Author: Kassie Coulson

Backstrom’s Back, Tell A Friend: Washington Capitals vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Washington Capitals (22-4-5) Columbus Blue Jackets (11-14-4)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby14-2-42.82 / .909 / 0
Columbus Blue JacketsJoonas Korpisalo11-10-12.85 / .900 / 1

Tomorrow, your Washington Capitals will return to Capital One Arena to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. We are very excited to report that Caps veteran Nicklas Backstrom will be making his return to the roster after missing eight games. If it seems like the Caps haven’t played much within the Metropolitan division, that’s because they haven’t. In 31 games, Washington has played just five games against Metro rivals. The last time these two teams played, back on February 12th, the Capitals were blanked by the Blue Jackets in a 3-0 shutout. Although Washington has lost three of their last four meetings with Columbus, before that, they won four consecutive games against the BJ’s, and went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2018 (mcubed).

On Friday night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Anaheim Ducks for the second and final time this season. There was lots of speculation about how dirty and physical this game might become, based on how the last meeting between these two ultimately went down. This time, a total of 66 penalty minutes were doled out between the two teams. The Capitals started off extremely strong and played much of the first period in Anaheim’s defensive zone. Just last week, Travis Boyd earned himself a permanent spot on the roster after Washington traded Chandler Stephenson to the Golden Knights. Just nine minutes into the first period, Boyd potted his second goal of the season, giving the Capitals an early lead.

Nick Ritchie suffered a lower body injury after Caps’ defenseman Radko Gudas hip-checked him behind the play. Ritchie did not return. The first penalty of the game wasn’t called until the 18-minute mark of the first, as Carl Hagelin was called for interference. The Ducks would begin the second period on the power play, and the Capitals would successfully kill it off, although Braden Holtby would have to make a point-blank stop prior to Washington clearing the puck.

Washington would receive their first power play as the Ducks were called for ‘too many men’ just under three minutes into the middle frame. Unfortunately, the Capitals would not convert on the man-advantage, and the Ducks would actually get an opportunity to score short-handed. Garnet Hathaway and Erik Gudbranson would attempt to square up, but the zebras broke them up before any punches were thrown. Gudbranson dropped the gloves before Hathaway even reached center ice, but both received a 10-minute misconduct penalty. The Caps would receive a second consecutive power play as Gudbranson would receive an additional two-minute penalty for instigating. Just 16 seconds into the power play, Evgeny Kuznetsov would score his 12th goal of the season, giving Washington a 2-0 advantage.

Lars Eller would score the Caps’ third goal of the season, but it would be called back (correctly) because it was scored with a high-stick. Radko Gudas and Nicolas Deslauriers would drop the gloves, and both would receive five minutes for fighting. Deslauriers would be given an additional 10-minute misconduct. Jakub Vrana would get a high-stick to the face, and Cam Fowler would be given two minutes for the penalty. With a third consecutive power play, the Capitals would try and extend their lead once again. Moments into the man-advantage, TJ Oshie went off for cross-checking, and the two teams would play four-on-four for 90 seconds. The Ducks then received an abbreviated 30 second power play, and Sam Steel would cut the Caps’ lead in half. The Capitals decided to argue the goal for being offside, and ultimately would win that challenge. As the Oshie penalty expired, Jonas Siegenthaler was called for slashing, and Anaheim would have another opportunity to get on the board. However, the Ducks would not score. Ryan Getzlaf finally got the Ducks on the board (for real this time), as Holtby was drawn out of the crease, and was challenged with just one too many shots that he couldn’t stop. Another bad turnover by the Capitals would lead to Adam Henrique tying it 2-2 just 45 seconds into the final frame. 52 seconds later, Jakub Vrana would re-establish Washington’s lead with his 15th goal of the season. All of Vrana’s 15 goals have come at even strength, and he is now tied with Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand for most 5-on-5 goals.

Hathaway and Gudbranson would square up for a second time, and again, would receive five-minute majors for fighting. Tom Wilson and Gudbranson then exchanged some pleasantries, but instead, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Derek Grant would go off for two-minutes, so play would continue with 4-on-4. Washington successfully kept the Ducks off the board for the remainder of the game, and Braden Holtby, having stopped 27 of 29 shots, would tally his 15th win. Holtby is expected to start against the Blue Jackets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets last played on Saturday, and in dropping their 4th straight game, they lost 4-1 to the Florida Panthers. John Tortorella’s Blue Jackets have dropped four of their last five starts, and are just over .500 at home, with an 8-8-1 record. Since former Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky left the Blue Jackets to sign with the Panthers, he has won just nine of 20 games started, and has some of the worst numbers in the league amongst goaltenders. However, in his first meeting against his former team, ‘Bob’ tallied his 10th win of the season. The Blue Jackets allowed a Panthers goal by Evgenii Dadonov just 18 seconds into the game. Columbus successfully killed off the singular Panthers power play in the first period. Their penalty kill ranks 19th, but has allowed 9 power play goals by the opposition at home (ESPN). Columbus’ special teams are fairly average, and middle of the pack, with their power play operating at 19.8% efficiency, good enough for 11th. They have, however, allowed five short-handed goals, three of which came during eventual losses for the Blue Jackets (ESPN). The Blue Jackets were unable to convert on their first power play of the game, which came at the 10:49 mark of the first. Columbus took two consecutive penalties, one for holding, and another for roughing, but were able to keep the Panthers from converting. Florida improved their lead to 2-0 at the 8:53 mark of the second, as Josh Brown scored his 2nd goal of the season. Frank Vatrano went off for slashing with 36 seconds remaining in the period, but the Blue Jackets would not convert at the end of the second, or at the start of the third. Brett Connolly gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead early in the final frame, as he scored his 13th of the season on the Florida power play. Vladislav Gavrikov scored the singular Columbus goal four minutes later, spoiling Bobrovsky’s shutout hopes. However, Mike Hoffman sealed the win for Florida as he scored his 11th goal, an empty netter, at the 17:37 mark of the third. Columbus’ goal-scoring is less than ideal, with a (-20) goal differential. Pierre Luc-Dubois leads the Blue Jackets with 18 points and 10 goals. Just one roster player is without a goal (minimum eight games played), and 11 skaters have scored at least one power play goal (TheScore, Columbus Blue Jackets). Elvis Merzlikins made 23 saves on 26 shots, but Joonas Korpisalo is expected to start against the Capitals.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Brandon Dubinsky (DL, wrist), Kole Sherwood (DL, oblique), Zach Werenski (DL, shoulder), Markus Nutivaara (DL, upper body), and Emil Bemstrom (DTD, upper body). Nicklas Backstrom is slated to play in his first game since November 18th. With Backstrom’s return to the lineup, the Capitals will play with a completely healthy roster for the first time this season.

 

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References:

ESPN. (2019). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders- Special Teams. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team?stat=special-teams&sort=shortHandedGoalsAgainst.

Mcubed. (2019). NHL: Series Records: Washington Capitals against Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/clb.shtml.

TheScore. (2019). Columbus Blue Jackets @ Florida Panthers. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22183.

TheScore. (2019). Columbus Blue Jackets News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/17.

Fowl Play on a Friday: Washington Capitals vs Anaheim Ducks

Washington Capitals (21-4-5) Anaheim Ducks (12-12-4)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby14-2-42.82 / .909 / 0
Anaheim DucksRyan Miller4-1-22.99 / .906 / 0

The Washington Capitals will round out their California Road Trip with a battle in Anaheim against the ‘Mighty’ Ducks. The last time these two met, back on November 18th, Brendan Leipsic established himself as “a little ball of hate”, Erik Gudbranson sucker-punched Garnet Hathaway, and a three-game suspension was dished out for spitting. Mostly importantly, however, the Capitals defeated Anaheim 5-2. The Capitals have won just twice in their last six meetings with the Ducks, but we’ve got a hunch that Washington won’t let this one slip away (mcubed).

On Wednesday, the Washington Capitals defeated the LA Kings, 3-1. The Caps’ penalty kill was vital to this road victory, as the Kings received three power plays in the second period alone. Radko Gudas, who had suffered an elbow to the head on Tuesday, dressed for the game, but Nicklas Backstrom still has not returned to the lineup. Just four minutes and 36 seconds into the first period, John Carlson scored his 10th goal of the season and 100th of his career, with a rocket past Jonathan Quick. Impressively, Washington has struck first, before the five-minute mark, nine separate times this season.

Ilya Samsonov, who hasn’t had much time between the pipes lately, stayed calm and composed despite only facing just a handful of shots in the first period. At the 13:27 mark, John Carlson scored his 2nd of the game, and third in two games, giving Washington a 2-0 lead. A sneaky move from behind the goal line drew Quick out of the crease, giving Carlson the perfect chance to pot the puck.

The Capitals have played the catch-up game fairly often as of late, so it was certainly refreshing to start off ahead. After having not been called for a penalty in almost four periods, Michal Kempny was called for ‘closing the hand on the puck’ with 39 seconds remaining in the first. With the penalty, the LA Kings would receive the first power play of the game, and would start the second period with the man-advantage. The Capitals would kill off that penalty, keeping the Kings off the board. The majority of the second period was uneventful, despite a number of great looks by the Caps, and more than a handful of equally great saves by Samsonov. Evgeny Kuznetsov would be called for high-sticking just short of the 11-minute mark, and the Kings would, again, try to cut the Capitals’ lead. Thankfully, Washington would kill off that penalty, as well. With just over 60 seconds remaining in the period, the Kings would receive their third power play, as TJ Oshie went off for slashing. The Capitals had a short-handed odd man rush prior to the expiration of the period but couldn’t finish. Once again, LA would start the subsequent period up a man. To start the third period, the Capitals killed off the remainder of the Oshie penalty. Unfortunately, Samsonov’s shut-out hopes were ruined by Blake Lizotte, as he scored his 3rd of the season, cutting the Caps’ lead in half. The Capitals would receive their first power play of the night with just over 12 minutes left in the match. Unfortunately, Washington would not convert, and would not add to their narrowed lead. The Capitals would get a second opportunity with the man-advantage, as Tyler Toffoli went off for two-minutes for an illegal check to the head. Much to the dismay of Caps’ fans, Washington would not convert. Kings’ head coach Todd McLellan would elect to pull his goalie with just about two minutes remaining, and despite some close calls, Tom Wilson would, in a clearing attempt, score an empty-net goal.

The Capitals’ third goal would be Wilson’s 11th on the season. Ilya Samsonov allowed just one goal on 23 shots, ending the night with a .957 save percentage, and improving his record to 7-2-1. Braden Holtby is expected to start against the Ducks.

The Anaheim Ducks were last in action on Monday, where they too defeated the LA Kings in a 4-2 victory. Since the last time the Caps and Ducks squared off, Anaheim has lost four of six, but has improved to 8-5-2 at home. Derek Grant struck first just beyond the five-minute mark of the first period. Anaheim received the first power play of the game as Tyler Toffoli went off for slashing. Jakob Silfverberg scored his 10th goal of the season on the Ducks power play, giving them a 2-0 lead heading into the second period. The Ducks’ power play has improved slightly, still ranking 30 of 31, but has shifted to an efficiency of 11.3% (vs 9.1%) (TheScore, Anaheim Ducks). Six minutes into the middle frame, Kurtis MacDermid cut the Ducks’ lead in half with his 2nd of the season, but just 56 seconds later, Carter Rowney would give Anaheim their two-goal lead back. At the 7:53 mark, Hampus Lindholm was called for interference, but Los Angeles would not convert. Before the Lindholm penalty expired, Erik Gudbranson would be called for delay of game, giving the Kings a short-lived two-man advantage. The Kings would not score on the power play, but Nikolai Prokhorkin would again bring LA within one at the 11:42 mark of the second. Anaheim’s penalty kill is ranked 22nd, as they manage to kill off 77.2% of penalties taken. However, they  also draw the 2nd most penalties, with an average of 11.4 penalty minutes per game (TheScore, Anaheim Ducks). The third period was uneventful, aside from Derek Grant’s 2nd goal of the game, which sealed the Ducks’ 12th win of the season. Anaheim goal-tender Ryan Miller made 34 saves on 36 shots, and tallied just his 4th win. Miller will get the start between the pipes tonight for the Ducks.

The Anaheim Ducks will be without the services of Patrick Eaves (IR-NR, undisclosed), Ryan Kesler (IR-NR, hip), and Josh Manson (DL, knee). John Gibson is still listed as day-to-day with an illness. Nicklas Backstrom’s status to return is undetermined.

Coverage of the game begins at 9:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 9:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 10:00pm.

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References

Mcubed. (2019). NHL: Series records: Washington Capitals against Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/ana.shtml.

TheScore. (2019). Anaheim Ducks News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/21.

TheScore. (2019). Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22149.

Storming the Kingdom: Washington Capitals vs LA Kings

Washington Capitals (20-4-5) vs Los Angeles Kings (11-15-2)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov6-2-12.58 / .914 / 0
Los Angeles KingsJonathan Quick7-10-13.36 / .882 / 0

 

Next stop, the City of Angels! The Washington Capitals will play their third game of this road trip against the also struggling LA Kings. The Kings are just 9-5-1 at home, and the last time these two teams played, back in February, Washington defeated Los Angeles, 3-2 at Staples Center. The Caps have won their last two meetings with LA. However, the Kings are 12-4-0 against Washington, dating back to 2008 (mcubed).

Last night, the Washington Capitals steam-rolled the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 victory at SAP Center, just 342 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Carl Hagelin played his first game since November 7th. Despite speculation surrounding his return, Nicklas Backstrom did not play, but is making continued progress. This was the first game all season in which the Capitals did not record a single penalty minute. Melker Karlsson started off the scoring just two and a half minutes into the match, giving San Jose an early lead, with his 3rd goal of the season. The Capitals have won just seven games when the opposition scores first, but recently, Washington has won most of their games in the form of a come-back. Richard Panik almost tied it all up with a short-side inside pipe shot, but puck luck was not on his side. That pipe shot was the Caps’ 32nd of the year. Garnet Hathaway completed the perfect pass to Nic Dowd for a point-blank shot, but Sharks’ goaltender Martin Jones robbed the Caps of another scoring chance. At the 13:31 mark, Garnet Hathaway tied the game with a perfect deflection from John Carlson’s shot beyond the circles.

Not even one minute later, Jakub Vrana gave Washington their first lead of the game with his 13th goal of the season, after his initial shot deflected off the right pipe.

With just over three minutes remaining in the period, John Carlson improved the Capitals’ lead to 3-1.

A two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead to have in hockey, but Washington would start the second period with the advantage. Garnet Hathaway scored his 2nd goal of the game two and a half minutes into the middle frame.

Washington received the first power play of the night, coming nearly halfway through the game. Melker Karlsson tripped up Radko Gudas, and then Nic Dowd was also tripped. Unfortunately, the zebras got this call wrong, and Gambrell went off for two minutes for tripping. However, the Sharks’ top ranked penalty kill kept the Caps up by just three. Jakub Vrana scored his second of the game, and 14th of the season, with just about four minutes remaining in the second.

Through two periods, it’s safe to say that this has definitely been one the best games the Capitals have put together this season. Particularly against a team like San Jose, who, despite a slow start, was 11-2-0 heading into tonight’s match-up. Starting the third and final frame, San Jose would swap out Martin Jones, and call in Aaron Dell to hold down the fort between the pipes for the remainder of the game. Evander Kane gave the Sharks their second goal on the night with just under seven minutes left in the game. Kane’s 13th of the season was just his 6th at even strength. Washington received just the second power play of the night as Evander Kane then was called for a nasty hit against Radko Gudas that sent him to the locker room for medical evaluation.

After review, Kane would receive a five-minute major for elbowing, and was assessed a game misconduct. With the penalty, the Capitals would play the remainder of the game on a power play.

Although the Capitals did not ultimately convert on the five-minute power play, Washington would walk away with their 20th win of the season. Braden Holtby made 23 saves on 25 shots, earning himself his 13th victory. With Holtby having started between the pipes last night, Ilya Samsonov is slated to play tonight.

The Los Angeles Kings last played on Monday night, where they lost to long-time rival Anaheim Ducks. In what usually is a hard-hitting, penalty-heavy matchup, this one only saw three power plays in 60 minutes (TheScore, LAK @ ANH). Derek Grant started the scoring as he potted his 7th of the season just over five minutes into the first period. Tyler Toffoli was called for slashing just beyond the eight-minute mark. Just as the Ducks power play was expiring, Jakub Silfverberg gave Anaheim a 2-0 lead. The Kings’ special teams are among the worst in the league, and their penalty kill is tied for 28th (74.7%) (TheScore, Los Angeles). Both Kings’ goals came in the second period, with their first coming off the stick of Kurtis MacDermid at the 6:01 mark of the middle frame. Anaheim’s eventual game-winning goal came from Carter Rowney 46 seconds later, as he scored his 5th of the season. The Kings received their first power play at the 7:53 mark, as Hampus Lindholm was called for interference, but LA’s 29th ranked power play did not convert. Operating at just 11.3% efficiency, the Kings have scored just one goal in their last 12 power play opportunities, the last coming versus the New York Islanders, where they eventually won 4-1 (TheScore, Los Angeles). Erik Gudbranson would be called for delay of game with 20 seconds remaining on the first Kings’ power play, but despite the two-man advantage, and subsequent modified power play, LA would not score. Nikolai Prokhorkin would bring the Kings within one at the 11:42 mark of the second period. Despite holding off Anaheim for the remainder of the second, 19 minutes and 38 seconds of the third, the Kings would drop their 5th game in 7 starts. Derek Grant scored his second of the game, an empty-netter, with just 38 seconds remaining in the game, sealing the win for Anaheim. The Los Angeles Kings allow the most shots on goal against (28.1), but held the Ducks to just 20 through three periods. Conversely, the Kings register the 2nd most shots on goal for in the league, averaging 34.8 per game, and ultimately out-shot the Ducks 38-20 (TheScore, Los Angeles). Jack Campbell allowed three goals on 19 shots, ending the night with a .842 save percentage (TheScore, LAK @ ANH). Jonathan ‘Not So Quick’ Quick is expected to start for the Kings.

The Lost Angeles Kings will be without Alec Martinez (DL, wrist), and Derek Forbort (IR-NR, back). On Monday, the Washington Capitals traded forward Chandler Stephenson to the Las Vegas Knights, in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2021 Entry Draft. It is unclear if Nicklas Backstrom will play tonight, as he did not dress yesterday. Radko Gudas appears to be good to go tonight, despite taking an elbow to the head last night versus the Sharks.

Coverage of the game begins at 9:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 9:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 10:00pm.

 

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References:

Mcubed. (2019). NHL: Series records: Washington Capitals against Los Angeles Kings. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/la.shtml.

TheScore. (2019). Los Angeles Kings News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/23.

TheScore. (2019). Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22149.

TheScore. (2019). Washington Capitals at San Jose Sharks. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22159.

Westward Expansion: Washington Capitals vs San Jose Sharks

Washington Capitals (19-4-5) vs San Jose Sharks (15-12-1)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby13-2-42.86 / .909 / 0
San Jose SharksMartin Jones11-8-13.08 / .896 / 0

 

Set your coffee makers, folks. This is going to be a late one. Tonight, the Washington Capitals will play their 2nd of four consecutive road games, and first of three on this California road trip. Impressively, Washington is only the second team over the last 12 years to have scored 100 or more goals before the beginning of December. The last team to accomplish this feat was the 2013-14 Chicago Blackhawks. The Capitals defeated the Sharks 5-1 back on Valentine’s Day, but have lost five of their last eight meetings with San Jose (mcubed). Most fans likely remember that heartbreaking overtime loss back in January, where two hat-tricks were scored, and blown coverage with fractions of a second remaining in the game led to Evander Kane’s tying goal. Alex Ovechkin’s three goals kept the Caps in it, but Tomas Hertl’s overtime game winning goal would complete a hat-trick of his own.

The Washington Capitals last played on Saturday, where they defeated the last-place Detroit Red Wings, 5-2. After defeating Tampa Bay in overtime one night prior, the Capitals just completely fell apart in the first period. Passing was abysmal, zone coverage, non-existent. Rookie goaltender Ilya Samsonov hadn’t played since the middle of November, but made a number of point-blank saves that kept the Caps in this one. Detroit was gifted three power plays in the first period alone, including two tripping minors against Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov, and a kneeing penalty against Tom Wilson. 50 seconds after the Caps killed off the first penalty, and just 27 seconds into the Red Wings’ second power play (Orlov, tripping), Robby Fabbri gave Detroit their first lead in four games. The Capitals received their own man-advantage as Dylan McIlrath was called for holding, but Detroits’ 31st ranked penalty killed successfully kept Washington out of their defensive zone, and off the scoreboard. The Red Wings would start the second period on the power play, and Washington successfully kept Detroit from adding to their lead. The Capitals received their second power play as Dylan Larkin went off for hooking just beyond the one-minute mark of the second, and TJ Oshie, with his 11th goal of the season, managed to tie the game.

Filip Hronek would go off about three minutes later, but the Capitals would not convert on their third power play opportunity. However, at the 9:21 mark, Alex Ovechkin would score his 3rd goal in as many games, giving Washington their first lead of the night.

Detroit was gifted a chance to tie the game as the Caps were called for a bench minor with too many men on the ice. Thankfully, the good guys kept the Red Wings scoreless on their 4th power play. Comparatively, Washingtons’ second period, as it usually is, was much better, and the Capitals now led heading into the third and final frame. With just over six minutes remaining, Tom Wilson scored his 10th of the season, and first four games, giving Washington a two-goal lead.

That lead, however, was extremely short-lived, as Luke Glendenning brought Detroit back within one just nine seconds later. A massive hit by Garnet Hathaway toppled former Capital Mike Green into Washingtons’ bench.

Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill elected to pull goaltender Bernier for the extra-skater, but Alex Ovechkin would give the Caps their two-goal lead back with an empty-netter. Not even 40 seconds later, Ovi would score another empty net goal his third of the game, earning himself his 24th career hat trick.

Ilya Samsonov allowed two goals on 27 shots, ending the night with a .926 save percentage, good enough to tally his 6th win (TheScore, WAS @ DET). Braden Holtby is expected to start versus the San Jose Sharks.

The San Jose Sharks last played on Saturday night as well, where they defeated the Arizona Coyotes, 4-2. Although the Sharks started off pretty shaky, especially having come off of a Western Conference Finals appearance last year, San Jose has appeared to right their ship. The Sharks were 8-2-0 in their last 10 starts, with five wins coming in overtime or the shootout. Nick Schmaltz started the scoring just 93 seconds into the first period, and less than a minute later, Derek Stepan added to Arizona’s early lead. However, just beyond the 11-minute mark, Logan Couture got San Jose on the board, with his 7th goal of the season. The Sharks have four players with 20 or more points, and Logan Couture leads his team with 28 (TheScore, San Jose Sharks). The Sharks would receive the first power play of the game, as Jakob Chychrun was called for high-sticking. The Sharks are one of the few teams that take more penalties per game than the Capitals (11.7 PIM). Although Washingtons’ power play has been lethal as of late, San Jose boasts the best penalty kill in the league (90.7%). Just Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl have double-digit goals for San Jose, but only four players have no goals at all (minimum 15 games played). Seven of Kane’s goals have come on Sharks’ power plays, so Capitals’ penalty killers will need to keep all eyes on him. San Joses’ 20th ranked power play was unable to convert, but in the end, it didn’t really matter. At the 2:55 mark of the second period, Dylan Gambrell would tie the game with his 2nd goal of the season. Six minutes later, Timo Meier would score the eventual game-winning goal, his 9th in 27 games. Arizona would not receive their first power play until the third period, but it took just 36 seconds into the final frame for Erik Karlsson to be called for tripping. The Coyotes would not convert, but they did receive another opportunity just prior to the seven-minute mark. Karlsson was called again for tripping, and before that power play expired, Radim Simek was called for delay of game. Veteran defensemen Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson have been anything but good, with 73 giveaways between the two of them (TheScore, San Jose Sharks). The Coyotes, even with the fleeting two-man advantage, would not add to their two goals. With 29 seconds left in the game, Logan Couture would score his second of the game, extending the Sharks lead to 4-2. San Jose would ultimately out-shoot the Coyotes 29 to 23. Martin Jones finished the night with 21 saves on 23 shots (TheScore, SJS @ ARI). Jones is expected to start for San Jose.

The San Jose Sharks will be without Dalton Prout (DL, upper body), and Antti Suomela (OUT, undisclosed). On Sunday morning, the Washington Capitals re-assigned Beck Malenstyn and Christian Djoos to the Hershey Bears. Both scored for the Bears as they defeated Hartford on their Teddy Bear Toss night. Chandler Stephenson, indicating a Capitals’ roster move, was not on the ice for practice, and it appears as though Travis Boyd may have earned a permanent spot on the roster. Carl Hagelin will dress for his first game since November 7th, where he suffered an upper body injury, and was retroactively placed on long-term injured reserve. Nicklas Backstrom practiced on Monday, donning a full-contact forwards’ jersey. If no further setbacks come up, he quite possibly will be in the lineup against San Jose.

Coverage of the game begins at 9:30pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 10:00pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 10:30pm.

 

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References:

Mcubed. (2019). NHL: Series records: San Jose Sharks against Washington Capitals. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/sj/wsh.shtml.

TheScore. (2019). San Jose Sharks News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/25.

TheScore. (2019). San Jose Sharks at Arizona Coyotes. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22138.

TheScore. (2019). Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22132.

 

Carrying Momentum in Motor City: Washington Capitals v Detroit Red Wings

Washington Capitals (18-4-5) vs Detroit Red Wings (7-18-3)

 

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov5-2-12.65 / .912 / 0
Detroit Red WingsJonathan Bernier5-6-23.31 / .893 / 0

The Washington Capitals will face off against the last-place Detroit Red Wings tonight as they play their second game of a back-to-back. Historically, the Capitals have been extremely successful against Detroit, emerging victorious in 11 of their last 14 meetings. The last time Washington played Detroit was back on January 6th, where they won 3-2.

Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime with a 4-3 characteristically Caps’ comeback. Garnet Hathaway returned to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for spitting on Anaheim’s Erik Gudbranson. Tampa Bay would receive two power plays before the first goal was scored. Lars Eller was called for interference at the 8:17 mark, and thankfully, the Caps’ penalty kill would keep Tampa scoreless. However, with three minutes left in the first, Richard Panik would be called for a high-stick, and at the 18:50 mark, Brayden Point would score his 8th of the season. What was most frustrating, was that the Capitals dominated the first period, but ultimately would head into the second down by one. Less than five minutes into the second, Mikhail Sergachev would give Tampa a 2-0 lead, but 30 seconds later, it was the Russian goal-scorer that would go off for interference. The Capitals first power play of the night was able to get them on the board, as Evgeny Kuznetsov tallied his 11th goal of the season.

 

The two teams would skate 4-on-4 as Kuznetsov and Yanni Gourde both were called for roughing for partaking in some extra curriculars after the whistle. Neither team would add to their score, but moments later, Richard Panik was called for his second minor penalty of the night. Tampa would receive their 3rd power play but did not convert. With 90 seconds remaining in the period, Alex Killorn extended Tampa’s lead by two, with a score of 3-1. What had been Washingtons’ best period in goal-scoring, nearly sealed the deal on a post-Thanksgiving loss. The Capitals only registered five shots on goal in a sleepy, snooze-fest of a second. However, much to the dismay of the handful of Lightning fans in the building, Killorn’s goal would be the third and final goal Tampa scored. At the 3:45 mark of the third, Jakub Vrana would bring the Caps within one as he potted his 12th goal of the season.

 

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was called for interference at the 5:19 mark, but the good guys would kill off the penalty. Ovechkin would ultimately score the game-tying goal at the 11:36 mark, as Washington converted on their second power play, thanks to Nikita Kucherov going off for holding.

 

The Capitals held off the Lightning for the remainder of regulation, and once again, this one would go to overtime. Washington registered the only shots on goal of the overtime period, and Dmitry Orlov, with his 2nd goal of the season, would win it for the Caps.

 

With Braden Holtby having played last night, Ilya Samsonov is slated to start tonight.

The Detroit Red Wings also played last night, where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-1. Marking their 8th straight loss, Detroit coaching and organizational staff have questioned, “just how much further down is rock-bottom?”. Scott Laughton started off the scoring for the Flyers just short of the three-minute mark of the first period. Five minutes later, former St Louis Blue Robby Fabbri scored for Detroit, tying the game 1-1. Fabbri’s goal would be the only goal the Red Wings managed to put up against Philadelphia. Detroit received the first power play of the game, as Sean Couturier went off for hooking, but they would not convert. Detroit’s 28th ranked power play, and 31st ranked penalty kill has proven fatal for Steve Yzermans’ squad (TheScore, Detroit Red Wings). At the 17:20 mark of the first, Philadelphia received its first power play, and as the two-minute man-advantage was about to expire, Shayne Gostisbehere scored his 2nd goal of the season, a goal that would end up being the game-winner. 90 seconds into the second period, former Capitals’ liability Madison Bowey was called for tripping, but the Flyers were unable to add to their lead. Claude Giroux was called for hooking four minutes later, but the Flyers successfully killed off the penalty. Sean Couturier would give the Flyers a 3-1 lead, as he scored his 8th of the season. Just 27 seconds into the final frame, Kevin Hayes improved the Flyers’ lead by 3 goals. Richard Hagg went off for holding the stick early in the third, but Detroits’ offense remained stagnant. Losing Anthony Mantha to a lower-body injury has, and certainly will continue to affect the Red Wings for as long as he is out. 30 seconds after Hayes’ goal, Oskar Lindblom scored his 10th of the season. Derek Helm was called for tripping, and the Flyers received their 3rd power play of the game with just under six minutes remaining. Detroit managed to kill off the penalty, but James van Riemsdyk would improve the Flyers’ lead to five goals with two minutes remaining in the match. Although there isn’t much good to say about Detroit right now, Tyler Bertuzzi leads the healthy players with 10 goals. In regard to their offense, the Red Wings rank 31st in goals for (2.19), 29th in shots on goal (29), 28th for power play efficiency (13.6%), 31st in shot percentage (7.5%), and 21st in faceoff percentage (49.1%). Defensively, they allow the most goals against (3.81), 6th most shots against (32.6), their penalty kill ranks 31st (72.6), and they are called for, on average, 8.4 penalty minutes per game. It is unclear who will start for the Red Wings tonight, as Jimmy Howard is currently listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Detroit will be without Trevor Daley (DL, undisclosed), Justin Abdelkader (DL, undisclosed), Johan Franzen (DL, concussion), Danny DeKeyser (DL, undisclosed), and Anthony Mantha (OUT, lower body). Nicklas Backstrom is not expected to dress for Washington, though he may travel with the team on their California road-trip.

Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.

 

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References:

TheScore. (2019). Detroit Red Wings News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/18.

Streaking for Shock Value: Washington Capitals vs Tampa Bay Lightning

 

Washington Capitals (17-4-5) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (12-8-2)

  Predicted Goaltender Record GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals Braden Holtby 12-2-4 2.86 / .909 / 0
Tampa Bay Lightning Andrei Vasilevskiy 9-7-0 2.90 / .908 / 0

 

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals will face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning on the first night of a back-to-back. Puck-drop comes just after 5:00pm, so we will see if the Capitals can carve out a post-Turkey Day win. The most recent Presidents’ Trophy winner Tampa Bay Lightning have seriously struggled this season. Although they have fared well in November thus far, the Lightning are sitting at 20th in the league. The last time these two teams met, back on March 30th, the Capitals defeated Tampa Bay 6-3. All-time, at home, Washington is 44-24-4, but has defeated the Lightning just twice in their last 6 meetings (mcubed).

On Wednesday, the Washington Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers in 4-3 victory for just the 3rd time in nine meetings. Although Florida’s special teams are among the best in the league, the Capitals matched their style of play too well to allow the Panthers to dominate for too long. The Panthers received the first power play of the game at the 5:03 mark as Radko Gudas was called for holding. Although the Capitals successfully killed off the penalty, John Carlson was then called for delay of game as soon as the first penalty expired. Washington has killed off 17 of the last 22 penalties taken. Alex Ovechkin started off the scoring just short of the 18-minute mark of the first period, marking his 16th of the season.

https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1199851394464829441?s=20

The Capitals received their first power play at the start of the second period, as Jonathan Huberdeau was called for tripping. The Capitals did not convert, and just beyond the halfway mark of the match, none other than Brett Connolly would score his 12th of the season, tying the game at 1-1. Moments before, a touching tribute video highlighting some of Conno’s most iconic moments with the Capitals was shown, so it was pretty rude for Brett to score immediately after.

 

Evgeny Kuznetsov was called for interference two minutes later, but the Panthers did not convert. With 60 seconds remaining in the period Richard Panik scored his 2nd of the season, an absolute snipe, and his 2nd in four games, giving the Capitals a 2-1 lead.

 

Just 22 seconds later, Mike Hoffman would tie it all up. Heading into the third period, the Caps and Cats were tied at 2-2. Five minutes and 18 seconds into the final frame, Lars Eller scored his 6th, re-instating the Caps’ one-goal lead. With Jakub Vrana’s primary assist, the left winger tallied his 100th NHL point.

 

Seven minutes later, Brendan Leipsic would score the eventual game-winner, as he opened up Cats’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and snuck the puck five-hole.

 

At the 12:36 mark of the final frame, Aleksander Barkov was called for hooking, and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the same time was called for “roughing”. Therefore, the two teams would play 4-on-4 for two minutes, and lucky for Washington, the Panthers would not score. Vincent Trocheck, with less than five minutes remaining, scored his 4th of the year, bringing Florida, again, within one. However, Keith Yandle would be called for interference at the 19:11 mark, and though the Capitals did not convert on the power play, the man-advantage gave them the drive to close this one out with a win. Somehow, with just 20 shots on goal through 60 minutes, the Capitals were able to take down the Panthers. Florida’s 40 shots, and Braden Holtby’s 37 saves bolstered his numbers tonight, as the veteran goaltender rounded out the night with a .925 save percentage. Braden Holtby is expected to start for Washington.

The Tampa Bay Lightning also played on Thursday, where they narrowly lost to the St. Louis Blues. Although Tampa boasts the 3rd best power play (31.4% efficiency), and leads the league in goal scoring, with an average of 3.73 goals for, the reigning Cup champions fed off adversity to snag their 15th win of the season (TheScore, Tampa Bay Lightning). No scoring took place in the first period, nor were any power plays awarded. Nikita Kucherov scored first, giving Tampa an early 1-0 lead just before the game was four minutes old. The Lightning would receive the first power play of the game as Zach Sanford went off for slashing at the 4:24 mark. Much to the dismay of the locals, Oskar Sundqvist of the Blues scored a short-handed goal, tying the game at one goal each. The Bolts’ power play would expire without a Tampa goal. Three minutes later, Sundqvist scored his 8th of the season, and 2nd of the night, before eventually leaving the game with a lower-body injury. At the 11:39 mark, Lightning center Anthony Cirelli managed to tie the game 2-2 heading into the third period. Alex Pietrangelo went off for slashing with four and a half minutes left in the second, but the Bolts did not convert on their man-advantage. Just 20 seconds into the third period, David Perron of the Blues was called for tripping, but again, Tampa would not convert. Zach Sanford gave the Blues their lead back as he scored his 3rd of the season. Alex Killorn of Tampa was called for slashing at the 9:02 mark and 16 seconds later Yanni Gourde would go off for tripping, giving the Blues a two-man advantage. Just before the Blues’ power play expired, Brayden Schenn would give St. Louis a two-goal lead. Tampa’s power play finally converted as Robert Thomas went off for slashing at the 13:12 mark of the final frame, and Brayden Point scored his 8th of the season. Although Tampa’s offense is among the best in the league, their defensive stats are among the worst. The Bolts allow on average 3.27 goals against, and with them killing off just 80.3% of penalties taken, an average of 11 penalty minutes per game may not bode well for Tampa (TheScore, Tampa Bay Lightning). As expected, Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 24 points, but it is defenseman Victor Hedman that leads with 16 goals. Tampa has just three players without a goal, but every player on their roster has tallied at least one assist. Andrei Vasilevskiy, despite making 29 saves on 33 shots, would drop his 3rd game in five starts. However, the Russian net-minder is expected to start for Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without Steven Stamkos (OUT, lower body) and Erik Cernak who is currently serving a two-game suspension for elbowing Sabres’ defensemen Rasmus Dahlin. As a result of the injury, Dahlin will be out for an undetermined amount of time. Garnet Hathaway will play his first game after serving a three-game suspension for spitting. Nicklas Backstrom will miss his fourth straight game. Carl Hagelin is not yet eligible to return.

Coverage of the game begins at 4:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 4:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 5:00pm.

 

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References:

Mcubed. (2019). NHL : Series records: Washington Capitals against Tampa Bay Lightning. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/tb.shtml.

TheScore. (2019). Tampa Bay Lightning News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/14.

TheScore. (2019). St. Louis Blues at Tampa Bay Lightning. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22106.

All Caps, No Cats: Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers

Washington Capitals (16-4-5) vs Florida Panthers (12-6-5)

 

 Predicted Goaltender Record GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby11-2-42.85 / .908 / 0
Florida PanthersSergei Bobrovsky9-5-43.45 / .888 / 1

 

After a three-day break from action, the Washington Capitals will take on the Florida Panthers for the second time this season. Both the Capitals and the Panthers are riding a two-game losing streak, but it was Washington that emerged triumphant in a 5-4 overtime victory the last time these two teams met, just 20 days ago. Will Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin help Washington defeat Florida for a second time?

The Washington Capitals dropped their last game versus the Vancouver Canucks, as they lost 2-1 in the shootout at Capital One Arena. The Capitals defeated the Canucks in a shootout the first time they met, but this time, after seven rounds, it was Bo Horvat that would win it for Vancouver. Washington has found themselves playing past regulation five times in 11 games this November, and 10 times since the start of the season (NHL.com, Washington). The only scoring in this one came in the first period, with both goals for the Caps and the ‘Nucks coming before the 15-minute mark. Jakub Vrana tallied his 11th goal of the season at the 2:22 mark of the first period.

https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1198296943547445248?s=20

The Capitals received the first power play of the game, as Jake Virtanen went off for high-sticking. Unfortunately, the Caps’ currently cold power play was unable to add to their lead. The Canucks would receive back-to-back power plays, as Chandler Stephenson went off for interference at the 12:42 mark. In 64 games with Washington last season, Stephenson didn’t receive even a single penalty. A career high of eight penalty minutes came in 67 games during the 2017-18 season, but with just 21 games played this season, Chandler is already at six (HockeyReference). Vancouver was gifted a 5-on-3 opportunity after Richard Panik went off for tripping just 62 seconds into the first man-advantage. It could be argued that any player that weighs 170lbs soaking wet will fall when run into, and that Panik shouldn’t have been penalized for that, but alas. Elias Pettersson would tie the game with his 10th goal of the season at the 14-minute mark. That would conclude the scoring in regulation, but both teams would receive a handful of additional opportunities with the extra man to add to the score. The Capitals successfully killed off two more Canucks power plays in the middle frame, keeping the score tied at one goal each. Jonas Siegenthaler was called for hooking at 8:37 mark, and Lars Eller, also called for hooking, at the 16:20 mark. Washington would receive an opportunity with just under 50 seconds left in the second as Tyler Myers was called for interference, but the Capitals, who already lead the league in most post/crossbar shots, couldn’t seem to buy a goal. The only power play in the third came to Washington as Zack MacEwen was called for interference. This one would ultimately go to overtime, in which the Canucks received a power play. However, the overtime period expired without a winner, and like the last time these two met, the game would go to a shootout. It would take seven rounds for even a single skater to (conclusively) pot the puck past a goalie, as Lars Ellers’ 5th round shot attempt was washed out. Bo Horvat would finally solve Braden Holtby, and would win this one for Vancouver. Both Jacob Markstrom and Braden Holtby made 32 saves on 33 shots, and ended the night with a .970 save percentage (TheScore, VAN @ WSH). Braden Holtby is expected to start tonight for Washington.

The Florida Panthers last played on Sunday, where they ultimately lost to the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. The Panthers have lost their last two games, and are now 5-4-1 in their last 10, but still rank 2nd in the Atlantic Division, just behind the Boston Bruins. Buffalo received the first power play at the 11:31 mark as Aleksander Barkov went off for tripping. Last year’s Lady Byng winner has 12 penalty minutes in 24 games, essentially all but knocking him out of the running. The Panthers 13th ranked penalty kill successfully kept Buffalo off the board, but five minutes later Jeff Skinner gave the Sabres their first lead of the game. Just two minutes after Skinner’s goal, Zemgus Girgensons scored his 2nd of the season, giving Buffalo a two-goal lead heading into the second period. Jack Eichel would add to Buffalo’s lead at the 3:42 mark, before the Panthers scored their first goal of the game. Florida would receive their first power play as Eichel went off for hooking at the seven-minute mark, but would not convert. Noel Acciari cut the Sabres’ lead to two with his 5th goal of the season, but Victor Olofsson would re-establish that lead with just over five minutes remaining in the middle frame. Rasmus Dahlin would be called for slashing, and the Panthers would unsuccessfully try to cut Buffalo’s lead. The Panthers would convert on their third power play, as Henri Jokiharju was called for tripping, and Brett Connolly cut the Sabres’ lead in half. Girgensons would score his 2nd of the game with just about seven minutes remaining in the game, and even though Buffalo would go back on the penalty kill shortly thereafter, Florida would ultimately fail to make a successful comeback. Goaltender Sam Montembeault stopped 21 of 26 shots faced, and ended the night with a .808 save percentage (BUF @ FLA). Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Panthers with 30 points, but even more impressively, Florida boasts three players with at least 10 goals. Brett Connolly leads with 11 goals of his own, and Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov both have 10 (TheScore, Florida Panthers). Five of Dadonov’s goals have come on the power play, and one came versus the Capitals just 20 days ago. Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start for the Panthers, just as he did the last time the two teams played.

The Florida Panthers will be without MacKenzie Weegar (DTD, face) and Jace Hawryluk (OUT, upper body). Nicklas Backstrom is expected to miss a third straight game for the Capitals, but Nic Dowd is slated to play for the first time since November 13th (pending medical clearance). Backstrom practiced this morning in a non-contact jersey, which suggests he is making progress. Dowd skated with the team on Monday morning, and had been reinserted into the lineup in the 4C position. On Sunday, the Washington Capitals reassigned forward Mike Sgarbossa to the Hershey Bears, indicating that the team anticipates that Nic Dowd will be cleared to play. Carl Hagelin is not eligible to be activated off long-term injured reserve until December 2nd, but he skated with the team, no longer donning a baby-blue no-contact jersey.

Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.

 

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HockeyReference. (2019). Chandler Stephenson Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/stephch02.html.

NHL.com. (2019). Washington Capitals Schedule. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/capitals/schedule/2019-11-01/ET.

TheScore. (2019). Buffalo Sabres @ Florida Panthers. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22088.

TheScore. (2019). Florida Panthers News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/13.

Saturday Matinee: Washington Capitals vs Vancouver Canucks

 

Washington Capitals (16-4-4) vs Vancouver Canucks (11-8-4)

 

 Predicted Goaltender Record GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby11-2-32.98 / .904 / 0
Vancouver CanucksJacob Markstrom 6-6-32.84 / .909 / 0

 

 

Tomorrow, the Washington Capitals will face-off against the Vancouver Canucks for the second time this season. Puck-drop is just after 12:30pm, so we will see how Washington handles the much earlier start time. The last time these two met, the Capitals pulled out the most monumental comeback of the season thus far. On October 25, the Caps were down 5-1 heading into the final frame, but three goals in five minutes, and four goals in eight gave Washington the chance to win it in overtime. TJ Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom would be the ones to win it for Washington in the shootout. Caps’ fans are hopeful to repeat the same performance, just without the need for a comeback.

On Wednesday, the Washington Capitals lost 4-1 to the New York Rangers. Prior to practice, the Capitals placed Nic Dowd on IR and Carl Hagelin on LTIR, and recalled Beck Malenstyn, Mike Sgarbossa, Tyler Lewington, and Ilya Samsonov. Nicklas Backstrom did not play, as he was out with an upper-body injury, and Lars Eller filled in for him in the 2C position. Beck Malenstyn made his NHL debut, and Sgarbossa played in his first NHL game as a Capital. The first period was uneventful as far as goal scoring goes, as neither team scored, but the Capitals hit three posts, and Braden Holtby made several point-blank saves that kept the Rangers scoreless. The Rangers received the first power play of the night, as Tom Wilson went off for boarding with just over 30 seconds remaining in the period. Not having Carl Hagelin and Garnet Hathaway on the penalty kill proved to be fatal for the Caps, as Artemi Panarin scored at the 1:14 mark of the second period. Both Tom Wilson and Radko Gudas took liberty at throwing some world-rocking hits in the middle frame, luckily without incident.

Just beyond the seven-minute mark, the Capitals received their first power play at Greg McKegg went off for tripping. Another shot off a pipe kept Washington off the board, and the Rangers successfully killed off their penalty. Fun fact, the Capitals actually lead the league in post/crossbar shots at 29, and the Dallas Stars rank 2nd, with 21. Again, the opposing team would start the next period on the power play, as Alex Ovechkin was called for tripping with eight seconds remaining in the second. It was imperative that Washington kill off this penalty without allowing another Rangers goal. Although the Capitals were successful, Dmitry Orlov would be called immediately for high-sticking, and the Rangers would receive another two minutes with the man-advantage. Artemi Panarin would score his second of the night, and 11th on the season as the Rangers power play would convert on their third opportunity. Moments later, Pavel Buchnevich would give the Rangers a 3-0 lead, as the Capitals’ defense broke down in front of the net, and Braden Holtby was faced with a nearly-impossible task of attempting to stop a wide-open shot. Brendan Smith would go to the box, and the Capitals would get an opportunity to avoid a shutout by the King, himself. Evgeny Kuznetsov would do just that, scoring on the Caps’ power play, and bringing Washington within two.

 

A timely save on a breakaway by Braden Holtby kept the Capitals in the game. However, despite their efforts, the Capitals would drop their second meeting with the Rangers. Brett Howden would score his 3rd of the season at the 13:33 mark, reinstating the Rangers’ 3-goal lead. The ‘Holtby’ taunts would begin shortly thereafter, and with New York leading 4-1, this match was all but finished. Tom Wilson and Brendan Lemieux, after lots of sparring throughout the game, would drop the gloves, and with three minutes left, both would be given five-minute majors for fighting. Lemieux received an extra two-minute penalty, and the Capitals would receive a power play, with an empty net. Unfortunately, Washington was unable to convert. Braden Holtby made 27 saves on 31 shots, giving him a .871 save percentage on the night. Braden Holtby is expected to start for the Capitals versus the Canucks.

 

The Vancouver Canucks last played on Thursday, where they defeated the Nashville Predators in a dominant 6-3 win. After losing 6-1 to the Dallas Stars, and dropping six of their last seven games, Vancouver desperately needed a sharp performance from their stars, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom. The Canucks relied entirely on their special teams for this win. Vancouver converted on five of six power play opportunities. Ryan Johansen scored first, giving Nashville an early lead, but at the 16:34 mark, Calder Trophy award winner Elias Pettersson tied the game with a power play goal on their first power play of the night. Exactly two minutes later, former Washington Capital Tyler Graovac scored his first of the season, also a power play goal. Calle Jarnkrok tied the game with a power play goal just short of the five-minute mark of the second period. However, JT Miller, again on the power play, gave Vancouver a 3-2 lead. At the 18:32 mark of the second, Brock Boeser scored his 10th of the season, another power play goal, and 30 second later, Bo Horvat scored on a Vancouver power play again. Matt Duchene kept the Predators within two goals eight minutes and 32 seconds into the final frame. However, Tanner Pearson scored an empty-net short-handed goal just short of 18 minutes, securing the win for Vancouver. Elias Pettersson leads Vancouver with 28 points, and Brock Boeser leads with 10 goals. Bo Horvat, however, leads with six power play goals, and although he did not score back when Washington completed that epic comeback, he did register two assists (WAS @ VAN). Tim Schaller hasn’t scored since October 28th versus the Florida Panthers. However, Schaller scored two goals against Washington, and therefore the Caps’ need to have all eyes on this one. Former Capital Jay Beagle ranks 5th overall in faceoff percentage (60.3%), which bolsters the entire teams 2nd place ranking (TheScore, Vancouver Canucks). Nashville doubled up on Vancouver in shots on goal with 48, but goaltender Jacob Markstrom allowed just 3 goals, ending his night with a .938 save percentage. Alternatively, the Canucks needed just 23 shots to win tonight’s match, and Pekka Rinne for the Predators made just 12 saves, and was relieved by backup Juuse Saros at the start of the third (TheScore, VAN @ NSH). Markstrom is expected to start for Vancouver.

 

The Vancouver Canucks will be without Brandon Sutter (DL, groin), Michael Ferland (DL, concussion), Antoine Roussel (IR-NR, knee), and Tyler Motte (DL, lower body). Jay Beagle did not participate in the Canucks’ optional skate, but is hoping to play versus the Caps. The Washington Capitals reassigned Tyler Lewington to Hershey, and recalled Christian Djoos, though he is not expected to play. The Capitals are still without Carl Hagelin and Nic Dowd due to injury, and Garnet Hathaway will serve his 2nd of a three-game suspension. Nicklas Backstrom has also been ruled out of the roster for tomorrow. Playing without Hagelin and Hathaway will, and has been, extremely costly for the Caps’ penalty kill. The Capitals need to reduce the number of penalties taken, as Vancouver won their last game entirely with their special teams.

Coverage of the game begins at 11:30am with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 12:00pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 12:30pm.

 

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TheScore. (2019). Washington Capitals @ Vancouver Canucks. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21886.

TheScore. (2019). Vancouver Canucks @ Nashville Predators. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22065.

TheScore. (2019). Vancouver Canucks News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/30.

*UPDATED* Empire State of Mind: Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

Washington Capitals (16-3-4) vs New York Rangers (8-8-2)

 Predicted Goaltender Record GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby11-1-32.91 / .906% / 0
New York RangersHenrik Lundqvist4-4-13.54 / .905% / 0

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals will face the New York Rangers for the 2nd time this season. Since the Caps’ defeated the Rangers 5-2 back on October 18th, New York has won 6 of 13 games. Conversely, the Capitals have won 11 of 15, and lead the league in wins, goals for, goal differential, and shot percentage.

On Monday, the Washington Capitals defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2. However, that win was anything but run-of-the-mill. The league-leading Capitals have established themselves as the team to beat, and opposition will stop at almost nothing to give themselves a fighting chance. Literally. Richard Panik, who has not scored since joining the Caps, tallied his first goal of the season, just 50 seconds into the first period.

 

Panik missed 10 games with an injury that landed him on IR. Travis Boyd tallied a primary assist on the goal, and now has three points in three consecutive games (NHL.com). TJ Oshie was called for delay of game at the 18:00 mark of the first period, but Washington successfully killed off the penalty. The second period saw the Capitals’ first power play of the night, and a beautiful pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov to Alex Ovechkin ended up in the back of the net, giving Washington a 2-0 lead. With his 15th goal of the season, Ovechkin ranks 3rd in goal scoring across the league.

 

The remainder of the middle frame was fairly uneventful, despite some rough-housing between the two teams, and some non-calls from on-ice officials. It wasn’t until the final 30 seconds of the period that things really started to heat up. Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic was fed up with Anaheim’s shenanigans, and threw a massive hit, all 5’10” of him, after being tied up by Erik Gudbranson and repeatedly cross-checked by Brendan Guhle.

https://youtu.be/gmL_HaRrJco

 

Both Leipsic and Garnet Hathaway, who had also been very involved throughout the first two periods were then dragged into an all-out brawl behind the goal. In the midst of all the extra-curriculars, Chandler Stephenson scored on Ducks goaltender John Gibson, but many wondered if the goal would stand. Hathaway continued to get into it with Derek Grant and Brett Ritchie. Erik Gudbranson, who, with the Ducks, is playing on his third team in two years, sucker-punched Hathaway as the referees and linesmen were attempting to separate them. Hathaway, in sheer anger and disgust, then spat on Gudbranson, and John Carlson got involved as well. As the officials tried to decide what penalties would be doled out, and for how long, fans in Capital One Arena sat impatiently, trying to decide if the home team was up 3-0, or if Stephenson’s goal wouldn’t count. After what seemed like 15 minutes, the Caps and the Ducks would play two minutes of 4-on-4, and then Anaheim would have a three-minute power play.

 

 

 

Garnet Hathaway received a match penalty, and therefore would not play the remainder of the game. Chandler Stephensons’ goal stood, and the Capitals led 3-0 heading into the third period. At the 5:44 mark of the final period, Jakub Vrana scored his 10th goal of the season, lifting the Caps to a score of 4-0.

Just short of the 13-minute mark, TJ Oshie would receive his second penalty of the game, four minutes for high-sticking. Sam Steel scored his first of the season, ruining Braden Holtby’s hopes for a shutout. Less than four minutes later, Nicolas Deslauriers also scored his first of the season, cutting Washingtons’ lead to two. Ducks head-coach Dallas Eakins emptied their net for the extra skater, and Tom Wilson sealed the deal for Washington with an empty-net goal at the 18:49 mark.

Braden Holtby allowed just two goals on 34 shots and is expected to start for Washington tonight.

The New York Rangers last played on Saturday, and should be well-rested heading into tonight’s match. The Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers by a score of 4-3, after allowing two power play goals on four opportunities by the Panthers. All of the scoring in the first period came before the game was 10 minutes old. Mike Hoffman started the scoring with an early power play, but just about 30 seconds after Florida scored, Ryan Strome scored his 6th of the season to tie the game. Just short of seven minutes into the period, Evgenii Dadonov scored his 9th of the season, again on the Panthers’ power play, and two minutes later, Artemi Panarin tied it all up with his 9th goal. New York received their first power play opportunity one minute into the second period, but were unable to convert. The Rangers’ power play is alright, ranking 14th, and operating at 20.6% efficiency, but their penalty kill is not alright. The Rangers average 13.2 penalty minutes per game, and their 3rd worst penalty kill in the league doesn’t help their cause. Killing just 73.2% of penalties taken, the Rangers have allowed 12 power play goals, in 8 games played in November. Six of those PPG’s came versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, in an embarrassing 9-3 defeat back on November 14th. Tony DeAngelo scored his 6th just short of the six-minute mark of the third period, but two more goals for the Panthers, one from Brett Connolly, and another from Evgenii Dadonov proved too much for the Rangers to overcome (TheScore, NYR @ FLA). One month ago, when the Rangers last played the Capitals, New York boasted the 2nd best faceoff percentage in the league, but has since dropped to 29th, as they win 47.4% of all faceoffs taken. The Rangers also allow, on average, 3.61 goals against per game, 2nd most in the league (TheScore, New York Rangers). On the other hand, the Capitals score the most goals for, averaging 3.74 per game (TheScore, Washington). Versus the Panthers, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist allowed 4 goals on 30 shots, ending the night with a .867 save percentage. Lundqvist is expected to start tonight.

The New York Rangers are without defenseman Marc Staal (OUT- infection), and center Mika Zibanejad (OUT- upper body). Zibanejad has played just three games this season. Carl Hagelin participated in an optional practice yesterday, donning a non-contact jersey. Nic Dowd did not participate. Nicklas Backstrom is out with an upper-body injury, and will not play versus the Rangers. The Washington Capitals have recalled forwards Beck Malenstyn and Mike Sgarbossa, as well as defenseman Tyler Lewington, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the Hershey Bears. With the moves, they have re-assigned Vitek Vanecek to Hershey. Washington has placed Nic Dowd on IR, and is eligible to be reactivated November 21st. Carl Hagelin has been placed on LTIR, and is eligible to be reactivated December 2nd. Garnet Hathaway will not dress for tonight’s game, as he has been issued a three-game suspension. We are absolutely shocked by the league’s decision, as Hathaway was wrongfully given a match penalty for an offense that was more deserving of a game misconduct penalty, if anything at all. It is disappointing, but not surprising, that the league continues to fail to punish those who are actually deserving of suspension.

Coverage of the game begins at 7:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 7:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 8:00pm.

 

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References

NHL.com. (2019). Travis Boyd Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/travis-boyd-8476329.

TheScore. (2019). New York Rangers @ Florida Panthers. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22032 .

TheScore. (2019). New York Rangers News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/8 .

TheScore. (2019). Washington Capitals News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15 .

 

 

Duck Hunting in DC: Washington Capitals vs Anaheim Ducks

Washington Capitals (15-3-4) vs Anaheim Ducks (10-9-2)

 

 Predicted Goaltender Record GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby10-1-32.97 / .904% / 0
Anaheim DucksJohn Gibson7-9-02.83 / .915% / 0

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals will play the Anaheim Ducks back at Capital One Arena. Although the last time these two teams played each other was back on February 17th, 2019, with the Capitals losing 5-2, most fans remember the heartbreaking 6-5 loss that came versus Anaheim last December, after Washington gave up a lead by allowing five unanswered goals. This time around, the Washington Capitals are looking to avoid a similar fate. For comparisons’ sake, the Ducks’ record one year ago to the day was 8-9-4, and the Capitals’, 9-7-3 (HockeyReference).

On Saturday, the Washington Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins for the 15th time in 16 meetings, in a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat 3-2 shootout win. Due to salary cap restraints, the Capitals were forced to send down goaltender Ilya Samsonov and Tyler Lewington to the Hershey Bears, and brought up Travis Boyd and Vitek Vanecek. After losing the previous nights’ match to the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Todd Reirden wanted to send a message, and thus scrambled up all four lines, and started veteran goaltender Braden Holtby. Promoted to the top line were Tom Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Reirden swapped Richard Panik from the 3RW to the 3LW spot, dropped Chandler Stephenson to the 4C position, and brought up Hathaway from the 4RW to the 3RW position. The Capitals received the first power play of the night at the eight-minute mark as David Pastrnak went off for hooking. The Capitals would not convert. 90 seconds later, Charlie Coyle, for the second time in as many nights, scored the first goal of the game, giving the Bruins a first period 1-0 lead. However, three minutes later, Travis Boyd, who had just been called down from Hershey, scored his first goal of the season to tie the game 1-1. The Bruins would receive their first power play with 39 seconds remaining in the first period, and would start the second with the man advantage. The Capitals successfully killed off the Gudas penalty, but three minutes and 30 seconds into the middle frame, David Pastrnak scored his 17th of the season, renewing Bostons’ lead. After having just one point in four games, it was only a matter of time until Pastrnak struck again. Still, just two points in five games would be considered a slump for the Czech winger. The Caps’ would be given the opportunity to even up the score as Danton Heinen would be called for hooking, but was unable to do so. Goaltender Braden Holtby would actually be called for tripping, but Bostons’ 3rd ranked power play still did not convert. The Bruins would get another power play just before the second expired, and for the second time, Boston would start the next period on a power play. The Capitals killed off Bostons’ third power play, and successfully kept them off the board. Tom Wilson and Zdeno Chara received matching minors at the 13:59 mark, but the score remained unchanged. Time was winding down in the third period, and Todd Reirden elected to pull Braden Holtby for the extra skater, hoping to tie the game with two minutes left. Versus the Canadiens, the Capitals allowed an empty net goal. However, with 59 seconds left, TJ Oshie scored the game-tying goal, assuring that the Capitals would earn at least a single point. The sudden-death 3-on-3 overtime period would end without a winner, and a shootout would decide the victor. TJ Oshie missed on his opportunity, and Charlie Coyle who started the scoring for Boston, would give the Bruins the advantage in the shootout. Evgeny Kuznetsov missed, and Holtby robbed Pastrnak. Nicklas Backstrom, who won the shootout for the Caps vs Vancouver, finally solved Halak, and Brad Marchand missed for Boston. Alex Ovechkin missed for the Capitals, but David Krejci would also miss. Jakub Vrana, a la Pavel Datsyuk, would trick Halak giving Washington their first ‘lead’ of the game. That shootout attempt would be the eventual winning goal for the Capitals, as Holtby denied Chris Wagner. This would be the second time the young winger would win a shootout for the Capitals just this season alone. The Capitals peppered Jaroslav Halak with 44 shots on goal, setting a season-high. Braden Holtby stopped 21 of 23 shots faced, earning him a .913 save percentage. Holtby is expected to start tonight. It is worth noting that in his last 10 appearances, Braden Holtby is 9-0-1, with a 2.44GAA, and a .924 save percentage. A 2.44 GAA places him in 6th and his SV% 4th among top 10 goalies, with at least 10 starts since October 18th. However, his W-L-OTL record place him first among all NHL goalies (QuantHockey).

The Anaheim Ducks, who are just 4-4-2 in their last 10, defeated the reigning Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Ryan Getzlaf scored his 8th goal of the season just four minutes into the game. A minute and 41 seconds later, Derek Grant would add to the Ducks’ lead, as he scored his 3rd of the year. The Blues were absolutely stifled by Anaheim, despite the Ducks having lost five of their last six starts. Vince Dunn scored the singular goal for St. Louis at the 3:14 mark of the second period. The Blues received their first power play just short of six minutes into the second, as Dylan Shore was called for high-sticking. However, it was Derek Grant who would score a shorthanded goal, his 2nd of the game, and the Blues would expire their power play without a goal. Derek Grant would complete his first career hat trick as he scored an empty net goal at the 18:21 mark of the final frame. Jakob Silfverberg leads the Ducks with 9 goals and 17 assists, and Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, and Rickard Rakell are tied with 14 points each. Anaheim have just 4 wins on the road this season, but the Caps are only slightly better at home with 5. The Ducks’ power play all but bottoms out at 30 of 31, operating at just 9.1% efficiency. They allow just 2.91 goals against, on average (T-9th fewest) but they average 2.71 goals for (T-23rd), which, for the 2nd place Capitals, should be easy to overcome (TheScore, Anaheim Ducks). Versus the Blues, the Ducks were outshot 38 to 25, but goaltender John Gibson allowed just one goal (TheScore, ANA @ STL). Gibson, who has won 7 of 16 starts, is expected to start for Anaheim tonight.

Carl Hagelin skated in a non-contact jersey this morning, and despite still being listed as day-to-day, staff suggests that he is improving. He will not dress tonight, and thus, will miss his sixth straight game. Nic Dowd’s injury seems to have been more severe than first anticipated, and did not skate this morning. We will continue to update this article as we receive further information from the Washington Capitals. The Anaheim Ducks will be without Patrick Eaves (IR-NR, undisclosed), Ryan Kesler (IR-NR, hip), Hampus Lindholm (DL, undisclosed), and Josh Manson (DL, knee).

Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.

 

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References:

HockeyReference. (2019). 2018-19 Washington Capitals Schedule and Results. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/WSH/2019_games.html.

TheScore. (2019). Anaheim Ducks News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/21.

TheScore. (2019). Anaheim Ducks @ St. Louis Blues. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22035.

QuantHockey. (2019). 2019-2020 NHL Goalie Stats. Retrieved from https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/seasons/2019-20-nhl-goalies-stats.html?sd=2019-10-18&ed=2019-11-17.