Comprehensive coverage of Washington, D.C. sports by local writers
(Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Whatever the reason for this recent dominance by the Washington Capitals, they have a number of key players to thank.
For starters, goalie Braden Holtby is playing like the top netminder in the world, with another shutout helping the Capitals to a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on the road Monday, for their eighth win in a row. Of his 31 saves on the night, he had one that immediately launched itself to the top of his highlight reel. [Read more…]
CAPS ENTER BREAK TIED FOR MOST WINS, POINTS IN THE LEAGUE AND NINE-POINT LEAD IN METRO
(Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Washington Capitals are proving adept a winning hockey games in lots of different ways. The league should take notice.
On Monday, backup goalie Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves — and defenders blocked 27 more shots — as the Caps won their sixth in a row, a 2-1 decision over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Caps enter the Christmas break at 25-6-2 as they extended their franchise-best start of the season. Washington leads the Metro Division over the New York Islanders by nine points — with two games in hand — at the break. The Caps are 13-1-1 in their past 15 games. [Read more…]
TOM WILSON RECIEVES QUESTIONABLE MATCH PENALTY FOR HIT IN THIRD PERIOD
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Washington Capitals looked resplendent Wednesday night in their retro-style red sweaters and blue pants. Looking good is feeling good, and the Caps played like it on the ice, knocking off the almost-equally as hot Ottawa Senators 2-1 in front of a capacity crowd at Verizon Center.
Michael Latta and John Carlson had the goals for D.C, while Braden Holtby made 27 saves to pick up his 20th individual win of the season, and up the Caps season record to 22-6-2-46.
But all anyone is talking about, and will talk about for the next several days, is this: [Read more…]
WASHINGTON CAPITALS PLAYED WITH “URGENCY” IN THIRD PERIOD BUT IT WASN’T ENOUGH TO WIN
“I’m not happy with the overall result,” stated Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz after the 3-2 overtime loss to Flames, however, “I think the positive is that we came back and got a point…our team is better than one period of hockey.”
The Washington Capitals hosted the Calgary Flames on Friday the 13th making it their third game in just four days, with the first two games on the road. The travel fatigue seemed to effect the Caps and had only one shot on goal for the first ten minutes.
Calgary was skating very fast and the Caps struggled to keep up with them for the first forty minutes. The Caps felt the urgency and bounced back in the third. Trott referred to the third and fourth lines as his “workers” and credits the bottom six for stepping it up. Michael Latta and Jay Beagle scored for the Caps.
“Latta was a spark plug,” said Trotz. Michael Latta scored his first goal of the season and his second career goal (11/15/13 at DET). Latta has earned 12 points (2g, 10a) in 77 career NHL games.
Goalie Braden Holtby had the night off and Philip Grubauer was in net for the Capitals and stopped 26 of 29 shots in his third start of the season. Trotz called Grubauer “pretty sharp” and made some critical saves to keep the Caps in the game.
Captain Alex Ovechkin still has the monkey on this back and wants to get the goal and move on. Coach Trotz weighed in at the post-game presser. “Today I did [sense mounting pressure] for the first time. I think he wants to get it [passing Sergei Fedorov (483) for first place among Russian-born NHL players in career goals]. There’s no question. I haven’t talked to him about it, but the best advice I can give him is to ‘play your normal game.’ He’s scored a gazillion goals in this league, and to our team: don’t look for Ovi [Alex Ovechkin] to score that goal. Don’t overpass. He’s scored a lot of goals. Play the way we play, and I guarantee you, he will score that goal, and he’ll score many after that.”
A few of the players had shared their thoughts about playing with urgency and resiliency of the team.
Brooks Laich: “With a caliber of hockey team that we have, we expected more. I know it’s three games in four nights, but they traveled last night too, they played last night. There’s no excuses. If you look at our hockey team, I think it’s a game that we should’ve had. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get it.”
Michael Latta: “We’ve got a lot of great character in this room. It shows. We could’ve had a couple more in the third, I feel like, We’ve got a great group in here. We never give up, that’s for sure.”
Andre Burakovsky : “I think we have so much energy… I think everyone can really go for 60 minutes here. At the end of the games, other teams are getting tired but we can just keep going. I think we kind of know that we have to come back every time we get the puck behind their D [defense]. That’s the way we want to play, that’s where we’re good. That’s something we have to do all the time, not just at the end.”
Congratulations to Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz for coaching his 1,294th NFL game which ties Jacques Martin for 10th place on the all-time NHL games coached list.
Washington Capitals lit up the ice at Verizon Center in Washington DC to represent the French flag in honor of Paris victims during the National Anthem. Photo by Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Caps Notes:
NEXT GAME: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at Detroit Red Wings at 8:00 p.m. (ET)
Unlike the wings, the center position is having down-to-the-wire battles. With Nicklas Backstrom out for an expected 4-10 games, the position is still taking shape even as the regular season starts. Although Andre Burakovsky is slated to be the second line center at the beginning of the season, the rest of the lines are still being shifted around. With one of the most respected centers in the game, one very hot up-and-comer, an overpaid veteran, and Jay Beagle, this is a highly-staffed position that will take a few weeks to be completely set. [Read more…]
Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz addressed the media Monday about the Caps’ newest injuries. Trotz announced forward Eric Fehr will be out at lest two games [ed. There are currently just two games scheduled] with an upper-body injury sustained in Sunday’s Game 3 when Islanders forward Kyle Okposo checked Fehr hard into the boards.
Trotz also said this injury is not related to the injury that forced Fehr out of three games at the end of the regular season.
Forward Marcus Johansson was limited in practice due to a lower-body injury, reportedly a cut o n his lower leg sustained after colliding with Cal Clutterbuck in Game 3. Johansson played through the injury Sunday but is iffy for Game 4.
The Caps have forwards Michael Latta and Andre Burakovsky in reserve. Latta seems to be the more logical fill-in for Fehr and the rookie Burakovsky could get the call should Johansson’s leg be deemed not fit for Game 4.
The Caps trail the Islanders 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
First star: Mike Green. Green was crucial to Washington’s winning effort in Columbus, with his assists on Troy Brouwer’s game-tying goal and Eric Fehr’s overtime game winning goal. It was arguably one of his strongest performances of the season. His end to end rush just 42 seconds into overtime ended up on the stick of a streaking Eric Fehr, who was essentially airborne, and whacked it past Sergei Bobrovsky for the 5-4 win.
Second star: Eric Fehr. He scored the above game-winner, his seventh goal of the season, and collected an assist on Joel Ward’s first-period goal.
Third Star: Karl Alzner. He’s not a guy that typically lights up the scoresheet, but this season, Alzner is bringing the heat. His third period goal was his second of the season and tied the game at 3-3. He also nabbed an apple on Ward’s first period goal.
Honorable Mention: Michael Latta’s slick pass to Jason Chimera in the first period.
Karl Alzner, Jay Beagle, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brooks Laich all scored, and Braden Holtby was often spectacular, as the Washington Capitals took care of the New Jersey Devils on the road, 4-1.
It’s the first time the Caps (12-10-4) have won back-to-back games in regulation this season. The win allows the Caps to slide into third place in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers loss.
Holtby made 34 saves in the effort, including an impressive effort again Marin Gelinas while short-handed when it was still close. Then in the third he made 15 saves, including robbing Jaromir Jagr twice as the Devils peppered him with shots in attempt to get back into the contest. [Read more…]
Attention ladies. Hockey ‘n Heels is back by popular demand! The Washington Capitals are once again hosting Hockey ‘n Heels of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014 from 6:15 to 9:30 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Tickets go on sale on Monday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m., exclusively to Club Scarlet members. Not already a member? Join here for free.
Check out photos from Hockey ‘N Heels 2013.
Defensemen Steve Oleksy and forward Tom Wilson instructed participants on shooting – Washington Capitals Hockey ‘N Heels, 11/13/2013 (Cheryl Nichols/District Sports Page)
Press Release:
Washington Capitals to Host Hockey ‘n Heels Wednesday, Nov. 12
Tickets to go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 27, at ScarletCaps.comARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will host Hockey ‘n Heels on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 6:15-9:30 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Tickets for the event will be available beginning Monday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m.
Hockey ‘n Heels is held each season exclusively for members of Club Scarlet presented by Lindsey Automotive Group and features instructional sessions and on-ice demonstrations targeted towards the Capitals’ female audience.
Fans interested in attending Hockey ‘n Heels must sign up to become a member of Club Scarlet at ScarletCaps.com. A ticket link will be sent to all Scarlet members. Tickets for this year’s event are $65, with a limit of four tickets per person. Tickets are not guaranteed for all Scarlet members. Club Scarlet membership is free.
The night will be divided into sessions of on-ice demonstrations featuring Capitals players and off-ice presentations featuring coaches and equipment staff. Players scheduled to appear include forward Michael Latta, defenseman Nate Schmidt and goaltender Justin Peters. Hockey ‘n Heels will feature on-ice demonstrations with Latta, Peters and Schmidt. Fans also will be able to try on the 2015 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic uniform and take their photograph with a player.
Head coach Barry Trotz will participate in a Q & A, while assistant coach Lane Lambert will lead a discussion on the rules of the game. Head equipment manager Brock Myles will give an overview of equipment, while strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish will host a session on fitness.
Founded in 2009, Club Scarlet is a fan club for women designed to provide more information, events and networking opportunities for the team’s population of female fans. For more information visit Scarletcaps.com.
Members of the Washington Capitals players participated in the 2015 Capitals Canine Calendar photo shoot to benefit Homeward Trails Animal Rescue at Potomac Regional Overlook Park in Arlington, Virginia.
A limited number of 2015 Caps Canine Calendars will be available for $20 beginning Tuesday, Dec. 2, when the Capitals host the Vancouver Canucks. The Caps Better Halves will help sell the calendars during the month of December at the MSE Foundation table located at section 104 on the main concourse. In addition the calendar will be available for purchase at the team stores at Verizon Center and Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The online sales are closed.
Players being photographed include Karl Alzner, Nicklas Backstrom, Jay Beagle, Troy Brouwer, John Carlson, Jack Hillen, Matt Niskanen, Brooks Orpik, Justin Peters, Aaron Volpatti, and Joel Ward with their dogs and Braden Holtby, Michael Latta, Alex Ovechkin, Dmitri Orlov and Tom Wilson with shelter dogs.
Last season $34,044.99 was donated to Homeward Trails through the sale of the 2014 Capitals Canine Calendar.
How could you resist a calendar with your favorite hockey players and adorable dogs? Here are a few of the photos posted on Twitter and Instragram.
#Caps @tom_wilso with @HomewardTrails dogs will be featured in the 2015 #CapsCanineCalendar pic.twitter.com/LPKHZB7rbh
@backstrom19 gets some puppy kisses after his shoot. #capscaninecalendar A photo posted by MSE Foundation (@msefoundation) on
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 17, 2014
#Caps @ovi8 and Dmitry Orlov posing with puppies for the 2015 #CapsCanineCalendar pic.twitter.com/1WEHswsJ2u — CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 17, 2014
#CapsCanineCalendar shoot with Braden Holtby and Hogan from Homeward Trails Animal Rescue
A photo posted by MSE Foundation (@msefoundation) on
Jay Beagle and Aaron Volpatti participating in the 2015 #CapsCanineCalendar photo shoot, available Dec. 2. pic.twitter.com/G5NYLKTV7O — CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 17, 2014
The #CapsCanineCalendar day might be one of my favorite days of the year. pic.twitter.com/X4gw05XsbL
The #CapsCanineCalendar day might be one of my favorite days of the year. pic.twitter.com/dRR6e5c3JN
— Emily Smith (@esmiles05) October 17, 2014
Caps, Dogs team up for charity. #CapsCanineCalendar shoot. http://t.co/uNGSqZoSQf pic.twitter.com/JdVxRTng2I
— dckerwin (@dckerwin) October 18, 2014