Washington Capitals Schedule
Wednesday
9/22/2010
7:00 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals PRE
Saturday
9/25/2010
7:00 PM
Nashville Predators vs Washington Capitals PRE
Tuesday
9/28/2010
7:00 PM
Washington Capitals vs Boston Bruins PRE
NEWS
By Bud L. Ellis
Alex Ovechkin didn’t light the lamp, but he put the Washington Capitals in position to bounce back from a rare loss on home ice.
Ovechkin, fighting Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby for the NHL scoring title, did not score but dished out two assists Wednesday, and Tomas Fleischmann netted the game-winner in overtime as the Caps knocked off Carolina 4-3 at Verizon Center.
The win gave Washington 99 points on the season, tops in the NHL and good for a 14-point lead in the Eastern Conference. The win came two days after a shootout loss to Dallas snapped a 13-game home winning streak for the Caps (45-13-9).
Against Carolina, the last team to beat the Caps at home in regulation (on Dec. 28), Alexander Semin scored on a breakaway in the first period to make it 1-0. Mike Green netted the first of his two goals to make it 2-0. Carolina fought back to tie it 2-2 before Green scored his second of the game.
The Hurricanes tied it and forced overtime, but Fleischmann – who didn’t play Monday as the Caps begin resting some of their regulars for the playoffs – came through in extra time.
Jose Theodore earned the win in goal for Washington, which plays host to Tampa Bay Friday night. The Caps have earned at least one point in 15 straight home games.
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Friday, March 12, 2010 at 9:08 pm by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Jose Theodore, Mike Green, National Hockey League, Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tomas Fleischmann, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Their historic win streak now history, the Washington Capitals nonetheless find themselves in a good place as the NHL pauses for the Olympic break.
The Caps closed out the pre-Olympic portion of their schedule by gaining a point in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss at St. Louis. But despite losing three straight games after winning a franchise-record 14 games in a row, Washington still closes out the pre-Olympic part of the season atop the NHL with 90 points.
Washington leads New Jersey by 13 points in the Eastern Conference standings, and holds a commanding 27-point advantage over Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division.
Saturday, the Caps fought back from three one-goal deficits against the Blues. Mike Knuble scored on the power play at the 10:40 mark of the first period, 1:27 after St. Louis had taken a 1-0 lead. With the Blues up 2-1 in the second, Alexander Semin scored at 13:26 to tie the game at 2-2.
St. Louis took a 3-2 lead two minutes later, but Washington needed just 1:20 to knot the score again, Knuble scoring his second power-play goal of the contest.
Washington now is off until a March 3 road game at Buffalo.
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Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 11:57 am by bud
Tags: Alexander Semin, Buffalo Sabres, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
The Washington Capitals’ historic win streak reached a whole new level Friday night: even Mother Nature is powerless against the hottest team in the NHL.
With a blizzard swirling outside the Verizon Center, the Caps continued to bury the competition. Down early 1-0 against the Atlanta Thrashers, the Caps once again cranked up their high-octane offense and pulled away, extending their franchise-record win streak to 13 with a 5-2 victory.
Washington (40-12-6, 86 points) continues to win at a historic pace, extending the NHL’s longest win streak since the New Jersey Devils won 13 in a row in the 2000-01 season. A win against Pittsburgh at home Sunday would give the Caps the league’s longest streak since the 1992-93 Penguins reeled off 17 straight wins.
The victory keeps Washington 12 points ahead of the Devils in the Eastern Conference. Ironically, Friday marked the Devils’ first game with Ilya Kovalchuk, the star winger traded from Atlanta to the Devils the day before.
Perhaps boosted by the departure of the constant Kovalchuk rumors, the Thrashers came out shooting and swinging against the Caps. But Michal Neuvirth, recalled from Hershey earlier in the day, was equal to the task, making 43 saves.
And, per the script they’ve rolled out time and time again during the win streak, the Caps got plenty of offense. Alex Ovechkin tied the game at 1-1 at the 13:41 mark of the first period, his league-leading 39th goal of the season. Washington took the lead for keeps on Nicklas Backstrom’s 25th of the season at 4:31 of the second period.
The Caps then put it away early in the third. Brooks Laich fed Alexander Semin on a two-on-one off an Atlanta turnover at the 3:52 mark to make it 3-1. Another Atlanta turnover led to another Washington goal 68 seconds later, Jason Chimera finished a three-on-one breakaway for a 4-1 lead.
Mike Green, playing for the first time since returning from a three-game suspension, added an empty netter to close the scoring.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 8:38 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Atlanta Thrashers, Brooks Laich, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Chimera, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Green, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nicklas Backstrom, Pittsburgh Penguins, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
The calendar has changed. The Washington Capitals haven’t.
With Jose Theodore back in net Tuesday night and playing for the first time since ending January with a club record for wins in a month, the Caps pulled away for their 11th consecutive victory, downing Boston 4-1.
With the victory, the Caps set a new franchise record for longest winning streak, set during the 1983-84 season. It’s the longest win streak in the NHL since San Jose won 11 in a row two years ago.
The Caps (38-12-6) extended their Eastern Conference lead on New Jersey to 10 points, and moved one point ahead of San Jose for most points in the NHL (82 points).
Theodore, playing for the first time in more than a week, allowed an early goal but nothing more, making 41 saves. And the high-flying Washington offense, the runaway NHL leader in goals, brought the Caps back yet again.
Mike Knuble tied the game at 1-1 with a goal 2:04 into the second period. The Caps broke the tie 5:04 into the final period, Brooks Laich scoring off an Alexander Semin feed to make it 2-1.
Boyd Gordon pushed the lead to 3-1 at the 7:51 mark of the third, and Alex Ovechkin added an empty-netter in the final minute.
Washington goes for 12 in a row when it plays Thursday at the New York Rangers.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 5:58 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Boston Bruins, Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Jose Theodore, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
He shares a first name with a much more famous teammate. But to be honest, it’s been this Alexander who’s driving the Washington Capitals toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs as much as that other more well-known Alexander.
Alexander Semin may not grab the headlines like Alexander Ovechkin, but that hasn’t stopped the Caps’ left winger from putting together a solid season.
Semin’s 25 goals and 28 assists for 53 points is a big reason the Caps lead the Eastern Conference standings, are cruising to a third-straight Southeast Division championship, and are riding the franchise’s hottest streak in more than 20 years.
The Caps have won eight straight games, their longest winning streak since 1989. And Semin has played a big part in the January surge that’s propelled the Caps to the top of the conference. He scored twice in a win at the Islanders on Tuesday, and followed that up with another two-goal performance as Washington beat Anaheim to push its win streak to eight games.
He ranks ninth in the NHL in goals scored, 14th in points and 13th in plus-minus rating (+20). His four game-winning goals stands 13th in the league. In his past five games, Semin has 10 points, including a four-point effort (one goal, three assists) in a win over Phoenix Saturday.
If the Caps indeed are going to play deep into spring, the Caps have to have both Alexanders doing their thing.
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Friday, January 29, 2010 at 5:57 am by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Anaheim Ducks, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Locked in a tight, low-scoring game entering the third period Wednesday night, the Washington Capitals did what they’ve done so much during their scorching-hot January.
The Caps stood on the accelerator on the offensive end, turning a close contest into another easy victory.
Washington scored three goals in a 2:30 span of the third on three shots, pulling away from Anaheim 5-1 at the Verizon Center for their eighth-consecutive victory.
It’s the longest Washington streak since March 1989. The victory pushes the Caps to 12-1 at home since Thanksgiving week, and gives Washington 76 points, good for a six-point lead over New Jersey in the Eastern Conference.
Shaone Morrisonn snapped the 1-1 tie at 1:45 of the third. Mike Knuble scored 54 seconds later, and Alexander Semin scored at 4:15. Just like that, it was 4-1 and the Caps were cruising again.
Semin scored on the power play at 11:47, giving him four goals in two nights. Alex Ovechkin scored Washington’s first goal just 36 seconds into the game.
The Caps, who are 11-2 in January and have won 11 of their past 12, finish off January with home games Friday against Florida and Sunday against Tampa Bay. Win both of those, and the Caps will match their franchise record for longest winning streak (10 games), set in 1983-84.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 5:53 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Shaone Morrisonn, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Just 65 seconds into Tuesday’s game, the Washington Capitals already were ahead. Twenty minutes in, the Caps enjoyed a 4-1 advantage.
There simply is no slowing down this team. Not right now, as the New York Islanders experienced the hard way. Washington rode that fast start to its seventh straight victory, a 7-2 rout of the Isles that featured two goals from Alexander Semin, and a goal and an assist from John Erskine and Jason Chimera.
Washington improves to 10-2 in January, and pushes its Eastern Conference leading record to 34-12-6, good for 74 points and a five-point lead over second-place New Jersey.
Ahead 2-1 on a Brendan Morrison goal just 1:05 into the contest and a Semin tally nearly four minutes later, the Caps pushed down the accelerator in the final 1:47 of the first period. Mike Knuble and Semin both scored in that stretch to make it 4-1 after a period.
Erskine scored in the second – his first goal since Jan. 19, 2008 – at 2:36 of the second. Chimera scored later in the second and Brooks Laich closed the scoring in the third.
Jose Theodore earned the win in goal, but left with a lower-body injury after two periods. The Caps say he is day-to-day, and Michal Neuvirth played a flawless third.
The Caps now return home to close out January with a three-game homestand, starting Wednesday against Anaheim.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 5:52 am by bud
Tags: Alexander Semin, Anaheim Ducks, Brendan Morrison, Brooks Laich, Jason Chimera, John Erskine, Jose Theodore, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Nobody has been hotter in 2010 than the Washington Capitals. Saturday night, the Phoenix Coyotes tried their best to slow down the NHL’s most torrid team.
No dice. Michal Neuvirth shined in goal, Eric Fehr scored the go-ahead tally and the Caps made it nine wins in 11 tries in the new year, downing Phoenix 4-2 at home.
The win moves the Caps to 72 points on the season, tops in the Eastern Conference and just four behind San Jose in the race for best record in the NHL (Chicago leads the Caps by two points).
Winners of six in a row, Washington improved to 18-3-3 at home. And the Caps did so by rallying from an early 1-0 deficit, tying the game on Brooks Laich’s power-play goal in the first period. Fehr scored on the power-play with 6:38 left in the second period, and Alexander Semin pushed the Caps’ advantage to 3-1 with a goal four minutes later.
Neuvirth made it stand up from there. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 33rd goal into an empty net with six seconds remaining.
Washington now gets two days off to rest up for a busy final week of what’s been a nearly perfect month. The Caps play Tuesday at the Islanders, then finish the month with three consecutive games on home ice.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:09 pm by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Brooks Laich, Chicago Blackhawks, Eric Fehr, Michal Neuvirth, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals
