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
The weight of expectation is a burden every No. 1 seed carries into the NHL playoffs. Maybe that weight was too much for the Washington Capitals in their postseason opener.
The Caps, who steamrolled the Eastern Conference in the second half of the regular season, looked tight and tentative throughout Thursday night’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The eighth-seeded Montreal Canadians took full advantage, upsetting the Caps 3-2 in overtime to take a surprising 1-0 series lead.
Facing a Game 2 Saturday night at the Verizon Center that isn’t a must win, but is close, the Caps seek to relax and regain their free-flowing style that saw the Caps finish the season with more points than any team in the standings.
It starts with Alexander Ovechkin, Washington’s leading scorer who was held without a goal, an assist and a shot on goal in the postseason opener. It’s the first time in 417 NHL games that Ovechkin was shut out in all three categories on the scoresheet.
Washington finished 0-for-4 on the power play and could not break through against Montreal’s defense. The Caps can ill afford a repeat performance Saturday, as the series will shift to Montreal for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday.
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Friday, April 16, 2010 at 10:49 pm by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
The Washington Capitals dominated the first season. But the second season is underway, and the President’s Trophy winners suddenly find themselves one game down in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tomas Plekanec scored 13:19 into overtime Thursday night at the Verizon Center, sending No. 8-seed Montreal past the Caps in stunning fashion in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, 3-2.
This certainly wasn’t the type of start envisioned by the Caps, who ran away with the Eastern Conference regular-season title and top seed following a scorching second half of the regular season. But Montreal, which won a spirited battle with several teams for the final playoff spot in the East, took the fight to the heavily favored Caps all night long.
Now Washington has work to do.
Joe Corvo scored in the first for the Caps, and Nicklas Backstrom added a goal in the third period. Jose Theodore made 45 saves, but he gave up the game-winner to put Washington in a 1-0 hole.
Game 2 is Saturday night in Washington. The Caps will have to be better on special teams, after going 0-for-4 on the power play in the opener. It also would help for Alexander Ovechkin to get on track. The Caps’ superstar not only didn’t register a point in Game 1, he didn’t even get off a shot after Montreal’s defense.
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Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 10:40 pm by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Joe Corvo, Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Tomas Plekanec, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
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
By Bud L. Ellis
As remarkable as their nearly month-long winning streak has been, nothing topped the way the Washington Capitals pushed their way to a 14th consecutive victory on Sunday.
Down three goals in the second period to one of their most hated rivals before a national TV audience, the Caps roared back and gave the fans who trudged through a blizzard to the Verizon Center a memory to last a lifetime. Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick, and Mike Knuble banged home a rebound in overtime, the Caps extending their win streak to 14 games with a show-stopping 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh.
Knuble poked home a rebound after Ovechkin hit the post at 2:49 of extra time, capping a furious comeback and sending the home crowd into a state of delirium. The 14 straight wins extends Washington’s franchise record, and is the third-longest streak in NHL history, behind the 17 consecutive games won by the 1992-93 Penguins and the 15 straight reeled off by the 1981-82 Islanders.
The win also pushed the Caps’ lead over New Jersey to 14 points in the Eastern Conference standings.
It certainly didn’t appear the streak would continue, not after Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal each scored twice in the first 33:07 of the game to stake Pittsburgh to a 4-1 advantage.
Ovechkin scored the first goal for Washington at the 9:01 mark of the second period, then came Staal’s two tallies 1:27 apart to make it 4-1. Eric Fehr made it 4-2 at the 17:12 mark of the second, then came the memorable third period and overtime.
Ovechkin scored his second of the game at 6:51 of the third to bring the Caps within one, then finished off his hat trick and tied the game at 4-4 at the 11:06 mark. Into overtime the game went, and a penalty on Pittsburgh gave the Caps a power play, setting up Knuble’s heroics.
Washington guns for No. 15 in a row Wednesday at Montreal.
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 4:30 pm by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Eric Fehr, Jordan Staal, Mike Knuble, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Verizon Center, 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 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
