X75 Productions

Category: Washington Capitals

  • Washington Capitals Forwards Preview Part 2

    WAS

     

    With the 2018-19 season getting ready to begin, we are going to take a more in depth look at the Washington Capitals and see how they stand and what the lineup could, or should, look like. In today’s article we will be looking at the third and fourth forward lines for the Capitals.

     

    Third Line:

    Andre Burakovsky – Lars Eller – Brett Connolly

    During the playoffs both Lars Eller and Brett Connolly were clutch players for the Capitals as the elevated their play as the team got deeper into the playoffs. Andre Burakovsky had yet another injury plagued season marked with inconsistency, yet he meshed very well with Eller and Connolly. Plus knowing that Eller is a good stand in if either or Nicklas Backstrom or Evgeny Kuznetsov go down to injury, and if that happens then if Burakovsky can stay healthy and play consistently, then he too could be elevated to a higher role if needed. Also having Burakovsky on the third line with Eller and Connolly is a positive for both him and the line.

     

    Fourth Line:

    Jakub Vrana – Nic Dowd – Devante Smith-Pelly

    Devante Smith-Pelly was spectacular in the playoffs for the Capitals as he scored multiple clutch and game winning goals to help guide the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup. Nic Dowd, who was signed as a free agent from Vancouver, will be entering his first season with the Capitals and will be looking to fill the fourth line center role that was left vacant when Jay Beagle signed with Vancouver over the summer. If Dowd can get a defined role on the team he will excel and grow like the way Eller, Connolly, and others have the past few seasons. Now as for Jakub Vrana is that he needs to build chemistry with the team. He is a talented player, but his chemistry with others needs work. Having Vrana on the fourth line will also add some speed, playmaking, and some more scoring.

     

    Tomorrow on TXHTHockey.com we will have our Washington Capitals Defense Preview focusing on all three defensive pairings for the Capitals.

     

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

  • 9/21/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes Live Game Updates (Demo Run)

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Chandler Stephenson – Lars Eller – Sergei Shumakov

    Shane Gersich – Travis Boyd – Riley Barber

    Liam O’Brien – Nic Dowd – Juuso Ikonen

    Dimtry Orlov – Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler – Madison Bowey

    Lucas Johansen – Aaron Ness

    Braden Holtby

    Ilya Samsonov

     

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Brock McGinn – Jordan Staal – Justin Williams

    Warren Foegele – Martin Necas – Teuvo Teravainen

    Valentin Zykov – Sebastian Aho – Andrei Svechnikov

    Jordan Martinook – Wallmark – Phillip Di Giuseppe

    Jaccob Slavin – Dougie Hamilton

    Calvin de Haan – Justin Faulk

    Hayden Fluery – Brett Pesce

    Petr Mrazek

    Alex Nedelijkovic

     

    First Period:

    1. Capitals Penalty – Sergei Shumakov 2 minutes for High Sticking – 1:54
    2. Hurricanes PPG – Valentin Zykov (2) from Andrei Svechnikov (2) and Jaccob Slavin (2)

     

    3. Hurricanes Penalty – Sebastian Aho 2 minutes for High Sticking – 7:18

    4. Hurricanes Goal – Jordan Staal (1) from Jaccob Slavin (3) and Brock McGinn (1) – 11:33

     

    5. Capitals Goal – Nicklas Backstrom (1) from Aaron Ness (1) and Dmitry Orlov (1) – 12:21

     

    6. Hurricanes Penalty – Hayden Fleury 2 minutes for Tripping – 12:53

    7. Hurricanes SHG – Jordan Martinook (1) from Warren Foegele (2) – 13:36

     

     

    Score – WAS 1         CAR 3

    Shots –    7                   12

    FO’s –    8/20             12/20

    Hits –      4                   13

    PP –        0/2                1/1

     

    Analysis: This was a very sloppy first period for the Capitals as they were coughing up turnovers left and right in their own zone. Also the Caps were having great difficulty generating good breakouts out of their own zone. The Caps did respond well when they went down 2-0, but giving up a shorthanded goal that long after is a bad blow for this team.

     

    Need to Do: The Capitals need to tighten up in their own zone, and generate cleaner breakouts with better crisp passes. Also the Capitals need to do a better job in the offensive zone, and generate some better opportunities around Petr Mrazek.

     

    Second Period:

    8. Capitals Penalty – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Holding – 1:20

    9. Hurricanes Penalty – Calvin de Haan 2 minutes for Interference – 5:48

    10. Hurricanes Penalty – Warren Foegele 2 minutes for Slashing – 18:13

     

    Score – WAS 1         CAR 3

    Shots –    10                18

    FO’s –    13/30           17/30

    Hits –      13                 23

    PP –        0/4                1/2

     

    Analysis: This was a better period for the Capitals. They played with some more hustle, but they only generated 3 shots this period.

     

    Need to Do: The Capitals need to clean up their passes a bit more and they need to generate more scoring chances. The powerplay looked ok, but it didn’t generate much and they need to do better.

     

    Third Period:

    11. Capitals Penalty – Aaron Ness 2 minutes for Holding – 1:50

    12. Capitals Penalty – Shane Gersich 2 minutes for High Sticking – 16:56

    13. Hurricanes PPG – Jaccob Slavin (2) from Valentin Zykov (1) and Jordan Staal (1) – 17:16

    14. Hurricanes ENG – Martin Necas (2) from Warren Foegele (3) from Dougie Hamilton Hamilton (1)

    15. Captials Penalty – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Hooking – 19:42

     

    Score – WAS 1         CAR 5

    Shots –    18                 26

    FO’s –    23/47           24/47

    Hits –      20                 35

    PP –        0/4                2/5

     

    Analysis: Tough loss for the Capitals, but this is what happens when you take too many penalties, don’t capitalize on your powerplay opportunities, and most importantly, can’t generate clean breakouts to get out of your own zone. Caps are still winless in the preseason, which doesn’t mean anything right now especially since the entire main roster has yet to play together in this preseason. There are 3 more preseason games left, expect to see the Caps round back to form before Oct. 3rd.

     

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

  • 2018-19 Washington Capitals Preview

    WAS

    Last Season: 49-26-7 105 pts (1st in Metropolitan Division; Stanley Cup Champions)

    Key Additions: Coach Todd Reirdon

    Key Departures: D Jakub Jerabek, F Jay Beagle, G Philipp Grubauer, and Coach Barry Trotz

    Top Questions Facing the Capitals:

    1. Can the Washington Capitals avoid the Stanley Cup hangover?

    For the first time ever as Stanley Cup Champions, the Capitals will be going into a season after a very short offseason. With the partying over, and the focus now back on the ice, how the Capitals start this season could dictate how this seasons goes. Plus being how essentially 99% of the team returned, the eagerness to repeat could help them not feel any hangover at all.

    2. Who will step up in Jay Beagle’s abscence?

    With Beagle signing with Vancouver, the Capitals lost their best faceoff guy and penalty killer. The Capitals signed Nic Dowd as a free agent so he’ll get a shot at filling Beagle’s spot, but then there are the kids Travis Boyd and Shane Gersich waiting in the wings. The only open spot will be interesting to see both who starts in it, but also who ends the season in that spot.

     

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