May 22, 2013

Washington Capitals Cleanout Day Audio: The bosses

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein.

The Washington Capitals held their final media availability Wednesday after their ouster from the playoffs by the New York Rangers for the second year in a row. Below is raw audio of George McPhee and Adam Oates’ press conferences.

“I don’t think there’s a league conspiracy but it sure didn’t feel right. Alex wasn’t wrong,” McPhee said when asked about Ovechkin’s comments about the officiating. “I talked to them during the series but at some point you stop. They’ll referee the way they want to referee.”

“I think over the course of the summer you’re gonna think about a lot of little things and evaluate yourself,” Adam Oates said about his first season as a head coach in the NHL. “You try to think of mistakes and what you could have done better and all the little things.”

05-15-13 George McPhee Presser 1

05-15-13 George McPhee Presser 2

05-15-13 George McPhee Presser 3

05-15-13 George McPhee Presser 4

05-15-13 Adam Oates Presser 1

05-15-13 Adam Oates Presser 2

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Washington Capitals Cleanout Day Audio: The players react

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein.

The Washington Capitals held their final media availability for the ’12-’13 season Wednesday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex following their ouster from the playoffs by the New York Rangers for the second year in a row. Feel free to listen, if you haven’t yet suffered enough.

05-15-13 John Carlson Presser RAW

05-15-13 Braden Holtby Presser RAW

05-15-13 Brooks Laich Presser RAW

05-15-13 Karl Alzner Presser RAW

05-15-13 Matt Hendricks Presser RAW

05-15-13 Michal Neuvirth Presser RAW

05-15-13 Mike Green Presser RAW

05-15-13 Mike Ribeiro Presser RAW

05-15-13 Nicklas Backstrom Presser RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: ,

Washington Capitals Pregame Update & Audio for Game 7: Oates, Chimera, Fehr

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein

The Washington Capitals did not have a pre-game skate in advance of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the New York Rangers. Head coach Adam Oates, along with forwards Eric Fehr and Jason Chimera, each had a brief pre-game availability.

Oates announced that neither Brooks Laich nor Martin Erat would be healthy enough to dress for Game 7, but say that he was considering a roster change. The most likely scenario would see either Joey Crabb of Wojtek Wolski dress instead of 19-year old rookie Tom Wilson, though Oates did not indicate the specific player move.

For Oates’ comments, plus those of Chimera and Fehr, please click the links below.

05-13-13 Adam Oates Pregame RAW

05-13-13 Eric Fehr Pregame RAW

05-13-13 Jason Chimera Pregame RAW

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Washington Capitals Morning Skate Update & Audio: Accolades for Ovi and “Black Aces”

May 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

As the Washington Capitals prepare for Game 5 against the New York Rangers at Verizon Center tonight at 7:30 pm, the NHL announced the finalists for the Hart and Lindsey awards, and Caps captain Alex Ovechkin was listed as a candidate for both awards. For the Hart Trophy, the league MVP, Ovechkin was joined as a candidate by the Penguins Sidney Crosby and the Islanders John Tavares. The Ted Lindsey Award, voted on by fellow members of the NHLPA, will be decided between Ovechkin, Crosby and Lightning winger Martin St. Louis.

The team also called up several players from the now-eliminated Hershey Bears for the remainder of the playoffs. Known as “Black Aces”, these players will practice with the Caps but in all likelihood will not see any game action. The recalled players were: goaltender Philipp Grubauer and defensemen Dmitry Orlov, Tomas Kundratek, Cameron Schilling and Nate Schmidt.

See below for audio from head coach Adam Oates, Ovechkin, and others.

05-10-13 Adam Oates Practice RAW

05-10-13 Alex Ovechkin Practice RAW

05-10-13 Jay Beagle Practice RAW 05-10-13

Nicklas Backstrom Practice RAW

05-10-13 Tom Wilson Practice RAW

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Washington Capitals Practice Update and Audio: Tom Wilson takes line rushes

May 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein.

The Washington Capitals called up Tom Wilson and Joey Crabb from AHL Hershey after the Bears were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs by Providence Wednesday night. The two players got the call as they were on the bus headed home and left for Kettler immediately after getting back early in the morning. Wilson then took line rushes in practice with the fourth line, maybe an indication that he could get a sweater for Game 5 Friday night at Verizon Center.

“I was just sitting one the bus,” Wilson explained, “I was pretty down after the loss and Doug Yingst [Hershey GM] called me up to the front of the bus and told me that I’d be going. It’s pretty cool. I was very excited. It was definitely a long morning with Crabby driving up here, but it’s good to be back here.”

The 19-year-old power forward talked about being mentally prepared to jump into the lineup if called upon. “Yeah, everyone’s gotta be ready, right?  That’s the game of hockey, there’s always gonna be changes in an out. I’m coming in here with not too many expectations. I’m just going to work hard and see what happens.”

The Caps would be the third team Wilson suited up for in the last ten days. He finished his junior season when Plymouth was eliminated from their playoffs, joined Hershey for three games and scored a goal, and now he’s with the big club. Has it been a whirlwind for the teenager? “Yeah, it was a tough loss in London in the OHL, and then I got right up there in Hershey a few days later and jumped right into the playoffs there and learned a lot there. So, pretty much the same thing here — just coming in and trying to learn again.”

The 6’4″, 210 right winger had 23 goals and 35 assists (+36) with 104 PIMs in 48 games with OHL Plymouth with another seven goals and six assists in 13 playoffs games this season.

Hear all of Wilson’s comments, plus Brooks Laich on skating for the first time and Alex Ovechkin and others on the Game 4 loss and the outlook for Game 5.

05-09-13 Tom Wilson Practice RAW

05-09-13 Alex Ovechkin Practice RAW

05-09-13 Braden Holtby Practice RAW

05-09-13 Brooks Laich Practice RAW

05-09-13 Joey Crabb Practice RAW

05-09-13 Matt Hendricks Practice RAW

05-09-13 Mike Ribeiro Practice RAW

05-09-13 Troy Brouwer Practice RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , , ,

Washington Capitals Practice Update & Audio for May 3: Oleksy talks puck to the face

May 3, 2013 by

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein.

The Washington Capitals, still basking in the glow of their 3-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, practiced at Kettler Capitals Iceplex Friday morning.

Steve Oleksy talked after practice more about the puck he took off his face than the beauty assist he had. “It seems like pucks and sticks are attracted to [my face],” Oleksy joked. “To be honest, it didn’t hurt when it happened. This morning there was a little more swelling. When I first woke up it was a little tough to talk, but it’s fine.”

For more practice audio, please click the links below.

05-03-13 Adam Oates Practice RAW

05-03-13 Alex Ovechkin Practice RAW

05-03-13 Nicklas Backstrom Practice RAW

05-03-13 Mike Green Practice RAW

05-03-13 Karl Alzner Practice RAW

05-03-13 Steve Oleksy Practice RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , , ,

Washington Capitals Morning Skate Update & Audio for May 2: Oates, Ward & Brouwer

May 2, 2013 by

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein.

Joel Ward is in for tonight’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the New York Rangers.

Asked what Ward means to the team, coach Adam Oates replied, “He’s been one of our better players all year along. Had a great year. We’ve missed him. We’re glad he’s healthy and he can play.”

“I get a chance to play,” Ward said, obviously looking forward to getting back on the ice. “I’m excited, for sure, to reunited with my buddies. I’m pretty happy about that.”

For Oates and Ward’s full comments from the morning skate, please click the links below.

05-02-13 Adam Oates Practice RAW

05-02-13 Joel Ward Practice RAW

05-02-13 Troy Brouwer Practice RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , , ,

Washington Capitals Practice Update & Audio: Ward targets Game 1 on Thursday for return

April 29, 2013 by

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein

As the Washington Capitals prepare to face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals this week, they may get one of their walking wounded back, as Joel Ward took part in practice Monday morning. “I’ve upgraded from the baby blue [injured practice jersey],” Ward joked with reporters after practice at Kettler. “I was pretty excited to get out of the jersey quickly.”

Asked if he thought he’d be ready for Game 1 Thursday, Ward replied, “I’m hoping to. Obviously we have to see how the next couple of days go, but in my mind it feels pretty good. It’s just getting on [the ice] with the guys and muck it up real good. I think the next couple of days will be a good test.”

“He went out there and had a good practice,” Adam Oates said. “We’ll see how it feels tomorrow morning.”

Oates also discussed Brooks Laich and his sports hernia surgery from earlier this month, saying that they won’t rush Laich back knowing how badly the player wants to be back on the ice.

“He’s on the way to recovery right now and as soon as he can recover we’ll get him in,” Oates said. “You know how he is, he’s trying as hard as he can to get there and we’ve just got to be careful.” Oates didn’t discuss a timeline but did say that the Caps expect Laich to be available at some point in the playoffs, though he has not started skating at this point.

You can hear more discussion of the injuries, along with the players’ reactions to playing the Rangers once again in the playoffs, at the links below.

04-29-13 Adam Oates Practice RAW

04-29-13 Alex Ovechkin Practice RAW

04-29-13 Nicklas Backstrom Practice RAW

04-29-13 Mike Ribeiro Practice RAW

04-29-13 Mike Green Practice RAW

04-29-13 Karl Alzner Practice RAW

04-29-13 Joel Ward Practice RAW

04-29-13 Braden Holtby Practice RAW

04-29-13 Troy Brouwer Practice RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Washington Capitals Morning Skate Update & Audio for April 23: Battle for the Division

April 23, 2013 by

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein

It doesn’t get much bigger than this.

With two games remaining, the Washington Capitals lead the Southeast Division, and hold the No. 3 seed in the East because of it, by a mere point over their opponent tonight, the Winnipeg Jets. Washington can clinch the Southeast on Tuesday with a win in regulation or overtime. Winnipeg is 1-3-0 against the Capitals this season. Washington outscored the Jets 10-1 in the past two games, which were played on back-to-back nights in Winnipeg.

The Caps and Jets are two of the NHL’s hottest teams right now. The Caps are 9-1-0 in their last ten games, the Jets are on a 6-0-1 run.

Overall, the Jets sits in ninth place with 51 points, one back of the seventh-place New York Rangers and the eighth-place Ottawa Senators. The Jets are also two-points behind the sixth-place New York Islanders. None of those teams have clinched a playoff berth yet.

Adam Oates discussed the preparation for the big Southeast Division matchup against the Winnipeg Jets tonight at Verizon Center, a game where the Caps can clinch a playoff spot. “We talked about them. Showed them some highlights from last night. We talked about Winnipeg and how we’re gonna play against them.”

Oates was asked about the significance of Winnipeg playing the second of back-to-back nights (they beat Buffalo 2-1 to move just one point being the Caps in the division). “It just shows itself. A team is maybe a little sloppy because they’re a little tired, even though the importance of the game — I’m sure they’ll get some energy from that,” Oates said. “For us, for 60 minutes, we’ve had the benefit of a little bit of a rest that they haven’t, hopefully it will show itself.”

04-23-13 Adam Oates Practice RAW

04-23-13 Alex Ovechkin Practice RAW

04-23-13 Nicklas Backstrom Practice RAW

04-23-13 Mike Green Practice RAW

04-23-13 Troy Brouwer Practice RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , ,

Washington Capitals Practice Update & Audio for April 22: Oates, Ovechkin & more

April 22, 2013 by

Audio courtesy Sky Kerstein

As the Washington Capitals gathered for team picture day at Kettler, there weren’t any changes on the ice as the forward lines and defensive pairings for practice were all the same as they have been lately while the Caps have been continuing their pursuit of clinching a playoff spot, which they can do Tuesday night against Winnipeg, the team directly behind them in the standings.

Head coach Adam Oates did talk briefly about the two key injured players on the roster: forwards Joel Ward and Brooks Laich. Oates indicated there were no changes with Laich and that he will not skate again until he’s pain-free. Laich ahs missed the past eight games after missing the first two months of the shortened season with his groin injury.

Ward has missed six games with a knee injury and still isn’t back to practice, something Oates thought would happen sooner than it has. “Obviously we thought he’d be probably back by now it just hasn’t gone away,” said Oates. The coach couldn’t put a timetable on Ward’s return and wouldn’t speculate if he’d be available for the playoffs — should the Caps qualify.

“[Ward]’s got to be able to practice a couple of days and get his conditioning,” Oates said. “It’s been too long a time. He needs to feel pain-free and be able to skate.”

Oates’ full comments, plus remarks from Alex Ovechkin, Troy Brouwer, Matt Hendricks and Jack Hillen can be found at the links below.

04-22-13 Adam Oates Practice RAW

04-22-13 Alex Ovechkin Practice RAW

04-22-13 Troy Brouwer Practice RAW

04-22-13 Matt Hendricks Practice RAW

04-22-13 Jack Hillen Practice RAW

Filed Under: Caps/NHL Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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