Caps 'Round the Clock

Gameday: vs. NY Islanders, Feb. 28

2012-02-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

Time to make the run without help at the deadline.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Islanders to Verizon Center on Tuesday night as they begin a critical five-game homestand and attempt to gain some momentum heading into a brutal month of March. The Capitals, having won two in a row, are 4-5-1 in their last ten games and and 31-26-5 overall for 67 standings points in 62 games. Those 67 points place them third in the Southeast Division, three points behind the Panthers with one more game played, and ninth overall in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Jets for the final playoff spot with three games in hand. The Isles, on the other hand, lost their last contest and are 4-6 in their last ten and 26-28-8 overall for 60 standings points in 62 games. Those 60 points place them last in the Atlantic Division and thirteenth in the East. This is the third of four meetings between these clubs this season; the Isles have won both, including a 3-0 shutout in their last meeting.

Evgeni Nabokov is almost certain to earn the call in goal from Jack Capuano despite allowing four goals in a loss his last time out. Nabokov, in his first full season on the Island, is having a stellar year with a 15-15-0 record, 2.32 GAA, .922 save percentage, and two shutouts. What's more, he has a GAA of 1.99 in his career against Washington and made 17 stops in that shutout win over them in mid-January. Outside the crease, New York only has one minor injury, as defenseman Steve Staios is questionable with a lower-body ailment.

Dale Hunter seems likely to turn to Michal Neuvirth in goal following his two excellent games over the weekend, in which he only allowed three goals in two wins. On the year, Neuvirth is 8-9-3 with a 2.87 GAA, .903 save percentage, and two shutouts; he has not faced the Isles this year but has played extremely well against them in his career. On the injury front, the Capitals will be without star center Nicklas Backstrom, who has missed almost two months now with a concussion and is on IR. Keith Aucoin will remain in the lineup over Mike Knuble, while Roman Hamrlik and John Erskine will probably remain healthy scratches in back.

That's all for now. Follow me on Twitter here for updates and news.

George McPhee Stays the Course

2012-02-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

Check out my latest for Rock the Red, in which I examine George McPhee's controversial decision to stand pat at the trade deadline. You can read the article here.

Practice: Feb. 27

2012-02-27T11:35:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning for a practice following a four-point weekend against the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Tomas Vokoun left the ice about 20 minutes in to practice for an undisclosed reason, but according to Sky Kerstein of 106.7 the FAN radio, he has not been asked to waive his no-trade clause. It does not look like he will be traded at this juncture.
Every healthy Capital was on the ice for the skate. The lines were as follows: Ovechkin-Johansson-Knuble, Hendricks-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Perreault-Semin, and Beagle-Halpern-Ward. Also of note, Nicklas Backstrom has been placed on long-term injured reserve, opening up his $6.7 million cap hit for deals to be made.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for trade deadline coverage by following me on twitter here.
Information from Katie Carrera was used in this post.

Rapid Rewind: Clawing Back

2012-02-26T13:54:00.002-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Rapid Rewind: Breaking the Hab-it (Kind Of)

2012-02-24T22:21:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Evgeny Kuznetsov Injured During KHL Game

2012-02-24T11:10:00.012-05:00

As if the Washington Capitals and their fans needed any more bad news to come down the pipe, the hockey gods sent them some anyway.
According to the website Sovietsky Sport, and as first reported by TSN's Dmitry Chesnokov, Capitals superprospect Evgeny Kuznetsov was "seriously injured" during the final moments of his team, Traktor Chelyabinsk's, game on Friday.
Chesnokov, citing Russian colleague Pavel Lysenkov, reported that Kuznetsov was checked and fell down late in the contest, immediately beginning to slam his hands on the ice. According to Lysenkov, Kuznetsov was "in terrible pain," writhing around on the ice surface and yelling. He had to be carried off the ice on a stretcher.
As of 11:30 AM Friday, Slava Malamud of Sport-Express had been told that Kuznetsov may have torn knee ligaments, and that this is the "preliminary diagnosis." However, at 12:30, Chesnokov noted that there were many unconfirmed reports that Kuznetsov may only have a severe bruise in his knee. This report was confirmed later by Lysenkov, who said that the Russian forward has "soft tissue bruising."
At 1:45 PM, Malamud tweeted that Traktor's examination and MRI concluded that he only had "slight damage in his knee ligaments" and he should be ready to play in less than a week. Major bullet: dodged.
Here is video of the hit, and Kutnetsov's reaction, courtesy of Malamud.

More to come on this.

Gameday: vs. Montreal, Feb. 24

2012-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

I can has two points?

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Verizon Center on Friday night as they look to break their recent string of humbling losses. Washington, losers of three in a row, are 3-6-1 in their last ten and 29-26-5 overall for 63 standings points in 60 games. Therefore, they are third in the Southeast Division, four points behind the Jets with three games in hand, and tenth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Panthers with one fewer game played. The Habs, who were shut out by Dallas in their last contest, are actually 5-4-1 in their last ten games but 24-27-10 overall for 58 standings points in 61 games. Those 58 points place them last in both the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference. This is the third of four meetings between these two clubs this year; the Caps have won both by 3-0 shutout scores inside the Bell Centre.

Carey Price, Montreal's workhorse, will start in goal fro Randy Cunneyworth. Price, who has blossomed into one of the league's best goaltenders despite being on a poor team, is 22-22-9 on the year with a 2.39 GAA, .916 save percentage, and four shutouts. He has only faced the Caps once this year, allowing three goals on 16 shots in a loss in mid January. Outside the crease, the Habs have been decimated by injuries this year. They are currently missing star defenseman Andrei Markov (knee surgery complications), captain Brian Gionta (torn pectoral), forwards Mathieu Darche and Travis Moen (upper body), and center Petteri Nokelainen (shoulder). Other than that, thought, they're totally healthy.

Michal Neuvirth seems the likely choice to start in goal for Dale Hunter following his solid performance in relief of Tomas Vokoun on Wednesday evening. The sophomore Czech goalie is 6-9-3 on the year with a 3.01 GAA, .897 save percentage, and two shutouts; he shut out the Canadiens the other time he faced them this year. On the injury front, the Caps are without Nicklas Backstrom, who has missed almost seven weeks now with a concussion and is on IR. Captain Alex Ovechkin, who has skated for a total of 23 minutes in the last two days, is questionable for the contest. Keith Aucoin will play if Ovechkin cannot go. John Erskine and Roman Hamrlik will probably be the healthy scratches on the back end, particularly now that Hamrlik and Dale Hunter are sparring in the media.

Puck drops 7:08-ish.

Practice: Feb. 23

2012-02-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Thursday morning for a practice after their 5-2 humbling at the hands of the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Alex Ovechkin, who missed Wednesday's loss with a lower-body injury, did not participate in practice with his teammates. Instead, he engaged in some light skating and shooting before practice, again, testing his injury and trying to work through it. All in all, he skated for about 15 minutes.
Without Ovechkin, the entire team that played last night as well as the scratches practiced. The lines were Knuble-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Perreault-Semin, Johansson-Aucoin-Hendricks, and Beagle-Halpern-Ward.

That's all for now.

Gameday: at Ottawa, Feb. 22

2012-02-22T00:02:00.002-05:00

Can the Capitals actually win a must-win game?

The Washington Capitals are in Ottawa, Ontario, this evening to take on the Senators and try to rebound from a hammering at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. The Capitals, who have lost two games in a row, are 3-6-1 in their last ten games and 29-25-5 overall for 63 standings points in 59 games. As such, they are third in the Southeast Division, two points behind the Jets with three games in hand and two points behind the Panthers with one more game played. They are tenth in the Eastern Conference as a result of their point total. The Senators, on the other hand, who had been struggling recently, have now won three in a row, including a 6-0 beatdown of the Islanders on Monday afternoon. They are 4-4-2 in their last ten and 31-22-8 overall for 70 standings points in 61 games. This is the fourth and final meeting between these two teams this year; the Capitals have won all three so far.

Craig Anderson will start in goal for coach Paul MacLean. The journeyman goaltender is 28-19-3 on the year with a 2.87 GAA, .912 save percentage, and three shutouts, including a blanking in his last start. He has been a workhorse for Ottawa all year and has given the Capitals fits as well. Outside the crease, the Senators only have one injury, and it is a minor one: centerman Jess Winchester, absent for the last 30 games because of a concussion.

Tomas Vokoun will get the call from Dale Hunter despite being pulled in his last outing, a game in which he probably could not have won anyway. The veteran Czech goalie, who has been the backbone of the Caps' slim playoff hopes over the last two plus months, is 23-15-2 on the year with a 2.45 GAA, .920 save percentage, and four shutouts. On the injury front, center Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) is on IR with a concussion and is out indefinitely. Captain Alex Ovechkin, who was limping after Monday's game and did not practice Tuesday, will be a game time decision and will be replaced by Keith Aucoin if he cannot go. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who missed Monday's game with a virus, will play, and Roman Hamrlik will be the healthy scratch.

That's all for now. No recap from me tonight because of school obligations.

Practice: Feb. 21

2012-02-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice in Raleigh Tuesday afternoon for a practice following their humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Hurricanes on Monday night. Some updates from down south:

Alex Ovechkin did not partake in the skate because of a "maintenance day." However, Ovechkin's absence, when coupled with the fact that he was visibly limping after Monday's game, begs the question of whether or not the Captain is injured. I guess we will have to wait and see, but I certainly hope Ovechkin will be able to play through it.
With the absence of Ovechkin, the lines were as follows: Chimera-Laich-Brouwer, Hendricks-Perreault-Semin, Knuble-Johansson-Ward, and Beagle-Halpern. All eight defensemen skated, including Dmitry Orlov, who missed Monday's game with an illness, and Mike Green, who seems to be doing well in terms of health following his surgery a little less than five weeks ago. That's a great sign.
Washington plays in Ottawa on Wednesday night in what has become the biggest game of the season for them.

That's all for now.

The Point of No Return

2012-02-20T22:53:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap/column here.

Gameday: at Carolina, Feb. 20

2012-02-20T00:08:00.001-05:00

Must. Win. Game.

The Washington Capitals are in Raleigh, North Carolina, this evening to take on the Hurricanes as they play the third of four games on their current road trip. The Capitals, who lost Saturday night in Tampa following an encouraging win Friday against the Panthers, are 3-5-2 in their last ten games and 29-25-4 overall for 63 standings points in 58 games. Those 58 points place them third in the Southeast Division, one point behind the Jets with three games in hand, and two points behind the Panthers. Carolina, who have played well since hiring Kurk Muller around the same time as the Capitals hired Hunter, are 5-2-3 in their last ten and 22-26-11 overall for 55 standings points in 59 games. Those 55 points places them last in both the Southeast Division and Eastern Conference. This is the fifth of six meetings between these two teams this season; the Capitals lead the season series 3-1.

Because of an injury to regular starter and workhorse Cam Ward, Muller will be forced to turn to Justin Peters in goal for the Hurricanes today. Peters has only played in four games this year, but made 35 saves in a win during his most recent start and has a 3.65 GAA and .911 save percentage on the year. Outside the crease, Carolina will be missing defenseman Joni Pitkanen (concussion/knee surgery) and forward Tuomo Ruutu (upper body), while winger Chad LaRose is questionable, also with an upper-body ailment.

Tomas Vokoun should start in goal for the Capitals this evening after a solid performance against the Lightning on Saturday. Vokoun is is 23-14-2 on the year with a 2.41 GAA, .921 save percentage, and four shutouts, and has been carrying the team of late. Hopefully he can have a big game to help the Caps win a must-win contest. On the injury front, the Capitals will be without star center Nicklas Backstrom, who has a concussion. With the return of a healthy Mike Green, it remains to be seen who will sit if Hunter decides to return to six defensemen. It is likely that Jeff Schultz will head to the press box and Jay Beagle would play in that case, but if the coach sticks with seven defensemen, look for Beagle to sit again.

That's all for now. Puck drops 7:37-ish.

Rapid Rewind: Sunrise

2012-02-17T22:46:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Florida, Feb. 17

2012-02-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

The biggest game of the year.

The Washington Capitals are in Sunrise, Florida, this evening to take on the Panthers as they begin a road trip that is critical to help them try and save their season. The Capitals, losers of three consecutive games, are 3-4-3 in their last ten games and 28-23-5 overall for 61 standings points in 56 games. Those 61 points place them second in the Southeast Division, four back of these Panthers, and ninth overall in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers, on the other hand, who were pasted by the Senators in their last game, are 6-3-1 in their last ten and 27-18-11 overall for 65 standings points in 56 games. They are therefore first in the Southeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference. This is the fifth of six meetings between these two clubs this season; the series is split 2-2. Tonight's game is arguably the most important regular season contest they have played in four years; they cannot afford to come out flat.

Former Capital Jose Theodore is expected to get the call in goal from Kevin Dineen after appearing in relief during Florida's last game. Theodore, who recently missed a long spell with a knee injury, is 15-9-5 on the year with a 2.48 GAA, .915 save percentage, and two shutouts. Outside the crease, the Panthers will be without defensemen Jay Garrison (lower body), Ed Jovanovski (hand), and Dmitry Kulikov (knee), as well as forwards Marco Strum (knee) and Scottie Upshall (hernia).

Tomas Vokoun should start for Dale Hunter after allowing 2 goals on 27 shots in his last outing against the Jets over a week ago; he had been forced to miss the last two games with a bad flu. Vokoun is 22-13-2 on the year with a 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage, and four shutouts on the year, and has been a backbone for the Capitals over the last seven weeks. On the injury front, both Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are out and will not play. Winger Mike Knuble, who has been scratched over the last three games for absurd reasons, should return to the lineup, with Keith Aucoin heading to the bench in his place. Look for John Erskine to be the healthy scratch on defense.

Puck drops for this one 7:38-ish.

Practice: Feb. 16

2012-02-16T12:45:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Thursday morning for a practice as they prepare to head out on a four-game road trip that will likely define their season. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Dale Hunter kept pretty much the same lines as from Wednesday's skate, with the exception of adding Keith Aucoin to the fourth line. The units were as follows: Ovechkin-Johansson-Brouwer, Chimera-Perreault-Semin, Hendricks-Laich-Knuble, and Ward-Halpern-Beagle, with Aucoin rotating in.
Mike Green practiced with the team for the second consecutive day, and will be on the road trip. He "could" play on the road trip, according to George McPhee.
The General Manager also spoke to the health of Nicklas Backstrom, saying the Swedish center is currently working off ice but that there is no timetable of any sort for his return to game action.

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

Practice: Feb. 15

2012-02-15T13:17:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday morning for a practice as they prepare for a critical four-game road trip, starting at the end of the week, which will make or break their season. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green, who had been skating apart from his teammates and not participating in practice since his surgery, finally joined the Caps for a workout Wednesday. Green did not take many hits during practice, but did work on the power play, and a decision on his status for the road trip will me made after tomorrow's practice.
Outside of this very good news on Green, Dale Hunter showcased new practice lines to account for the demotions of Joel Rechlicz and Keith Aucoin. They were as such: Ovechkin-Johansson-Brouwer, Hendricks-Laich-Knuble, Chimera-Perreault-Semin, and Beagle-Halpern-Ward.

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

Gameday: vs. San Jose, Feb. 13

2012-02-13T00:12:00.001-05:00

Will Dale Hunter play Mike Knuble this evening?

The Washington Capitals will welcome the San Jose Sharks to Verizon Center this evening as they play the second half of a back-to-back set, desperate to gain some momentum following their bad loss in New York Sunday afternoon. Washington, who have lost two in a row, are 3-4-3 in their last ten games and 28-22-5 overall for 61 standings points in 55 games. Therefore, they are second in the Southeast Division, four points back of the Panthers, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Maple Leafs with a game in hand. The Sharks, who were shut out in St. Louis last night, are 4-5-1 in their last ten games and 30-17-6 overall for 66 standings points in 53 games. Those 66 points place them first in the Pacific Division and therefore third in the Western Conference. This is the second of two meetings between these two clubs this season; the Capitals lost the first one in San Jose last month. Oh, and related: this is an absolute must-win game for the Capitals.

Antti Niemi should start for Todd McLellan's men despite losing last night. On the year, the Finnish goaltender is 23-13-5 with a 2.34 GAA, .917 save percentage, and four shutouts. He has been a big part of these new-look Sharks and is one of their best overall players; Washington's poor offense is going to be crucial to beating a team they have beaten just once in their last fifteen tries. Outside the crease, the Sharks have a few injuries. Winger Martin Havlat is on IR with a knee injury and will not play, as is defenseman Jason Demers, who will be absent with a lower body ailment.

Michal Neuvirth is expected to start the second half of the back-to-back because Tomas Vokoun is still sick. Neuvirth, who failed to come up big for his team (again) yesterday, is 6-9-3 on the year with a 3.07 GAA, .894 save percentage, and two shutouts. On the injury front, both Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are out and will not play. After being scratched for Thursday and Sunday's losses, forward Mike Knuble has been benched again, even though he is simply a better hockey player than both Jay Beagle and Keith Aucoin. John Erskine should remain in the lineup over Jeff Schultz after playing yesterday.

That's all for now; puck drops 7:39-ish. No recap from me tonight because of school obligations.

Rapid Rewind: Ranger Danger

2012-02-12T20:54:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at NY Rangers, Feb. 12

2012-02-12T00:56:00.001-05:00

It's a big one for the Caps today.

The Washington Capitals are in New York City this afternoon to take on the Rangers as they try and rebound from a disheartening loss to the Jets on Thursday night. The Capitals are 4-4-3 in their last ten games and 28-21-5 overall for 61 standings points in 54 games. That places them second in the Southeast Division, two back of the Panthers, and ninth overall in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers, who smacked the Flyers on Saturday afternoon by a 5-2 score, are 7-2-1 in their last ten and 35-13-5 overall for an an incredible 75 standings points in 53 games. As a result, they are atop both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference, only one point behind the Red Wings for the best record in the NHL with three games in hand. This is the third of four meetings between these clubs this season; they have split the series so far with both games coming at Verizon Center.

Henrik Lundqvist, who made 31 saves in that win over the Flyers on Saturday, seems likely to get the call from John Tortorella in goal. Lunqvist has been the best goalie in the league so far this year, posting a 25-11-4 record, 1.81 GAA, .939 save percentage, and six shutouts on his campaign. He made 18 saves in a 6-3 win for his team the only other time he has faced the Caps this year. Outside the crease, the Rangers are only missing two minor players for today's game, as winger Ruslan Fedotenko (undisclosed) and defenseman Michael Sauer (concussion) will both be absent.

Tomas Vokoun should start for Dale Hunter after allowing 2 goals on 27 shots in his last outing against the Jets. Vokoun is 22-13-2 on the year with a 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage, and four shutouts on the year, and has been a backbone for the Capitals over the last seven weeks. On the injury front, both Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are out and will not play. After being scratched for Thursday's loss, forward Mike Knuble seems likely to remain in the press box, as he has apparently fallen out of favor with Hunter. John Erskine, absent for well over a week as a healthy scratch, will probably remain so this evening.

Puck drops 12:38-ish. Check back later.

George McPhee Plays Poker

2012-02-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

Read my latest for RtR here - in which I analyze the Capitals and what they should do at the deadline. You can read the article by clicking here.

Rapid Rewind: Shot Down

2012-02-09T22:19:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Winnipeg, Feb. 9

2012-02-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Big boys go boom.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Verizon Center on Thursday night as they look to build some momentum over a stretch of critical games. The Capitals, 4-0 winners over the Panthers on Tuesday night, are 4-4-2 over their last ten and 28-21-4 overall for 60 standings points in 53 games. Those 60 points place them first in the Southeast Division, one point above the Panthers with one more game played, and therefore third overall in the East. They are, however, one point shy of ninth place in the Conference. Winnipeg, who beat the Maple Leafs on Tuesday 2-1, are 4-5-1 in their last ten games and 25-24-6 overall for 56 points in 55 games. Those 56 points place them third in the Southeast Division and tenth overall in the East. This is the fourth of six meetings between these two clubs this season; the Capitals are 2-1 in those three previous games.

Jets coach Claude Noel is almost certain to go with his workhorse, Ondrej Pavelec, in goal. Pavelec, who made 17 saves in Winnipeg's win over the Leafs on Tuesday, is 19-18-6 on the year with a 2.70 GAA, .912 save percentage, and three shutouts, and has always played well against the Capitals, whether in Atlanta or Manitoba. Surprisingly, the Jets only have one injury question for this evening's game - center Tim Stapleton, who has been out recently with a leg injury. He is on IR but is considered questionable.

Tomas Vokoun will get the call from Dale Hunter in goal after a huge 42-save shutout on Tuesday. Vokoun is 22-13-1 on the year with a 2.40 GAA, .920 save percentage, and four shutouts, and has been a huge part of the team's wins over the last six weeks. On the injury front, Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) are both on IR and will not play. Elsewhere,
Dale Hunter has proven that he has completely lost his mind, as he is scratching Mike Knuble and allowing Jay Beagle to play. That move totally makes sense...benching a good player for a career fourth liner. Oookay then. Jeff Schultz will also be in over John Erskine.

Puck drops 7:08-ish.

The NHL Top 100: 25-1

2012-02-08T16:39:00.000-05:00

Kaner.

Check out my my latest for Crash the Net, in which I respond to ESPN's list of the top 100 players in the NHL, 25 at a time. This post is for numbers 25 through 1, the grand finale. Read the article here.

Practice: Feb. 8

2012-02-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday morning for a practice following their 4-0 win over the Panthers Tuesday. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green skated before practice for the second day in a row as he continues to make his way back from sports hernia surgery late last month.
The only healthy Capitals absent from the skate were Dennis Wideman, Alex Ovechkin, and Brooks Laich, who were all given maintenance days by the Washington coaching staff. The lines were as such: Johansson-Brouwer, Hendricks-Halpern-Ward, Chimera-Perreault-Semin, and Knuble-Aucoin-Beagle.
Nicklas Backstrom, once again, was nowhere to be seen. He has skated once since the fifth day of January and is likely eons away from returning, if he does at all this season.

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

Rapid Rewind: Don't Stop Believin

2012-02-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Florida, Feb. 7

2012-02-07T00:10:00.001-05:00

Marcus as the best center dressed by a mile? Uh oh.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Florida Panthers to Verizon Center this evening as they attempt to gain momentum and begin actually winning games that they need to win. The Capitals, having lost their last game to the Bruins on Sunday, are 4-4-2 in their last ten and 27-21-4 overall for 58 standings points in 52 games. Those 58 points place them second in the Southeast Division, one point behind the Panthers with one more game played, and ninth in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers, who got pasted by the Lightning 6-3 on Saturday night, are 4-3-3 in their last ten and 24-16-11 overall for 59 standings points. Those 59 points place them first in the Southeast Division and therefore third overall in the East. This is the fourth of six meetings between these two clubs this season; the Caps are 1-2 in the previous 3 games, including a loss last week.

The Capitals are likely to face Scott Clemmensen in goal for the second consecutive matchup, as regular starter Jose Theodore is out with a knee injury. Clemmensen is 8-5-3 on the year with a 2.73 GAA, .912 save percentage, and one shutout. Outside the crease, the Panthers will be missing several players. Scottie Upshall (hernia), Marco Sturm (knee surgery), Ed Jovanovski (hand), and Dmitry Kulikov (knee) will all be sidelines for this evening's game. Maybe the Capitals can take advantage of it.

Tomas Vokoun will start in goal for Dale Hunter following a solid performance against the Bruins Sunday, even though he allowed three goals. Vokoun is 21-13-1 on the year with a 2.54 GAA, .917 save percentage, and three shutouts. He has only faced his former team once, however, because Dale Hunter has for some reason seen fit to give Michal Neuvirth the reins the last two times these teams have met despite the fact that Vokoun shut the Cats out the first time he played them. On the injury front, Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are on IR and will not play. Forward Brooks Laich, despite being on crutches on Sunday, will play, by some miracle. Jay Beagle and John Erskine will remain in the press box.

Puck drops 7:09-ish.

The NHL Top 100: 50-26

2012-02-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

Dreeeewwwww!!

Check out my my latest for Crash the Net, in which I respond to ESPN's list of the top 100 players in the NHL, 25 at a time. This post is for numbers 50 through 26. You can read the article here.

Practice: Feb. 6

2012-02-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning at 11:30 for a practice as they try and regroup from a 4-1 smacking at the hands of the Bruins on Sunday afternoon. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Brooks Laich did not practice with the team after sustaining a knee injury during Sunday's game. Dale Hunter said afterwards that Laich was walking on it, but that doesn't mean anything; you can walk on knee ligament damage. Only an MRI can reveal the full extent of the injury.
Because of Laich's absence, the lines were new and...interesting, to say the least. They were: Ovechkin-Johansson-Brouwer, Chimera-Perreault-Semin, Hendricks-Halpern-Ward, and Beagle-Aucoin-Knuble.
Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom did not skate again, the third consecutive game that Green did not work out on ice. Hunter said that Green is still on his recovery timetable, however, which seems unlikely to me. There is still absolutely no timetable for Backstrom being Back-strom.

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

John Carlson and Karl Alzner are the Coolest

2012-02-06T11:18:00.002-05:00

Check out the latest video from Caps365, in which John Carlson and Karl Alzner give you a tour of what life is like for these roommates on the road.

Gameday: vs. Boston, Feb. 5

2012-02-05T00:28:00.000-05:00

Time to make it a four-point weekend.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins to Verizon Center as they look to close out their weekend with a second win. The Caps, who shut out the Canadiens on Saturday afternoon, are 5-3-2 in their last ten and 27-20-4 overall for 58 standings points in 51 games. Those 58 points place them second in the Southeast Division, one point back of the Panthers, and ninth overall in the Eastern Conference, one point back of the Maple Leafs. The Bruins, who lost to Pittsburgh 2-1 Saturday, are 4-5-1 in their last ten and 32-16-2 overall for 66 standings points in 50 games. That places them first in the Northeast Division and second overall in the East. This is the second of four meetings between these two clubs this season; the Capitals won the first a little less than two weeks ago inside Verizon Center.

Tuukka Rask is likely to get the call in nets from Claude Julien after Tim Thomas played yesterday and lost. Rask, who last played Thursday night in a loss to the Hurricanes, is 11-6-2 on the year with a 1.88 GAA, .936 save percentage, and three shutouts. He allowed four goals the last time he faced the Capitals. Outside the crease, both Marc Savard, who has missed almost two years now, and Nathan Horton, who has missed the last two weeks, are out with concussions and will not play.

Tomas Vokoun will start after a masterful 30-save shutout against the Canadiens Saturday afternoon. Vokoun is 21-12-1 on the year with a 2.53 GAA, .918 save percentage, and three shutouts this season, making 30 saves on 33 shots in his start against the Bruins earlier this year. On the injury front, both Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) are out and will not play. Jeff Schultz seems likely to remain in the lineup over John Erskine after solid performances two nights in a row following a nearly month-long layoff.

Puck drops 12:40-ish. Check back later.

Listen to Me on Habs360 Radio

2012-02-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon, I joined the Habs360 radio show and podcast in Montreal to talk about the Capitals' game against the Canadiens, Alexander Semin, and the trading deadline. Have a listen below, my segment starts at the 15 minute mark.

Listen to internet radio with Chris G on Blog Talk Radio

Rapid Rewind: No Habs No

2012-02-04T17:07:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Montreal, Feb. 4

2012-02-04T00:08:00.000-05:00

He's baaaack...

The Washington Capitals are in Montreal, Quebec this afternoon to take on the Canadiens in the first of two back-to-back must-win games this weekend. The Capitals, who lost 4-2 to the Panthers in their last game, are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and 26-20-4 overall for 56 standings points in 50 games. Those 56 points place them second in the Southeast Division, three back of the Panthers, and ninth overall in the Eastern Conference, two points back of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot. The Canadiens, who have lost two in a row including a collapsing 5-3 loss to the Devils Thursday night, are 3-5-2 in their last 10 and 19-23-9 overall for 47 standings points in 51 games. Those 47 points place the Habs last in the Northeast Division and fourteenth in the East. This is the second of four meetings between these two clubs this year; the Caps won the first in mid-January via a shutout from Michal Neuvirth.

Backup Peter Budaj will get the call in goal from Randy Cunneyworth for just the eighth time this season. Budaj is 2-4-1 in his seven starts this year with a 2.69 GAA and .910 save percentage. Outside the crease, the Canadiens will be without two of their top players, as captain Brian Gionta (pectoral surgery) and defenseman Andrei Markov (knee surgery complications) will be absent. Center Petteri Nokelainen, winger Ryan White, and winger Travis Moen are also out with various ailments.

Tomas Vokoun has been confirmed as the starter for the Capitals after Michal Neuvirth's sub-par performance on Wednesday night. Vokoun is 20-12-1 on the year with a 2.60 GAA, .915 save percentage, and two shutouts. He has yet to face the team that originally drafted him this year. On the injury front, both Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are out. The Capitals will get a boost, however, as captain Alex Ovechkin will play for the first time in almost three weeks after serving the final game of a three-game suspension Wednesday night. Jeff Schultz, who played Wednesday, will probably be back in the press box, and Jay Beagle should remain scratched in favor of recent call-up Keith Aucoin.

Puck drops 2:08-ish. And in other news, I will be on the Habs360 radio show in Montreal at 5:15 after the game to talk Caps. Follow me on Twitter here for the link to the show.

Practice: Feb. 3

2012-02-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Friday morning for practice as they prepare to meet the Montreal Canadiens in the Bell Centre Saturday afternoon. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green once again skated with his teammates during practice, the fourth consecutive day he has worked out on ice.
With recent call-up Keith Aucoin in the fold and Cody Eakin out of it, the lines looked a little bit different: Ovechkin-Johansson-Semin, Hendricks-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Perreault-Knuble, and Aucoin-Halpern-Ward. Joel Rechlicz and Jay Beagle were in powder blue jerseys, which usually signifies healthy scratches, or the "fifth line." However, after practice, Dale Hunter announced that Rechlicz is on waivers, on his way down to Hershey of the AHL. Where he belongs. Glad that experiment is over.
Nicklas Backstrom did not skate again today and has to be at least several weeks away from returning to active duty. Man, is this getting bad.

That's all for now.
Information from Sky Kerstein was used in this post.

The NHL Top 100: 75-51

2012-02-02T21:37:00.001-05:00

Captain Cally.

Check out my my latest for Crash the Net, in which I respond to ESPN's list of the top 100 players in the NHL, 25 at a time. This post is for numbers 75 through 51. You can read the article here.

Practice: Feb. 2

2012-02-02T13:56:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Thursday at 12 noon for an optional skate following their 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Some updates from Kettler:

Mike Green skated today, as he had done on both Wednesday and Tuesday, according to a Capitals spokesman. Green said after the skate that he feels good, and is already noticing the positive effects from his surgery. The defenseman mentioned that he feels he is on track to return within his original projected timeframe, which means he could see game action in 2-4 weeks. This is certainly great news.
Only eight other Caps skated: Ovechkin, Schultz, Erskine, Beagle, Eakin, Vokoun, Rechlicz, and Ward. Dale Hunter also indicated after the skate that Nicklas Backstrom is progressing and that he "feels better" but that you cannot rush concussions. Which we know already.

That's all for now.
Information from Sky Kerstein was used in this post.

The NHL Top 100: 100-76

2012-02-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

Jordan Eberle...is nasty.

Check out my my latest for Crash the Net, in which I respond to ESPN's list of the top 100 players in the NHL, 25 at a time. This post is for numbers 100 through 76. You can read the article here.

Rapid Rewind: Clawed

2012-02-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

Read my sad, sad RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Florida, Feb. 1

2012-01-31T23:27:00.002-05:00

Maybe, one of these days, Sasha will break out...

The Washington Capitals are in Sunrise, Florida, this evening to take on the Panthers in a critical game for their playoff hopes as the final drive commences. The Capitals, who lost in overtime in Tampa last night, is 5-3-2 in their last ten games and 26-19-4 overall for 56 standings points in 49 games. They are therefore first in the Southeast Division, one point above these Panthers with one more game played, and third in the Eastern Conference, solely based on their Divisional seeding. The Panthers, who lost in overtime in their last game before the break, are 3-3-4 in their last ten games and 22-15-11 overall for 55 standings points in 48 games. Those 55 standings points place them second in the Southeast Division and ninth overall in the East. This is the third of six meetings between these two clubs this season; the season series is split 1-1.

Scott Clemmensen will make the start in goal for Kevin Dineen's men because of an injury to regilar starter Jose Theodore. Clemmensen is 6-2-5 on the year with a 2.72 GAA, .914 save percentage, and one shutout. Outside the crease, the Panthers will be without defensemen Dmitry Kulikov (knee) and Ed Jovanovski (hand), who are both on the sideline with long-term injuries. Winger Marco Sturm, also a former Capital, could make his return following an extended absence because of a concussion, while forward Kris Versteeg (illness) is officially questionable.

Michal Neuvirth is the suprise starter in goal this evening for the Capitals. Neuvirth, who lost his last start in Pittsburgh ten days ago, is 6-7-3 on the year with a 3.08 GAA, .892 save percentage, and two shutouts. On the injury front, both Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) are out. Alex Ovechkin will also be absent as he serves the third and final game of his suspension. Joel Rechlicz, who was completely and utterly useless in 1:59 of ice time Tuesday, will stay in the lineup over Jay Beagle. Jeff Schultz will also get a jersey for just the seventh time in the last eight weeks and first time in over a month, at the expense of John Erskine.

Puck drops 8:08-ish. Check back later.

VIDEO: Alex Ovechkin Watches His Own Highlights

2012-01-31T10:09:00.001-05:00

Check out this Video about what hockey players really think, including Alex Ovechkin.

Gameday: at Tampa Bay, Jan. 31

2012-01-31T00:09:00.001-05:00

Another big one tonight as the push commences.

The Washington Capitals are in Tampa Bay, Florida, this evening to take on the Lightning as they look to start hot out of the All-Star break. The Caps, who somehow beat the Bruins last Tuesday in their final game before the break, are 5-4-1 over their last ten games and 26-19-3 overall for 55 standings points in 48 games. Those 55 points place them first in the Southeast Division based on the number of wins they have, and third in the Eastern Conference, though there are many teams below them with more points. The Lightning, who have won four in a row, are 4-5-1 over their last ten games and 21-23-4 overall for 46 standings points in 48 games. Therefore they are fourth in the Southeast Division and twelfth overall in the East. This is the third of six meetings between these two clubs this season; the Capitals have won both games so far, both by one goal and both inside Verizon Center.

Guy Boucher seems likely to go with Mathieu Garon in goal. Garon, who made 22 saves in his last start, the last game before the All-Star break. On the year Garon is 14-13-2 with a 2.92 GAA, .902 save percentage, and one shutout. He has not faced the Capitals this year. Outside the crease, the Bolts are expected to get a huge boost with the return of defenseman Victor Hedman, who has missed the last 13 games with a concussion. Forwards Tom Pyatt and Adam Hall are also likely to return after missing extended periods. They will, however, be without winger Ryan Malone (upper-body), defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron (upper body) and defenseman Mattias Ohlund (knee surgery).

Tomas Vokoun should get the call in goal from Dale Hunter, following a vey nice performance against the Bruins at home last Tuesday night. Vokoun is 20-12 on the year with a 2.56 GAA, .916 save percentage, and two shutouts. He is 2-0 against the Bolts this year, allowing eight goals in those 2 starts. On the injury front, the Capitals will be without both Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery). Captain Alex Ovechkin will also be absent as he serves the second game of a three-match ban for a high hit in Pittsburgh nine days ago. With the recent recall of Joel Rechlicz, the enforcer will make his Capitals debut over Jay Beagle. One thing that is almost certain is that Jeff Schultz will be in the press box again, as John Erskine continues to dress.

Puck drops 7:39-ish. Check back later.

Practice: Jan. 30

2012-01-30T16:07:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday afternoon at 2 PM as they returned from the All-Star break with a practice in preparation for Tuesday's matchup with the Lightning. Some updates from Arlington:

Dennis Wideman was the only healthy Capital who took the day off, getting some time to rest following his participation in All-Star weekend.
The lines were as follows: (Ovechkin) Johansson-Perreault-Semin, Hendricks-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Halpern-Knuble, and Beagle-Eakin-Rechlicz-Ward. Related: if the recall of Joel Rechlicz leads to Joel Ward being healthy scratched, I give up.
Nicklas Backstrom again did not skate with his teammates, and did not work out on ice at all during the All-Star break. The clock is ticking on George McPhee making a move for a center, and the wait is becoming excruciating. Time to make the move now.

That's all for now.

Capitals Sign and Recall Joel Rechlicz, Recall Cody Eakin

2012-01-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Per a team release, the Washington Capitals have signed forward Joel Rechlicz to an NHL entry-level contract and recalled him to Washington from the Hershey Bears. Rechlicz leads the AHL in PIMs this year with 184 and has two points, a goal and an assist.
The Capitals have also recalled Cody Eakin from the Bears. Eakin has played most of the last three months in Washington, but spent the All-Star break in Hershey getting consistent playing time.
Washington practices at 2 PM on Monday; both players will partake in the skate.

Ovechkin Made the Right Call

2012-01-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

Please check out my latest for Crash the Net, in which I defend Alex Ovechkin's decision to skip the All-Star game. You can read the article here.

Rapid Rewind: Rebound

2012-01-24T23:24:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Boston, Jan. 24

2012-01-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

The Caps will lean heavily on Sasha tonight.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Boston Bruins to Verizon Center on Tuesday night as they try and shake a recent run of unsuccessful games and go into the All-Star break on a high note. The Caps enter this game 5-4-1 in their last ten games and 25-19-3 overall for 53 standings points in 47 games. The Capitals are therefore a point behind the Panthers for the Southeast Division lead and eighth in the Eastern Conference playoff race, barely hanging on. The Stanley Cup Champion Bruins, however, are on the other end of the spectrum, flying high with a 6-3-1 record in their last ten and a 31-13-2 record overall for 64 standings points in 46 games. Those 64 points place them first in the Northeast Division and second overall in the Eastern Conference. This is the first of four meetings between these two clubs this season.

Tim Thomas, who skipped Monday's celebratory visit to the White House because he opposes President Obama's politics, has been benched and Tuukka Rask will play. Rask, who made 30 saves on 33 shots in his last start against the Rangers, is 11-4-2 on the year with a 1.69 GAA, .943 save percentage, and three shutouts. Outside the crease, Boston will be without Marc Savard, who has missed almost two years now with a concussion, as well as Nathan Horton, who has a "mild" concussion himself. Defenseman Andrew Ference will miss tonight's game as well, as he will serve the second game of a three game ban for boarding New York's Ryan McDonagh on Saturday.

Tomas Vokoun wills start for Dale Hunter after Michal Neuvirth lost in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon. Vokoun is 19-12 on the year with a 2.55 GAA, .917 save percentage, and two shutouts, and was excellent in his last start in Carolina despite a 3-0 loss last Friday. On the injury front, both Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) are out. Captain Alex Ovechkin will start his three game suspension which was handed down to him late Monday for a hit during Sunday's loss to the Penguins and will not play. After Tomas Kundratek was sent down to Hershey on Monday, look for John Erskine to remain in the lineup over Jeff Schultz (though this still makes no sense).

Puck drops 7:09-ish.

Alex Ovechkin Suspended Three Games

2012-01-23T18:30:00.003-05:00

As reported by TSN's Bob McKenize, Washington Capitals Captain and left wing Alex Ovechkin has been suspended for three games for a hit on Pittsburgh's Zbynek Michalek during Sunday afternoon's game with the Penguins.
Ovechkin will miss three games: Tuesday against Boston, January 31st at Tampa Bay and February 1st at Florida.
The following is a video explaining the suspension, from NHL Vice President of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan.

Practice: Jan. 23

2012-01-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice for practice Monday at 11 AM as they prepare to take on the Stanley Cup Champion Bruins at Verizon Center on Tuesday night. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Nicklas Backstrom skated for the first time since his injury, though he was only on the ice for five minutes and was not wearing any equipment. Backstrom merely stickhandled, not doing anything strenuous. It's a start, but Nick is still obviously a long way off. He did not speak with reporters but Dale Hunter confirmed he would stay in Washington over the All-Star break.
Marcus Johansson returned to the practice ice after missing Sunday's game with the Penguins because of an illness. Mathieu Perreault, however, remained on the top line, practicing with Alexander Semin and Johansson so he can take over in the likely instance that Alex Ovechkin gets suspended for DC's game against Boston.
The other lines were as follows: Hendricks-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Halpern-Knuble, and Beagle-Eakin-Ward. Eeesh.

Check back later.

From the Inside Out

2012-01-22T23:52:00.000-05:00

Check out my latest work for RocktheRed.net, in which I diagnose the Capitals' desperate need for a center - which was never more clear than during Sunday's loss to the Penguins. Read the piece here.

Gameday: at Pittsburgh, Jan. 22

2012-01-22T00:03:00.001-05:00

Can Jason Chimera play hero again?

The Washington Capitals are in Pittsburgh this afternoon as they try and rebound from a very poor showing on Friday night against the Hurricanes in Raleigh. Washington enters this afternoon's primetime game with a 6-4-0 record in their last ten games and a 25-19-2 mark overall for 52 standings points in 46 games. That total places them second in the Southeast Divisioin, two points back of the Panthers with a game in hand, and eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins, who went ice cold around the New Year, have caught fire of late, winning their last five games. They are 5-5-0 over their last ten and 26-17-4 for 56 standings points in 47 games. That places them third in the highly competitive Atlantic Division and sixth overall in the East. This is the fourth and final regular season meeting between these clubs this year; the Caps lead the season series 2-1.

Marc-Andre Fleury will receive his 21st consecutive start in goal today from coach Dan Bylsma. Fleury made 34 saves in a 5-4 shootout win over Montreal on Friday, and is 24-12-2 on the year with a 2.24 GAA, .914 save percentage, and two shutouts. Outside the crease, the Penguins are still missing Sidney Crosby with a concussion, and are also without Jordan Staal (knee) and Arron Asham (concussion). Regardless of their injuries, Pittsburgh is still Pittsburgh, and Evgeni Malkin has been in beast mode recently.

After a very good performance against Carolina despite an undesirable result, Tomas Vokoun will likely receive the nets from Dale Hunter. Vokoun is 19-12 on the year with a 2.55 GAA, .917 save percentage, and two shutouts, though he has been superb against the Penguins this year, stealing two games for Washington. Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are out and will not play. Tomas Kundratek will likely remain in the lineup over Jeff Schultz, though it remains to be seen who will play within the forward corps, particularly after such a bad game on Friday.

Puck drops 12:40-ish. Check back later.

Practice: Jan. 21

2012-01-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh following their 3-0 embarrassment against the Hurricanes on Friday night. Some updates from the CONSOL Energy Center:

Dale Hunter changed up his lines again following Friday night's game. They were as follows: Ovechkin-Johansson-Brouwer, Semin-Laich-Knuble, Chimera-Halpern-Ward, and Hendricks-Eakin-Perreault-Beagle.
Hunter, who said before the game with Carolina knew who would start tomorrow's game against the Penguins, was not divulging who his selection was after the skate.
Nicklas Backstrom now has not skated in over two weeks.

That's all for now.
Information from Steve Whyno was used in this post.

Rapid Rewind: Blown Out

2012-01-20T21:44:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Carolina, Jan. 20

2012-01-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

Let's see if we can get this going again...

The Washington Capitals are in Raleigh, North Carolina, this evening to take on the Hurricanes as they look to build on their win over the Canadiens in Montreal on Wednesday night. The Capitals enter this evening's game with a 7-3-0 record in their last ten games and a 25-18-2 record overall for 52 standings points in 45 games. That total places them first in the Southeast Division and therefore third in the Eastern Conference, even though several teams with more points are below them in the standings. Carolina, who has heated up of late, lost their last game in overtime and are 4-4-2 in their last ten and 16-24-8 overall for 40 standings points in 48 games. They are last in the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference with those 50 points. This is the fourth of six meetings between these two clubs this year; Washington has won the first three.

Cam Ward will get the nets from Kirk Muller this evening, his seventh consecutive start in the Hurricanes' goal. The always-busy goaltender, who has started 41 games this year, tops in the league, is 16-17-7 so far with a 3.01 GAA, .905 save percentage, and one shutout. Outside the crease, though the Canes recently got Jeff Skinner back, they are still without three regulars: forward Chad LaRose (upper body), defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (upper body), and defenseman Joni Pitkanen (knee).

Tomas Vokoun will make his return to the Capitals' net after sitting the second half of a back to back in Montreal. Vokoun, who had started ten in a row before that respite, is 19-11-0 on the year with a 2.53 GAA, .917 save percentage, and two shutouts. On the injury front, Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) are out and will not play. After John Erskine played against Montreal and did absolutely nothing except take a terrible penalty that straddled his teammates with six minutes of penalty kill time, Tomas Kundratek will play over Erskine on defense. Mathieu Perreault will remain in the lineup over Jay Beagle following his goal against the Habs.

Puck drops 7:08-ish.

Rapid Rewind: Tabernac'd

2012-01-18T22:35:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Montreal, Jan. 18

2012-01-18T00:00:00.002-05:00

Jay Beagle scores a goal on Carey Price in December 2010.

The Washington Capitals are in Montreal, Quebec to take on the Canadiens this evening inside the Bell Centre as they look to rebound from a pathetic showing against the Islanders on Tuesday night. Washington, who had won three in a row prior to Tuesday's egg, are 7-3-0 in their last ten games and 24-18-2 overall for 50 standings points in 44 games. Those 50 points place them second in the Southeast Division, one point behind the Panthers, and eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point up on the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot in the Conference. The Canadiens, who beat the Rangers 4-1 on Sunday night, are 4-5-1 in their last ten games and 17-20-8 overall for 42 standings points in 45 games. Those totals place them last in the Northeast Division and twelfth overall in the Eastern Conference. This is the first of four meetings between these two clubs this season.

Carey Price will get the call in goal for Randy Cunneyworth after yielding the Canadiens' last game to Peter Budaj. Price, who has emerged as one of the League's top goaltenders over the last 18 months, is 15-16-8 on the year with 2.44 GAA, .913 save percentage, and two shutouts, and will surely present a tough task for the Capitals' offense. Outside of the goal crease, Montreal will be missing two of their best skaters. Captain Brian Gionta is out after biceps surgery last week, forward Ryan White has a sports hernia, and defenseman Andrei Markov is out following ACL surgery last year and complications this season that have kept him from lacing up for a single game on this campaign. Forward Travis Moen (leg) is questionable.

Michal Neuvirth seems likely to get the call in goal from Dale Hunter in order to give Tomas Vokoun a respite after starting ten consecutive games, including last night against New York. Neuvirth, who has not started a game since giving up three goals on six shots in Buffalo on Demember 26th, is 5-7-2 on the year with 3.23 GAA, .886 save percentage, and one shutout. On the injury front, both Mike Green (sports hernia surgery) and center Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are out and will not play for the Caps this evening. John Erskine will play over Tomas Kundratek to give Washington a more physical player to help deal with Rene Bourque, who elbowed Backstrom in the head on January 3rd. Mathieu Perreault will also suit up for the first time in over a week, taking Jay Beagle's place. Jeff Schultz will remain on the bench.

Puck drops 7:40-ish from La Belle Province.

Rapid Rewind: Point Blanked

2012-01-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. NY Islanders, Jan. 17

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Two critical points await Alex Semin and the Caps tonight.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Islanders to Verizon Center on Tuesday night as they look to close out a successful homestand with another victory. The Capitals enter tonight's action with a 7-3-0 record in their last ten games and a 24-17-2 mark overall, good enough for 50 standings points in 43 games. Those 50 points place them second in the Southeast Division, one point behind the Panthers with a game in hand, and seventh overall in the Eastern Conference. New York, on the other hand, lost to the Predators 3-1 yesterday, are 5-5 over their last ten games, and 16-21-6 overall for 38 standings points in 43 games. Those 38 points place them last in the Atlantic Division and fourteenth overall in the Eastern Conference. This is the second of four meetings against the Isles this year; the Caps lost the first inside Nassau Coliseum 5-3 in early November.

Evgeni Nabokov will start for coach Jack Capuano after he yielded yesterday afternoon's start to Kevin Poulin. Nabokov, who had started every game for the Islanders for three weeks prior to his respite yesterday, is 7-11 on the year with a 2.64 GAA, .909 save percentage, and no shutouts; he has nonetheless dominated the Capitals in his career to the tune of a 2.18 GAA and .929 save percentage. New York also has two minor injuries: center Marty Reasoner (hand) and defenseman Mike Mottau (concussion) are out and will not play.

Tomas Vokoun will get the call in goal from Dale Hunter for the tenth consecutive game; he made 43 saves in a 2-1 win over the Hurricanes on Sunday, his last start. On the year, the veteran Czech goaltender is 19-10-0 with a 2.52 GAA, .918 save percentage, and two shutouts. On the injury front, both Mike Green (abdominal surgery) and Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) are on injured reserve and will not play. Neither has even skated in over ten days. Hunter also seems likely to keep his lineup together following three consecutive wins, which means that Tomas Kundratek will stay in over Jeff Schultz and John Erskine and Cody Eakin will stay in over Mathieu Perreault.

Puck drops 7:08-ish. Follow me on Twitter here for game and morning skate updates.

Mike Green Out Four-to-Six Weeks

2012-01-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals annoucned Monday that All-Star defenseman Mike Green, who has missed 33 of the team's 43 games this season, will be out four-to-six weeks as he undergoes abdominal surgery.
Green, who has been out for the majority of the last three months with a groin injury, has led the Capitals to a 9-1-0 record while he is in the lineup. Washington placed him on long-term injured reserve earlier in the week, which would have meant that the earliest he could re-join the team was February 1st. He will not be able to play now for at least two weeks beyond that, and probably much longer.
The abdominal surgery does have the goal of fixing Green's groin problem; this is not believed to be a aurgery that is the direct result of a new injury.
The Calgary, Alberta native has three goals and three assists in his ten games this year.

Practice: Jan. 16

2012-01-16T12:13:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday for an optional skate at Kettler Capitals Iceplex as they prepare for Tuesday night's game with the New York Islanders. Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Just eight players took the option to skate: Erskine, Kundratek, Eakin, Neuvirth, Perreault, Schultz, Orlov, and Beagle. They spent the skate in an up-tempo style, doing hard contact drills in the corners and shooting on Neuvirth, who has not started since the day after Christmas. Neuvirth does not know if he will play one of the two upcoming back to back games, and says that playing without his goalie coach has been exceptionally difficult recently. Poor kid.
Neither Nicklas Backstrom nor Mike Green skated, and, according to Dale Hunter, they are still "day-to-day." And yet, they are still nowhere to be found. Curious.

That's all for now.

Rapid Rewind: Vokouna-Matata

2012-01-15T19:57:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Alex Ovechkin Dances In Russian Rap Video

2012-01-15T12:31:00.001-05:00

I think I'll just let this one speak for itself. (Tad NSFW in the middle).

Glory to the motherland, indeed.

Gameday: vs. Carolina, Jan. 15

2012-01-15T00:09:00.000-05:00

DC needs to take advantage of their favorable schedule.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to Verizon Center this evening as they attempt to carry forward some of the momentum that they have picked up from their current two game winning streak. The Capitals enter this evening's contest with a 6-3-1 record over their last ten contests and a 23-17-2 record overall for 48 standings points in 42 games. Those 48 points places them second in the Southeast Division, two points back of the Division-leading Panthers with one game in hand, and eighth overall in the Eastern Conference. Carolina, on the other hand, enters tonight's game having won two in a row, with a 5-4-1 record over their last ten and 16-23-7 overall for 39 standings points in 46 games. Those 39 points place them fourth in the Southeast Division and thirteenth overall in the Eastern Conference. This is the third of six meetings between these two teams this season; the Capitals have won the first two.

Kirk Muller, who was named head coach of the Hurricanes just after Dale Hunter was appointed to lead the Caps, is expected to go with his workhorse, Cam Ward, in goal after he made 33 saves in a 4-2 win over the Bruins last night. Ward, who has started 39 games this year, is 16-16-6 in those 39 starts and has compiled a 3.09 GAA, .902 save percentage, and one shutout. Outside the crease, the Hurricanes will receive a boost up front, as Calder Memorial Trophy holder and third-leading scorer Jeff Skinner will return after missing more than a month with a concussion. Nevertheless, Carolina will be without three regulars: forward Chad LaRose (upper body), defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (upper body), and defenseman Joni Pitkanen (knee).

Michal Neuvirth seems likely to get the call in goal from Dale Hunter in order to give Tomas Vokoun a respite after starting eight consecutive games. Neuvirth, who has not started a game since giving up three goals on six shots in Buffalo on Demember 26th, is 5-7-2 on the year with 3.23 GAA, .886 save percentage, and one shutout. He has beaten the Hurricanes both times the Capitals have played them this season, stopping 53 of the 57 shots he has faced in the process. On the injury front, both Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (groin) are on injured reserve and will not play. Cody Eakin, who was recalled on Thursday and played Friday at the expense of Mathieu Perreault, will probably will be in the lineup again, as will Tomas Kundratek, who has played the last two games over John Erskine and Jeff Schultz.

Puck drops 5:09-ish.

Eeking it Out

2012-01-14T15:43:00.002-05:00

Though the Washington Capitals have won games more often than they have lost them recently, especially on home ice, the victories have not come without nerves. In four of the Capitals' last five games, they have scored the first goal, an act that often breeds success for Washington.

Three of those four games, the Capitals have won, which, obviously, is the desired result. What has not been desired, however, is the fashion in which they have won those games; Washington has established a lead before waiting back and playing defense instead of attacking with the same vigor than they do at the start.

Predictably, this has allowed other teams to gain momentum and generate a large number of scoring chances. During Friday night's win against Tampa Bay, this recent trend came to a head, as after falling behind 3-0 in the game's opening 25 minutes, took advantage of the Capitals' passive play to score three of the next four goals, including two in the final three and a half minutes, and almost steal a win.

"We miss how many goals in the last five minutes?," asked Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher following that game. You outshoot your opponent 32-20 in their barn? Can't do much more than that."

For a team that has sky-high expectations, both within the organization and in the fan base, that is not the desired way to win hockey games. A win is a win, but allowing teams to fight back into the game is a disturbing trend that the Capitals themselves are eager to buck.

"When we have the lead there, we sit back a little bit," said Matt Hendricks after the Tampa game. "We shouldn't." Dale Hunter ageed, saying: "You always like to close them out, be sound defensively. When they score late, nobody's going to be happy. It's a win, but everybody wants to be sound."

That is, of course, the long term goal. Because the Capitals are still working into their new defensive system under Hunter, it's been difficult for them to put together full, 60-minute games. The Capitals want to just play sound defensive hockey and keep control of the game, instead of allowing the other team to attack them while attempting to achieve that goal.

"You need to limit those chances," said Karl Alzner. "But in doing that, you allow them to come at you a little bit. It's hard to keep going with that aggressive style, because it can bite you in the end, you have to find a good mix. We've done it in a couple games, but it's tough to do all the time."

Brooks Laich concurred. "It's a very tough thing to do, in today's game, to hold leads," he said. Even two and three goal leads, like we had last night (against Tampa). There are a lot of factors that have to do with it, but we need to just keep getting the lead. I think that's when we play our best."

With two home games coming up against teams below them in the standings before a tough road swing begins, the Capitals need to work out the kinks in their consistency and ability to keep the other team from dominating long stretches of play late.

Because although they may be getting wins out of teams like Tampa and a decimated Pittsburgh group, that won't fly when the Bruins come to town or the Capitals travel to Philadelphia later in the year.

They have the talent to do it. The question is, when?

Practice: Jan. 14

2012-01-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Saturday morning following their 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

After a game with new lines, Dale Hunter returned to his old units for this skate. The lines were as follows: Ovechkin-Johansson-Semin, Knuble-Laich-Brouwer, Ward-Halpern-Chimera, and Eakin-Hendricks-Beagle-Perreault.
Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom were nowhere to be seen, again, as they continue to recover from groin and head injuries, respectively. Dale Hunter would not provide an update on either player following practice, and neither has skated in over a week.

Check back later.

Rapid Rewind: Brouwer Power

2012-01-13T23:20:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Our Way of Life

2012-01-13T09:11:00.001-05:00

Check out this incredible video that I found on YouTube last night. This could not be more true.

The end is kind of upsetting, but still unbelievably awesome. It will happen. One day, it will happen.
Thanks to Janne Mokkenen for the video.

Gameday: vs. Tampa Bay, Jan. 13

2012-01-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

#OccupyTheNet

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to Verizon Center on Friday night as they attempt to continue some of the momentum that they picked up with their 1-0 win over the hated Penguins on Wednesday. The Caps enter tonight's game with a 6-3-1 record in their last ten games and a 22-17-2 mark overall for 46 standings points. Those 46 standings points place them second in the Southeast Division, four points back of the division leading Panthers, and eighth overall in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning, on the other hand, lost 5-2 to the Hurricanes last night, are 3-5-2 over their last ten games and 17-21-4 on the year for 38 standings points. Those 38 standings points place the Bolts fourth in the Southeast Division and thirteenth overall in the East. This is the second of six meetings between these two clubs this season; the Capitals won the first meeting 6-5, in a shootout, in early October.

Dwayne Roloson will get the call in nets from Guy Boucher after Mathieu Garon was blitzed by the Hurricanes last night, getting pulled in the process. Roloson, on the year, is 6-9-2 with a 3.76 GAA, .880 save percentage, and one shutout. He lost his only start against the Caps this year, that game in October, allowing five goals and falling in the shootout. Outside the crease, Tampa Bay is dealing with several injuries. Defensemen Mattias Ohlund (knee) and Victor Hedman (concussion) are out, as is right winger Adam Hall, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle last week.

Tomas Vokoun is almost certain to receive the start in goal following his sparkling 30 save shutout performance against the Penguins on Wednesday. On the year, Vokoun is 17-10-0 on the year with a 2.56 GAA, .915 save percentage, and two shutouts. In his one start against the Bolts this year, the second game of the season, Vokoun allowed five goals but pulled out the win in a shootout. On the injury front, both Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and Mike Green (groin) are on injured reserve and will not play. Cody Eakin, will play in place of Mathieu Perreault, while Jeff Schultz and John Erskine will be scratched for the second game in a row as Tomas Kundratek played well in his NHL debut.

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

Gameday: vs. Pittsburgh, Jan. 11

2012-01-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

Another must-win game.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Verizon Center tonight as they attempt to reclaim some momentum following a humiliating swing out west over the last five days. The Capitals enter tonight 5-4-1 over their last ten games, having lost two in a row, and 21-17-2 overall for 44 standings points. Those 44 points place them third in the Southeast Division, six behind leaders Florida, and tenth in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins, on the other hand, have lost five consecutive games, including a 5-1 loss to the Senators last night, and are 21-16-4 overall for 46 standings points. That point total places them fourth in the very competitive Atlantic Division and eighth overall in the East. This is the third of four meetings between these two clubs this season; they have split the season series so far.

Dan Bylsma will call on Marc-Andre Fleury in goal tonight after he relieved Brent Johnson during last night's loss in Ottawa. On the year, Fleury is 19-11-2 with a 2.32 GAA, .911 save percentage, and two shutouts, and always brings his A-game against the Capitals. Outside the crease, Pittsburgh is decimated by injuries. Sidney Crosby (concussion), Kris Letang (concussion), and Jordan Staal (knee) are all out with long-term injuries, while defenseman Paul Martin is questionable with an illness. Winger James Neal, who has a broken foot, is expected to play despite his injury.

Tomas Vokoun seems the likely candidate to get the call in goal from Dale Hunter despite allowing four goals on 27 shots in his last start, during which he was pulled after two periods. Vokoun is 16-10 on the year with a 2.66 GAA, .912 save percentage, and one shutout; he is 1-1 against Pittsburgh this season. On the injury front, both Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom will not play with groin and head injuries, respectively. That means that Tomas Kundratek, who was called up this morning, will make his NHL debut, while John Erskine and Jeff Schultz will be scratched.

Puck drops 7:09-ish.

Gameday: at San Jose, Jan. 7

2012-01-07T00:00:00.004-05:00

Washington hasn't won in San Jose in, well, a loong time...

The Washington Capitals are in San Jose, California this evening to take on the Sharks as they look to continue their recent momentum. The Capitals, who are coming off a 3-1 win over Calgary on Tuesday, are 6-3-1 in their last ten games and 21-15-2 overall for 44 standings points. Those 44 standings points place them second in the Southeast Division, four back of the Panthers, and ninth overall in the Eastern Conference. The Sharks, who won against Columbus on Thursday night, are 7-1-2 in their last ten games and 22-11-4 overall for 48 standings points. Those 48 pace the Pacific Division and are third in the Western Conference. This will be the the first of two regular season meetings between these two teams this season.

Todd McClellan will go with Antti Niemi in goal after the Finnish goaltender got a breather on Thursday. On the year, Niemi is 17-7-4 with a 2.29 GAA, .918 save percentage, and one shutout; he made 26 saves in his last start, a 3-1 win over the Ducks Wednesday. Outside the crease, the Sharks will be without big offseason acquisition and star winger Martin Havlat (leg), but both defensemen Jim Vandermeer (upper body) and Colin White (lower body) are questionable.

Tomas Vokoun will start his fifth consecutive game this evening following a very strong record in goal over the last twelve days. On the year, Vokoun is 16-8-0 with a 2.51 record, .915 save percentage, and one shutout. He made 18 saves in his last start, that 3-1 win over the Flames earlier this week. On the injury front, Washington will be missing Nicklas Backstrom with a concussion despite the fact that he has been working out all this week. Alexander Semin will return to the lineup in his stead, skating on the second line. Both Jeff Schultz and John Erskine will take a seat, meaning Mathieu Perreault will get a sweater for the first time in over a week.

Puck drops 10:38-ish.

Practice: Jan. 6

2012-01-06T16:36:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Friday afternoon at HP Pavilion as they prepare to take on the Sharks Saturday tonight. Some updates from San Jose:

Nicklas Backstrom missed the beginning of the skate while he was being evaluated, but joined his teammates after about 15 minutes, skating on a line with Marcus Johansson and Mike Knuble. The other lines stayed the same from practice on Thursday: Ovechkin-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Halpern-Ward, and Perreault-Hendricks-Beagle-Semin. It is worth noting that when Backstrom was not on the ice at the start of practice, Semin was with Johansson and Knuble on the second line.
After practice, Backstrom said that he felt good and hopes to be in the lineup against the Sharks, but that it's not his call. Dale Hunter also indicated that Alexander Semin is ready, but it has not been decided if he will play against San Jose. According to Capitals senior writer Mike Vogel, however, Semin will play. Oh boy.

That's all for now.
Thanks to Steve Whyno for some information used in this post.

Rounding the Corner?

2012-01-05T23:59:00.001-05:00

For the Washington Capitals, the last five weeks have been a major adjustment. Because regardless of how Bruce Boudreau coached Washington, his team almost always played a zone coverage in the defensive end of the rink. Whether the focus of the system was offense or defense, that part of it remained the same. It was a constant in an otherwise constantly shifting image of the Capitals.

In addition, there was he fact that a large percentage of the Capitals’ players had been using this style of play for four years under Boudreau. When Dale Hunter was appointed the 15^th Head Coach in franchise history at the end of November, he incorporated a defensive system based on man-to-man coverage. Changing from four years of passive, wait-and-see Boudreau defense to the up-tempo, speed-centric defense that Hunter employs predictably caused problems for some Capitals.

“It’s tough,” said defenseman Karl Alzner on December 19^th. “Certain changes are easier than others. Man-to-man is tougher. It’s tougher to go from what we were doing, a zone coverage, because it’s pretty much you’re just in your zone and you kind of just move around. Man-to-man makes you work quite a bit harder. Sometimes you just get caught up, with one guy playing a zone and the other a man-to-man. It’s tough to change. You have to make sure you’re on your guy. You can’t lose those battles.”

For much of the first month of Hunter’s tenure, the Capitals were losing those battles.

Struggling to find consistency under a new coach, Washington would post victories over average teams, such as Toronto and Ottawa, lose to average teams, like Colorado and New Jersey, and get blown out of the water by deep, strong teams, like Philadelphia. The team was unhappy. “Guys are struggling,” forward Matt Hendricks said in mid-December. “It’s not fun.”

Recently, however, it seems as though the Capitals are beginning to turn the corner. With wins in four consecutive games and five of their last seven, Washington has handed in strong performances against the Rangers, Nashville, Buffalo, and Calgary. They are beginning to believe that they can execute a system that their roster was not built to execute.

The keys behind it? A short memory and, of course, the ability to carry out the system on a nightly basis.

“We try to forget about the games where we didn’t do it,” said Hendricks after a 4-1 victory over the Rangers on December 27^th. “Ones where we didn’t play so well, we didn’t execute. We know we have it in this room. We showed it last night, and now it’s just that consistently that we’ve talked about all season.”

It should come as no surprise, then, that Washington’s recent success has ridden on finding that consistency, hard work, and finally becoming accustomed to and confident in Hunter’s new system.

“I think we’re quicker to recognize where our guys are,” Alzner said. “We’re more assertive. You see your guy and you go to him right away, instead of second-guessing. It’s also just that experience is big, starting to figure out where you’re supposed to be. Kind of like muscle memory. We’re still making a few mistakes here and there, and it’s just making sure that we don’t give up big mistakes, and it’s just little ones that we can get back.”

Forward Marcus Johansson, who has accustomed well to Hunter’s new system because of his speed and vision, also is quick to recognize its impact on the Capitals’ success. “Everybody’s buying into everything and working very hard,” he said following Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Calgary. “That’s the most important thing. No one is taking it easy. Everyone is working their hardest every night, and that’s going to play a huge part in this.”

Captain Alex Ovechkin feels the same way. “We just feel very good about our game right now,” Ovechkin said Tuesday. For a player who’s strengths are not necessarily suited for this defensive method, that kind of endorsement should serve as a good indicator.

And though this recent run of success is certainly nice, the road ahead is much tougher. The Capitals have two dates with the Pittsburgh Penguins remaining this month, as well as clashes with the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins and two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. There is still work to be done.

“You have to feel things out,” said Alzner. “You don’t want to get too overconfident. You have to remember that we’re not way above everybody. We’ve won [four] games, it’s nothing that huge yet. So we have to just bear down from the start, every game. We need to win all these games.”

Alzner is right. The Capitals do have to win these games.

With the way they’ve been playing lately, they just might find a way to do it not only now, but also in the spring. Wouldn't that be something.

Practice: Jan. 5

2012-01-05T11:52:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Thursday as they prepare to take on the San Jose Sharks on Saturday inside HP Pavilion. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Nicklas Backstrom was on the ice for practice, and participated fully, taking contact from his teammates and taking part in power play drills. He skated on a line with Marcus Johansson and Mike Knuble, and after practice said he felt good and that the plan is for him to accompany his teammates out west for games against the Sharks and Kings. All signs are positive, though Hunter would not commit to him playing against San Jose.
The other lines were as follows: Ovechkin-Laich-Brouwer, Ward-Halpern-Chimera, and Hendricks-Perreault-Beagle-Semin. While it is certainly a good sign that Semin is skating, the fact that he is on the fourth line means he probably won't play Saturday, even though he will go on the trip.
Also a funny note from this morning, Karl Alzner was forced to wear a Russia jersey as a result of a lost bet over the result of Tuesday's Canada-Russia game at the World Junior Championships. Said Alzner, who won two Gold Medals at the WJCs with team Canada (more on that here), "it was the worst morning of my life."

That's all for now.
Thanks to Adam Vingan for some information in this post.

Practice: Jan. 4

2012-01-04T12:02:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Wednesday for an optional skate as they prepare to travel West on Thursday and take on the Sharks Saturday. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

The big story of the day was leading scorer Nicklas Backstrom, who suffered a head injury last night when he was elbowed the in the head by Rene Bourque. Backstrom's brother, Kristoffer, tweeted early Wednesday that Nick was undergoing a concussion test; he then followed it up with another tweet saying that the test was inconclusive, and that he may have a small concussion or migraine.
Backstrom himself was not made available to the media. His teammates, however, hope for the best. Alex Ovechkin said that he didn't think Backstrom will miss any time, while Marcus Johansson said he wasn't doing "too bad." According to Dale Hunter, Backstrom also worked out off-ice on Wednesday and is, per Capitals tradition, "day-to-day." "He seems fine," said the coach.
This goes without saying, but I'll go ahead and say it anyway: if Nicklas Backstrom is lost for any significant period of time, the Caps are toast.
Alexander Semin did skate, however, and he is also still day-to-day. Hunter said that he would be evaluated tomorrow to see how his injury responds, but that there is no indication on his ability to go on the road trip or play in San Jose or Los Angeles.

That's all for now.
Thanks to Steve Whyno for some of the information in this post.

Rapid Rewind: Fantastic Four

2012-01-03T23:04:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Calgary, Jan. 3

2012-01-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

Captain Alex Ovechkin has 4 goals in his last 2 games.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Calgary Flames to Verizon Center this evening as they attempt to continue their winning ways over the last week. The Caps enter this evening's action 6-3-1 over their last ten games and 20-15-2 overall for a total of 42 standings points. Those 42 points place them third in the Southeast Division, five behind division leader Florida with two games in hand, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point back of the final playoff spot with two games in hand. The Flames, on the other hand, are 4-3-3 in their last ten and 18-17-5 overall for a total of 41 standings points. As a result, they are third in the Northwest Division and twelfth overall in the Western Conference. This is the one and only meeting between these two clubs this season.

Calgary coach Brent Sutter is expected to rely on top goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff this evening despite the fact that he was lit up for four goals in his last outing against the Predators. On the year, Kipper has a 17-13-2 record, 2.45 GAA, .916 save percentage, and two shutouts. He allowed seven goals the last time these two teams met, in Calgary last season on Halloween night. The Flames will also be without some of their top players tonight because of injury. Defensemen Mark Giordano (hamstring) and Derek Smith (high ankle sprain) are out, as is winger Alex Tanguay (upper body).

Dale Hunter will call on Tomas Vokoun in goal for the fourth consecutive game tonight. Vokoun is 15-8-0 on the year with a 2.57 GAA, .914 save percentage, and one shutout, and has played very well against the Flames in his career as well. On the injury front, defenseman Mike Green is scheduled to return to the lineup this evening after a 23 game absence because of a groin injury. In order to help ease Green back into the lineup, the Caps will go with seven defensemen, meaning that Alexander Semin, who is nursing an injury on his right arm, will not play. Mathieu Perreault and Jeff Schultz will be the healthy scratches.

Puck drops 7:11-ish because of two national anthems. Check back later.

Practice: Jan. 2

2012-01-02T12:13:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday for a practice as they prepare to take on the Calgary Flames Tuesday night at Verizon Center. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Alexander Semin was absent from practice, as he was given a "maintenance day." Despite this, Dale Hunter would not commit to Semin playing against the Flames tomorrow. In addition, according to a Caps spokesperson, Semin is not suffering from a cut on his arm, despite reports otherwise this morning.
As such, the lines were as follows: Ovechkin-Laich-Brouwer, Johansson-Backstrom-Knuble, Chimera-Halpern-Ward, and Perreault-Hendricks-Beagle. Mike Green, who skated for a full practice again Monday, is still progressing and could play tomorrow. He said that this is the best he's felt since suffering his injury over 50 days ago and a determination on his status would be made after the morning skate.

That's all for now.

Happy New Year, Flyers Fans: Bobrovsky to Start Winter Classic

2012-01-01T13:26:00.001-05:00

On Sunday morning after the Flyers practiced at Citizens Bank Park, candid goalie Ilya Bryzgalov dropped an absolute bombshell: he would not be playing in Monday's Winter Classic. Without a doubt, this has to do with his recent string of poor performances, including giving up five goals on 16 shots against the Lightning earlier in the week.
Below, courtesy of Puck Daddy, is Bryzgalov's media session, which includes, along with the announcement, his plans for the day and him saying it "may not work" in Philadelphia.

Now THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is 51 million dollars well spent. Eight more years...

Rapid Rewind: Bang Bang

2011-12-31T22:02:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Columbus, Dec. 31

2011-12-31T00:04:00.001-05:00

Alex Semin needs to continue his recent hot streak.

The Washington Capitals are in Columbus, Ohio, this evening to take on the Blue Jackets as they try and continue their winning ways following their 3-1 victory last night over the Sabres. The Caps enter tonight's play 6-3-1 over their last ten and 19-15-2 on the year for 40 standings points. Those 40 points place them third in the Southeast Division, five back of the Panthers with two games in hand, and tenth in the Eastern Conference, one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Columbus, on the other hand, comes into tonight 2-6-2 over their last ten games and 10-22-5 overall. That record gives them 25 standings points, which places them last in the Central Division and last in the Western Conference. This is the one and only meeting between these two teams this season.

Columbus coach Scott Arniel will choose to roll with starter Steve Mason against the Caps in goal this evening following his 31-save effort in a 4-1 win over Dallas on Thursday. Mason, who won the Calder Trophy in 2008-2009 with an amazing year, has struggled over the last two full seasons and the first half of this campaign. Overall this season, he is 5-15-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .887 save percentage. Outside the crease, the Blue Jackets will be without several key pieces for tonight's game. Offseason free agent prize James Wisniewski is out six weeks after breaking his ankle on Thursday, while winger Kristian Huselius will be absent witha groin muscle tear and defenseman Radek Martinek will not play with a concussion.

Tomas Vokoun will be the choice in goal for Dale Hunter following two excellent performances over his last two starts in which he has stopped 56 of the 58 shots thrown his way. On the year, Vokoun is 14-8-0 with a 2.60 GAA, .913 save percentage, and one shutout; his numbers are rapidly improving. On the injury front, defenseman Mike Green, who has missed the last seven weeks because of a bad groin muscle, is on the trip with the Caps but is not expected to play. Cody Eakin, who was recalled by the Caps last night, will give Jay Beagle a rest to prevent a possible recurrence of post-concussion symptoms. That seems to imply Mathieu Perreault has had a setback with his abdominal injury. Jeff Schultz is expected to be the healthy scratch once more on the back end.

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

Rapid Rewind: Heating Up

2011-12-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Buffalo, Dec. 30

2011-12-30T00:05:00.002-05:00

Are the boys back in town? Remains to be seen.

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Buffalo Sabres to Verizon Center on Friday night as they attempt to build on some of the momentum they collected with their superb win over the Rangers on Wednesday night and in the process, buck their disturbing recent trend of playing very well for a game an then falling apart in their next contest. The Caps enter tonight's game 5-4-1 in their last ten and 18-15-2 overall for 37 standings points. Those 37 points place them third in the Southeast Division, seven back of the Panthers, and tenth in the Eastern Conference, one back of the final playoff spot. The Sabres, who have also struggled recently (except when they play the Caps), are 3-5-2 in their last ten and 17-16-3 overall for 37 standings points. That total has them in fourth place in the Northeast Division and eleventh in the Eastern Conference. This is the third meeting between these two clubs this season; the Sabres have won both previous games inside First Niagara Center by a combined score of 9-3.

Lindy Ruff's choice in nets will be Ryan Miller, despite the fact that he has started seven in a row and Buffalo has another game on Saturday at home against the Senators. On the year, Miller is 9-9-2 with a 3.05 GAA, .902 save percentage, and one shutout. Outside the crease, the Sabres will be missing several key components to their lineup because of injuries for this evening's contest. Defensemen Andrej Sekera (head) and Tyler Myers (wrist) are both out, as are forwards Ville Leino (lower body) and Nathan Gerbe (concussion). Winger Tyler Ennis (ankle) is questionable.

Tomas Vokoun has been selected start his second game in a row following a solid performance against New York on Wednesday. On the year, Vokoun is 13-8-0 with a 2.67 GAA, .911 save percentage, and one shutout. He most recently faced the Sabres with a relief appearance on Monday, in which he stopped 16 of 17 shots in 47 minutes of action. On the injury front, defenseman Mike Green is will not play as he continues to work his way back from a groin injury. He has skated for three practices in a row and said after practice on Thursday he "could" be back tonight, but will wait. Jeff Schultz and Mathieu Perreault will remain healthy scratches, as Dale Hunter sees no reason to change up a lineup that romped on one of the best teams in the East last time out.

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

Practice: Dec. 29

2011-12-29T12:44:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Thursday morning as they prepare to meet the Sabres Friday night at Verizon Center. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

The lines were the same as they were for Wednesday night's win over the Rangers: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin, Ward-Laich-Chimera, Johansson-Halpern-Brouwer, and Knuble-Hendricks-Beagle-Perreault.
Mike Green also took his third consecutive full practice as he recovers from a groin injury, taking full rushes with his fellow defensemen and not looking like he was hesitating very much at all. After skating, green said that he could be back this weekend but a more realistic timeline would be next week, ideally Tuesday against Calgary.

That's all for now.

Rapid Rewind: Top Gun

2011-12-28T23:01:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. NY Rangers, Dec. 28

2011-12-28T00:02:00.005-05:00

Time to pick it up...

The Washington Capitals will welcome the New York Rangers to Verizon Center on Wednesday night as they look to break their two game losing streak and build desperately needed momentum heading into the new year. Washington enters tonight's game 5-4-1 in their last ten, including Monday's embarrassing loss in Buffalo, and overall is 17-15-2 for 36 standings points. Those 36 points place them third in the Southeast Division, seven points back of the Panthers, and eleventh overall in the East, three points out of the final playoff spot. The Rangers, on the other hand, are on fire, compiling a 7-2-1 record over their last ten while being 22-8-4 overall for 48 standings points. Those 48 points lead both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. This is the second of four meetings between these two clubs this season; New York smacked the Caps on the day after Thanksgiving inside Verizon by a score of 6-3.

John Tortorella will go with his backup, Martin Biron, in goal against the Caps tonight. Though Biron is certainly number two behind Henrik Lundqvist, he has been spectacular this year nonetheless: a 7-1-0 record, 1.84 GAA, .933 save percentage, and one shutout. He is 11-8-1 against Washington in his career, but has never faced them as a member of the Rangers. Outside the crease, the Rangers are missing three players to long term injuries: defensemen Michael Sauer and Marc Staal (both have concussions) and winger Wojtek Wolski (groin).

Tomas Vokoun is expected to make his first start for Dale Hunter tonight in more than two weeks. Vokoun, who appeared in relief of a dreadful Michal Neuvirth on Monday night, is 12-8 on the year with a 2.75 GAA, .907 save percentage, and one shutout. On the injury front, Mike Green is almost certainly out with a groin injury, though he practiced Tuesday and could be nearing a return. Jay Beagle will make his return to the lineup after a nearly three month long absence, replacing Mathieu Perreault on the fourth line. As of now, there is no reason to expect Jeff Schultz to get a sweater over either Roman Hamrlik or John Erskine, though he deserves it.

Gametime tonight is 7:39.

Practice: Dec. 27

2011-12-27T12:31:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Tuesday morning for a practice as they prepare to try and right the ship against the Conference-leading Rangers on Wednesday night. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mathieu Perreault, who left Monday night's game against the Sabres because of an upper-body injury and stayed in Buffalo overnight for observation, returned to the practice ice on a line with Matt Hendricks, Mike Knuble, and Jay Beagle. The other lines were changed up too: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin, Johansson-Halpern-Brouwer, and Ward-Laich-Chimera.
Mike Green participated in practice for the duration of the skate for the first time since sustaining his second groin injury. Previously, Green had been leaving practice when drills began after skating before practice began and with his teammates on ice before drills began. The defenseman saw time on the power play during the skate. Afterwards, he indicated that he is feeling much better, but is still day to day. He seems a long shot to play against the Rangers at this point.

That's all for now.

Rapid Rewind: Speared

2011-12-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Buffalo, Dec. 26

2011-12-26T00:03:00.001-05:00

Ah, the good olde days of goal scoring...

The Washington Capitals are in Buffalo, New York, this evening to take on the Sabres in a Boxing Day clash as they attempt to gain some momentum heading out of the Christmas break. The Caps come into tonight's game having gone 5-4-1 over their last ten, including their last game, a 4-3 overtime loss against the Devils on Friday. Overall, they are 17-14-2 on the year for 36 standings points, which places them third in the Southeast Division and tenth in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres, so far, have had an equally disappointing season as the Caps have, and are 3-5-2 over their last ten and 16-15-3 overall for 37 standings points. That has them in fourth in the competitive Northeast Division and eleventh in the East, one point behind the Caps. This is the second meeting between these two clubs this year; the Sabres won the first leg 5-1 in what was Bruce Boudreau's final game behind the Washington bench.

Ryan Miller is expected to earn the nod from Lindy Ruff, despite losing his last three contests. After a Vezina-winning campaign in 2009-10, Miller fell off a bit last year, and has continued that so far this year. On the year he is 8-8-2 with a 3.11 GAA, .904 save percentage, and one shutout. Despite his poor performance this year, he's still Ryan Miller, and he won that Vezina for a reason. Buffalo is also dealing with a rash of injuries, as defenseman Tyler Myers (wrist) and forwards Ville Leino (lower body) and Nathan Gerbe (concussion) are all out indefinitely. Forwards Thomas Vanek (lower body), Brad Boyes (leg), and Tyler Ennis (ankle) are also all questionable for tonight's game.

Tomas Vokoun should start for Dale Hunter after a four game layoff and Michal Neuvirth's loss against the Devils. Vokoun has underperformed vastly this year, and on the year is 12-8-0 with a 2.81 GAA .906 save percentage, and one shutout. He was pulled from his last start, two weeks ago against the Flyers. On the injury front, both Mike Green and Jay Beagle are out with groin and concussion injuries, respectively, and will not play. In terms of healthy scratches, as of now there is no indication that Jeff Schultz will reclaim the role in the lineup that is rightfully his over John Erskine or Roman Hamrlik, but of course that could all change.

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

World Juniors Hold Special Meaning for Carlson and Alzner

2011-12-25T12:56:00.001-05:00

Karl Alzner was a decorated member of two Canadian WJC teams.

For most of their professional careers, Capitals defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner have been attached at the hip. Carlson, 21, and Alzner, 23, who were drafted two years apart, began their professional journeys with the Caps' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, developing alongside current Caps like Michal Neuvirth, Mathieu Perreault, and Jay Beagle. There, the two of them played together often, and both were huge pieces of the Hershey teams that won back to back Calder Cups in 2009 and 2010.
When they both graduated to full time NHL duty last season, they made the transition very well, playing together for a big part of the season and quickly establishing themselves as the Caps' most consistent and best defensive pairing at the NHL level. A lot of that, according to Alzner, was based on his familiarity with Carlson from playing with him in Hershey. "We didn't really start playing that good of a defensive hockey until about halfway through the year," Alzner said in October. "But we figured it out because we know each other. There's little miscommunication. It's nice to play with him, and we're very happy that we're still together."
There is one area, however, in which Carlson and Alzner will always be on opposite sides: international play. Alzner was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver that is a mere 20 miles north of the United States/Canada border. Carlson, on the other hand, was born in Natick, Massachusetts, a small town south of Boston.
As some of the finest young hockey players from their respective countries in their late teens, they were both selected to play in the IIHF Under-20 World Championships, colloquially known as the World Junior Championships, before they cracked the Capitals' roster. The World Juniors are one of the most widely viewed and most hotly contested Junior sporting events in the world, especially in Canada. And even though they never played against one another in the Tournament, it was an incredible experience for both of them as central members of Championship teams.

Alzner, who played for and won with Team Canada in both 2007 and 2008, was also captain of the squad his second year, on a team with current NHL superstars like Drew Doughty, Steven Stamkos, and Claude Giroux. "That's the ultimate for us," said Alzner on Thursday. "Making the NHL is one thing, but playing in World Juniors is another thing. That’s something a lot of kids look up to, playing with those guys, and even parents, you sit down and watch for a week or ten days straight. That’s the highest honor in Canada, to play for your country in hockey."
Carlson only played in one World Junior Championship, in 2010, although the experience was equally important for him. "Every time you wear that jersey it’s an honor and it’s an added level of pressure but at the same time it’s joy," he said. "It’s huge. Not many people get the chance to represent their country like that, and I was lucky to be on that team and contribute."

Carlson (11) celebrates the USA's 2010 win.

When Carlson says "contribute," he is referring
to a performance that saw him be selected to the Tournament All-Star team while posting four goals, three assists, and a plus-8 rating in seven games. One of those goals, of course, was the game-winner in overtime of the Gold Medal game, breaking Canada's string of five consecutive World Junior titles, something which Alzner is not overly bitter about. "He scored the winning goal and stopped our streak of five in a row, it was a pretty important time and moment for him. One thing I said when he did score, if anyone on that team was going to score, I was happy that it was him.”
And though Carlson certainly gives his defensive partner and good friend a hard time about that accomplishment, he often stops short when he realizes that two is better than one. Said Alzner: "He chirps all the time but then he slowly stops, because he knows that I won twice and he only won once. So he says something and I just kind of give him a look, but he knows." His defensive partner agreed. "He has two gold medals, so you know, I don’t really talk to him too much about that," Carlson said, laughing. "It's all in good fun."
The 2012 incarnation of this tournament is scheduled to begin on December 26th, this coming Monday, and will be played in both Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. And despite their busy schedule, the World Juniors is something that the Caps always make sure to watch not only because of their own personal ties to the tournament, but for bragging rights within the locker room. "It’s a fun tournament to watch for all of us because a lot of us have played in it and everyone’s rooting for their own country," said Carlson. "It’s a good rivalry between the guys.”

Rapid Rewind: A Point is a Point

2011-12-23T21:51:00.001-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at New Jersey, Dec. 23

2011-12-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

Zach Parise's Devils have been very hot of late.

The Washington Capitals are in Newark, New Jersey this evening as they try and build on the momentum they picked up with their nice win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. Washington enters tonight's game and even 5-5 in their last ten games while posting a 17-14-1 record overall for 35 standings points. Those 35 points place them second in the Southeast Division, seven behind the Florida Panthers, and in ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Senators for the final playoff spot. New Jersey is coming off a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the Rangers Tuesday but are nonetheless 6-4 in their last ten and 18-14-1 for 37 standings points. That has them fourth in the highly competitive Atlantic Division but still sixth in the Conference. This is the second of four meetings between these two teams this season; the Caps won the first leg in October.

Martin Brodeur will get the call in goal from Peter DeBoer despite losing his last start against the Rangers. The ageless Brodeur, who is probably the greatest goaltender to ever play (though Montreal fans will certainly disagree), has struggled this year to the tune of an 8-9 record, 3.08 GAA, and .885 save percentage. That said, he is still Marty Brodeur and can turn it on at any time. Outside the crease, the Devils have a few injuries to worry about. Defensemen Andy Greene will miss the game with a toe injury, while rookie star Adam Larsson will be absent as he returns to Sweden to mourn the loss of his grandmother. Winger David Clarkson (illness) and defenseman Henrik Tallinder (back) are both questionable.

Dale Hunter will give the call in goal to Michal Neuvirth for the fourth consecutive game. After the starting out the season on a disastrous note, Neuvirth has played well of late, allowing four goals combined over his last three starts, winning two of them. On the year, he is 5-6-1 with a 3.09 GAA, .893 save percentage, and one shutout. He has also owned the Devils in his career, going 4-0-1 in five starts with a 1.18 GAA, .960 save percentage, and one shutout. On the injury front, the Caps will be without Mike Green (groin) and Jay Beagle (concussion). Jeff Schultz seems likely to return to the press box after a one game experiment back in the lineup; John Erskine would return in his place.

Puck drops 7:10-ish. Check back later.

Practice: Dec. 22

2011-12-22T13:48:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice for a practice Thursday afternoon as they prepare to take on the New Jersey Devils Friday night in Newark. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Mike Green skated before practice for about 30 minutes and then remained on ice for about 15 minutes into the practice, taking rushes with the other defensemen. Green looked good in testing his injured groin muscle, but there is still no timetable for his return. He did not speak with reporters afterwards.
The lines were as follows: Johansson-Backstrom-Semin, Ovechkin-Laich-Brouwer, Chimera-Halpern-Ward, and Hendricks-Perreault-Knuble-Beagle. Beagle seemed to be increasing the intensity of his work again following a solid practice Monday, taking a regular rotation in line rushes and taking some hits along the wall.
Dale Hunter confirmed after practice that Michal Neuvirth will start Friday against the Devils. This will be his fourth consecutive game in net.

The Capitals will travel to New Jersey this afternoon. That's all for now.

Sarge Demoted to Private...Inexplicably

2011-12-21T11:18:00.009-05:00

I bet you the Lightning did not score on this play.

Ever since John Erskine had his breakout performance last season, a debate has been going on between Capitals bloggers, fans, and media: when the lineup is fully intact among defensemen, does Erskine or Jeff Schultz deserve to get the call on a nightly basis? Under Bruce Boudreau, the answer was almost always Schultz. Boudreau had seen what Schultz could do every night when he played with Mike Green extensively in Hershey, and so when given the choice, he went with Schultz.

Since Dale Hunter took over as head coach almost a month ago, however, Schultz has fallen out of favor spectacularly. In the six games under Hunter in which a defenseman, presumably Schultz or Erskine, could have been scratched, Schultz has sat five times and Erskine once, this past Tuesday against Nashville. In the game that they both dressed for, Schultz saw a third of the ice time that Erskine did (3:55 to 12:56). Which, of course, is silly, because Jeff Schultz is a better defenseman than John Erskine.

Yes. I said it. Jeff Schultz is better than John Erskine.

Consider this: among Capitals defensemen who have played in 13 or more games this year, Schultz is second in 5v5 goals against per 60 minutes at 2.18, according to the website BehindTheNet.ca. That means that at even strength, the team has allowed the second fewest goals against per 60 minutes when Schultz is on the ice, behind only to Karl Alzner. In fact, Schultz is in second by a wide margin, with rookie Dmitry Orlov the next closest at 2.31 per 60 minutes. Erskine clocks in at fifth, allowing 2.49 per 60 minutes.

Not only has Schultz been good at keeping goals out, but he's also been good at keeping the opposition from getting the puck on net in the first place. Again, according to Behind the Net, Schultz is first on the team among defensemen, regardless of how many games played, in 5v5 saves for per 60 minutes at 25. Like above, that means that with Schultz on the ice, the Capitals' goaltender has had to make the fewest saves per 60 minutes. Coupled together with Schultz's 2.18 goals against, that's 27.18 shots against per 60 minutes, the best on the team. Erskine, on the other hand, allows 26.2 saves per 60 minutes while playing at even strength. Combined with his 2.49 goals allowed, that's 28.69 shots against per 60 minutes, again fifth.

Lastly, and perhaps least importantly because neither Schultz nor Erskine is relied on for offense, is the difference between these two players in terms of goals for. Among Washington defensemen who have played in 13 or more games this year, Schultz is fourth in 5v5 goals for per 60 minutes at 2.18, again per Behind the Net. That's not very good when you consider that John Carlson is the leader at 2.98, but it's certainly better than Erskine, who is second to last, in front of only Dmitry Orlov, at 1.93. That's a full quarter of a goal worse than Schultz.

Even if these types of stats are not your cup of tea, Schultz trumps Erskine in most other traditional categories as well, including points, blocks, hits, average ice time, average shorthanded ice time, and plus-minus rating.

To me, this makes it totally inexcusable that Jeff Schultz has been keeping a seat warm next to George McPhee in the press box recently. Even when he was able to get into a game, this past Tuesday against the Predators, he played 6:01. Six minutes of total ice time for the player who, statistically, has allowed the fewest shots and second fewest goals among defensemen on the entire Capitals roster. "I thought he looked okay," said Dale Hunter after that game. "When you're not playing for three, four days, you're gonna look a little rusty, but, he was okay." Maybe if he played more than six minutes, he might look a little less rusty, Mr. Hunter.

Yes, I understand that Schultz is "slow" and that he "does not hit people." That's fine. But Erskine does not exactly rival Phil Kessel's foot speed, and though he does hit people, and work extremely hard, that's just not a valid reason to keep someone in the lineup over a proven defenseman like Schultz. I have nothing against Erskine. He is a warrior; he gives it his all every shift, just as Hunter called him recently. But again, that's not justification for keeping him in the lineup over Schultz every night and even when Erskine is benched, giving Schultz six minutes on the ice.

By almost any metric and almost any way you look at it, Schultz does not belong in the press box. As you know from watching Caps games in which Schultz plays, it's almost never pretty; in fact it's usually pretty ugly. But the man gets the job done. When he's on the ice, the puck usually doesn't end up in the Capitals' net.

What more do you want?

Rapid Rewind: Vintage

2011-12-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: vs. Nashville, Dec. 20

2011-12-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

Panic time...

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Nashville Predators to Verizon Center this evening as they attempt to shake off another disappointing loss and rebound against a tough team. The Caps enter tonight's game having lost their last game in Colorado and six of their last ten, and have posted a 16-14-1 record overall. That record gives them 33 standings points, which places them third in the Southeast Division, nine back of the Panthers, and in eleventh in the Eastern Conference. The Predators, on the other hand, have been hot recently, winning five in a row and seven of their last ten. On the year, they're 17-11-4 for 38 standings points, which has them fourth in the Central Division and seventh in the Western Conference. This is the second of two meetings between these two clubs this season; the Predators won 3-1 in the first meeting, which took place in mid-November.

Barry Trotz will roll with his backup netminder, Anders Lindback, in goal tonight. Lindback is one of the most capable backups in the league and on the year is 2-2 with a 2.52 GAA and .902 save percentage. He's no Pekka Rinne, but he's still good. Outside the crease, the Predators actually have zero injuries to their team. So one of the best and most consistent teams in the NHL is coming in against one of the least consistent and beat up teams in the NHL. Oh, and then there's Shea Weber. Could be fun, I guess.

Despite allowing a very poor goal that cost the Caps the game on Saturday night, Michal Neuvirth will make his third consecutive start in goal for Dale Hunter. Neuvirth's numbers are very poor this year: 4-6-1 record, 3.27 GAA, and .889 save percentage, but for some reason Hunter will call him him to right the shift. On the injury front, the Caps are sure to be without both Mike Green and Jay Beagle, who have missed extended periods of time with groin and concussion injuries, respectively. With Cody Eakin now in Hershey, there will be no forward healthy scratch; Dale Hunter has not indicated that Jeff Schultz will be given a jersey after spending the last week in the press box.

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

Practice: Dec. 19

2011-12-19T12:32:00.001-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday morning at 10:30 as they prepare for Tuesday night's game with the Nashville Predators. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:
Mike Green skated by himself for about 40 minutes before practice began, and left the ice as soon as the rest of his teammates came on for practice. Dale Hunter would not provide an update on Green after practice, saying only that he "looked good skating." Okay.
Dale Hunter also took a blowtorch to his lines again, rolling the following units: Johansson-Backstrom-Ovechkin, Brouwer-Halpern-Semin, Chimera-Laich-Ward, and Hendricks-Perreault-Knuble-Beagle. Midway through the skate, a Capitals spokesperson said that Beagle has indeed been cleared for a full practice, including contact. Players did hit him during practice, and he said he "felt good" but has absolutely no timetable for a return to game action.

That's all for now.

An Error Up Top

2011-12-18T11:27:00.009-05:00

Can this forced relationship actually work?

Dale Hunter was the wrong choice to be the head coach of the Washington Capitals.

Now that that is out of the way, let me say first that letting Bruce Boudreau go was the correct call by George McPhee. Boudreau was, and still is, a fantastic coach who did wonderful things for the Capitals organization and the city of Washington. But his time had come. Washington, a team who on paper should crank out 45 wins, were spinning their wheels and getting blown out by mediocre teams like Winnipeg and Buffalo. In November.
The Capitals had tuned Boudreau out; he had lost the team and they did not believe in his system. That, in additon to the fact that Boudreau had failed to make it out of the second round of the playoffs over the last three years while having arguably the most talent-laden roster in the league during that time. It was simply over.
Part of that is certainly on the players for being entitled for three and a half years under Boudreau before their head coach attempted to reign them in. They didn't have killer instinct in the playoffs, letting 3-1 and 2-0 series leads slip away. And of course, part of it is on Boudreau for not preaching that instinct and letting the inmates run the asylum for three and a half years before trying to regain control through "accountability" with stunningly poor results.
In order attempt to fix the problem, George McPhee brought in franchise icon Hunter from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Hunter had an amazing run with the Knights: six division titles, six seasons of over 100 standings points, and a Memorial Cup victory in 2004-05. And yet, he was still the wrong choice to be the head coach of this team.
The reasons are twofold. First, the Capitals are still a very talented team. Alex Ovechkin may be being outscored by Matt Moulson and Max Talbot, Alexander Semin may still be invisible most of the time, and Tomas Vokoun might be vastly underperforming, but at the end of the day this team is, quite frankly, better than most on paper. The issue is not making the playoffs, it is going far in the playoffs.
Why hire a coach who has not only no playoff experience, but one who has never coached professionally before?
The Capitals have Stanley Cup aspirations this year. First year coaches almost never win the Stanley Cup. That's not a knock in Hunter's coaching ability, it's just the truth. Dan Bylsma is the exception, not the rule, and even then he had coached in the AHL before he took over for Pittsburgh. People say Hunter was hired for his toughness and no-nonsense attitude. Which he certainly does. But why not hire someone like Marc Crawford, who has won a Cup and possesses those attributes?
Secondly, the Capitals have built a franchise around scoring goals. Lots of goals. Dale Hunter's system preaches the opposite of that. Hunter's system relies upon puck support, a trap in the neutral zone, and good defensive zone play from the forwards. It does little to open the game up and give players chances to score. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding: in the nine games since Hunter took over, the Caps have scored one goal five times.
That's fine when you are a team like the Bruins who have 11 great two way players and a glorified enforcer in your forward corps who can play great defense and still score because they wear people down. The Capitals just do not have that.
Because no matter how hard you try and get Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, among others, to play good positional defense, they just won't do it. They're scorers. Heroic shifts and shot blocks are nice and certainly deserve recognition, but they don't indicate consistently good defensive play or positioning. By forcing Semin, and particularly Ovechkin, in to doing what many people have said is "necessary to win," are the Capitals actually lessening their chances at winning by taking away offensive opportunities from their franchise players, goal scorers, and captain?
Why not let them loose? Try and let Team Russian Sniper do what they are paid a lot of money to do? Some have said, falsely, that Alex Ovechkin is a "coach killer." What if it is in fact the coaching that is killing Alex Ovechkin? I haven't seen the old Alex since November of 2010. It's not a coincidence that's when Boudreau started the new defensive system. The questions, to me, are worth asking.
The Capitals failed to make it out of the first round with a free-flowing system in place, yes. They also managed to build a 3-1 series lead before running in to one of the most incredible postseason runs by a goaltender in the history of the NHL. It wasn't that fact that they played offensive hockey that was the reason they lost, it was Halak. Halak was system-proof; he proved it by eliminating the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the second round. Why not go back to what made them the most dominant offensive team in over a decade a mere two seasons ago?
Is Hunter's system the more likely to grind out close playoff games? Probably. But this roster is not built for that kind of system. It wasn't when Bruce Boudreau played a defensive system; the result stayed the same in the playoffs. It certainly isn't now. If Hunter were to have been named the coach in the offseason, when it was more logistically feasible to make huge changes to the roster like the Flyers did, the hire would make more sense. Not right now. Not with these players. This an offensive team. It's what made them so great, it's what sold tickets, it's what elevated the Caps to arguably the biggest deal in DC sports.
I am sure that Dale Hunter will grow into a fantastic NHL coach and win a lot of hockey games when given the right players to execute his defensive system. But that will take time. Boring hockey is fine, as long as you find a way to get it done. The Caps haven't been able to do that.
Should Dale Hunter be fired? No. That's ludicrous. But expecting an extended run at a Championship this season seems unrealistic. It's a shame that the results, again, probably will not be there for a team so talented.

For a fan base and a franchise growing more desperate by the day, it just might not be good enough.

Rapid Rewind: Frosted

2011-12-18T00:10:00.000-05:00

Read my RtR game recap here.

Gameday: at Colorado, Dec. 17

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Captain, my captain...

The Washington Capitals are in Denver, Colorado this evening to take on the Avalanche as they look to build upon their tight win against the Jets Thursday night. The Caps, who have won four of their last six, are nonetheless 4-6 over their last ten and enter tonight's game with a 16-13-1 record. That gives them 33 standings points, which places them second in the Southeast Division, five points back on the Panthers, and in eighth in the Eastern Conference, holding on to the final playoff spot. Colorado, on the other hand, have really struggled since their hot start, and are 5-5 in their last ten, including a 5-4 loss to San Jose on Thursday night. They have a 14-17-1 record, which gives them 29 standings points and places them last in the Northwest Division and thirteenth in the Western Conference. This is the one and only meeting between these two clubs this season.

It is unknown at this time who the Avalanche will go with in goal, as Joe Sacco did not hold a practice on Friday. Bothe Avalance goalies have been poor so far this year, but Semyon Varlamov was very bad in Colorado's net on Thursday night, giving up 3 goals in the third period as the Avs let a 4-2 lead slip away. Will J-S Giguere get the call or will Varly get a chance to prove that George McPhee didn't totally fleece Colorado? We'll know after the morning skate. Outside the crease, the Avalanche only have three minor injuries. Brandon Yip, Ryan Wilson, and Peter Mueller are all on the mend with long-term injuries and will not play. Winger Chuck Kobasew is questionable.

For the Caps, Dale Hunter will give the tap on the pads to Michal Neuvirth following his excellent 26 save shutout of Winnipeg on Thursday. Even with his shutout, Neuvirth's numbers have been less than stellar so far this year: a 4-5-1 record, 3.38 GAA, .885 save percentage, and the aforementioned shutout. On the injury front, defenseman Mike Green is expected to miss another game with his groin injury, though he should have joined the team as of this morning. Matt Hendricks, who missed more than a week with a knee injury, is slated to return, and either Cody Eakin or Mathieu Perreualt will be benched in his place. Jeff Schultz seems certain to be healthy scratched for the third consecutive game despite the fact that he is much better than Roman Hamrlik. Oops. Did I say that out loud?

Puck drops for this one 9:09-ish.

Gameday: at Winnipeg, Dec. 15

2011-12-15T00:03:00.000-05:00

"Our work ethic needs to skyrocket."

The Washington Capitals are in Winnipeg, Manitoba this evening as they attempt to shake off another hammering and get a win to open their brief two game road trip. The Caps enter tonight's game with a 4-6 record over their last ten, and are 15-13-1 overall for 31 standings points. Their record places them third in the Southeast Division, seven back of leaders Florida, and in twelfth in the Eastern Conference, two points back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Conference. The Jets, on the other hand, are coming off a huge win over the NHL-leading Minnesota Wild and are 6-3-1 over their last ten and 14-12-4 overall. That record gives them 32 standings points, which has them second in t he Southeast and tenth in the East. This is the third of six meetings between these two clubs this season; they have split the season series so far.

Claude Noel is almost certain to call on Ondrej Pavelec against the Caps tonight. Pavelec's numbers don't look spectacular, but he still has posted an 11-10-4 record on the year, including that win over the Wild, in which he stopped 34 of 35 shots. On the year, he has a 3.11 GAA, .902 save percentage, and two shutouts. Outside the crease, the Jets will definitely be without two defensemen: Derek Meech, who is on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, and power play quarterback Tobias Enstrom, who is also on the shelf with a shoulder injury. Forwards Alex Burmistrov (undisclosed) and Nik Antropov (foot) are both questionable; neither of them player on Wednesday.

Michal Neuvirth seems likely to start for Dale Hunter after being solid in relief on Tuesday night. After a promising rookie year, the sophomore Czech goalie has crashed and burned magnificently this year, posting a 3-5-1 record, 3.73 GAA, and .875 save percentage. On the injury front, Washington will be without Mike Green (groin), who is believed to be in Vancouver seeing a specialist about his injury, and Jay Beagle (concussion). Matt Hendricks, who has now missed more than a week, is questionable. If he were to return to the lineup, it remains to be seen who would be scratched; my money is on Cody Eakin. Jeff Schultz could return to the lineup also after being healthy scratched for the last two contests.

Puck drops 8:38-ish. It's 4 degrees in Winnipeg.

Practice: Dec. 14

2011-12-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals were on ice on Wednesday morning as they attempt to regroup following another hammering at the hands of a contender. Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Every Cap, except Mike Green, was on the ice and accounted for at the skate. Green is still visiting a groin specialist in Canada, and is expected to join the team on the road. The lines for practice remained the same as they have for most recent games: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin, Brouwer-Johansson-Halpern, Ward-Laich-Chimera, and Knuble-Perreault-Eakin. Matt Hendricks also took some line rushes with the fourth line; he is still day to day with a knee injury and will travel with the team to Winnipeg. As will Jay Beagle, who is not expected to play but is improving enough to fly and continue skating with his teammates.

That's all for now. It's 8 degrees in Winnipeg. Fun.