Author: Kassie Coulson

Late Night Redemption: Washington Capitals vs Vancouver Canucks

Washington Capitals (7-2-3) v Vancouver Canucks (6-3-0)

Predicted Goaltender Record (W-L-OTL) GAA/SA%
Washington Capitals Ilya Samsonov 3-1-0 1.84/.933
Vancouver Canucks Jacob Markstrom 4-2-0 2.15/.933

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals will play their second game in as many nights. It is extremely difficult for teams to play back-to-backs, and therefore, the Caps will try to get snag that extra point another blown third period lead cost them last night. The Vancouver Canucks on the other hand, will be well-rested, as they have not played since Tuesday.

Washington dropped their last game versus the red-hot Edmonton Oilers. Last night, in a somewhat slow first period, it was Darnell Nurse that put the Oilers on the board first. Jakub Vrana added to his 3 goals on the season with the game-tying goal in the second, and Alex Ovechkin would add two to that lead with his 8th and 9th goals of the season. Unfortunately, the Capitals would blow another third period lead, with goals coming from Leon Draistaitl and Connor McDavid. Connor McDavid had never scored against net-minder Braden Holtby until their last game, where the prodigy would ultimately tie the game at three goals each with just over one minute remaining in the third. An overtime period would be required to settle the match, and it would be Leon Draisaitl that deceivingly snuck the puck past Holtby to keep the Oilers undefeated at home. Luckily, the Capitals walked away with an extra consolation prize point, and with Carolina losing to Columbus in overtime, Washington held onto that top spot in the division. With Braden Holtby having started last night, Ilya Samsonov will get the nod tonight.

The Vancouver Canucks won their last game in a dominant 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Although Anthony Mantha put the Red Wings on the board first, and Dennis Cholowski added to that lead in the second period, the tides turned just moments into the third. Bo Horvat opened up the third period scoring with two goals less than four minutes in, tying the two teams with two goals each. In a similar fashion to both Detroit goals, Horvats’ two goals came on the power play. Vancouver killed off the five other power plays the Red Wings received. Jake Virtanen broke the tie with his first goal of the season, and just over two minutes later, Tim Schaller increased the Canucks’ lead by 2. Bo Horvat would score his first hat trick of the season courtesy of an empty net goal, giving him his 5th of the season (TheScore, VAN @ DET). Most of Vancouver’s games have been high-scoring affairs, and thus, the Canucks allow the 2nd most goals against in the league (2.11). However, thanks to faceoff extraordinaire Jay Beagle and improved offense, the Canucks rank third in faceoffs, winning an average of 54.4% of faceoffs taken (TheScore, Vancouver). It seems that regardless of which goaltender they start, both Markstrom and Demko are off to strong starts. Jacob Markstrom stopped 31 of 33 shots faced versus the Red Wings, and is 4-2-0 in six starts. He is expected to start tonight against the Caps.

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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Sources:

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

TheScore. (2019). Vancouver Canucks @ Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21863.

The Road-trip Continues: Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers

Washington Capitals (7-2-2) v Edmonton Oilers (7-2-1)

Predicted Goaltender Record (W-L-OTL) GAA/SA%
Washington Capitals Braden Holtby 4-1-2 3.60/.884
Edmonton Oilers Mikko Koskinen 4-0-0 2.20/.934

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals’ Canadian road-trip continues in Edmonton, Alberta. The Capitals and Oilers haven’t played each other since November of 2018, when the Caps topped Edmonton 4-2. Despite dropping their last two games, the Oilers have had the best start to their season in recent memory, and are undefeated at home at Rogers Place.

The Capitals have won their last four games, and are 5-1-0 on the road. Some too-early-to-tell predictions have the Capitals once again winning the Metropolitan division with just under 100 points, which is a surprise to nobody.  (@IneffectiveMath). Washington extinguished the Calgary Flames the other night 5-3 in regulation. The first period was sleepy and scoreless. Each team received a power play, but neither team converted. Scotiabank Saddledome was eerily quiet, and despite relatively sloppy play from the Capitals, veteran netminder Braden Holtby made some incredibly timely saves, John Carlson continued his point streak with two goals of his own, and still leads the league with 20 points. He is now just the fourth defenseman in history to top 20 points in the month of October, and still has the chance to set an all-time record. With the feat, Carlson joins the ranks of Al MacInnis, Brian Leetch, and Paul Coffey (Wegman). Since making his season debut, Michal Kempny has three points in three games, including one goal. Chandler Stephenson scored his first goal since New Years’ Eve of 2018, breaking a nearly-year long scoreless streak, giving the Capitals a 2-0 lead, but goals from Elias Lindholm and Austin Czarnik brought the Flames up to speed, tying the game 2-2. Alexander Ovechkin would break the tie, closing the second period with 5 goals scored between the two teams. Tom Wilson would re-establish the Caps’ two goal lead, and John Carlson would seal the deal with an empty net goal at the 18:15 mark. Tobias Rieder would give the Flames an extra goal, but the Capitals emerged victorious for the 7th time this season.  Braden Holtby is expected to start tonight versus Edmonton.

Despite being shut out by the pitiful Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, Edmontons’ special teams have been lights out through 10 games. The penalty kill is 4th best in the league, successfully killing off 88.2% of the penalties they’ve face, which is extremely impressive considering they average just over seven penalty minutes per game (TheScore). And while the Oilers haven’t had the most difficult of matchups, it should be noted that their power play is currently operating at a whopping 35.7%, good enough for first overall, with 6 power play goals coming from former Flame James Neal. After a disappointing 2018-19 season with the Flames, where he scored just seven goals through 63 games, Neal has surpassed even the great Connor McDavid in goal-scoring with the Oilers (Hockey Reference). Leon Draisaitl has six goals and 16 points in 10 games, and leads the team in power play time (3:47). The Oilers have been hit with the injury bug, as four defensemen and a left-winger are listed as either day-to-day, on injured reserve, or on the disabled list. Mike Smith is expected to start for Edmonton.

Coverage of the game begins at 8:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 8:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 9:00pm.

 

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Sources:

Hockey Reference. (2019). James Neal Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/n/nealja01.html.

IneffectiveMath. (2019). “Point projections over the past fortnight”. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/IneffectiveMath/status/1187048523365322752.

TheScore. (2019). Edmonton Oilers. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/28.

Wegman, J. (2019). Carlson becomes 4th D-man ever with 20 points in October. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1854811.

Capitals Look to Continue Hot Streak vs Calgary Flames

Washington Capitals (6-2-2) v. Calgary Flames (5-4-1)

  Predicted Goaltender Record (W-L-OTL) GAA/SV%
Washington Capitals Braden Holtby 2-1-2 3.83/.862
Calgary Flames David Rittich 4-2-1 2.84/.912

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals are playing their 2nd game of this five game road trip. Riding a three-game win streak, the longest of the season thus far, the Capitals are definitely trending in the right direction. The Calgary Flames, however, after a hot 2018-19 season, are looking to find some consistency after dropping 3 of their last 6 games.

The Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in a 5-3 win on Sunday. The Blackhawks’ were unable to convert on even a single one of the five power plays they were gifted, including a four-minute stint. Just nine minutes into the contest, TJ Oshie scored his 7th goal, establishing an early Caps’ lead (NHL.com). Drake Caggiula would tie the game after a series of great saves by Braden Holtby overextended his abilities. A high-sticking penalty against Chandler Stephenson gave Chicago a four-minute power play, but it was Nic Dowd who scored a shorthanded goal that would re-establish the Caps’ lead. Alex Ovechkin would score his 6th goal of the season just under four minutes into the final frame. Back-to-back goals by the Hawks tied the game once again. However, less than 90 seconds later, Tom Wilson would ultimately score the game-winning goal for Washington. Lars Eller had quite the roller-coaster of a game. After a bad turnover which directly led to a Hawks goal by Patrick Kane, Eller tallied an assist on Tom Wilsons’ lead-reestablishing goal, and then would seal the deal with an empty net goal of his own. Braden Holtby was named the second star of the night, after a much-needed lights out performance. Despite being peppered by 44 total shots by the Hawks, Holtby stopped 41 of those, his best game thus far. He is expected to start for the Capitals tonight. Most impressive however is the Capitals special teams. Through their last three games, of which all three were wins, the Caps’ power play has scored on four of 10 opportunities, thus operating at 40% efficiency, and the penalty kill units have killed off 90% of the penalties the team has taken.

 

The Calgary Flames are struggling to find consistency and discipline through 10 games. They won their last game by a score of 2-1 versus the Anaheim Ducks. Goaltender Cam Talbot allowed just one goal on 30 shots (TheScore, CGY @ ANA). Michael Stone scored his first goal of the season, and Mikael Backlund his second just under nine minutes into the third period. Backlund’s goal would hold as the tie-breaking, game-winning-goal the Flames needed to hand Anaheim their first home loss of the season. They rank 31st in penalty minutes, averaging 12.9 per game. Their penalty kill is 6th in the league, operating at 86.5%, but their power play is only at 15.6% efficiency (TheScore, Calgary Flames). Johnny ‘Hockey’ Gaudreau has scored just 3 goals, after coming off a career-high 36 goals last season (Hockey Reference). He is, however tied with Matthew Tkachuk in leading the team in points with 8. Elias Lindholm has established his offensive abilities thus far, with 5 goals and 6 points, including two power play goals (TheScore, Elias Lindholm).

Coverage of the game begins at 8:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 8:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 9:00pm.

 

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HockeyReference. (2019). Johnny Gaudreau Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/gaudrjo01.html

NHL.com. (2019). TJ Oshie Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/t-j-oshie-8471698.

TheScore. (2019). Calgary Flames News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/26.

TheScore. (2019). Calgary Flames @ Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21854.

TheScore. (2019). Elias Lindholm States, Age, News. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/3001.

Friday Night Arena Lights: Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

Washington Capitals (4-2-2) v. New York Rangers (2-2-0)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecord (W-L-OTL)GAA/SV%
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby (TBD)1-1-24.27/.846
New York RangersHenrik Lundqvist1-1-03.53/.904

 

Tonight, the Washington Capitals will take on conference rivals The New York Rangers. The Caps-Rangers rivalry goes way back, to as early as the 1990’s, but intensified greatly in the 2010’s, when the two teams faced each other in the playoffs five times in five seasons.

The Capitals won their first game of the season at home on Wednesday, where they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. After allowing two goals by the Leafs in the first, Jakub Vrana would cut Toronto’s lead by half heading into the first intermission. The Capitals would come back to score three in under a minute-and-a-half, starting with a sneaky slip-in by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Nicklas Backstrom gave the Caps’ their first lead of the game, which would ultimately hold as the game-winning goal, just 11 seconds later. Just over 60 seconds later, John Carlson would score his 3rd goal of the season, on the power-play, giving the Capitals a 4-2 lead. Toronto would not score until the 17:27 mark of the third period, where John Tavares would similarly cut the lead to one. John Carlson, third overall in points, also leads the leagues’ defensemen in points and assists (14 and 11 respectively) (NHL.com, John Carlson). Coaching staff decided that Ilya Samsonov would start for the Capitals, and that turned out to be the right decision; Samsonov allowed just 3 goals on 32 shots, and subsequently won his 3rd game, improving his record to 3-1-0 (NHL.com, Ilya Samsonov). Braden Holtby, who has struggled this season thus far, will start between the pipes for the Capitals. More newsworthy is the confirmation from Michal Kempny himself, that he will play tonight for the first time since suffering a season-ending hamstring injury back in March. The blue-liners’ return has been highly anticipated, and fans are definitely excited about this one (Adam_Zielonka).

The New York Rangers will be playing their second game of a back to back, after losing 5-2 versus the struggling New Jersey Devils last night. A goal by Tony DeAngelo at the six-minute mark gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead, but three goals by the Devils established a lead they would ultimately hold. In a very penalty-heavy game, the Rangers received six power plays of their own, and despite not converting on a single opportunity, were able to kill off six of seven Devils’ power plays (TheScore, NYR v NJD). Currently, the Rangers allow the most shots on goal in the league, whereas the Capitals allow the fewest (35.3 vs 27.8) (TheScore, New York Rangers). They do however, boast the 2nd best faceoff percentage in the league, though they have only played 4 games thus far. Their shooting percentage is at 13.3%, good enough for 4th best. We anticipate that Henrik Lundqvist will start for the New York Rangers tonight.

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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Adam_Zielonka. (2019). Michal Kempny confirms he’ll be back in the #Caps lineup tonight, making his season debut. His first game action since suffering a torn hamstring last March against Tampa. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/Adam_Zielonka/status/1185209306590990339?s=20.

NHL.com. (2019). Ilya Samsonov Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/ilya-samsonov-8478492.

NHL.com. (2019). John Carlson Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/john-carlson-8474590.

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

TheScore. (2019). New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21826.  

You Win One, You Lose One: Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs

Washington Capitals (3-2-2) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2-1)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecord (W-L-OTL)GAA/SV%
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov2-1-01.43/.944
Toronto Maple LeafsMichael Hutchinson0-0-13.85/.894

 

You win some, you lose some. Or in the case of the Washington Capitals, you win one, and lose one. The Capitals will play the second game of their three-game home stand before setting off on their Annual Canadian Road-trip next week. Tonight, the Caps are trying to collect two points against the Toronto Maple Leafs; the two points they failed to earn on Monday versus the Colorado Avalanche.

The Capitals lost their last game 6-3 to the undefeated Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Four goals scored in the first ten minutes of the first period by the opposite proved to be a deficit too steep for the Caps to overcome. A goal at the 3:42 mark by Erik Johnson, another 2.5 minutes later by Nikita Zadorov, a third two minutes after the second, by Nazem Kadri, and a fourth by Mikko Rantanen just short of the 10-minute mark gave the Avs a 4-0 lead. Veteran net-minder Braden Holtby was pulled after allowing three goals on three shots, and Ilya Samsonov was faced with the challenge of simply limiting the amount of damage done for the remainder of the game. In two-and-a-half periods, Samsonov allowed just two goals, one of which was a power play goal. In the second period, Lars Eller and T.J. Oshie reduced the Caps deficit by two. But a fifth goal by Matt Nieto, an overturned Caps goal, and a late empty net goal by Nathan MacKinnon overshadowed Alex Ovechkin’s 5th goal of the season. Braden Holtby finished the night with a .000 SV% and 25.71GAA. Ilya Samsonov scraped by with a .905 SV% and a 2.50 GAA. A startling statistic is the amount of time Caps’ rookie defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is spending in the penalty box. While one must remember, and consider, that not every penalty called is a good penalty, playing one man short is extremely tiring, even when goals aren’t scored by the opposition. Through six games, Siegenthaler has 12 penalty minutes, including 10 in his last 5 showings (TheScore, Jonas Siegenthaler). It is unclear who will start for the Capitals in tonight’s match-up, but Ilya Samsonov certainly is the clear favorite between the two goalies.

Last night, The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2. Luke Kunin put Minnesota on the board first and early, but four second period goals from Toronto, including one from Auston Matthews, marking his seventh goal of the season, gave the Leafs the lead they needed to squeeze out another win (NHL.com). Notably, the Leafs are winning face-offs and scoring power play goals. While they are tied for scoring the 4th most goals (4), and produce the 5th most shots on goal themselves (35.2), they also allow the 10th most goals against (3.5), and are tied for 12th most shots on goals allowed (31.2). Compared to the Caps’ stingy 27.1 shots allowed, and an 84% efficient penalty kill, Washington should win this game (TheScore, Toronto Maple Leafs)(TheScore, Washington Capitals). Despite a disastrous showing in his last game versus the Montreal Canadiens, Michael Hutchinson will get the start for Toronto tonight. Hutchinson finished for starter Frederik Andersen in Toronto’s game versus Tampa Bay, after allowing seven goals on 28 shots, and stopped all 7 shots he faced (TheScore, Michael Hutchinson) Perhaps, if the Capitals opt to play Braden Holtby, it will be a much closer match-up as far as goals allowed and save percentage are concerned.

Despite recent reports that defenseman Michal Kempny would make his season debut tonight, his timeline to return seems to be even less definitive than tonight’s starting goaltender. We just hope he plays when he is absolutely ready.

 

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NHL.com. (2019). Auston Matthews Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/auston-matthews-8479318.

TheScore. (2019). COL v WAS. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21809.

TheScore. (2019). Jonas Siegenthaler Stats, Age, and News. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/4707.

TheScore. (2019). Michael Hutchinson States, Age, and News. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/1577.

TheScore. (2019). Toronto Maple Leafs. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/5.

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

Holiday Matinee: Washington Capitals vs Colorado Avalanche

Washington Capitals (3-1-2) v. Colorado Avalanche (4-0-0)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecord (W-L-OTL)GAA/SV%
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby1-1-23.67/.868
Colorado AvalanchePhilipp Grubauer3-0-02.33/.931

 

The Washington Capitals returned home after a two-game road swing, where they lost to the Nashville Predators, but managed to beat the Dallas Stars in regulation for the first time since 1995. Tonight, they will play the undefeated Colorado Avalanche, in hopes of winning their first game on home ice this season. It is the first chance the Capitals have to play against former Caps’ forward Andre Burakovsky since trading him to Colorado in the off-season.

The Washington Capitals made history on Saturday night, with a 4-1 regulation win over the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Ilya Samsonov, who had been entrusted with goal-tending duties for the night, was absolutely incredible between the pipes. Samsonov allowed just one goal on 25 shots, and won his second game in as many attempts. He now boasts the best save percentage and goals-against in the league, with a .961% and 1.00GAA (minimum 2 games played) (NHL.com, Samsonov). The win ended a three-game losing streak, and despite the Stars’ having received six power play opportunities, the Caps killed off every single one, and managed to convert on two-of-five of their own (TheScore, DAL v WSH). Tom Wilson scored an early power play goal, giving the Caps a 1-0 advantage not even five minutes into the contest after the Stars received a four-minute double minor penalty for high-sticking. John Carlson would add to that lead in the second, and now leads the leagues’ defensemen in points (10) and assists (8) (NHL.com, John Carlson). Evgeny Kuznetsov would score his second of the season before Radek Faksa gave the Stars life, tallying the score to 3-1, Caps. Alex Ovechkin would pot an empty net goal with under a minute remaining in regulation to seal the deal for the Capitals. Washingtons’ penalty kill is good enough for 9th in the league, but internally, the Caps have killed off 16 of 19 penalties taken through 5 games, which so far is a massive improvement over last seasons’ penalty kill. Preliminary reports suggest that Braden Holtby will start for the Capitals tonight, but with Samsonovs’ stunning performance on Saturday, that decision is yet to be finalized.

The Colorado Avalanche is in the midst of their best start in six seasons. Colorado beat the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday by a score of 3-2, but it took extra time for the score to be settled. Former Capital Andre Burakovsky has two goals through four games, both of which were back-to-back overtime game-winning-goals. Mikko Rantanen leads the Avs with 4 goals, including two on the power play, and is tied with Nathan MacKinnon with 6 points a-piece. Rookie defenseman Cale Makar has tallied five assists, and is playing just under 20 minutes per game (TheScore, Cale Makar). Makar tallied assists on both third period goals by the Avalanche in their most recent game versus Arizona. Phillip Grubauer and new back-up goaltender Pavel Francouz have impressive numbers to start the season, and it is expected that Grubauer will start against his former team tonight.

Per The Athletic, Caps’ defenseman Michal Kempny reported to Tarik El-Bashir earlier yesterday afternoon that he “feels ready to go” but is awaiting full clearance from medical staff before being inserted into future lineups. He likely will not play tonight versus the Avalanche, and will most likely make his season debut on Wednesday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (CBSSports).

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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NHL.com. (2019). Ilya Samsonov Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/ilya-samsonov-8478492.

NHL.com. (2019). John Carlson Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/john-carlson-8474590.

RotoWire Staff. (2019). Capitals’ Michal Kempny: Feels ready to go. Retrieved from https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/hockey/news/capitals-michal-kempny-feels-ready-to-go/.

TheScore. (2019). Cale Makar Stats, Age, News. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/8539.

TheScore. (2019). WAS v DAL. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21796.

Seeing Double: Washington Capitals vs Dallas Stars Part 2

Washington Capitals (2-1-2) v. Dallas Stars (1-3-1)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecord (W-L-OTL)GAA/SV%
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov1-0-01.00/.962
Dallas StarsAnton Khudobin0-1-04.07/.879

 

The Washington Capitals are hoping to end a 3-game losing streak tonight versus the Dallas Stars. Just four days ago, the Capitals lost to Dallas in overtime at Capital One Arena. This time, they will play the Stars at their arena, American Airlines Center.

As previously mentioned, the Washington Capitals are struggling. Goal-tending has not been strong, and despite Alex Ovechkin scoring two power play goals in the Caps’ loss to Nashville two days ago, the power play is not where it needs to be. Goals from Lars Eller in the first, and two power play goals sandwiching a shorthanded goal from Tom Wilson in the second gave the Caps a comfy 4-2 lead heading into the third. But four goals from the Predators’ in the third period proved too difficult to overcome. Veteran net-minder Braden Holtby, with just one win in four starts, has been abysmal to start the season. There was lots we liked about Thursdays’ showing, and goal-tending was not one of those things. John Carlson tallied assists on three of the Caps’ five goals, and both Alex Ovechkin and TJ Oshie scored their third goal (TheScore, WSH v NSH). Caps’ defense was extremely efficient at breaking down Nashville’s offensive zone advances, and Dmitry Orlov had one of his best games in recent memory. In a 6-5 regulation loss, the Caps put forth a much better effort than in past meetings with the Predators, but another blown third period lead cost them yet another game. Ilya Samsonov will start for the Capitals tonight, in attempts to remedy Washingtons’ current goaltender situation.

The Dallas Stars have only managed to beat the Capitals so far this season. They are 2-1-1 through 4 games, dropping their last to the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-2 in the shootout. Joel L’Esperance and Jamie Benn both scored their first goals of the season. Despite the loss, goaltender Ben Bishop stopped 27 of 29 shots faced in regulation, rounding out the night with an impressive .931 SV%. Some would argue that save percentage is the most misleading hockey statistic, since a loss is a loss, regardless of the % saved, but those are still some impressive numbers. Tyler Seguin, who scored the overtime game winning goal versus the Caps on Tuesday, was the only Star to sneak the puck past Flames goaltender David Rittich, and it was none other than Johnny ‘Hockey’ Gaudreau who would win it for Calgary (TheScore, CGY v DAL). Anton Khudobin, who has lost the single game he has started this season, will start for Dallas. The Capitals will need to adjust their style of play and restrain Roope Hintz (4G, 1A) if they hope to end their win-less streak tonight. Currently, the Capitals are in a tougher spot than Dallas, and will hopefully be playing for vengeance.

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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TheScore. (2019). Calgary Flames @ Dallas Stars. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21781.

TheScore. (2019). Dallas Stars @ Washington Capitals. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21765.

Capitals Hope to Bounce Back on the Road vs Nashville Predators

Washington Capitals (2-0-2) v. Nashville Predators (2-1-0)

 Expected GoaltenderRecord (W-L-OTL)GAA/SV%
Washington Capitals Braden Holtby1-0-2 2.89/.882 
Nashville PredatorsPekka Rinne2-0-02.00/.932

Tonight, the Washington Capitals are looking to end a two-game losing streak, as they face off against the Nashville Predators. So far this season, the Capitals are 2-0 on the road, and that is something fans should be excited about.

The Capitals have lost their last pair of games, both in overtime, to two teams with very similar playing styles. The most recent loss came on Tuesday, versus the Dallas Stars, who were hoping to snap a three-game winless streak. Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Caps an early 1-0 lead just under five minutes into the first period. Expectations were high for the Russian center, who after serving a three-game suspension, played in his first game of the season on Tuesday. Roope Hintz scored his fourth goal of the season, and defenseman John Carlson would regain the lead for the Capitals late in the second period. Dallas would go on to score two more goals, establishing their first lead of the night. But with just 30 seconds remaining in the game, Nicklas Backstrom tied the game 3-3. Tyler Seguin, who was fairly quiet for the majority of the 2018-19 season ultimately would be the one to win it for Dallas, with his game winning goal coming just 43 seconds into the overtime period (TheScore, WSH v DAL). A final OT score of 4-3 is familiar to the Caps, as they lost in OT to Dallas in November 2018 by a score of 4-3 as well. The Capitals power play continues to suffer, and goaltending has been iffy, at best. To start the season, Washington goaltender Braden Holtby has been extremely inconsistent, teetering between making clutch much-needed saves, and allowing soft, should-be-stopped goals. Braden Holtby is expected to start tonight for the Capitals, but we may see changes in the line-up prior to puck drop.

The Nashville Predators won their last game in a dominating 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Playing in Bridgestone Arena, aka “Smashville” is not easy, and winning proves to be even more difficult. Predators’ fans are ruthless, and passionate. Their cheers and chants are deafening, and their roster features goal scoring depth matched by few other teams. Despite being held to single digit shots on goal through all three periods, Nashville defenseman Roman Josi scored two of his own goals, and goals from Kyle Turris, Filip Forsberg, and Dante Fabbro gave them their 2nd win of the season (TheScore, NSH v SJ). Through three games, Nashville ranks 5th in shots on goal, and more importantly, is tied for 20th in goals allowed (3.5) (TheScore, Nashville). Predators’ goaltender Pekka Rinne has won both games he has started this season, and boasts a .917SV% (NHL.com). Nashville’s’ back-up goaltender Juuse Saros has a pristine record against Washington, having won every game he has started vs the Capitals.

The last time the Capitals and the Predators faced off was on January 15, 2019, where the Caps lost 7-2 during a 7-game losing streak. All but three players (Brett Connolly, Lars Eller, Brooks Orpik) ended the night with (-) ratings. Viktor Arvidsson scored a hat-trick, and Nick Bonino scored a pair of his own. Only Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie managed to get goals on the board for the Caps’. The Capitals have only beaten Nashville twice out of their last 11 meetings, dating back to 2014 (mcubed.net).

Per Samantha Pell of the Washington Post, defenseman Michal Kempny is traveling with the team, but will not dress tonight versus Nashville. His status for Saturday in Dallas is undetermined.

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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Mcubed. (2019). Series records: Washington Capitals against Nashville Predators. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/nsh.shtml.

NHL.com. (2019). Pekka Rinne Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/pekka-rinne-8471469.

Pell, S. (2019). Michal Kempny will travel, won’t play Thursday at Nashville. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/10/09/michal-kempny-will-travel-wont-play-thursday-nashville/#click=https://t.co/IqG1kFMLul.

TheScore. (2019). Nashville Predators. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/19.

TheScore. (2019). NSH vs SJ. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21767.

TheScore. (2019). WSH vs DAL. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/21765.

 

Capitals Look to Regain Momentum vs a Falling Stars Team

Washington Capitals (2-0-1) v. Dallas Stars (0-3-0)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecord (W-L-OTL)GAA/SV%
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby1-0-12.36/.900
Dallas StarsBen Bishop0-2-02.59/.900

Tonight, the Washington Capitals are looking to get back on the winning side of things as they face off against the Dallas Stars in the first of two meetings this week. The Capitals won two of their first three games, and secured 5 of 6 possible points, giving them a strong start to the season. The Dallas Stars, on the other hand, are looking to just win.

Four days ago, the Capitals dropped the first of four meetings with the Carolina Hurricanes in a 3-2 overtime loss. On the date of their Home Opener, the Capitals were hoping to beat the team that eliminated them in the first round last season. A powerless Capitals’ power play and poor refereeing gave the Hurricanes a prime opportunity to overtake the division, and now remain undefeated with three wins to start their season. One of the newest additions to the Capitals roster, Garnet Hathaway, scored his first and second goals of the season, although the second goal was overturned due to alleged ‘goaltender interference’. T.J. Oshie scored his second of the season, but despite being gifted with six power play opportunities, the Capitals were unable to convert on a single one. One bright spot of the evening, was an improved faceoff percentage, which was something the Capitals seriously struggled with last season. Washington won 55.4% of their face-offs, and through three games have won 52.3% of all face-offs taken, which is (so far) significantly better than their 40-some percent from last season (TheScore, Washington). Tonight, the Capitals need to take advantage of any power plays gifted to them, and need to play strong in front of their goaltender. Despite a strong showing by the newest Caps back-up goaltender Ilya Samsonov, Braden Holtby is expected to get the start for the Washington Capitals tonight.

The Dallas Stars haven’t won a single game yet this season, giving them a 0-3-0 start for the first time since the franchise moved to Texas. It is also the first time in history the team has failed to secure at least one point since the 1988-1989 season in which the-then North Stars started their season with four straight losses (Shapiro). Although losing streaks aren’t new to the Stars’ organization, and while we aren’t even a full week into the season, the Dallas Stars need to begin firing on all cylinders, and that means defense needs to start defending, and offense needs to start scoring. Stars Center Roope Hintz has three goals in three games, and scored two of the teams’ three total goals in their last game versus the Detroit Red Wings. In that disheartening road loss, the Stars started off hot, having scored two goals in the first period. However, Detroits’ Anthony Mantha didn’t just score two goals to tie the game in the second, but went on to score a hat-trick, plus one, to lift the Red Wings over the Stars, 4-3 (Lage).

In other Caps’ news, Travis Boyd cleared waivers, and will report to the Hershey Bears. Jonas Siegenthaler, who was ‘sent to Hershey’ as a paper transaction will in fact start for the Capitals tonight. Defenseman Michal Kempny, who was first expected to dress tonight against the Stars, will not make tonight’s roster (RotoWire). Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has completed his three-game suspension and will play in his first game of the season tonight.

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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Lage, L. (2019). Anthony Mantha scores four goals in Red Wings win over Stars. Retrieved from https://www.wxyz.com/sports/anthony-mantha-scores-four-goals-in-red-wings-win-over-stars.

RotoWire Staff. (2019). Capitals’ Michal Kempny: Unavailable Tuesday. Retrieved from https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/hockey/news/capitals-michal-kempny-unavailable-tuesday/

Shapiro, S. (2019). Stars 20/20: Time for a change after three straight third-period collapses. Retrieved from https://theathletic.com/1271026/2019/10/07/stars-20-20-time-for-a-change-after-three-straight-third-period-collapses/.

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

Malkin, Bjugstad out long term for Penguins *UPDATED*

Earlier today, Penguins’ head coach Mike Sullivan shared with Wes Crosby of NHL.com, that Pittsburgh forwards Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad are expected to miss a significant amount of time after suffering lower-body injuries during their game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets last Saturday night. The two collided during their eventual 7-2 win over Columbus, with Malkin then awkwardly hitting the boards, causing further injury.

https://twitter.com/chasepwilliams/status/1180646071103623168?s=20

The Penguins acquired Nick Bjugstad from the Florida Panthers last season in a trade involving team mate Jared McCann, in exchange for Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, and future draft picks. It is unclear to what extent Bjugstad’s injury will impact his play this season.

Prior to the start of the season, Evgeni Malkin expressed considerable optimism regarding a ‘bounce-back year’ after a disappointing 2018-19 showing. Malkin scored just 21 goals last season, half of his previous years’ 42 goals, and ended the season with a -21 rating (NHL). Although the injury does not seem to be season-ending, it is of concern to Pens staff and fans. According to Josh Wegman of theScore, the 33-year old center has only played more than 70 games once in the last seven seasons.

 

*UPDATE*

As an update to our earlier report, per Darren Dreger, Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin suffered a soft tissue injury during the Pens’ recent game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (Coulson). As stated earlier, Malkin is expected to miss a ‘significant amount’ of time, and that prognosis has been updated to the Russian missing at least 4 weeks.

 

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Kasan, S. (2019). Malkin, Bjugstad out “longer term”. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/malkin-bjugstad-out-longer-term/c-309844706.

NHL.com. (2019). Evgeni Malkin Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/evgeni-malkin-8471215?stats=career-r-nhl&season=null.

Wegman, J. (2019). Penguins’ Malkin, Bjugstad out long term with lower-body injuries. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1847939/penguins-malkin-bjugstad-out-long-term-with-lower-body-injuries.

Coulson, K. (2019). Malkin, Bjugstad out long term for Penguins. Retrieved from https://txhthockey.com/2019/10/07/malkin-bjugstad-out-long-term-for-penguins/

DarrenDreger. (2019). Malkin suffered a soft tissue injury to his leg. Expected to be out at least a month. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/1181311833665347584.