April 20, 2021

Washington Capitals Game 72 Re-Cap: Caps lackluster in 5-2 loss to Blackhawks

March 19, 2012 by

The Chicago Blackhawks faced the Washington Capitals without captain Jonathan Toews while Caps star center Nick Backstrom is still out with the same type of concussion injury as Toews (the good news is that Nick is skating more and more everyday).

The Hawks came into the contest 6-3-1 in their last games contests, sitting at sixth place in the rough and tumble Western conference. Meanwhile, the Caps were trying to upright the ship after Friday’s loss to Winnipeg.

To say the boys were struggling would be an understatement. They were hemmed in their end for much of the first period with no shots on goal until 16 minutes into the game (from Mike Green). The Caps’ defense seemed to be skating in mud allowing the Blackhawks to conduct skating clinics in their zone. [Read more…]

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Washington Capitals Game 69 Re-Cap: Caps Shutout Maple Leafs in Low Scoring Contest

March 11, 2012 by

Sunday’s 2-0 Washington Capitals victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs was a close game to the finish and one the Caps may learn and grow from as they enter the stretch run to the postseason.

Even though Michal Neuvrith earned the shutout and Washington had a multi-goal win, the game never felt like it was totally in Washington’s control. It was the type of game that can get away from a team quickly and one the Caps will be in many times down the stretch, as well as in the playoffs. It was a defensive game where neither team gave the opposing players much space and scoring chances were hard to come by. Several players compared the game to a playoff game when asked about it after the game.

“Since maybe the past three games it feels like a playoff game every time and guys feel it in the locker room, we know points are important at this point,” Mathieu Perreault said after the game “We have played pretty solid the last few games and hopefully we can keep that going.” [Read more…]

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Washington Capitals Game 67 Re-cap: Ovechkin overtime winner caps comeback over Lightning

March 9, 2012 by

“He said just quit trying to use your skill, and use your will a little bit more.” Brooks Laich, on what Dale Hunter told the team at second intermission.

It’s a tough way to win, but the Washington Capitals will take every two points they can right now. After one of their worse periods of hockey this season, they played one of their best. They tied the game with just under four minutes remaining, then got the winner from their captain with just 51 seconds left in overtime, sending the Tampa Bay Lightning home losers 3-2.

With Florida’s loss to Philadelphia, the Caps are just two points out of first place in the Southeast Division.

The Caps took the first lead, when a shot from the point by Karl Alzner hit Keith Aucoin’s stick and redirected past Tampa goalie Dustin Tokarski, making his first NHL start. Alzner’s shot would not have gone on net, and Aucoin had his back to the play, being spun around by Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. [Read more…]

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GAME 65 RE-CAP: Capitals Scoring Woes Linger in 1-0 Loss to Flyers

March 4, 2012 by

The Washington Capitals led the Philadelphia Flyers in just about every statistic on the game sheet last night. Except where it counts. Ilya Bryzgalov made 34 saves, sending the Caps to their second consecutive home shut out loss, 1-0, in front of a fairly mixed crowd at Verizon Center.

The Flyers came into tonight’s contest missing two of their key defensemen, Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros, both ailing with lower body injuries. For the home team, Mike Knuble was back in the lineup after being scratched for four games and Michal Neuvirth got the start after Friday night’s fiasco against New Jersey.

During his first shift, Karl Alzner did a nice job of keeping Jaromir Jagr and his signature mullet out of Neuvy’s territory. Alzner was just one of his teammates to ramp up the physical play that is ever so present whenever the Flyers come to town. [Read more…]

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GAME 64 RE-CAP: Washington Capitals play into Devils’ hands in 5-0 pasting

March 3, 2012 by

For the first five minutes or so Friday night, the Washington Capitals came out skating hard, throwing their bodies around and making good effort against the New Jersey Devils, losers of four straight and weary from playing the night before. But in the span of two minutes, Jason Chimera had a shot blocked on a two-on-one, Troy Brouwer was robbed by Devils’ back-up goalie Johan Hedberg on another odd-man rush, then Matt Hendricks took a penalty when he got his stick up on a check.

The Devils scored on the ensuing power play, opening the floodgates for a 5-0 white-washing of the homestanding Caps. And according to some players in the locker room, the team didn’t put up much of a fight, if any.

“I don’t think we worked very hard in the third period,” Troy Brouwer said from a somber home locker. “I thought we packed it in. We looked like a real timid, beaten down hockey team. We have to address that and make sure there is no quit in us, ever.” [Read more…]

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GAME RE-CAP 63: Not So Fast! Brouwer’s Pair, Ovechkin’s OT Strike Give Caps 3-2 Comeback Win over Isles

February 28, 2012 by

As much as it is a cliche, it’s also the honest truth to say that the Washington Capitals snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Tuesday night, rallying from a two-goal deficit against the New York Islanders with a pair of Troy Brouwer goals in the final four minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime, where Alexander Ovechkin scored to give the home team a crucial 3-2 win.

Late success glossed over a frustrating game for Washington, in which the home team outshot and outscored the Islanders but were largely unable to pierce goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who stopped 31 shots. [Read more…]

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GAME 62 RE-CAP: Capitals start quick, finish early against Toronto in 4-2 win

February 25, 2012 by

Marcus Johansson scored 32 seconds into the game and the Washington Capitals never looked back, building a 4-0 lead en route to a 4-2 victory over the massively slumping Toronto Maple Leafs before 19,577 at Air Canada Center, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1962 championship squad.

The Caps won back-to-back games on consecutive nights for only the second time this season.

After the dust settled around the NHL slate last night, the Caps found themselves in ninth place in the conference, one point behind Florida for first place in the Southeast Division (and the third seed in the conference) and Winnipeg for the eighth seed.  Florida won and Winnipeg lost — both in shootouts — Saturday night. [Read more…]

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GAME 61 RE-CAP: Capitals dispatch hapless Habs 4-1

February 25, 2012 by

Jason Chimera notched his 16th goal of the season, beating Carey Price in the second period. (photo by Cheryl Nichols)

The Washington Capitals needed a game like this.  The Montreal Canadiens were the perfect tonic.

The Caps broke a three-game losing streak and continued their domination of the once-proud franchise, beating Les Habitants 4-1, in a game that really wasn’t even as close as the score would seem to indicate.  It’s the fourth time the Caps have defeated Montreal this season, and first time they’ve allowed a goal. [Read more…]

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GAME 60 Re-Cap: 20-Minute Effort Leads to 5-2 Loss in Ottawa

February 22, 2012 by

The Washington Capitals are beginning to enter desperation mode in their hunt for a fifth consecutive playoff berth, but it would be hard to tell from their performance Wednesday night on the road against the Ottawa Senators.  Instead, for the second game in a row the Caps delivered a positively tepid performance in an embarrassing 5-2 loss to the surging Sens.

John Carlson provided Washington’s first goal, an impressive one-timer from the right faceoff dot on the power play.  Mathieu Perreault’s goal was far less impressive, a shot that deflected off his face into the open net. [Read more…]

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GAME 59 RE-CAP: Caps steamrolled by Canes in embarrassing 5-0 trouncing

February 20, 2012 by

The Washington Capitals are in the unfamiliar position of possibly being out of the playoff race for the first time in many seasons.  Last night, they travelled to RBC Center in Raleigh, NC to face a Carolina Hurricanes team sitting in last place in the East. Unfortunately, Carolina played like their playoff lives depended on it instead of the Caps, as the Hurricanes cruised unchallenged to a 5-0 blanking of the reeling Capitals.

The Caps remain two points behind Florida for first in the Southeast Division and one point behind Toronto and Winnipeg for the eighth seed in the conference.

The Canes were without the services of their marquee goaltender, Cam Ward and agitating defenseman Tuomo Ruutu. For Washington, an ailing Dmitry Orlov was scratched due to undisclosed illness. [Read more…]

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