X75 Productions

Tag: NHL

  • Game Recap – 11/24/2018 – Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers

    Washington Capitals (12-7-3 27pts) v. New York Rangers (12-9-2 26pts)

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals are going to try to extend their season-long winning streak to five games when they play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden today. Meanwhile, the Rangers have won seven in a row at home, and will be looking to extend that streak to eight games.

     

    The Capitals will be without forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie for a fifth consecutive game due to upper body and concussion injuries respectively. In that time Tom Wilson has stepped up since returning from suspension as he has eight points (3 goals and 5 assists) in 6 games.

     

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Jonas Siegenthaler

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Madison Bowey

    Injured: Evgeny Kuznetsov (upper body), T.J. Oshie (Concussion), Brooks Orpik (Knee Surgery)

     

    Capitals Notes:

     

    New York Rangers:

    Vladislav Namestnikov — Mika Zibanejad — Jesper Fast

    Chris Kreider — Kevin Hayes — Filip Chytil

    Jimmy Vesey — Brett Howden — Ryan Strome

    Tim Gettinger — Lias Andersson — Steven Fogarty

    Marc Staal — Neal Pionk

    Fredrik Claesson– Kevin Shattenkirk

    Brady Skjei — Brendan Smith

    Alexandar Georgiev

    Henrik Lundqvist

    Scratched: Tony DeAngelo

    Injured: Adam McQuaid (lower body), Pavel Buchnevich (broken thumb), Cody McLeod (fractured left hand), Mats Zuccarello (groin)

     

    Rangers Notes:

     

    First Period:

    Rangers Penalty – :25 – Jesper Fast 2 minutes for Tripping

    Rangers Penalty – 6:59 – Jimmy Vesey 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Rangers Goal – 9:12 – Jimmy Vesey (8) from Jesper Fast (7) and Kevin Hayes (10)

    Capitals Penalty – 17:27 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       NYR – 1

    Shots              06                12

    Faceoffs         02                13

    Hits               09                  14

    PP                 0/2                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – This was a very horrible period for the Capitals. They were out shot 12-6, and were decimated in the faceoff circle winning only 2 faceoffs the entire period. Their powerplay was sloppy and they had 10 giveaways in the first period. Not good at all.

     

    Rangers (Russell) – The Rangers came out a bit flat like they did against the Flyers but the goal by Jimmy Vesey sparked them and led to a pretty solid back end of the 1st period. They looked like the 9-1-1 team in the last 10 minutes but it’s clear they cant give the Capitals any space.

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals need to show up and clean their game completely. They need to do a better job in the faceoff circle, doing zone entries, and they need to be much smarter with the puck and cut down on their turnovers. Also the Capitals need to do a better job of establishing a presence in the Rangers zone generate some scoring chances.

     

    Rangers (Russell) – The Rangers need to keep the game simple, get pucks deep and Pheonix Copley can be beat. It seems Copley goes down quick so shoot high!

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :59 – Lars Eller 2 minutes for Hooking

    Rangers Goal – 9:39 – Brady Skjei (2) from Brendan Smith (4) and Kevin Hayes (11)

    Capitals Goal – 10:10 – Nic Dowd (2) from John Carlson (18) and Brett Connolly (9)

    Capitals Goal – 16:27 – Jakub Vrana (6) from unassisted

    Capitals Goal – 19:30 – Alex Ovechkin (17) from John Carlson (19) and Dmitry Orlov (7)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 3        NYR – 2

    Shots               21                 21

    Faceoffs          10                 23

    Hits                 24                  30

    PP                   0/2                  0/2

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – The first half of the 2nd period was not very good, but after the Rangers took a 2-0 lead the Capitals woke up and started scoring. However, the Capitals were out shooting the Rangers 9-0 when the Rangers scored their lone goal of the period, but the Capitals didn’t back down and got two goals that were tipped in due to presence in front of the net, and one goal from Jakub Vrana out hustling the Rangers defense to win the puck and the opportunity to score.

     

    Rangers (Russell) – Rangers had a great first half that led to a nice goal by Brady Skjei. Alexandar Georgiev looked very sharp early on but the Caps would storm back taking advantage of some costly defensive mistakes. The Rangers defense really needs to tighten up and protect the net front area as well. Georgiev looks a bit rattled especially after that Ovechkin goal so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Lundqvist for the third.

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals still need to do a much better job in the face off circle as they have won only 10 faceoffs this game and winning faceoffs is key to creating puck possession. Also the Capitals need to cut down on their turnovers and clean their game up some more. The final 20 minutes are going to be crucial.

     

    Rangers (Russell) – The Rangers need to tighten up defensively and just get traffic in front of Copley. Get everything on net. Put Chris Kreider, Filip Chytil, and Mika Zibanejad out to start and see if they can get an early goal.

    Third Period:

    Rangers Goal – 5:30 – Ryan Strome (2) from Brett Howden (9) and Neal Pionk (11)

    Capitals Goal – 13:36 – Brett Connolly (4) from John Carlson (20) and Jakub Vrana (8)

    Capitals ENG – 18:52 – Tom Wilson (4) from Michal Kempny (4)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 5         NYR – 3

    Shots              28                   30

    Faceoffs        15                    27

    Hits               33                     42

    PP                 0/2                    0/2

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – Despite this game being more of a sloppy one in regards to puck possession, The Capitals were able to overcome and secure their 5th straight victory. John Carlson was pivotal as he had 3 assists to help lead the Capitals to a 5-3 victory over the Rangers. However, the Capitals need to clean up elements of their game going into Monday night’s contest against former head coach Barry Trotz and the New York Islanders. Also this was a great game for Dmitrij Jaskin. He played very solid hockey and had several quality scoring chances today.

     

    Rangers (Russell) – The Rangers came out swinging in this period and were rewarded with a great play by Brett Howden and Ryan Strome’s first as a Ranger. From there though, another defensive lapse would cost them as Brett Connolly would strike for the Caps 4th goal of the game. The Rangers would lose 5-3. Now as far as games go, it was a better effort than yesterday’s fumble against the Flyers. The team had some good jump and they capitalized on some good chances. But as was the case earlier in the season, defensively this team still has a long way to go to figure things out. Coach Quinn needs to make sure everyone knows their assignments and that the front of the net is always cleared. Never let too much traffic build up in front of the goaltender. Another solid game from Brett Howden and Jimmy Vesey was a bright spot of today’s game. Brady Skjei getting on the board was also great since he had been healthy scratched for a bit and needed a confidence booster. In a season of rebuilding/retooling, the Rangers showed spirit against the defending Stanley Cup champs.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (13-7-3 29pts) @ NY Islanders (1-8-2 24pts)

    NY Rangers (12-10-2 26pts) v. Ottawa (9-11-3 21pts)

     

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

  • November 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Saturday, November 24th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There was a full 15-game slate yesterday.

     

     

    PHILADELPHIA 4, NY Rangers 0

    Claude Giroux would register his 481st career assist, moving into second place for the most assists in Flyers history.

    For the second straight match-up between the two teams, the Philadelphia Flyers would go on to beat the Rangers by a shutout.

     

    BUFFALO 3, Montreal 2 (OT)

     

    The Buffalo Sabres would defeat the Montreal Canadiens to win their eighth consecutive game, the fourth such occasion of winning eight consecutive games.

     

     

    Montreal’s Andrew Shaw would go on to score his seventh goal of the season in the overtime loss to the Sabres.

     

     

    NY Islanders 4, NEW JERSEY 3 (OT)

     

    The Islanders Mathew Barzal would register the game-winner in overtime to defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3.

     

    For the Devils, Keith Kinkaid had 31 saves on 35 opportunities.

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1066144139194953728

     

    WASHINGTON 3, Detroit 1

    In the Washington Capitals contest against the Detroit Red Wings, Washington’s Tom Wilson, Michal Kempny, and Alex Ovechkin would score.  For Detroit, Andreas Athanasiou, would register the lone goal.

    TXHT has your recap of the contest between the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings at the following page.

     

    Game Recap – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

     

    MINNESOTA 4, Winnipeg 2

    The Minnesota Wild would score four unanswered goals to get the win, and improve to a record of 14-7-2.

     

    ANAHEIM 2, Edmonton 1 (OT)

     

    The Anaheim Ducks Rickard Rakell would score his fifth regular-season overtime goal, tying Scott Niedermeyer.  Rakell is one regular-season overtime goal away from tying Corey Perry and Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne for second place with six.

     

     

    VEGAS 2, Calgary 0

     

    Vegas Golden Knights G Marc-Andre Fleury would go on to register his 52nd NHL career shutout in the Golden Knights 2-0 win.  He is one win away from tying Pekka Rinne for third place on the all-time list for shutouts by an active NHL goaltender.

     

    COLUMBUS 4, Toronto 2

    With the Columbus Blue Jackets win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, they now have sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division.

     

     

    Steve Gardiner, TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor, has your preview and recap of the Toronto’s contest at the following page.

    Game Day Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 23/11/2018

     

     

    BOSTON 2, Pittsburgh 1 (OT)

     

    Boston Bruins Joakim Nordstrom would score his first NHL overtime goal and helped the Bruins extend their point streak to four games, compiling a record of 2-0-2.

     

     

    TAMPA BAY 4, Chicago 2

    The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Chicago Blackhawks last night by a 4-2 score.

    Tampa Bay is 7-0-1 against the Blackhawks since their match-up in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, compiling seven straight wins in that eight game span.

     

     

    CAROLINA 4, Florida 1

    Jordan Martinook registered a hat trick for the Carolina Hurricanes in the big win last night.

    Florida’s Mike Hoffman’s 17-game point streak came to an

     

    ST. LOUIS 6, Nashville 2

     

    DALLAS 6, Ottawa 4

     

    Colorado 5, ARIZONA 1

     

    Colorado Avalanche’s J.T. Compher would score two shorthanded goals on the same power-play to give the Colorado a 5-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

     

     

    SAN JOSE 4, Vancouver 0

     

    San Jose’s Joe Thornton recorded his 231st game with multiple assists in the regular season, one shy of tying Joe Sakic for 10th place all time.

     

     

    Also, Joe Thornton would go on to play in his 1,500th NHL game last night and was honoured in a pre-game ceremony last night in San Jose.

     

     

    Today’s schedule of games

     

     

    This week’s NHL European Game pits the Washington Capitals at the New York Rangers at 2 p.m., ET.

     

     

    For more news, notes, info, and stats…

     

     

    In NHL News…

    Former NHL referee Mick McGeough passed away.  NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on his passing.

  • Is the contract a Nylander problem or a Leafs front office issue?

    Is the contract a Nylander problem or a Leafs front office issue?

    I’ve heard the question posed in many circles in the last few months. Many people will point to front office and say “well they signed John Tavares with the contract of William Nylander looming, that tells me this is not a Nylander issue”. I’ve also heard it put the other way, some analysts and GM’s are saying “well, Nylander is asking for way too much money and won’t even bargain, he’s just not worth 8 million.”

    I finally want to put this rest and use some statistics to back up if William Nylander is worth 8 million a season. So let’s take a look.

    In Nylander’s last season with the Leafs he ranked…

    109th in goals

    59th in assists

    66th in points

    59th in points per 60 mins

    32nd in Primary assists

    He’s not trusted at center because he’s not defensively responsible

    You may ask why are some of these even matter in the grand scheme of a contract dispute. Well let me explain a bit. Goals, assists, points are fairly self explanatory most contracts are bargained off of these. But it’s the last 3 that make for intriguing points.  Point per 60 mins shows consistency in a players game, by determining how much they score every 60 minutes their on the ice you can begin to establish what you will be getting for your contract. Primary assists determine if the player (primarily playmakers) is the primary contributor on the team or if he plays a large role in getting his players the puck. Primary assist show the plays ability to get the puck to his teammates effectively. Defensive play majority of teams hold this in high regard, they just don’t want a guy they can stick on the powerplay or a guy that only gives everything in the offensive zone. They want players who will chase other players down when losing puck battles.

    Nylander is demanding 8 million a year because in his words he doesn’t want to be left behind when Matthews and Marner sign big contracts. He has also said he believes his play on the ice warrants 8 million. Let’s take a closer look at some comparables and see what they make.

    So 4 players made 8 million last season those names are…

    Phil Kessel who scored a whopping 92 points, 3.60 point per game, 1.33 goals per game and 2.27 assists per game. 40 of his 58 assists were primary. Since joining the Pens Kessel has improved his defensive play but still struggles at the best of times.

    Brent Burns – Do we really need reasons to justify why Brent Burns is better than William Nylander? I guess so.  Burns had 67 points, 1.94 point per 60 minutes, 0.35 goals per 60 mins and 1.59 assists per 60 mins 30 of his 50 assists were primary and Burns is one of the top defenders in the league. Perspective is needed here defencemen vs forward.

    Joe Thornton – only played 47 games accumulated 36 points. 2.51 point per 60 and 11 of his 23 assist were primary. 1.60 assist per 60 mins and 0.90 point per 60 mins.

    Ryan Johansen – Has a very injury riddle season last year but put up 54 points last season.  2.21 point per 60 mins, 0.61 goals per 60 mins, and 1.60 assists per 60 mins. Of his 39 assists 17 were primary.

    Johansen would be the only comparable but he has a track record to prove he’s having an off season.
    Others who were up there close to 8 million or just over are Ryan Getzlaf, Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, & Victor Hedman.

    All this stats work to say this… Nylander is asking for top 30 money but only putting numbers justifying being paid like a top 50 or 60 player. So the question is, Is this Leafs management trying to be cheap or Nylander trying to be greedy?

    I think the Stats and players mentioned above show that Nylander’s demands are much much more then he deserves according to his own numbers.

     

  • Gameday Preview – 11/24/2018 – Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers

    Gameday Preview – 11/24/2018 – Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers

    Washington Capitals (12-7-3 27pts) v. New York Rangers (12-9-2 26pts)

     

    Date: Saturday November 24th, 2018

    Time: 2p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington, MSG, and NHL Network

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals roll into Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers in a Saturday matinee that sees the Capitals aiming for their fifth straight victory. Meanwhile, the Rangers are going to be looking to get back to their winning ways after being blanked by the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 on Black Friday.

     

    The Capitals could possibly be starting Pheonix Copley while the Rangers could be starting Alexandar Georgiev in goal. It is still unknown at this time if Evgeny Kuznetsov or TJ Oshie will be on the trip at this time.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Jonas Siegenthaler

    Injured: Evgeny Kuznetsov (upper body), T.J. Oshie (Concussion), Brooks Orpik (Knee Surgery)

     

    Capitals Notes:

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Control the Tempo

    The Capitals need to go into New York and control the tempo against the Rangers who have been red hot at MSG this month. The Capitals also need force the play in the Rangers zone and clog things up and have better puck possession to maintain control of the tempo.

     

    2. Generate better scoring chances

    The Capitals need to do a much better job of generating scoring chances. Against Detroit they were sloppy on their powerplay and passed too much, and need to do a better job of getting bodies to the net and getting the puck to the net to generate those opportunities.

     

    New York Rangers:

    Projected Lineup:

    Vladislav Namestnikov — Mika Zibanejad — Jesper Fast

    Chris Kreider — Kevin Hayes — Filip Chytil

    Jimmy Vesey — Brett Howden — Ryan Strome

    Mats Zuccarello — Lias Andersson — Steven Fogarty

    Marc Staal — Neal Pionk

    Fredrik Claesson — Kevin Shattenkirk

    Brady Skjei — Tony DeAngelo

    Henrik Lundqvist

    Alexandar Georgiev

    Scratched: Brendan Smith

    Injured: Adam McQuaid (lower body), Pavel Buchnevich (broken thumb), Cody McLeod (fractured left hand)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Forget Philadelphia happened

    On Black Friday the Rangers played a very focused and intense Philadelphia Flyers team, and in the last 5 minutes of the game fell completely apart allowing 3 goals in the final 3 minutes. The Rangers will need to have a short memory and focus on the Capitals as they hopping right into it with another matinee as well.

     

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

  • Game Recap – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

    Detroit Red Wings (10-9-2 22pts) v. Washington Capitals (11-7-3 25pts)

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals go for their fourth straight victory and their longest winning streak this season when they host the Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena on Black Friday. Meanwhile the red hot Red Wings are 8-2-0 in their past 10 games and are looking for their seventh win in eight games.

     

    Lineups:

    Detroit Red Wings:

    Justin Abdelkader — Dylan Larkin — Anthony Mantha

    Gustav Nyquist — Frans Nielsen — Andreas Athanasiou

    Tyler Bertuzzi — Luke Glendening — Michael Rasmussen

    Christoffer Ehn — Jacob de la Rose — Thomas Vanek

    Trevor Daley — Mike Green

    Niklas Kronwall — Dennis Cholowski

    Danny DeKeyser — Nick Jensen

    Jonathan Bernier

    Jimmy Howard

    Scratched: Luke Witkowski, Martin Frk

    Injured: Evgeny Svechnikov (knee surgery), Jonathan Ericsson (undisclosed), Darren Helm (upper body)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Jonas Siegenthaler

    Injured: Evgeny Kuznetsov (upper body), T.J. Oshie (Concussion), Brooks Orpik (Knee Surgery)

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 6:38 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Tripping

    Red Wings Goal – 8:46 – Andreas Athanasiou (10) from Thomas Vanek (4) and Danny DeKeyser (4)

     

    End of 1st – DET – 1       WAS – 0

    Shots              14                05

    Faceoffs         08                13

    Hits               05                  09

    PP                 0/1                 0/0

     

    Analysis:

    This was not a very good period for the Capitals. They were out played and out hustled for the majority of the period, plus the Red Wings out shot the Capitals 14-5 which is not acceptable. One bright spot is the fact that the Capitals are doing a good job in the faceoff circle winning 62% in the first period. The score could be worse, but Braden Holtby is playing extremely well, and keeping them in the game.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to get their forecheck going and force the play in the Red Wings’ zone and generate scoring chances. Late in the first period the Capitals started doing that, and they need to continue that and kick it up a notch and force the play against the Red Wings. Also the Capitals need to keep their feet moving and force the Red Wings to take some penalties.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :42 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Holding

    Red Wings Penalty – 3:14 – Nick Jensen 2 minutes for Hooking

    Red Wings Penalty – 5:57 – Bench (Thomas Vanek) 2 minutes for Too Many Men

    Capitals Goal – 12:13 – Tom Wilson (3) from Nicklas Backstrom (19) and Alex Ovechkin (10)

     

    End of 2nd – DET – 1        WAS – 1

    Shots               18                 13

    Faceoffs          15                 24

    Hits                 08                  20

    PP                   0/2                  0/2

     

    Analysis:

    This was a better period for the Capitals that saw them hold the Red wings to 4 shots the entire period, and the Capitals had 8 shots on the period themselves. They did a good job of drawing a couple penalties this period, but did not convert on either opportunity. The controlled the tempo a bit better, but can do a better job in the third period.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to kick it up a notch and really force the play in the Red Wings zone. The Capitals also need to play a full 20 minutes to help potentially close out the Red Wings in regulation. The Capitals also need to do a better job with their powerplay opportunities.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :20 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals Goal – 6:38 – Michal Kempny (2) from Travis Boyd (5) and Andre Burakovsky (3)

    Capitals Goal – 8:34 – Alex Ovechkin (16) from Nic Dowd (2) and Tom Wilson (5)

    Red Wings Penalty – 11:12 – Mike Green 2 minutes for Hooking

     

    End of 3rd – DET – 1         WAS – 3

    Shots              32                   20

    Faceoffs        25                    34

    Hits               12                     23

    PP                 0/3                    0/3

    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1066117163180851201

     

    Analysis:

    This was a solid game defensively for the Capitals, but their overall game could have been better. In the third period the Capitals were out shot once again by the Red Wings 14-7, and Braden Holtby were relied on heavily to keep the Capitals in the game. The powerplay was a bit sloppy and there were too many passes, and that will need to get cleaned up going into tomorrow’s matinee visiting the New York Rangers as well.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (12-7-3 27pts) @ NY Rangers (12-9-2 26pts)

    Detroit (10-10-2 22pts) v. Buffalo (15-6-2 32pts)

     

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

  • Is Kasperi Kapanen the real deal?

    Is Kasperi Kapanen the real deal?

    Kapanen has been a pleasant surprise for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season so far. With Nylander holding out and the expectation so high on this team, Kapanen has taken his opportunity and ran with it.

    As it sits right now Kapanen is tied with Auston Matthews (who’s been injured for a bit) for 4th in Leafs scoring with 16 points. 9 goals and 7 assists to be exact. Now the thing about Kapanen that has the Leafs salivating is his shot, his 2-way play, his insane speed and the ability to go hard to the net and fight for pucks in the corners.

    Kapanen is one of these players where he doesn’t excel in one particular skill, but he doesn’t everything great. Not the best shooter but has good nhl shot, with good accuracy. His speed makes him a tremendous penalty killer and a threat to score 5 on 5 and shorthanded every time he’s on the ice. His grittiness is not on the level of a Tom Wilson, but make no mistakes he will finish his checks every time and battle in the corner every time for loose pucks.

    Kapanen has all the tools to be a real good NHLer. In fact when I think of Kapanen I am always drawn back to the comparison of him to Justin Williams. Watch Williams play not the greatest shot, but he’s accurate, with grit out the corners all game despite not being the biggest player. Will penalty kill for you and scores big goals.

    Kapanen is on pace for 33 goals and 20 assists and 63 points.  Which would put him as one of the Leafs top point getters and easily replace William Nylander’s points. I’m not saying who is better here. But I will state that Kapanen brings a more rounded game, a game that seemingly has very little holes in it.

    I’ve been very high on Kapanen since the Leafs acquired him from Pittsburgh in the Kessel deal. I said to many people Kapanen will be the deal breaker in the Kessel deal and right now he’s showing exactly why.

    Exciting, explosive player to watch every game. Do I believe Kasperi Kapanen is the real deal? Yes, Yes I do without a shadow of a doubt.

     

  • November 23rd, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 23rd, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Friday, November 23rd, 2018 and these are your news and notes.

    There were no contests yesterday and today we will preview a few of the contests that are happening today.

    First, there is the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

     

     

    The New York Rangers are currently 12-8-2 on the season and the Philadelphia Flyers are 9-10-2 on the season.

     

    The New York Rangers look to win their fourth consecutive game and the Philadelphia Flyers look to get back in the win column today.

     

    New York Rangers rookie Filip Chytil looks to extend his goal scoring streak to six consecutive games today.

     

    Philadelphia needs to do a better job today with moving the puck and taking better chances on any and all scoring chances.

     

    Philadelphia’s performance against the Buffalo Sabres was not good and the Sabres burned the Flyers on multiple occasions.

     

     

    TXHT has your preview of the contest between the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals at the following page.

     

    Gameday Preview – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

     

     

     

    Next we have the Edmonton Oilers facing off against the Anaheim Ducks at 4 p.m. ET.  This contest will be available for free on NHL.TV as the Free Game of the Week.

     

    Edmonton is 10-10-1 (21 pts) on the season and Anaheim is 9-9-5 (23 pts).

     

    Edmonton is looking to win back-to back games under new bench boss Ken Hitchcock however the Oilers are 2-6-0 in their last eight contests.

     

    The Anaheim Ducks in their last 16 contests are 4-8-4.

     

    The key players to watch in today’s contest are the Oilers Connor McDavid, who is recently coming off scoring his 100th NHL career goal in Edmonton’s Tuesday contest, and Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf.

     

    Getzlaf has four points in his last two games and has registered six points in the last three contests against the Oilers.

     

     

    The Winnipeg Jets are 12-6-2 (26 pts) on the season and the Minnesota Wild has a record of 13-7-2 (25 pts).

     

    Winnipeg looks to win their second game on their road trip against the Wild and bounce back after their 6-3 loss against the Calgary Flames Wednesday night.

     

    Minnesota looks to win their second straight game today.

     

    Winnipeg Jets look to defeat the Minnesota Wild in their third game on road trip

     

     

    The Montreal Canadiens thus far have a record of 11-7-4 (26 pts) and the Buffalo Sabres have a record of 14-6-2.

     

    Buffalo looks to win their eighth consecutive contest and looks to halt Montreal’s Max Domi and his scoring streak of at least a point at 11 consecutive contests.

     

    Montreal looks to get back to winning ways after losing their last two games and three out of their last five.

     

     

     

    The New York Islanders have a record of 10-8-2 (22 pts) and the New Jersey Devils have a record of 9-9-2 (20 pts).

     

    The Islanders look to get back in the win column after dropping their last two games while the New Jersey Devils look to tie the Islanders in the division standings.

     

    New Jersey’s Pavel Zacha looks to have goals in four consecutive games.

     

    The Islanders C Matthew Barzal has six points in the past six contests and the Devils G Keith Kinkaid is 3-0-1 in his last four games and has a GAA of 1.75 with a save percentage of .940 in those last four contests.

     

     

     

    Finally, we will take a look at the contest between the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights.

     

    The Pacific Division-leading Calgary Flames have a record of 13-8-1 (27 pts) and the Vegas Golden Knights have a record of 10-12-1 (21 pts).

     

    Things have not been looking up for the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights throughout this season.

     

    Vegas looks to have a stronger performance against the Flames on their home ice after getting outplayed and outbeat in their 7-2 loss to Calgary on Tuesday night.

     

    Calgary looks to win their fourth consecutive game and their third win against Pacific-division foes.

     

     

    Here is today’s schedule of contests.

     

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

  • Gameday Preview – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

    Gameday Preview – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

     

    Detroit Red Wings (10-9-2 22pts) v. Washington Capitals (11-7-3 25pts)

     

    Date: Friday November 23rd, 2018

    Time: 4p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington and Fox Sports Detroit

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals go into the Black Friday Frenzy with a matinee against the visiting Detroit Red Wings, who are coming off of an overtime victory over the Boston Bruins. The Capitals will be looking to win their fourth game in a row, and have been playing much better since the return of Tom Wilson to their lineup. At the same time the Red Wings will be looking for their third straight victory, and are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games.

     

    The Capitals will still be without the services of forwards TJ Oshie (Concussion) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (Upper Body) for a fourth consecutive game.

     

    Detroit Red Wings:

    Projected Lineup:

    Anthony Mantha — Dylan Larkin — Gustav Nyquist

    Thomas Vanek — Frans Nielsen — Andreas Athanasiou

    Tyler Bertuzzi — Luke Glendening — Justin Abdelkader

    Michael Rasmussen — Jacob de la Rose — Martin Frk

    Dennis Cholowski — Mike Green

    Danny DeKeyser — Trevor Daley

    Niklas Kronwall — Nick Jensen

    Jimmy Howard

    Jonathan Bernier

    Scratched: Luke Witkowski

    Injured: Evgeny Svechnikov (knee surgery), Jonathan Ericsson (undisclosed), Darren Helm (upper body)

    *  No reports of any line changes from their last game have been reported. If any changes are made they will be reflected in our Game Recap.

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Get a good start

    The Red Wings did not start well against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, but were able to turn it around and force overtime, and get the eventual winner. However, the Capitals have been known to start games really hot, or really cold and if the Red Wings can start the game strong they can push the Capitals into a position to where the Red Wings are controlling the tempo.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

     

    Injury Notes:

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Need to play a full 60 minutes

    The Capitals started their game Wednesday night on fire by scoring two quick goals but then cooled themselves off by easing off and allowing the Chicago Blackhawks back into the game by giving them chances around the net. The Capitals will need to prevent this against the surging Red Wings, and play a complete 60 minutes.

     

    2. Stay out of the penalty box

    I don’t know what it is, but this season the Capitals have taken a lot of really bad penalties so far this season (whether warranted or not), and their Penalty Kill has not been the best so far this season having a 74.4% effective rate which ranks 28th in the League. The Capitals were a perfect 3 for 3 against Chicago, and will need to continue with that strong type of penalty killing to improve their effectiveness on the penalty kill.

     

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

  • November 22nd, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 22nd, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, November 22nd, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were 14 games on the NHL schedule yesterday.

     

    NEW JERSEY 5, Montreal 2

    Kyle Palmieri became the eighth player in franchise history to have at least 12 goals in the first 20 team games of the season.

    Montreal Canadiens Max Domi has 11 consecutive games with at least a point, tied for fourth with two other players for the longest such streak as a member of the Canadiens.

     

    NY RANGERS 5, NY Islanders 0

     

    Filip Chytil became the seventh teenager to score a goal in at least five consecutive team games since the 2005-06 season last  night.

     

    Rangers G Alexandar Georgiev became the 16th different goalie to register a shutout for the franchise and the first in over 40 years against the Islanders when Doug Soetaert achieved the mark.

     

     

    PITTSBURGH 5, Dallas 1

     

    The Pittsburgh Penguins recorded points for the 15th straight time against Western Conference games last night against the Dallas Stars.

     

     

    DETROIT 3, Boston 2 (OT)

     

    Andreas Athanasiou would score twice in the contest, including the game-winner, to snap a seven game losing streak against the Boston Bruins in the win last night.

     

     

    TAMPA BAY 7, Florida 3

     

    Mike Hoffman would register another game in where he registers at least one point for the 17th consecutive contest, the fifth most for a player while a member of a new team.

     

     

    WASHINGTON 4, Chicago 2

     

    The Washington Capitals won their eighth consecutive game against the Chicago Blackhawks in home contests last night.

     


    TXHT has your recap of the Chicago Blackhawks at the Washington Capitals at the following link.

    Game Recap – 11/21/2018 – Chicago Blackhawks v. Washington Capitals

     

    BUFFALO 5, Philadelphia 2

    Buffalo won their seventh consecutive win last night when they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers.

     

    https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/status/1065448617257902080

     

    CAROLINA 5, Toronto 2

    Carolina Hurricanes Justin Williams became the ninth player in NHL history to record at least 100 goals and a Stanley Cup with two different franchises in the win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.

    John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs became the fifth player in franchise history and the first in the NHL’s Modern Era, since the 1943-44 season, to have at least 11 goals in the franchises first 11 road games last night.

     

    TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor Steve Gardiner has your preview and recap of the contest between the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes at the following page.

     

    Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes – 21/11/2018 – Game Day Preview and Recap

     

    MINNESOTA 6, Ottawa 4

    Matt Dumba would score his 10th goal of the season, the most for a defenceman through 22 games played of a season since the 1989-90 season.

     

    NASHVILLE 4, St. Louis 1

     

    In the three-goal win over the St. Louis Blues, the Nashville Predators would score two shorthanded goals, the sixth such occurrence.  It was also the first time that feat happened since March 13, 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets.

     

     

    Vegas 3, ARIZONA 2 (OT)

     

    Vegas Golden Knights Max Pacioretty registered his 11th overtime goal last night in the win over the Arizona Coyotes.  The 11th overtime goal is tied with three other players for the fourth most in the regular season since the 2008-09 season.

     


    CALGARY 6, Winnipeg 3

     

    The Calgary Flames became the fourth team in history to score five or more goals in the first period of consecutive games last night in the win over the Winnipeg Jets last night.

     


    ANAHEIM 4, Vancouver 3

     

    Anaheim Ducks G John Gibson won his 100th NHL career contest in a 25 saves performance.

    Gibson reached the 100 win mark faster than anyone else in the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim/Anaheim Ducks 25-year history of the franchise.

     


    Colorado 7, LOS ANGELES 3

     

    Colorado Avalanche G Seymon Varlamov would win his 200th NHL career game in the win over the Los Angeles Kings last night.

     

     

     

    Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen would register two assists to bring his total two 26 on the season, one behind Michel Goulet for the most in franchise history in the teams first 21 games.

     

     

    Today there are no games on the NHL schedule.

     

    NHL action will resume tomorrow with 15 games on the schedule, kicking off with the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers at 1 p.m. ET.

     

     

     

    In NHL news…

     

    Newly inducted Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis was on hand in Tampa Bay for the ceremonial puck drop before the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Florida Panthers last night.

     

    Nashville Predators Nick Bonino would play in his 500th NHL career game last night against the St. Louis Blues.

     

     

    Wednesday’s contest marked the second time in which 12 contests were won by the home teams.

     

     

     

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

  • Game Recap – 11/21/2018 – Chicago Blackhawks v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 11/21/2018 – Chicago Blackhawks v. Washington Capitals

     

    Chicago Blackhawks (8-8-5 21pts) v. Washington Capitals (10-7-3 23pts)

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals return home from a four game road trip that saw them go 3-1-0, and are undefeated in their past two games looking to extend that to three games. Meanwhile the Chicago Blackhawks are fresh off of a shocking coaching change and are beginning a three game road trip while being 2-01 in their past three games after going through an eight game losing streak. Both teams will be looking to continue their winning ways.

     

    For the Capitals, Braden Holtby will be making his first start in goal since going down with an upper body injury before the 4 game road trip. Also the Capitals will still be without TJ Oshie (Concussion) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (Upper Body) for the third straight game.

     

    For the Blackhawks, Corey Crawford will be starting in goal, and veterans Chris Kunitz and Brandon Manning are both healthy scratches tonight.

     

    Lineups:

    Chicago Blackhawks:

    Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane

    Nick Schmaltz — Artem Anisimov — Alex DeBrincat

    Alexandre Fortin – David Kampf — Dominik Kahun

    John Hayden — Marcus Kruger – Andreas Martinsen

    Duncan Keith — Brent Seabrook

    Erik Gustafsson — Henri Jokiharju

    Gustav Forsling — Jan Rutta

    Corey Crawford

    Cam Ward

    Scratched: Chris Kunitz, Luke Johnson, Brandon Manning

    Injured: None

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Jonas Siegenthaler

    Injured: Evgeny Kuznetsov (upper body), T.J. Oshie (Concussion), Brooks Orpik (Knee Surgery)

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – :54 – Tom Wilson (2) from Alex Ovechkin (9) and Nicklas Backstrom (18)

    Capitals Penalty – 2:10 – Travis Boyd 2 minutes for Tripping

    Blackhawks Penalty – 4:37 – Gustav Forsling 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals PPG – 6:36 – Andre Burakovsky (3) from Jakub Vrana (6) and Matt Niskanen (7)

    Capitals Penalty – 7:10 – Nic Dowd 2 minutes for Hooking

    Blackhawks Penalty – 19:14 – Brandon Saad 2 minutes for Elbowing

     

    End of 1st – CHI – 0       WAS – 2

    Shots              14                12

    Faceoffs         09                07

    Hits               02                  04

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

     

    Analysis:

    The Capitals had a great start to the game but they cooled off a little bit after their second goal. The Capitals are doing a good job with zone possession, but took a couple of bad penalties that have let the Blackhawks get a groove into this game. The Capitals are creating some really good chances, and need to keep plugging away.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to play more disciplined, and stay out of the penalty box. Also the Capitals need to play with a bit more structure in their own zone and limit the Blackhawks scoring chances.

     

    Second Period:

    Blackhawks Penalty – 3:02 – Martinsen 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals Penalty – 3:14 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals Goal – 9:28 – Michal Kempny (1) from Jakub Vrana (7) and Lars Eller (8)

    Blackhawks Goal – 11:37 – Brandon Saad (7) from Jonathan Toews (9) and Patrick Kane (8)

     

    End of 2nd – CHI – 1        WAS – 3

    Shots               24                 21

    Faceoffs          17                 18

    Hits                 04                  06

    PP                   0/3                  1/3

     

    Analysis:

    This was a solid period for the Capitals, as they were able to play an overall good period and they limited the scoring chances by the Blackhawks. The Capitals also utilized the powerplay very well and having Tom Wilson and Lars Eller on that first unit really has changed the dynamic and feels more opened up.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to go for the jugular and choke out the Blackhawks in the third period. This also needs to be the best period for the Capitals too as we know how the Capitals have been with their turtling play to “not lose” and they can’t do that against a hungry Blackhawks team.

     

    Third Period:

    Blackhawks Goal – 5:23 – Erik Gustafsson (2) from Artem Anisimov (8) and Nick Schmaltz (7)

    Capitals Goal – 7:12 – Devante Smith-Pelly (4) from Travis Boyd (4) and John Carlson (17)

     

    End of 3rd – CHI – 2         WAS – 4

    Shots              39                   27

    Faceoffs        28                    27

    Hits               06                     08

    PP                 0/3                    1/3

     

    Analysis:

    An overall solid effort by the Capitals in this win over the Blackhawks. The Caps struck early and when the Blackhawks responded with a goal of their own, the Capitals would score to regain their two goal advantage. The Capitals also played a solid defensive game, but still made some mistakes in the third period that could have proved costly, but Braden Holtby was at the top of his game, and kept the Capitals in the game when they needed him to.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (11-7-3 25pts) v. Detroit (9-9-2 20pts)

    Chicago (8-9-5 21pts) @ Tampa Bay (14-6-1 29pts)

     

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