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Category: Washington Capitals

  • November 11th, 2018 — Arizona Coyotes at Washington Capitals Full Gameday Preview and Coverage

    November 11th, 2018 — Arizona Coyotes at Washington Capitals Full Gameday Preview and Coverage

     

    Washington Capitals (7-5-3 17 pts) v. Arizona Coyotes (7-7-1 17 pts)

    Time: 5p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Preview:

    In the first match-up between the two clubs this season, Washington looks to bounce back after the 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night.  Arizona looks to get back in the win column after their 4-0 loss last night to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Arizona has scored nine shorthanded goals thus far on the season and Washington looks to stop the Coyotes from making it ten shorthanded goals on the contest.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

    Chandler Stephenson — Nicklas Backstrom — Jakub Vrana

    Brett Connolly — Lars Eller — DeVante Smith-Pelly

    Andre Burakovsky — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    Dmitry Orlov — John Carlson

    Michal Kempny — Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

     

    Scratched: Dmitrij Jaskin, Jonas Siegenthaler, Aaron Ness

    Injured: Brooks Orpik (LTIR)

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Be consistent on the defensive side of the puck

     

    2. Keep your feet moving

     

    3. Stay more consistent on the penalty-kill

     

     

    Arizona Coyotes:

    Projected Lineup:

    Richard Panik — Alex Galchenyuk — Christian Fischer

    Brendan Perlini — Derek Stepan — Clayton Keller

    Michael Grabner — Brad Richardson — Vinnie Hinostroza

    Nick Cousins — Dylan Strome — Josh Archibald

    Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Jason Demers

    Jordan Oesterle — Niklas Hjalmarsson

    Kevin Connauton — Ilya Lyubushkin

    Darcy Kuemper

    Hunter Miska

    Scratched: Lawson Crouse, Alex Goligoski, Dakota Mermis

    Injured: Jakob Chychrun, Christian Dvorak, Antti Raanta

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Get a good start

    2. Shoot the puck toward the net as much as possible.

     

     

    First Period:

    Washington Penalty — Dmitry Orlov for Hooking — 2 min minor — 1:15

    Washington Penalty — Matt Niskanen for Tripping — 2 min minor — 15:00

    Arizona PPG — Vinnie Hinostroza (4) from Dylan Strome (2) and Richard Panik (2)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       ARI – 1

    Shots              10                12

    Faceoffs         12               10

    Hits               09                06

    PP                 0/0                 1/2

     

    Analysis:  The Capitals would not put enough pressure on the defensive side throughout all 20 minutes.  Both teams would shoot the puck well and good saves were being made with a lot of traffic at the net.

     

     

    Need to Do:  The Capitals need to play a full 20 minute period of all around great hockey.  The Capitals also need to create havoc around the net and take advantage of any and all opportunities to get any goals that they can get.

     

     

    Second Period:

    Arizona Penalty — Brendan Perlini for Hooking — 2 min minor — 4:43

    Arizona Goal — Richard Panik (4) unassisted — 11:57

    Washington Goal — Nicklas Backstrom (4) from Alex Ovechkin (7) and Madison Bowey (1) — 12:41

    Washington Penalty — Evgeny Kuznetsov for High-sticking — 2 min minor — 13:22

    Arizona PPG — Alex Galchenyuk (3) from Brendan Perlini (3) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (9) — 14:38

    Arizona Penalty — Dylan Strome for High-sticking — 2 min minor — 15:34

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 1       ARI – 3

    Shots               26                 17

    Faceoffs          22                 20

    Hits                 16                  12

    PP                   0/2                  2/3

     

    Analysis:  The Capitals did not play a smart second half in the second period.  The Capitals allowed a goal by not focusing and they were not playing smart on the defensive side of the puck.

     

    Need to Do: The Capitals need to once again create more havoc around the net.  The defence is not up to par and the Capitals need to maintain focus and play their game and not get called for penalties.  Instead, the Capitals need to draw penalties and get on the power-play.

    If the Capitals want to win this game, the next 20 minutes must be smart hockey and attack the net and take advantage of any turnovers they get.

     

    Third Period:

    Washington Penalty — T.J. Oshie for High-sticking — 4 min double minor — :58

    Arizona  EN Goal — Derek Stepan (4) from Alex Galchenyuk (5) and Clayton Keller (7) — 18:28

    Washington Penalty — Nicklas Backstrom for Tripping — 2 min minor — 19: 10

    End of 3rd – WAS – 1         ARI – 4

    Shots              39                 22

    Faceoffs        32                   30

    Hits               20                    19

    PP                 0/2                   2/6

     

    Analysis: This was a very sloppy contest for the Washington Capitals.  A lot of opportunities were missed in this contest.  There were too many sloppy passes and despite having a lot of shots on goal, only one was able to find the back of the net.  The Capitals need to figure out how to make cleaner chances and not take as many penalties.

    This was unacceptable play overall and the consistency was not where it needs to be.  The Capitals need to figure out what the issues are quick.

    Washington starts a very tough road trip on Tuesday night when they travel to St. Paul, Minnesota to take on the Minnesota Wild.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (7-6-3 17 pts) at Minnesota  (11-4-2 24 pts)

    Arizona  (10-6-1 21 pts) at  Detroit (7-8-2 16 pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • November 10th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Saturday, November 10th, 2018, and these are your news and notes

    There were six contests last night.

     

    TORONTO 6, New Jersey 1

    In the annual Hockey Hall of Fame game, the Toronto Maple Leafs would go on to rout the New Jersey Devils 6-1, thanks to a four-goal burst in the second period.

    Toronto’s Patrick Marleau would record his 600th career assist and Morgan Rielly would be the sixth defenceman in team history to have at least seven goals in the team’s first 16 games.

    TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor Steve Gardiner has his recap of the contest at the following page.

    New Jersey @ Toronto – 09/11/2018 – Game Preview and Recap
    Columbus 2, WASHINGTON 1

    This contest featured a re-match of last year’s Eastern Conference First Round match-up between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals.

    The three goals scored in this contest were all power-play goals, with the final goal being scored by Anthony Duclair, his seventh of the season.  With Duclair’s goal, he became the fourth player in franchise history to have seven goals in 16 games played.

    November 9th, 2018 — Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals Full Gameday Preview and Coverage
    DETROIT 3, NY Rangers 2 (OT)

    The Detroit Red Wings won their fifth contest in six games after being down by two going into the third period.

    Dylan Larkin would score the game-winner with five seconds left in the overtime frame.


    ST. LOUIS 4, San Jose 0

    Ryan O’Reilly is the first player in St. Louis history to have a nine game point streak since the 2014-15 season when David Backes and Alexander Steen accomplished the same feat.


    WINNIPEG 5, Colorado 2

    Blake Wheeler had a five point contest in the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.


    Minnesota 5, ANAHEIM 1

    The Minnesota Wild would win their fourth contest on their current road trip for the third time in franchise history as they would defeat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1.

    There are 11 contests on today’s slate…

    This week’s NHL European Game of the Week:

     

    In NHL news…

    The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2018 participated in the ceremonial puck drop before the contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils.

    -In the Washington Capitals Hockey Fight Cancer Awareness night, Capitals commentator, Craig Laughlin and his wife, Linda, participated in the ceremonial puck-drop.

     

  • November 9th, 2018 — Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals Full Gameday Preview and Coverage

    November 9th, 2018 — Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals Full Gameday Preview and Coverage

    Washington Capitals (7-4-3 17pts) v. Columbus Blue Jackets (8-6-1 17pts)

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Preview:

    In the first match-up between the two clubs this season, Washington looks to have their first three game win streak of the season.  In the last nine games for Columbus, the Blue Jackets are 4-4-1.

    Washington will be without the services of John Carlson tonight and in his place is Jonas Siegenthaler, who was recalled from the Hershey Bears earlier today.

    Columbus’ Cam Atkinson looks to get back on the scoring sheet with no points in the last five contests.

     

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Dmitrij Jaskin

    Chandler Stephenson — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Travis Boyd — DeVante Smith-Pelly

    Michal Kempny — Matt Niskanen

    Dmitry Orlov — Christian Djoos

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

     

    Scratched: Nic Dowd, Aaron Ness

    Injured: John Carlson (day-to-day), Brooks Orpik (LTIR)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Be consistent in the faceoff circle

     

     

    2. Keep your feet moving

     

     

    Columbus Blue Jackets:

    Projected Lineup:

    Artemi Panarin — Pierre-Luc DuBois — Cam Atkinson

    Nick Foligno — Boone Jenner — Josh Anderson

    Lukas Sedlak — Alexander Wennberg — Anthony Duclair

    Markus Hannikainen — Brandon Dubinsky — Riley Nash

    Ryan Murray — Seth Jones

    Markus Nutivaara — David Savard

    Zach Werenski — Scott Harrington

    Sergei Bobrovsky

    Joonas Korpisalo

    Scratched: Adam Clendening, Cam Atkinson, Dean Kukan

    Injured: None

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Get a good start

     

     

    First Period:

    Columbus Penalty — Josh Anderson for Cross-checking — 2 min minor — 4:46

    Washington Penalty — Evgeny Kuznetsov for Interference — 2 min minor — 15:28

    Columbus PPG — Oliver Bjorkstrand (2) from Nick Foligno (5) and Alexander Wennberg (8)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       CLB – 1

    Shots              15                09

    Faceoffs         12               13

    Hits               03                  12

    PP                 0/1                 1/1

     

    Analysis:  The Washington Capitals came out shooting pretty well but started to fall midway through the first period.  Faceoffs throughout the contest have been virtually even and the Capitals need to continue playing their game in shooting the puck.

     

     

    Need to Do:  Much like in the previous contest, the Capitals have to play more physically.  The Blue Jackets are dominating the Capitals when it comes to the hits.  In addition, the Capitals need to do a better job of hitting the net.  There were several missed opportunities to get goals.

     

     

    Second Period:

    Columbus Penalty — Alexander Wennberg for Hooking — 2 min minor — 6:51

    Washington PPG — Matt Niskanen (3) from Nicklas Backstrom (15) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (14) — 7:53

    Columbus Penalty — David Savard for Holding — 2 min minor — 11:08

    Washington Penalty — Michal Kempny for Holding — 2 min minor — 18:13

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 1        CLB – 1

    Shots               25                 25

    Faceoffs          25                 21

    Hits                 10                  20

    PP                   1/3                  1/2*   :13 left in current power play

     

    Analysis:  The Power-play units have been very effective.  In the face-off circle, the Capitals were better and both teams continue to shoot the puck very well.

     

    Need to Do:  The Capitals must get better on the physicality.  Columbus is all over the Capitals on this aspect.  In the last 20 minutes, the Capitals need to attack the net to make Bobrovsky uncomfortable and take advantage of any open net chances that happen.

     

     

    Third Period:

    Washington Penalty — Dmitry Orlov for Roughing — 2 min minor — 4:04

    Columbus PPG — Anthony DuClair (7) from Artemi Panarin (12) and Zach Werenski (8)  —  5:09

    Columbus Penalty — Pierre-Luc Dubois for Holding the Stick — 2 min minor — 13:00

    Columbus Penalty — David Savard for Hooking — 2 min minor — 19:17

    End of 3rd – WAS – 1         CLB – 2

    Shots              34                   36

    Faceoffs        32                    29

    Hits               19                     24

    PP                 1/5                    2/3

     

    Analysis:  The Capitals fizzled out when it came to attacking the net until the last five minutes of the contest.  The Capitals physicality did not come out until the third period but still was not enough.

    The Capitals did not take enough shots on the power-play and must shoot the puck when it comes to the power-plays.

    In the faceoff circle, both teams were fairly even throughout the contest.  Both teams were also fairly even in shots on goal overall.

    Washington will look to fix some of these issues when they take on the Arizona Coyotes Sunday at 5 p.m., ET.

     

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (7-5-3 17 pts) vs. Arizona (7-6-1 15 pts)

    Columbus (9-6-1 19 pts) vs. New York Rangers (7-7-1 15 pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live this Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

  • November 8th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, November 8th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were three contests in League action yesterday…

    WASHINGTON 2, Pittsburgh 1

     

    The Washington Capitals went on to defeat their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.

    Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby would open up the scoring, and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin would score his 235th career power-play goal.  Ovechkin now has sole possession of seventh place in that category.

    Washington F T.J. Oshie would net the game-winner with 1:14 left in regulation.
    This would mark the ninth time in 47 contests in the regular-season in which Crosby and Ovechkin would find the net in the same contest.

    TXHT’s coverage of the contest:
    Game Recap – 11/7/2018 – Pittsburgh Penguins v. Washington Capitals
    Nashville 4, COLORADO 1

     

    Nashville’s Colton Sissons recorded his second career regular-season hat-trick and helped lift the Predators back into first place in the NHL standings at 12-3-0 and 7-0-0 on the road.

    Sissons last hat-trick in the regular-season was during the 2016-17 season.

    ANAHEIM 3, Calgary 2

    Calgary would tie the game at 2 a piece with F Mark Jankowski’s goal in the third period but Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf would score the eventual game-winner 27 seconds later to give Anaheim the win.
    Calgary has been behind in three out of their last four games, and would win those contests.
    So far on the season, Getzlaf is averaging one point per game.

    Anaheim G Ryan Miller would win his 372nd game, two away from tying John Vanbiesbrouck for most all-time among U.S. born goalies.


    Today’s Schedule of Games:
    nov_8th_schedy-08013129
    In NHL news…
    -The Boston Bruins unveiled their 2019 Winter Classic jerseys this morning.  They will take on the Chicago Blackhawks, who will unveil their Winter Classic jersey today at 5:30 p.m. CT, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana on January 1st, 2019.

     

    -With Sissons hat-trick in last night, it marked the fourth consecutive day of game action in which a hat-trick was achieved.

    -In a bit of tragic news, the Minnesota Wild and the NHL announced that former Wild chairman Robert O. Naegele passed away due to complications from cancer.


    -Tonight when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Boston Bruins in Boston, Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson looks to be the fourth player since the 1920-21 season to register at least 11 goals through 11 career games.

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • Game Recap – 11/7/2018 – Pittsburgh Penguins v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 11/7/2018 – Pittsburgh Penguins v. Washington Capitals

     

    Pittsburgh Penguins (6-4-3 15pts) v. Washington Capitals (6-4-3 15pts)

     

    Lineups:

    Pittsburgh Penguins:

    Dominik Simon — Sidney Crosby — Bryan Rust

    Carl Hagelin — Evgeni Malkin — Patric Hornqvist

    Jake Guentzel — Riley Sheahan — Phil Kessel

    Zach Aston-Reese — Matt Cullen — Garrett Wilson

    Brian Dumoulin — Kris Letang

    Olli Maatta — Chad Ruhwedel

    Jack Johnson — Jamie Oleksiak

    Casey DeSmith

    Matt Murray

    Scratched: Juuso Riikola, Daniel Sprong

    Injured: Justin Schultz (left leg fracture), Derick Brassard (lower body)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Dmitrij Jaskin

    Chandler Stephenson — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Jakub Vrana — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Nic Dowd

    Injured: Brooks Orpik (lower body)

    Suspended: Tom Wilson

     

    First Period:

    Penguins Penalty – 2:17 – Jamie Oleksiak 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals Penalty – 11:33 – Jakub Vrana 2 minutes for Tripping

    Penguins PPG – 12:16 – Sidney Crosby (7) from Jack Johnson (2)

    Penguins Penalty – 15:09 – Carl Hagelin 2 minutes for Goalie Interference

     

    End of 1st – PIT – 1       WAS – 0

    Shots            09                07

    Faceoffs       11                07

    Hits               14                04

    PP                 1/1               0/2

     

    Analysis:

    This was an ok period for the Capitals. They were able to generate some chances, but the Penguins were very aggressive with their coverage forcing the issue, especially on special teams.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to pick up their physicality. The Penguins are dominating them physically, and that is why the Penguins are generating some of the better quality scoring chances. Also the Capitals need to do a better job of establishing zone time in the Penguins zone.

     

    Second Period:

    Penguins Penalty – 6:33 – Sidney Crosby 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals PPG – 7:09 – Alex Ovechkin (12) from John Carlson (12) and Nicklas Backstrom (14)

    Capitals Penalty – 9:35 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Tripping

    Penguins Penalty – 11:27 – Jake Guentzel 2 minutes for Tripping

    Penguins Penalty – 15:05 – Evgeni Malkin 2 minutes for Roughing

     

    End of 2nd – PIT – 1        WAS – 1

    Shots               26                 17

    Faceoffs          19                 18

    Hits                 22                  12

    PP                   1/2                  1/5

     

    Analysis:

    This was another ok period for the Capitals. They started well and drew a good amount of penalties against the Penguins, however, the Capitals only capitalized on one of those powerplays. It was very evident that both teams did not play a full 20 minutes.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to bring out their physical game. They are still getting out worked by Pittsburgh, and the Penguins are playing a lot choppier, and it is helping them generate scoring chances. Also the Capitals need to do a much better job on their powerplay opportunities. They’ve had 5 thus far and only one was successful.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 2:36 – Christian Djoos 2 minutes for Holding

    Penguins Penalty – 3:27 – Evgeni Malkin 5 minute major for Illegal Hit to the Head & Game Misconduct

    Capitals Goal – 18:46 – TJ Oshie (8) from John Carlson (13) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (13)

     

    End of 3rd – PIT – 1         WAS – 2

    Shots              42                   22

    Faceoffs        31                    28

    Hits               28                     22

    PP                 1/3                    1/6

     

    Analysis:

    Despite the Capitals having a horrible night in the shot department and with the powerplay, they were able to persevere and win this one 2-1. TJ Oshie took a stick near his eye, and then much later was elbowed in the head by Evgeni Malkin, but neither events would keep him in the locker room as he would return both times, and the second time he came back would score the game winning goal to give the Capitals the victory. Also Braden Holtby played out of his mind and made a lot of amazing saves tonight.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (7-4-3 17pts) v. Columbus (8-6-1 17pts)

    Pittsburgh (6-5-3 15pts) v. Arizona (7-6-0 14pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • TXHT – 11/6/2018

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPgR7_4DX8s&w=560&h=315]

    Join Michael as he breaks down the past week for the Washington Capitals, plus NHL News and Notes.
    You can watch TXHT Live next Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • November 6th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Tuesday, November 6th, 2018, and these are your news and notes..

    There were five contests yesterday…

     

    Boston Bruins Brad Marchand recorded his 13th overtime goal to give the Bruins a record of 8-4-2 thus far on the season. Marchand sits at a five-way tie for 10th place in NHL for overtime winners.

     

     

    Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello became the third general manager in League history to reach the 2400 game plateau. He trails only David Poile and Glen Sather in the 2400+ game mark. Lamoriello won three Stanley Cup championships as the GM of the New Jersey Devils.

     

     

    For the Montreal Canadiens, Joel Armia was the only player to score in the shootout and with the win, Montreal is now 8-4-2 on the season.

     

     

    Brian Boyle netted a hat trick in the contest, the first in his career. Boyle, who recently announced that his cancer is in remission, netted this hat-trick on Hockey Fights Cancer night in Pittsburgh.

     

     

    Washington Capitals F Alex Ovechkin netted his 234th career power-play goal to give the Capitals the victory. This would be Ovechkin’s fifth power-play goal in the season. Since Ovechkin’s debut in the 2005-06 season, Ovechkin has 99 more power-play goals than the next closest player.

     

     

    Connor McDavid in the contest would extend his point streak to eight games, six shy of his personal best at 14 games.

     

    TXHT’s Full Recap

     

     

    Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux registered at least three points in a contest for the 49th times in his career. The franchise record is held by Bobby Clarke who had 110 games of at least three points.

     

     

    There are nine contests tonight…

    skeddy-06123417

    In NHL news…

    -Earlier today, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that Joel Quenneville has been relieved of his coaching duties and announced Jeremy Colliton as the 38th head coach in the franchise’s history.

     

    -The Tampa Bay Lightning will host their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness night tonight when Tampa Bay takes on the Ottawa Senators.

     

    -The Ottawa Senators released a statement about the group of Senators players who mocked coaches and laughed about their play.

     

     

    TXHT has a great article on what a team is and you can read that article here.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • Game Recap – 11/5/2018 – Edmonton Oilers v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 11/5/2018 – Edmonton Oilers v. Washington Capitals

     

    Edmonton Oilers (8-4-1 17pts) v. Washington Capitals (5-4-3 13pts)

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Edmonton Oilers:

    Lineup:

    Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Connor McDavid — Drake Caggiula

    Tobias Rieder — Leon Draisaitl — Alex Chiasson

    Milan Lucic — Ryan Strome — Jesse Puljujarvi

    Jujhar Khaira — Kyle Brodziak — Zack Kassian

    Oscar Klefbom — Adam Larsson

    Darnell Nurse — Kris Russell

    Jason Garrison — Matt Benning

    Cam Talbot

    Mikko Koskinen

    Scratched: Ty Rattie, Kailer Yamamoto, Kevin Gravel

    Injured: None

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov – Dmitrij Jaskin

    Chandler Stephenson — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Jakub Vrana — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Nic Dowd

    Injured: Brooks Orpik (lower body)

    Suspended: Tom Wilson

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 2:44 – Jakub Vrana (4) from Devante Smith-Pelly (2) and Travis Boyd (1)

    Capitals Goal – 5:44 – Devante Smith-Pelly (2) from Travis Boyd (2)

    Capitals Penalty – 6:13 – Matt Niskanen 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals Penalty – 9:04 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Slashing

    Oilers PPG – 10:24 – Connor McDavid (10) from Oscar Klefbom (7) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (12)

    Oilers Penalty – 18:03 – Leon Draisaitl 2 minutes for Slashing

     

    End of 1st – EDM – 1      WAS – 2

    Shots               12               11

    Faceoffs          11               09

    Hits                  03               06

    PP                    1/2              0/1

     

    Analysis:

    The Capitals came out flying and scored two quick ones but then they would take two penalties that the Oilers would use to get themselves back into this game. Especially like Dmitrij Jaskin on the first line and Jakub Vrana on the fourth line.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to stay out of the penalty box. Edmonton is dangerous on the powerplay and proved it on their second opportunity. Also the Capitals need to keep on pressuring in the Oilers zone.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal – 8:11 – TJ Oshie (7) from Nicklas Backstrom (13) and John Carlson (10)

    Capitals Penalty – 8:38 – Devante Smith-Pelly 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Oilers Goal – 10:41 – Leon Draisaitl (8) from Adam Larsson (5) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (13)

    Oilers Penalty – 12:24 – Adam Larsson 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals PPG – 13:09 – Alex Ovechkin (11) from John Carlson (11) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (12)

     

    End of 2nd – EDM – 2      WAS – 4

    Shots               22                 21

    Faceoffs          25                 20

    Hits                 08                  16

    PP                   1/3                 1/2

     

    Analysis:

    This was an even period for the Capitals. They were able to get 2 more goals this period and were able to do a much better job on their second powerplay.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to close this game out. The 3rd period has been their worst period lately and they need to play with urgency and need to stay out of the penalty box.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 18:57 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Boarding

     

    End of 3rd – EDM – 2     WAS – 4

    Shots               33               23

    Faceoffs          36               26

    Hits                  16               25

    PP                    1/4              1/2

     

    Analysis:

    Despite being out shot by Edmonton 11-2 in the third period, the Capitals did play a more solid third period than we have seen the past few games. However, the Capitals will need to be at the top of their game come this Wednesday when they take on the arch rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (6-4-3 15pts) v Pittsburgh (6-3-3 15pts)

    Edmonton (8-5-1 17pts) @ Tampa Bay (10-3-1 21pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live tomorrow at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 11/3/2018 – Dallas Stars v. Washington Capitals

    Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 11/3/2018 – Dallas Stars v. Washington Capitals

     

    Dallas Stars (7-5-0 14pts) v. Washington Capitals (5-4-2 12pts)

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals begin a 5 game home stand where they look to turn things around and bring more consistency into their game as they host the Dallas Stars tonight. Dallas on the other hand will be looking for their third straight victory tonight.

     

     

    Dallas Stars:

    Projected Lineup:

    Devin Shore — Tyler Seguin — Mattias Janmark

    Jamie Benn — Jason Spezza — Valeri Nichushkin

    Tyler Pitlick — Radek Faksa — Blake Comeau

    Gemel Smith — Jason Dickinson — Brett Ritchie

    Esa Lindell — John Klingberg

    Miro Heiskanen — Roman Polak

    Dillon Heatherington — Julius Honka

    Ben Bishop

    Anton Khudobin

    Scratched: Justin Dowling

    Injured: Alexander Radulov (lower body), Marc Methot (lower body), Martin Hanzal (back), Stephen Johns(concussion), Connor Carrick (foot)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Clog up the neutral zone

    Something that the Capitals have been having difficulty with lately has been their play through the neutral zone, and if Dallas can clog it up, it can foil and frustrate the Capitals.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Jakub Vrana

    Andre Burakovsky — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nick Dowd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Nathan Walker, Aaron Ness

    Injured: Brooks Orpik (lower body), Travis Boyd (leg)

    Suspended: Tom Wilson

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Feed the home energy

    The Capitals are going to want to give their fans something to cheer about, and the fans want to see the Capitals succeed so the energy in Capital One Arena will be huge for the Capitals and their success against Dallas.

     

    2. Need to play a full 60 minutes

    The Capitals could have easily defeated both Calgary and Montreal if they had played full 60 minute games, but when it really mattered they turtled in the 3rd period and allowed their opponents back into the game. They cannot do that anymore.

     

    First Period:

    Stars Goal – 10:51 – Jason Spezza (3) from Gemel Smith (1)

    Stars Goal – 11:01 – Tyler Pitlick (2) from unassisted

    Stars Penalty – 16:46 – Blake Comeau 2 minutes for Slashing

     

    End of 1st – DAL – 2       WAS – 0

    Shots              11                11

    Faceoffs         06                09

    Hits               11                  10

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    This period could be viewed one of two ways. It could be viewed as very poor due to their pitiful play in their own zone, or an ok period because when they played in Dallas’ zone they did dominate the play and drew a penalty. However, the fact that they had 11 giveaways to Dallas’ 4 is very concerning.

     

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to clean up the play in their own zone and fast. They cannot play in their own zone with the recklessness that they have. They need to slow the play down, and make smarter plays. Also if the Stars really force the issue, then the Capitals need to protect the puck better to prevent any takeaways.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal – :38 – Nicklas Backstrom (3) from Andre Burakovsky (1) and Michal Kempny (2)

    Capitals Penalty – 3:11 – Braden Holtby (Stephenson) 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals Penalty – 6:44 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for Tripping

    Stars Goal – 10:36 – Jamie Benn (6) from Jason Spezza (7) and Valerie Nichushkin (2)

    Capitals Goal – 12:31 – Brett Connolly (2) from Dmitrij Jaskin (2)

    Stars Penalty – 18:41 – Jason Dickinson 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 2nd – DAL – 3        WAS – 2

    Shots               20                 24

    Faceoffs          17                 18

    Hits                 15                  18

    PP                   0/2                  0/1 *2nd in Progress

     

    Analysis:

    A better period for the Capitals that saw them strike quickly 38 seconds into the period, however, another bad play in their own zone allowed Dallas to get their 2 goal lead back. A good response by the Capitals would allow them to get another one on the board and be down by only one going into the 3rd period.

     

    Side Note – Both Madison Bowey and Dmitrij Jaskin have both looked very good so far in this game, and have been worthy of the extra playing time they’ve received so far.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to utilize their powerplays better and continue to move their feet and create chaos for the Stars in their own zone. Also the Capitals need to continue playing better in their own zone.

     

    Third Period:

    Stars Penalty – 6:39 – Roman Polak 2 minutes for Interference

    Capitals PPG – 7:57 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (6) from TJ Oshie (5) and Nicklas Backstrom (12)

     

    End of 3rd – DAL – 3         WAS – 3

    Shots              30                   31

    Faceoffs        25                    30

    Hits               19                     23

    PP                 0/2                    1/3

     

    OT:

    Stars Penalty Shot – :59 – Tyler Seguin – Save

    Stars Goal – 3:17 – Jason Dickenson (3) from unassisted

     

    End of OT – DAL – 4         WAS – 3

    Shots              36                   32

    Faceoffs        27                    31

    Hits               19                     25

    PP                 0/2                    1/3

     

    Analysis:

    This was a tough game for the Capitals. The second half of the game was definitely better for them, but overall it was not very good. In overtime alone they were dominated by the Stars, and that is why they won, and the Capitals lost. The Capitals need to clean up the play in their own zone, and help out Braden Holtby as they have been putting him and Pheonix Copley in tough situations so far this season. The Capitals need to really get their game together as now they are going into a stretch where the challenges are going to be there and in their face.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (5-4-3 13pts) v Edmonton (7-4-1 15pts)

    Dallas (8-5-0 16pts) @ Boston (7-3-2 16pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live this Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • November 2nd, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is November 2nd, 2018 and these are your news and notes…

     

    Yesterday’s results and recaps:

     

    Recaps:

    -In the contest between the Florida Panthers and the Winnipeg Jets in the first NHL Global Series games in Finland, the Jets would defeat the Panthers 4-2.

    Jets F Patrik Laine recorded the first NHL career hat-trick in a regular-season contest outside of North America to outduel fellow countryman, Aleksander Barkov.

    Entering this contest, Laine only had three goals in 12 games. Laine scored two game-tying goals before he finished off the hat trick, the fifth of his NHL career.

    -The Montreal Canadiens would score a record of two goals in two seconds to defeat the Washington Capitals 6-4.

    Montreal Canadiens rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi would score his first two NHL career goals.

    Kotkaniemi would become the youngest player in League history born outside of North America at 18 years and 118 days to score at least two goals in a game since Patrik Laine accomplished the same feat at 18 years and 183 days.

    TXHT has all of your information on this contest here.

    With Kotkaniemi scoring, all four of the top draft picks have registered at least one goal.

     

    For other news, notes and stats:

     

    On tap for today:

    The Florida Panthers and the Winnipeg Jets conclude their games in the NHL Global Series in Finland today at 2 p.m. ET to kick off one of three contests.

    Print

     

    In NHL news…

    • The Tampa Bay Lightning and Yanni Gourde have agreed to a six-year contract with an AAV of $5.166 million.
    • NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced tentative plans to have NHL Global Series games in four countries next season.

     

    In NWHL news…

    The Connecticut Whale and Taylor Marchin have agreed to a contract after a strong showing during Marchin’s PTO.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Tuesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.