As a follow-up to my previous article about the firing of Don Cherry from Hockey Night in Canada, his former cohost of the “Coach’s Corner” Ron MacLean, announced last night that going forward there will be no more “Coach’s Corner”. Last Saturday night on the now former segment, former commentator Don Cherry made disparaging remarks about immigrants in Canada who don’t wear the Canadian poppy as Canada’s Remembrance Day was quickly approaching. The holiday was celebrated this past Monday and Cherry was fired on the holiday for which his divisive comments were about. Besides announcing the end of Coach’s Corner, Ron MacLean lent us the audiences his thoughts on Cherry’s firing and his in the moment inaction of the displeasing comments that were being made. You can see and hear Ron MacLean’s comments on the situation below:
First of all, I will commend Ron MacLean for being willing to sit there on live television (with no teleprompter and just his raw emotions) and face the music to discuss what happened a week ago. At the same time, the segment seemed very awkward and the apology appeared to be very scattered. I will say he did seem very remorseful and sad about what had happened and his inaction within the moment while Don Cherry was making his very crude remarks. The reality is, Ron MacLean should have disavowed Cherry’s comments while it was happening but unfortunately he didn’t. However, there is one part of the segment I wish MacLean would’ve taken things a step further to disavow Cherry’s comments.
An emotional Ron MacLean speaking now.
“I have collapsed 100 times this week if not more”
MacLean should have explained why he decided to “go one way” and discuss why Don Cherry’s comments were completely and utterly unacceptable. You have to be able to put your friendships aside at times and call your friends out when they are wrong. It doesn’t help the person to change or see what they did wrong when you don’t hold them accountable. 
NHL News and Notes from Saturday, November 16th, 2019
News:
The Washington Capitals recalled forward Travis Boyd and goaltender Vitek Vanecek. The Capitals also assigned goaltender Ilya Samsonov and defensman Tyler Lewington to Hershey.
NEWS | Capitals have recalled defenseman Travis Boyd and goaltender Vitek Vanecek from the Hershey Bears and assigned goaltender Ilya Samsonov and defenseman Tyler Lewington to Hershey#ALLCAPS#CapsBruinshttps://t.co/5tfHlLjEc9
Carolina Hurricanes v. Minnesota Wild – 2p EST Start Time
In Minnesota the Wild would take the Carolina Hurricanes to overtime. In the first period the Hurricanes would get goals from Joel Edmundson and Brock McGinn, then in the second perios a goal from Warren Foegele. However, in the second period the Wild would light the lamp three times as Luke Kunin, Zach Parise (SHG), and Carson Soucy to tie the game at three. Then after a scoreless third period it would be Andrei Svechnikov netting his ninth of the season to secure the 4-3 victory for the Hurricanes.
Vegas Golden Knights v. Los Angeles Kings – 4p EST Start Time
The Los Angeles Kings would play host to the Vegas Golden Knights, and in the first period the Kings would net two goals by Blake Lizotte (SHG) and Drew Doughty (PPG) to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the second period Nikolai Prokhorkin would socre his first NHL goal for the Kings, but the Knights would strike for three goals in the second as Max Pacioretty, Jonathan Marchessault, and William Karlsson would all score to tie the game at three. However, in the third period Jeff Carter would score the lone goal of the period to secure the 4-3 victory for the Kings.
Dallas Stars v. Edmonton Oilers – 4p EST Start Time
In Edmonton Oilers play host to the Dallas Stars and in the first period Dallas would strike first with a Jason Dickinson marker. However, the Oilers would respond with goals from Jujhar Khaira and Leon Draisaitl to take the 2-1 lead. In the second period Miro Heiskanen would strike for the Stars, but Khaira would score his second of the game, and Ethan Bear would score his third of the season on the powerplay to grow the Oilers lead to 4-2. In the third period the Stars would tie things up as Blake Comeau and Tyler Seguin would score to tie the game, and in overtime Jamie Benn would net the winner to complete the comeback and secure the 5-4 victory.
Calgary Flames v. Arizona Coyotes – 4p EST Start Time
In Arizona the Coyotes would cool off the Calgary Flames as they would get second period goals from Derek Stepan and Carl Soderberg to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the third period Lawson Crouse would net his fourth of the season to secure the 3-0 victory for the Kachina clad Coyotes.
Winnipeg Jets v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 4p EST Start Time
In Tampa Bay the Winnipeg Jets would make the Lightning pay for their horrible third jerseys that they wore. In the first period both teams would trade goals as Mathieu Perreault would strike first for the Jets, and then Victor Hedman would tie the game at one for the Lightning. In the second period Jack Roslovic and Nikolaj Ehlers (PPG) would score for the Jets to grow their lead to two.In the third period the Lightning would get goals from Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli, but a late Kyle Connor tally would secure the 4-3 victory for the Jets.
Washington Capitals v. Boston Bruins – 7p EST Start Time
The Washington Capitals would dominate the Boston Bruins throughout the game, but would require the shootout to earn the 3-2 victory. TXHT Recap
Ottawa Senators v. Buffalo Sabres – 7p EST Start Time
In Buffalo it would be the Jack Eichel show against the Ottawa Senators. The Senators would get goals from Anthon Duclair (PPG) and Tyler Ennis, but it would be Jack Eichel scoring all four goals for the Sabres as they would go to win 4-2.
New Jersey Devils v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p EST Start Time
Scott recaps the New Jersey Devils overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Scott’s Recap
New York Rangers v. Florida Panthers – 7p EST Start Time
In Florida the Panthers and New York Rangers would trade goals int he first two periods of their game against each other. In the first period Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin would score for New York while Mike Hoffman (PPG) and Evgenii Dadonov (PPG) would score for the Panthers. Then in the second period everything would get decided as Tony DeAngelo would score for the Rangers, but the Panthers would get goals from Brett Connolly and Dadonov (second of the game) to secure the 4-3 victory.
New York Islanders v. Philadelphia Flyers – 7p EST Start Time
In Philadelphia the Flyers would look to down the New York Islanders. In the first period the Flyers would get goals from Sean Couturier and Ivan Provorov (PPG) to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the second period the Flyers would strike again with an Oskar Lindbolm tally. However, the Islanders would strike three times in overtime as Anthony Beauvillier would tally two goals and Mathew Barzal would strike on the powerplay to tie the game at three. Then in the shootout Barzal would seal the deal as the Islanders defeat the Flyers 4-3.
Toronto Maple Leafs v. Pittsburgh Penguins – 7p EST Start Time
The Pittsburgh Penguins would light up the Toronto Maple Leafs for their Hockey Fights Cancer night. The Penguins would get goals from Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin, Dominik Kahun (x2), Jared McCann, and Bryan Rust (SHG) to take the victory over the Leafs. The Leafs lone goal would come from Jason Spezza in their 6-1 defeat to the Penguins.
Anaheim Ducks v. St. Louis Blues – 8p EST Start Time
In St. Louis the Blues would take on the Anaheim Ducks. In the first period the Ducks would get goals from Ryan Getzlaf and Derek Grant. then in the second period Grant would score his second of the game for the Ducks, but Vince Dunn would strike for the Blues. Then in the third period Grant would complete the hat trick as the Ducks would go on to defeat the Blues 4-1.
Chicago Blackhawks v. Nashville Predators – 8p EST Start Time
In Nashville the Chicago Blackhawks would tame the Predators. In the first period the Blackhawks would get goals from Erik Gustafsson and Dominik Kubalik. Then in the second period the Blackhawks would pile on with goals from Brent Seabrook and David Kampf. In the third the Predators would get a pair of goals from Roman Josi, but the Blackhawks would get three more goals from Patrick Kane and a pair from Alexander Nylander to take the 7-2 victory.
Colorado Avalanche v. Vancouver Canucks – 10p EST Start Time
In Vancouver the Canucks would don the infamous Black Skate jerseys against the Colorado Avalanche. In the first period Pierre-Edouard Bellemare would strike first for the Avalanche, but Adam Gaudette would strike on the powerplay to tie the game at one on the powerplay. Then in the second period Nathan MacKinnon would strike on the powerplay, and Nazem Kadri would score his seventh of the season to grow Colorado’s lead to two, but Gaudette would score his second of the game on the powerplay to cut the deficit to one. In the third period Andre Burakovsky would score to retake the two goal lead. The Canucks would stay in the fight though as late in the third Alexander Edler would score to get the Canucks within one of tying the game, and then with the goalie pulled Brock Boeser would score to tie the game at four to send the game to overtime. However, in overtime the Avalanche would pull off the victory with MacKinnon’s second of the game.
Detroit Red Wings v. San Jose Sharks – 1030p EST Start Time
In San Jose the Sharks would get the jump on the Detroit Red Wings as Kevin Labanc would get the Sharks on the board in the first period. Then in the second period Andreas Anthanasiou and Taro Hirose would get the Wings on the board, but the Sharks would respond in kind with goals from Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Erik Karlsson (PPG) to retake their lead. Then in the third Anthanasiou would score his second of the game to tie the game at three. Then in the shootout Kevin Lebanc wouls socre the lone tally to give the Red Wings the 4-3 victory.
New Jersey Devils (6-8-4 16pts) vs Montreal Canadiens (11-5-3 25pts)
Game Recap:
After a very solid win last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins at home, the New Jersey Devils cross the Canadian border tonight to take on the Montréal Canadiens. It would be the Canadians who will get on the board first as Brenden Gallagher would tip in a Jeff Petry shot from the point to give the Canadiens an early 1-0 lead. However, Devils winger Nikita Gusev would tie the game up 1-1 as Blake Coleman would feed the puck across to him across the goalie crease and into the back of the net. After the first period, the score would be tied at 1-1.
Period two saw Montreal Canadiens rookies Nick Suzuki and Cale Fleury each score to give the Canadiens a 3-1 lead. Fleury’s goal would be his first goal in the National Hockey League. With about two seconds left in the second period, Nico Hischier would score short handed to get the Devils within one goal. Going into period three, the Devils trailed the Canadiens 3-2.
The Devils were able to tie the game at the 15:12 mark as Wayne Simmonds would score his fourth goal of the year. However, the Devils barely were able to force overtime. Montreal thought Phillip Danault had scored the game winner with close to a minute left until it was determined via video review the Canadiens had kicked the puck in the back of the net. The reversal would be considered controversial but overtime came nonetheless where Kyle Palmieri would score the game winner in 3 on 3 overtime. New Jersey would walk away with extra point and back to back victories. MacKenzie Blackwood was spectacular as he made 31 saves.
Washington Capitals (14-3-4 32pts) v. Boston Bruins (12-3-4 28pts)
Game Recap:
Shipping up to Boston after a disappointing showing at home the night before against the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals look to rebound against the Bruins. In the first period the Capitals would get a powerplay opportunity near the half way point of the period, but their struggles from the night before continued as they were unable to handle the puck well, and squandered their powerplay. Then shortly after the powerplay ended for the Capitals, the Bruins would strike as Danton Heinen would feed a beautiful pass across the slot to Charlie Coyle to bank in his fourth goal of the season to give the Bruins the one goal lead. However, the Capitals would respond as Travis Boyd, who was recalled from Hershey earlier in the day, would cut through the slot area and redirect a John Carlson point blast to get his first of the season and tie the game at one.
In the second period the Bruins would fail to capitalize on the remaining time left on their powerplay from the first period, but once it was over the Bruins would still respond anyways as David Pastrnak would score off a bad angle to retake the one goal lead over the Capitals. The Capitals would get a powerplay opportunity a little later, but would not do anything substantial with it. The Bruins would earn another powerplay as well, and just like the Capitals were unable to make anything of the opportunity.
In the third period there wouldn’t be a lot outside of Tom Wilson and Zdeno Chara both getting minors for roughing until the final minute of regulation as the Capitals would pull Braden Holtby and a slick pass from behind the net to TJ Oshie who would bury it to tie the game at two and send the game to overtime. After a scoreless extra five minutes the game would head to the shootout. After being tied at one goal each after the first three rounds, Jakub Vrana would undress Jaroslav Halak to score the winning goal in the shootout and give the Capitals the 3-2 victory.
Washington Capitals (14-3-2) vs Boston Bruins (12-3-4)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Braden Holtby
9-1-3
3.06 / .903% / 0
Boston Bruins
Jaroslav Halak
4-1-2
2.68 / .918% / 1
The Washington Capitals will play their second game of a back-to-back tonight versus the Boston Bruins. Luckily, they have defined themselves as ‘road warriors’, as they are 9-1-1 on the road, and 7-1-1 against Eastern Conference teams. Despite dropping their last four games, the Bruins are still ranked first in the Atlantic Division and have not yet lost in regulation at TD Garden. The Caps and Bruins last played on February 3rd of 2019, where just a single goal decided the winner, and it was David Krejci of Boston who scored it. However, the Capitals won the two other meetings with the Bruins, including a 7-0 shutout on the eve of Washingtons’ combined home-opener/Championship banner raising.
Last night, the Washington Capitals ended a 13-game point streak after losing 5-2 to the Montreal Canadiens. Washington played with just 11 forwards, and seven defensemen, after calling up Tyler Lewington from the Hershey Bears earlier in the day. As a result, we saw double-shifting from top nine forwards, and Lewington filling in on the fourth line center position, as well as on defense. The first 10 minutes were ALL CAPS, as play remained in the Habs’ defensive zone for much of the period, and the Capitals’ forecheck was extremely aggressive. Washington fell behind slightly in the second half of the first frame, and Montreal took full advantage, though Ilya Samsonov stopped all 15 shots he faced. The second period, in which the Capitals had dominated in goal-scoring, saw four goals from the Canadiens, each from four different players. Phillip Danault started off the scoring at the 6:22 mark, as he deceivingly snuck the puck past Samsonov. The Habs’ second goal, coming from Shea Weber, resulted directly from a defensive breakdown between the circles, and Samsonov was hung out to dry. Just over two minutes later, Jordan Weal scored his 3rd of the season. The first penalty of the game was called at the 12:36 mark of the second period, as Garnet Hathaway was called for tripping (TheScore, MTL @ WSH). Just moments after the Capitals successfully killed off the penalty, Nick Suzuki improved the Habs’ lead to four goals. The third period saw the only Capitals’ power play of the game, with Jeff Petry going off for interference. Just over a minute into the power play, Alex Ovechkin, from his office, scored his 14th goal of the season, and just his 2nd goal at home. Many fans, myself included, considered a spoiled shutout for Carey Price the singular bright spot of the night. 10 minutes later, Evgeny Kuznetsov, who had already taken the majority of the Caps’ faceoffs, scored his 9th of the season, bringing Washington within two. However, Tomas Tatar, who had already registered three assists, scored an empty net goal, securing Montreals’ win, after head coach Todd Reirden elected to pull Samsonov for the extra skater. Since no one likes +/- ratings, let’s talk Corsi for a moment, also known as shot-attempt differential at even strength. Stat heads like myself prefer to utilize this value over +/-, because it generally gives a better idea of in-game contributions. Brendan Leipsic was the only player of the night with a + corsi rating, totaling +3 (TheScore, MTL @ WAS). With Samsonov having played last night, Braden Holtby is expected to start for the Capitals tonight.
Boston also played last night, where they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-2 on the road. After losing their last four games, Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy was looking to his veterans to beat the team that they are nearly guaranteed to play in the first round of the playoffs, year in and year out. Charlie Coyle got the Bruins on the board at the 13:48 mark of the first period. David Pastrnak was called for interference shortly thereafter, but Bostons’ penalty kill successfully kept Toronto off the board. As the Leafs’ power play expired, Nicholas Shore was called for holding, and Bostons’ 3rd ranked power play unit would hope to add to their lead (TheScore, Boston Bruins). Neither team would score again until the 9:20 mark of the second, when Auston Matthews scored his 14th of the season. Boston ranks 5th in goals for, averaging 3.56 goals per game, and they also allow the 4th fewest goals against, averaging 2.5 goals per game (TheScore, Boston Bruins). Brad Marchand would give the Bruins a 1-goal lead just 11 seconds into the third period, and less than three minutes later, Kasperi Kapanen would score, tying the game. Just as quickly as Kapanen tied the game, Brad Marchand would score his second of the game, and his 13th of the season, a goal of which would be the eventual game-winner. Andreas Johnsson would be called for tripping at the 11:11 mark, which isn’t very lucky, but Boston would not convert on their second power play opportunity. Just under the 17 minute mark of third period, four-time Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron would go off for slashing, and like Boston, Toronto was unable to score with the extra skater. With 90 seconds remaining, Zdeno Chara secured Bostons’ win with an empty net goal, giving the Bruins a 4-2 lead. David Pastrnak, who leads his team, and the league, in goals (16G), has just one point in his last four games. It is worth noting that nine, yes, nine, of his goals have come on the power play. After starting the season with points in 13 straight games (31P in 18 games), and five assists coming versus the New York Rangers on October 27th, Pastrnak, as he usually does, has gone cold for the moment. The Washington Capitals absolutely cannot let this Czech winger get behind their defense. Or offense, for that matter. Because he is one of those skaters who, given an inch, will take a mile. Or four. Brad Marchand leads the Bruins with 19 assists, and is close behind ‘Pasta’ with 30 points (TheScore, Boston Bruins). A right winger leads the Bruins in hits, with 47. That’s right. A forward, not a defenseman, and that wingers name is Chris Wagner. Arguably the most physical player on the squad, Wagner, who averages 13:37 TOI per night, is a heavy hitter, so sparks will likely fly between these teams tonight. Tuuka Rask stopped 29 of 31 shots, ending his night with a .935 save percentage (TheScore, BOS @ TOR). However, as they too will be playing the second game of a back-to-back, former Capitals’ goaltender Jaroslav Halak is slated to start tonight. In 21 career games VERSUS the Washington Capitals, Halak is 9-10-0, with a .900 SV% and 2.80 goals against (HockeyReference).
Nic Dowd and Carl Hagelin are both listed as ‘OUT’, and timelines to return are unknown at this point. We will continue to update this article as we receive further information from the Washington Capitals. Due to tight salary cap restrictions, the Capitals have recalled forward Travis Boyd and goaltender Vitek Vanecek, and have reassigned Ilya Samsonov and Tyler Lewington to the Hershey Bears. Vanecek will serve as back-up goaltender to Braden Holtby tonight. The Boston Bruins have been to hell and back with their lengthy laundry list of injuries. See below:
D- John Moore (IR-NR, shoulder)
D- Kevan Miller (IR-NR, kneecap)
D- Tory Krug (OUT, upper body)
LW- Anton Blidh (IR-NR, shoulder)
LW- Jake DeBrusk (DL, lower body)
RW- David Backes (DL, upper body)
RW- Brett Ritchie (OUT, upper body)
RW- Zach Senyshyn (DL, lower body)
RW- Karson Kuhlman (DL, leg)
It is expected that none of these nine players will play tonight.
Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.
Washington Capitals. (2019). Caps Recall Boyd and Vanecek From Hershey, Assign Samsonov and Lewington. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/caps-recall-boyd-and-vanecek-from-hershey-assign-samsonov-and-lewington/c-311381504.
NHL News and Notes from Friday, November 15th, 2019
News:
In the NWHL, the Connecticut Whale have signed forward Elena Gualtieri for the 2019-20 season.
SIGNING NEWS: The @CTWhale_NWHL have signed @ConnCollWHKY forward Elena Gualtieri
As a captain in her senior season, Gualtieri led the Camels in assists (8) and finished second on the team in scoring (13). She's 5th all-time in career assists in Camels program history. #ThePod🐳 pic.twitter.com/P0Hn3DUDSe
The Calgary Flames gave an update on defenseman TJ Brodie after the previous day’s episode. Per the team, Brodie is recovering and is out indefinitely at this time.
Boston Bruins v. Toronto Maple Leafs – 7p EST Start Time
In Toronto the Maple Leafs would play host to their heated rival Boston Bruins, and in the first period the Bruins would strike as Charlie Coyle would net his third of the season. Then in the second period Auston Matthews would tie the game with his 14th of the season. Then in the third season Brad Marchand would net a pair and Zdeno Chara would give the Bruins a commanding lead. Kasperi Kapanen would score for the Leafs, but it would not be enough as the Bruins would hold on for the 4-2 victory.
Pittsburgh Penguins v. New Jersey Devils – 7p EST Start Time
Scott has your recap as the New Jersey Devils take down the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in a tightly contested matchup. Scott’s Recap
Montreal Canadiens v. Washington Capitals – 7p EST Start Time
The Washington Capitals drop the first game of their weekend back to back as the Montreal Canadiens take the 5-2 victory at Capital One Arena. TXHT Recap
St. Louis Blues v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7p EST Start Time
The Columbus Blue Jackets and the St. Louis Blues did battle in Columbus as both teams would start off with trading goals in the first period as Vladislav Gavrikov would score his first goal of the season to give the Jackets the lead, but Mackenzie MacEachern would tie the game at one in the final minute of the first. Then in the second period Brayden Schenn would score on the powerplay to take the lead for the Blues, but in the third period Pierre-Luc Dubois would tie the game for the Jackets. In overtime Zach Werenski would score on the powerplay to secure the 3-2 victory for the Blue Jackets.
Philadelphia Flyers v. Ottawa Senators – 730p EST Start Time
In Ottawa the Senators would get a two goal second period after Tyler Pitlick would give the Philadelphia Flyers the 1-0 first period lead. Both Tyler Ennis (PPG) and Filip Chlapik would score for the Senators to secure the 2-1 victory.
New Jersey Devils (6-8-4 16pts) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (10-7-2 22pts)
Game Recap:
After a crushing defeat on Wednesday night against the Ottawa Senators, the New Jersey Devils look to rebound tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins at “The Rock”. Devils center Travis Zajac would give his team a 1-0 lead. Jesper Bratt would make a pass towards the front of the net behind the goal line to give Zajac the opportunity to burry the shot behind Penguins goalie Matt Murray. After the first period, The Devils would take a 1-0 lead.
In the second period, Blake Coleman would pick off a pass in his own defensive zone and take it down the other way and fire a shot at Penguins goalie Matt Murray. Coleman would follow the initial shot which Murray misplayed and put the puck in the back of the net. Coleman’s goal would be the only goal of the period for both teams. After two periods, the New Jersey Devils would take a 2-0 lead heading into the third and final period.
New Jersey in the third period had to hold on against the Penguins as they threw everything they had at the Devils. Pittsburgh did pull within one goal as Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson would beat MacKenzie Blackwood upstairs with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle. Fortunately for the Devils, they were able to hang on and get the 2-1 victory! Tomorrow night, the Devils go back on the road to take on the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens (10-5-3 23pts) v. Washington Capitals (14-2-4 32pts)
Game Recap:
The Washington Capitals prepare for a weekend back to back against Original Six foes, and they start it on a Friday night at home against the Montreal Canadiens. After a scoreless back and forth first period, the Canadiens would take over in the second period. Phillip Danault, Shea Weber, Jordan Weal, and Nick Suzuki would score four straight goals for the Canadiens to take a demanding 4-0 lead into the second intermission. The Capitals would respond with an Alex Ovechkin powerplay goal and an Evgeny Kuznetsov breakaway goal to get them back into the game, but the Canadiens would get an empty net goal from Tomas Tatar to secure the 5-2 victory.
Lineups:
Montreal Canadiens:
Jonathan Drouin — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher
Paul Byron — Max Domi — Joel Armia
Tomas Tatar — Nick Suzuki — Artturi Lehkonen
Nick Cousins — Nate Thompson — Jordan Weal
Victor Mete — Shea Weber
Ben Chiarot — Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak — Cale Fleury
Carey Price
Keith Kinkaid
Scratched: Mike Reilly, Christian Folin
Injured: Jesperi Kotkaniemi (groin)
La formation projetée du match de ce soir face aux Capitals.
Washington Capitals (14-2-4) vs Montreal Canadiens (10-5-4)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Ilya Samsonov
5-1-1
2.45 / .915% / 0
Montreal Canadiens
Carey Price
9-4-2
2.65 / .916% / 1
Coming off a thrilling shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night, the Washington Capitals are fired up to face-off against the Montreal Canadiens tonight back in DC. In the past, the first night of a back-to-back has treated Washington well. For some context, Washington played 12 back-to-backs last season. Eight of the ‘first-night’ games resulted in wins, and on three occasions, the Caps were able to win both games (HockeyReference). During the 2018-19 season, the Capitals defeated the Habs in 2 of 3 meetings, once at home, and once on the road. The last time these two teams played, Washington beat Montreal 2-1, with the first goal of the night coming from former-Canadien Lars Eller. That win also guaranteed another Metropolitan Division title for the Capitals.
The Washington Capitals, who lead the league in points, goal-scoring, wins, and goal-differential, have scored at least two goals in every game, and that streak also continued tonight (NHL.com). Wednesday nights’ smack-down with the Flyers definitely wasn’t their best performance of the season, but the Capitals still managed to snag two points with a 2-1 shootout win. Caps’ defenseman Radko Gudas expressed his desire to ‘stick it’ to his former team, and he did just that. Gudas committed five hits of his own, tied for the most in one game with captain Alex Ovechkin. Just past the six-minute mark of the first period, Brendan Leipsic scored his 2nd goal of the season, giving the Capitals a lead that would hold as the only goal of the game, for 48 minutes (NHL.com, Washington Capitals). John Carlson was credited with the primary assist, and improved his record to points in 16 of 20 games. Washington held the Flyers to just five shots on goal in the first period, whereas the Caps more than tripled up theirs. Claude Giroux, who I reported only had four goals through 17 games, finally got the Flyers on the board, six minutes and 38 seconds into the final frame. The goal came on the Flyers’ 4th power play of the game, after Nic Dowd went off for tripping. Jakub Vrana served the minor penalty, as Dowd suffered a hand injury prior to committing the penalty. Sometimes, the best player on the ice will be your goalie, and that was certainly the case last night. In the second, Philadelphia doubled up 12 shots to the Caps’ six. At the end of regulation, Braden Holtby had allowed just one goal on 27 shots faced, his best showing of the season thus far. Tied at one goal apiece, the Capitals and Flyers would head to overtime for what felt like the 100th time in 20 games. Although both teams had a handful of prime opportunities, both Braden Holtby for the Capitals and Carter Hart for the Flyers were simply unbeatable in the overtime period. Sudden death 3-on-3 overtime concluded without a winner, so for the third straight game for Philadelphia, a shootout would decide who will steal an extra point with the win. The Washington Capitals have gone to overtime or a shootout five times in their last eight games, and the Philadelphia Flyers, five in their last six. Jakub Voracek would shoot first, but Braden Holtby successfully stopped his attempt. Versus the Coyotes, TJ Oshie missed his attempt, but this time, he snuck the puck past Carter Hart, giving the Capitals a one-nil advantage. Claude Giroux, who scored the single Flyers’ goal, tricked Holtby with his questionable stop-on-a-dime deke. Luckily for the Capitals’, Evgeny Kuznetsov would beat Hart, and Holtby would stop Philadelphias’ third shot attempt, securing Washingtons’ 14th win. The win would assure that a 12-game point streak was extended to 13. Ilya Samsonov, who still has just one regulation loss (a game in which he was calling in to relieve Holtby), is expect to start tonight for the Capitals.
The Montreal Canadiens were last active on Tuesday night, where they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, also in a shootout. Montreal currently ranks 6th in goals for, scoring an average of 3.44 goals per game, as compared to Washingtons’ 1st place 3.85 goals for. The Habs rank 9th in shots on goal at 33.5%. but are 10th in shooting percentage, which is good for the Capitals and their goalies. Montreals’ special teams aren’t spectacular, with their power play operating at 20.7% efficiency, good enough for 14th overall, and their abysmal penalty kill, at 73.7% (28th place) (TheScore, Montreal Canadiens). Only the Los Angeles Kings (31st in standings), Winnipeg Jets (13th in standings), and Detroit Red Wings (29th in standings) have worse penalty kill percentages (NHL.com, NHL Hockey Standings). Joel Armia leads the team with three power play goals, and Tomas Tatar, Shea Weber, and Jeff Petry each have two. Impressively enough, the Canadiens have eight players with 10 or more points, and all but four players on their roster have at least one goal. Brendan Gallagher leads with eight goals, closely followed by Jonathan Drouin (7G). In their meeting with Columbus, Eric Robinson for the Blue Jackets would start the scoring, tallying his first NHL career goal. The entire second period was fairly uneventful, though the Canadiens successfully killed off two Columbus power plays. At the 3:27 mark of the third period, Brendan Gallagher would score for Montreal, tying the game 1-1. With just under two minutes remaining, Zach Werenski broke the tie, giving Columbus a one-goal lead. However, Tomas Tatar, in scoring his 6th goal of the season, re-established a tie-game, nearly guaranteeing at least a single point for Montreal. The 3-on-3 overtime period was scoreless, though Columbus registered three shots on goal to Montreals’ zero (TheScore, CBJ @ MTL). In the shootout, both Cam Atkinson and Paul Byron missed their shots, and Gustav Nyquist missed in the second round. Jonathan Drouin successfully scooped the puck past Blue Jackets’ back-up goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. With both third round shooters failing their attempts, the Montreal Canadiens would be the winner of this match, 3-2. Veteran goaltender Carey Price ended the night with a .943 save percentage, having stopped 33 of 35 shots faced, and is expected to start tonight (TheScore, Carey Price).
Nic Dowd and Carl Hagelin are both listed as day-to-day with upper body injuries. Earlier today, we reported that Dowd skated solo this morning, and Hagelin was first on the ice for the Capitals’ optional practice. Neither Nic nor Carl are slated for tonights’ lineup. As of 3:00pm this afternoon, the Washington Capitals have called up defenseman Tyler Lewington from the Hershey Bears. This post will continue to be updated as we obtain more thorough information regarding the status of Dowd and Hagelin. The Montreal Canadiens are without Jesperi Kotkaniemi (DL-Groin).
Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that forward Sidney Crosby will be out a minimum of six weeks after undergoing successful surgery on a core muscle injury.
INJURY UPDATE: Sidney Crosby underwent a successful core muscle injury repair. The expected recovery time is a minimum of six weeks.
The Calgary Flames announced that defenseman TJ Brodie experienced an episode on the ice at practice, and is at the hospital alert and responsive as of 4p ET Thursday.
'TJ Brodie experienced an episode on ice at practice today. He is alert and responsive and has been transported to local area hospital for evaluation. We will provide a further update when available. Thank you.'#Flames GM Brad Treliving pic.twitter.com/VQYqHw717p
Carolina Hurricanes v. Buffalo Sabres – 7p EST Start Time
The Buffalo Sabres host the Carolina Hurricanes as they look to win their 10th game of the season. In the first period Jeff Skinner would strike against his former team to give the Sabres the 1-0 lead with his eighth of the season. then in the second half of the first period the Hurricanes would strike as Jordan Staal would score his third of the season to tie the game at one, then would get a goal from Sebastian Aho on the powerplay to take the 2-1 lead. In the second period both teams would trade goals as Teuvo Teravainen would score for the Hurricanes, then Curtis Lazar would tally for the Sabres. Then in the third period the Sabres would tie the game at three when Henri Jokiharju would score his second of the season, but the Hurricanes would strike back on the powerplay with Andrei Svechnikov’s eighth of the season. However, Jeff Skinner would score his second of the season to tie the game at four in the final minute of regulation to send the game to overtime. And in overtime Dougie Hamilton would strike for the Hurricanes to win the game 5-4.
New York Rangers v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 7p EST Start Time
In Tampa Bay the Lightning would strike early and often in the first period against the New York Rangers. The Lightning would get goals from Luke Schenn, Alex Killorn (PPG), Nikita Kucherov (PPG) and Ondrej Palat to take the 4-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. Before the first period would end the Rangers would finally strike as Chris Kreider would net his fifth of the season. Then in the second period Steven Stamkos would score twice on the powerplay, and Pat Maroon and Kevin Shattenkirk would both score for another four goal period for the Lightning. In the third period Filip Chytil would score shorthanded for the Rangers, but Yanni Gourde would score for the Lighting to grow their lead back to seven. The Rangers would get one more goal from Chytil, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Lightning would go on to win 9-3.
Winnipeg Jets v. Florida Panthers – 7p EST Start Time
The Winnipeg Jets head south to face the Florida Panthers and after a scoreless first period both teams would trade goals in the second period. Josh Morrissey would get the Jets on the board first, but the Panthers would strike on the powerplay with a Aleksander Barkov tally. Then in the third period the Panthers would get two goals from Vincent Trocheck, but the Jets would get goals from Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, and Andrew Copp to secure the 4-3 victory.
Arizona Coyotes v. Minnesota Wild – 8p EST Start Time
In Minnesota the Wild would strike first with a Kevin Fiala goal to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Then in the second period Conor Garland would score his ninth of the season for the Arizona Coyotes to tie the game at one. Then in the third period the Wild would regain the lead with a Zach Parise powerplay goal, however, Lawson Crouse would strike back for the Coyotes to tie the game back up at two. The Wild would respond a few minutes later as Jordan Greenway would score his first of the season to regain the lead and take the 3-2 victory.
Colorado Avalanche v. Edmonton Oilers – 9p EST Start Time
The Edmonton Oilers would start of their home game against the Colorado Avalanche as Andre Burakovsky would get the Avalanche on the board first, but then the Oilers would score four straight to end the first period as Connor McDavid would score two powerplay goals, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zack Kassian would score to give the Oilers the 4-1 lead heading into the first intermission. In the second period McDavid would complete the hat trick to give the Oilers their fifth straight goal of the game and a commanding four goal lead while on the powerplay. However, the Oilers still would not stop as in the final minutes of the second period, Nugent-Hopkins would score his second of the game while on the powerplay to take the 6-2 lead and the victory.
Dallas Stars v. Vancouver Canucks – 10p EST Start Time
The Dallas Stars would come to Vancouver and would get the jump on the Canucks as Justin Dowling would strike in the first four minutes of the game to give the Stars the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period both teams would trade goals as the Canucks would get goals from Jake Virtanen and Troy Stetcher, while the Stars would get goals from Blake Comeau and Tyler Seguin to keep the one goal lead. Then in the third period Alexander Radulov would tally to give the Stars the 4-2 victory.
San Jose Sharks v. Anaheim Ducks – 10p EST Start Time
In the Anaheim Ducks 1000th home game at the Honda Center they would strike in the opening 69 seconds of the game on a Rickard Rakell tally. However, the San Jose Sharks would look to spoil the occasion when they tied the game at one on a Tomas Hertl marker. In the second period Herlt would score his second of the game for the Sharks, and Jakob Silfverberg would tally on the powerplay for the Ducks. Then in the third period Max Jones would get on the board for the Ducks, but the Sharks would get three goals from Brent Burns (PPG), Evander Kane (SHG), and Logan Couture to secure the 5-3 victory.
Detroit Red Wings v. Los Angeles Kings – 1030p EST Start Time
In Los Angeles the Kings would strike first against the Detroit Red Wings as Anze Kopitar would score to take the 1-0 lead. In the second period the Wings would get the lone goal from Tyler Bertuzzi to tie the game at one. Then in the third period Bertuzzi would score his second of the game for the Wings to take the lead, but Adrian Kempe would tie the game at two for the Kings and send the game to overtime. In overtime Alex Iafallo would secure the 3-2 victory for the Kings.
