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Tag: Evgeny Kuznetsov

  • The Capitals Salary Crunch – A Case to Send Down Copley

    The Capitals Salary Crunch – A Case to Send Down Copley

    With NHL Training Camp in full swing, and the Washington Capitals having played through half of their preseason games to this point, there still is a looming question that the Capitals will need to answer and that involves the $1.3 million in salary they need to shed to get under the Salary Cap. So how should the Capitals go about doing this, and what are some trends we are seeing currently around the NHL that could give the Capitals the ability make such moves without having to do a trade or two to make it happen?

     

    So to recap real quick, through arbitration defenseman Christian Djoos was awarded a one year $1.25mil contract, and forward Chandler Stephenson was awarded a one year $1.05mil contract. The two contracts combined put the Capitals $1.3mil over the salary cap going into training camp. However, the Capitals will get minor relief for the first three games of the regular season as suspended forward Evgeny Kuznetsov’s cap hit will come off the books for the duration of his three game suspension. However, that will not help the Capitals in the long term, but a recent trend we have seen these last few days may help give the Capitals that long term solution. Waivers.

     

     

    In the last few days goalies Louis Domingue (TB), Mike Condon (TB), Garret Sparks (VGK), Oscar Dansk (VGK), Alex Lyon (PHI), and a few other NHL back up caliber goaltenders have been placed on waivers with the purpose of assignment. Some because teams are already in good shape with their goaltending, while others like Tampa Bay are doing it to help with the salary cap.

     

    Domingue is a cap hit of $1.15mil this season and Tampa Bay is still looking to re-sign restricted free agent forward Brayden Point, so the cap pressure is there for them. Sending Domingue down to the minors provides some of that relief.

     

    So what does this mean for the Capitals you are asking. Simple. The Capitals send Pheonix Copley down to Hershey. Now while Copley will need to go through waivers to be sent down to Hershey, and that leads the risk of someone claiming him, but that is not a bad thing because let’s say Copley does clear, and based off of what we have seen thus far all players are clearing at this time, then that means we can have Vitek Vanecek as Braden Holtby’s backup. Plus Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov are both waiver exempt this season so if the Capitals chose to they can have them rotate throughout the season so they both would be guaranteed playing time. Also with moving Copley that would free up $1.1mil in cap space for the Capitals.

     

    However that only gives the Capitals a little bit of relief as I would predict at least two more moves will need to be made, and they should come in the form of Chandler Stephenson being placed on waivers and keeping Shane Gersich, who is waiver exempt this season, and also Christian Djoos being placed on waivers and keeping either Tyler Lewington, who is not waiver exempt, or Colby Williams, who is waiver exempt.

     

    So here is a breakdown for those keeping track of the moves we would make.

     

    Placed on Waivers for Assignment:

    G – Pheonix Copley — $1.1mil

    F – Chandler Stephenson — $1.05mil

    D – Christian Djoos — $1.25mil

     

    Total Cap Space Cleared — $3.4mil

    Actual Cap Space Available — $2.1mil

     

    Players to Keep on Roster:

    G – Vitek Vanecek — $716,667

    F – Shane Gersich — $700k

    D – Tyler Lewington — $675k

     

    Cap Space Used — $2,091,667

    Cap Space Available — $8,333

     

    With this breakdown you can see that it’ll get the Capitals under the cap, but may still need to make another pair of moves to make themselves comfortable under the salary cap. The clock is ticking and only time will tell as to what the Capitals will do.

     

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  • Capitals News – Bettman Rules on Kuznetsov

    Capitals News – Bettman Rules on Kuznetsov

    Today NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has rendered his decision on Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov who was recently suspended for four years by the IIHF for testing positive for cocaine.

     

    Per the League announcement that was rendered this morning Kuznetsov has been suspended for the first three regular season games of the 2019-20 season due to inappropriate conduct as determined by Bettman after meeting with Kuznetsov in person this past Monday, September 9th.

     

    Kuznetsov will miss games against St. Louis, New York Islanders, and Carolina. Kuznetsov has also informed the League through the NHLPA that he will not be appealing his suspension.

     

     

    Kuznetsov Statement:

    IMG_20190914_110452.jpg

     

    Overall Thoughts

    The NHL screwed up here. This should have been a ten game suspension. While three games is admirable for the inappropriate conduct that Kuznetsov displayed it still does not deal with the bigger issue at hand and that is the League has a cocaine issue and they should have used Kuznetsov to send a message to the rest of the League that they are taking this matter with more seriousness than they are now.

     

    Hopefully Kuznetsov has learned from this ordeal, and when he returns from his three game suspension he’ll be back to being the Kuznetsov that helped lead the Capitals to the 2018 Stanley Cup.

     

    *Updated at 11:05a ET with statement from Evgeny Kuznetsov as released by the Washington Capitals.

  • TXHT Opinion – Kuznetsov, We Have A Problem

    TXHT Opinion – Kuznetsov, We Have A Problem

    On Friday, August 23rd, 2019 the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suspended Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov for four (4) years for a violation of World Anti-Doping Code Article 2.1 (Presence of a Prohibited Substance).

    Per the IIHF statement the following was released:

    The case concerns a test indicating a prohibited substance, cocaine, according to section S6.a (non-specified substance) of the World Anti-Doping Code 2019 Prohibited List. The prohibited substance was found in a doping control which occurred on 26 May 2019 at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

     

    It was also revealed that Kuznetsov’s B-sample did not require any analysis, and that he became provisionally suspended on June 13th, 2019.

     

    Some Back Story

    Back on Monday May 27th, 2019 a video was posted by user @Thesavspb that showed Kuznetsov in a hotel room with several lines of what appeared to be cocaine. In a statement that day to Sport Express (a Russian news outlet) Kuznetsov acknowledged the video and when it was shot, which was the summer of 2018 when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in Vegas. Also in his statement to Sport Express Kuznetsov also claimed to have “never used drugs and have no intention to get into it.”

     

    Both the Washington Capitals and the NHL conducted investigations and on May 31st the NHL cleared Kuznetsov of any wrong doing, but made it clear that the League did not “condone or endorse some of the decisions” Kuznetsov made on the night in question. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly also said that “Mr. Kuznetsov’s account of the events that transpired aligns with other information we have been able to gather, and we have found no basis to question his representations with respect to what did — and what did not — occur.”

     

    The League would consider the matter closed.

     

    What Does The IIHF Ban Mean?

    With the four year ban by the IIHF, Kuznetsov will be ineligible to play in any International Hockey events until June 12th, 2023 when his suspension will expire. Tournaments including the Olympics and the World Championships will have Kuznetsov listed as an ineligible participant.

     

    However, the IIHF’s ban does not affect Kuznetsov’s ability to play in the NHL for the Capitals or his ability to play in the potentially returning World Cup of Hockey as that is run by the NHL and NHLPA, independent of the IIHF.

     

    What Will the Capitals and NHL Do?

    This is where it will get interesting. After the IIHF announcement the NHL Releaased the following statement:

    “We have been fully briefed by the IIHF with respect to the positive test
    result and related international sanction that has been imposed on Washington
    Capitals’ Player Evgeny Kuznetsov.

    “Unlike the IIHF, cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug
    and is therefore not a Prohibited Substance under the NHL/NHLPA Performance
    Enhancing Substances Program. Instead, it is considered a drug of abuse that is
    tested for and for which intervention, evaluation and mandatory treatment can
    occur in appropriate cases.

    “Here, we understand that Mr. Kuznetsov has voluntarily sought help
    through the education and counseling program provided for in the NHL and
    NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and has agreed to a regular testing
    protocol relating to his involvement with that program.

    “Mr. Kuznetsov has also agreed to an in-person meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss his situation and review his conduct prior to the start of Training Camp preceding the 2019-20 season. We intend to reserve further comment on any additional actions that may or may not be taken with respect to today’s announcement (disciplinary or otherwise) pending the completion of the Commissioner’s meeting with Mr. Kuznetsov.”

     

    The key takeaway from this statement from the League is that Kuznetsov has voluntarily seeked help through the NHL and NHLPA provided education and counseling program. Shortly after the League’s statement both the Capitals and Kuznetsov made statements.

     

    Kuznetsov Statement:

    “Recently, the IIHF notified me that, due to a positive test for a banned substance, I would be suspended from international competition for four years. I have made the decision to accept this penalty. Representing my country has always been so close to my heart and something I take so much pride in. Not being able to put that sweater on for four years is very hard to take. I have disappointed so many people that are important to me, including my family, teammates and friends. From the first day I took the ice in D.C., the Washington Capitals organization and our fans have been nothing but great to me and my family. I feel absolutely terrible for letting you down. I realize that the only way I can win you back is to take ownership of my situation and my actions from this point forward.”

     

    From this statement we have to commend Kuznetsov for accepting what has been handed to him, and accepting the responsibility for his actions.

     

    Capitals Statement:

    “We are aware of the positive test result and related international sanction that has been imposed on Evgeny Kuznetsov. We are disappointed with this development and take this occurrence seriously. We understand that Evgeny has voluntarily sought help through the education and counseling program provided for in the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement and has agreed to a regular testing protocol relating to his involvement with that program. In addition, we are committed to ensuring he has the necessary support required to work through this situation. We will remain in contact with the NHL as they determine the next steps. Because of the sensitive nature surrounding this matter, there will be no further comment from us at this time.”

     

    As seen in the Capitals statement they state some of the same facts as the NHL’s, and note that they will remain in contact with the League as they determine what steps will need to be taken in Kuznetsov’s case.

     

    Now going back to the NHL statement, it was noted that prior to the start of Training Camp Kuznetsov will meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in an in-person meeting to discuss his situation. The League does hold the right to discipline Kuznetsov if they deem necessary. However, that could be trickier than one can think.

     

    For one the drug test was conducted by the IIHF and not by the NHL, and unlike with the IIHF, in the NHL cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug so it would not fall under the Prohibited Substance list for the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program like we saw with Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt last fall when he was suspended 20 games for his first offense for a drug test failed under the NHL’s drug testing. Also, cocaine is not something that is tested for though the League has acknowledged that they have seen the number of positive tests for cocaine rise in the past few years.

     

    The one thing that could cause a lot of problems for Kuznetsov is the meeting he had with the League back in May when the video was released. It raises many questions in regards to what Kuznetsov said in that meeting and if he lied to both the League and to the Capitals during that investigation. So depending on what comes out of the in-person meeting with Bettman we could see Kuznetsov suspended for a certain amount of time depending on what the League and the team feel is necessary.

     

    Final Thoughts

    This is an interesting one, that’s for sure. What will come of Kuznetsov we will find out in the upcoming weeks as NHL Training Camps prepare to begin, and it’ll be interesting to see what both the League and the Capitals decide to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some sort of suspension of like 10 games, but nothing excessive unless something comes up that would warrant it to be longer.

     

    For now all we can do is specualte and wait, and wait we shall.

     

    Research Sources: ABC 7, RMNB, IIHF, New York Post, NHL, Washington Capitals, Hockey News

    Written By: Michael Lindenbaum

    Contributions By: Steve Gardiner

  • TXHT Jersey Share – Cool Hockey Mystery Box Special Edition

    TXHT Jersey Share – Cool Hockey Mystery Box Special Edition

    We have a very special edition of TXHT Jersey Share for all of you as we are participating in the Cool Hockey Mystery Box Event.

     

    product-image_1.jpg
    Graphic Courtesy of Cool Hockey

    You can go to Cool Hockey’s website today to purchase a Mystery Box for $60 USD. The Mystery Box will contain one jersey from either Tier One or Tier Two.

     

    Per the Cool Hockey website, here is a description of the two tiers:

    What do the different tiers mean?
    Tier 1 is the best you can get, a blank Reebok Edge jersey valued at minimum $200! Tier 2 is also really great where you can find customized or blank Reebok jerseys potentially featuring star players and alumni. We will also be sprinkling in goodies and items randomly into boxes to add even more surprise to mystery boxes!

     

    Some examples of what styles you can find in each box are:

     

    Tier 1: Autographed Teemu Selanne Mighty Ducks Jersey, Toronto Maple Leafs Reebok Edge 2.0, St. Louis Blues Reebok Edge 2.0, Vancouver Canucks Authentic CCM Jersey and more!

     

    Tier 2: Boston Bruins Premier Reebok Jersey, Buffalo Sabres Alternate Premier Reebok Jersey, Los Angeles Kings Premier Reebok Jersey, St. Louis Blues Premier Reebok Jersey and more!

     

    So we here at TXHT have purchased one of these Mystery Boxes, and here is what we got:

    [wpvideo IIiOFBfW]

     

     

    Got a hockey jersey in your collection you’d like to share? Let us know, and we can add it to our TXHT Jersey Share series.

     

  • Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 7 – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 7 – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Series Tied 3-3

     

    Game Recap:

    Heading into the dreaded Game 7, both the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes head into Capital One Arena looking to finish the series with win, and move on to face the idle New York Islanders. To start the game the Capitals would force the play in the Hurricanes which would see Andre Burakovsky forc2 Brett Pesce to cough up the puck and Burakovsky would skate into the slot and rip the puck past Petr Mrazek to make it 1-0 less than three minutes into the game. Then it would be a highly motivated Alex Ovechkin undressing Dougie Hamilton while entering the zone, and Ovechkin would then feed Tom Wilson who would one time it past Mrazek to make it 2-0.

     

    Going into the second period both teams looked to swing the momentum their way, and for a good portion of the period the Capitals would force the play, however, while on the lone powerplay the Capitals would cough it up and Sebastian Aho would get it past Braden Holtby to cut the lead to one. But the Capitals would get their two goal lead back as Evgeny Kuznetsov and Carl Hagelin would team up to give Kuznetsov his first goal of the playoffs, but that too would be short lived as Teuvo Teravainen would get the loose puck in the slot and rip it past Holtby to make it 3-2 Capitals going into the second intermission.

     

    Heading into the third period it would be the Hurricanes buildimg upom the momentum they gained in the second period as less than three minutes into the third frame Jordan Staal would streak down the wing and let go of a beautiful wrist shot past Holtby to tie the game at three. After a lot of back and forth in thebperiod, the game would remained tied after 60 minutes of play.

     

    In the first overtime period of the game it would be all Hurricanes as they dictated the pace of the period and held the Capitals without a shot through the first half of the overtime period. However, the Capitals would escape the first overtime period.

     

    Then in double overtime the Hurricanes would continue their dominant play against the Capitals, and after killing a delay of game penalty it would be Mr. Game 7 himself Justin Williams throwing it on net where Brock McGinn would tip it in past Holtby to win the game and the series 4-3.

     

    Lineups:

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Nino Niederreiter — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Brock McGinn — Jordan Staal — Justin Williams

    Warren Foegele — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

    Saku Maenalanen — Greg McKegg — Patrick Brown

    Jaccob Slavin — Dougie Hamilton

    Brett Pesce — Justin Faulk

    Calvin de Haan — Trevor van Riemsdyk

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratched: Haydn Fleury

    Injured: Andrei Svechnikov (concussion), Micheal Ferland (upper body)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Carl Hagelin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Jakub Vrana

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nic Dowd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Jonas Siegenthaler — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Nick Jensen

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Christian Djoos, Travis Boyd, Dmitrij Jaskin, Parker Milner

    Injured: Michal Kempny (torn left hamstring), T.J. Oshie (upper body)

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 2:13 – Andre Burakovsky (1) from unassisted

    Capitals Goal – 6:23 – Tom Wilson (3) from Alex Ovechkin (5) and Dmitry Orlov (3)

    Hurricanes Penalty – 13:39 – Greg McKegg 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals Penalty – 16:58 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 1st – CAR – 0       WAS – 2

    Shots              11                10

    Faceoffs         12                17

    Hits               15                  10

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Hurricanes Penalty – 8:35 – Jordan Martinook 2 minutes for Tripping

    Hurricanes SHG – 9:51 – Sebastian Aho (2) from Brett Pesce (2) and Jaccob Slavin (7)

    Capitals Goal – 13:22 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (1) from Carl Hagelin (1)

    Hurricanes Goal – 16:37 – Teuvo Teravainen (3) from Brett Pesce (3) and Brock McGinn (3)

     

    End of 2nd – CAR – 2        WAS – 3

    Shots               19                 19

    Faceoffs          18                 27

    Hits                 30                  21

    PP                   0/1                  0/2

     

    Third Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – 2:56 – Jordan Staal (3) from Jaccob Slavin (8)

     

    End of 3rd – CAR – 3         WAS – 3

    Shots              24                   31

    Faceoffs        22                    31

    Hits               42                     29

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Overtime:

    N/A

     

    End of OT – CAR – 3         WAS – 3

    Shots              35                   35

    Faceoffs        30                    45

    Hits               51                     40

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Double Overtime:

    Hurricanes Penalty – 2:02 – Saku Maenalanen 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Hurricanes Goal – 11:05 – Brock McGinn (2) from Justin Williams (3) and Jaccob Slavin (9)

     

    End of 2OT – CAR – 4         WAS – 3

    Shots              42                   37

    Faceoffs        33                    47

    Hits               60                     43

    PP                 0/1                    0/3

     

    Next Up:

    Carolina Wins Series 4-3

    2nd Round v. NY Islanders

     

    Make sure to follow TXHT’s extensive Playoffs coverage on our 2019 NHL Playoffs page.

  • Game Recap – 4/1/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Florida Panthers

    Game Recap – 4/1/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Florida Panthers

    Washington Capitals (47-24-8 102pts) v. Florida Panthers (35-32-12 82pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    In their final road game of the regular season, the Washington Capitals visit the Florida Panthers with a chance to clinch the Metropolitan Division title for the fourth season in a row. However, the Panthers would have different ideas as they would strike first to put the Capitals in an early 1-0 deficit on a Frank Vatrano goal.

     

    Then in the second period, the Panthers would continue to push the play as Jonathan Huberdeau would bank in the loose puck past Pheonix Copley to make it 2-0. Then while the Capitals were on the lone powerplay of the period Vincent Trocheck would blast a shot five hole on Copley to give the Panthers a three goal lead while shorthanded. And to end the period for the Panthers it would be former Capital Troy Brouwer getting the goal off of a beautiful Aleksander Barkov pass to make it 4-0 going into the second intermission.

     

    Halfway thru the third period the Capitals would come alive as Evgeny Kuznetsov would get the Capitals on the board with the hopes of a late comeback victory. Then after a failed powerplay opportunity the Capitals would strike again as Nicklas Backstrom would be the recipient of a TJ Oshie pass in front of the net to cut the Panthers lead to two. And Oshie would not be done there as with Copley pulled for the extra attacker, Oshie would find an open Jakub Vrana to cut the Panthers lead to one. However, despite their best efforts, Vincent Trocheck would ice the game for the Panthers with an empty net goal in the final minute to win the game 5-3 for the Panthers.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Carl Hagelin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Matt Niskanen — Dmitry Orlov

    Christian Djoos — John Carlson

    Nick Jensen — Brooks Orpik

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Dmitrij Jaskin, Jonas Siegenthaler, Travis Boyd

    Injured: Michal Kempny (lower body)

     

    Florida Panthers:

    Jonathan Huberdeau — Aleksander Barkov — Evgenii Dadonov

    Mike Hoffman — Vincent Trocheck — Jayce Hawryluk

    Frank Vatrano — Riley Sheahan — Troy Brouwer

    Dryden Hunt — Henrik Borgstrom — Colton Sceviour

    Mike Matheson — Aaron Ekblad

    Keith Yandle — MacKenzie Weegar

    Mark Pysyk — Josh Brown

    Roberto Luongo

    Sam Montembeault

    Scratched: Jamie McGinn, Denis Malgin, Ian McCoshen, Brady Keeper, James Reimer

    Injured: Derek MacKenzie (shoulder)

     

    First Period:

    Panthers Goal – 13:48 – Frank Vatrano (24) from Colton Sceviour (10) and Henrik Borgstrom (10)

    Capitals Penalty – 16:30 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Holding

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       FLA – 1

    Shots              05                14

    Faceoffs         11                10

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Panthers Goal – 3:34 – Jonathan Huberdeau (28) from unassisted

    Panthers Penalty – 11:48 – Frank Vatrano 2 minutes for Holding

    Panthers SHG – 12:01 – Vincent Trocheck (9) from Aleksander Barkov (58) and Mike Matheson (19)

    Panthers Goal – 17:57 – Troy Brouwer (12) from Aleksander Barkov (59) and Dryden Hunt (7)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 0        FLA – 4

    Shots               19                 24

    Faceoffs          21                 16

    PP                   0/1                  0/1

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :41 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals Goal – 10:55 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (21) from John Carlson (57)

    Panthers Penalty – 11:45 – Vincent Trocheck 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Goal – 16:25 – Nicklas Backstrom (22) from TJ Oshie (28) and Alex Ovechkin (38)

    Capitals Goal – 17:39 – Jakub Vrana (24) from TJ Oshie (29) and Matt Niskanen (17)

    Panthers ENG – 19:33 – Vincent Trocheck (10) from Evgenii Dadonov (41) and Aleksander Barkov (60)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 3         FLA – 5

    Shots              30                   34

    Faceoffs        32                    29

    Hits               35                     29

    PP                 0/2                    0/2

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (47-25-8 102pts) v. Montreal (42-29-8 92pts)

    Florida (36-32-12 84pts) v. NY Islanders (46-27-7 99pts)

  • Don Cherry Doesn’t Like Fun

    Don Cherry Doesn’t Like Fun

    As everyone knows Hockey Night in Canada is a staple for hockey fans every Saturday night, and not just for the hockey, but for the intermission segments. While we here at TXHT love Saturday Headlines for the insider knowledge that is shared with us, it’s Coach’s Corner featuring Don Cherry that always seems to spark a lot of conversation.

     

    Well Don has done it again to get us talking. This time by going after something that everyone loves to do in hockey, and that’s celebrating… again.

     

    For the third time now, Cherry has gone after Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov for his Kuzy Bird goal celebration that he does for his daughter, but for Don Cherry that makes Kuznetsov a “jerk”, and Cherry made such a claim last night saying it is “Hockey Karma” that the Capitals lost to Tampa Bay on Wednesday night because Kuznetsov pulled out the celebration after tying the game in the final minutes to send it to overtime.

     

    Cherry has also made such claims against the Carolina Hurricanes who have been doing their Storm Surge victory celebrations after the game is over at home, to the entertainment of the fans. Cherry even went as far as calling the Hurricanes a “Bunch of Jerks” which the Hurricanes adopted and made a part of their marketing to the fans delight.

     

    At the end of the day all we can say is this. Don Cherry doesn’t like fun. He thinks everyone has to be “professional” and no one can do professional like the way Canadians can. Anything outside of a fist pump or shake is too much for celebrating goals, and that right there proves that Cherry just doesn’t get it and won’t evolve with the times.

     

    The NHL values entertainment, and that’s what Evgeny Kuznetsov and the Carolina Hurricanes are providing, despite Cherry’s feelings or views. The celebrations are great for marketing, attracting new fans, and most importantly, putting butts in seats at the games.

     

    Personally I make a point to watch Coach’s Corner and Saturday Headlines, which is the better of the two, and it’s become clear that Don Cherry is not capable of being a true ambassador to the game and needs to be replaced. Cherry can still give you a gem or two every now and then, but you can tell he is not accepting to today’s NHL. But at least he’s given us some cool marketing this season.

     

    Also, did anyone tell Cherry that Kuznetsov had another reason to do the Kuzy Bird besides for his daughter?

  • Game Recap – 3/20/19 – Tampa Bay Lightning v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 3/20/19 – Tampa Bay Lightning v. Washington Capitals

    Tampa Bay Lightning (56-13-4 116pts) v. Washington Capitals (43-23-7 93pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals head home for their lone matchup at Capital One Arena against the Tampa Bay Lightning as they also look to get some revenge from their game last week where the Lightning doubled up the Capitals 6-3. In the first period on a Tampa Bay turnover Carl Hagelin would flip the puck to Lars Eller who would score to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead. Afterwards the Capitals would draw two penalties, but would not be able to capitalize on either powerplay opportunity.

     

    The second period would not start very well for the Capitals as in the dying seconds of Tom Wilson’s holding penalty, Nakita Kucherov would score to tie the game at one. Then on an Alex Ovechkin elbowing penalty Steven Stamkos would only need four seconds to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead, but it would stop there as the Lighting would get a great drive in the Capitals zone and Anthony Cirelli would throw the puck in the crease and it would hit off of John Carlson’s skate and into the wide open net. However, the Capitals would not let this 2 goal lead deter them as an offensive rush would result in Carl Hagelin roofing the puck to cut the Lightning’s lead to one. The Capitals would then tie the game at three while on the powerplay as TJ Oshie stick to it and battle in front of the net to knock the puck into the net, but then on their third powerplay opportunity, the Lightning would make the Capitals pay as Nikita Kucherov would net his second of the game to give the Lightning their lead back going into the second intermission.

     

    In the third period we would see some solid playoff style hockey from both teams, but it would be the Capitals getting two powerplay opportunities in the first half of the period, however, they would not be able to capitalize on them. Then in the final minute of regulation with Braden Holtby pulled from his net, Evgeny Kuznetsov would score to send the game into overtime.

     

    Then in overtime it would be the Lightning taking advantage of an odd man rush as Victor Hedman would net his 11th of the season to win the game in 5-4 for the Lightning.

     

    Lineups:

    Tampa Bay Lightning:

    Ondrej Palat — Steven Stamkos — J.T. Miller

    Tyler Johnson — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov

    Alex Killorn — Anthony Cirelli — Mathieu Joseph

    Adam Erne — Cedric Paquette — Yanni Gourde

    Victor Hedman — Mikhail Sergachev

    Ryan McDonagh — Erik Cernak

    Braydon Coburn — Jan Rutta

    Andrei Vasilevskiy

    Louis Domingue

    Scratched: Ryan Callahan, Danick Martel, Cameron Gaunce

    Injured: Dan Girardi (lower body), Anton Stralman (lower body)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Carl Hagelin — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Nick Jensen

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Christian Djoos, Dmitrij Jaskin, Travis Boyd

    Injured: None

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 7:32 – Lars Eller (12) from Carl Hagelin (11)

    Lightning Penalty – 9:30 – Steven Stamkos 2 minutes for Holding

    Lightning Penalty- 16:26 – Jan Ruuta 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Penalty – 19:27 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Holding

     

    End of 1st – TB – 0       WAS – 1

    Shots              05                15

    Faceoffs         11                10

    Hits               04                  15

    PP                 0/0                 0/2

     

    Second Period:

    Lightning PPG – 1:19 – Nikita Kucherov (36) from Steven Stamkos (47) and Victor Hedman (38)

    Capitals Penalty – 2:08 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minites for Elbowing

    Lightning PPG – 2:12 – Steven Stamkos (37) from JT Miller (27)

    Lightning Goal – 6:45 – Anthony Cirelli (16) from Mathieu Joseph (11)

    Capitals Goal – 10:30 – Carl Hagelin (5) from Lars Eller (23)

    Lightning Penalty – 12:00 – Mikhail Sergachev 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals PPG – 13:40 – TJ Oshie (22) from Alex Ovechkin (35) and John Carlson (53)

    Capitals Penalty – 14:06 – Dmitry Orlov 2 minites for Slashing

    Lightning PPG – 15:01 – Nikita Kucherov (37) from Steven Stamkos (48) and Ondrej Palat (24)

    Lightning Penalty – 15:42 – Yanni Gourde 5 minute major for Fighting

    Capitals Penalty – 15:42 – Jakub Vrana 5 minute major for Fighting

    Lightning Penalty – 15:42 – Cedric Paquette 2 minutes for Roughing

    Lightning Penalty – 15:42 – Cedric Paquette 2 minutes for Cross Checking

    Capitals Penalty – 15:42 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Lightning Penalty – 15:42 – Mikhail Sergachev 2 minutes for Roughing

    Capitals Penalty – 15:42 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for Roughing

     

    End of 2nd – TB – 4        WAS – 3

    Shots               16                 37

    Faceoffs          24                 22

    Hits                 09                  24

    PP                   3/3                  1/4

     

    Third Period:

    Lightning Penalty – 1:24 – Ondrej Palat 2 minutes for Slashing

    Lightning Penalty – 10:13 – Brayden Point 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals Goal – 19:07 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (20) from Nicklas Backstrom (51) and TJ Oshie (25)

     

    End of 3rd – TB – 4         WAS – 4

    Shots              26                   56

    Faceoffs        35                    33

    Hits               14                     32

    PP                 3/3                    1/6

     

    OT:

    Lightning Goal – 3:01 – Victor Hedman (11) from Yanni Gourde (24)

     

    End of OT – TB – 5         WAS – 4

    Shots              29                   58

    Faceoffs        35                    37

    Hits               17                     34

    PP                 3/3                    1/6

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (43-23-8 94pts) v. Minnesota (34-31-9 77pts)

    Tampa Bay (57-13-4 118pts) @ Carolina (40-25-7 87pts)

  • Game Recap – 3/19/19 – Washington Capitals v. New Jersey Devils

    Game Recap – 3/19/19 – Washington Capitals v. New Jersey Devils

    Washington Capitals (43-23-7 93 pts) v. New Jersey Devils (27-38-9 63pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals conclude their four game road trip tonight as they travel to the Garden State to take on the New Jersey Devils.  The Capitals started the scoring early as Andre Burakovsky put his 12th goal of the season in the back of the net at the 2:52 mark.  The first period was an uneventful one until Kenny Agostino scored late in the period at the 19:59 mark.  After the first period, the game would be tied 1-1.

     

    However, the 2nd period saw a more offensive and dominate showing from the Capitals as they put three goals in the back of the Devils net.  Goals in the 2nd period by the Capitals came from Brett Connolly, Evgeny Kuznetsov, & Tom Wilson.  Brett Connolly scored his 20th goal on the season.  This is the first time Brett Connolly has scored twenty goals in his career and is having his best offensive season yet.  After a dominant second period, the Capitals would take a 4-1 lead over the Devils into the third period.

     

    In the 3rd period, the depleted and struggling Devils were completely shutdown by the more dominant team in the Capitals as they finished off the game for the 4-1 victory.  The Capitals return home tomorrow as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time in less than a week.  The New Jersey Devils are next in action on Thursday at home against the Boston Bruins.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Forwards:

    Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Carl Hagelin – Lars Eller – Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky – Nic Dowd – Chandler Stephenson

    Defenseman:

    Michal Kempny – John Carlson

    Dmitri Orlov – Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos – Nic Jensen

    Goalies:

    Starter – Phoenix Copley

    Back Up – Braden Holtby

    Scratches: Dmitry Jaskin, Brooks Orpik, Travis Boyd

     

    New Jersey Devils:

    Forwards:

    Blake Coleman – Travis Zajac – Stefan Noesen

    Kenny Agostino – Kevin Rooney – Kyle Palmeiri

    Drew Stafford – Blake Pietila – Joey Anderson

    Eric Tangradi – Michael McLeod – Kurtis Gabriel

    Defensemen:

    Andy Greene – Damon Severson

    Will Butcher – Connor Carrick

    Egor Yakolev – Steven Santini

    Goalies:

    Starter – Mackenzie Blackwood

    Back Up – Cory Schneider

    Scratches:  Nico Hischier (upper body, day-to-day); Jesper Bratt (lower body, week-to-week); Nathan Bastian (upper body); Miles Wood (broken ankle, practicing); Pavel Zacha (upper body, practicing, no contact); John Quenneville (upper body); Nick Lappin (healthy)

    Injured: Taylor Hall

     

    First Period:

    Washington Goal – 2:52 – Andre Burakovsky (12) assisted by Nic Dowd (13) & Brett Connolly (22)

    New Jersey Penalty – 9:59 – Kurtis Gabriel, 2 minutes for cross checking

    New Jersey Goal – 19:59 – Kenny Agostino (6) unassisted

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 1       NJ – 1

    Shots              4                  7

    Faceoffs         9/19            10/19

    Hits               6                    9

    PP                 0/1                 0/0

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1108159930379448320

     

    Second Period:

    Washington Goal – 5:57 – Brett Connolly (20) assisted by Christian Djoos (7) & Carl Hagelin (10)

    Washington Penalty – 6:34 – Lars Eller, 2 minutes for slashing

    Washington Goal – 12:16 – Evgeny Kuznetsov (19) assisted by Jakub Vrana (23)

    Washington Goal – 13:28 – Tom Wilson (21) assisted by Alex Ovechkin (34) & Nicklas Backstrom (50)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 4       NJ- 1

    Shots               13                 12

    Faceoffs          21/40           19/40

    Hits                 12                  15

    PP                   0/1                  0/1

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1108174096293158914

     

    Third Period:

    Washington Penalty – 0:51 – Michal Kempny, 2 minutes for tripping

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 4        NJ – 1

    Shots              22                   21

    Faceoffs        23/53             29/53

    Hits               15                     20

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (43-23-7 93 pts) v.s Tampa Bay Lightning (56-13-4 116 pts)

    New Jersey Devils (27-38-9 63 pts) v.s Boston Bruins (44-20-9 97 pts)

  • Game Recap- Washington Capitals v.s. Philadelphia Flyers 3/14/2019

    Game Recap- Washington Capitals v.s. Philadelphia Flyers 3/14/2019

    Washington Capitals (42-22-7 91 pts) v.s. Philadelphia Flyers (34-28-8 76 pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals continue their four game road trip tonight as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The first period began eerily similar to the previous match up against the Flyers as the Capitals started off with an early lead. Brett Connolly got the Capitals on the board first with assists going to Michal Kempny & John Carlson. Lars Eller would add to the lead and make it 2-0 with assists from Brett Connolly and Carl Hagelin. The period would end with Brooks Orpik being called for an interference penalty which gave the Flyers a power play that would continue into the 2nd period.

     

    In the second period, we saw each team score twice. Scoring from the Capitals would come from Brett Connolly (2nd goal of the game) & Tom Wilson who added his 20th goal on the season. For the Flyers, James Van Riemsdyk & Scott Laughton got the Flyers on the board. The Capitals would take a 4-2 leading going into the 3rd period.

     

    The third period featured three penalties called against the Capitals and one called against the Flyers. The Capitals would add an empty net goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov to seal the victory for the Capitals. The Capitals have won three of the four games against the Flyers so far with the final match up being on March 24th at Capital One Arena.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana-Nicklas Backstrom-TJ Oshie

    Carl Hagelin-Lars Eller-Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky-Chandler Stephenson-Travis Boyd

    Michal Kempny-John Carlson

    Dmitri Orlov-Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik-Nic Jensen

    Braden Holtby

    Phoenix Copley

    Scratches: Dmitry Jaskin, Nic Dowd, Christian Djoos

     

    Philadelphia Flyers:

    Oskar Lindblom-Sean Couturiere-Claude Girioux

    James Van Riemsdyk-Nolan Patrick-Travis Konecny

    Michael Raffl-Scott Laughton-Ryan Hartman

    Phil Varone-Corban Knight-Justin Bailey

    Ivan Provorov-Travis Sanheim

    Shayne Gostisbehere-Phillippe Myers

    Robert Hagg-Radko Gudas

    Carter Hart

    Brian Elliott

    Scratches: Andrew MacDonald, Samuel Morin, Cam Talbot

    Suspension: Jakub Voracek

    Inuries: Michal Neuvirth

     

    First Period:

    Washington Goal-2:53-Brett Connolly (18) assisted by Michal Kempny (18) & John Carlson (51)

    Washington Goal-9:30-Lars Eller (11) assisted by Brett Connolly (20) & Carl Hagelin (8)

    Washington Penalty-19:00-Brooks Orpik, 2 minutes for interference

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 2       PHI – 0

    Shots               11                  5          

    Faceoffs        7/9                 2/9

    Hits              11                    10

    PP                 0/0                 0/0

     

    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106323526808678400
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106333932851789824
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106334979322204163
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106339151941648390

     

    Second Period:

    Philadelphia Goal-1:03- James Vam Riemsdyk (21) assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere (26)

    Philadelphia Penalty-5:06- Radko Gudas, 2 minutes for holding

    Washington Goal-8:43- Brett Connolly (19) unassisted

    Washington Goal-9:48- Tom Wilson (20) assisted by Evgeny Kuznetsov (49) & Dmitry Orlov (22)

    Philadelphia Goal-12:22- Scott Laughton (12) assisted by Ryan Hartman (12) & Robert Hagg (13)

    Philadelphia Penalty-19:00- Michael Raffl, 2 minutes for holding

     

    End of 2nd – WAS- 4        PHI- 2

    Shots              25                  14

    Faceoffs          9/21            12/21

    Hits                16                  18

    PP                   0/2                0/1

     

    https://twitter.com/NHLFlyers/status/1106344348885704704
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106348042385612802
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106349167931199488
    https://twitter.com/NHLFlyers/status/1106350495399067648
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106353764489924608
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106355009955000320

     

    Third Period:

    Philadelphia Penalty-5:57- Michael Raffl, 2 minutes for hooking

    Washington Penalty-6:33- Evgeny Kuznetsov, 2 minutes for tripping

    Washington Penalty-9:06- Nicklas Backstrom, 2 minutes for hooking

    Washington Penalty-11:41- Nic Jensen, 2 minutes for interference

    Washington Goal (Empty Net)-17:34- Evgeny Kuznetsov (18) assisted by Alex Ovechkin (33) & Michal Kempny (18)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 5       PHI – 2

    Shots              32                    24

    Faceoffs        25/53             28/53

    Hits                22                    25

    PP                 0/3                  0/4

     

    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106368019406688256
    https://twitter.com/CapitalsPR/status/1106369061259300865
    https://twitter.com/NHLFlyers/status/1106367987605561349
    https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1106370840403292160

     

    Next Up:

    Washington Capitals (42-22-7 91 pts) v.s. Tampa Bay Lightning (54-13-4 112 pts)

    Philadelphia Flyers (34-28-8 76 pts) v.s. Toronto Maple Leafs (42-23-5 89 pts)