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
Suffice to say, nothing went according to script for the Washington Capitals in their playoff opener Thursday.
The team with the most points in the regular season found themselves scrambling all night about the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadians. And the scrambling wasn’t enough. Tomas Plekanec netted the game winner with 6:41 left in the first overtime, and the Caps found themselves on the losing end of a shocking 3-2 decision in their opening game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
It was, to be blunt, a shocking night at the Verizon Center. The Caps were nowhere near as crisp as they were during the second half of the regular season, when they ran away from the rest of the field to salt away the Presidents Trophy and earn the top seed in the East.
Joe Corvo and Nicklas Backstrom scored goals for Washington. Jose Theodore made 45 saves. But Washington went 0-for-4 on the power play. Even more shocking: superstar scorer Alexander Ovechkin didn’t tally a shot, let alone a point, in this one.
Washington now faces a critical Game 2 at home Saturday night before the series shifts to Montreal next week.
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Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 9:43 pm by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Joe Corvo, Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadians, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Tomas Plekanec, 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
Ten consecutive victories, tying a franchise record. A new standard for most wins in a month. Victories in 12 of their past 13 games.
It was quite a month for the Washington Capitals, who started January looking for their rhythm and ended the month atop the Eastern Conference.
Alex Ovechkin snapped through the go-ahead goal with 6:26 left, and the Caps held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay at the Verizon Center, extending their winning streak to a club record-tying 10 games.
The win caps a month during which the Caps won 13 times, setting a new franchise record. Washington sits in first place in the East, eight points ahead of New Jersey, and only one point behind San Jose for the most points in the NHL.
Nicklas Backstrom opened the scoring with a power play goal 57 seconds into the second period. Brooks Laich lit the lamp at the 12:56 mark, making it 2-0.
Tampa tied the game with two goals in a 2:45 stretch of the third period. But Ovechkin broke the tie with 6:26 to go.
Washington, which plays five of its last seven before the Olympic break on the road, travels to Boston on Tuesday.
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Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 5:14 pm by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Boston Bruins, Brooks Laich, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nicklas Backstrom, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
Perhaps the Washington Capitals should leave all their calendars on January when the month ends, because they’ve been just about unstoppable this month.
The Eastern Conference leaders continued their dominant month Friday night. Mike Knuble scored twice, and Knuble and Nicklas Backstrom both finished with three points as the Caps extended their win streak to nine games, downing Florida 4-1 at Verizon Center.
Washington, which also got a goal from Jeff Schultz and 35 saves from Michal Neuvirth, is one win away from tying the franchise record for longest winning streak. The Caps go for 10 in a row Sunday at home against Tampa Bay.
The Caps lead the East by six points over New Jersey and seven over Buffalo. Washington moves into a tie for second in the NHL with Chicago at 78 points, one behind San Jose.
Backstrom scored first for Washington at 7:26 of the first. Neuvirth allowed a goal early in the second, but the high-flying Caps offense only needed 25 seconds for Knuble to give Washington the lead for keeps. Schulz and Knuble scored in the third.
Washington tied a franchise record for most wins in a month, improving to 12-2 in January and winning for the 11th time in 12 contests. The Caps last won 12 games in a month in December 1984.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 10:46 am by bud
Tags: Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Jeff Schultz, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, New Jersey Devils, Nicklas Backstrom, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Verizon Center, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
A rocky beginning turned into a satisfying night for the Washington Capitals.
After allowing three goals in the first 30 minutes against fellow Eastern Conference power Pittsburgh, Jose Theodore slammed the door shut the rest of the way. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, and Tomas Fleischmann’s breakaway goal early in the third period propelled the Caps to a 6-3 victory.
The victory pushes Washington’s win streak to five games, and keeps the Caps entrenched atop the East standings. Washington, with 70 points, leads Buffalo by three points.
Theodore made 35 saves, scrambling to keep the Caps in it during the first period and a half. But the Caps, who got early goals from Mike Knuble and Eric Fehr, pulled away in the third period.
Ovechkin tied the game at 3-3 with a power-play goal at the 16:25 mark of the second. Fleischmann then gave Washington the lead for keeps 2:32 into the third, and Nicklas Backstrom followed 53 seconds later with a power-play goal to make it 5-3.
Ovechkin closed the scoring with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Washington, which lost to the Penguins in seven games during last spring’s playoffs, won in the first meeting of the season between two of the Eastern Conference’s top powers.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 10:05 pm by bud
Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Buffalo Sabres, Eric Fehr, Jose Theodore, Mike Knuble, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tomas Fleischmann, Washington Capitals
By Bud L. Ellis
At this stage of the season, only three teams in the National Hockey League have more wins than the Washington Capitals.
The way things are going, the Caps could be among another group of four come late spring.
Jose Theodore stopped 44 of 46 shots, and David Steckel’s goal with 5:59 left capped a quick comeback as the Caps beat Detroit 3-2 on Tuesday, Washington’s 31st win of the season.
Only Chicago (34), San Jose (33) and New Jersey (32) have more victories than the Caps, who moved ahead of Buffalo and back into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with the victory. Buffalo lost later Tuesday at Anaheim, 5-4.
Down 2-1, the Caps used two goals in a 46-second span of the third period to take control against the Wings. Nicklas Backstrom converted on the power play with 6:45 remaining to tie the game at 2-2. Steckelthen flicked home the go-ahead goal off a rebound with 5:59 left.
All of that was plenty for Theodore, who was sharp in making his third consecutive start for the first time in three months. Even without Alexander Ovechkin recording a shot — the first time that’s happened to the star in his NHL career — the Caps still had enough on this night.
The victory extends Washington’s win streak to four games, and gives the Caps a 7-3 mark in their past 10 contests.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 5:05 am by bud
Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Buffalo Sabres, David Steckel, Detroit Red Wings, Jose Theodore, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
