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  • Game Recap — 12/29/2018 — Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

    Game Recap — 12/29/2018 — Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

    Washington Capitals (23 – 10 – 3 (49 pts)) at Ottawa Senators (15 – 19 – 4 (34 pts))

     

    Game Recap:  The Washington Capitals would face-off against the Ottawa Senators and would come away with the 3-2 win.  The Washington Capitals would have two firsts in the contest with Tyler Lewington and Madison Bowey both scoring their first NHL career goals. Lewington and Bowey would become the first set of teammates to score their first goals against a goalie that is making his first career start since the Kings Gord Labossiere & Brian Kilrea vs Flyers Doug Favell on Oct 14, 1967.

    The second period would be a even-matched penalty-filled period with Bowey and Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk getting minors and matching fighting penalties. However, Tkachuk would get hit with a 10-minute misconduct penalty.  At the end of the second period, the Capitals would hold a 3-1 lead.  The third period would be  a slow, but evenly matched period for the Capitals.  The Senators would score late in the third period when they were caused chaos in front of the net but the Capitals would hold on to seal the 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

    The Capitals  look to take this energy into their next contest on Monday afternoon when they take on the Nashville Predators.

     

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T. J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nic Dowd — DeVante Smith-Pelly

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Madison Bowey

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Tyler Lewington

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Dmitrij Jaskin, Travis Boyd

    Injured: Matt Niskanen (Upper body), Christian Djoos (lower body), Brooks Orpik (knee surgery)

     

     

    Ottawa Senators:

    Brady Tkachuk  —  Colin White —  Mark Stone

    Zack Smith  —  Matt Duchene  —  Ryan Dzingel

    Mikkel Boedker  —  Chris  Tierney  —  Bobby Ryan

    Tom Pyatt  —  Nick Paul  —  Jack Rodewald

    Christian Wolanin  —  Dylan DeMelo

    Maxime LaJoie  —  Cody Ceci

    Mark Borowiecki  —  Ben Harpur

    Marcus Hogberg

    Mike McKenna

    Scratched: Stefan Elliott, Magnus Paajarvi, Christian Jaros

    Injured: Marian Gaborik (back), Justin Falk (upper body), Craig Anderson (concussion),  and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (torn Achilles), Thomas Chabot (upper body), Clarke MacArthur (undisclosed)

     

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal:  Tom Wilson (11) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (26) and Tyler Lewington — 7:12

    Capitals Goal:  Tyler Lewington (1) from Nicklas Backstrom (33) and Jonas Siegenthaler (3)  —  16:00

    Capitals Penalty:  Madison Bowey for Interference — 2 min minor– 16:37

     

    End of 1st – WSH – 2       OTT – 0

    Shots              10                07

    Faceoffs         05                10

    Hits               08                  07

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Analysis:  The first period started off slow until Tom Wilson registered his 11th goal of the season.  Capitals goaltender Pheonix Copley made a couple good saves in the first and the Capitals should maintain the pace of play they had in the first period for the next 40 minutes.

     

    Need to Do:  The Capitals need to apply more pressure to the Senators, as Ottawa is not known for shooting the puck well this season.  The Capitals also need to do better job at the faceoff circle.

     

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal:  Madison Bowey (1) from Tom Wilson (8)  —  1:01

    Senators Goal:  Colin White (10) from Mark Stone (25) and Brady Tkachuk (9)  — 4:22

    Capitals Penalty: Madison Bowey for Interference — 2 min minor — 4:55

    Capitals Penalty:  Madison Bowey for Fighting — 5 min major — 4:55

    Senators Penalty: Brady Tkachuk for Instigator– 2 min minor — 4:55

    Senators Penalty: Brady Tkachuk for Fighting — 5 min major — 4:55

    Senators Penalty: Brady Tkachuk for Misconduct —  10 min —  4:55

    Capitals Penalty: Tyler Lewington for Fighting  —  5 min major  —  15:36

    Senators Penalty:  Zack Smith for Fighting  —  5 min major —  15:36

     

    End of 2nd – WSH – 3        OTT – 1

    Shots               17                 20

    Faceoffs          11                 20

    Hits                 16                 18

    PP                   0/0                  0/1

     

    Analysis:  Madison Bowey would register his first career NHL goal one minute into the period and then seemed like things got very chippy.  Madison Bowey would be called for interference after what looked like a high hit under the chin, which started a brawl with Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk.  Tkachuk would be called for an instigator penalty, which kicked the brawl off.  Later in the period, Tyler Lewington would get the “Gordie Howe hat-trick” with a fight of his own with 4:24 left in the period with Ottawa’s Zack Smith.

     

    Need to Do:  The Capitals need to do whatever they can to stay of the penalty box, even if the penalties have been matching.  The Capitals also need to maintain focus and create a bit more chaos around the net.  Ottawa had very close calls with the puck coming into the net.  The Capitals blue-liners need to play smart and take advantages of the puck coming their way and re-direct shots the other way.

     

     

    Third Period:

    Senators Goal:  Mark Stone (18) from Brady Tkachuk (10) and Colin White (15) 16:30

     

    End of 3rd – WSH – 3         OTT – 2

    Shots              24                   33

    Faceoffs        24                    32

    Hits               22                     21

    PP                 0/0                    0/1

     

    Analysis:  Slow third period with the only noteworthy bit of information is the Ottawa goal.  Both teams played a strong third period but the Capitals would escape Ottawa with the 3-2 win.

     

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (24 – 10 – 3 (51 pts)) vs. Nashville (22 – 15 – 2 (46 pts))

    Ottawa (15 – 20 – 4 (34 pts)) at Columbus (22 – 13 – 3 (47 pts))

  • Gameday Preview – 12/29/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Ottawa Senators

    Gameday Preview – 12/29/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Ottawa Senators

    Washington Capitals (23-10-3 49pts) v. Ottawa Senators (15-19-4 34pts)

     

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington+, City, and SportsNet 360

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals head up to the Canadian capital to take on the Ottawa Senators in another Hockey Night in Canada match up. Last time these two teams faced off was last Saturday when the Capitals blanked the Senators 4-0.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

     

    Capitals Notes:

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Don’t overlook the Senators

    While the Capitals did defeat the Senators last weekend, and the Senators are coming off of a 6-3 loss last night against the New York Islanders, the Senators are going to want to get the win at home for their fans.

     

    2. Play disciplined

    The Capitals need to play a much more disciplined game and stay out of the penalty box and draw more penalties against the Senators.

     

    Ottawa Senators:

    Projected Lineup:

    Brady Tkachuk — Colin White — Mark Stone

    Zack Smith — Matt Duchene — Ryan Dzingel

    Mikkel Boedker — Chris Tierney — Bobby Ryan

    Nick Paul — Magnus Paajarvi

    Thomas Chabot — Dylan DeMelo

    Ben Harpur — Cody Ceci

    Mark Borowiecki — Christian Jaros

    Maxime Lajoie

    Mike McKenna

    Marcus Hogberg

    Scratched: Tom Pyatt

    Injured: Craig Anderson (concussion), Justin Falk (upper body), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Achilles), Thomas Chabot (upper body)

    *Either Stefan Elliott and Christian Wolanin are expected in the lineup with the injury to Chabot occurring last night.

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Get a good start

    The Senators need to get a good start to the game and not focus on the past. If they can get a good start and gain and maintain the momentum they can win this game.

  • Game Recap – 12/27/2018 – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 12/27/2018 – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Carolina Hurricanes (15-15-5 35pts) v. Washington Capitals (22-10-3 47pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals return from the Holiday break well rested as they took on the Carolina Hurricanes in a Metropolitan Division match up. The Capitals would control most of the tempo of this game despite taking three penalties in the first period. The second period would feature the Capitals forcing the play in the Hurricanes zone and cause the Hurricanes to take three penalties in the second period with the Capitals converting on the third one. The Capitals would keep up the pressure against the Hurricanes in the third period to secure their third straight victory.

     

    Lineups:

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Micheal Ferland — Clark Bishop — Justin Williams

    Warren Foegele — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

    Janne Kuokkanen — Victor Rask — Brock McGinn

    Jaccob Slavin — Brett Pesce

    Calvin de Haan — Justin Faulk

    Trevor van Riemsdyk — Dougie Hamilton

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratches: Phillip Di Giuseppe

    Injured: Haydn Fleury (concussion), Jordan Staal (upper body)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratches: Nic Dowd, Dmitrij Jaskin, Tyler Lewington

    Injured: Christian Djoos (leg), Brooks Orpik (knee)

     

    First Period:

    Hurricanes Penalty – 1:50 – Sebastian Aho 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals Penalty – 9:35 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Penalty – 13:56 – Brett Connolly 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals Penalty – 16:25 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 1st – CAR – 0       WAS – 0

    Shots              08                16

    Faceoffs         05                13

    Hits               07                  05

    PP                 0/3                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    This was a good period for the Capitals, but they kept getting themselves into penalty trouble. However, the Capitals did a great job of winning the battles to the puck to diffuse the Hurricanes powerplay opportunities. Also the Capitals did a very good job of pressuring the Hurricanes in their own zone and creating scoring chances for themselves.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to keep playing the strong game that they are, but they need to stay out of the penalty box, and force the Hurricanes to make mistakes and capitalize on them.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal – 3:33 – Chandler Stephenson (4) from unassisted

    Hurricanes Penalty – 4:16 – Andrei Svechnikov 2 minutes for Goalie Interference

    Hurricanes Penalty – 6:18 – Andrei Svechnikov 2 minutes for Interference

    Hurricanes Penalty – 17:18 – Brett Pesce 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals PPG – 18:16 – TJ Oshie (11) from John Carlson (31) and Alex Ovechkin (16)

     

    End of 2nd – CAR – 0        WAS – 2

    Shots               16                 25

    Faceoffs          19                 22

    Hits                 18                  14

    PP                   0/3                  1/4

     

    Analysis:

    Another good period for the Capitals that saw them force the Hurricanes to take 3 penalties this period and capitalizing late on their third chance. Great play by the Capitals earlier in the second period by forcing the pressure in the zone and making the Hurricanes defense cough up the puck and lead to Chandler Stephenson’s goal.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to keep their foot on the gas, and continue to force the play in the Hurricanes zone. Also the Capitals need to make sure they stay out of the penalty box, and not allow the Hurricanes an opportunity to get back into this game.

     

    Third Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – 12:25 – Sebastian Aho (15) from Micheal Ferland (6)

    Capitals Penalty – 16:12 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals ENG – 19:09 – John Carlson (6) from Nicklas Backstrom (32)

     

    End of 3rd – CAR – 1         WAS – 3

    Shots              29                   33

    Faceoffs        27                    33

    Hits               24                     29

    PP                 0/4                    1/4

     

    Analysis:

    A slower moving third period that saw the Hurricanes get on the board and ending Braden Holtby’s shutout chances after Matt Niskanen was driven into the boards from behind by Clark Bishop while Niskanen was entangled with Justin Williams. Overall a good period for the Capitals as they walk out the victors in this one.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (23-10-3 49pts) @ Ottawa (15-18-4 34pts)

    Carolina (15-16-5 35pts) @ New Jersey (13-16-7 33pts)

  • Gameday Preview – 12/27/2018 – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Gameday Preview – 12/27/2018 – Carolina Hurricanes v. Washington Capitals

    Carolina Hurricanes (15-15-5 35pts) v. Washington Capitals (22-10-3 47pts)

     

    Time: 7p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Washington and Fox Sports Carolinas

     

    Preview:

    With the Holiday break behind us, the NHL gets right back to it as the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals went into the break winning both games of their back to back, while the Hurricanes were not successful in their first game, but when they donned the Hartford Whalers uniforms, they defeated the Boston Bruins in convincing fashion.

     

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Projected Lineup:

    Jordan Martinook — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Micheal Ferland — Victor Rask — Brock McGinn

    Andrei Svechnikov — Lucas Wallmark — Justin Williams

    Warren Foegele — Clark Bishop — Phillip Di Giuseppe

    Jaccob Slavin — Brett Pesce

    Calvin de Haan — Justin Faulk

    Trevor van Riemsdyk — Dougie Hamilton

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratched: Janne Kuokkanen

    Injured: Haydn Fleury (concussion), Jordan Staal (upper body)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Continue Special Teams Dominance

    While the Hurricanes were not successful on their powerplay opportunities against the Bruins, they did however use them to swing the momentum in their favor. Plus getting two shorthanded goals from Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho was huge for the Hurricanes in their victory.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nic Dowd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Dmitrij Jaskin, Travis Boyd

    Injured: Christian Djoos (leg), Brooks Orpik (knee)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Control the tempo

    As mentioned for Carolina, they were very good at using their special teams units to take control of the game against Boston. The Capitals will need to combat that by controlling the tempo of the game and keep themselves out of the penalty box.

     

    2. Get Special Teams back on track

    The Capitals need to shore up their penalty kill, especially against Carolina. Also the Capitals need to shake up their powerplay a bit as well, and be less predictable.

     

    *Editors Note – Projected Lineups were taken from both teams last games played. We anticipate potential line changes.

  • Top 31 NHL Goalies of 2018 – Statistically

    Top 31 NHL Goalies of 2018 – Statistically

    Here are my top 31 goalies in the league this season solely based on statistics. Also, this is not a ranking system, just the top 31 goalies one from each team so far this season. So please don’t feel offended if your team’s goalie is at the bottom or lower than you think. I’m not rating them just stating each team’s best goaltender statistically.

    1. Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators: 14-6-1  .926 SV% 1.97GAA NSH

    Numbers really speak for themselves here. Only goalie on the list allowing less than 2 goals a game and in the .920s for save percentage. Rinne has always been a fantastic regular season goalie, it’s the playoffs that seem to cause him trouble.

    1. Mikko Koskinen –Edmonton Oilers: 11-4-1 .928SV% 2.18GAA

    What a surprise Koskinen has been for the Oilers this season. The last time we saw Koskinen he couldn’t stop a beachball, went overseas and signed with the Oilers in the offseason as a relatively small signing and seems to have reinvented himself here in the NHL after a lengthy absence. He faces a lot of shots, but seems up to the task.

    1. Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning: 11-3-2 .930SV% 2.35GAA

    Vasilevskiy’s numbers won’t be the most shocking as he was superb last season as well, but even after coming back from injury he came out and shut the door on the Toronto Maple Leafs high octane offence.

    1. David Rittich – Calgary Flames: 11-4-1 2.20 .925

    Rittich has had some ups and downs but for the most part has stolen the starting job from Mike Smith with some impressive numbers.  He has been a catalyst in helping Calgary off to a very strong first 30 games.

    1. Ben Bishop – Dallas Stars 11-8-1 .922SV% 2.35GAA

    Bishop quietly has put up some solid numbers. Dallas has had some under performers and tons of injuries so it really hasn’t shown on their record a lot but don’t count Bishop out.

    1. John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks: 15-9-4 .927SV% 2.52GAA

    Gibson has put up unreal numbers for a team that has struggled at times with the injury bug and even with their own consistency.

    1. Frederik Andersen – Toronto Maple Leafs: 18-9-1 .923SV% 2.53GAA

    Andersen has been probably the Leafs most consistent player all season. He’s been solid, Spectacular and a model of consistency when the Leafs needed it the most. He’s another goaltender that gets a lot of shots but has learned how to handle it.

    1. Jaroslav Halak – Boston Bruins: 10-5-2 2.27SV% .929GAA

    Halak is a bit of surprise here on the list considering there is no doubt who the number 1 goalie is in Boston. Tuukka Rask has struggled a bit this season with injuries and at time with his play. He is slowly coming back to form. But as of now Halak as been the better goalie.

    1. Jack Campbell – Los Angeles Kings: 5-7-0 2.33SV% .923GAA

    He is a real shocker, no Jonathan Quick and I have one reason for that injuries. Campbell was the back up and stepped and played really solid. His record doesn’t show it but those stats do.

    1. Casey DeSmith – Pittsburgh Penguins: 12-6-4 .923SV% 2.49GAA

    Another backup who got a chance because of injury to the starter and boy has he impressed. The Penguins are probably very happy that they have 2 goalies who can play.

    1. Thomas Greiss – New York Islanders: 12-6-1 .919SV% 2.52GAA

    Islanders have been a slight surprise this year. After losing John Tavares everyone thought the team was doomed to be in the basement of the league. But Greiss has helped them to a respectable record and his numbers are pretty good considering.

    1. Curtis McElhinney – Carolina Hurricanes: 7-3-1 .920SV% 2.36GAA

    Leafs put McElhinney on waivers and he was shocked but took it as another challenge in his career. Picked up by Carolina and has been very impressive. As a Leafs fan this really doesn’t shock me.

    1. Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights: 19-10-2 .907SV% 2.58GAA

    Vegas struggled out of the gate and Fleury stayed consistent. Number are down from last season but I think everyone knew that Vegas was going to come back down to earth a little bit.

    1. Carter Hutton – Buffalo Sabres: 13-9-2 .917SV% 2.61GAA

    Hutton a career back up, who looked like he was poised to take a starter role finally after a superb year last season. Has taken the reigns in Buffalo and has yet to let go. He’ll have to keep up these numbers if he wants to keep the job as rookie Linus Ullmark knocks at the door.

    1. Devan Dubnyk –Minnesota Wild: 12-11-2 .911SV% 2.64GAA

    Minnesota has not been great this season, But Dubnyk has been the epitome of consistency. Posting solid numbers and being one of the reasons why they have a decent record.

    1. Jimmy Howard – Detroit Red Wings: 10 – 7 – 4 .922SV% 2.69GAA

    Howard has not had a very good team this year, as the Red Wings are in a rebuild. But Howard has shown he can be a good goalie when called upon.

    1. Semyon Valarmov – Colorado Avalanche: 11-8-3 .913SV% 2.79GAA

    This could be Varlamov’s last season in Colorado with his contract ending and Grubauer signing during this offseason and don’t get me wrong Varlamov has been good but he hasn’t run away with the starting job. Some would say that Grubauer has given him more than a push and he may have even taken the starting role.

    1. Martin Jones – San Jose: 14-7-3 .901SV% 2.81GAA

    Martin Jones has taken a step back this season. His numbers have dropped and it shows in how his team is playing. Barely hitting over the 900 save percentage and pushing almost 3 goals a game.

    1. Brayden Holtby – Washington Capitals: 13-8-2 .911SV% 2.86GAA

    Holtby has a good record and decent stats but the last few season has struggled in the season. But in the playoffs be careful he’s a different beast.

    1. Sergei Bobrovsky –Columbus Blue Jackets: 13-10-1 .905SV% 2.86GAA

    Bobrovsky has really tailed off this season, really struggling to find his groove but Joonas Korpisalo hasn’t really done much to steal the job away.

    1. Henrik Lundqvist –NY Rangers: 10-9-5 .914SV% 2.87GAA

    Lundqvist is finally showing his age, putting up much below his normal numbers. Expect ”The King” to stay around this numbers till he retires.

    1. Darcy Kuemper – Arizona Coyotes: 4-8-2 .909SV% 2.87GAA

    Antti Raanta should be here but injuries have foiled what looked to be a great season for him. Kuemper has been their next best option in net. Hill came up from the minors and has played fantastic but on a very small sample size , I wasn’t prepared to make him the best they have right now.

    1. Conor Hellebyuck – Winnipeg Jets: 15-9-1 .908SV% 2.90GAA

    Hellebyuck had an amazing season last year but this year has started off much almost average 3 goals a game and getting close to a 900 save percentage. After signing a big deal the hope is he’ll continue to improve.

    1. Carey Price -Montreal Canadiens: 13-10-4 .902SV% 2.91GAA

    Price is a having a comeback year of sorts but still not back to his normal self. Averaging almost 3 goals a year and a close to 900 save percentage. Now this could be due to the Canadiens not being great, but being a middle of the pack team.

    1. Roberto Luongo – Florida Panthers: 7-5-1 .906SV% 2.05GAA

    Started off the season with a few injuries but age has grown well on Luongo who is still posting good numbers.

    1. Keith Kincaid – New Jersey Devils: 11-9-6 .902SV% 3.00GAA

    Kincaid is in a tough spot in New Jersey, as they are not the greatest team in the league. Despite the numbers and playing on a subpar team Kincaid has looked really good on most nights.

    1. Jacob Markstrom – Vancouver Canucks: 13-9-3 .904SV% 3.01GAA

    Who else thinks that if the Canucks had some consistent goaltending they would be a team to be scared of? The Canucks are hoping Demko is he answer to the problems.

    1. Jake Allen – St. Louis Blues: 11-9-4 .899SV% 3.14GAA

    What a terrible year Jake Allen is having. He was trusted with becoming the number one in ST.Louis and has been a complete flop.

    1. Craig Anderson – Ottawa Senators: 14-12-3 .907SV% 3.49GAA

    Anderson has had his struggles this season but I believe it’s mainly becaue of a very very young defence. With Ottawa very clearly in rebuild mode. Ottawa is letting their young guys play and that could mean Anderson’s year could get worse.

    1. Corey Crawford – Chicago Blackhawks: 6-14-2 .902SV% 3.28GAA

    Injury plagued season for Crawford yet he still is the best goalie in this organization.

    1. Brian Elliot – Philadelphia Flyers: 6-7-0 .911SV% 2.59GAA

    Not really much to say about Elliot, since leaving St.Louis he has never reclaimed the form he once had.

     

    Thoughts? Disagreements? Let me know would love to talk!

  • Mitch Marner Proving all the Critics Wrong

    Mitch Marner Proving all the Critics Wrong

    When the Leafs Drafted Mitch Marner from the London Knights of the OHL, General Managers from around the league second-guessed the decision and wondered if the Leafs Management had messed up on another draft pick.

    Marner’s tenure in London was marked by nothing but success. In Marner’s 3 years with the London Knights organization, he amassed 96 goals 205 assists for 301 points in 184 games. That puts Marner at about 1.6 points per game. Everyone thought great another junior player will not be able to translate their offensive abilities into the NHL.

    Most scouts said he’s fast but too small and has no muscle build to help with his board work. Scouts also implied that his offensive ability would not translate into the style that the NHL plays. But the Leafs saw something in him that they felt was worth what was considered the minimal risk. The payoff has been everything and more than the Leafs could have asked for.

    In his first 2 seasons with Toronto, Marner has put up impressive numbers. In his first 159 games, Marner put up 41 goals 89 assists for 130 points. Earning him 0.82 points per game average and improving on his rookie number totals in year 2 showed that Marner is growing as a player. This season is no different for Marner. In 34 games this season Marner has put up sensational numbers, 9 goals and 35 assists for 44 points. If Marner was to keep the same pace and played all 82 games he would put up 106 points this season.

    While Marner has become one of the elite playmakers in the league, guys like Dylan Strome are still trying to find his groove and become a full-time NHL player. Expect Marner to become more of a two-way player, he already begun that process but expect more improvement in that aspect of his game.

    But as Leaf fans we get to enjoy Marner’s magic for what we hope is a long time coming.

  • Shaggy’s 2018 State Of The Union Address: Connecticut Whale

    Shaggy’s 2018 State Of The Union Address: Connecticut Whale

    As 2018 draws to a close, and we head into the holiday season, now is a good time to reflect on the season that has been so far. I have often stated that the Whale this season have shown signs of improvement from last year; so I would like to compare and contrast the team last season, to the team this season. Each team, at this point of the year, have each played seven games on the season.
    Last year, at this time, the Whale’s record was two wins, five losses. They scored 11 goals at that point, and unfortunately given up 24 goals against, giving them a goal differential of -13. This season, the team’s record is two wins, four losses, and one shootout loss.

     

    They’ve scored 12 times this season and have given up 23 goals against, for a goal differential of -11. Although seemingly having very similar records, when you look closely at the difference in stats from this season compared to last season, it’s where you begin to notice the signs of improvement the team has gone through.
    Even though the goal totals have remained about the same, there are differences as to who leads the team in each department. Through seven games last season, there was a three way tie for the goals lead.

     

    Leading the way then was Kelly Babstock, who now plays for the Beauts; Sam Faber, who retired before the season started; and Emily Fluke, who is now the captain of the team. Each of these three players had two goals through seven games. Leading in the assist department was Kelly Babstock, she posted four assists through seven games, bringing her point totals to six.
    This year has been completely different, as it has been the rookie NWHLer and Czech native Katerina Mrázová who has been leading the way with six goals on the season. The six goals she has scored have come in her last five games.

     

    It seems that everything she is throwing at the net has gone in; she also finds herself in the right areas on the ice to put the biscuit in the basket. In her last game, she had a nice deflection goal off a shot that came from Emily Fluke.

     

     

    Additionally, Mrázová leads the team with eight points on the year, including two power play goals and one coming while the team was shorthanded. In terms of the setup, there is a tie for the team lead in assists. It is captain Emily Fluke and rookie NWHLer Michelle Löwenhielm who both have three assists on the year. One of Fluke’s assists on the year came via the power play; while Löwenhielm has had an assist on the power play and the penalty kill, feeding both goals to Mrázová.

     

     

    Although the team has a goal differential of -11, there is actually somebody on the team who is in the plus category of the plus/minus stat. She is the only one on the team who can say this and the honor goes to the veteran defensemen Jordan Brickner, who is a plus one.
    One of the biggest differences between last year’s team and this season has been the penalty kill. I know, I know, I have talked about the penalty kill to death, but it really needs to be continually stated how good the penalty kill has been all season long.

    Currently, the Whale has a 96 percent penalty kill rating, which is best in the league right now. Upon further inspection of the stats, they’ve been on the penalty kill 25 times this season through seven games.

     

    They have only been scored on ONCE all season long. The lone goal came from the Boston Pride on October 20th. Compare this to last season, through seven games; they went on the penalty kill 28 times, and the Whale were burned for seven goals through those games.

     

    As we have learned this season, a good penalty kill can stymie the opposition and can gather momentum, which can lead to greater offensive chances. The Whale proved that this was the case in the games against the Riveters.

     

     

    The power play is slightly better than it was last year, but not by much. Last year, through seven games, the Whale only scored one power play goal on 20 attempts. The lone player who got the goal on the power play was Jamie Goldsmith, and it came against the Boston Pride.

     

    This season, the Whale have been to the power play 21 times and have only managed to score two goals from it. Which is good for a 9.5 power play percentage; both of the goals came from Mrázová, in which she scored against the Riveters and the Pride.
    Goaltending has always been a strong suit for the Whale. The past two seasons, their goaltending always kept them in games and even giving them a shot of winning. In the seven games last year, three of them were one goal games, in which the Whale boasted a 2-1 record in those games. The stellar goaltending came from Sydney Rossman, who is now a member of the Minnesota Whitecaps.

     

    There have been two one goal games this season, in which the Whale are 1-1. The goaltending this season has been nothing short of spectacular and that is all thanks to first year NWHLer and the first ever Finnish player in the league Meeri Räisänen. A very late signing in the offseason, just days before their first game, she has turned in some really incredible performances this season; which includes a shutout she recorded on her birthday against the Riveters in Pittsburgh. She has been by far, the reason why the penalty kill has been better and why the team continues to show signs of improvement.
    Earlier in the year, when I did my preview for the team, I asked three questions. This seems as good a time as any to see if we got some answers, and possibly ask some new questions for the second half of the season.

    First question: How will Emily Fluke build on her incredible rookie season?

    Earlier in the article I stated how Emily Fluke was tied for the team lead in goals through seven games with two. Well, she had also posted three assists giving her five points through those seven games, which was good for second best on the team behind Kelly Babstock. During the second half of the year, Emily Fluke went on to post another two goals and three assists, giving her 11 total points on the year and she finished with a plus 2; which was the team lead in every offensive category.
    How has she faired this season? Well, first things first, she was named captain of the Whale. A huge honor for her, I’m sure. She has transitioned into her new role very well and has registered one goal on the year, which came against the Pride (She really likes scoring against the Pride).  Additionally, she has added three assists on the year, for a total of four points through seven games. A slight dip in numbers, but she is definitely one of the hardest working players out there. It even garnered her honors of being named an NWHL All Star. Safe to say, she’s improved upon her rookie season.

    Second question: How will Cydney Roesler do in her new role of being a player/assistant coach?
    Earlier in the year, before the season started, the Whale announced that Cydney Roesler would be named an assistant coach. She was going to adjust to a new role of being player/coach. Last year, she was an assistant coach for Quinnipiac University, so it made the most sense to give her such a role. I think she has adjusted rather nicely to this role. There is always something new for her to learn while behind the bench, and she’s been on the ice in four games this season. Her first game wasn’t particularly good, a hat trick of penalties is never a good thing; but in the other three games, she definitely showed that the first game she played is not indicator of anything. I look forward to seeing her continued development in her new role.

    Third Question: Who will be the starting goalie for the Whale this season?
    As stated earlier in the article, Sydney Rossman was the starting goaltender all last season for the Whale. When the Whitecaps became an official NWHL team, she departed to go play goalie for them. She is from Minnesota, so it really made sense for her. However, it left the team looking for a new goalie. It seemed heading into the season that the goaltending tandem was going to be Sam Walther of Hamilton College or Maria Sorokina of the Russian National Team. Coincidentally, the team chose another option, Meeri Räisänen. The team signed her the same week the Whale were going to face off against the Beauts in their home opener at Terry Conners Rink. She has been the clear cut favorite for the starting goaltender spot ever since, as she has started every game this season. She boasts a record of 2-4-1, a 2.76 GAA, and a .917 save percentage, including one shutout. She was also named an NWHL All Star.

    Questions I would like to ask for the second half of the season:

    Which players can step up and help create secondary scoring?
    As great as Mrázová has been all season long, she can’t do it all by herself. The team seems to go as she goes, which is good and bad. Good, in the sense of her current hot streak; again, everything she is firing at the net is going in, but bad if she (hopefully not) starts going cold. Others will need to start stepping up and help the team score more goals.

    What role will Colleen Murphy fulfill for the team on the blue line?
    Before the Whale played the Beauts, it was said that Murphy would make her debut. She played well, having one shot on goal in the game. It will be interesting to see what the former Beaut brings to the team with her veteran presence on the blue line.

    Can the Whale continue their improvement and finish with a better record than last season?
    As stated early on in this article, the Whale were 2-5 last year through seven games, seemingly pretty similar to this season. However last season was definitely not something worth remembering or repeating because the team went on and had a 1-6-2 record in the second half to finish out the year at 3-11-2.
    The team is 2-2 in their last four games, having shaken off the cobwebs of the first three games. They have continued to show the signs of improvement; can they keep taking the steps forward and make last season a thing of the past?

     

    We will certainly find out as the next game the Whale will play will be just before the new year on December 30th against the Boston Pride in Connecticut at Terry Conners Rink. The game will be at 3p.
    Happy Holidays Whale Fans!

  • December 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    December 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Monday, December 24th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were eight games yesterday.

     

    Columbus 3, NEW JERSEY 0

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would go on to defeat the New Jersey Devils yesterday afternoon by the score of 3-0.

     

     

    The New Jersey Devils would wear their own heritage jerseys in this contest.  The jerseys were worn by the Devils from the 1982-83 season, the first season for the team in New Jersey, until the 1991-92 NHL season.

     

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1076891123904335877

     

    Blue jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky would register his 14th shutout since the 2016-17 NHL season, the most shutouts in that time frame.

     

    CAROLINA 5, Boston 3

    In this contest, the Carolina Hurricanes would wear their Hartford Whalers throwbacks for a Hartford Whalers night last night in Raleigh and would go on to defeat the the Boston Bruins by the score of 5-3.

     

     

    Carolina’s Sebastian Aho would go on to have a four-point performance (2G, 2A) in the contest and Carolina’s Petr Mrazek would go on to have a 27 save performance on 30 shots.

    In addition to Aho, Teuvo Teravainen would also have a four-point game.

     

     

    Carolina would also go on to have two shorthanded goals in this game.

     

     

     

    TXHT was live at the game and has your full recap of the contest at the following page.

    Game Recap – 12/23/2018 – Boston Bruins v. Hartford Whalers

     

     

    Philadelphia 3, NY RANGERS 2 (SO)

    The Philadelphia Flyers would go on to defeat the New York Rangers yesterday and this would mark the fifth consecutive win the Flyers would have over the Rangers.

     

    Despite the loss in the shootout, the Rangers would still get a point in the standings.

     

     

    Florida 6, CHICAGO 3

    In the Florida Panthers 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, Florida’s Jayce Hawryluk would score the first two goals of his NHL career.

    Florida has won four out of their last five contests.

     

    In addition to Hawryluk having two goals, Panthers defenceman Mackenzie Wagner would also have a two point performance.  Wagner would have two assists in this contest.  This would be the first multi-point contest for both players.

     

    TORONTO 5, Detroit 4 (OT)

    Detroit’s Dylan Larkin would extend his point streak to a career-high of 11 contests.  This makes it the longest such streak since Henrik Zetterberg had an 11 game run during the 2010-11 season.

    Toronto’s Patrick Marleau would play in his 1,612th regular season NHL game, tying Hall of Famer Ray Bourque for the tenth most in NHL history.

    Detroit’s Trevor Daley would go on to play in his 1,000th NHL career contest last night in this game.

     

     

     

    NY Islanders 3, DALLAS 1

    With the Islanders 3-1 win at the Dallas Stars last night, the New York Islanders would finish off their road trip going into the holiday break with a 3-1-0 record.

     

    Los Angeles 4, VEGAS 3 (OT)

    The Los Angeles Kings won their 36th regular season overtime game since the 3-on-3 overtime format was introduced in the 2015-16 season when the Kings go on to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3.

     

    This would be the Vegas Golden Knights second consecutive overtime loss.

     

    Arizona 4, SAN JOSE 3 (SO)

    The Arizona Coyotes would go on to defeat the San Jose Sharks 4-3.

     

    With Joe Thornton’s assist in the first period on Tim Heed’s goal, Thornton would register his 1,041st career assist.  He passed Marcel Dionne for tenth place all time in the NHL.  He is now eight assists shy on his career from tying Gordie Howe for ninth place.

     

     

     

    The NHL resumes action Thursday night.

     

     

  • Game Recap – 12/23/2018 – Boston Bruins v. Hartford Whalers

    Game Recap – 12/23/2018 – Boston Bruins v. Hartford Whalers

    Boston Bruins (20-12-4 44pts) v. Hartford Whalers (14-15-5 33pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Hartford Whalers are back, and were they victorious. The Whalers had a rough start against the Boston Bruins, but as the game went on the more the Whalers played their game and forced the play in the Bruins zone and at one point score 4 unanswered goals which featured a shorthanded goal. Overall it was a great effort by the Whalers, and the next time we will see them will be Tuesday March 5th, 2019 in Boston.

     

    Lineups:

    Boston Bruins:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Danton Heinen

    Joakim Nordstrom — David Krejci — David Pastrnak

    Sean Kuraly — Colby Cave — David Backes

    Ryan Donato — Noel Acciari — Chris Wagner

    Torey Krug — Brandon Carlo

    Matt Grzelcyk — Charlie McAvoy

    John Moore — Steven Kampfer

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson

    Injured: Jake DeBrusk (concussion), Urho Vaakanainen (concussion), Kevan Miller (throat), Zdeno Chara (knee)

     

    Hartford Whalers:

    Jordan Martinook — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Micheal Ferland — Victor Rask — Brock McGinn

    Andrei Svechnikov — Lucas Wallmark — Justin Williams

    Warren Foegele — Clark Bishop — Phillip Di Giuseppe

    Jaccob Slavin — Brett Pesce

    Calvin de Haan — Justin Faulk

    Trevor van Riemsdyk — Dougie Hamilton

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratched: Janne Kuokkanen

    Injured: Haydn Fleury (concussion), Jordan Staal (upper body)

     

    First Period:

    Whalers Penalty – 1:27 – Micheal Ferland 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Bruins PPG – 2:40 – Ryan Donato (4) from Torey Krug (18) and Brad Marchand (28)

    Bruins Penalty – 5:35 – Steven Kampfer 2 minutes for Holding

    Bruins Penalty – 6:39 – Noel Acciari 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Bruins Goal – 8:56 – Steven Kampfer (2) from Sean Kuraly (6) and Brad Marchand (29)

    Whalers Penalty – 10:09 – Justin Faulk 2 minutes for Interference

    Whalers Goal – 12:55 – Teuvo Teravainen (7) from Jaccob Slavin (9) and Sebastian Aho (23)

    Whalers Penalty – 19:44 – Andrei Svechnikov 2 minutes for High Sticking

     

    End of 1st – BOS – 2       HFD – 1

    Shots              11                13

    Faceoffs         14                09

    PP                 1/2                 0/2

     

    Analysis:

    Not a good start for the Whalers as they took an early penalty that lead to a powerplay goal for the Bruins, and then another goal before the 9 minute mark after killing a 5 on 3 Whalers powerplay opportunity. However, it would be that same 2 man advantage that would help the Whalers start to turn the tide against the Bruins as they would score to cut the deficit to 1 before the 1st period would end.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Whalers need to stay out of the penalty box, and continue to build on their momentum from their goal. The Whalers also need to continue to apply pressure in the Bruins zone.

     

    Second Period:

    Whalers SHG – 1:29 – Sebastian Aho (13) from Teuvo Teravainen (20)

    Whalers Goal – 7:11 – Sebastian Aho (14) from Teuvo Teravainen (21)

    Whalers Goal – 11:47 – Justin Faulk (2) from Micheal Ferland (5) and Justin Williams (13)

    Bruins Goal – 16:05 – Ryan Donato (5) from Colby Cave (4) and David Backes (7)

     

    End of 2nd – BOS – 3        HFD – 4

    Shots               18                 29

    Faceoffs          30                 19

    PP                   1/3                  0/2

     

    Analysis:

    A really good solid period for the Whalers that saw them score shorthanded while killing off their late 1st period penalty. That goal would spark the Whalers and their play as they played strong in the Bruins zone and forced the Bruins defense to make mistakes and turnover the puck in their own zone.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Whalers need to keep the puck in the Bruins zone and continue to pressure the defense into making turnovers in their own zone.

     

    Third Period:

    Whalers Penalty – 5:44 – Micheal Ferland 2 minutes for Hooking

    Whalers SHG – 7:20 – Teuvo Teravainen (8) and Sebastian Aho (24)

    Bruins Penalty – 14:27 – Bench (Ryan Donato) 2 minutes for Too Many Men

    Whalers Penalty – 17:20 – Andrei Svechnikov 2 minutes for Boarding

     

    End of 3rd – BOS – 3         HFD – 5

    Shots              30                   37

    Faceoffs        45                    30

    Hits               41                     32

    PP                 1/5                    0/3

     

    Analysis:

    A solid third period for the Whalers. They got themselves into a little bit of penalty trouble, but were able to kill off both penalties, and getting another shorthanded goal in the process.

     

    Next Up:

    Boston (20-13-4 44pts) v. New Jersey (12-16-7 31pts)

    Carolina (15-15-5 35pts) @ Washington (22-10-3 47pts)