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Category: Washington Capitals

  • Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 11/1/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Montreal Canadiens

     

    Washington Capitals (5-3-2 12pts) v. Montreal Canadiens (6-3-2 14pts)

    Time: 730p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Preview:

    In a battle of two 4th place teams in their respective divisions, the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens are going to be looking to improve their standing within their divisions. The Capitals are coming off two lackluster games against the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, while the Canadiens will be looking for their 6th win in nine games.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Jakub Vrana

    Andre Burakovsky — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Chandler Stephenson — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic 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 (Michael):

    1. Play a full 60 minutes

    The Capitals need to come into this game and play a full 60 minutes. They barely showed up in Edmonton, and they coasted through their game in Calgary, and it wasn’t acceptable. The Capitals need to play a full 60 minutes if they hope to win tonight in Montreal.

     

    2. Keep your feet moving

    The Capitals are going to need to keep their feet moving against the Canadiens. The Canadiens are much quicker team and the Capitals will need to utilize their speed to help neutralize Montreal’s.

     

    Montreal Canadiens:

    Projected Lineup:

    Tomas Tatar — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher

    Jonathan Drouin — Max Domi — Charles Hudon

    Artturi Lehkonen — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Joel Armia

    Nicolas Deslauriers — Matthew Peca — Andrew Shaw

    Jordie Benn — Jeff Petry

    Mike Reilly — Noah Juulsen

    Xavier Ouellet — Victor Mete

    Carey Price

    Antti Niemi

    Scratched: Karl Alzner

    Injured: Paul Byron (lower body), Shea Weber (knee), David Schlemko (knee), Tomas Plekanec (back)

     

    Keys to the Game (Armand):

    1. Don’t give the Caps chances with the man advantage.
    2. Carey Price needs to play a solid game as both Braden Holtby and Price are two of the best netminders in the league.
    3. Fast start Montreal needs to get on the board early to gain momentum.
    4. Lastly No Stupid Turnovers Montreal has made too many boneheaded moves this season.

     

    First Period:

    Canadiens Goal – 2:28 – Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1) from Joel Armia (3)

    Capitals Goal – 6:16 – Lars Eller (2) from Matt Niskanen (4) and Chandler Stephenson (2)

    Canadiens Penalty – 8:23 – Brendan Gallagher 2 minutes for Roughing

    Capitals Penalty – 8:23 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Roughing

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 1       MON – 1

    Shots              13                18

    Faceoffs         06                06

    Hits               12                  10

    PP                 0/0                 0/0

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – This was an ok period for the Capitals. Definitely did not start this game well as they  looked overwhelmed by Montreal’s speed, and at one point was being out shot 10-3. However, with Braden Holtby’s stellar play and a solid shift by the 3rd line which resulted in a goal, and some really solid 4 on 4 play, the Capitals were able to get themselves back into this game.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – Habs played a great period. Great on the forecheck. Getting tons of shots on Holtby.

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals need to start the next two periods much better than they started the first period. Also the Capitals need to continue to keep forcing the play in the Canadiens zone and clean up their own play in the front of Holtby and not let the Canadiens cut through the middle.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – From what I can see the Habs just need to keep doing what they did in the first.

     

    Second Period:

    Canadiens Goal – :32 – Brendan Gallagher (8) from Tomas Tatar (7)

    Canadiens Goal – 3:06 – Brendan Gallagher (9) from Tomas Tatar (8) and Phillip Danault (5)

    Capitals Goal – 6:49 – Alex Ovechkin (9) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (11) and Jakub Vrana (3)

    Capitals Goal – 7:59 – Lars Eller (3) from Brett Connolly (7)

    Capitals Goal – 12:53 – Alex Ovechkin (10) from Dmitry Orlov (2) and Matt Niskanen (5)

    Capitals Penalty – 16:16 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Holding

    Capitals Penalty – 19:57 – Lars Eller 2 minutes for Interfernce

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 4        MON – 3

    Shots               26                 27

    Faceoffs          18                 13

    Hits                 16                  21

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

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – This period did not start well for the Capitals, but they finished it strong. The Capitals scored 3 unanswered goals after Brendan Gallagher scored back to back goals in the first 3 minutes of the period, and forced the play in the Canadiens zone.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – Turnovers have killed the Habs Especially on the short handed opportunity Washington had.

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals need to play a strong 20 minutes to close out the Canadiens. They need to kill off this late penalty by Lars Eller and use that momentum to take it to the Canadiens.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – Habs need to come out strong after a poor period. Powerplay to start the period needs to be strong.

     

    Third Period:

    Canadiens Penalty – 13:01 – Charles Hudon 2 minutes for Tripping

    Canadiens Goal –  – Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2) from Artturi Lehkonen (7) and Victor Mete (1)

    Canadiens Goal – 19:38 – Max Domi (6) from Mike Rielly (3)

    Canadiens ENG – 19:40 – Joel Armia (3) from Phillip Danault (6)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 4         MON – 6

    Shots              31                   44

    Faceoffs        35                    25

    Hits               25                     32

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – What should have been a win for the Capitals became nothing more but a blown opportunity for them. All they needed to do was play a full 20 minutes and truly pressure the Canadiens in their own zone and and keep the play there, but instead this was a period dominated by the Canadiens and they were able to take this game from the Capitals in the final 3 minutes of this game including 2 goals in two seconds to seal the deal for the Canadiens. One of the biggest bright spots was the play of Braden Holtby, and his stellar play in net kept this game a lot closer than it would have seemed to be. The Capitals were out shot 17-5 in the third period alone.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – Habs blow a 3-1 lead but like the time they played Washington in the playoffs the Habs storm back to get the win. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brendan Gallagher each pick up two goals as Max Domi had a goal that would be the decider. Carey Price looked a little shaky at times but made some key saves late in the game to keep the Habs in the game.

     

    Next Up:

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

    Montreal (7-3-2 16pts) v, Tampa Bay (8-3-1 19pts)

     

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

  • November 1st, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, November 1st, 2018 and these are your news and notes.

    In the lone contest of the evening, the Vancouver Canucks would defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

    Jake Virtanen tied the game twice and then Brendan Gaunce would net the go-ahead goal with 10:37 left in regulation. With the win, Vancouver is now 8-6-0 on the season and is 5-0-0 in the last five contests against the Blackhawks dating back to March 21, 2017.

    Vancouver now sits in first place in the Pacific Division ahead of San Jose and Calgary with 16 points.

    In this contest, Jonathan Toews would take sixth place of the Blackhawks regular season goal-scoring list with his 299th career goal.

    Today in the NHL, the NHL Global Series games kickoff in Finland at 2 p.m. EDT on NBCSN and TSN3 in Canada when the Winnipeg Jets take on the Florida Panthers.

    Print

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    For more news, notes, and stats:

    In NHL news…

    The NHL announced today that all 31 teams will take part in the 20th anniversary of the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. Hockey Fights Cancer has been uniting hockey communities in support of cancer patients for the last 20 years.

    All 31 teams across the league will host Hockey Fights Cancer awareness nights and will feature all teams wearing lavender jerseys, dasherboards, decals on all players helmets, and “I Fight For…” cards.

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    In addition, all youth hockey leagues across North America have the option to host their own Hockey Fights Cancer nights via their community rinks via the HFC Assist programs.

    In tonight’s contest when the Washington Capitals take on the Montreal Canadiens, it will be C Nicklas Backstrom’s 826th career game, passing Michal Pivonka for sixth place on the Capitals franchise games played list.

    Navy Federal Credit Union and the NHL announced that the two have entered a multi-year U.S. partnership to recognize and support veterans, active-duty service members and their families.

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    In addition, Navy Federal Credit Union will serve as a presenting sponsor of the first NHL Veterans Appreciation Night on November 7th on NBCSN.

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    Slava Voynov has officially applied for NHL reinstatement per NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

    Elias Pettersson was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month and currently leads all rookies with seven goals and 10 points in eight contests.

    The NHL also announced the Three Stars of the Month today.

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

  • Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 10/27/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Calgary Flames

    Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 10/27/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Calgary Flames

     

    Washington Capitals (4-3-2 10pts) v. Calgary Flames (5-5-0 10pts)

    Time: 4p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Preview:

    In an early matinee for the Washington Capitals, they visit the Calgary Flames who are also going to be looking to rebound from a very bad game. The other night thhe Flames were dismantled by the Pittsburgh Penguins 9-1 while the Capitlas lost to the Edmonton Oilers 4-1. Also in net it looks like our matchup will be Mike Smith for the Flames against Pheonix Copley for the Capitals.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Jakub Vrana

    Andre Burakovsky — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Chandler Stephenson — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Devante Smith-Pelly — Nic Dowd — Dmitrij Jaskin

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Madison Bowey

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Christian Djoos, Nathan Walker

    Injured: Travis Boyd (leg)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Play with urgency

    The other night in Edmonton it looked like the Capitals did not play with any urgency, and lost as a result. The Flames are going to be looking to rebound after their horrendous game against Pittsburgh and are going to want to play with more urgency and the Capitals will need to match that.

     

    2. Keep your feet moving

    The Capitals need to keep their feet moving to force the play in the Flames zone but to also force the Flames to take penalties. If the Capitals can do this, they will have a much better game than they did against Edmonton.

     

    Calgary Flames:

    Projected Lineup:

    Johnny Gaudreau — Sean Monahan — Sam Bennett

    Matthew Tkachuk — Mikael Backlund — Austin Czarnik

    Dillon Dube — Elias Lindholm — James Neal

    Michael Frolik — Derek Ryan — Garnet Hathaway

    Mark Giordano — TJ Brodie

    Noah Hanifin — Travis Hamonic

    Juuso Valimaki — Rasmus Andersson

    Mike Smith

    David Rittich

    Scratched: Mark Jankowski, Michael Stone, Dalton Prout

    Injured: None

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Get a good start

    The Flames will want to have a much better game today than they did against Pittsburgh and a good start to the game is something that they will need to do. They may not have to score in the opening minutes, but a some good solid chances to start the game is something they should strive for.

     

    First Period:

    Flames Penalty – 1:10 – James Neal 2 minutes from Slashing

    Capitals Penalty – 1:37 – Nicklas Backstrom for Interference

    Capitals Goal – 9:28 – Jakub Vrana (3) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (9)

    Flames Penalty – 13:49 – Derek Ryan 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals PPG – 14:27 – TJ Oshie (6) from Alex Ovechkin (6) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (10)

    Flames Goal – 14:41 – Travis Hamonic (1) from Johnny Gaudreau (8)

    Capitals Penalty – 16:45 – Brett Connolly 2 minutes for Holding

    Flames PPG – 16:54 – Elias Lindholm (7) from Johnny Gaudreau (9) and Mark Giordano (7)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 2       CAL – 2

    Shots              10                09

    Faceoffs         14                10

    Hits               11                  12

    PP                 1/2                 1/2

     

    Analysis:

    This period had three phases to it. The first was the feeling out process as both teams are coming off of tough losses, so they obviously want to play more defensively and see where they can get their chances. Then for a five minute stretch the Capitals looked great and were the dominate team scoring two goals, for which one was on the powerplay. However, after their powerplay goal to give them a 2-0 lead they let the Flames back into it, and also took a bad penalty that allowed the Flames to tie the game at 2.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to play with some more killer instinct. They had a 2-0 lead and then let up. You can’t do this, and the Capitals need to hunker down and play with more killer instinct.

     

    Second Period:

    Flames Penalty – 11:13 – Bench (Matthew Tkachuk) 2 minutes for Too Many Men

    Capitals Penalty – 12:53 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Goal – 17:03 – Matt Niskanen (2) from Brett Connolly (6) and Dmitrij Jaskin (1)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 3        CAL – 2

    Shots               18                 15

    Faceoffs          19                 19

    Hits                 16                  17

    PP                   1/3                  1/3

     

    Analysis:

    In all honesty, this was a very boring period to watch. Plus you had for the second period in the row the Capitals also lost another powerplay by taking another penalty. However, the one positive of this period is that they did get the lone goal of the period, and they did it late in the period too.

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals need to put their foot on the gas and finish this one so they can walk out with a win. They scored late in the 2nd to swing the momentum their way, and they need to keep it in their corner.

     

    Third Period:

    Flames Goal – 18:33 – Matthew Tkachuk (4) from Rasmus Andersson (1) and Mark Giordano (8)

    Capitals Penalty – 18:48 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Delay of Game

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 3         CAL – 3

    Shots              26                   26

    Faceoffs        25                    32

    Hits               20                     22

    PP                 1/3                    1/3 *4th in Progress

     

    OT:

    N/A

     

    End of OT – WAS – 3         CAL – 3

    Shots              27                   30

    Faceoffs        27                    33

    Hits               21                     22

    PP                 1/3                    1/4

     

    Shootout:

    Flames – Matthew Tkachuk – Save

    Capitals – TJ Oshie – Save

    Flames – Sean Monahan – Goal

    Capitals – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Goal

    Flames – James Neal – Save

    Capitals – John Carlson – Save

    Flames – Johnny Gaudreau – Save

    Capitals – Nicklas Backstrom – Goal

     

    Final – WAS 4      CAL 3

     

    Analysis:

    This could have easily of been a loss for the Capitals. All they had to do was force the play in the Flames zone for the third period and run down the clock, but instead they turtled and played mainly in their own zone and kept icing the puck, especially near the end. That is a recipe for losing and they almost did. Bright spot was definitely Pheonix Copley and his play. The first two games he played this season, which were loses, he played well and deserved the victory.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (5-3-2 12pts) @ Montreal (5-2-2 12pts)

    Calgary (5-5-1 11pts) @ Buffalo (6-4-0 12pts)

     

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

  • Commissioner Bettman Upholds 20 Game Suspension

    Commissioner Bettman Upholds 20 Game Suspension

     

     

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    Source: NHL Department of Player Safety

     

    After a lengthy seven hour meeting between Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman last week in regards to Wilson’s 20 game suspension, which was announced on October 3rd, 2018 in the video above, it has been announced that Bettman has upheld 20 game suspension that was handed down by George Parros and the NHL Department of Player Safety.

     

    What does this mean for Tom Wilson?

    For Wilson, he still has to fulfill his 20 game sentence that was handed down by George Parros. However, Wilson and the NHLPA now have 7 days to submit an appeal to an arbitrator to have the suspension reduced.

     

    What message is Gary Bettman sending with this decision?

    In this scenario after reading the full 31 page explanation behind Bettman’s ruling it is clear that Bettman is sending multiple messages. One being to the NHLPA and their tactics to paint St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist as the player at complete fault for the hit and injuries he sustained. The other is fact that George Parros has actually had many conversations, some even in person, with Wilson throughout last season to discuss ways that Wilson can become a better player, but how in a sense has fallen on deaf ears.

     

    A more thorough look at Bettman’s ruling the Commissioner explains in great detail several reasons why he upheld the suspension and did not reduce it. For starters we look at the play in hand that took place. A point of arguement that the NHLPA took was that Sundqvist put himself into a “vulnerable” position, but as detailed in Bettman’s ruling below such was not the case:

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-21-55-22-1

     

    So as detailed above, and evidenced in all video evidence we have seen, that was not the case, and while Sundqvist was elgible to be hit, the notion he put himself in a vulnerable position, that was proved to be invalid.

     

    Then next up is you have Oskar Sundqvist’s injuries which are listed below:

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-21-57-57-1

     

    One of the biggest factors that lead to the 20 game ban is the fact that this was the second consecutive suspension doled out to Wilson that involved a player being injured and having to miss time as a resilt of Wilson’s hit. At the time of the hearing, and subsequent ruling, Sundqvist has not played a game yet this season due to his injuries from the hit by Wilson.

     

    Now let’s talk about the hearing as well. With the magnitude of this suspension, and the thorough testimonies that took place on October 18th, there were actually more people involved with this hearing than was known including former Washington Capitals defenseman Joe Reekie, and former NHL defenseman Mathieu Schnieder, both representing the NHLPA. It is also noted the Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan was in attendance and was also called upon to testify along side George Parros from the Department of Player Safety.

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-22-00-22-1

    The hearing lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes and yhe transcript, which undoubtedly was much longer than Bettman’s 31 page ruling, was delivered to the League office the very next day for review.

     

    In some of the more interesting notes in Bettman’s ruling are that from Tom Wilson’s testimony:

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-22-12-15-1

     

    In Wilson’s testimony, he openly admits that he did make contact with Sundqvist’s head, but that he could not conclude if Sundqvist’s head was the main point of contact. However, as noted, Bettman from watching the video concluded that it was.

     

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-22-16-18-1

     

    The arguement above is found to be a very interesting one. While yes, Wilson is in fact backchecking in accordance to Washington’s defensive system, I doubt under Barry Trotz last season, and Todd Reirdon this season that he has been coached to play with the intent to hit on every opportunity when backchecking. Especially since we don’t see a lot of major hits when the Capitals are backchecking.

     

    Then Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan under testimony stated the following:

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-22-30-12-1

    MacLellan openly admits in testimony that Wilson could have done something different to change the impact of the hit and where the main point of contact of the hit as well. This is a huge stressor right here as MacLellan, a former NHL player himself, understands thr nature of the game, and knows how to throw a hit qithout targeting the head.

     

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-22-33-06-1

    Now the above is strictly an explanation of the rule where “intent” is no longer something the League looks at when reviewing head hits  per Rule 48, which was amended five years ago. It gives a solid example as provided by Parros.

     

    And lastly, how did George Parros come to 20 games for Tom Wilson? The below note in Bettman’s ruling explains how:

    Screenshot_2018-10-25-23-18-12-1

     

    It should also be noted that George Parros had two in person meetings with Tom Wilson last season just so they could watch footage and talk about how he could improve his play and decision making on the ice, plus also received additional warnings (mainly in the playoffs leading up to and after his suspension against Pittsburgh in the 2nd round) and guidance throughout last season as well.

     

    What’s next?

    Next thing is that we wait to see what Tom Wilson and the NHLPA do. Odds are they will appeal the suspension and look to get it reduced by an arbitrator.

     

    However, the biggest thing that comes up next for Wilson is when he does finally return to the Capitals lineup. He will need to play smarter and pick better spots on when to throw his hits. Physicality is a hige part of hockey, and Wilson should never shy away from it, but he does need to do a better job.

     

    *Source Notes – All images from Gary Bettman’s ruling are shown in full context and were not altered in any way. They are shown so people can read some of the key points in TXHT’s opinon were most import to be seen in full detail.

     

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

  • Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 10/25/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Edmonton Oilers

    Full Gameday Preview and Coverage – 10/25/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Edmonton Oilers

     

    Time: 9p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington

     

    Preview:

    In the second game of their 4 game Western Canada trip, the Capitals take on an Edmonton Oilers team that is still looking for an identity. The Oilers had a strong showing in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins the other night, but is looking to build upon that game.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Andre Burakovsky

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Brooks Orpik — Christian Djoos

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Madison Bowey, Nathan Walker

    Injured: Travis Boyd (leg)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Push the Oilers in their own zone

    Last season the Oilers did not have a great season and it has kind of rolled into this season of sorts, and one of the key people that needs to be is goaltender Cam Talbot. The Capitals need to push the play in Oilers zone and make Talbot uncomfortable, and generate a lot of scoring chances on Talbot.

     

    2. Stay out of the penalty box

    The one thing that can revitalize the Oilers is their powereplay and with threats like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers could take any opportunity while on the powerplay to change the game in their favor.

     

    Edmonton Oilers:

    Projected Lineup:

    Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Connor McDavid — Kailer Yamamoto

    Tobias Rieder — Leon Draisaitl — Alex Chiasson

    Milan Lucic — Ryan Strome — Drake Caggiula

    Cooper Marody — Kyle Brodziak — Jujhar Khaira

    Oscar Klefbom — Adam Larsson

    Darnell Nurse — Kris Russell

    Evan Bouchard — Kevin Gravel

    Cam Talbot

    Mikko Koskinen

    Scratched: Jason Garrison, Jesse Puljujarvi

    Injured: Matt Benning (undisclosed), Ty Rattie (upper body), Zack Kassian (undisclosed)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Force the Capitals to take Penalties

    The Oilers will need to force the Capitals to take penalties in this game, especially with the fact that the Caps have taken some really bad penalties this season so far.

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 14:31 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Tripping

    Oilers PPG – 16:28 – Evan Bouchard (1) from Kailer Yamamoto (1) and Tobias Rieder (2)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       EDM – 1

    Shots              09                09

    Faceoffs         13                10

    Hits               10                  05

    PP                 0/0                 1/1

     

    Analysis:

    This was an ok period for the Capitals. They did well in the faceoff circle, and on a bad call by the officials, the Capitals looked to have killed the lone penalty of the period but the Oilers were able to get one past Holtby in the final seconds of the powerplay.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to do a better job with their zone entries. They did an ok job of it, but they were not able to create many opportunities with how they got into the zone. Also the Capitals need to clog up Edmonton’s speed in the neutral zone.

     

    Second Period:

    Oilers Penalty – 9:19 – Milan Lucic 2 minutes for Cross Checking

    Oilers SHG – 10:06 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (3) from unassisted

    Capitals Goal – 12:21 – Andre Burakovsky (1) from Nic Dowd (1) and John Carlson (9)

    Capitals Penalty – 14:59 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Delay of Game

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 1        EDM – 2

    Shots               18                 23

    Faceoffs          21                 18

    Hits                 16                  12

    PP                   0/1                  1/2

     

    Analysis:

    This was not a pretty period for the Capitals. A lackluster powerplay resulted in a shorthanded goal against (seriously, stop doing the slingshot!!), and the Oilers outshot the Capitals 14-9. Braden Holtby though has been on top of his game in this one.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to play their game and impose their will on the Oilers.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 4:35 – Bench (Jaskin) 2 minutes for Delay of Game – Faceoff Violation

    Oilers Goal – 9:16 – Alex Chiasson (3) from Tobias Reider (3) and Adam Larsson (3)

    Capitals Penalty – 11:26 – Bench (Connolly) 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Oilers ENG – 18:43 – Connor McDavid (6) from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (8)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 1         EDM – 4

    Shots              32                   32

    Faceoffs        34                    26

    Hits               28                     16

    PP                 0/1                    1/4

     

    Analysis:

    This was not a great game for the Capitals. They did not play very well in any of the three zones and were not good at all on their lone powerplay. Their penalty kill was ok, but the penalties they took were also ridiculous too, and the officials need to be questioned on two the calls made against the Capitals, and about the ones that were obvious calls, but not called on the Oilers. All the Capitals can do now is regroup and prepare for Saturday when the visit Calgary to take on the Flames.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (4-3-2 10pts) @ Calgary (5-5-0 10pts)

    Edmonton (4-3- 9pts) @ Nashville (8-2-0 16pts)

     

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

  • TXHT – 10/24/2018

    TXHT – 10/24/2018

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwsp8EgFHzE&w=560&h=315]

     

    Join Michael as he breaks down the past week for the Capitals, as well in the NHL and NWHL.

    Also TXHT Maple Leafs Writer Steve Gardiner joins the show to talk about the Leafs and so much more.

    Opening Music – “Human Chess” by Crimson Orchid

  • News and Notes: October 23rd, 2018

    These are your news and notes for Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018.

    There were four contests in the NHL yesterday…

      • The Washington Capitals took on the Vancouver Canucks and would go on to win the contest by a score of 5-2.John Carlson, Alex Ovechkin, and Nicklas Backstrom would all find the scoresheet and Backstrom would hit the 600 career assist milestone marker.

        Carlson would register his fifth multi-point game on the season and the second game with at least three points. Carlson has started the season by becoming the 10th defenceman with five multi-point games in his first eight games on the season.

        Alex Ovechkin also netted his 25th games where he registered at least four points in a contest as well as having his 123rd multi-goal game of his career and the third on the season.

        In addition to the previously mentioned feat, Ovechkin also netted his 103rd game-winning goals which would be his 233rd power-play goal and moved him past Dino Ciccarelli for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time list for power-play goals.

        TXHT has your recap of the contest between the Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks here.

      • The Colorado Avalanche trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog all made the scoresheet once again, combining for the Avalanche’s first goal of the game in Colorado’s 4-1 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers.Colorado finished their road trip 3-0-1 and moved them to a record of 6-1-2 on the season.Rantanen and MacKinnon became the first teammates in franchise history to begin the season with point streaks of nine games.

        Rantanen would also move into a first place tie with Auston Matthews for most points on the season with 16.

      • Carolina Hurricanes Sebastian Aho collected an assist when Micheal Ferland scored to extend Aho’s season-opening point streak to nice games and inching closer to the franchise record of 11 set by Ron Francis during the 1984-85 season.

        Carolina would go on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 at Little Caesears Arena.

        Justin Faulk opened the scoring for Carolina and eclipsed Glen Wesley for second place on the Hurricanes/Whalers list for career points by a defenceman.

    • The Winnipeg Jets went on to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-4 in overtime.

      Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele would score twice in the third period, as the Jets overcame two different deficits. Scheifele would register an assist on Jacob Trouba’s game-winner as Winnipeg improved to a record of 14-0-1 in regular season contests since March 2.

      Monday’s contest marked the sixth occurrence in Thrashers/Jets history that the club has overcome multiple deficits in the third period and to win the contest. This has occurred on two other times since the club relocated to Winnipeg and the first occurrence since the 2016-2017 season.

      There have been 16 contests this season when a team has comeback to win after having multiple deficits.

    Yesterday’s results (home team in CAPS):

    • Colorado 4, PHILADELPHIA 1
    • Carolina 3, DETROIT 1
    • WINNIPEG 5, St. Louis 4 (OT)
    • Washington 5, VANCOUVER 2

    Tonight’s games:

    Oct_23rd_Schedy-23020502.jpg

    Image courtesy of NHL and NHL Public Relations

     

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

  • Game Recap – 10/22/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Vancouver Canucks

    Game Recap – 10/22/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Vancouver Canucks

     

     

    Washington Capitals (3-2-2 8pts) v. Vancouver Canucks (5-3-0 10pts)

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Andre Burakovsky

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Brooks Orpik — Christian Djoos

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Madison Bowey, Nathan Walker 

    Injured: Travis Boyd (lower body)

    Suspended: Tom Wilson

     

    Vancouver Canucks:

    Nikolay Goldobin — Bo Horvat — Brock Boeser

    Sven Baertschi — Adam Gaudette — Jake Virtanen

    Antoine Roussel — Brandon Sutter — Loui Eriksson

    Tim Schaller — Mikael Granlund — Tyler Motte

    Alexander Edler — Christopher Tanev

    Derrick Pouliot — Troy Stecher

    Ben Hutton — Erik Gudbranson

    Anders Nilsson

    Jacob Markstrom

    Scratched: Michael Del Zotto, Brendan Leipsic

    Injured: Elias Pettersson (concussion), Jay Beagle (broken arm)

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Penalty –  :52 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Roughing

    Canucks Penalty – :52 – Antoine Roussel 2 minutes for Roughing

    Capitals Goal –  2:20 – John Carlson (5) from Jakub Vrana (2) and Christian Djoos (3)

    Capitals Penalty – 3:55 – Brooks Orpik 2 minutes for Tripping

    Canucks Penalty – 15:28 – Bo Horvat 2 minutes for Hooking

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 1       VAN – 0

    Shots              13                6

    Faceoffs         8                  9

    Hits               8                    7

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    This was a good start to the game for the Capitals. They brought the physicality early and on a great break out play the Capitals were able to give themselves an early 1-0 lead. The Capitals also are doing a great job of clogging up the neutral zone, and making it difficult for the Canucks to enter the zone and create a presence.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to continue clogging up the neutral zone, and making smart plays to generate offense in the Canucks end. Also the Capitals need to shoot some more when they have the opportunity to do so.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 3:22 – John Carlson 2 minutes for Tripping

    Canucks Goal – 7:30 – Troy Stetcher (1) from unassisted

    Canucks Penalty – 8:47 – Erik Gudbranson 2 minutes for Cross Checking

    Capitals PPG – 9:29 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (5) from John Carlson (7) and Alex Ovechkin (4)

    Capitals Goal – 19:34 – Alex Ovechkin (7) from Nicklas Backstrom (9) and TJ Oshie (4)

    Capitals Penalty – 19:45 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Tripping

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 3        VAN – 1

    Shots               25                 18

    Faceoffs          16                 21

    Hits                 15                  18

    PP                   1/2                  0/2 *3rd in Progress

     

    Analysis:

    Not the best start to this period, but the Capitals rebounded beautifully, and were able to come out of the second period with a two goal lead. However, they have put themselves in some tough spots as they have taken some bad penalties.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to start the 3rd period strong and kill off the Nicklas Backstrom penalty, and then they need to force the play in the Canucks zone and not allow the Canucks any opportunities to get back into this game.

     

    Third Period:

    Canucks PPG – :20 – Sven Baertschi (3) from Brock Boeser (4)  and Bo Horvat (2)

    Canucks Penalty – 1:52 – Alexander Edler 2 minutes for Interference

    Canucks Penalty – 4:31 – Troy Stetcher 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals PPG – 5:35 – Alex Ovechkin (8) from John Carlson (8) and Nicklas Backstrom (10)

    Capitals ENG – 18:19 – TJ Oshie (5) from Alex Ovechkin (5) from Nicklas Backstrom (11)

    Canucks Penalty – 19:29 – Sven Baertschi 2 minutes for Delay of Game

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 5         VAN – 2

    Shots              33                   24

    Faceoffs        25                    28

    Hits               19                     21

    PP                 2/5                    1/3

     

    Analysis:

    This was a good game for the Capitals overall as they played a hard fought game against the Canucks. The Capitals responded very well when the Canucks scored, and the Capitals, while wasying at least one powerplay opportunity, untilized their powerplay very well. The Capitals also did a very good job of controlling the tempo and clogging up the neutral zone against the Canucks, and will need to do the same Thursday night in Edmonton against the Oilers.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (4-2-2 10pts) @ Edmonton (3-3-0 6pts)

    Vancouver (5-3-0 10pts) @ Vegas (4-4-0 8pts)

     

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

  • Gameday Preview – 10/22/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Vancouver Canucks

    Gameday Preview – 10/22/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Vancouver Canucks

     

     

    Time: 10p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington +

     

    Preview:

    Tonight the Washington Capitals begin their Western Canada road trip with a battle in Vancouver where this team is currently one of the pleasant surprises early on this season. However, the Canucks will be without rookie sensation Elias Petterson who is still out with a concussion and is still going through protocol.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Brett Connolly

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Chandler Stephenson – Lars Eller – Andre Burakovsky

    Dmitrij Jaskin – Nic Dowd – Devante Smith-Pelly

    Michal Kempny – John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov – Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos – Brooks Orpik

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Start strong and remain consistent

    The Capitals are going to need a strong start to this road trip and a win tonight will help with that. So far the Capitals have put out one true 60 minute game and that was their home opener against Boston.

     

    2. Keep your feet moving

    The Capitals are going up against a much younfer and faster Canucks team, which means the Capitals will need to keep their feet moving, and put the pressure on the Canucks.

     

    Vancouver Canucks:

    Projected Lineup:

    Nikolay Goldobin – Bo Horvat – Brock Boeser

    Sven Baertschi – Adam Gaudette – Jake Virtanen

    Antoine Roussel – Brandon Sutter – Loui Eriksson

    Tim Schaller – Markus Granlund – Tyler Motte

    Alexander Edler – Chris Tanev

    Ben Hutton – Erik Gudbranson

    Derrick Pouliot – Troy Stetcher

    Anders Nilsson

    Jacob Markstrom

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Utilize their speed

    As mentioned in my second key for the Capitals, these Canicks are younger and faster, and they can utilize their speed to pressure the Capitals defense into making mistakes.

     

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

  • Game Recap – 10/19/2018 – Florida Panthers v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 10/19/2018 – Florida Panthers v. Washington Capitals

     

     

    Florida Panthers (0-2-2 2pts) v. Washington Capitals (3-2-1 7pts)

     

    Lineups:

    Florida Panthers:

    Evgenii Dadonov — Aleksander Barkov — Nick Bjugstad

    Vincent Trocheck — Colton Sceviour — Jonathan Huberdeau

    Frank Vatrano — Jared McCann — Denis Malgin

    Mike Hoffman — Juho Lammikko — Troy Brouwer

    Keith Yandle — Aaron Ekblad

    Mark Pysyk — Alexander Petrovic

    Bogdan Kiselevich — MacKenzie Weegar

    James Reimer

    Michael Hutchinson

    Scratched: Maxim Mamin

    Injured: Roberto Luongo (knee), Derek MacKenzie (upper body), Jamie McGinn (back)

    Suspended: Mike Matheson

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Chandler Stephenson

    Jakub Vrana — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Brooks Orpik — Christian Djoos

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Madison Bowey, Nathan Walker

    Injured: Travis Boyd (lower body)

    Suspended: Tom Wilson

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 6:10 – Jakub Vrana 2 minutes for Slashing

    Panthers Goal – 10:49 – Vincent Trocheck (2) from Jonathan Huberdeau (2) and Alexander Petrovic (1)

    Capitals Goal – 15:26 – John Carlson (4) from Lars Eller (1) and Michal Kempny (1)

    Capitals Penalty – 15:41 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Hooking

    Panthers PPG – 15:58 – Evgenii Dadonov (3) from Aleksander Barkov (2) and Vincent Trocheck (4)

    Panthers Goal – 16:36 – Colton Sceviour (1) from Jonathan Huberdeau (3) and Vincent Trocheck (5)

    Panthers Goal – 18:52 – Jared McCann (1) from Denis Malgin (3) and Keith Yandle (5)

     

    End of 1st – FLA – 4       WAS – 1

    Shots              11                 5

    Faceoffs         10                 9

    Hits                 7                   10

    PP                 1/2                 0/0

     

    Analysis:

    This game was putrid for the Capitals. They played little to no urgency and they let Florida control the tempo in this game. Also doesn’t help that Jakub Vrana takes another offensive zone penalty to start the game. The Capitals got a great drive from Lars Eller that resulted in John Carlson’s goal, but after that Florida dominated once again.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to get their game back on track, and they should pull Braden Holtby and put in Pheonix Copley to help with that. This isn’t on Holtby, but it sends a loud message to the team. Also the Capitals need to play with urgency. Like our good freind Ted Starkey has been saying for a while now:

     

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Note – – Pheonix Copley Starts in Goal

    Capitals Goal – 1:48 – Brett Connolly (1) from Jakub Vrana (1)

    Panthers Penalty – 3:50 – Keith Yandle 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals Goal – 8:38 – Jakub Vrana (2) from Lars Eller (2) and Brett Connolly (5)

    Capitals Penalty – 9:51 – Christian Djoos 2 minutes for Interference

    Panthers Penalty – 9:51 – Frank Vatrano 2 minutes for Embellishment

    Capitals Goal – 13:15 – Devante Smith-Pelly (1) from  Matt Niskanen (3) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (7)

    Panthers Note – – James Reimer pulled for Michael Hutchinson

    Capitals Penalty – 17:18 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Interference

    Capitals Penalty – 18:03 – Bench (Brett Connolly) 2 minutes for Too Many Men

    Panthers PPG – 19:09 – Jonathan Huberdeau (2) from Evgenii Dadonov (3) and Mike Hoffman (2)

    Capitals Penalty – 19:52 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

     

    End of 2nd – FLA – 5        WAS – 4

    Shots               17                  21

    Faceoffs          24                  21

    Hits                 14                  17

    PP                   2/4                  0/1

     

    Analysis:

    This was a much better period for the Capitals. They out shot the Panthers 16-6, and dominated throughout the period. The only problem with this period was the trail of penalties to end the period. Also good line shuffling by head coach Todd Reirdon, and pulling Holtby sent the message that was needed.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to keep up the pressure in the Panthers zone and they need to kill off this 5 on 3 that they’ve put themselves into for the second time in a very short period of time.

     

    Third Period:

    Panthers Note

    Panthers Penalty – 7:38 – Vincent Trocheck 2 minutes for Roughing

    Capitals Penalty – 8:29 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Panthers Penalty – 16:52 – MacKenzie Weegar 2 minutes for Interference

    Capitals PPG – 18:35 – Nicklas Backstrom (2) from Lars Eller (3) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (8)

    Capitals Penalty – 19:37 – Matt Niskanen 2 minutes for Tripping

     

    End of 3rd – FLA – 5         WAS – 5

    Shots              27                   29

    Faceoffs         33                   31

    Hits                 20                   27

    PP                   2/6                  1/3

     

    Overtime:

    N/A

     

    End of OT – FLA – 5         WAS – 5

    Shots              30                   31

    Faceoffs         33                   32

    Hits                 20                   28

    PP                   2/7                  1/3

     

    Shootout:

    Capitals – – TJ Oshie – – Goal

    Panthers – – Aleksander Barkov – – Goal

    Capitals – – Evgeny Kuznetsov – – Goal

    Panthers – – Nick Bjugstad – – Save

    Capitals – – Alex Ovechkin – – Save

    Panthers – – Vincent Trocheck – – Goal

    Capitals – – Nicklas Backstrom – – Miss

    Panthers – – Jonathan Huberdeau – – Goal

     

    End of SO – FLA – 6         WAS – 5

     

    Analysis:

    This was a wild one at home before going on their Western Canada trip, which saw the Capitals pick up a point in a game that one could say they didn’t deserve to even make it to overtime with the way the first period went. However, Todd Reirdon did a good job of sparking his team and rally back against the Panthers.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (3-2-2 8pts) @ Vancouver (4-1-0 8pts)

    Florida (1-2-2 4pts) v. Detroit (0-5-2 2pts)

     

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