Tag: Warren Foegele

  • Eastern Conference Finals Preview – Carolina Hurricanes v. Boston Bruins

    Eastern Conference Finals Preview – Carolina Hurricanes v. Boston Bruins

    Eastern Conference Finals

    Carolina Hurricanes v. Boston Bruins

     

    Regular Season Series:

    CAR 1-0-1 (Playoffs 8-3)

    BOS 2-1-0 (Playoffs 8-5)

     

    How they got here:

    Carolina defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in the first round, and then swept the New York Islanders 4-0 in the second round.

     

    Boston defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in the first round, and then defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 in the second round.

     

    A Deeper Look at the Series:

    Offense:

    For the Carolina Hurricanes this postseason they had a lot of players playing in the playoffs for the first time in their careers, and outside of the veteran leadership of Jordan Staal and Justin Williams they have also received contributions from their young stars of Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The biggest surprise this season has been the rise of rookie forward Warren Foegele who has recorded 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points in the postseason so far.

     

    For the veteran Boston Bruins they have received contributions from all of their top players including Brad Marchand who leads the way with 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points this postseason. However, despite their contributions this postseason, the Columbus Blue Jackets last round showed how you can keep the top players of the Bruins quite for an extended amout of time throughout the series. Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets they faltered near the end and the likes of Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak would take over and lead the Bruins back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

     

    Defense:

    On defense for the Hurricanes they have been lead quietly by Jaccob Slavin who leads the team in points with 11 this postseason, but all 11 points have been assists for Slavin and it has shown as he has been a jolt for kick startig the Hurricanes offense. The Hurricanes have also gained contributions from Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce who combined have 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists) this postseason. With these four players firing on all cylinders, it makes the Hurricanes defense a dangerous one to contain in regards to moving the play up the ice and into the offensive zone.

     

    The Bruins major contributions offensively have come from Torey Krug (1 goal and 8 points) and Charlie McAvoy (1 goal and 6 points) from the blueline, but their overall core which is lead by captain Zdeno Chara has been solid throughout the majority of these playoffs. However, going into Game 1 the Bruins will be without McAvoy who will be serving a ome game suspension for his hit to the head of Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson in Game 7 last round, so the Bruins are going to need to step up in his absence for Game 1.

     

    Goaltending:

    For the Hurricanes they have relied on both of their horses from the regular season in Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. Mrazek, who is the team’s number one goaltender has a 5-3 record with a 2.22 GAA and a .913 save percentage, while McElhinney has a 3-0 record with a 1.56 GAA and a .947 save percentage since coming in when Mrazek went down with a lower body injury. The Hurricanes hope to have Mrazek between the pipes for Game 1, but McElhinney is ready to answer the call when needed.

     

    For the Bruins they have their stalwart Tuukka Rask who in these playoffs have an 8-5 record with a 2.02 GAA and a .938 save percentage as he has been the backbone for the Bruins this postseason.

     

    Goaltending will be one of the biggest keys this series, and could also be the determining factor.

     

    Special Teams:

    CAR – PP 17.8%     PK 81.6%

    BOS – PP 25.9%     PK 79.9%

     

    For special teams this could be considered a wash as both teams are on the opposite end of the spectrum in regards to powerplay and penalty kill. During the regular season the Bruins had a better powerplay, but on the penalty kill the Hurricanes were the better team. One edge I would give to the Hurricanes would be their penalty kill as seeing it in person, against the Bruins for Hartford Whalers Night, they utilize their young, fast players along with their grizzled defenders to kill penalties, and with players like Teravainen and Aho on the kill that can score shorthanded, that can give the Hurricanes a slight edge.

     

    Prediction: CAR in 6

     

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

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs: Round 2 Game 2: Hurricanes Pull Off Another Road Victory

    2019 NHL Playoffs: Round 2 Game 2: Hurricanes Pull Off Another Road Victory

    Game 2 of the second round between the New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes took place today on nationwide TV, on NBC. The Islanders were looking to tie up the series before it heads back to Raleigh, while the Hurricanes were looking to extend their series lead.

    The game started off well for the Islanders, as a little over halfway in the first period, the Isles would grab the lead. The goal would come from Matthew Barzal, and it would be his first of the playoffs. The puck would bounce off of Jaccob Slavin’s stick and beat Petr Mrázek and go into the net. Then, the Islanders would then finish off the period with a 1-0 lead.

    There would be no scoring between the two teams in the second period. The Islanders outshot the Hurricanes 13-9 in the period. Also, only two penalties were called in the period, both going against the Islanders, in which their penalty kill were successful in killing off the penalties.

    In the third period, the Hurricanes would nab a quick goal 17 seconds into the period. It came from Carolina hot man, Warren Foegele, who shot the puck from the right circle beating Robin Lehner. It would be Foegele’s fifth goal of the playoffs.

    Shortly after, slightly over a minute into the period, the Hurricanes would grab another quick goal. This time it came from Nino Niederreiter, it would be his first goal of the playoffs, and it could not come at a better time.

    The Hurricanes would then hold on to win the period and the game, and take a 2-0 series lead heading back to Raleigh.

     

    Things to note, that Petr Mrázek went down injured in the second period and it was Curtis McElhinney who would come on in relief. The Hurricanes were dealt another injury as Saku Maenalanen would depart from the game early. Also Trevor van Riemsdyk left the game early as well.

     

    3 Stars of the Game

    Third Star: Matthew Barzal

    Second Star: Warren Foegele

    First Star: Nino Niederreiter

     

    Boxscore

    https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/car-vs-nyi/2019/04/28/2018030222#game=2018030222,game_state=final

     

    Game 3 of the series will be at PNC Arena in Raleigh on May 1st at 7p on NBCSN.

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

  • Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 6 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 6 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Capitals Lead 3-2

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals enter Game 6 looking to earn their first road win of the postseason as they also look to close out their series against the Hurricanes in Carolina. The Capitals would not need long as Brett Connolly would net his second of the playoffs when he would recieve a behind the night pass from Lars Eller, and Connolly would move to the front of the net area and roof over Petr Mrazek’s glove to make it 1-0. Then after a failed powerplay attempt, the Hurricanes would take advantage of a bad line change by the Capitals as Warren Foegele would score his fourth of the playoffs to tie the game at one. However, the Capitals would regaim the lead as Alex Ovechkin would dangle past a sliding Jaccob Slavin then rip the puck past Mrazek to make it 2-1 going into the second intermission.

     

    Going into the second period the Hurricanes would force the play in the Capitals zone, and after slashing Jonas Siegenthaler in the hands Sebastian Aho would do a nice dish to Teuvo Teravainen who would score his second of the playoffs to tie the game at two. As the period went on the Capitals would get two powerplay opportunities, but poor entry decisions would cost the Capitals on both powerplays.

     

    In the third period the Capitals would try to force the rush, but the Hurricanes would suffocate the Capitals and with the puck bouncing around in the slot area Jordan Staal would get the puck past Bradem Holtby to give the Hurricanes the lead for the first time in this game and also create the first lead change all season. Then the Capitals wouldvforce some good pressure to where they thought they scored, however, the goal would be waved off due to Alex Ovechkin’s contact with Petr Mrazek that pushed the puck in the net. Shortly after Justin Williams would tip a point shot from Brett Pesce past Braden Holtby to increase their lead to 4-2. Then on a very moronic decision by head coach Todd Reirden, Dougie Hamilton would score an empty net goal to ice this game and force a Game 7 with a 5-2 victory.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Carl Hagelin

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Nic Dowd — Devante Smith-Pelly

    Jonas Siegenthaler — John Carlson

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Nick Jensen

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

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

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

     

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Nino Niederreiter — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Brock McGinn — Jordan Staal — Justin Williams

    Warren Foegele — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

    Saku Maenalanen — Greg McKegg — Patrick Brown

    Jaccob Slavin — Dougie Hamilton

    Brett Pesce — Justin Faulk

    Calvin de Haan — Trevor van Riemsdyk

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratched: Haydn Fleury, Clark Bishop

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

     

    First Period:

    Capitals Goal – 5:06 – Brett Connolly (2) from Lars Eller (2) and Andre Burakovsky (1)

    Capitals Penalty – 8:30 – Nic Dowd 2 minutes for Hooking

    Hurricanes Goal – 10:35 – Warren Foegele (4) from Dougie Hamilton (3) and Jaccob Slavin (6)

    Capitals Goal – 15:12 – Alex Ovechkin (4) from Dmitry Orlov (3) and Matt Niskanen (2)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 2       CAR – 1

    Shots              07                15

    Faceoffs         11                14

    Hits               18                  20

    PP                 0/0                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – 1:56 – Teuvo Teravainen (2) from Sebastian Aho (3)

    Capitals Penalty – 2:36 – Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Slashing

    Hurricanes Penalty – 7:58 – Justin Williams 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Hurricanes Penalty – 15:36 – Nino Niederreiter 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Hurricanes Penalty – 19:29 – Jordan Martinook 2 minutes for Holding

    Capitals Penalty – 19:29 – Dmitry Orlov 2 minutes for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 2        CAR – 2

    Shots               13                 24

    Faceoffs          17                 26

    Hits                 37                  30

    PP                   0/2                  0/2

     

    Third Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – 3:51 – Jordan Staal (2) from Brock McGinn (2) and Justin Faulk (3)

    Capitals Penalty – 6:15 – Chandler Stephenson 2 minutes for Tripping

    https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1120502427227127809?s=19

    Hurricanes Goal – 11:58 – Justin Williams (1) from Brett Pesce (1) and Jordan Staal (3)

    Hurricanes ENG – 16:54 – Dougie Hamilton (3) from Jordan Martinook (2)

    Capitals Penalty – 18:52 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Slashing

    Capitals Penalty – 18:52 – Alex Ovechkin – Misconduct

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 2         CAR – 5

    Shots              25                   36

    Faceoffs        28                    38

    Hits               45                     38

    PP                 0/2                    0/4

     

    Next Up:

    Game Seven – Series Tied 3-3

     

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

  • TXHT Opinion – The Impact of the Loss of TJ Oshie

    TXHT Opinion – The Impact of the Loss of TJ Oshie

    Tonight when the Washington Capitals hit the ice to take on the Carolina Hurricanes for Game Five of the First Round of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Capitals will be doing so without the services of forward TJ Oshie who was injured the other night in Game Four in Carolina by forward Warren Foegele.

     

    Now we can debate the hit that Foegele put on Oshie that caused the injury, but there is no point of doing that because what’s done is done and it’s time to move on and look forward to what the Capitals will need to do without their heart and soul player.

     

    Going into Game Five the Capitals will have to do some line juggling, and have also called up Devante Smith-Pelly from Hershey of the AHL to fill in for Oshie. Here is the Capitals projected lineup for tonight:

    Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Tom Wilson
    Jakub Vrana – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Carl Hagelin
    Andre Burakovsky – Lars Eller – Brett Connolly
    Chandler Stephenson – Nic Dowd – Devante Smith-Pelly

    Jonas Siegenthaler – John Carlson
    Dmitry Orlov – Matt Niskanen
    Brooks Orpik – Nick Jensen

    Braden Holtby

     

    The reuniting of Tom Wilson with the first line of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will bring back some of the size and snarl that Wilson brings to the line after being on the second line in game four, and moving Carl Hagelin to Oshie’s normal spot on the second line will add some more speed to the line to compliment Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. Plus with Hagelin, the second line will gain a player who will play a similar style to that of Oshie’s and will help establish net presence and create some space.

     

    For the bottom six however, the Capitals will need more from them. The line of Andre Burakovsky, Lars Eller, and Brett Connolly were stellar last season in the playoffs and so far in these playoffs have not done a whole lot to help the Capitals this series. Inserting Smith-Pelly back into the lineup on the fourth line with Chandler Stephenson and Nic Dowd will bring back some grit and some needed playoff experience.

     

    On the powerplay it’s time to let Wilson loose and put him in Oshie’s spot. Wilson is a magnet for attention and by putting him in Oshie’s spot in the slot area will force the Hurricanes and other teams to change their focus on how they will penalty kill to adjust for Wilson being in that spot instead of Oshie.

     

    Now with all of this said, there is one thing that needs to be done by the Capitals, and that’s not seek retribution by going after Foegele, but seek retribution by going out and winning thes next two games and winning the series. Next season Foegele can atone for his hit on Oshie that took him out of the playoffs due to injury, but the Capitals need to remain focused on the prize at hand, and that is the Stanley Cup and doing what Oshie said they could do last summer at the parade, and that is “Back to Back.”

     

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

     

    *Feature Graphic courtesy of the Washington Capitals

  • Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 4 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 4 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Capitals Lead 2-1

     

    Game Recap:

    The Washington Capitals head into Game 4 looking to extend their series lead before heading back home, but the Carolina Hurricanes would have different plans as they would force the play as they would create an odd man rush and 17 seconds into the game Warren Foegele would score his third of the playoffs to give the Hurricanes a quick 1-0 lead. Then Jakub Vrana would very ill advised penalty for charging, which the Capitals would kill off. The Capitals would get a powerplay oppurtinty shortly after, but they would not be able to generate anything on it as the Hurricanes smothered the Capitals.

     

    In the second period the Capitals would have a much better start as they would maintain a better tempo to the game and force the play in the Hurricanes zone.  Their pressure on the Hurricanes would force Teuvo Teravainen to take a penalty leading to the best powerplay the Capitals have had in a while this series. Alex Ovechkin would blast a Dmitry Orlov past a stickless Brock McGinn and goalie Petr Mrazek to tie the game at one. However, the game would not remain tied going into the second intermission as Teravainen would streak in on Braden Holtby to score and the Hurricanes get their lead back heading into the second intermission.

     

    In the third period it would be a chess match as both teams fought for space on a very sluggish ice that was causing the puck to bounce a lot. The Capitals would get another powerplay opportunity, but it would be the Hurricanes killing the powerplay. In the final minutes the Capitals would pull Holtby for the extra attacker but Petr Mrazek would stand tall and the Hurricanes will even the series at two a piece with a 2-1 victory.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Andre Burakovsky — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Carl Hagelin — Nic Dowd — Travis Boyd

    John Carlson — Nick Jensen

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Jonas Siegenthaler

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Christian Djoos, Chandler Stephenson, Dmitrij Jaskin, Vitek Vanecek

    Injured: Michal Kempny (torn left hamstring)

     

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Nino Niederreiter — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Warren Foegele — Jordan Staal — Justin Williams

    Brock McGinn — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

    Saku Maenalanen — Greg McKegg — Patrick Brown

    Jaccob Slavin — Dougie Hamilton

    Brett Pesce — Justin Faulk

    Haydn Fleury — Trevor van Riemsdyk

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratched: Saku Maenalanen, Jake Bean

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

     

    First Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – :17 – Warren Foegele (3) from Jaccob Slavin (5) and Justin Williams (2)

    Capitals Penalty – :53 – Jakub Vrana 2 minutes for Charging

    Hurricanes Penalty – 4:13 – Bench (Justin Williams) 2 minutes for Too Many Men

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       CAR – 1

    Shots              09                08

    Faceoffs         08                09

    Hits               14                  12

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Hurricanes Penalty – 8:42 – Teuvo Teravainen 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals PPG – 10:35 – Alex Ovechkin (2) from Dmitry Orlov (2) and Lars Eller (1)

    Capitals Penalty – 12:39 – John Carlson 2 minutes for Holding

    Hurricanes Goal – 19:32 – Teuvo Teravainen (1) from Nino Niederreiter (1) amd Sebastian Aho (2)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 1        CAR – 2

    Shots               23                 17

    Faceoffs          14                 17

    Hits                 21                  20

    PP                   1/2                  0/2

     

    Third Period:

    Hurricanes Penalty – 14:52 – Warren Foegele 2 minutes for Roughing

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 1         CAR – 2

    Shots              32                   24

    Faceoffs        23                    21

    Hits               33                     33

    PP                 1/3                    0/2

     

    Next Up:

    Game Five – Series Tied 2-2

     

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

  • Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 3 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 3 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

    Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

     

    Game Recap:

    In the first game in ten years in North Carolina, the Washington Capitals come to town looking to extend their series lead to three, but the Carolina Hurricanes have other things in mind as Warren Foegele would score the first goal of the game to give the Hurricanes their first lead of the series. Then tensions would boil over as Alexander Ovechkin and Andrei Svechnikov would get into a rare playoff fight that would see Ovechkin knock Svechnikov out of the game.

    Both teams would trade powerplay opportunities, but neither would be able to capitalize.

     

    Then in the second period, it would be the Hurricanes building on their lead as Foegele would score his second of the game. Then on the powerplay thanks to a Nicklas Backstrom penalty, Dougie Hamilton would score to make it 3-0 and continue to build the Hurricanes surge. The Hurricanes would also hold the Capitals to a franchise low one shot in the second period.

     

    In the third period the Hurricanes would continue their surge on the Capitals as they would abuse and frustrate the Capitals. After killing off two penalties, the Hurricanes would draw a penalty against Lars Eller which would then result in another Dougie Hamilton powerplay goal to make it 4-0. And to put the nail in the coffin, Brock McGinn would score the fifth and final goal to seal the victory for the Hurricanes as they cut the Capitals series lead in half to one.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Tom Wilson

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie

    Carl Hagelin — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Andre Burakovsky — Nic Dowd — Chandler Stephenson

    John Carlson — Nick Jensen

    Dmitry Orlov — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Christian Djoos

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Jonas Siegenthaler, Travis Boyd, Dmitrij Jaskin, Vitek Vanecek

    Injured: Michal Kempny (torn left hamstring)

     

    Carolina Hurricanes:

    Nino Niederreiter — Sebastian Aho — Teuvo Teravainen

    Andrei Svechnikov — Jordan Staal — Justin Williams

    Micheal Ferland — Lucas Wallmark — Jordan Martinook

    Warren Foegele — Greg McKegg — Brock McGinn

    Jaccob Slavin — Dougie Hamilton

    Brett Pesce — Justin Faulk

    Haydn Fleury — Trevor van Riemsdyk

    Petr Mrazek

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scratched: Saku Maenalanen, Jake Bean

    Injured: Calvin de Haan (upper body)

     

    First Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – 9:43 – Warren Foegele (1) from Justin Faulk (2) and Brock McGinn (1)

    Capitals Penalty – 10:59 – Alex Ovechkin 5 minute major for Fighting

    Hurricanes Penalty – 10:59 – Andrei Svechnikov 5 minute major Fighting

    Hurricanes Penalty – 11:46 – Jordan Staal 2 minutes for Interference

    Capitals Penalty – 17:03 – Dmitry Orlov 2 minutes for Interference

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 0       CAR – 1

    Shots              09                15

    Faceoffs         12                11

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

     

    Second Period:

    Hurricanes Goal – 6:09 – Warren Foegele (2) from Sebastian Aho (1) and Teuvo Teravainen (1)

    Capitals Penalty – 9:48 – Nicklas Backstrom 2 minutes for Interference

    Hurricanes PPG – 11:40 – Dougie Hamilton (1) from Jordan Staal (1) and Jaccob Slavin (3)

    Capitals Penalty – 15:38 – John Carlson 2 minutes for Roughing

    Hurricanes Penalty – 15:38 – Warren Foegele 2 minutes for Slashing

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 0        CAR – 3

    Shots               10                 33

    Faceoffs          23                 22

    PP                   0/1                  1/2

     

    Third Period:

    Hurricanes Penalty – 1:22 – Nino Niederreiter 2 minutes for Interference

    Hurricanes Penalty – 5:31 – Hayden Fleury 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Capitals Penalty – 8:19 – Lars Eller 2 minutes for Roughing

    Hurricanes PPG – 9:47 – Dougie Hamilton (2) from Jaccob Slavin (4) and Warren Foegele (2)

    Capitals Penalty – 13:01 – Brett Connolly 2 minutes for Roughing

    Hurricanes Goal – 15:35 – Brock McGinn (1) from Jordan Staal (2) and Jordan Martinook (1)

    Capitals Penalty – 15:46 – Jakub Vrana 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Hurricanes Penalty – 19:22 – Dougie Hamilton 2 minutes for High Sticking

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 0         CAR – 5

    Shots              17                   45

    Faceoffs        36                    30

    Hits               34                     52

    PP                 0/4                    2/5

     

    Next Up:

    Game Four –  Capitals Leads Series 2-1

     

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