Caps continue home dominance, down Rangers

By Bud L. Ellis

Jose Theodore slammed shut the door. Eric Fehr and newcomer Eric Belanger provided all the support. Roll it together, and it’s another win at home for the Washington Capitals.

The Caps made it 13 straight at home on Saturday, Theodore making 30 saves to whitewash the New York Rangers 2-0 at Verizon Center.

The win moves Washington to 44-13-8 on the season, good for 96 points and a 14-point lead over Pittsburgh for top honors in the Eastern Conference. The Caps lead San Jose and Chicago by five points each in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy for most points in the NHL.

Washington has not dropped a game at home since falling to Carolina on Dec. 28. The Caps improved to 25-3-3 at home, best in the NHL.

Fehr scored in the first period at the end of a 5-on-3 to stake the Caps to a 1-0 lead. Belanger, one of four players acquired by the Caps during the trade deadline this week, lit the lamp in the second period. That was more than enough for Theodore, who improved to 12-0-2 in his past 14 decisions.

Washington plays host to Dallas on Monday.

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Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 1:19 am by bud

Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Star, Eric Belanger, Eric Fehr, Jose Theodore, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals

That’s 12! Caps rally to down Rangers, extend win streak

By Bud L. Ellis

A dozen, the dirty way.

Down two goals late in the second period Thursday night, the Washington Capitals found a way to keep their franchise-record win streak alive.

In an up-and-down affair at Madison Square Garden, the Caps rallied from a 5-3 deficit, scoring three times in a 5:42 span to grab a 6-5 victory over the New York Rangers.

That makes 12 consecutive wins for the Caps (39-12-6, 84 points), pushing Washington’s lead over New Jersey in Eastern Conference to 12 points. The Devils made a big move Thursday night, trading for Atlanta winger Ilya Kovalchuk.

The Caps’ streak is the longest in the NHL since New Jersey won 13 in a row in 2000-01.

Ironically, the Caps go for No. 13 Friday against the Thrashers, in Atlanta’s first game without Kovalchuk.

The Caps had to battle back twice Thursday. Down 2-1 after one, Washington found itself down 5-3 with time running low in the second period.

But Alex Ovechkin, who scored twice on a three-point night and reached the 500-point career plateau, scored his second of the night with 8.5 seconds left in the period to make it 5-4 after two. Tom Poti tied the game at 5-5 with a power-play goal 59 seconds into the third period.

Nicklas Backstrom gave the Caps the lead for keeps at the 5:34 mark with a power-play goal.

Boyd Gordon scored Washington’s first goal with 3:20 left in the first, tying the game at 1-1. Down 2-1 after one, Mike Knuble’s goal 4:41 into the second tied it. Ovechkin’s first of the game came on a power play at 7:16, but the Rangers scored three times off Jose Theodore in a 6:29 span of the second to take a 5-3 lead.

Theodore made the 6-5 lead hold up, making 33 saves (and stopping all six Rangers’ shots in the final 20 minutes). Backstrom finished with a five-point night (four assists).

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Friday, February 5, 2010 at 6:33 am by bud

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Atlanta Thrashers, Boyd Gordon, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jose Theodore, Madison Square Garden, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals

Caps ride historic wave of success into New York

By Bud L. Ellis

It started with a 4-2 victory over Montreal on Jan. 5. Now, nearly one month later, the Washington Capitals have just lost one time in that 15-game stretch.

The great work has carried the Caps from the middle of the Eastern Conference to the top of the NHL. And as the Caps get ready for Thursday’s visit with the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, Washington truly is working on some history.

The Caps beat Boston Tuesday 4-1, setting a franchise record with their 11th straight victory. That’s the longest streak in the NHL since the lockout five seasons ago. With five games to go until the Olympic break, the Caps could really put some more breathing room between them and the Eastern Conference if they can continue their good work for another nine days.

Washington’s offense has been crazy-good during the streak, outscoring the opposition 51-22. The top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble have teamed up for 14 goals in 20 assists during the 11-game win streak.

Since this time last month, Washington’s only loss came Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay, 7-4. The Caps return home Friday to face Atlanta.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 6:43 am by bud

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Mike Knuble, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, Nicklas Backstrom, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals

11 and counting for streaking Caps

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

Red-hot Caps fighting off the pack atop East standings

By Bud L. Ellis

The Washington Capitals enjoy a comfy 19-point advantage over Florida in the Southeast Division. A third-consecutive division title looks like a near certainty at this point.

But the Caps’ standing at the top of the Eastern Conference is anything but a certainty.

Washington enters Tuesday’s road contest at the New York Islanders soaring, having won six games in a row and nine out of 11. But while that torrid stretch has all but salted away the division, the conference race remains wide open.

The Caps sit at 33-12-6 on the season, good for 72 points. The Caps lead second-place New Jersey by a mere three points. The Devils are 5-5 in their past 10 games, as the Caps have sped past New Jersey in the past two weeks. But only three points out of first, New Jersey figures to be around for the duration.

Buffalo sits in third with 67 points, five behind Washington. Pittsburgh is fourth with 65 points after beating the Rangers on Monday.

The hottest team beside Washington? Ottawa. The Senators also have won six in a row and are now in fifth in the East with 60 points.

Nobody expects the Caps to win nine out of 10 the rest of the way. But if Washington does finish the season on top in the East, you’ll look no further than January as evidence of how it happened.

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Monday, January 25, 2010 at 9:46 pm by bud

Tags: Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals