Washington Capitals Hockey Schedule
Wednesday
9/22/2010
7:00 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals PRE
Saturday
9/25/2010
7:00 PM
Nashville Predators vs Washington Capitals PRE
Tuesday
9/28/2010
7:00 PM
Washington Capitals vs Boston Bruins PRE
NEWS
By Bud L. Ellis
The bad news Saturday night: The Washington Capitals lost their third consecutive game.
The good news: The Caps earned two points in the three losses, and wrap up the pre-Olympic part of the schedule atop the NHL in points.
Washington fell at St. Louis 4-3 in a shootout Saturday, ending the first half (actually the first three-fourths) of the season at 41-13-8. Driven by a 14-game winning streak that set a franchise record and was the third-longest in NHL history, the Caps now sit in first place in the race for the President’s Trophy, leading San Jose by one point (90-89).
In the Eastern Conference standings, Washington holds a comfy 13-point lead over New Jersey. The Southeast Division title is all but wrapped up at this point, Washington leading Tampa Bay by 27 points.
Saturday’s loss came after the Caps fought back from a one-goal deficit three different times. Mike Knuble made it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 10:40 of the first period. Alexander Semin tied the game at 2-2 on a goal at 13:26 of the second.
St. Louis took the lead just two minutes later, but Knuble’s second power-play goal of the game at 17:43 of the second tied the score at 3-3.
Washington opens the post-Olympic part of the schedule at Buffalo on March 3.
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Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 11:01 am by bud
Tags: Alexander Semin, Buffalo Sabres, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Fourteen games in a row chalked up in the win column. Now, the Washington Capitals head north of the border for a chance to continue their epic winning streak.
But doing so won’t be easy, not with back-to-back contests awaiting them Wednesday and Thursday.
Winners of a franchise-record 14 games in a row, the Caps take on Montreal on Wednesday, opening up a stretch of three road games entering the Olympic Break. After facing the Canadians, Washington travels to Ottawa on Thursday to face a Senators’ squad that just saw an 11-game win streak snap. Saturday, the Caps end the pre-Olympic schedule with a trip to St. Louis.
Washington, coming off a thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday, hasn’t lost since falling Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay. A week before, the Caps downed Montreal 4-2 on Jan. 5. Starting with that victory, Washington has won 17 of its past 18 games.
The Caps lead New Jersey by 14 points in the Eastern Conference standings.
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 5:50 am by bud
Tags: Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
A national TV audience. A snowed-in city. A historic win streak on the line. A bitter rival on the opposite bench.
This made-for-fairy-tale scenario played itself out at the Verizon Center on Sunday. And, just as things have transpired for nearly a month now, the Washington Capitals ended up on top.
Mike Knuble banged home a rebound 2:49 into overtime, capping a furious comeback and launching the Caps past the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4, extending Washington’s franchise-record winning streak to 14 games.
The Caps, who extended their lead in the Eastern Conference over New Jersey to 14 points, are one win away from matching the 1981-82 New York Islanders for the second-longest win streak in NHL history at 15 games. Washington plays Wednesday at Montreal.
The 1992-93 Penguins own the longest win streak in league history, at 17 games. Sunday, it appeared the franchise would hand Washington its first loss since Jan. 12. Sidney Crosby scored twice in the first period, and after Alex Ovechkin brought the Caps to within 2-1, Jordan Staal scored two goals to make it 4-1 with seven minutes left in the second.
But Washington chipped away. Eric Fehr scored to make it 4-2 with 2:48 left in the second. Ovechkin netted his second of the game at 6:51 of the third to bring Washington within 4-3. Ovechkin then capped his hat trick at 11:06 in the third, tying the game at 4-4.
In overtime, a penalty on Pittsburgh gave the Caps a power play. Ovechkin hit the post with a shot, but Knuble poked home the rebound, sending the crowd at Verizon Center – which had navigated through two feet of snow to make it to the game – into bedlam.
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 3:33 pm by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Eric Fehr, Jordan Staal, Mike Knuble, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
No. 13 wasn’t about luck. It was about a team that right now is playing at a level the NHL hasn’t seen in years.
The Washington Capitals pushed their franchise-record winning streak to 13 on Friday night. Down early 1-0 against the Atlanta Thrashers inside Verizon Center, while a blizzard raged outside, the Caps fired up their unstoppable offense and pulled away for a 5-2 victory.
Washington leads New Jersey by 12 points in the Eastern Conference standings, improving to 40-12-6 on the season. The Caps’ 86 points leads San Jose by three in the race for the Presidents’ Cup.
As usual, it was the Washington offense that sparked the Caps. Alex Ovechkin knotted the game at 1-1 at the 13:41 mark of the first period. Nicklas Backstrom gave the Caps the lead for keeps in the second, scoring at the 4:31 mark.
Up 2-1 entering the third, the Caps put it away with two goals in a 68-second span. Alexander Semin scored on a two-on-one, off a pretty feed from Brooks Laich, and Jason Chimera scored on a three-on-one. Mike Green, back after a three-game suspension, closed the scoring with an empty-netter.
Atlanta, which dealt star winger Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey the day before, came out with plenty of jump. The Thrashers, fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the East, peppered goalie Michal Neuvirth all night. Neuvirth, who was recalled from Hershey earlier in the day, made 43 saves.
The Caps’ streak is the longest in the NHL since New Jersey won 13 in a row in the 2000-01 season. Should the Caps win Sunday at home against Pittsburgh, they would own the longest streak in the league since the 1992-93 Penguins won 17 in a row.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 7:42 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Atlanta Thrashers, Brooks Laich, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Chimera, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Green, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nicklas Backstrom, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Throughout their franchise-record win streak, the Washington Capitals have overwhelmed the opposition with offense by the bucketload.
To earn consecutive victory No. 12 on Thursday, the Caps needed every tally they could get. Rallying twice at Madison Square Garden, Washington pushed its win streak to an even dozen, charging back from a 5-3 deficit late in the second period to down the New York Rangers, 6-5.
Nicklas Backstrom finished with five points, scoring on the power play at the 5:34 mark of the third period to give Washington (39-12-6, 84 points) the lead for keeps. The Caps extend their Eastern Conference lead over New Jersey to 12 points. Their win streak is the longest in the NHL since New Jersey won 13 in a row in 2000-01.
Washington goes for lucky No. 13 on Friday at home against Atlanta, which traded star winger Ilya Kovalchuk to the Devils Thursday evening.
While the Devils were bolstering their offense with the addition of Kovalchuk, the Caps were trading goals with the Rangers. Boyd Gordon scored for Washington in the first to tie the game at 1-1. Down 2-1 after a period, the Caps drew even on Mike Knuble’s goal at 4:41 of the second. Alex Ovechkin scored his first of two goals on the power play at 7:16, but three New York goals in a 6:29 span pushed the Rangers’ lead to 5-3 late in the second.
Ovechkin, who reached the 500-point career mark in the game, then started the rally, scoring with 8.5 seconds left in the second to bring the Caps within 5-4. Washington needed just 59 seconds of the third to tie the game, Tom Poti scoring on the power play. Backstrom, who assisted on four of Washington’s first five goals, netted the go-ahead score on the power play at the 5:34 mark of the third.
Jose Theodore, shaky in the first two periods, made the lead stand up from there. He finished with 33 saves, six coming in the final period.
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Friday, February 5, 2010 at 5:35 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Atlanta Thrashers, Boyd Gordon, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jose Theodore, Madison Square Garden, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Poti, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
An even dozen. That’s what the Washington Capitals are aiming for Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
Winners of a franchise-record 11 consecutive games, the Eastern Conference leaders look to continue their torrid stretch against a New York Rangers’ team that’s dropped seven of its past 10.
The winning streak has vaulted Washington from the middle of the pack in the East past everybody else, including the teams in the Western Conference. The Caps lead San Jose by one point (82-81) in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy. During the streak, the Caps have outscored the opposition 51-22.
The top line for Washington has been tops during the streak. Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble have combined for 14 goals in 20 assists during the past 11 games. Ovechkin and Knuble each scored during Washington’s 4-1 win Tuesday at Boston.
The last time the Caps lost a game? Jan. 12, when Washington fell 7-4 at Tampa Bay. Going back to a 4-2 win over Montreal on Jan. 5, the Caps have won 14 of their past 15.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 5:18 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Boston Bruins, Mike Knuble, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, Nicklas Backstrom, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Make it 11 in a row and still counting for the Washington Capitals.
The hottest team in the NHL, which set a franchise record for most wins in a month in January, opened February by setting a club mark for longest win streak. Brooks Laich scored the game-tying goal early in the third period, and Washington took off from there, handing Boston a 4-1 loss on Tuesday.
Washington now has won 11 games in a row, a new franchise mark and the longest in the NHL since San Jose turned the trick two years ago. The Caps moved past San Jose and now lead the NHL in points with 82, and extended their advantage over New Jersey in the Eastern Conference standings to 10 points.
Jose Theodore returned between the pipes and allowed an early goal, but nothing else in making 41 saves. The Caps’ offense, leaders in the NHL in goals scored, took it from there.
Mike Knuble’s goal at 2:04 of the second period knotted the score at 1-1. Laich then broke the tie 5:04 into the third, off a feed from Alexander Semin. Boyd Gordon and Alex Ovechkin closed the scoring.
Washington plays Thursday at the New York Rangers.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 5:05 am by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Boston Bruins, Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Jose Theodore, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals
