Tag: Alex Ovechkin

  • Game Recap – 12/15/2018 – Buffalo Sabres v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 12/15/2018 – Buffalo Sabres v. Washington Capitals

    Buffalo Sabres (19-9-4 42pts) v. Washington Capitals (19-9-3 41pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    For the second night in a row the Washington Capitals go to the shootout to continue their winning streak at five games. However it showed some of the same problems the Capitals had the previous night as they did in Carolina when they took on the Buffalo Sabres. The Capitals continue to have problems taking penalties, especially early in the game/period that they need to fix, plus their penalty killing is still a weakness that needs to be fixed.

     

    Lineups:

    Buffalo Sabres:

    Jeff Skinner — Jack Eichel — Sam Reinhart

    Conor Sheary — Casey Mittelstadt — Kyle Okposo

    Tage Thompson — Vladimir Sobotka — Jason Pominville

    Evan Rodrigues — Johan Larsson — Zemgus Girgensons

    Rasmus Dahlin — Zach Bogosian

    Lawrence Pilut — Rasmus Ristolainen

    Nathan Beaulieu — Matt Tennyson

    Carter Hutton

    Linus Ullmark

    Scratched: Remi Elie

    Injured: Marco Scandella (upper body), Jake McCabe (lower body), Casey Nelson (upper body), Scott Wilson (ankle), Matt Hunwick (neck)

    Suspended: Patrik Berglund

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Brett Connolly — Lars Eller — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Madison Bowey

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Andre Burakovsky, Dmitrij Jaskin, Tyler Lewington

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

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :41 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Sabres Goal – 2:41 – Jack Eichel (11) from Sam Reinhart (20) and Rasmus Dahlin (13)

    Capitals Goal – 3:39 – Brett Connolly (7) from Devante Smith-Pelly (3)

    Capitals Goal – 9:41 – Jakub Vrana (10) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (24)

    Sabres Penalty – 10:12 – Evan Rodrigues 2 minutes for Tripping

     

    End of 1st – BUF – 1       WAS – 2

    Shots              08                10

    Faceoffs         05                12

    Hits               06                  10

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    The Capitals did not have a good start to this game by taking a penalty in the first minute of the game, and then just as the penalty ended gave up the first goal of the game, but the way the Capitals was responded was really good. Pressuring Carter Hutton to cough up the puck so the Capitals could tie the game was very well done and then Evgeny Kuznetsov feeding Jakub Vrana with a beautiful pass to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to stay out of the penalty box. The Sabres are playing very good hockey and you don’t want to give them any chances. Also the Capitals need to clean up their passing and the play in their own zone. Lastly, the Capitals need to cut down on the fancy passing and get the pucks to the net.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Penalty – :50 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Hooking

    Sabres PPG – 2:25 – Jack Eichel (12) from Rasmus Dahlin (14) and Rasmus Ristolainen (18)

    Capitals Penalty – 6:10 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Hooking

    Sabres PPG – 7:21 – Rasmus Dahlin (3) from Jeff Skinner (11) and Sam Reinhart (21)

    Sabres Penalty – 8:12 – Tage Thompson 2 minutes for Interference

    Capitals Penalty – 11:51 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Roughing

    Sabres Penalty – 11:51 – Sam Reinhart 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals Goal – 13:46 – Alex Ovechkin (29) from Nicklas Backstrom (30) and Dmitry Orlov (10)

    Sabres Penalty -14:42 – Zach Bogosian 2 minutes for Hooking

     

    End of 2nd – BUF – 3        WAS – 3

    Shots               17                 25

    Faceoffs          19                 21

    Hits                 13                  19

    PP                   2/3                  0/3

     

    Analysis:

    Once again not a good start the period as the Capitals took another penalty in the first minute of the period that resulted in a goal, this time while the penalty was still being served. Then with sloppy play in their own zone, the Sabres would capitalize and score to give themselves the lead. Good job by Dmitry Orlov to pinch in an force the turnover and have it lead to an Alex Ovechkin goal.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to stay out of the penalty box. They have had three penalties against them and all 3 have resulted in goals against. Also the Capitals need to mix up their powerplay unit a bit.

     

    Third Period:

    Sabres Penalty – :16 – Marco Scandella 2 minutes for Delay of Game

     

    End of 3rd – BUF – 3         WAS – 3

    Shots              21                   35

    Faceoffs        25                    30

    Hits               16                     30

    PP                 2/3                    0/4

     

    OT:

    Sabres Penalty – 3:29 – Evan Rodrigues 2 minutes for Roughing

    Capitals Penalty – 3:29 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for Roughing

     

    End of OT – BUF – 3         WAS – 3

    Shots              28                   38

    Faceoffs        27                    31

    Hits               16                     32

    PP                 2/3                    0/4

     

    Shootout:

    WAS – TJ Oshie – Save

    BUF – Jack Eichel – Miss

    WAS – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Goal

    BUF – Tage Thompson – Save

    WAS – Nicklas Backstrom – Miss

    BUF – Casey Mittelstadt – Goal

    WAS – Alex Ovechkin – Goal

    BUR – Jason Pominville – Save

     

    End of SO – BUF 3     WAS 4

     

    Analysis:

    Overall it was an ok period for the Capitals, but they were a little too fancy with the puck. In OT the Sabres were the dominant team.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (20-9-3 43pts) v. Pittsburgh (15-11-6 36pts)

    Buffalo (19-9-5 43pts) v. Boston (17-11-4 38pts)

  • Game Recap – 12/14/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Game Recap – 12/14/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Washington Capitals (18-9-3 39pts) v. Carolina Hurricanes (13-13-4 30pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals managed to leave Carolina with the shootout victory over the Hurricanes. The Capitals did so while constantly putting themselves in the penalty box which the Hurricanes made them pay for that 3 times. Also Alex Ovechkin’s 2nd goal came controversially as Jonas Siegenthaler clearly interfered with Dougie Hamilton to allow Ovechkin to get into the slot area to score.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Brett Connolly — Lars Eller — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Andre Burakovsky, Chandler Stephenson

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

     

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Jordan Martinook — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Janne Kuokkanen — 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

    Scott Darling

    Petr Mrazek

    Scratched:

    Injured: Jordan Staal (concussion), Curtis McElhinney (lower body), Micheal Ferland (upper body), Haydn Fleury (concussion)

     

    First Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – :47 – Jordan Martinook (8) from Sebastian Aho (21) and Calvin de Haan (4)

    Capitals Goal -3:56 – Alex Ovechkin (26) from Jonas Siegenthaler (1) and Nic Dowd (6)

    Capitals Penalty – 7:59 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Interference

    Hurricanes Penalty – 7:59 – Warren Foegele 2 minutes for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

    Capitals Penalty – 10:06 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Holding the Stick

    Hurricanes Penalty – 11:54 – Dougie Hamilton 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Hurricanes SHG – 13:18 – Sebastian Aho (10) from Teuvo Teravainen (17)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 1       CAR – 2

    Shots              10                10

    Faceoffs         08                12

    Hits               05                  16

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    Not a solid period for the Capitals. Giving up the first goal of the game in the first minute was not ideal, especially for going up against a team that got home last night at 3 in the morning. The Capitals responded very well by getting a goal of their own to tie the game. However, it would be poor play on their powerplay that would result in a shorthanded goal against, plus Madison Bowey needs to play smarter. The penalties he has been taking have been hurting the Capitals.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to clean up their play in their own zone. They have been sloppy, and it has been costly. The Capitals need to come out and start the 2nd period with a better pace to their game, and on their next power play opportunity they need to get Tom Wilson out there.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 4:00 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Holding

    Hurricanes PPG – 4:39 – Sebastian Aho (11) from Justin Faulk (8) and Teuvo Teravainen (18)

    Capitals Penalty – 5:03 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Interference

    Hurricanes PPG – 6:41 – Teuvo Teravainen (6) from Andrei Svechnikov (8) and Sebastian Aho (22)

    Capitals Goal – 12:37 – Tom Wilson (8) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (23)

    Capitals Goal – 17:25 – Alex Ovechkin (27) from Nic Dowd (7)

    Capitals Goal – 18:19 – Travis Boyd (3) from John Carlson (28) and Nic Dowd (8)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 4        CAR – 4

    Shots               21                 16

    Faceoffs          14                 21

    Hits                 16                  20

    PP                   0/1                  2/3

     

    Analysis:

    Yet again another rough period for the Capitals, but this time they ended it strong. They took a couple bad penalties, one of which was very questionable, and the Hurricanes made them pay for it. The Capitals were able to tie it up late, even though Alex Ovechkin’s 2nd goal should have not happened as it was clear interference by Jonas Siegenthaler, and has gotten them some confidence.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to play a full 20 minutes. They need to play smart and stay out of the penalty box. The Capitals also needs to contain the hurricanes speed as right now they are being burned by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 3:19 – Michal Kempny 2 minutes for Hooking

    Hurricanes Penalty – 9:20 – Jordan Martinook 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals PPG – 9:49 – Alex Ovechkin (28) from John Carlson (30) and Nicklas Backstrom (29)

    Capitals Penalty -11:49 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Hurricanes PPG – 13:48 – Justin Williams (7) from unassisted

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 5         CAR – 5

    Shots              25                   26

    Faceoffs        23                    35

    Hits               23                     22

    PP                 1/2                    3/5

     

    OT:

    Capitals Penalty – 3:25 – Matt Niskanen 2 minutes for Tripping

     

    End of OT – WAS – 5         CAR – 5

    Shots              29                   27

    Faceoffs        25                    35

    Hits               25                     26

    PP                 1/2                    3/6

     

    Shootout:

    CAR – Janne Kuokkanen – Save

    WAS – TJ Oshie – Save

    CAR – Jaccob Slavin – Save

    WAS – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Save

    CAR – Phil Di Giuseppe – Save

    WAS – Alex Ovechkin – Save

    CAR – Dougie Hamilton – Goal

    WAS – Nicklas Backstrom – Goal

    CAR – Justin Williams – Save

    WAS – Lars Eller – Save

    CAR – Brock McGinn – Save

    WAS – Jakub Vrana – Goal

     

    End of SO – WAS 6    CAR 5

     

    Analysis:

    A decent 3rd period and overtime period for the Capitals. They did great getting the lead on their lone powerplay of the 3rd period only to blow it one a sloppy play by Braden Holtby behind the net to let former Capital Justin Williams tie it up on a powerplay. In overtime the Capitals started strong, and then was forced to kill off a late Matt Niskanen tripping call. As for the shootout, why did Rod Brind’Amour not put in Sebastian Aho or Teuvo Teravainen?

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (19-9-3 41pts) v. Buffalo (19-9-4 42pts)

    Carolina (13-13-5 31pts) v. Arizona (14-15-2 30pts)

  • Game Recap – 12/11/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 12/11/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

    Detroit Red Wings (14-13-4 32pts) v. Washington Capitals (17-9-3 37pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals came to play as Alex Ovechkin scored the hat trick while Nicklas Backstrom helped guide the Capitals with 4 assists to give the Capitals their 3rd straight win. Good overall win for the Capitals as they played a full 60 minutes tonight.

     

    Lineups:

    Detroit Red Wings:

    Gustav Nyquist — Dylan Larkin — Justin Abdelkader

    Thomas Vanek — Frans Nielsen — Andreas Athanasiou

    Tyler Bertuzzi — Luke Glendening — Michael Rasmussen

    Christoffer Ehn — Jacob de la Rose — Martin Frk

    Niklas Kronwall — Mike Green

    Jonathan Ericsson — Nick Jensen

    Trevor Daley — Dennis Cholowski

    Jimmy Howard

    Jonathan Bernier

    Scratched: Wade Megan, Luke Witkowski

    Injured: Evgeny Svechnikov (knee surgery), Darren Helm (upper body), Anthony Mantha (hand), Danny DeKeyser (hand)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Lars Eller — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Andre Burakovsky, Jonas Siegenthaler

    Injured: Tom Wilson (concussion), Brooks Orpik (knee)

     

    First Period:

    Red Wings Penalty – 2:10 – Frans Nielsen 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals PPG – 3:39 – Brett Connolly (6) from John Carlson (26) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (21)

    Capitals Goal – 10:50 – Travis Boyd (2) from Nic Dowd (5) and Dmitrij Jaskin (6)

    Capitals Goal – 12:59 – Alex Ovechkin (23) from Nicklas Backstrom (25) and Michal Kempny (8)

     

    End of 1st – DET – 0       WAS – 3

    Shots              11                10

    Faceoffs         12                12

    Hits               06                  04

    PP                 0/0                 1/1

     

    Analysis:

    This was a good period for the Capitals. They scored early and consistently throughout the period. They hustled to win battles, and they had bounces go their way.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to keep it going and not lose focus. They still need to do a good job of clogging up the neutral zone, and containing the Red Wings speed as they can burn anyone with it. Play these last 40 minutes and really choke the life out of the Red Wings.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal – 9:05 – Alex Ovechkin (24) from John Carlson (27) and Nicklas Backstrom (26)

    Red Wings Penalty – 9:30 – Frans Nielsen 2 minutes for Interference

    Capitals PPG – 10:06 – TJ Oshie (10) from Nicklas Backstrom (27) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (22)

    Capitals Penalty – 16:18 – Dmitry Orlov 2 minutes for Hooking

     

    End of 2nd – DET – 0        WAS – 5

    Shots               21                 17

    Faceoffs          24                 22

    Hits                 13                  06

    PP                   0/1                  2/2

     

    Analysis:

    Another good period for the Capitals. They continued to clog up the neutral zone and containing the Red Wings speed. They did let the Red Wings have a few more opportunities, but not as many dangerous ones like in the 1st period. Capitals are definitely making the most of their opportunities.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to stay focused and not let the Red Wings any opportunities to get back into this game. Full 20 minutes to finish out this game.

     

    Third Period:

    Red Wings Goal – 1:03 – Dylan Larkin (13) from Gustav Nyquist (21) and Nick Jensen (5)

    Failed Coach’s Challenge for the Capitals for Goalie Interference

    Capitals Goal – 9:33 – Alex Ovechkin (25) from Christian Djoos (4) and Nicklas Backstrom (28)

    Red Wings Goal – 16:42 – Gustav Nyquist (8) from Justin Abdelkader (6)

     

    End of 3rd – DET – 2         WAS – 6

    Shots              37                   25

    Faceoffs        35                    32

    Hits               18                     12

    PP                 0/1                    2/2

     

    Analysis:

    Good third period. Capitals let off the gas a little bit which allowed Detroit two goals, but overall a solid period to close out the game.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (18-9-3 39pts) @ Carolina (13-12-4 30pts)

    Detroit (14-14-4 32pts) v. Ottawa (13-14-4 30pts)

  • Game Recap – 12/8/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Columbus Blue Jackets

    Game Recap – 12/8/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Columbus Blue Jackets

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Washington Capitals (16-9-3 35pts) v. Columbus Blue Jackets (16-10-2 34pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals marched into Columbus for the first time since the 1st Round of the 2018 Playoffs were victorious as both Dmitrij Jaskin (as a Capital) and Travis Boyd (of his career) scored their first goals of the season, and Braden Holtby made 28 save on 28 shots for his second shutout of the season and 34th of his career putting him one shutout shy of tying Olaf Kolzig for the franchise lead in shutouts.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Andre Burakovsky

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Lars Eller — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Christian Djoos, Riley Barber

    Injured: T.J. Oshie (concussion), Brooks Orpik (knee surgery), Tom Wilson (concussion)

     

    Columbus Blue Jackets:

    Artemi Panarin — Pierre-Luc Dubois — Cam Atkinson

    Nick Foligno — Boone Jenner — Josh Anderson

    Brandon Dubinsky — Alexander Wennberg — Anthony Duclair

    Oliver Bjorkstrand — Riley Nash — Markus Hannikainen

    Ryan Murray — Seth Jones

    Markus Nutivaara — David Savard

    Zach Werenski — Scott Harrington

    Sergei Bobrovsky

    Joonas Korpisalo

    Scratched: Lukas Sedlak

    Injured: None

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 1:42 – Brett Connolly (5) from Jakub Vrana (9) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (20)

    Blue Jackets Penalty – 3:43 – Cam Atkinson  2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Goal – 10:19 – Dmitrij Jaskin (1) from Travis Boyd (7) and Dmitry Orlov (9)

    Capitals Goal – 19:41 – Alex Ovechkin (22) from Michal Kempny (7) and John Carlson (25)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 3       CLB – 0

    Shots              13                08

    Faceoffs         09                13

    Hits               01                  07

    PP                 0/1                 0/0

     

    Analysis:

    This was a very good period for the Capitals that saw them strike early and strike consistently throughout the period. Great job by Dmitrij Jaskin for getting to the net and getting his first as a Capital.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to continue playing the way they are now and consistently pressuring the play in the Blue Jackets zone.

     

    Second Period:

    Blue Jackets Penalty – 5:10 – Pierre-Luc Dubois 2 minutes for Slashing

    Blue Jackets Penalty – 11:32 – Boone Jenner 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Capitals Penalty – 18:07 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Slashing

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 3        CLB – 0

    Shots               21                 17

    Faceoffs          20                 23

    Hits                 01                  10

    PP                   0/3                  0/1

     

    Analysis:

    This was a good period. The Capitals maintained the pace that they liked, and continued to pressure on the Blue Jackets defense.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals just need to keep it going. Keep pressuring the Blue Jackets, forcing turnovers and penalties. The Capitals need to do a much better job with their powerplay opportunities.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty – 2:44 – Dmitry Orlov 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Goal – 11:04 – Travis Boyd (1) from Alex Ovechkin (14) and Nic Dowd (4)

    Capitals Penalty – 13:24 – Andre Burakovsky 2 minutes for Holding

    Capitals Penalty – 17:32 – Andre Burakovsky 2 minutes for Tripping

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 4         CLB – 0

    Shots              28                   28

    Faceoffs        27                    34

    Hits               05                     16

    PP                 0/3                    0/4

     

    Analysis:

    A good overall game for the Capitals as they end their 3 game road trip with a victory over their Metropolitan Division rival Blue Jackets. The 3rd period though the Capitals took too many penalties which allowed the Blue Jackets an opportunity to get back into this game but Braden Holtby would be strong in net.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (17-9-3 37pts) v. Detroit (13-12-4 30pts)

    Columbus (16-11-2 34pts) v. Vancouver (12-16-3 27pts)

  • Game Recap – 12/6/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Arizona Coyotes

    Game Recap – 12/6/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Arizona Coyotes

    Washington Capitals (15-9-3 33pts) v. Arizona Coyotes (13-11-2 28pts)

     

     

    Game Recap:

    The Capitals snapped their 2 game losing streak by continuing to play the game, and not backing down when things looked really bad in the first period. The Capitals also ended the Coyotes 4 game winning streak in the process. Another great game for Pheonix Copley in the net for the Capitals.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Andre Burakovsky

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Lars Eller — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Jonas Siegenthaler — Christian Djoos

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Madison Bowey

    Injured: T.J. Oshie (concussion), Brooks Orpik (knee surgery), Tom Wilson (concussion)

     

    Arizona Coyotes:

    Alex Galchenyuk — Nick Schmaltz — Clayton Keller

    Richard Panik — Derek Stepan — Christian Fischer

    Mario Kempe — Brad Richardson — Vinnie Hinostroza

    Lawson Crouse — Nick Cousins — Josh Archibald

    Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Kevin Connauton

    Jakob Chychrun — Niklas Hjalmarsson

    Alex Goligoski — Jordan Oesterle

    Adin Hill

    Calvin Pickard

    Scratched: Conor Garland, Ilya Lyubushkin

    Injured: Antti Raanta (lower body), Darcy Kuemper (lower body), Michael Grabner (eye), Jason Demers (lower body), Christian Dvorak (upper body)

     

    First Period:

    Coyotes Goal – 4:48 – Christian Fischer (6) from Derek Stepan (7)

    Capitals Penalty – 18:38 – Lars Eller 2 minutes for Hooking

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       ARI – 1

    Shots              11                11

    Faceoffs         07                07

    Hits               09                  06

    PP                 0/0                 0/0 *1st in progress

     

    Analysis:

    This was not the greatest period for the Capitals. They were overwhelmed by the Coyotes speed, and there were too many turnovers as the Capitals had 6 compared to the Coyotes 1. This game could be worse, but Pheonix Copley has been playing very well to keep the Capitals in the game.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to play a better overall game and contain the Coyotes speed as that is one of the biggest reasons as to why the Coyotes are forcing all of these turnovers. Also the Capitals need to play much better in their own zone.

     

    Second Period:

    Coyotes Penalty Shot – 1:16 – Richard Panik – Miss (Brett Connolly – Throw Object at Puck)

    Capitals Goal – 5:27 – Jakub Vrana (9) from Brett Connolly (13) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (19)

    Coyotes Goal – 6:58 – Lawson Crouse (6) from Nick Cousins (6) and Jordan Oesterle (5)

    Capitals Penalty – 11:25 – Matt Niskanen 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Coyotes Penalty – 13:07 – Jakob Chychrun 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals Goal – 16:00 – Matt Niskanen (4) from Travis Boyd (6) and Pheonix Copley (1)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 2        ARI – 2

    Shots               18                 18

    Faceoffs          13                 22

    Hits                 19                  13

    PP                   0/1                  0/2

     

    Analysis:

    This was a very back and forth period for the Capitals. It was good as they got the first and last goals of the period to make this game 2-2 going into the 2nd intermission. However, the Capitals are still chasing the Coyotes.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to do a better job at containing and combating the Coyotes speed. Also the Capitals need to do a better job in the faceoff circle.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Penalty Shot – :16 – Jakub Vrana – Miss (Kevin Connauton – Hooking on Breakaway)

    Capitals Goal – 15:18 – Andre Burakovsky (5) from Matt Niskanen (10) and Dmitry Orlov (8)

    Capitals PPG _ 19:57 – Alex Ovechkin (21) from unassisted

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 4         ARI – 2

    Shots              29                   29

    Faceoffs        20                    31

    Hits               25                     18

    PP                 0/1                    0/2

     

    Analysis:

    This was a fast moving 3rd period that started with a good break by Jakub Vrana drawing a Penalty Shot, but unable to capitalize, but then Andre Burakovsky netting the eventual game winner late in the 3rd to give the Capitals the win.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (16-9-3 35pts) v. Columbus (16-10-2 34pts)

    Arizona (13-12-2 28pts) v. San Jose (13-10-5 31pts)

  • Game Recap – 11/30/2018 – New Jersey Devils v. Washington Capitals

    Game Recap – 11/30/2018 – New Jersey Devils v. Washington Capitals

    New Jersey Devils (9-10-4 22pts) v. Washington Capitals (14-7-3 31pts)

     

    Preview:

    The Washington Capitals enter their weekend homestand on a 6 game winning streak as they take on the New Jersey Devils, who last time these two teams met whitewashed the Capitals 6-0. However, in their past six games the Devils have only won one game (1-2-3), and are looking to turn things around for them.

     

    For the Capitals, they have been 7-1-0 since the return of Tom Wilson from suspension, and without key players TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov who are both out due to concussions, but with the promising prospect of gaining Kuznetsov back, that could add a kick to the Capitals powerplay that has struggled during these winning times.

     

    Lineups:

    New Jersey Devils:

    Taylor Hall — Nico Hischier — Jesper Bratt

    Marcus Johansson — Pavel Zacha — Kyle Palmieri

    Brett Seney — Travis Zajac — Blake Coleman

    Brian Boyle — Michael McLeod — Miles Wood

    Andy Greene — Damon Severson

    Mirco Mueller — Sami Vatanen

    Will Butcher — Ben Lovejoy

    Keith Kinkaid

    Cory Schneider

    Scratched: Drew Stafford, Stefan Noesen, Egor Yakovlev

    Injured: Steven Santini (broken jaw), Joey Anderson (lower body)

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nic Dowd — Dmitrij Jaskin

    Michal Kempny — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Jonas Siegenthaler, Travis Boyd

    Injured: T.J. Oshie (concussion), Brooks Orpik (knee surgery)

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 3:51 – Nicklas Backstrom (7) from Alex Ovechkin (11) and Michal Kempny (5)

    Capitals Penalty – 6:02 – Lars Eller 2 minutes for Cross Checking

    Capitals Penalty – 18:38 – Devante Smith-Pelly 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 1st – NJ – 0       WAS- 1

    Shots              09                08

    Faceoffs         12                07

    Hits               07                  03

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

     

    Analysis:

    This was an ok period for the Capitals. The scored early on a great play by Alex Ovechkin to Nicklas Backstrom. However, the Devils did a good job of attacking the Capitals and making it difficult to leave their own zone. Plus on the Devils powerplays so far they have exposed the Capitals at certain times because of the Capitals being extra aggressive on the penalty kill.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to do a better job of getting out of the zone cleaner, also the Capitals need to ease up on the aggression on their penalty kill a bit as mentioned above, the Devils have found an opening and is exposing it to their advantage. Lastly, the Capitals need to keep the feet moving and draw some penalties to get their powerplay on the ice.

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals SHG – :08 – Tom Wilson (7) from Matt Niskanen (8)

    Capitals Penalty – 1:05 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Devils Penalty – 7:29 – Taylor Hall 2 minutes for Tripping

    Devils SHG – 9:23 – Travis Zajac (8) from Blake Coleman (7)

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1068677276697587714

    Capitals Penalty – 17:39 – Tom Wilson 5 minute major for Illegal Check to the Head

     

    End of 2nd – NJ – 1        WAS – 2

    Shots               26                 18

    Faceoffs          21                 12

    Hits                 09                  04

    PP                   0/3*               0/1     *4th in progress

     

    Analysis:

    This was a rough period for the Capitals. It started off well from when Tom Wilson scored 8 seconds into the period but after that the Devils out hustled and out worked the Capitals in many facets of the game. The Devils were also the more physical. Braden Holtby has been spectacular in this game and is a huge reason this game is still 2-1 Capitals.

     

    Need to Do:

    The Capitals need to kill off the last 2:39 seconds of Tom Wilson’s Match penalty, which was an overblown call as he never made head contact, and once they do they need to pick up the pace and take it to the Devils. Also the Capitals are getting killed in the faceoff circle and needs to do a better job in the 3rd period.

     

    Third Period:

    Capitals Goal – 5:45 – Andre Burakovsky (4) from Michal Kempny (6) and Nicklas Backstrom (23)

    Devils Penalty – 8:26 – Miles Wood 4 minutes for Butt-Ending

    Devils Penalty – 10:17 – Sami Vatanen 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals PPG – 10:57 – Nicklas Backstrom (8) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (16) and John Carlson (22)

    Devils Goal – 12:35 – Nico Hischier (5) from unassisted

    Devils Goal – 18:10 – Marcus Johansson (4) from Nico Hischier (10) and Taylor Hall (18)

    Capitals ENG – 18:30 – Alex Ovechkin (19) from unassisted

    Capitals ENG – 19:37 – Nicklas Backstrom (9) from Alex Ovechkin (12)

    Capitals Penalty – 19:56 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Delay of Game

     

    End of 3rd – NJ – 3         WAS – 6

    Shots              36                   31

    Faceoffs        30                    27

    Hits               12                     06

    PP                 0/5                    1/4

     

    Analysis:

    In what was a very hard fought battle for the Capitals as they had to endure against a faster Devils team, as well as the loss of Tom Wilson to a very questionable Match penalty for an “illegal hit to the head” when replays clearly showed he hit the shoulder while trying to get out of the way of Brett Seney while Seney was backing up. However, the Capitals persevered and won their seventh straight game. The Devils made it difficult for the Capitals, but they found a way.

     

    Also after celebrating surpassing Peter Bondra to become 2nd Franchise history in Points, Nicklas Backstrom would record a hat trick (3 goals) and an assist to continue where he left off against the New York Islanders.

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (15-7-3 33pts) v. Anaheim (13-10-5 31pts)

    New Jersey (9-11-4 22pts) v. Winnipeg (14-8-2 30pts)

  • November 27th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is  Tuesday, November 27th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    Yesterday there were five games that took place.

     

    -TORONTO 4, Boston 2

    Boston Bruins David Pastrnak would score the only two goals in the Bruins 4-2 loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.

     

    TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor Steve Gardiner has your recap of the Maple Leafs versus the Boston Bruins at the following page.

     

    Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 11/26/2018 – Game Recap

     

    -FLORIDA 4, New Jersey 3 (OT)

    With the Florida Panthers win, they are 6-0-0 against the New Jersey Devils in their last six home contests dating back to April 11, 2015.

     

    -Washington 4, NY ISLANDERS 1

     

    The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin would score his 625th career goal last night, placing him into a tie with Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic for 15th place on the all-time list.

    Capitals F Tom Wilson would also score two goals in the contest to give Washington the 4-1 lead over the New York Islanders at Barclays Center last night.

     

    TXHT has your recap of the Washington Capitals at the New York Islanders at the following page.

    Game Recap – 11/26/2018 – Washington Capitals v. New York Islanders

     

    -NY RANGERS 4, Ottawa 2

     

     

    Columbus 7, DETROIT 5

    For the third time this season, the Columbus Blue Jackets would score at least seven goals in a contest.  They are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the highest such amount on the season.

     

     

     

     

     

    There are 10 games on the NHL schedule tonight.

    Image credit goes to NHL Public Relations and NHL

    For more news, notes, info, and stats…

     

     

     

    In NHL news today…

     

    Elliotte Friedman released his weekly “31 Thoughts” blog post.  You can check that post out here.

    https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1067498467394613248

     

    Last night, Toronto Maple Leafs Patrick Marleau would play in his 1,600th NHL contest.

     

    You can watch TXHT Live tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET 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.

  • 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.

  • Game Recap – 11/19/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Montreal Canadiens

     

    Washington Capitals (9-7-3 21pts) v. Montreal Canadiens (11-6-3 25pts)

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Lars Eller — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Nicklas Backstrom — Andre Burakovsky

    Chandler Stephenson — Travis Boyd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Nic Dowd — Brett Connolly

    Dmitry Orlov — John Carlson

    Michal Kempny — Matt Niskanen

    Christian Djoos — Madison Bowey

    Pheonix Copley

    Braden Holtby

    Scratched: Jonas Siegenthaler

    Injured: Evgeny Kuznetsov (upper body), Brooks Orpik (lower body), T.J. Oshie (upper body)

     

    Montreal Canadiens:

    Tomas Tatar — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher

    Jonathan Drouin — Max Domi — Andrew Shaw

    Kenny Agostino — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Artturi Lehkonen

    Nicolas Deslauriers — Matthew Peca — Charles Hudon

    Jordie Benn — Jeff Petry

    David Schlemko — Noah Juulsen

    Mike Reilly — Victor Mete

    Carey Price

    Antti Niemi

    Scratched: Karl Alzner, Xavier Ouellet

    Injured: Shea Weber (knee), Joel Armia (lower body), Paul Byron (lower body), Nikita Scherbak (lower body)

     

    First Period:

    Canadiens Goal – 9:20 – Mike Reilly (2) from Matthew Peca (5)

    Capitals Goal – 13:16 – Brett Connolly (3) from John Carlson (15)

    Capitals Goal – 14:40 – Alex Ovechkin (14) from Tom Wilson (3) and Dmitry Orlov (5)

    Canadiens Penalty – 17:34 – Kenny Agostino 2 minutes for Roughing

    Capitals Penalty – 17:34 – Matt Niskanen 4 minutes for Roughing (2 minutes served by Andre Burakovsky)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 2       MON – 1

    Shots              08                16

    Faceoffs         17                13

    Hits               08                  08

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals started a little shaky, but as it seemed the Capitals were settling in the Canadiens would get the first goal of the game and then take over on the shot counter. However, after the Canadiens took the 1-0 lead the Capitals would score two goals on three shots to take the 2-1 lead going into the 2nd period.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – The Canadiens once again got off to a fast start once again and hold the Capitals to 8 shots. Despite being down 2-1 the Canadiens played a very strong first period

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals need to do a much better job of neutralizing the Canadiens speed. Also the Capitals were even with the Canadiens in shots until the Canadiens scored and then they doubled up the Capitals 18-8. The Capitals will need to cut down the number of shooting chances for the Canadiens, and generate more for themselves.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – The Canadiens need to stop giving up high quality chances in front. Powerplay looks solid even though they couldn’t score. The Canadiens need to continue to get pucks on net moving forward.

     

    Second Period:

    Canadiens Goal – :20 – Brendan Gallagher (10) from Phillip Danault (11) and Jeff Petry (15)

    Capitals Penalty – :52 – Madison Bowey 2 minutes for Interference

    Canadiens PPG – 1:08 – Jeff Petry (2) from Jesperi Kotkaniemi (8) and Max Domi (15)

    Canadiens Goal – 1:35 – Kenny Agostino (1) from Arturi Lehkonen (9) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (9)

    Capitals Penalty – 6:35 – Lars Eller 4 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals Goal – 13:20 – Nicklas Backstrom (6) from Christian Djoos (3) and Madison Bowey (3)

    Canadiens Penalty – 18:48 – Max Domi 5 minute major for Fighting

    Capitals Penalty – 18:48 – Dmitry Orlov 5 minute major for Fighting

    Canadiens Penalty – 19:10 – Phillip Danault 2 minutes for Slashing

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 3        MON – 4

    Shots               19                 34

    Faceoffs          29                 23

    Hits                 18                  15

    PP                   0/0*               1/4        *1st PP in Progress

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – This was not a great period for the Capitals. They gave up 3 goals in the first 1:35 and were dominated for the most part by the Canadiens. The second half of the period was better, but still not good enough.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – Great bounce back period from the Canadiens and getting three goals in a 1:35 to jump to a 4-2 lead. Physical period but the Canadiens played solid all around and are on pace to have a solid third period.

     

    Need to Do:

    Capitals (Michael) – The Capitals need to play smart and stay out of the penalty box. The game is not going their way and they can’t let the Canadiens get under their skin. The Capitals need to flip the script and take it to the Canadiens and force them to take some penalties to get the Capitals powerplay on the ice for some opportunities.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – The Canadiens need to keep up the pace. Don’t take stupid penalties and play their game. The Canadiens have also lost Noah Juulsen for the rest of the game.

     

    Third Period:

    Canadiens Penalty – :52 – Jordie Benn 2 minutes for Tripping

    Capitals PPG – 1:02 – Alex Ovechkin (15) from John Carlson (16) and Tom Wilson (4)

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 4         MON – 4

    Shots              33                   41

    Faceoffs        37                    33

    Hits               27                     20

    PP                 1/2                    1/4

     

    OT:

    Capitals Goal – 3:34 – Lars Eller (4) from Jakub Vrana (5) and Michal Kempny (3)

     

    End of OT – WAS – 5         MON – 4

    Shots              33                   41

    Faceoffs        38                    36

    Hits               27                     20

    PP                 1/2                    1/4

     

    Analysis:

    Capitals (Michael) – In a very up and down game for the Capitals, they were able to end this 4 game road trip with a 3-1 record and that is despite losing both TJ Oshie and Engeny Kuznetsov to injury and also not having Braden Holtby for the majority of this trip as well. The Capitals hands down had their best period in the third period, and were able to claw back after giving up 3 goals in the 2nd period, The Capitals return home on Wednesday to take on the struggling Chicago Blackhawks.

     

    Canadiens (Armand) – The Canadiens played a solid game. Carey Price was strong all night. Braden Holtby has had the Canadiens number in the past which killed them tonight. The puck just bounced the wrong way at the end of the game.

     

    Next Up:

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

    Montreal (11-6-4 26pts) @ New Jersey (8-9-2 18pts)

     

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