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 take their historic surge north of the border starting Wednesday night.
The Caps, winners of a franchise-record 14 games in a row, take on Montreal on Wednesday. A win would tie the 1981-82 New York Islanders for second-longest streak in NHL history at 15 games in a row.
But winning at Montreal and then again at red-hot Ottawa (which just had an 11-game win streak snapped) won’t be an easy task.
Washington is 3-0 against the Canadians this season, having won the last meeting on Jan. 5 in D.C., 4-2. One week after that game, the Caps lost at Tampa Bay, but haven’t tasted defeat since. Starting with the win on Jan. 5 over Montreal, the Caps have won 17 of 18.
It’s been three days since the Caps pushed their win streak to 14 games in dramatic fashion, rallying from a three-goal deficit to down archrival Pittsburgh in overtime, 5-4.
The Canadians are 5-3-2 in their past 10 games. It’s been an unsettling week in Montreal, as Bob Gainey stepped down as general manager on Monday.
The Caps lead New Jersey by 14 points in the Eastern Conference standings.
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 6:48 am by bud
Tags: Bob Gainey, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
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
By Bud L. Ellis
The Washington Capitals closed January by doing what they did so many times during their best month in franchise history.
The Caps finished January with a club record 13 victories, getting a game-winning goal from Alex Ovechkin with 6:26 left as Washington beat Tampa Bay 3-2 at the Verizon Center for their 10th consecutive victory.
It was the final brushstroke on a masterpiece of a month for the Caps, who now lead the Eastern Conference with 80 points. Washington closed the month 13-2, winning 12 of its final 13 games. Sunday’s win ties a franchise record for most wins in a row, tying the 10-game winning streak set in 1983-84. The 13 wins in January snaps the old club record of 12, set in December 1984.
After a scoreless first period, Nicklas Backstrom and Brooks Laich scored for the Caps in the second. Backstrom lit the lamp on a power play 57 seconds into the period, and Laich made it 2-0 at the 12:56 mark.
But Tampa Bay rallied with two goals in a 2:42 span of the third period. Ovechkin netted the game winner with 6:26 to go, and the Caps held on from there.
The Caps open a two-game road trip Tuesday at Boston. Five of their final seven games before the Olympic break are away from home.
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Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 6:04 pm by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Boston Bruins, Brooks Laich, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Tampa Bay Lightning, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The Washington Captials got plenty of offense and solid goaltending Friday night.
It’s a recipe the Caps have shaken, stirred, served and repeated throughout a torrid January that’s vaulted the team to the top of the Eastern Conference. And it was more of the same Friday, the Caps extending their winning streak to nine with a 4-1 victory over Florida at the Verizon Center.
Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble each has three-point nights, Knuble scoring twice, as the Caps improved to 12-2 in January. A win Sunday at Florida, on the final day of the month, will set a franchise record for most victories in a month (the Caps also won 12 games in December 1984), and will tie the team mark for longest winning streak, 10, set in 1983-84.
Washington (36-12-6) leads the East with 78 points, six ahead of New Jersey and seven ahead of Buffalo. The win ties the Caps for second in points earned this season with Chicago, one behind San Jose.
Backstrom opened the scoring 7:26 into the first period with his 22nd goal of the season. The Panthers tied it at 4:22 of the second, sneaking a shot past rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth.
But Neuvirth stopped Florida from there, making 35 saves. And the Caps’ high-powered offense took care of things the rest of the night.
Knuble tipped in an Alex Ovechkin shot just 25 seconds after Florida tied the game. Jeff Schultz scored 4:46 into the third to make it 3-1. Knuble scored later in the third to put it away, his 11th goal in his past 12 games.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 11:38 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Jeff Schultz, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nicklas Backstrom, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Verizon Center, 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
