Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of February 6th through 12th.

• Tuesday, February 8th, 2022 – Columbus Blue Jackets v. Washington Capitals
  • Back from the All Star break the Washington Capitals would play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Caps would start off sluggish, and 5:24 into the game Sean Kuraly would go to the box for interference to send the Caps to the powerplay, but boy oh boy was that powerplay pathetic. The faceoff win was great, but it was too strong and set the Caps back, and then John Carlson did the slingshot… just stop doing that already John. It doesn’t work. Overall the powerplay would be a disaster, but the Caps would swing the momentum their way as they would outshoot the Jackets 11 to 4 for the period. Late in the period Garnet Hathaway would get a piece of a bouncing rebound to get the Caps on the board with the 1-0 lead.
  • In the second period the Caps would only need 40 seconds as Nic Dowd would score after having his pass hit off a Jackets defender and into the net to grow the Caps lead to two. Later the Caps would go back to the powerplay, and this time they would generate some good opportunities, but Carlson would get called for tripping and end the Caps powerplay prematurely. On the Jackets powerplay opportunity Patrik Laine would strike to get Columbus back within one. Then moments later the Caps would go shorthanded once again when Nicklas Backstrom would get called for holding. As the powerplay was ending Adam Boqvist would strike to tie the game at two. Late in the period the Caps would go back onto the powerplay, and this time it would be Evgeny Kuznetsov with a beautiful snipe from the faceoff circle to give the Caps the 3-2 lead. However, the Caps would go shorthanded and with 3 seconds left in the period Laine would net his second powerplay goal of the period to tie the game at three.
  • Then in the third period Trey Fix-Wolansky would net his first career NHL goal as it would squeak through Pheonix Copley thus ending his night as Ilya Samsonov would come in to finish the game for the Caps. Shortly after scoring the goal the Jackets would go back to the box, and for the third time the Caps would fail to capitalize on the powerplay. Late in the period with Samsonov pulled for the extra attacker All Star Stanley Cup Champion Tom Wilson would rip a bullet for his 14th of the season to tie the game at four, but Boone Jenner would strike to give the Blue Jackets the 5-4 victory over the Capitals.

Final from tonight.#CapsJackets pic.twitter.com/668ftBeLHc

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 9, 2022

• Thursday, February 10th, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. Montreal Canadiens
  • Before an empty arena, and without their captain, the Washington Capitals would head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens, and in the first period the Caps would play with some good pace to their game, and at 5:04 Joe Snively would net his first career NHL goal to give the Caps the 1-0 lead. Twenty seconds later Connor McMichael would net his seventh of the season to grow the Caps lead to two. Moments later the Caps would go on the powerplay as Ben Chiarot would go to the box for interference, but even against a really bad Canadiens team the Caps wouldn’t be very good with the opportunity. Midway through the period Dmitry Orlov would go to the box, but the Caps would be up to the task, and would even get some good scoring chances as they would kill the penalty.
  • In the second period Carl Hagelin would score a goal scorers goal as he would snipe on a sharp angle to grow the Caps lead to three, but Rem Pitlick would score 29 seconds later when chaos would reign in Ilya Samsonov’s crease to get the Habs on the board and back within one. However, Snively would be set loose by Evgeny Kuznetsov and would net his second of the game to regain the three goal lead. With the goal the Caps would chase Cayden Primeau from the Montreal net as Sam Montembeault would come in relief. Then both the Caps and Habs would trade powerplay opportunities, but late in the period while on their third powerplay of the game Cole Caufield would strike to get the Habs back within two.
  • Then in the third period the Caps would give the Canadiens a few more powerplay opportunities, but they would keep the Habs off the board. The Caps would get an abbreviated powerplay opportunity, but wouldn’t do anything with it. Caufield would strike for what he thought would be his second of the game, but it would be called back on a coach’s challenge for offside. Near the end of regulation Tom Wilson would net his 15th of the season to give the Capitals the 5-2 victory over the Canadiens.

Dub secured.#CapsHabs | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/lr13gZpYIi

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 11, 2022

News and Notes

• Anthony Mantha is skating before team practices. Mantha, who had shoulder surgery earlier in the season, still has no current timeline, but is hopeful to be back by the time the playoffs start.

Storylines

• The Powerplay continues to struggle once again. Evgeny Kuznetsov had a nice powerplay goal against Columbus, and there were flashes of good chances to get the puck on net, but overall it’s still an abysmal powerplay. It was especially telling against Montreal when John Carlson was pressured heavily into turning the puck over when setting up the moronic slingshot. And one would think that for one game without Alex Ovechkin that we’d see a different style for the powerplay, but nope, Blaine Forsythe kept it the same predictable way.

Upcoming Schedule

Sunday, February 13th, 2022 – v. Ottawa Senators – 1230p ET

TV: SN1, RDS, NBCSWA

Tuesday, February 15th, 2022 – @ Nashville Predators – 8p ET

TV: BSSO, NBCSWA

Thursday, February 17th, 2022 – @ Philadelphia Flyers – 7p ET

TV: NBCSP, NBCSWA

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of January 30th though February 5th.

• Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. Pittsburgh Penguins
  • In Pittsburgh it would be a rivalry night as the Capitals would take on the Penguins, and in the first period the Caps would find themselves shorthanded but Nic Dowd would strike with the shorthanded tally to give the Caps the 1-0 lead. However, the lead would go away as 36 seconds later Evgeni Malkin would score on the powerplay to tie the game at one, and then on another powerplay Bryan Rust would strike to give the Pens the 2-1 lead and full blown momentum in the period. Now it should be noted that before the Pens first goal there was a collision between Vitek Vanecek and Kasperi Kapanen, and after Malkin scored Vanecek would be pulled (potentially by a concussion spotter) which would put Ilya Samsonov into the game. The Caps would get a powerplay opportunity of their own, and Dmitry Orlov would bank in Conor Sheary’s rebound to tie the game back up at two. The Caps would then receive another powerplay opportunity, but despite some good zone time they would only get one quality shot on goal as this game would go into the first intermission tied at two.
  • In the second period the Caps would find themselves in penalty trouble. First Nic Dowd would go to the box 26 seconds into the period, but the Caps would kill off that penalty, however, a delay of game penalty would put the Pens back on the powerplay and Rust would strike to get his second of the game and retake the lead for the Penguins. The Caps would respond as Dowd would deflect the puck past Tristan Jarry for his second of the game, and after a coach’s challenge for goalie interference and would have the goal disallowed on what would be a rather bad call. Later in the period the Caps would go back to the penalty kill for the fifth time this game, and the Caps would kill off their second straight penalty to keep themselves down by one. In the final minute of the period Daniel Sprong would score while crashing the net to tie the game at three for the Caps. The second period would see the Pens dominate the Caps in the shot department 23-7, but the goal in the final minute would give the Caps life with the game going into the intermission tied at three.
  • The third period would be a very quiet period as the game would go to overtime tied at three. In the extra frame Orlov would net his second of the game in the final minute to give the Capitals the 4-3 victory over the Penguins.
  • I’ll be honest, it wasn’t the greatest game for the Caps, but they got the victory and that’s the important thing. The Caps penalty kill was not very good as the Pens would score on their first three, but to see Dowd score shorthanded, and the Caps shut down the Pens on the final two powerplays was good for the Caps to stay in the game. The Caps powerplay was a good 50 percent, but they should of had a lot more powerplay opportunities than they did. Dowd’s second goal should have counted. That was a standard play in front of the net and was clearly a goal. How that got overturned is beyond me. But now the Caps need to shift their focus to Wednesday night as they take on the Edmonton Oilers at home before the All Star break.

'GUINNING#CapsPens | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/yIdtj47hCn

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 2, 2022

• Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – Edmonton Oilers v. Washington Capitals
  • In their final game before the All Star Break, the Capitals would host the Edmonton Oilers, but they would do it without their captain Alex Ovechkin who would test positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day. In the first period the Oilers would strike fast and often as Leon Draisaitl would strike 90 seconds into the game to take the 1-0 lead, and then goals from Evander Kane and Connor McDavid (on the powerplay) would give the Oilers the 3-0 lead in the first 5:07 of the game and have Ilya Samsonov pulled after giving up the three goals on four shots faced. Once Pheonix Copley got in the net to relieve Samsonov the Caps would settle into the game and 2:36 after the McDavid goal Lars Eller would score to get the Caps on the board.
  • In the second period the Caps would really come into their own as they would outshoot the Oilers 11 to 5 for the period, and Conor Sheary would strike to bring the Caps back within one of the Oilers. The Caps would get their first powerplay of the game and we would see John Carlson in Ovechkin’s spot, but it wouldn’t matter as the Caps would spend more time in their own zone than in Edmonton’s.
  • Then in the third period Evgeny Kuznetsov would strike early in the period to tie the game at three. The Caps would get two more powerplay opportunities, but once again they wouldn’t do anything with them. Not having Ovi available shouldn’t of mattered, especially since they’ve been doing the powerplay without Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie too. Just need to change the system to accommodate for the players you don’t have and to utilize the players you do have, but Blaine Fosythe won’t do it and as a result the Oilers would get a shorthanded tally from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the second powerplay of the period to give them the 4-3 lead. Before regulation time would run out Nugent-Hopkins would get the empty netter for his second of the game to give the Oilers the 5-3 victory over the Capitals.

Bummer.#CapsOilers pic.twitter.com/MPnqkxNH76

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 3, 2022

News and Notes

• That’s All Star Stanley Cup Champion Tom Wilson!!

Tom Wilson. #NHLAllStar. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/QcY4AAazuI

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 2, 2022

• Metro Division Wins the All Star Game

#NHLAllStar CHAMPIONS‼️ pic.twitter.com/xmvVmz9aZ9

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 5, 2022

Storylines

• The Powerplay. Fire Blaine Forsythe already.
  • Sure the Caps went 1 for 2 against Pittsburgh, but it was the 0 for 3 against Edmonton that was the real indicator that Blaine Forsythe needs to go because of his inability to adapt and change the powerplay to the players he has rather than the players he prefers. It’s just painful.

Upcoming Schedule

Tuesday, February 8th, 2022 – v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7p ET

TV: BSOH, NBCSWA

Thursday, February 10th, 2022 – @ Montreal Canadiens – 7p ET

TV: TSN2, RDS, NBCSWA

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of January 23rd though 29th.

• Monday, January 24th, 2022 – Vegas Golden Knights v. Washington Capitals
  • To kick off the three game week, the Washington Capitals would host the Vegas Golden Knights, and in would be a rather quiet one too. In the first period both teams would trade powerplay opportunities that neither team would capitalize on.
  • In the second period Michael Amadio would score for the Knights, and it would also be the only goal of the game as well. After giving up the goal the Caps would get a 1:57 5 on 3 powerplay, but it would be the Blaine Forsythe Way as the Caps would not do a damn thing with the two man advantage. Then the Caps would give the Knights back to back powerplays, but the Caps penalty killers would be up for the task both times to keep them only down by one.
  • Then in the third period the Caps would have 1:45 of carryover powerplay time, but they would not convert on it for the fourth time of the game. There would be two more powerplay opportunities in the game, but neither the Caps of Knights would capitalize as Vegas would hold on for the 1-0 victory over the Caps.
  • So full disclosure, I didn’t see the game due to my class starting that night, but from what I can gather the Caps put up a good effort and played solid defensively. Both Vitek Vanecek and Robin Lehner would play spectacular goaltending. Key thing is that powerplay. Blaine Forsythe is hell bent on not changing a damn thing with the powerplay and it’s pathetic.

Monday#CapsKnights pic.twitter.com/StvFzMsjyu

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 25, 2022

• Wednesday, January 26th, 2021 – San Jose Sharks v. Washington Capitals
  • On Wednesday night the Capitals would host the San Jose Sharks to end their short homestand. In the first period Noah Gregor would open the scoring for the Sharks as he would score by banking the puck past Ilya Samsonov off of a Brent Burns pass through the slot for the 1-0 San Jose lead. The Sharks would outshoot the Caps 14 to 8, and neither team would get a powerplay opportunity in the period.
  • In the second period Nicolas Meloche would net his first career NHL goal to grow the Sharks lead to two. Shortly after Tomas Hertl would go to the penalty box for high sticking, but the Caps wouldn’t do much with this powerplay opportunity. Then later in the period Jonathan Dahlen would head to the box for slashing, and while the Caps first powerplay unit would be useless, the second unit would try to change things up and generate a few chances, but ultimately not score. Dmitry Orlov would go to the box for Holding, but the Caps penalty killers would be up to the task as they would kill off the penalty to stay down by two at periods end.
  • Then in the third period Daniel Sprong would score 14 seconds into the period to get the Caps on the board and within one, but goals from Dahlen and Andrew Cogliano would give the Sharks the 4-1 victory over the Capitals. The Caps would get one more powerplay chance, but again, useless.
  • Being at the game I could really see a lot of the glaring issues facing the Caps and one of them is that they really need to do some changes behind the bench with the first one being Blaine Forsythe because it’s evident that he refuses to change the powerplay. Also, we need to accept the fact that the young kids are going to need to get more playing time and continue to develop because Anthony Mantha will not be back for a few more months due to shoulder surgery, and TJ Oshie needs to stay out of the lineup until he is fully healthy. So while these two players heal up and prepare to come back at 100 percent, the Caps need to get back to that next man up mentality that guided them to the Stanley Cup in 2018 because right now, this ain’t it.

Nope.#CapsSharks pic.twitter.com/fZE4Slyyhx

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 27, 2022

• Friday, January 28th, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. Dallas Stars
  • In Dallas the Stars would honor Sergei Zubov as they retired his number 56 to the rafter, and Braden Holtby would take on his former team in the Capitals for this little trip out to Texas. In the first period the Stars would strike early, but a coach’s challenge would have the goal waived, and moments later the Caps would go on the powerplay. In what many consider a miracle the Caps would change things up as Tom Wilson would strike from the faceoff circle to give the Caps the 1-0 lead 89 seconds into the game. then the Caps would go back onto the powerplay and John Carlson would one time a bomb from the point to grow the Caps lead to two and have the Caps goa perfect two for two on the powerplay for the night. Then later in the period Trevor van Riemsdyk would score to grow the Caps lead to three.
  • In the second period Carlson would get hit with a double minor for high sticking, but the Caps would be up to task and kill off the penalty to go a perfect three for three for the game. After the penalty kill Connor McMichael would strike on a Lars Eller feed into the slot, and Nicklas Backstrom would pick the corner to give the Capitals the eventual 5-0 victory over the Stars.
  • Nothing happened in the third period outside of Holtby being pulled to start the period, and the Caps only generated two shots on goal, but it was an overall solid defensive effort to keep the Stars off the board and Vitek Vanecek was spectacular in net stopping all 29 shots for the shutout. Good to see the powerplay changing things up finally and having guys shoot from different places too. Shifting Wilson from the front of the net into the faceoff circle was a nice change with a different look for getting shots off. Overall this was a great game that the Caps really needed.

HELLO, VICTORY!#CapsStars | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/A4gujSq5tc

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 29, 2022

News and Notes

• None

Storylines

• Rough week for the Caps overall losing two out of three was not very good, and while the powerplay was a perfect 2 for 2 in Dallas, it was still awful the two games before. It’ll be interesting to see how the powerplay responds against Pittsburgh and Edmonton this upcoming week. Did what we see be a one off, or is the powerplay finally getting it’s groove back?

Upcoming Schedule

Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 – @ Pittsburgh Penguins – 7p ET

TV: NBCSWA, ATTSN-PT

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – v. Edmonton Oilers – 7p ET

TV: TNT, SN, TVAS

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, and Ottawa Senators. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of January 16th though 22nd.

• Sunday, January 16th, 2022 – Vancouver Canucks v. Washington Capitals
  • To kick off a new week the Washington Capitals would host the Vancouver Canucks, and in the first period The Caps would generate some really solid scoring chances, but then Tyler Motte would get called for delay of game to put the Caps on the powerplay. With 22 seconds left on the powerplay Alex Ovechkin would bomb a body blow past Thatcher Demko to score on the powerplay and give the Caps the 1-0 lead. After the goal the Canucks would surge a bit and would draw a penalty with nine seconds left in the period to give them the powerplay to start the second period.
  • Going into the second period it would be a bad start for the Caps as the Canucks would strike 33 seconds into the period with an Elias Pettersson powerplay tally to tie the game at one for the Canucks. Two minutes after the goal things would get chippy as both Matt Irwin and Kyle Burroughs would get double minors for roughing. Then shortly after tying the game Pettersson would strike again as he would backhand one from behind the goal line and off of Ilya Samsonov to give the Canucks the 2-1 lead. This goal would swing the momentum fully to the Canucks, and they would control most of the play as a result. The Caps would get some scoring opportunities, but Demko would stand tall to keep the Caps from getting back onto the scoreboard. Late in the second period Garnet Hathaway would take an ill-advised penalty and as a result Bo Horvat would strike on the powerplay to give the Canucks the 3-1 lead.
  • Then in the third period the Caps would continue to fight, and as a result of their hard work they would draw a penalty against the Canucks. 27 seconds into the powerplay Tom Wilson would strike to get the Caps back within one. However, after scoring the goal Hathaway would go back to the box for elbowing and giving the Canucks their third powerplay opportunity, but the Caps would be up to task and kill the powerplay opportunity for the Canucks. With less than five minutes left in regulation the Caps bench would be called for too many men on the ice, but the Caps would once again shut down the Canucks on their second powerplay of the period. With Samsonov pulled JT Miller would ice this game with his 12th of the season to give the Canucks the 4-2 victory over the Capitals.
  • Overall it was a good start for the Caps and their powerplay was a perfect 2/2 for the first time in who knows how long, so that was great. Giving up the powerplay goal early in the second period really hurt the Caps as that got the Canucks back into the game.

Darn.#CapsNucks pic.twitter.com/44dhY7kdfa

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 16, 2022

• Tuesday, January 18th, 2021 – Winnipeg Jets v. Washington Capitals
  • Finishing up their homestand the Capitals would host the Winnipeg Jets as they look to get back into their winning ways. In the first period it was a bad start for the Caps as Dmitry Orlov would get called for slashing, and as a result the Jets would jump on the Caps as Kyle Connor would strike 40 seconds into the powerplay to give the Jets the 1-0 lead. Then 1:18 later Cole Perfetti would strike to score his first career NHL goal to grow the Jets lead to two. After the poor start for the Caps they would start to get their legs into the game, and draw a penalty against Neal Pionk for slashing. While on the powerplay the Caps would not score, Alex Ovechkin would score a fantastic goal off an amazing play with Garnet Hathaway to get the Caps back within one.
  • In the second period would see the Jets start the period with an abbreviated powerplay due to a late Tom Wilson penalty in the first period, but this time around the Caps would shut down the Jets extra man advantage. Moments after killing the penalty Dmitry Orlov would strike to tie the game at two for the Caps. Late in the period both teams would trade powerplay opportunities, but neither team would strike to take the lead.
  • Then in the third period Aleksai Protas would get a fortunate bounce off of Connor Hellebuyck and Nate Schmidt to give the Capitals their first lead of the game. However, momentum would swing the Jets way as Nic Dowd would get called for a late penalty, an after the penalty would expire Pierre-Luc Dubois would score to tie the game at three and send the game to overtime.
  • In the extra frame Tom Wilson would only need 26 seconds to score and give the Capitals their first overtime victory of the season. Wilson would be the benefactor of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s wizardry to knock the rebound into the net for the 4-3 victory.
  • An awful start to the game, but once the game was ten minutes old the Caps would start to get into the groove of things. Best player hands down was Kuznetsov. His masterful skating was creating lots of space and opportunities, and would eventually lead to the game winner in overtime. When Kuznetsov is on his game, he is unbeatable.

OVERTIME VICTORYYYYYY#CapsJets | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/mbOTqIu3WY

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 19, 2022

• Thursday, January 20th, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. Boston Bruins
  • On the road the Capitals would travel to Boston to take on the Bruins, and in the first period Evgeny Kuznetsov would strike less than five minutes into the game to give the Caps the 1-0 lead, but fifty seconds later David Pastrnak would strike to tie the game at one. Later in the period the Caps would get two powerplay opportunities, but they would not be able to capitalize on either extra man advantage. At the end of the first period the game would remain tied at one with the Bruins having the shots advantage outshooting the Caps 10-5.
  • In the second period the Caps would go back on the powerplay early in the period, but for the third straight powerplay of the game the Caps would not register a shot. Shortly after the Caps extra man advantage expired the B’s would go on one of their own, and Pastrnak would be set loose on a breakaway and would knock in the puck past Vitek Vanecek to give the Bruins the 2-1 lead on the powerplay tally. The Caps would go back on the powerplay, but once again would do nothing with it, however, after the powerplay ended Lars Eller would strike to tie the game at two for the Caps.
  • Then in the third period the Caps would go shorthanded, and after killing off the penalty the B’s would still continue to surge as Jake DeBrusk would score, but it wouldn’t be called until Toronto stopped pay for an official review which saw the puck go past Vanecek and barely, but enough, get over the goal line to take the 3-2 lead. However, a little over 30 seconds later Nicklas Backstrom would net his first of the season to tie the game at three. Then late in the period Nic Dowd would get called for tripping putting the B’s on the powerplay, and with 11 seconds left on the extra man advantage Charlie McAvoy would snipe one past Vanecek to give the Bruins the 4-3 victory over the Capitals.
  • Overall this was not the best game for the Caps. Their powerplay was non-existent, they were outshoot in all three periods and could only must a max of 6 shots per period. However, with that said, the Caps did show good fight and stayed in the game, but that late penalty really killed them in this one.

That's all from Boston#CapsBruins pic.twitter.com/ZNgnquDInu

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 21, 2022

• Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 – Ottawa Senators v. Washington Capitals
  • Back at home the Capitals would host the Ottawa Senators, and in the first period the Sens would strike first as Thomas Chabot would score 82 seconds into the game as he would blast one from the point through a crowd past Vitek Vanecek to take the 1-0 lead. The Caps would be held shot less until late in the period when the would go on the powerplay. On the extra man advantage the Caps would generate four shots on goal, but would not be able to capitalize on the opportunity.
  • In the second period former Capital Zach Sanford would strike to grow the Sens lead to two. Late in the period the Caps would go back on the powerplay, but once again they would not capitalize on it. Better period overall for the Caps as they generate 16 shots on goal compared to five in the first period.
  • Then in the third period Alex Ovechkin would strike 99 seconds into the period to get the Caps on the board. Moments later the Caps would go shorthanded as Justin Schultz would go to the box for cross checking. The Sens would not take advantage, and shortly after the Caps killed off the penalty Ovechkin would net his second of the game to tie the game at two. The rest of the period neither team would score so this one would go to overtime which would see Nicklas Backstrom with great patience as he would score to give the Capitals the 3-2 victory over the Senators.
  • Poor start for the Caps luckily did not doom them. Fact they went the first 17 minutes without generating a shot on goal was concerning, but as the game went on the Caps would get better. Vanecek was spectacular in net, and despite all of the injuries/COVID protocols the Caps are dealing with, they pulled out a needed two points.

TAKE 'EM HOWEVER YOU CAN GET 'EM#CapsSens | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/GuyBc1kwhD

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 23, 2022

News and Notes

• Dmitry Orlov Suspended Two Games
  • Orlov was suspended for two games on Wednesday after kneeing Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers on Tuesday night. While no penalty was called on the play it was evident that Orlov was going to for the hit on Ehlers, and resulted on a knee on knee collision that resulted in Ehlers being injured.
  • In my view after watching the play over, it is kneeing and the suspension was justified.

Washington’s Dmitry Orlov has been suspended for two games for Kneeing Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers. https://t.co/uAQe1uVhPO

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 19, 2022

Storylines

• Caps Finally Win in Overtime
  • The Caps finally won in overtime as Tom Wilson would strike 26 seconds into overtime to defeat Winnipeg, and then Nicklas Backstrom would strike against Ottawa to give the Caps their first two overtime victories of the season. Hopefully with these two victories the Caps have finally shaken their overtime woes.

• The Powerplay…
  • 30th in the NHL… 30th. Blaine Forsythe has got to go!

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, January 24th, 2022 – v. Vegas Golden Knights – 7p ET

TV: TVAS, NBCSWA, ATTSN-RM

Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 – v. San Jose Sharks – 7p ET

TV: NBCSCA, NBCSWA

Friday, January 28th, 2022 – @ Dallas Stars – 7p ET

TV: BSSW, NBCSWA

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of January 10th though 15th.

• Monday, January 10th, 2022 – Boston Bruins v. Washington Capitals
  • Back home for a cup of coffee the Capitals would look to get back to their winning ways as they host the Boston Bruins. In the first period the Caps would come out hot as Conor Sheary would strike three minutes into the game to give the Caps the 1-0 lead. Soon after the Caps would get their first powerplay opportunity, and while they would generate some scoring chances the Caps would not be able to capitalize on the extra man advantage. Shortly after the powerplay expired Conor Sheary would be the beneficiary of a bad pass by Matt Grzelcyk and Sheary would rip it top shelf to give the Caps the 2-0 lead. However, after the two goal lead was taken the Caps would get themselves into penalty trouble and put themselves down by two players. As a result the Bruins would strike as both David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand would score powerplay goals to tie the game at two.
  • In the second period the tide would swing in the Bruins way as Matt Gryzelcyk, Craig Smith, Pastrnak, and Erik Haula would score for the Bruins to take a commanding 6-2 lead. Alex Ovechkin would get the Caps back on the board as he would throw a pass into the slot that would hit off of TJ Oshie and into the net the cut their deficit to three.
  • Then in the third period Marchand would net his second of the game to give the Bruins the 7-4 victory over the Capitals. This would mark the fourth loss in a row for the Caps.
  • This game was a stinker for the Caps. They started off strong, but then the series of penalties at the end of the first period would throw the Caps game out of whack and hand the momentum over to the Bruins. Once the Caps gave up those powerplay goals the Bruins couldn’t be stopped. This is a game that’ll need to be forgotten and get back to the task of things and end their four game losing streak when they head to Long Island to take on the Islanders.

Final.#CapsBruins pic.twitter.com/kH6qI4YXf2

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 11, 2022

• Saturday, January 15th, 2021 – Washington Capitals v. New York Islanders
  • For the first time ever the Washington Capitals would take on the New York Islanders in the Isles new home of UBS Arena, and in the first period Tom Wilson would strike at 4:35 into the game to notch his 10th of the season to give the Caps the 1-0 lead. Later in the period the Caps would get the first powerplay of the game, but as per the script the Caps would not capitalize on the extra man advantage.
  • In the second period Trevor van Riemsdyk would get called for interference to give the Isles the powerplay opportunity, but the Caps would be up for the task and would kill the penalty. Later in the period the Caps would go back to the powerplay on a Anders Lee high sticking penalty, but the Caps still would not strike on the powerplay. Moments later Brett Leason would go to the box, but the Caps would kill the Isles powerplay opportunity.
  • Then in the third period Justin Schultz would go to the box for the Isles third powerplay of the game, but the Caps would go a perfect three for three on the penalty kill for the game. With eleven seconds left in the game Alex Ovechkin would hit the empty netter to give the Caps the 2-0 victory over the Isles.
  • A very tight defensive game between the two teams, but once Wilson got the first goal for the Caps they were able to clamp things down on the Isles. The powerplay was there, and the penalty kill was up to the task to keep the Isles off the board. Very happy to see Vitek Vanecek finally get his first shutout of the season. Long overdue.

VICTORYYYYYYY#CapsIsles | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/1az5a7jQLP

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 15, 2022

News and Notes

• Alex Ovechkin was named captain for the Metropolitan All Stars.

Alex Ovechkin has been named captain of the Metropolitan Division for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. It marks Ovechkin’s franchise-record 12th All-Star Game selection. He has been named captain of the Metro Division for five of the six All-Star Games since 2016. pic.twitter.com/PNSKea1fst

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 14, 2022

• Beginning Saturday, January 15th fans will need to provide Proof of Vaccination in order to enter Capital One Arena.

🚨Reminder to fans! Effective tomorrow, Jan. 15, in compliance with DC’s VaxDC policy, all guests aged 12 and older are required to show proof of vaccination to enter @CapitalOneArena

Download the free @Clear app now: https://t.co/2JrHIPPyTM
More info: https://t.co/fSakSJelkz pic.twitter.com/GMd9DBIE7z

— Monumental Sports & Entertainment (@MSE) January 14, 2022

Storylines

• The Powerplay…. You know what I’ve been saying.

Upcoming Schedule

Sunday, January 16th, 2022 – v. Vancouver Canucks – 2p ET

TV: TVAS, NBCSWA, SN

Tuesday, January 18th, 2022 – v. Winnipeg Jets – 7p ET

TV: TSN3, NBCSWA

Thursday, January 20th, 2022 – @ Boston Bruins – 7p ET

TV: ESPN+, Hulu, TVAS

Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 – v. Ottawa Senators – 7p ET

TV: SN1, NBCSWA

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, and Minnesota Wild. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of January 2nd though 8th.

• Sunday, January 2nd, 2022 – New Jersey Devils v. Washington Capitals
  • On Sunday the Caps would open up the week with their second matchup against the Devils, and in the first period the Caps would start off on the wrong foot as the Devils would strike twice in a 1:14 span near the midway point of the period. First Yegor Sharangovich would net his seventh of the season to give the Devils the 1-0 lead, then a 74 seconds later Damon Severson would score to grow the Devils lead to two. Late in the period Lars Eller and former Capital Jonas Siegenthaler would go to the box for slashing and tripping respectively to give us four on four hockey. While at four on four John Carlson would let one rip from the faceoff dot to get the Caps on the board and cut their deficit to one.
  • In the second period the Devils would build their lead 22 seconds into the period as Nico Hischier would notch his fifth of the season to give the Devils their two goal lead back. Shortly after the goal Nick Jensen would go to the box for holding giving the Devils their first powerplay of the game. The Capitals would be effective in killing the penalty, and then later in the period Nic Dowd would go to the box for roughing, but he would take PK Subban with him. However, Subban would get a double minor for roughing thus giving the Caps their first powerplay of the game… which they did nothing with.
  • Then in the third period Nic Dowd would strike to get the Caps back within one with a very pretty goal that showed off his hand eye coordination, and while celebrating Subban would cause a ruckus as he attempted to slewfoot Garnet Hathaway when he was driving to the net on the play. No penalty was called on Subban. Late in the period Conor Sheary would be the beneficiary of a beautiful Lars Eller pass, after McKenzie Blackwood would casually pass the puck away, and would bury home the puck to tie the game three and send the game to overtime.
  • In the extra frame Hischier would net his second of the game to give the Devils the 4-3 overtime victory over the Capitals. The Caps would net register a shot on goal in 2:56 of overtime that would be played.
  • This game was a very dull game to watch. In the second period alone the Caps were outshot 12 to 5 by the Devils. Good fight by the Caps in the third period to tie the game up and send the game to overtime. Caps just gotta figure out how to win in overtime again. They still haven’t won a game during the five minute 3v3 frame.

Close, but no cigar#CapsDevils pic.twitter.com/PnGPwwE0XS

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 2, 2022

• Tuesday, January 4th, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. Montreal Canadiens
  • Postponed due to Canadian Attendance Restrictions

Washington Capitals away game vs. the Montreal Canadiens (originally scheduled for January 4) will be postponed. https://t.co/jkzg2lPoKN

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 28, 2021

• Friday, January 7th, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. St. Louis Blues
  • For the first time since October 2019 the Washington Capitals would travel to St. Louis to take on the Blues for the first game of their mid-west back to back. In the first period it would be a fast start for both teams as the Caps would get the get the first couple of chances. The Blues would follow-up with some chances of their own, especially a chaotic one that saw Ilya Samsonov scrambling to keep the scoreless. Ville Husso would make a spectacular save on Brett Leason, but 2:02 into the game Daniel Sprong would snipe one top shelf to give the Caps the 1-0 lead. The Caps would keep up the pressure past the halfway point of the period, and were outshooting the Blues 10 to 3, but it would be Torey Krug would net his sixth of the season to tie the game at one for the Blues. As the period would wind down the Blues would go to the box with less than 30 seconds left in the period to give the Caps the game’s first powerplay.
  • The Capitals would open the second period with 93 seconds of powerplay time, but they would do nothing with it. No surprise there. Later in the period the Caps would go shorthanded, but they would kill off the Blues first powerplay of the game to keep the game tied at one. Then 9 minutes into the period Pavel Buchnevich would score on the Blues first shot of the period to give the Blues the 2-1 lead. With less than three minutes left Ilya Samsonov would kick out a juicy rebound and Oskar Sundqvist would pounce to give the Blues the two goal lead. Then with less than a second left in the period Ivan Barbashev would score to give the Blues a commanding 4-1 lead.
  • To start the third period the Caps would put Zach Fucale between the pipes ending Samsonov’s night. To open the period the Caps would get their second powerplay opportunity, but, as expected, they did nothing with the powerplay opportunity. Later the Blues would go on the powerplay after Nick Jensen would get called for holding, but the Caps would kill the penalty. With five minutes left in regulation the Caps would get another powerplay opportunity, and for some reason they would pull Fucale for the extra attacker, and it would bite them in the ass as Pavel Buchnevich would hit the empty netter for his second of the game to give the Blues the 5-1 victory over the Capitals.
  • Great first 10 minutes, awful final 50 minutes. Powerplay is still worthless.

Tonight's final score#CapsBlues pic.twitter.com/DLtpkdQeId

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 8, 2022

• Saturday, January 8th, 2022 – Washington Capitals v. Minnesota Wild
  • To close out the week the Capitals would head to Minnesota to face the Wild, and in the first period the first eight minutes would have a lot of back and forth between the two teams, and then Marco Rossi would go to the box for holding to give the Caps the first powerplay of the game. While on the powerplay the Caps would have good zone time for the first half of the powerplay, but overall they would do nothing with the extra man advantage. The Caps and Wild would continue to do a lot of back and forth, and then Nick Jensen would go to the box for high sticking to put the Wild on the powerplay.
  • To start the second period the Wild would have 50 seconds remaining on their powerplay, but the Caps would apply great pressure to kill the penalty, and then utilize that momentum they created from killing the penalty to generate scoring chances with Connor McMichael deflecting Nick Jenson’s point shot past Kaapo Kahkonen to give the Caps the 1-0 lead. Soon after the Caps would go back to the powerplay, and Evgeny Kuznetsov would unleash a bomb to grow the Caps lead to two. the Caps would only need four seconds of powerplay time to get the goal. The Caps would then be swarming in the Wild’s zone to give them their third powerplay of the game. With their third powerplay opportunity, the Caps would get some scoring chances, but they would not be able to capitalize on this one. As the period would continue so would the trips to the penalty box for the Wild as Mats Zuccarello would go to the box for tripping. They wouldn’t score on the powerplay, but they would gain another one, but but before they did the Caps did an own goal when they accidentally threw an errant pass that would go into their own net as the goalie was pulled for the extra attacker during the delayed penalty. And for the fourth time the Caps would not do anything with the powerplay.
  • Then in the third period it would be a very quiet period, but with 35 seconds left in regulation Mats Zuccarello would get one past Zach Fucale to tie the game at two and send the game to overtime. In the extra frame it would be a little aggravating to watch as the Caps had good control, but they didn’t pull the trigger. They had at least 3-4 solid chances that they passed on. In the shootout Kevin Fiala and Frederick Gaudreau would score for the Wild to take the 3-2 victory over the Capitals.

Final from Minny#CapsWild pic.twitter.com/o0wqkmqMCb

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 9, 2022

News and Notes

• No major news this week for the Capitals.

Storylines

• The powerplay is still a problem (1 for 9 for the week), and the Caps still can’t win in overtime. I’m not going to beat this dead horse even more than I have.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, January 10th, 2022 – v. Boston Bruins – 7p ET

TV: TVAS, NBCSWA, NESN

Saturday, January 15, 2022 – @ New York Islanders – 2p ET

TV: MSG+, NBCSWA

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Ottawa Senators (postponed), Nashville Predators, and Detroit Red Wings. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of December 27th though 31st.

• Monday, December 27th, 2021 – Ottawa Senators v. Washington Capitals
  • Postponed due to COVID-19

The Washington Capitals home game versus the Ottawa Senators (originally scheduled for Dec. 27) at Capital One Arena will be postponed. Further details regarding rescheduled games will be announced at a later date. pic.twitter.com/MoPsv6TlH8

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 25, 2021

• Wednesday, December 29th, 2021 – Nashville Predators v. Washington Capitals
  • After 10 days off the Capitals would return to the ice as they would host the Nashville Predators in their final home game of 2021. In the first period the Caps would strike fast as Lars Eller would be the beneficiary of a beautiful cross crease pass from John Carlson to take the 1-0 lead. The Caps would then get their first powerplay of the game as Michael McCarron would get called for interference, but the Caps would get probably only one really good shot on goal as the Preds would kill off the penalty. However, the Caps would strike once again as Carlson would let one rip from the top of the faceoff circles and top shelf to grow the Caps lead to two. The Caps would then go back on the powerplay due to a Ryan Johansen slash on the returning Michal Kempny, but once again the Caps would falter on the powerplay, but they would generate some better offensive zone pressure this time around. Shortly after the powerplay ended Carl Hagelin would feed Nic Dowd with a cross crease layup to give the Caps the 3-0 lead over the Preds. After the third goal we would see tempers flare up as Matt Benning of the Preds and the debuting Alex Alexeyev would both be called for roughing and Garnet Hathaway would be called for high sticking to give the Predators their first powerplay of the game.
  • Going in to the second period the Preds would continue their powerplay from the first period, but would be held off the board, however, after the powerplay expired Yakov Trenin would strike to get the Preds on the board. Tempers would still be flaring between the two teams as Tom Wilson and Mark Borowiecki would drop the gloves. Both men would get five minute majors for fighting and Borowiecki would get a two minute instigator and a 10 minute misconduct to put the Caps back on the powerplay, which they would fail to convert on yet again. After killing of the penalty the Predators would get two goals in the 35 seconds as Luke Kunin and Filip Forsberg would score to tie the game at three for the Predators. After Nashville tied the game it would continue to get physical as Dmitry Orlov and Ben Harpur would both get matching minors for roughing, and then later Matt Benning would put the Capitals back on the powerplay with a roughing penalty of his own. The Caps would not score on the powerplay.
  • In the third period The Caps and Preds would trade powerplay opportunities, but neither team would score, but on the second penalty kill for the Caps it would be Evgeny Kuznetsov with the great individual effort to score a piece of art top shelf goal to give the Capitals the 4-3 lead. Late in the period the Predators would pull the goaltender which would see Carl Hagelin get the empty netter to ice the game and give the Capitals the 5-3 victory over the Predators. However, before the victory would become official, fireworks would go off one last time which would see a pair of misconduct penalties be doled out.
  • Overall it is a good solid win for the Caps, and a great way to get back into the groove of things after a 10 day layoff due to COVID and the Holiday Break. First period was all Caps (pun intended), but the second period the Predators came alive. The third period you could tell both teams were more settled in. I liked the aggressiveness the Caps had, and it was a key factor to the game all night long.

𝐖ILD RIDE#CapsPreds | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/FP3TjafzII

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 30, 2021

• Friday, December 31st, 2021 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals
  • To close out the year 2021 the Capitals would head to Detroit to take on the Red Wings, and in the first period it was a lackluster effort from the Caps as they would be outshot 11 to 5 by the Wings, but would manage to escape the period still scoreless. Late in the period however, Dmitry Orlov would be called for tripping to put the Wings on the powerplay with 19 seconds left in the period.
  • Going into the second period the Wings would fail to convert on the powerplay, but after it ended Pius Suter would strike to give the Wings the 1-0 lead. After that goal the Caps would take over as they would register the next nine shots on goal. There would be a pair of powerplays traded amongst the two two teams, first for the Caps early in the period, but of course they did nothing with it, and then later in the period Tom Wilson would head to the box to give the Wings their second powerplay of the game, but they also would not capitalize on this one. With less than five minutes left in the period Evgeny Kuznetsov would score to tie the game at one, and Lucas Johansen would record his first career point in his NHL debut.
  • Then in the third period it would be a feisty period between the two teams as get more physical with the hits. The Wings would give the Caps two powerplays during the period, and on their second one of the period, and third of the game, Alex Ovechkin would pound one through Thomas Greiss to record his 275th career powerplay goal, after much debate and postgame video review, to give the Caps the 2-1 lead. Ovechkin would then get the empty netter to give him his second of the night, and the Capitals the 3-1 victory over the Red Wings.
  • Another good win for the Caps. Lucas Johansen, just like Alex Alexeyev the game before him, played solid in his NHL debut. The Caps powerplay almost went 0 for 3, but after review in Toronto it was declared that Ovechkin got the puck past Greiss with just enough time before the powerplay ended to pass Dave Andreychuk for first place in powerplay goals with 275. After Detroit scored in the opening minutes of the second period the Caps came alive and would outshoot the Wings 22 to 5, so it was good to see the Caps dominate the way they did. Powerplay still needs work, and the Caps need to get better in the faceoff circle. 35 percent is not going to cut it.

THAT'S HOW YOU END 2021#CapsWings | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/6nUcAB8t5v

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 1, 2022

News and Notes

• Two More Debuts!
  • Due to half of the Caps defensive core being placed into COVID-19 Protocols the Caps were forced to call up reinforcements, and this allowed for Alex Alexeyev (12/29 v. NAS) and Lucas Johansen (12/31 @ DET) to make their NHL debuts. In Alexeyev’s first game he would play 10:35 with one hit and a penalty. In Johansen’s debut he would log 12:18 in ice time and he would record an assist on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal for his first career NHL point.

• Ovi Climbs the Charts
  • Alex Ovechkin would net two more goals this week as he continues to chase Wayne Gretzky on the all time goal scoring list, but in the meantime he would takeover sole possession of first place as the League’s all time powerplay goal scorer with his 275th career powerplay goal.

THE GREATEST POWER PLAY GOAL SCORER OF ALL TIME!!!!!!! 🐐#ALLCAPS | @LeidosInc pic.twitter.com/8zOYV5tLBU

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 1, 2022

Storylines

• The Powerplay… Again!
  • Against Nashville the Caps were 0 for 6 for the second game in a row, and then they went 1 for 3, after video review postgame. The Caps went 1 for 9 for the week. That’s really bad, and once again Blaine Forsythe needs to be fired. I’m just going to keep saying it until it happens.

• Kempny’s Return!
  • While it may be brief due to defenseman being on the COVID Protocol list, we finally were able to see the return of Michal Kempny to the Capitals lineup, and first time since March 2020. Kempny was a solid presence on the defensive end, and showed great awareness and timing. Kempny would make great use of his stick to break up plays, and even create a beautiful outlet pass that would lead to the Nic Dowd goal, and giving Kempny an assist on the goal. We’ve missed Kempny on the Caps blueline, and seeing his progress since dealing with both leg injuries is very promising and will be a great addition to the lineup come the Playoffs.

https://t.co/VIrnw1Y3sR pic.twitter.com/MKOOGYf1Gr

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 30, 2021

Upcoming Schedule

Sunday, January 2nd, 2022 – v. New Jersey Devils – 3p ET

TV: TVAS, NBCSWA, MSG+

 

 

Tuesday, January 4th, 2022 – @ Montreal Canadiens – Postponed

TV: TSN2, NBCSWA, RDS

 

 

Friday, January 7th, 2022 – @ St. Louis Blues – 8p ET

TV: SNE, SNO, SNP, BSMW, NBCSWA

 

 

Saturday, January 8th, 2022 – @ Minnesota Wild – 8p ET

TV: BSN, NBCSWA

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers (postponed), and New York Islanders (postponed). Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of December 19th though 25th.

• Sunday, December 19th, 2021 – Los Angeles Kings v. Washington Capitals
  • At home for a cup of coffee, the Capitals would begin the week with a battle against the Los Angeles Kings, and in the first period the Caps would just dominate the period as they would outshoot the Kings 14-5, and it would be a great tic-tac-toe play between the debuting Herndon, VA native Joe Snively and fellow rookie Connor McMichael as they would pair up for the first goal of the game as McMichael would score to take the 1-0 lead. In the second period the Caps would be gifted with five powerplay opportunities and they wouldn’t do squat with any of them. After a four minute powerplay Justin Schultz would score to grow the Caps lead to two, but later on another Caps powerplay it would Blake Lizotte with a shorthanded tally to get eh Kings back within one. After 40 minutes of hockey both teams would combine for 9 (3 for LA and 6 for WAS) powerplays, and none of them would be scored on be either team. Theni n the third period Christian Wolanin would score his first of the season to tie the game at two, and then minutes later Adrian Kempe would get a very fluky goal that was a very unfortunate break for Vitek Vanecek to give the Kings the 3-2 lead. Can’t fault that one on Vanecek as the defender let Kempe come in cleanly, and then the puck took a really weird bounce that just I can’t explain because just seeing it was hard to believe it actually happened. Just a very lucky bounce and break for the Kings as they would go one to take the 3-2 victory over the Capitals.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch#CapsKings pic.twitter.com/F0ImAvXbvw

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 20, 2021

• Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 – Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers
  • Postponed due to COVID-19

The @NHL announced today that due to COVID-related issues affecting the Washington Capitals, tonight’s game at the Philadelphia Flyers has been postponed.

A make-up date for the game has yet to be established. pic.twitter.com/jbuKyhWsrm

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2021

• Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 – Washington Capitals v. New York Islanders
  • Postponed due to COVID-19

– Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, December 21 will remain as scheduled.

– Washington Capitals at New York Islanders on Thursday, December 23 has been postponed. https://t.co/kF8PR9VCHY

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2021

News and Notes

• Due to COVID the Caps week was cut short as they only played one of their three scheduled games, and their first game coming back from the Holiday break has already been postponed… so far.

Storylines

• The storyline for the lone game of the week was the Capitals non-existent powerplay. The Caps had six powerplays against the Kings, and five of them were in the second period. It was outright pathetic with how uninspired their powerplay performed and there is definite changes that need to be made and it starts at the top with Blaine Forsythe needing be relieved of his duties and putting a fresh new voice and vision in charge of the Caps powerplay. Forsythe has been with the team for 16 seasons and 13 behind the bench and has somehow survived through multiple coaching changes. It’s just time to finally move on from Forsythe and shake things up for the Caps powerplay.

Upcoming Schedule

Monday, December 27th, 2021 – v. Ottawa Senators – PPD

TV: SN1, NBCSWA, RDS

 

Wednesday, December 29th, 2021 – v. Nashville Predators – 7p ET

TV: NBCSWA, BSSO

 

Friday, December 31st, 2021 – @ Detroit Red Wings – 730p ET

TV: NBCSWA, BSDET

Welcome to the Capitals Weekly as we look back at the past week for the Washington Capitals as they took on the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. Plus we take a look at news and storylines that took place during the week of December 5th though 11th.

• Monday, December 5th, 2021 – Anaheim Ducks v. Washington Capitals
  • At home for their matchup against the Ducks, the Caps look to avenge their overtime loss from three weeks ago against the youthful team from Anaheim. In the first period Tom Wilson would net his 100th career NHL goal to get the scoring started for the Caps. However, going into the second period the Ducks would strike nine seconds into the period to tie the game at one. Then Carl Hagelin would finally score for his first of the season, but it would be spoiled by back to back goals from Sonny Milano and Vinni Lettieri to give the Ducks their first lead of the game. With 21 seconds left in the second period John Carlson would strike to tie the game at three for the Caps. After a scoreless third period and a scoreless extra five minutes of hockey would force the shootout, and it would be Carlson again to give the Caps the 4-3 victory over the Ducks, and their first overtime/shootout victory of the season.

• • While the highlights of the game was Wilson’s 100th, Hagelin’s first of the season, and Carlson giving the Caps their first victory in overtime/shootout, it’s a lot of the more noticeable things that caught my attention. For one, the Caps were having difficulty containing the Ducks speed. The Ducks were able to generate a lot of really solid possession time as a result of their youth utilizing their speed to make the Caps defense struggle. Also defensively for both teams, they both struggled around their own net. All six goals scored were in the slot area which showed that neither team was truly defensively sound as they couldn’t keep players out of the high danger zones. Also overtime itself just sucked. Both teams looked like they weren’t really tying with the exception of Alex Ovechkin’s drive late in the overtime period. Getting the win in the shootout was huge for the Caps, but they need to win during the 3v3 overtime period too, and that they still have yet to do.

SHOOTOUT VICTORY#CapsDucks | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/M7i5pGkPKX

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 7, 2021

• Friday, December 10th, 2021 – Pittsburgh Penguins v. Washington Capitals
  • Going into their Friday night tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Caps were on a two game winning streak, and to start the game the Caps felt a little flat. Late in the period Danton Heinen would score to give the Pens the 1-0 lead. The Caps would be outshot 11-6 by the Pens in the period. In the second period Brock McGinn and Kasperi Kapanen would score to give the Pens the 3-0 lead, that wouldn’t be the only story to the period as McGinn would hit Caps defenseman Martin Fehervary in the head and would knock him out of the game, which would not see a penalty called or any supplemental discipline after the game, and late in the period Marcus Petterson would do a dangerous trip on Tom Wilson which would send him falling into Tristan Jarry and crash into the net and take him out for the rest of the game as well. While Petterson would get called for tripping, it would be for an earlier trip that he was already going to get called for, and he also would not see any discipline after the game either. Then in the third period the Caps would start the period with a full two minute powerplay as Jeff Carter would be called for hooking after the second period had ended, but the Caps would not do much with their powerplay opportunity. However, later in the third Evgeny Kuznetsov would get one past Jarry to give the Caps life, and then Lars Eller would score a beauty to get the Caps within one, but Carter would get the empty netter to give the Penguins the 4-2 victory over the Capitals.

Eller Goal!!! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/mUHsEnbDep

— Xperience Hockey (@TXHT_Hockey) December 11, 2021

• In all honesty, and I’m saying this as someone who was watching this game live in person, it felt like the Caps were missing some of their luster. For a game against a rival the Caps looked like they weren’t playing to their full potential. The Pens were more physical, and they did an amazing job taking away passing lanes and making difficult to get into their zone. While the Caps came alive in the third period, it felt too little too late for them.

Battled to the end#CapsPens pic.twitter.com/nBv3vZCLms

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 11, 2021

• Saturday, December 11th, 2021 – Washington Capitals v. Buffalo Sabres
  • Coming off a tough loss to their rival Penguins, the Caps head up to Buffalo to take on the Sabres. In the first period the Caps would start strong as Lars Eller would strike to give the Caps the early 1-0 lead, but Vinnie Hinostroza would tally to tie the game at one for the Sabres. The Caps would continue to struggle in the second period as the Sabres would get the better of the chances starting with a shot off the post that would hit off of Vitek Vanecek and just trickle wide of the net which would be followed up with Will Butcher’s first of the season to give the Sabres the 2-1 lead. Then in the third period Martin Fehervary would rip a bullet to get the Caps back on the board as he would tie the game, and send it to overtime. Overtime felt like a waste. Alex Ovechkin had a great highlight reel moment but couldn’t seal the deal. Then in the shootout TJ Oshie would clinch the victory over the Sabres as the Caps would take the 3-2 win.

• The Caps went into the game with a great start as they would strike first, but then after the midway point of the first period Buffalo would take over and control the play over the Caps. That would continue until the third period when Martin Fehervary would strike to tie the game at two to force overtime. The powerplay was abysmal once again. One has to wonder how much longer Blaine Forsythe will have a job given how he hasn’t made any true attempts to change up the powerplay. Good the Caps go the win, but they need to fix a few things.

TWO POINTS POSTED#CapsSabres | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/uIPoNC2TzK

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 12, 2021

News and Notes

• Tom Wilson became day to day with an upper body injury that he suffered on Friday night against the Penguins.

Storylines

• The powerplay struggles once again, and Blaine Forsythe still hasn’t done anything of note to changes things up. The Caps need to make changes to the powerplay system as all of the teams know what the Caps are trying to do, and can easily defend it. While people will argue that due to players out because of injuries and COVID that it’s affected the powerplay, and it has, but at the same time you need to make changes to accommodate the fact that you’re missing guys and to make things less predictable.

Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 – @ Chicago Blackhawks – 8p ET

TV: SN, TVAS, NBCSCH, NBCSWA

Friday, December 17th, 2021 – @ Winnipeg Jets – 8p ET

TV: TSN3, NBCSWA