Will Packard – We Love DC https://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Sat, 02 Jan 2021 20:37:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Dale Hunter: Samurai Warrior https://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/11/dale-hunter-samurai-warrior/ Sat, 12 May 2012 03:30:07 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=84218
Photo courtesy of photopete

courtesy of photopete

Dale Hunter doesn’t talk much. But the Washington Capitals head coach is quietly leading his team into a Game 7 showdown in Madison Square Garden tomorrow night against the top-ranked New York Rangers.

The quiet but unflappable Hunter seems to exude confidence in his players, and they have responded in kind. Hunter has taken a team troubled by past playoff collapses and turned them into believers in his system and in themselves. The biggest difference between this post-season and the past four playoff failures is the man behind the bench.

There is only one possible explanation: Dale Hunter is actually a Samurai warrior.


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Samurai Warriors
courtesy of Nationaal Archief

It is no coincidence that Hunter honed his skills for the NHL as part-owner and coach of the London Knights. The Samurai were, or course, a noble class of knights in Japan for nearly 1000 years.

The Samurai had a value system – or bushido – made up of seven principles: integrity, courage, compassion, respect, honesty, honor and responsibility. In a few short months, Hunter has instilled these virtues into his warriors, whose steel blades are on their feet instead of in scabbards.

Captain Alex Ovechkin has emerged as a responsible leader, doing whatever is asked of him by the new coach. Winger Alexander Semin, once known only as a talented sniper, has recently been seen back-checking.

In these playoffs, the Caps have displayed a growing mutual respect for each other. “You see guys doing all the little things it takes to win hockey games,” said Matt Hendricks after Game 6. “It almost like a wave. It just keeps getting bigger and we’re feeling better and playing harder.”

These Caps are playing with the composure of Stanley Cup veterans. To a man, they are resilient, tenacious and poised. That the Caps lead the league in blocked shots in the playoffs is a testament to the courage of every player. “Everyone is just paying the price and sacrificing for each other,” says John Carlson.

And they have honored the best of the game of hockey. When the Rangers started to get chippy in Game 6, Hunter’s players remained disciplined. “We stay away from it,” said Troy Brouwer. “It’s not part of our game.”


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Capitals Coaches Confer
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Close observation during a game reveals that Hunter rarely moves his lips, letting assistant coaches Dean Evason and Jim Johnson talk to the players. Another Samurai tradition helps us to understand Hunter’s method of communication. It is the practice of haragei which literally translates from the Japanese as “belly art.” We would call it intuition or gut feeling. But it also connotes unspoken leadership. It is undoubtedly Hunter’s character that is the driving force during the game. Instead of issuing verbal commands, haragei enables the Samurai to emanate his will to his subordinates.

Hunter has used his very few words judiciously, with indelible affect. In early March, when the Caps were trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 after two periods, the coach had some choice words for the team. No reporters were present, but several players shared their impressions. “The message was to man-up, play hard, and play as a team,” said Karl Alzner. Brooks Laich put it a little more poetically: “He said just quit trying to use your skill and use your will a little bit more.” The Caps went on to win the game in overtime.

Once again, before overtime in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins, Hunter chose to speak. “He simply said, ‘This is the best thing in the world when it comes to playoff hockey,’ Matt Hendricks told the Washington Post. “I think it was just his demeanor.”

Whether they win or lose on Saturday night, the Caps can carry their heads high knowing that they have brought honor to their warrior coach and to their fans. There will be no need for seppuku.

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Caps Top Rangers, Force Game 7 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/10/caps-top-rangers-force-game-7/ Thu, 10 May 2012 05:45:27 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=84136
Photo courtesy of clydeorama

Lundqvist Ovechkin Stare Down courtesy of clydeorama

And so we go to Game 7.

In a 2-1 victory in Game 6 last night the Caps struck early, stayed aggressive, and then held off the NY Rangers down the stretch to stay alive in the NHL playoffs.

Buoyed by a raucous crowd at Verizon Center, the Caps scored two goals in the first two periods. The Rangers came charging back in the third. Just as in Game 5, the Rangers pulled the goalie and scored a last-minute goal. But the Caps clamped down on defense to prevent an equalizer. The Caps’ rookie netminder Braden Holtby was spectacular in earning the victory with 30 saves.


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Ovechkin Bends Stick on Shot
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Alex Ovechkin started the scoring for the Caps less than two minutes into the game with a power play goal from the top of the slot to make it 1-0. Good puck movement around the perimeter allowed Ovie to get free between the circles. Nicklas Backstrom fed him a perfect pass for a one-timer over the glove of New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist.


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Puck Before Lundqvist
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At the mid-point of the second period, Jason Chimera punched in a goal from the crease to make it 2-0. A shot by John Carlson was deflected by Backstrom and landed in the paint for Chimera to tuck it home. Although it didn’t show up on the stat sheet, the scoring chance was created by Alexander Semin drawing four Rangers to one side of the ice. “I told him that was his goal,” said Chimera of Semin after the game. “He made the play over there and put it over to Carlson. I was just the recipient of a good play by him.”

The pugnacious Rangers fought back with physical play and attempts to intimidate, but the Caps played it cool and didn’t take the bait. “We know that in the past they’ve had series and games where they like to play a little tough and a little chippy,” said Troy Brouwer. “We stay away from it. It’s not part of our game.”


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Bickel Takes Down Knuble
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A 4-minute double minor to Jeff Halpern for high sticking late in the second period was reminiscent of the Game 5 penalty by Joel Ward that resulted in two late goals by the Rangers. But the Caps fought off the Rangers’ power play and used the momentum to finish the period on a strong note.

The Caps were in a full prevent defense in the third period, with opportunistic rushes foiled by Lundqvist. Finally, the Rangers pulled Lundqvist with more than two minutes remaining in the game to try to force another overtime. The Caps were able to keep the puck out of the zone for a while, but the Rangers pressed harder. Finally able to set up in the Caps’ zone, a point shot deflected off a player’s back and past Holtby to make it 2-1 with 51 seconds remaining in regulation. The Rangers never threatened again and the series is now tied at three games apiece.


Gaborik Battles Wideman

Holtby Peers Over a Crowd

One of the unsung heroes of the game who played with a lot of heart last night was Matt Hendricks, playing hard minutes against the Rangers top line and on the PK unit. “These are the games that you live to play, these back-to-the-wall, pressure sitations,” said Hendricks. “And when you achieve it, it’s a great feeling.”

The Caps and the Rangers will play Game 7 for all the marbles Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. Don’t miss it.

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Rangers Outlast Caps in Triple OT https://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/03/rangers-outlast-caps-in-triple-ot/ https://www.welovedc.com/2012/05/03/rangers-outlast-caps-in-triple-ot/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 06:46:02 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83897
Brouwer Clears the Puck with a Skate

Action in Front of Braden Holtby
courtesy of PackaPuck

After 94 shots on goal, the game was still tied. Another 127 shots had either missed the net or been blocked. More than 100 hits had been delivered. At least two players required stitches in their face and yet returned to the game.

Finally, after nearly 115 minutes of hockey, Marian Gaborik of the New York Rangers scored on the 95th shot of the game to defeat the Capitals 2-1 in Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.


Puck Battle

Puck Battle
courtesy of PackaPuck

It was a marathon game, and a battle of inches to try to find any advantage. Both teams had opportunities to end the game throughout the 55 minutes of sudden death overtime, only to see the puck rattle off the goal post or crossbar. It was the 3rd longest game in Caps history. “Triple overtime, it’s a special game,” said coach Dale Hunter. “We got a bad break, but that’s part of the game.”

For the 9th time in 10 playoff games this year, the game was decided by one goal. The teams traded goals in the second period. Rookie goalie phenom Braden Holtby played another outstanding game for the Caps.


Callahan Cuts Through Center Ice

Callahan Cuts Through Center Ice
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The Rangers scored first on a power play early in the second period. A Michael Del Zotto shot from the point was initially blocked but Ryan Callahan was able to poke home the rebound to make it 1-0 for the Blueshirts.


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Brouwer Screens Lundqvist
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John Carlson tied it five minutes later with a solo rush up ice. Marc Staal poke-checked the puck away from Carlson, but it bounced off his body back to Carlson’s stick between the circles. Moving left-to-right across the slot, Carlson shot back to the left and beat Henrik Lundqvist to the blocker side.


Carlson (74) Celebrates Goal

Carlson (74) Celebrates Goal
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When no one scored in the third period in regulation, the game went to overtime. The Caps thoroughly dominated puck possession, with the best scoring chance coming when Alex Ovechkin stripped the puck from Anton Stralman in the left circle and beat Lundqvist … only to hit the right post. The few times the Rangers threatened, Holtby was a rock in net, or Caps defenders threw their bodies on front of shots.


Holtby and Alzner Ready for Faceoff

Holtby and Alzner Ready for Faceoff
courtesy of PackaPuck

Finally in the 3rd overtime period, the rangers were able to make a few passes deep in the Capitals zone. A centering pass from Brad Richards hit the tape on Gaborik’s stick, and a quick flick of the wrists ended the game.

“We have confidence that we will be back,” said Troy Brouwer in the locker room long after midnight. “We will be ready to play on Saturday.”

Game 4 will be here at Verizon Center on Saturday at 12:30 pm. If the series goes long, game six will be back in DC next Wednesday, May 9.

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Caps Beat Bruins to Tie Series https://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/20/caps-beat-bruins-to-tie-series/ Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:38:16 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83533
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Holtby: Rock
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Rookie goaltender Braden Holtby put on the best show of his short and stellar NHL career as he stopped 44 shots to lead the Caps over the Boston Bruins by a score of 2-1 to even the best of seven series at two games apiece.

The Caps managed to score twice on just 21 shots, but it was enough to make Holtby’s heroics count. Alexander Semin scored the game winning goal on a power play.

The Caps scored on the first shot of the game when Brooks Laich set up Marcus Johansson for a quick wrist shot past Tim Thomas. But Boston dominated the first period, pinning the Caps deep in their own zone for long stretches of play.

Rich Peverly tied the game at 1-1 when he kept the puck on a 2-on-1 rush and beat Braden Holtby between the pads. “It starts with our defense … we have to make that first pass,” said Caps defender Roman Hamrlik. “We let them get a 2-on-1 and they scored.”


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Ovechkin and Boychuk Collide
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The Bruins continued to dominate early in the second period, at one point leading the Caps in shots 25-6 for the game. The Caps countered with some excellent scoring opportunities late in the period, especially when Laich and Dennis Wideman both beat Thomas but hit the crossbar.

Late in the second period, on the Caps third power play chance of the night, Alexander Semin caught Thomas flat-footed, sneaking an eye-popping wrist shot through Zdeno Chara and over the glove of the surly Boston netminder. “It was a pretty good shot,” said an impressed Alex Ovechkin. “I don’t think some goalie has a chance at a shot like this. It was a sick goal and it was an important goal for us.”


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Braden Holtby Makes a Glove Save
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The Bruins came out loaded for bear in the third period, attacking relentlessly as the Caps collapsed around Holtby. “They came at us real hard tonight,” said coach Dale Hunter. “Holts was very good. He stood tall and kicked out a lot of rubber.”

The Caps held off everything the Bruins could throw at them. Hunter went with his best defensive forwards, and snipers like Ovechkin and Semin saw little icetime down the stretch.

The home crowd appreciatively chanted “Holtby! Holtby!” as the clock ticked down. “It’s awesome to have that kind of fan support,” said Holtby. “It can get your heart racing pretty quick if you let it. My job is to control my emotions and make sure I am making saves.”

The game ended with the puck in Holtby’s glove, on a save at the buzzer, where indeed it had spent much of the evening.

The Caps and Bruins will have a busy weekend. Game 5 will be in Boston on Saturday at 3pm. Game 6 will be Sunday evening back at the Verizon Center.

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Bruins Beat Caps in OT, 1-0 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/13/bruins-beat-caps-in-ot-1-0/ https://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/13/bruins-beat-caps-in-ot-1-0/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:15:43 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83324
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Tim Thomas making the save
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The Bruins’ Chris Kelly scored 78 seconds into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a victory in the first game of the best-of-seven playoff series. Rookie goaltender Braden Holtby played an outstanding game, making tremendous saves throughout regulation, but was beaten on the first shot he faced in overtime.

“It was a chess game out there and we battled hard,” said coach Dale Hunter after the game. “Unfortunately it was a perfect shot inside the post that won the game.”

The Caps played well throughout the game, including a solid defense that would bend but not break. With excellent patience, puck control and solid checking, the Caps played the defending champs to a stand still through 60 minutes.

The Caps spent considerable time on the penalty kill in the second period, tilting the ice in Boston’s favor. But the Caps played opportunistic offense to counter-attack through the first two periods and even dominated play in the third period.

In a highly anticipated matchup of superstar captains, Boston’s 6′ 9″ Zdeno Chara got the better of Alex Ovechkin, limiting the Caps’ leading goal scorer to just one shot on goal.

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Bruins captain Zdeno Chara
courtesy of Dan4th

Holtby, playing in his first Stanley Cup playoff appearance, seemed cool under fire and made several dramatic saves to keep the Caps in the game as the majority of play was in his zone. At one point the Bruins lead in shots 26-7 before the Caps generated some offense in the third period.


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Braden Holtby made 29 saves.
courtesy of Dan4th

Holtby even earned a tip of the cap from Bruins veteran netminder Tim Thomas. “I thought he did a very good job,” said Thomas after the game. “He worked very hard. I’m hoping he wore himself out a little bit, because I hope he doesn’t play that good every game.”

Game 2 is Saturday night in Boston. The Caps will have to put together another solid performance and generate a few more scoring chances to steal a game from the Bruins on the road.

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Caps Secure Playoff Spot https://www.welovedc.com/2012/04/06/caps-secure-playoff-spot/ Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:37:48 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=83165
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Fan Silhouette
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As unlikely as it may have seemed nine days ago, the Washington Capitals have defied the odds, shaken off some stinging recent defeats and secured a place in the Stanley Cup playoffs starting next week.

The Caps defeated the Florida Panthers 4-2 last night at Verizon Center before a raucous sellout crowd. Washington took an early 3-0 lead, survived a mid-game rally by Florida, then played aggressively down the stretch. Combined with the Buffalo Sabres’ loss in Philadelphia a few minutes earlier, Caps fans were able to celebrate their team’s success in the final home game of the regular season.


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Beagle Celebrates Goal on Panthers
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The Caps started the scoring on a rebound by Jay Beagle off a shot by Troy Brouwer to make it 1-0. Beagle was left alone in front of Panthers’ netminder Jose Theodore and had no trouble putting the biscuit in the basket.

Then things began to look grim for the Caps. Michal Neuvirth left the game with a serious knee injury early in the second period, and rookie netminder Braden Holtby came in to the game.


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Michal Neuvirth was injured when Marco Sturm of the Florida Panthers fell on his left leg.
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The Caps opened up a 2-0 lead when Alex Ovechkin slid a drop pass to Marcus Johansson then slipped behind the defensemen to bang home the rebound off Johansson’s shot. Two minutes later, Keith AuCoin found Brooks Laich at the top of the left circle. Laich beat Theodore with a quick wrist shot to the upper corner of the net to give the Caps a commanding three goal lead with 30 minutes to play.

Yet the Caps have been unable to hold leads recently. As the Caps shifted to a defensive posture, the Panthers played more aggressively. Florida’s Mikael Samuelsson was left open on the left wing on a 3-on-2 for a clear shot. He beat Holtby high on the glove side to cut the lead to 3-1. When Ed Jovanovski scored on a floater from the point less than one minute into the third period to make it 3-2, the wheels seemed to be coming off once again.


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Holtby Swats Puck to Corner
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This time, however, the Caps held the fort. Following the goal by Jovanovski, the Caps limited the Panthers to only five more shots in the game. The Caps pressed the forecheck and dominated play in the neutral zone. A power play with three-and-half minutes left in the game allowed the Caps to keep up the pressure. When Alexander Semin put a backhand shot over Theodore’s shoulder and into the net, the arena erupted.


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Capitals Salute Crowd At End of 2011-12 Regular Season
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A win on Saturday night against the top-seeded NY Rangers would put the Caps into position to move up in the standings if other teams falter. If Ottawa loses on Saturday night, the Caps move up to the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If Florida loses, the Caps would overtake the Panthers in the Southeast Division and automatically jump to the third seed. If the Caps lose to the Rangers on Saturday, the Caps will turn around next week and face the Rangers again in a seven-game series.

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Sabres Cut Down Caps, 5-1 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/28/sabres-cut-down-caps-5-1/ https://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/28/sabres-cut-down-caps-5-1/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:30:25 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=82829
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Jason Chimera can’t beat Ryan Miller and

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Jason Chimera can’t beat Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres.
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In a game rife with playoff implications for both teams, the Buffalo Sabres humiliated the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center last night, handing the home team a resounding 5-1 defeat in front of a large contingent of boisterous Buffalo fans. Coming into the game tied in the standings with Buffalo for the eighth and final playoff spot, the Caps were out played at both ends of the ice and failed to mount a serious challenge.

With just five regular season games remaining before the playoffs begin, the Capitals are now on the outside looking in. The Caps face the top three teams in the Eastern Conference (Rangers, Bruins and Panthers) as well as recent playoff nemeses Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington will have to win nearly all of its remaining games and hope that some higher teams falter down the stretch.


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Holtby With Early Save
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Both teams had good scoring chances early on, and Buffalo’s Ryan Miller and Washington’s Braden Holtby traded fantastic saves. But the rookie Holtby was responsible for the first Buffalo goal on an errant clearing attempt behind his own net. He shot the puck directly to Sabre Brad Boyes who relayed it to the front of the net for Cody McCormick for an easy goal. The Caps defense began to unravel, allowing second chances and unable to keep up with the hot Buffalo wings. Ten minutes later Holtby made a great initial save followed by a spectacular rebound save, but no Caps defender picked up the net-crashing Drew Stafford who was able to tap in the third-chance opportunity to make it 2-0.


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Miller Looms Large in Crease
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Buffalo fans were out in force, and they had a lot to cheer about as the game went on. The Sabres – one of the two hottest teams in the league over the past 20 games – were schooling the Caps all over the ice. The slot in from of the Caps goal was a free-fire zone all night with plenty of second and third chances. The Buffalo slot, by contrast, was a black hole where pucks disappeared and red shirts were ejected. Any shots that got through to the net were easily gobbled up by Miller. The Caps could not connect on open-ice passes or even execute their basic chip-and-chase game plan. The Buffalo offense, on the other hand, was completely in sync with quick counter-attacks, deft passing and accurate shots. The Sabres had open passing lanes all night while the Caps couldn’t seem to find each other.

When yet another rebound ended up in the back of the net behind Holtby early in the second period, Caps coach Dale Hunter tried to change the game by changing goaltenders. Michal Neuvirth came into the game, and a few key saves seemed to energize the team. “I did it for a change of momentum,” said Hunter after the game. “It seemed to give us some jump.”

Less than three minutes later, Alexander Semin scored on a wrist shot off a faceoff win, and the fans in red were buoyed with hopes of another lategame comeback.


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Laich With Puck
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But the Sabres scored a short-handed goal late in the second period to cut short the Caps comeback attempt. It was a “battle of the captains” when Buffalo captain Jason Pominville stripped the puck from Caps’ captain Alex Ovechkin at center ice, then calmly walked in on Neuvirth and placed the puck in the lower corner of the net to make it 4-1. It was a moment that perfectly captured the ineptitude of the Caps and the poise and execution of the Sabres as they continue their march to the post-season.

In the third period, Buffalo showed Washington how to play with the lead, effectively spreading the ice and creating odd-man rushes when the Caps blueliners pinched down the boards on offense. A well-execute 3-on-1 pass from Tyler Ennis to Stafford closed out the scoring half way through the third period. By this time the Sabre faithful were chanting “Let’s go, Buff-a-lo!” There was no reply as the Caps fans had yielded the arena.

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Caps Collapse in Loss to Jets https://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/24/caps-collapse-in-loss-to-jets/ Sat, 24 Mar 2012 04:30:32 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=82708
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Alex Ovechkin spotted the Caps to a 3 goal lead.
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Alex Ovechkin spotted the Caps to a 3 goal lead.
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It was a tale of two games: it the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of swiftness, it was the age of slacking off, it was the epoch of crisp passes on the tape, it was the epoch of sloppy clearing attempts, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, – in short, the third period was so far unlike the first period, that some of its noisiest fans insisted on the game being received in the superlative degree of comparison only. And they booed lustily.

With all apologies to Charles Dickens, thus was the Caps game last night. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first 25 minutes of hockey, the Caps utterly and completely fell apart, lost the lead – and eventually the game in overtime – to the Winnipeg Jets, 4-3. It was a demoralizing loss to a team immediately behind Washington in the standings. Two spectacular, highlight-worthy goals by Alex Ovechkin were for naught.

“This is a tough pill to swallow right now,” said Matt Hendricks after the game. “We had all the momentum going our way, then the next thing you know we lose in overtime.”


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Chimera Celebrates in Spotlight
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The game started with fast and furious action as you would expect in a game between two teams with post-season aspirations. There were good scoring chances at both ends of the ice. Alexander Semin had a partial breakaway only to hit the side of the net. John Carlson found himself alone in the slot only to be stoned by Winnipeg netminder Ondrej Pavelec. Finally Jason Chimera was able to get on the scoreboard when he took a pass from Jeff Halpern and accelerated past Jets defender Tobias Enstrom. Chimera faked a shot then moved to the backhand to tuck the puck behind the outstretched toe of Pavelec to make it 1-0.


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Michal Neuvirth made 38 saves in the loss.
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Two minutes into the second period Ovechkin wheeled into the Jets zone 1-on-1 against the Jets’ Mark Stuart. Using one of his favorite moves, Ovechkin used Stuart as a screen, firing the puck between his legs and over the shoulder of Pavelec to make it 2-0.


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Stuart Ready To Block Ovechkin Shot
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The Caps were on a roll, dominating puck possession. Every pass was crisp and right on the tape. Memories of the high-scoring team of 2008-10 came flooding back. When Semin drew a penalty, Michal Neuvirth was able to skate to the bench for an extra skater – Alex Ovechkin, of course. With a few quick passes, the Caps isolated Ovechkin on the left side for a one-timer to make it 3-0. It was Ovechkin’s 6th goal in his past four games.

But the Jets proved that they were not going to go quietly. A goal by Ben Maxwell was followed immediately by a center-ice fight on the ensuing face off. The Caps appeared to lose their spark, perhaps the result of the second game in as many nights. The Jets peppered shots on Neuvirth. Brian Little was finally able to poke home a rebound on a point shot by Enstrom to cut the lead to 3-2 before the end of the second period. It was going to be a battle.


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Hendricks and Puck in Pavelec’s Crease
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In the third period the Caps appeared to go into a shell to protect their slim lead. But even as the Caps tried to slow the game down, the Jets took off. Only a couple of outstanding saves by Neuvirth prevented the Jets from scoring early. The Caps were unable to maintain control of the puck or even connect for short passes. “You need a line to grasp it and go down and have a shift in their end of the ice,” said Mike Knuble. “It just never materialized. We were just defending, defending, defending. It was kind of an omen of what was to follow.”

Winnipeg reeled off 16 unanswered shots before the Caps were able to muster a single shot on goal. It wasn’t the Jets’ stars who did the damage. Jets rookie Spencer Machacek tied the game at 3-3 with four minutes to play on his first NHL goal. All three players on Winnipeg’s fourth line scored in the game, including the overtime game-winner.

For the second straight game, the Caps surrendered the lead and lost in extra time. “It’s a battle, you gotta rebound. It’s playoff hockey,” said head coach Dale Hunter. “You just gotta put it behind you and move on.” With seven games remaining in the season, there will not be many games to move on to until the Caps can hold a lead in a close game.

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Caps Top Bolts in OT https://www.welovedc.com/2012/03/09/caps-top-bolts-in-ot/ Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:15:15 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=81757
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Ovechkin Takes To The Ice
courtesy of clydeoram

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Ovechkin Takes To The Ice
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For the second time in five games, Alex Ovechkin scored in overtime to cap a comeback victory as the Capitals defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 last night at Verizon Center. The win kept the Capitals’ fragile playoff hopes alive.

After a fiery speech by head coach Dale Hunter following a lackluster second period, the Capitals played the third period with urgency, grit and determination. Marcus Johansson tied the game at 2-2 with four minutes remaining in the game to force overtime.

The Caps ended their five game home stand the same way they started it 9 days ago with a come-from-behind OT victory. The win once again moves the Caps into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Caps played well in the first period and managed to score first when Karl Alzner took a long shot from the blue line and Keith Aucoin was able to tip it between his own legs past rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski.


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Connolly and Laich Faceoff
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But when the Lightning scored two power play goals in the second period, it appeared to take the life out of the Caps. Apparently Hunter had some words of inspiration in the locker room between the second and third periods.”Coach give us hard time,” said Ovechkin after the game. “And we win.”

Hunter did not divulge the contents of his speech to the team during the second intermission, but some of the players gave their take. “The message was to man-up, play hard, and play as a team,” said Alzner. Brooks Laich put it a little more poetically: “He said just quit trying to use your skill and use your will a little bit more.”


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Johansson Carrying the Puck
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The Caps came out with some ferocity in the third period and were able to dictate the flow of the game. After trailing in shots for the first two periods, the Caps outshot the Bolts 12-3 in the final frame. “I thought it was one of our best periods in a long time,” said Johansson. With four minutes remaining in the game, Dennis Wideman made a risky dive at the blue line to keep the puck in the Tampa Bay zone. The risk paid off as the puck went straight to Johansson behind the defense. Johansson took his time and beat Tokarski between the pads to tie the game at 2-2.

The overtime game-winning goal came when Jason Chimera won a battle in the corner on a chip-and-chase play. Chimera centered it to Dmitry Orlov in the high slot. Orlov faked a shot, drawing Tokarski out and freezing him. Instead of shooting, Orlov slipped a pass to Ovechkin at the right circle for a shovel shot to the back of the net.


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Ovechkin Celebrates
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The rest of the regular season looks like an uphill battle for the Caps to make the playoffs. Of the 15 remaining games, nine will be on the road, including visits to Chicago, Detroit, Philadephia and Boston (twice). “They are tough opponents on the road,” said Laich. “Now we are going to find out what kind of hockey team we are…. ‘Just keep winning’ is the name of the game.”

The Caps face the Bruins in Boston tomorrow night before returning to face the Toronto Maple Leafs at Verizon Center on Sunday at 5pm. Check out the rest of the Caps schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Ovie Scores in OT as Caps Come Back to Defeat Islanders 3-2 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/02/29/ovie-scores-in-ot-as-caps-come-back-to-defeat-islanders-3-2/ https://www.welovedc.com/2012/02/29/ovie-scores-in-ot-as-caps-come-back-to-defeat-islanders-3-2/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:30:49 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=81530
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Ovechkin Fist Pump
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Alex …

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Ovechkin Fist Pump
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Alex Ovechkin played a terrible game last night. His passes weren’t connecting, he was often out of position, and he turned over the puck repeatedly. He shot wide to the left. He shot wide to the right. But when the game – and perhaps the season – was on the line in overtime, Ovie scored a spectacular goal to win the game and vault Washington back into a playoff spot.

Troy Brouwer set up the overtime heroics by scoring twice in the last four minutes of regulation to lead the come-from-behind victory. New York netminder Evgeni Nabokov was a brick wall through 56 minutes of the game, turning away the first 30 shots he faced. But Brouwer took an aggressive approach, taking his body to the net and scoring both goals from within a few feet of the goal line.

The Caps dominated the first period statistically but came up short on the scoreboard. The Islanders lit the red lamp first when Josh Bailey deked the pants off Jeff Schultz and walked down the slot untouched to tap in his own rebound. Despite outshooting the Islanders 13-3, the Caps couldn’t solve Nabokov. After shutting out the Caps on his last visit to Washington in January, Nabokov was in complete control stopping every shot that came his way.


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Neuvirth Glove Save
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The ice tilted in New York’s favor in the second period as the Islanders kept the puck in the Caps’ end and peppered Michal Neuvirth with shots. Neuvirth answered the call, even making a rare face save to keep the Caps in the game. But he couldn’t stop a flukey floater from the point early in the third period for a 2-0 Islander lead. Neuvirth appeared to lose sight of the puck on the play.


Johansson and Tavares Faceoff

Johansson and Tavares Faceoff
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The Caps pressed hard to get back into the game in the closing minutes. As the clocked ticked down, Jason Chimera outhustled the Islanders’ captain Mark Streit to a loose puck in the corner. Matthieu Perreault centered the puck to the crease where Brouwer was able to poke the puck into the net at the far post to cut the deficit to 2-1. Brouwer was just getting warmed up. As Neuvirth sat on the bench for an extra skater, Jeff Halpern won a face off with 30 seconds remaining in the game. Brouwer crashed the net and tipped in Brooks Laich’s shot to tie the game at 2-2. The arena literally shook as Caps fans exploded with joy.

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Ovechkin Skates By Dot
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The game went into overtime … also known as showtime for Ovie. He took the puck the length of the ice then used New York defender Travis Hamonic as a screen as he unleased a snapshot to beat Nabokov between the pads. Game over! Even on an off night, the Great Eight knows how send the crowd home happy.

Last night was the first of five consecutive home games for the Caps. Here is the rundown for the next four home games:

New Jersey Devils: Friday, March 2, 7:00 PM
Philadephia Flyers: Sunday, March 4, 7:00 PM
Carolina Hurricanes: Tuesday, March 6, 7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning: Thursday, March 8, 7:00 PM

Check out the rest of the Caps schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Fall to Jets in Shootout, 3-2 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/02/10/caps-fall-to-jets-in-shootout-3-2/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:30:15 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=80752 Photo courtesy of photopete
Capital’s coach Dale Hunter
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Capital’s coach Dale Hunter
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Like many sports, hockey is a game of momentum and lucky bounces. As Caps’ coach Dale Hunter likes to say, “That’s hockey.” The Winnipeg Jets got a few lucky breaks last night to beat the Caps 3-2 before a sellout crowd at Verizon Center.

Ii was a wild ending. Four power play goals in the span of eight minutes late in the third period left the two teams tied at the end of regulation. After an inconclusive overtime, the Jets won the game in the shootout.

The Caps came out aggressively in the first period, peppering Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec with 12 shots on goal to the Jets 4. The Caps had another 13 shots that either missed the net or were blocked. Even though both teams play a “trap” style of defense, it was wide open hockey with fast rushes in both directions. It seemed like the clock had been turned back to the run-and-gun Caps of the best of the Boudreau years. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to me it was a lovely sight.

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Ovechkin Pushes Puck Up Ice
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Lead by a resurgent Alex Ovechkin, the Caps played some of their best hockey of the year for the first 30 minutes of the game. They fore-checked hard and cycled the puck well in the offensive zone. But they were unable to solve Pavelec. “He plays pretty good against us,” said defenseman Karl Alzner. “We were able to play some good defense and keep the puck in their zone.”

A team has to take advantage of the opportunities presented. If not, the pendulum of momentum can swing the other way. When Ovechkin hit the crossbar on a power play late in the second period, it was the high-water mark of momentum for the Caps. The Jets picked themselves up off the matt and swung the momentum their way. Before the crossbar shot, the Caps were outshooting the Jets by a ratio of 3-1. After the crossbar shot, the Jets out shot the Caps 20-12 for the remainder of the game and overtime.

By late in the second period the Jets started winning the individual battles and getting the lucky bounces. During a 12-minute stretch late in the second and into the third period, it was the Jets who were outshooting the Caps by a 3-1 ratio. The Jets earned a power play when Jeff Halpern took a (smart) penalty to prevent a break away by Bryan Little.

Hendricks and Bogosian Collide
Hendricks and Bogosian Collide Behind Ondrej Pavelec
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But the Jets failed to take advantage of their opportunity. The successful penalty kill energized the Caps. The pendulum swung back. The Caps had survived the Jets’ best effort and the crowd came alive. Two minutes later Matt Hendricks drew a penalty while battling for the puck behind the Jets’ net.

On the ensuing power play, Ovechkin seized the moment. Alexander Semin took a slap shot from the point that caromed off the end wall around the net and right onto Ovie’s stick. No crossbar for Ovechkin this time – nothing but net on a sharp angle snap shot for a 1-0 lead.

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Semin’s Bended Stick
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A few minutes later the Caps got another power play when Hendricks took a stick in the nose. This time Ovechkin returned the favor by setting up Semin. From the left side boards Ovie found Semin alone on the far crease for a tap-in to make it 2-0.

Then the game took a bizarre turn.

The Caps’ Roman Hamrlik was called for holding at the end of a long shift with four minutes to go in the game. With nothing to lose, the Jets pulled their goalie to increase the man advantage. On the penalty kill, Brooks Laich blocked a shot by Dustin Byfuglien, then alertly poked the puck to Troy Brouwer. But the referee ruled that the shot had broken Laich’s stick and called a penalty against Laich for “playing with a broken stick.” With the goalie on the bench, this gave the Jets an unusual 6-on-3 power play. After some heroic saves by Tomas Vokoun, The Jet’s Evander Kane was able to score on a rebound.

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Brooks Laich
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Down by just a goal, Pavelec returned to the net. The Jets were still on the power play with Laich still in the penalty box. Byfuglien came to center ice and fired a long range dump shot toward the corner. The shot, however, glanced off Alzner’s body in mid-flight. Vokoun had moved to his right to intercept the dump in, and the shot went straight into the open net. Unlucky bounce for the boys in red.

“We didn’t give them a whole lot of opportunities,” said Hendricks after the game. “Unfortunately, we lost in a shootout. I think you chalk that one up to a couple of bad bounces.”

But, hey, “that’s hockey.”

Additional Notes:

  • Early in the second period Alexander Semin turned the puck over three times in one shift, once in each zone. Ouch! But then he got an assist and a goal in the third period. Thataboy!
  • Jay Beagle executed a textbook 2-on-1 with a backhanded saucer pass over the defenders’ stick to Dennis Wideman charging down the right side. But Pavelic was quick enough to move across the crease to foil Wideman.
  • The bizarre goal on the shot from center ice seemed to unhinge Tomas Vokoun. After a terrific game he was unable to stop any shots in the shootout.
  • The Caps earned one point in the standings for the overtime loss. This leaves them tied with the Florida Panthers for the lead in the Southeast Division.

The Caps next face the Rangers Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden (12:30pm on NBC). They play a rare Sunday-Monday back-back when they host the San Jose Sharks Monday night. Check out the schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Blank Panthers, 4-0 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/02/08/caps-blank-panthers-4-0/ https://www.welovedc.com/2012/02/08/caps-blank-panthers-4-0/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:42 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=80478 Photo courtesy of clydeorama
Tomas Vokoun Makes a Pad Save
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Tomas Vokoun Makes a Pad Save
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The Caps scored early and often and rode a hot goaltender to a 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers last night at Verizon Center. With the win, the Caps vaulted past the Panthers into first place in the Southeast Division and a spot in the playoffs. Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Tomas Vokoun stopped 42 shots for his fourth shutout of the season.

The fans were barely in their seats when the Caps lit the red light for an early lead. Jason Chimera dug the puck out of the corner and fed a pass to Matthieu Perreault who slid the puck under Panthers’ goalie Scott Clemmensen just 13 seconds into the game.

The Caps thoroughly dominated the early going with aggressive play in the offensive zone. There were several miscues in the D-zone, but netminder Tomas Vokoun was a brick wall when they needed him. Four minutes into the game, Panthers’ ace Stephen Weiss took a one-timer in the low slot; Vokoun stoned him.

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Ovechkin Carrying the Puck Over Blue Line
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The Caps capitalized on a power play opportunity nine minutes into the game. Dennis Wideman carried the puck into the offensive zone, froze Panthers defenseman Mike Weaver with a deke, then slipped a pass to Alex Ovechkin sliding down the left board. Ovechkin skated in unobstructed and beat Clemmensen between the pads to make it 2-0. “It was a pretty play by Wides,” said Ovie. “I saw Brouwer on the other side, but took the shot and I got kind of lucky.”

Late in the first period the Panthers pressed hard to try to get back in the game. Mikael Samuelsson slipped through the Caps defensive pair only to be stopped cold by Vokoun again. The Panthers outshot the Capitals 32-14 over the course of the second and third periods. But Vokoun stood tall to blank Florida for the second time this season. “We made some mistakes and gave up a few breakaways,” said coach Dale Hunter. “Tomas came up huge for us in this game.”


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Jason Chimera had 8 of Washington’s 24 shots
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The Caps started the second period short-handed. Even with a 2-goal lead, they played aggressively and caught the Panthers’ defense sleepwalking through a line change. Matt Hendricks dropped a pass to John Carlson who found Chimera crashing the net. Chimera scooped in his own rebound for a shorty to make it 3-0. The rout was on.

In the middle of the second period, Ovechkin reminded the rest of the league why he can never be left alone in the offensive zone. Moving left to right above the circles, he beat Clemmensen with an seemingly effortless wrist shot to the upper left corner of the net to make it 4-0. The Panther defensemen will be studying the film on that one for a couple of days.

The Caps have the toughest remaining schedule in the division based on the current average winning percentage of remaining opponents. The Panthers, by contrast, have the easiest remaining schedule in the division. The two teams will face each other two more times this season, including the Caps final regular season home game on April 5.

The Caps face the Winnepeg Jets at home tomorrow in another must-win divisional game. Check out the rest of the Caps schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Outlast Lightning, Win 4-3 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/01/14/caps-outlast-lightning-win-4-3/ Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:30:52 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=79762 Photo courtesy of clydeorama
Brouwer Skates Over Blue Line
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Brouwer Skates Over Blue Line
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The Caps rode two early power play goals and a hat trick by Troy Brouwer to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night at Verizon Center. Tampa Bay stormed back in the third period to draw within a goal twice. With the goalie on the bench for an extra forward, the Lightening pressed to the very end, scoring with 10 second remaining in the game, and nearly tieing the game as the final buzzer sounded.

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Semin Tries to Score
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Troy Brouwer scored the first hat trick of his NHL career with a goal in each period. His empty net goal with one minute remaining appeared to seal the win and brought a shower of hats onto the ice. But the lightning took advantage of the time it took to clear the hats off the ice to re-group for one last charge. A shot from the point pin-balled through a crowd in front of the net and trickled over the goal line behind Tomas Vokoun to make it 4-3.

It wasn’t always so close. The Lightning were whistled for three penalties in the first five minutes of the game. The Caps made them pay dearly, converting twice on the man advantage. First Alex Ovechkin beat Tampa Bay goal Dwayne Roloson with a wrist shot from the top of the slot, then Brouwer poked one between Roloson’s pads to take a 2-0 lead.

When Brouwer potted his second goal of the night five minutes into the second period, it looked like the Caps were going to make an easy night of it. Tomas Vokoun has not allowed more than two goals in his last five starts at Verizon Center, and Tampa Bay looked tired from playing the night before.

But the Lightning heated up and pressed the issue. The Caps sat back and would only connect for 12 shots on goal after the first period. Martin St. Louis pick-pocketed Mike Knuble near the Caps’ net and found Tom Pyatt alone in front for an easy goal with three minutes remaining in the second period to make it 3-1.

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Vokoun Pushes Puck Aside
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Vokoun made some key saves in the third to preserve the margin but Tampa Bay had momentum. The power play pendulum was swinging their way. Steven Stamkos scored a PPG from 20 feet with four minutes remaining in the game to make it 3-2.

Bu Brouwer had the hot hands and hit the empty net from center ice to complete the hat trick. “I’m pretty excited, said Brouwer after the game. “I was close once before. It’s a special feat, but at the same time I’m excited about the win tonight.”

Any win counts for two points in the standings. A win over a division rival keeps you ahead in the standings. The Caps are stringing together a series of (home) wins to climb their way up the Eastern Conference standings for a good post season spot.

Additional Notes:

  • Bizarre officiating. The game was marked by 13 penalties including delay of game and too-many-men on the ice. It was as if the refs were looking for infractions. But when Steven Stamkos jumped Brouwer from behind after a hard hit on a Lightning teammate, Stamkos was not called for instigation. He and Brouwer were given offsetting roughing calls and the Bolts went on a power play.
  • Tomas Vokoun went behind the cage to retrieve a loose puck, but the puck took a bounce and went right to an open Bolt in front of the net. He whiffed the shot and Vokoun was able to dart back to the crease. Never a dull moment when he leaves the blue paint.
  • It’s a game of inches. It was a beautiful thing to see Jason Chimera come from behind and overtake two Lightning defenders in a foot race for the puck. Chimera won the race, negated an icing call, and kept Tampa Bay bottled up in their own zone.

The Caps next face the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow and the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Check out the schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Edge Penguins, 1-0 https://www.welovedc.com/2012/01/12/caps-edge-penguins-1-0/ Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:00:44 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=79666 Photo courtesy of clydeorama
Vokoun Moving in Crease
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Vokoun Moving in Crease
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A breakaway goal and solid goaltending was enough to beat the conference rival Pittsburgh Penguins, 1-0, last night at Verizon Center. Jason Chimera scored on a first period breakaway for the winning goal and Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves to earn the shutout. The game had consequences in the race for the playoffs for both teams as the Caps passed the Penguins in the standings to move into 8th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins dominated the early going in puck possession and offensive zone time. The Caps came out looking flat, chasing pucks, passing into each others’ skates and shooting from long range. Only Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer were able to take the puck and body to the net. A couple of rocking checks by Alex Ovechkin and Brouwer seemed to wake Washington out of their west coast fog and generate some energy from their Eco Watch health products.

The Caps got on the score sheet 15 minutes into the game when Joel Ward knocked the puck away from Evgeni Malkin to spring Jeff Halpern for a 3-on-1 break. Halpern saucered a perfect pass to a streaking Chimera who beat Marc-Andre Fleury high on the blocker side.

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Vokoun, Alzner, and Kunitz
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The Caps were not able to maintain momentum into the second period. The first line of Ovechkin, Johansson and Semin showed flashes of brilliance but seemed woefully out of sync. Semin and Ovechkin threw each other offsides on three occasions through the first two periods. Johansson, playing for the injured Nick Backstrom, looked like he needed his skates sharpened as he slid and fell repeatedly.

The third period was a completely different game. The intensity ratcheted up with bodies flying and the boards rattling. Matt Hendricks brought the crowd to its feet on two consecutive shifts, first by hitting the post and then leading a spirited sequence pinning the Penguins deep in their zone. The top line began to click, and Hunter was able to cycle all four lines as the Caps dominated play. “I thought the shifts there in the third period gave us a lot of energy,” said Hunter after the game. “We came out, cycled, wore their D down. That fourth line did a great job tonight.”

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Brouwer in Front of Fleury
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The Caps couldn’t get the puck past Fleury, though, for an insurance goal. When the Caps failed to convert on a late power play, Pittsburgh began to take more chances to tie the game. The Caps took the foot off the gas to play more defensively. The momentum shifted to the visiting team. Vokoun made a series of clutch saves on shots by James Neal and Malkin down the stretch to seal the deal.

Additional Notes:

  • Mike green and Nick Backstrom remain out of the line up due to injuries. No timetable has been set for their return.
  • Crazy things happen when Tomas Vokoun stick-handles the puck. On the second period power play, Vokoun raced to the top of the left circle to keep the puck away from an encroaching Penguin. Vokoun won the foot race but knocked the puck off the side boards to a trailing Penguin who took a shot at the open net. Luckily, Vokoun was in position to make an open ice save to avert a catastrophe.
  • The last time the Caps played the Penguins on December 1 was Dale Hunter’s second game behind the bench. The Caps were struggling to adapt to the new style and lost 2-1. Jason Chimera scored the only goal in that game, too. Maybe he will take over the mantle of “Penguin killer” from Mike Knuble.
  • 22-year-old Czech defenseman Tomas Kundratek played his first NHL game last night paired with veteran countryman Roman Hamrlik. “He kept it simple,” said Hunter. “He moved the puck and didn’t make any mistakes.” Kundratek played on the junior national team and is good friends with fellow Czech Michal Neuvirth. He played a solid game last night to help another Czech, Tomas Vokoun, earn the shutout. Welcome aboard! (Or rather, vítejte na palubě!)

This game was the first in a four game home stand. Each of the four opponents will have played a game the day before coming to Washington, so the Caps have a golden opportunity to rack up some standings points this month. The Caps play Tampa Bay on Friday night, followed by Carolina on Sunday and the New York Islanders next Tuesday. Check out the schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Top Predators, 4-1 https://www.welovedc.com/2011/12/21/caps-top-predators-4-1/ Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:05:41 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=78916 Photo courtesy of bridgetds
Mike Knuble has played 1,000 NHL games.
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Photo courtesy of bridgetds
Mike Knuble has played 1,000 NHL games.
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The Capitals honored 39-year-old Mike Knuble last night for playing in 1,000 NHL games, then went out and earned a hard fought 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators before a festive crowd at Verizon Center last night. Riding goals from marquee players Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin along with some timely saves by goalie Michal Neuvirth, the Caps played as complete a game as we have seen under new coach Dale Hunter.

The Caps put on an offensive clinic to start the game, pressuring the Predators and recording the first seven shots of the game. Nashville did not control the puck in the Washington end of the ice until more than five minutes of the game had elapsed. The Caps lit the lamp first when Karl Alzner sprung Alex Ovechkin for a break away. Ovechkin beat Nashville goalie Anders Lindback with a quick-release wrist shot to the lower corner. Minutes later, Nicklas Backstrom made it 2-0 when he out-muscled Nashville’s Jerred Smithson behind the net, then wrapped it wide around the net to beat Lindback to the far side.

In any hockey there will be momentum shifts. The Caps discipline broke down early in the second period as they took successive penalties for too many men on the ice and delay of game. By the middle of the second period the momentum was clearly with the Predators. The Caps withstood an onslaught from Nashville, battling through six minutes on the penalty kill.

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Neuvrith Before Faceoff
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During one stretch of the second and early third period, the Caps managed only one shot on goal over a 20 minute stretch. But the defense stood firm, forcing Nashville to the outside and blocking shots, and Neuvirth made key saves when needed. The Predators finally broke through with a goal on an odd-man rush to bring the score to 2-1. They nearly scored again when David Legwand was all alone with the puck in front of Caps’ goal, but Neuvirth stayed with it for the save.

The game hung in the balance. Then Semin struck to change the tide again.

Semin took a drop pass from Marcus Johansson, wheeled into the left circle and unleashed a jaw-dropping shot to the farthest upper corner of the net. The goal was all the more amazing for being so unexpected. As a right shot turning to his right, and with his weight on his back leg, Semin appeared to be in a disadvantageous position to shoot hard. As he swept the puck toward himself to go around Nashville captain Shea Weber, Semin made a seemingly effortless flick of the wrists toward the goal. Lindback appeared to be stunned by the shot and barely moved when the puck went flying past him.

The crowd went wild and the Caps bench rallied. Three minutes later Troy Brower sealed the victory with a power play deflection of a Dennis Wideman slapshot from the point.

Game Notes

  • To celebrate his 1,000th NHL game Mike Knuble was presented a silver hockey stick by GM George McPhee. For a good review of Knuble’s career, check out his recent interview with Mike Vogel.
  • Coach Dale Hunter experimented with new line combinations, putting Ovechkin with Brooks Laich and Troy Brower to form a rugged top unit. The second line of Johansson, Backstrom and Semin dazzled the crowd all evening with sublime passing. Both lines scored two goals so the early results look very positive.
  • Matt Hendricks showed some poise. After delivering a couple of hard hits, he stood steely-eyed as Blake Geoffrion dropped his gloves to try to mix it up with Hendricks. Matty didn’t take the bait and the Caps earned a power play.

The Caps are on the road Friday against the New Jersey Devils and then travel to Buffalo next Monday to face the Sabres. Their next home game is Wednesday, December 28 against the New York Rangers.

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Flyers Flatten Caps, 5-1 https://www.welovedc.com/2011/12/14/flyers-flatten-caps-5-1/ https://www.welovedc.com/2011/12/14/flyers-flatten-caps-5-1/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:15:47 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=78692
Photo courtesy of bridgetds

Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov
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Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov
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The Caps carried their resurgent power play and a two-game winning streak into last night’s game against Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers. But they came undone through a combination of Philadelphia muscle and poor goaltending. A series of soft shots and deflections got past starting goalie Tomas Vokoun as the Caps fell to the Flyers 5-1.

In the first period, the Caps came out looking like a different team than a month ago. With a disciplined approach they took the action to the Flyers, maintaining the puck in the offensive zone for most of the period with strong physical play. The aggressiveness paid off when the Caps drew two power play chances. But the Caps failed to shoot the puck on the man advantage and were unable to score on Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. The Caps lost the momentum, and tide turned.

The Flyers, meanwhile, shot the puck at every opportunity. Scott Hartnell put Philadelphia ahead 1-0 when he beat Tomas Vokoun between the legs on a clear shot from the top of the faceoff circle after 16 minutes. “I don’t think we had that kind of energy and emotion we had before,” said captain Alex Ovechkin of the first goal.

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Ovechkin Carries the Puck From Behind Goal Line
courtesy of clydeorama

The Flyers owned the second period, winning battles in the corners and in the slot to gain possession and position. A routine shot from the point was tipped by a Washington player past Vokoun to make it 2-0. The Caps appeared to be playing short-handed for long stretches of play, bottled up in their own zone, unable to create any space. Another shot from the point found the back of the Caps’ net off a deflection by Wayne Simmonds. The Flyers made it 4-0 late in the period when Max Talbot beat Vokoun from 60 feet on an odd-man rush.

The third period started with a goalie change. Michael Neuvirth came in to replace the beleaguered Vokoun. The honeymoon did not last long as the Flyers scored on another long range shot. And the fans streamed out of the arena. Even the PA announcers seemd to thrown in the towel as they played retro music and organ tunes to muffle the chants of the Flyers fans.

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Wideman Shoots from Point
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Jeff Halpern finally spoiled Ilya Bryzgalov’s shutout bid when he banged home the rebound on a Dennis Wideman slapshot with six minutes left in the game. Wideman has either scored or assisted on the Caps last five goals over a span of two full games.

Game Notes:

  • The Flyers were missing their two best players last night with defenseman Chris Pronger and NHL-leading scorer Claude Giroux nursing injuries.
  • Alex Ovechkin had a rough night. He ran headfirst into Alexander Semin in the first period leading to some jaw rubbing on the bench. The Flyers repeatedly foiled him with simple poke checks. Finally, he was completely rubbed off the puck by Braydon Coburn, leading directly to the Flyers’ fourth goal by Talbot.
  • The line of Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich and Joel Ward were one of the few bright spots on the evening, shutting down the Flyers top unit and generating quality scoring chances.

So it is “two steps forward, one step back” with this team. The progress of the last several games was thrown into doubt when facing one of the better teams in the East. The early discipline the Caps showed last night crumbled as the Caps failed to execute new coach Dale Hunter’s man-to-man defense and strong forechecking system. “I think we lost the game in the second period,” said Ovechkin after the game. “We didn’t have any opportunity to turn around the game.”

The Caps will will travel to Winnipeg Thursday and Colorado Saturday before returning to Verizon Center next Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. Here is the Caps upcoming schedule. Click here to find tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Fall to Penguins, 2-1 https://www.welovedc.com/2011/12/02/caps-fall-to-penguins-2-1/ https://www.welovedc.com/2011/12/02/caps-fall-to-penguins-2-1/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:30:34 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=78265 Photo courtesy of
Jason Chimera
courtesy of bridgetds

The calend…

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Photo courtesy of
Jason Chimera
courtesy of bridgetds

The calendar turned a page yesterday, but the Washington Capitals are still playing from their November playbook as they lost 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night at Verizon Center. Jason Chimera scored the lone goal for the Caps to continue his hot start to the season. It was the first time the Caps had lost to the Penguins in regulation in more than three years.

In the Caps’ second straight loss under new head coach Dale Hunter, the team played a physically aggressive game but were badly outshot, 35-17 for the game. “We played too much in our own end,” said Hunter after the game. “We have got to get the puck out much quicker.”

Call it “Dale Hunter Hockey” as it is emerging over the past four days. It starts with solid defense, the relentless pursuit of the puck, lots of hard hitting, and battles in the corners. The Caps had a strong forecheck all night, getting to the offensive corners and winning position battles. But they failed to control the puck and were not able to convert the aggressive play into scoring chances. Passes did not connect. Very few shots were directed toward the goal.

I am reminded of the days when Ollie Kolzig would routinely face 40 shots a night backstopping a scrappy, tight-checking team. I miss Bruce Boudreau already.

Photo courtesy of
John Erskine won a fight and played a strong game.
courtesy of bridgetds

The Caps got off to a slow start as the Penguins recorded the first seven shots of the game, including a goal by Craig Adams of the Penguins fourth line. After that, Tomas Vokoun made some key saves to make up for the Caps’ frequent defensive breakdowns as the Caps were outshot 13-4 for the period. The Caps had a hard time generating much offense. “We’ve got to do a better job of getting pucks to the net,” said Chimera. “We had a lot of cycle time, but didn’t get pucks to the net. We kind of waited for perfect plays. We’ve got to throw pucks to the net.”

Chimera knows what he is talking about. Early in the second period, he snuck out of the corner unopposed and lifted a backhand shot past Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to tie the game at 1-1. The Caps created more opportunities and were able to sustain pressure, but came up empty. Nicklas Backstrom hit the crossbar on an open net shot and Cody Eakin hit the post. Meanwhile, the Caps’ two power plays in the second period looked disorganized and failed to convert.

The third period was a completely different story. On a strong individual effort, the Penguins Chris Kunitz stole the puck from Marcus Johansson, knocked down John Erskine, and fired a shot that beat Vokoun over the shoulder. After that, the Penguins limited the Caps to two shots on goal in the entire third period. “You need more shots on net to win a game,” said winger Joel Ward, who plays with Chimera and Brooks Laich on the third line. “It’s a tough bounce we had in the third, starting on the PK [penalty kill]. We kind of managed to do that, we just didn’t get enough momentum going for it.”

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Dmitry Orlov Takes a Shot
courtesy of clydeorama

Game Notes:

  • Jason Chimera used to have a reputation for “stone hands” meaning he did not have a scoring touch around the net. Ever since he scored the overtime winner against the Rangers in the playoffs last spring he has evolved into an effective goal scorer and one of the Caps most effective and reliable players. He now leads the team with 10 goals in 24 games this season.
  • How is this for change? Instead of committing a penalty, Alexander Semin drew a penalty with some tenacious play. Minor victory.
  • Dmitry Orlov, the 210 lb., 20-year-old rookie defenseman had an up-and-down game. He looked lost in the defensive zone, but lead the rush on the power play and made a couple of nice passes. A work in progress.
  • Mike Knuble started the game on the fourth line, but was moved to the first line half way through the first period. On his first shift with the top unit the Caps immediately pressured for the first time and recorded the teams first three shots on goal.
  • Roman Hamrlik was a “healthy scratch” for the first time this season. Hamrlik is a great shot blocker and has been effective on the PK this season. But he has been a general liability at even strength with the worst plus/minus rating on the team at -10.
  • Back-to-the-future note: all three of the Caps coaches used to play for the Caps. This kind of home-grown movement probably would work best if the franchise had a, you know, winning tradition.

There is no time to rest for the Caps. They play a game every other night for the next eight days. Check out the schedule here, or look here for tickets to upcoming games.

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Caps Come Back, Beat Coyotes 4-3 https://www.welovedc.com/2011/11/22/caps-come-back-beat-coyotes-4-3/ Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:25:31 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=78051 Photo courtesy of
Joel Ward with Puck at Center Ice
courtesy of cly

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Photo courtesy of
Joel Ward with Puck at Center Ice
courtesy of clydeorama

The Caps did two things last night that they have been unable to do over the past several weeks: they came back from a two-goal deficit; and, they held a late lead. The result was a 4-3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes to end a four-game losing streak.

Before the game even started, Coach Bruce Boudreau shook things up by benching superstar Alexander Semin as a “healthy scratch” for the first time since his rookie season. Adding to the drama, Semin failed to appear at the morning skate or the pre-game up warmup skate where healthy scratches typically join the team on the ice. Maybe Sasha don’t care.

Once the game was underway, the Caps got an early break when Phoenix took a penalty two minutes into the game. But on the ensuing power play the Coyotes’ leading scorer Radim Vrbata intercepted a pass and went the length of the ice to score on the first shot faced by Tomas Vokoun. The Coyotes are known to be very good when they take the lead so this was not an auspicious start.

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Puck Drops in Front of Vokoun
courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

The Caps next power play had the same result. The Caps got the man advantage again mid way through the second period, only to see the Coyotes get another breakaway. This time Dennis Wideman hooked the Coyotes’ Lauri Korpikoski, who was awarded a penalty shot. Korpikoski scored easily on the penalty shot.

That’s right: two power plays for the Caps lead to two short-handed goals by the Coyotes. Eeesh.

Photo courtesy of
John Carlson Moves the Puck Up Ice
courtesy of clydeorama

But the Caps fought back. A pair of slapshots from John Carlson and Cody Eakin ricochetted off sticks and bodies and behind backup goaltender Jason LaBarbera to even the score at 2-2 by the end of the second period. “We haven’t been getting too many bounces lately,” said Carlson. “That’s what you need to jumpstart it. After that we has spark and momentum and everyone seemed to be going.”

Two minutes into the third period Joel Ward’s hustle paid off and Nicklas Backstrom was able to able to poke a rebound over LaBarbera for a 3-2 lead. Another Caps power play was greeted with caution by the home crowd. This time, however, the Caps were handed a 5-on-3 power play when Phoenix defender David Schlemko fired the puck out of the rink for a delay of game penalty. This time the Caps converted on a slapshot by Brooks Laich from the point to make it 4-2.

The Coyotes made it interesting by scoring again with 9 minutes to play. But rather than cave, the Caps stiffened their resolve and their defense to win the game and earn two standings points.

Photo courtesy of
Nicklas Backstrom
courtesy of bridgetds

Highlights:

  • It cannot be said enough times that Nicklas Backstrom is a superstar. He plays on both the PP and PK and is accountable all over the ice. Add in his superb passing and shooting and he is the complete package.
  • Troy Brower is a hitting machine. He leads the team in hits by far.
  • The mantra for this young season has been accountability. Often players will vote with their feet. If last night was a referendum, then the benching of Alexander Semin was a good move.

Lowlights:

  • You can not give up three breakaways in the first 30 minutes and expect to win too many games.
  • Don’t replay the fights on the Jumbotron. It just encourages ’em.

The Caps next game is against the Winnipeg Jets at home on Wednesday night. The Caps will be looking for revenge after the Jets beat the Caps 4-1 last week in Winnipeg.

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Stars Shine, Caps Fall 5-2 https://www.welovedc.com/2011/11/09/stars-shine-caps-fall-5-2/ Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:15:07 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=77607 Photo courtesy of
Neuvirth Makes a Save On a Tricky Puck
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Photo courtesy of
Neuvirth Makes a Save On a Tricky Puck
courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

They typically only face each other once a season, so a match-up between the Dallas Stars and the Washington Capitals is not one of the marquee rivalries in the NHL. Not like the salad days of the great Redskins and Cowboys teams over in the NFL. But coming into last night’s game, these two teams sported the best records in the league. Unfortunately, what promised to be fireworks turned to fizzle as the the Caps came undone in the third period. The Stars simply out-worked the Caps en route to a 5-2 victory in Washington.

The Stars scored first on a shot tipped by Michael Ryder halfway through the first. The Caps responded with a blast from Alexander Semin on the power play. Nicklas Backstrom made a no-look backhand pass to set up the one-timer by Semin to even the score at 1-1. Backstrom makes it look so easy.

But Ryder struck again with a nifty move to tuck the puck around the post behind a sprawling Michal Neuvirth to make it 2-1.

Photo courtesy of
Carlson moves the Puck
courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

The Caps fought back in the second period. Late in the frame Marcus Johansson won an offensive zone faceoff and Cody Eakin crisply passed it back to John Carlson at the point. Carlson beat Dallas net minder Kari Lehtonen with a blast over the glove side to even the score at 2-2.

The wheels came off for the Caps in the third period as the Stars scored 24 seconds in, then struck twice more around the eight minute mark to make it 5-2. The Caps failed to mount any serious challenge even with a couple of power plays down the stretch. “We were fortunate to be tied at the end of the first two periods,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “We talked about playing one good period [third period]. In the first 15 or 20 seconds [in the third period] they scored a goal. We’ve lost a lot of battles in the third periods [in] the last two games. The compete level wasn’t as great as we’d like it to be.”

The Good

  • Michal Neuvirth looked good and bailed out the team during long stretches when the Caps were being out-hustled and out-played.
  • Cody Eakin is for real. The 20-year old rookie has speed, good hands, and can find his way around the rink.
  • John Erskine has come back strong. He is no Mike Green (see below), but he is getting the job done defensively.

The Bad

  • After winning their first seven games of the season, the Caps have gone 2-4 in their past six games.
  • What does it take to get this team fired-up? These Caps typically play to the level of their opponent. This year they have been on fire for the Penguins, Flyers, and Red Wings. But they were flat against the lowly Islanders and Senators. And they have underestimated the Western conference teams, losing to the Oilers, Canuck and Stars.
  • Coach Bruce Boudreau got greedy after the first Caps goal. Instead of sticking with his checking line against the Stars top line, he went with the Johansson line for a defensive zone faceoff. It was a total mismatch and the Stars looked like they were on a power play. Goal followed quickly. Momentum gone.
  • The Caps numerous defensive breakdowns. Boudreau has switched around his defensive pairs since Mike Green has been injured. The new combination of Karl Alzner and Jeff Shultz is a great shut down combo, but at the cost of mismatching Carlson with Roman Hamrlik. The later were -3 for the evening.

This weekend sees a home-and-home series with the New Jersey Devils. The Caps play in the New Jersey Friday night and then host the Devils at the Verizon Center on Saturday at 7pm.

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Caps Shoot Down Ducks 5-4 in OT https://www.welovedc.com/2011/11/02/caps-shoot-down-ducks-5-4-in-ot/ https://www.welovedc.com/2011/11/02/caps-shoot-down-ducks-5-4-in-ot/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:42:56 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=77475 Backstrom Takes a Shot
Backstrom Takes a Shot
courtesy of Clydeorama

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Backstrom Takes a Shot
Backstrom Takes a Shot
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With a minute to play in the game, it did not look good for the home team. Trailing the Anaheim Ducks by a goal, the Caps had pulled the goalie for an extra attacker in a last ditch effort to to tie the game. They needed a heroic effort and Nicklas Backstrom responded to the call. He snagged a long rebound and beat the diving goaltender to tie the game at 4-4 with 42 seconds left in the game. Minutes later, Backstrom scored again in overtime for the win, causing the Verizon Center to explode in jubilation.

It was not all so pretty. The Caps were back on their heels for the first 30 minutes as the speedy Ducks controlled both the tempo and the puck. Anaheim, who had scored only six goals in the previous four game, managed to score two goals on Tomas Vokoun in the first period and another early in the second to take a commanding 3-0 lead.

Laich Skates With Puck
Laich Skates With Puck
courtesy of Clydeorama

But the Caps “checking line” of Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich and Joel Ward kept pressing and started the comeback for the Caps. Ward squeezed the puck between the legs of Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller at the 13-minute mark of the second period. Minutes later, Laich found Dennis Wideman pinching down for a one-timer to close the gap to 3-2.

Anaheim scored again half way through the third period on a power play goal to make it a 4-2 game. But the Caps kept coming. Troy Brouwer took a long shot from just inside the blue line that Hiller mishandled with his glove. The puck flipped up over Hiller, landed in the paint and trickled into the net to make it 4-3 and pave the way for Backstrom’s last minute heroics.

What is up with the shuffling?
The Caps found success early this season with four consistent lines and three set defensive pairs. The power play has been more effective this year as true defensemen filled the point positions, ensuring better puck control at the blue line. But ever since the Caps fell behind in Edmonton last Thursday, coach Bruce Boudreau has departed from this successful formula.

Last night Boudreau shuffled his forward lines and defensive pairs seemingly at random. In years past, Boudreau has often tinkered with his lines when his team falls behind in a game, looking for a spark. But the degree to which he is shuffling his line-up smacks of desperation and cannot instill a sense of confidence in his players. As if to reinforce the point, the one line that has stayed together – Chimera/Laich/Ward – was the line the lead the comeback.

On the few power plays the Caps got last night, Boudreau again put a forward at the point … with predictable results. The Caps were unable to contain the puck in the offensive zone and mustered only three shots in six minutes of power play time.

Hockey is a high speed game where timing and anticipation matter. When lines play together consistently they learn to communicate and anticipate each others’ moves. This is even more true for defensemen playing in their own zone, where a miscue can lead to the puck in the back of the net.

On defense last night, Boudreau broke up his shutdown pairing of John Carlson and Karl Alzner, and shifted Jeff Shultz to the right side to play with Alzner (presumably to face the Ducks top line). None of the pairs have played together consistently. There were many miscommunications and turnovers, including two that lead directly to Ducks goals.

The Caps showed tremendous hustle and individual effort, particularly by Backstrom. It was enough to win last night. It is a credit to the players that they were able to pull it off. But once again, it was too many individual stars, not enough teamwork. Boudreau has talked about the team concept over the last year, about having a system. It is not yet evident that he believes it himself.

The Caps head back out onto the road this weekend facing the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders. Their next home game will be next Tuesday against the Dallas Stars.

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