had the banner regular season.  One team led the Eastern Conference in points.  One team is a betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

Sound familiar to a Capitals fan?

It should.  But as we all know, this year, is different.  This year, the Capitals are the upstart underdog, the team pushing the top seeded club to the brink for a decisive game seven on the road.  It is their opponent, the New York Rangers, that have the MVP candidate, the all-star coach, and the top seed in the Conference.  And, both among most pundits and in Las Vegas, it is the Rangers that are expected to win.

For the core of these Washington Capitals, this will be the sixth game seven that they have played as a group.  Brooks Laich, Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green have compiled a 2-3 record in those decisive games, disappointing results to say the least.  Of course, prior to this year, that group had played all of their game sevens inside Verizon Center, a period in which they put together a 1-3 record. 

In the one road game seven that they have played in the last six years?  A thrilling 2-1 victory over the Bruins last month that sent the Stanley Cup champions to the golf course.

In sports, a lot of focus – media, player, and organizational – is often placed on home ice advantage, and how the regular season is so important because if you are the top seed, you earn the right to home ice throughout the Conference playoffs.  But to some of the Capitals, they say the mindset is different – and decidedly better – when you are heading in to an opposing team’s building for the final game of a playoff series, because it allows you to be a bit more relaxed, and a little bit less under pressure.

“I would say it’s a different mindset,” said center Nicklas Backstrom following practice on Friday.  “I mean we don’t have the pressure on us.  They are the number one seed and they have the pressure.  We just have to go up there and throw everything we have at them.”

Read the rest of this article by clicking here.

That's all for now.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.

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Practice: May 11

The Washington Capitals were on ice Friday morning for a practice as they prepare for the decisive game seven of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Rangers, to be played Saturday night in New York.  Some updates from Arlington:

Jay Beagle was absent from practice once more, not skating with his teammates as he continues to attempt to rehab a knee injury that he suffered in the late stages of the Caps' loss in game five.  In addition, Dale Hunter would not even divulge whether or not Beagle will travel with the team to New York.  That means that Jeff Halpern remained in Hunter's top four line combinations.  They were as follows: Ovechkin-Laich-Johansson, Chimera-Backstrom-Semin, Ward-Hendricks-Brouwer, and Knuble-Halpern-Aucoin.  Mathieu Perreault and Mattias Sjogren stayed out as the two extra forwards.
The much-maligned defensive pairings also stayed the same, with Jeff Schultz paired alongside Dennis Wideman and Dmitry Orlov and John Erskine on the outside looking in.
New dad Braden Holtby talked about his son, Benjamin Hunter Holtby, saying that Hunter is his mom's maiden name.  Contrary to popular belief, and perhaps disappointingly, Holtby did not name his son after his current head coach.

That's all for now.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.

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Rapid Rewind: Do It Again

Read my RtR game recap here.

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Gameday: vs. NY Rangers, May 9 - Round Two, Game Six

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Rangers to Verizon Center on Wednesday night as they play game six of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Broadway Blueshirts.  The Rangers currently lead the series three games to two, having won game five in overtime by tying the game with seven seconds left in regulation and then winning early in overtime on a power play goal for Marc Staal.  The two teams have traded wins in this series so far, and this is the first elimination game the Caps have faced in this series and only the second in the playoffs, with the other being game seven in Boston. Tonight is obviously a very important night as Washington tries to stay alive on home ice and the Rangers look to secure a berth in the Eastern Conference final with their rivals, the New Jersey Devils.

Henrik Lundqvist will get the call in goal from John Tortorella once more for this evening's game.  Lundqvist, who is considered by some to be the best goalie on the planet, has been as advertised in these playoffs, posting a 1.70 GAA, .937 save percentage, and one shutout in 12 starts.  Outside the crease, the Rangers have two injuries, as forward Brandon Dubinsky (lower body) and winger Mats Zuccarello Aasen (wrist) are absent and have not played at all in this series. With a win in game five, expect Tortorella to keep his lineup intact.

Dale Hunter will continue to roll with rookie Braden Holtby in goal, just as he has in every playoff game this season.  Holtby has a 2.02 GAA and a .932 save percentage in the playoffs so far in his 12 starts, and has been the key piece to the Capitals making it this far.  As of this writing, Washington has no disclosed injuries, though Jay Beagle did not participate in the morning skate with what is believed to be a leg injury; if he does not play, Jeff Halpern came off the ice before the scratches and would likely take his place.  Regardless, expect Mattias Sjogren and Mathiew Perreault to be scratched up front.  Dmitry Orlov, who has not seen any ice at all in these playoffs, and John Erskine will be in the press box among defensemen.

Puck drops 7:40-ish. As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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On Joel Ward and Monday's Game

Monday night inside Madison Square Garden, the Washington Capitals lost a game in just about the most painful way imaginable.  You know what happened, I'm not going to waste words describing it.

One thing I will say, however, is that this loss is not solely Joel Ward's fault. Hockey is a team game, and when you fail to take advantage of your chances, you're probably going to lose.  Yes, Ward's penalty was dumb and in no way excusable.  Neither is failing to shoot the puck or missing the net on three odd-man rushes in the third period after taking a 2-1 lead.  Neither is being out shot 17-4 in the first period and by 20 overall in a playoff game.  Neither is the fact that Nicklas Backstrom has now missed two breakaways in the last two games. Neither is Braden Holtby overcommitting on the game tying goal and not being able to cover the puck.  Neither is losing the last seven faceoffs you take in a game.  It's a team game.

In the NHL playoffs, you have to take advantage of opportunities that you are given.  Washington did not do that on Monday, and they lost.  The Rangers, on the other hand, did.  It's a team game, and a team loss.

On to the next one.  You have to win four for a reason.

As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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Gameday: at NY Rangers, May 7 - Round Two, Game Five

Can Mike Green's game-winner get him going?

The Washington Capitals are in New York, New York, this evening as they play game five of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the hometown Rangers inside Madison Square Garden.  Following a win in game four on Saturday by the Capitals, this series is tied at two games apiece, with each team going 1-1 at home and alternating victories in the first four games.  Particularly remarkable is that Washington was able to win game four after a devastating triple overtime loss in game three on Wednesday.  Tonight is a big game for both teams in what has been another tight series, as the Rangers look to keep home ice and the Caps look to give themselves another opportunity to close a series out on home ice.

Stalwart goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will make the start in nets for New York once more.  Lundqvist, who has been one of the best goalies in this postseason just as he was in the regular season, has a 1.68 GAA, .944 save percentage, and one shutout in eleven games so far.  Outside the crease, New York will be without center Brandon Dubinsky almost certainly; the center has a foot injury and has not played at all in this series.  Winger Mats Zuccarello Aasen is also absent with a wrist injury.  Even after a loss, expect John Tortorella to keep the same lineup that he has for the last three games.

Braden Holtby, the rookie sensation with the visualization routines and the Hershey accented pads, will continue to get the start in goal from Dale Hunter. Holtby has carried a 1.94 GAA and .933 save percentage in his eleven playoff starts.  The Capitals do not currently have any disclosed injuries, and with a win in game four, expect the same lineup from the Washington coaching staff.  That means Mattias Sjogren, Mathieu Perreault, and Jeff Halpern will be scratched up front and John Erskine and Dmitry Orlov will remain in the press box among defensemen.

Puck drops for this one 7:41-ish.  No recap from me tonight because of school obligations.
As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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Practice: May 6

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Sunday morning following their game four win over the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon.  Some updates from Arlington:

Once more, the story of the day was that there was no story from Kettler Capitals Iceplex.  Dale Hunter's lines remained unchanged: Ovechkin-Laich-Johansson, Chimera-Backstrom-Semin, Hendricks-Beagle-Brouwer, Knuble-Aucoin-Ward, and Sjogren-Perreault-Halpern.  One bit of news, however, is that captain Alex Ovechkin, who delivered a questionable hit to New York defenseman Dan Girardi in the second period of Saturday's game, is not expected to receive any supplemental discipline.

The defensive pairing of Schultz and Wideman remained unchanged, as well. Some had speculated that after another poor defensive performance by Wideman, he may be benched in favor of Dmitry Orlov for game five, but knowing Dale Hunter and the fact that the Caps won, the likelihood of that happening in a game are very low.

That's all for now.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
Information from Steve Whyno was used in this post.

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Rapid Rewind: Young Guns

Read my RtR game recap here.

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LOL Torts:

Gameday: vs. NY Rangers, May 5 - Round Two, Game Four

The Caps must agitate Henrik Lundqvist in a pivotal game.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Rangers to Verizon Center on Saturday afternoon as they play game four of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Blueshirts.  The Rangers lead the series two games to one following a marathon game three on Wednesday night that lasted four hours and 34 minutes and was not decided until nearly 15 minutes were elapsed in the third overtime period; Marian Gaborik scored to give New York the win.  The two teams had previously split games one and two inside Madison Square Garden, so with Wednesday's win, the Rangers were able to get home ice advantage once more.  Today is a huge game for both teams, as the top seeded Rangers attempt to put a stranglehold on the series and the Capitals attempt to even it up before heading back to Madison Square Garden for game five on Monday night.

Henrik Lundqvist will get the call in goal for New York, to absolutely no one's surprise.  Lundqvist, nominated for both the Hart and Vezina Trophies this year, was stellar on Wednesday, making 45 saves in that three overtime game, including several stellar ones to keep the Caps from ending the game.  In the playoffs all told, Lundqvist has a 1.55 GAA, .944 save percentage, and one shutout.  Outside the crease, New York will almost certainly be without center Brandon Dubinsky, who has not played in this series with a leg injury and has not skated extensively.  After a win in game three, there is no reason to expect any other lineup changes from John Tortorella.

Dale Hunter will go with Braden Holtby in goal, just as he has in all ten previous playoff games.  The rookie goaltender, who has become a huge story with his unorthodox practices and big game saves, has helped carry the Capitals to this point with a 1.94 GAA and .935 save percentage; he made 47 saves on 49 shots in Wednesday's loss.  The Capitals do not have any disclosed injuries at the moment, and following practice on Friday, it is almost a sure bet that the lineup will be unchanged.  That means Dmitry Orlov and John Erskine out on the back end and Mattias Sjogren, Mathieu Perreault, and Jeff Halpern scratched among the forwards.

Puck drops 12:45-ish.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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Practice: May 4

The Washington Capitals were on ice Friday for a practice for the first time since their marathon loss to the Rangers on Wednesday night.  Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

As has become the pattern for the last two weeks or so, news of the day from Arlington was that there as almost no news to report; the Caps continue to run their practices status quo.  Dale Hunter's lines remained the same: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson, Chimera-Laich-Semin, Hendricks-Beagle-Brouwer, Knuble-Aucoin-Ward, and Sjogren-Perreault-Halpern.
The defensive pairings also remained the same, meaning that Jeff Schultz is still in the lineup alongside Dennis Wideman and Dmitry Orlov and John Erskine remain the "fourth" pair.

That's all for now.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.

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Information from Katie Carrera was used in this post.

On the Rebound

Wednesday night’s game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, which bled in to Thursday morning, was en epic clash of two big, strong, physical teams.  The game stretched to three overtimes.  By the end, players were bloodied and sucking down energy supplements.  It was four hours and 34 minutes of war.

“Oh my god,” said Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. “I thought it would never end.”

Eventually it did end, 14 minutes and 41 seconds in to the third overtime.  Brad Richards won a battle behind Braden Holtby’s net and fed the puck in front to Marian Gaborik, who had not scored since game one of the first round.  Gaborik was able to chip it through Holtby’s legs just before the rookie could slam his pads shut.

And that was that.  The Rangers took a two games to one series lead, and left the Verizon Center crowd shocked and stunned.  For the Capitals, it left them a long two days before Saturday afternoon’s game four.  Washington had their chances, and they simply were not able to convert on them.

“It was that kind of game. I think both teams fought very well. That kind of moment, you just have to use your chances,” said captain Alex Ovechkin. “They had it and they scored. Unfortunately we had it during that 4-on-2 and we didn’t use it.  I think we had a great chance to score some goals, but [Henrik] Lundqvist made the save.”

Ovechkin, who has been probed and prodded this postseason because of his erratic ice time, had the best chance of any of the overtimes.  Less then ten minutes into the first overtime, Ovechkin jumped the boards and went down the heart of the ice, intercepting a clearing pass from New York defenseman Anton Stralman and had a clear shot at the net.

The horn went off.  The spotlights went on.  The crowd erupted.  But the puck stayed out.  Ovechkin had hit the right post, beating Lundqvist’s outstretched glove hand but not the red iron surrounding the net.

“That kind of opportunity, you just have to put it in,” said Ovechkin.

Read the rest of this article here.

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Gameday: vs. NY Rangers, May 2 - Round Two, Game Three

It's a big one for both teams tonight.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Rangers to Verizon Center this evening as they play game three of their best of seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.  The series is tied, one game each, following Washington's win in game two Monday night despite the fact that captain Alex Ovechkin only played 13 minutes.  New York won game one with a dominant third period, headlined by rookie phenom Chris Kreider.  Tonight is a huge game for both teams, as the Capitals look to take advantage of their split inside Madison Square Garden while the Rangers look to get their home ice advantage right back after relinquishing it two days ago.

Henrik Lundqvist will get the call in goal from John Tortorella this evening, just as he has in every Ranger's playoff game over the last five seasons.  Lundqvist, who was arguably the top goaltender in the NHL this year and has been dominated for MVP as well, has posted a 1.77 GAA, .938 save percentage, and one shutout in these playoffs.  Outside the crease, the Rangers are almost certainly to be without center Brandon Dubinsky, who has not skated in recent days with a leg injury and was seen on crutches on Sunday in New York.  For that reason, expect Tortorella to keep the same lineup as game two.

Dale Hunter will continue to roll with Braden Holtby in nets for the tenth consecutive game in these playoffs.  Holtby, a rookie, has a 2.02 GAA and a .931 save percentage this postseason, and made 26 saves in Monday night's game one win.  The Capitals currently do not have any disclosed injuries, and with a win in game two, I expect the same lineup for this game tonight.  That means John Erskine and Dmitry Orlov scratched on the back and Mattias Sjogren, Mathieu Perreault, and Jeff Halpern the scratched forwards.

Puck drops 7:42-ish.  As always, follow me on Twitter here for news and updates.
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