Game #69 Recap - Capitals 1 Boston 2

The Caps controlled most of the game against the Bruins. They held a 1-0 advantage until an ill advised penalty, with about 8-minutes remaining in the game, by Donald Brashear was compounded by two more penalties by Caps defensemen John Erskine and Tom Poti. Boston took advantage with two 5-on-3 power play goals and downed the Caps 2-1. The officiating left much to be desired as Matt Cooke was given a 5-minute major and tossed from the game in the second period on a questionable kneeing call. Then the 5 consecutive calls against the Caps in third leading to the game deciding goal. For the game the Caps were assessed 41 penalty minutes to Boston's 21. This is the second game in a row in which I have questioned the officiating. The question in my mind is are the Caps that dirty a team or is there something to do with the officials? Since the Caps are the second least penalized team in the league, I have to think it's not because the Caps are dirty. That not withstanding, the Caps lost some important points in the standings and will now face Pittsburgh at home. Look for some angry Caps in that one.

Of Note:

• The Capitals goal was scored by Brooks Laich. While on the power play he drove the net after an Alex Ovechkin shot and stashed the puck on a rebound. Laich has 16 goals on the season. Ovechkin and Poti received assists on the play.
• Ovechkin's assist ties him with Alan Haworth for #26 on the Caps All-Time Assist list.
  
• Cristobal Huet played well in goal stopping 26 of 28 shots with the Bruins on the power play for 14:10.
• The game started off rough as the Bruins were still a little upset about Monday's 10-2 loss to Washington. Matt Bradley and Milan Lucic fought just 5-seconds into the game. Donald Brashear and Shawn Thornton squared off 9-seconds later.

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Game #69 Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins

Where: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA

When: March 8, 2008, 1:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 6-4-1-1
Caps Game 69 Record: 14-15-1-1
All-Time vs. BOS: 34-60-21-6
Last Season vs. BOS: 0-0-4
Last Meeting: 3/3/08, WAS 10 BOS 2

This Year:
WAS Record: 32-28-8
Standings Points: 72
Division Rank: 2^nd
Conference Rank: 10^th
Last Game: 3/5/08, WAS 3 BUF 1
Streak: Won 2

BOS Record: 35-25-7
Standings Points: 77
Division Rank: 3^rd
Conference Rank: 7^th
Last Game: 3/6/08, BOS 2 TOR 8
Streak: Loss 3

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 28 SEMIN, 91 FEDOROV, 43 FLEISCHMANN
Forward Line 3: 24 COOKE, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 21 LAICH, 14 FEHR
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 55 SCHULTZ, 4 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 37 KOLZIG, 33 HUET
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Boston
Forward Line 1: 11 AXELSSON, 91 SAVARD, 27 MURRAY
Forward Line 2: 16 STURM, 13 METROPOLIT, 81 KESSEL
Forward Line 3: 72 SCHAEFER, 46 KREJCI, 12 KOBASEW
Forward Line 4: 17 LUCIC, 56 NOKELAINEN, 22 THORNTON
Defense Pair 1: 6 WIDEMAN, 33 CHARA
Defense Pair 2: 21 FERENCE, 44 WARD
Defense Pair 3: 45 STUART, 34 HNIDY
Goalie: 29 AULD
Back-up Goalie: 30 THOMAS

Injuries:
Washington – 17 CLARK (groin) DTD, 92 NYLANDER (shoulder) IR, 2 POTHIER (head) IR, 39 STECKEL (broken finger)
Boston – 37 BERGERON (concussion, broken nose) IR, 36 ZHAMNOV (ankle) IR, 35 FERNANDEZ (knee) IR, 36 ZHAMNOV (ankle) IR

Caps Milestones:
Tom Poti needs 4 Shots on Goal to reach 1,100 for his career
Alex Ovechkin needs 6 Goals to reach 60 for this season
Alex Ovechkin needs 8 points to reach 100 for this season
Alex Ovechkin needs 10 Points to reach 300 for his career

Preview:
The Capitals go into Boston for a rematch of Monday’s match up that saw Washington crush Boston 10-2. The teams have gone in different directions since that game. The Caps won in Buffalo on Wednesday while the Bruins were shutout in Florida for a 1-0 overtime loss on Tuesday and were walloped again last night 8-2 by Toronto. The Bruins will want payback for the beating administer by the Caps but after this week I don’t know if they have it in them. The Caps will most likely bring the same lineup into Boston and I don’t expect the outcome to be quite as severe but the Caps should win this one. Hopefully they can avoid the temptation to look forward to Sunday’s match up with Pittsburgh because a win over Boston is worth the same in the standings as a win over the Pens.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 5 BOS 2

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Game #68 Recap - Capitals 3 Sabres 1

The Capitals beat the Buffalo Sabres on the road 3-1 last night moving them back into 10th place in the conference and kept pace with Carolina who pasted the Thrashers 6-3. The story of the game was Alex Ovechkin. He score two goals to giving him 54 on the season and was a wrecking ball recording 5 hits. Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and an assist and is now 13th in the NHL with 47 helpers. Olie Kolzig played a strong game in net stopping 25 of 26 shots. Buffalo apparently played the cleanest game of the year as the Caps had to kill 5 consecutive penalties before the Sabres were called for holding with 19-seconds left in the game. In the bad news column David Steckel broke his finger blocking a shot and will be out 2 to 3 weeks. Overall, it was a good effort from the team as there was no let down following Monday's game with Boston. The Caps now prepare for a rematch at Boston on Saturday.

Of Note:

• Ovechkin's 54 goals passes Bobby Carpenter for the second most goals scored in a season by a Capital. Carpenter had 53 goals in 1984-85. Dennis Maruk holds the record with 60 in 1981-82.
• The Capitals brought there season goal differential down to -3. On a historical note, the Caps have never made the playoffs with negative goal differential and have made the playoffs every season the differential was even or higher.
• The Capitals killed 4 of the five Buffalo power plays and only had 19 seconds of power play time at the end of the third period. Even with the 0-1, the Caps are still ranked 6th in the NHL in power play efficiency.
• With his 2 points last night Nicklas Backstrom holds a 1 point lead over Chicago's Patrick Kane in the rookie scoring race.
• Viktor Kozlov recorded 2 assists, Milan Jurcina and Olie Kolzig each recorded a single assist.
• Buffalo held the shots on goal advantage 26-23 but the Caps won 31 of 48 face-offs (65%).

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Game #68 Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres

Where: HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY

When: March 5, 2008, 7:30 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 8-4-2-0
Caps Game 68 Record: 13-17-1-0
All-Time vs. BUF: 32-75-15-1
Last Season vs. BUF: 1-3-0
Last Meeting: 12/14/07, WAS 3 BUF 5

This Year:
WAS Record: 31-28-8
Standings Points: 70
Division Rank: 2^nd
Conference Rank: 11^th
Last Game: 3/3/08, WAS 10 BOS 2
Streak: Won 1

BUF Record: 32-26-9
Standings Points: 73
Division Rank: 4^th
Conference Rank: 9^th
Last Game: 3/4/08, BUF 5 PHI 2
Streak: Won 1

Game 1: 10/13/07, WAS 3 BUF 7
Game 2: 11/26/07, WAS 1 BUF 3
Game 3: 12/14/07, WAS 3 BUF 5

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 28 SEMIN, 91 FEDOROV, 21 LAICH
Forward Line 3: 24 COOKE, 39 STECKEL, 10 BRADLEY
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 14 FEHR
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 55 SCHULTZ, 4 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 37 KOLZIG, 33 HUET
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Buffalo
Forward Line 1: 26 VANEK, 9 ROY, 56 BERNIER
Forward Line 2: 20 PAILLE, 19 CONNOLLY, 29 POMINVILLE
Forward Line 3: 41 MACARTHUR, 55 HECHT, 12 KOTALIK
Forward Line 4: 76 PETERS, 28 GAUSTAD, 61 AFINOGENOV
Defense Pair 1: 5 LYDMAN, 44 SEKERA
Defense Pair 2: 6 SPACEK, 10 TALLINDER
Defense Pair 3: 45 KALININ, 4 PRATT
Goalie: 30 MILLER
Back-up Goalie: 35 THIBAULT

Injuries:
Washington – 17 CLARK (groin) DTD, 92 NYLANDER (shoulder) IR, 2 POTHIER (head) IR
Buffalo – 10 TALLINDER (shoulder) DTD, 27 NUMMINEN (heart surgery) IR

Caps Milestones:
Tom Poti needs 4 Shots on Goal to reach 1,100 for his career
Alex Ovechkin needs 8 Goals to reach 60 for this season

Preview:
The Capitals crushed the Bruins on Monday and now head to Buffalo for another huge game in the standings. With the Islanders winning last night the Caps are back into 11^th place in the Eastern Conference and Buffalo is in 9^th just 3 points ahead of the Caps. The Caps are also 3 points behind Carolina in the SE Division and Philadelphia currently sits in the 8^th and final playoff spot with 74 points. The Caps need to come out with the same intensity they did against Boston. They need to develop this level as the norm, but as a young team they tend to be consistently inconsistent. One important aspect from Monday is they now know if they put on the effort they are capable of they can compete and beat anyone. Boston came into Monday’s game riding a high of a 6-game winning streak and the Caps opened with a physically brutal, fast paced style that put the Bruins on their heels and the Caps never let up. Buffalo is coming off of a big win last night over Philly and is looking to sweep the season series with the Caps. Look for the Caps to explode out of the gate and if they score early watch out. I see this one having a feverish pace and will be very physical. Caps are confident right now and I’m giving them the edge.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 5 BUF 3

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Game #67 Recap - Capitals 10 Bruins 2

The Capitals dismantled the Boston Bruins at Verizon center yesterday 10-2. The Caps had a 6-spot in the first period led by Alex Ovechkin who netted a hat trick and newcomer Matt Cooke who score 0:32 into the game. When the dust had settled 15 Capitals were on the score sheet. Ovechkin had 5 points including goals 50, 51, and 52. Nicklas Backstrom recored a goal and three assists. Cooke had a goal and two assists. Eric Fehr chipped in with three helpers. It was the largest goal output since putting 12 on the board against Florida in 2003. Boston starting goalie Tim Thomas was pulled not once but twice in the game. Donald Brashear had a goal and two fights. Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich each finished with two goals apiece. It was a most impressive display by the Capitals and that needs to carry over through the rest of the stretch run. The Caps now have a taste of just how well they can play, now they need to apply that same effort in each upcoming game. The team heads to Buffalo tomorrow for another huge game for the team.

Of Note:

• Alex Ovechkin's five points gives him an NHL leading 90 points on the season. He passes Kevin Hatcher and is now alone in 11th place on the Capitals All-Time Goals list. His two assists tie him with the late Gaetan Duchesne at 27th on the Caps All-Time Assist list. He joins Dennis Maruk and Peter Bondra as the only Capitals with two 50-goal seasons. His second goal was his 22nd game-winner, good enough for 10th All-Time for the Caps. He also tied Maruk with his 55th power play goal, 7th most All-Time for the Caps. Needless to say, if he is going to be here for 13 more years he will own every Caps record known to man.
• Somehow in all that scoring Alexander Semin, Sergei Fedorov, and Brooks Laich were a minus-1 on the night. The rest of the team was +28.
• Cristobal Huet started in net stopping 20 of 22 shot but left after the second period with back spasms. Olie Kolzig played the third period stopping all five shots he faced.
• The Caps out shot Boston 34-27 and out drew them in the face-off circle 31-26. In three games with the Caps Sergei Fedorov has won 30 face-off while only losing 12 (71.4%).
• The Caps scored a season high 4 power play goals, however, Boston score their first goal with the man advantage. Both teams had 7 attempts.

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Game #67 Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When: March 3, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 8-4-1-0
Caps Game 67 Record: 15-12-4-0
All-Time vs. BOS: 33-60-21-6
Last Season vs. BOS: 0-0-4
Last Meeting: 1/3/08, WAS 0 BOS 2

This Year:
WAS Record: 30-28-8
Standings Points: 68
Division Rank: 2^nd
Conference Rank: 11^th
Last Game: 3/1/08, WAS 2 TOR 3
Streak: Loss 1

BOS Record: 35-23-6
Standings Points: 76
Division Rank: 3^rd
Conference Rank: 6^th
Last Game: 3/1/08, BOS 3 ATL 2 (OT-SO)
Streak: Won 6

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 28 SEMIN, 91 FEDOROV, 43 FLEISCHMANN
Forward Line 3: 24 COOKE, 39 STECKEL, 21 LAICH
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 23 JURCINA, 4 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 55 SCHULTZ, 44 EMINGER
Goalie: 37 KOLZIG, 33 HUET
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Boston
Forward Line 1: 11 AXELSSON, 91 SAVARD, 27 MURRAY
Forward Line 2: 16 STURM, 13 METROPOLIT, 81 KESSEL
Forward Line 3: 72 SCHAEFER, 46 KREJCI, 12 KOBASEW
Forward Line 4: 17 LUCIC, 56 NOKELAINEN, 22 THORNTON
Defense Pair 1: 6 WIDEMAN, 33 CHARA
Defense Pair 2: 21 FERENCE, 44 WARD
Defense Pair 3: 45 STUART, 34 HNIDY
Goalie: 29 AULD
Back-up Goalie: 30 THOMAS

Injuries:
Washington – 17 CLARK (groin) DTD, 92 NYLANDER (shoulder) IR, 2 POTHIER (head) IR
Boston – 37 BERGERON (concussion, broken nose) IR, 36 ZHAMNOV (ankle) IR, 35 FERNANDEZ (knee) IR, 36 ZHAMNOV (ankle) IR

Caps Milestones:
Donald Brashear needs 1 Points to reach 200 for his career
Tom Poti needs 5 Shots on Goal to reach 1,100 for his career
Alex Ovechkin needs 1 Goals to reach 50 for this season

Preview:

The Capitals suffered a big defeat to Toronto on Saturday and now face a Boston team that has won its last 6 games. The Caps face the Bruins three more times this season so they better figure out how to beat them to get back into the playoff hunt. In the last nine games against Boston the Caps are 1-3-5. Not exactly stellar but the Caps have the ability to beat any team but have not been able to put together a string of consistent efforts. They have beaten the best teams in the NHL and lost to the worst. Its part of learning how to win but it’s painful to watch sometimes. If the Caps have learned their lesson from Saturday then watch for a tenacious forecheck, frequent drives on the net and staying within the team’s system. If they can do that they can win this game.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 BOS 3

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Game #66 Recap - Capitals 2 Maple Leafs 3

The Caps stumbled on home ice last night falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. The Caps not only failed to keep up with Carolina, who won 5-1 over Tampa, but also missed a chance to leapfrog the New York Islanders, who lost to Philly, into 10th place in the conference. The Caps trail Carolina by 5 points and New York by 1. Head Coach Bruce Boudreau was not very pleased with his team's effort giving them today off as a "metal health day."

The Caps scored first as Alex Ovechkin broke his goal scoring drought with his 49th goal of the season. In the second period a myriad of mistakes lead to two Toronto goals and the Caps could only muster 5 shots on goal in the period despite three power play chances. Another gaff in the third led to Toronto's third goal at 5:42 of the frame. Viktor Kozlov brought the Caps within one converting a rebound of an Ovechkin shot at 9:38 but the Caps could not get any closer despite numerous chances. The Caps must now look forward to Monday's match with the Boston Bruins.

Of Note:

• Ovechkin's 49th goal of the season was his 147th of his career and moves him into 12th place on the Caps All-Time Goal scoring list one ahead of Steve Konowalchuk. His assist on the Kozlov goal ties him with Craig Laughlin for 19th on the Caps All-Time Points list with 283.
• The Capitals power play sputtered going 0-5, including a 5-on-3 for 22-seconds with no shots on goal. The Caps only took two penalties but the Leafs converted on the second to tie the game 1-1 early in the second period.
• The Caps led in face-off wins 33-21 with David Steckel winning 8 of 9, Boyd Gordon winning 8 of 12 and Sergei Fedorov winning 8 of 13. The Caps out shot Toronto 28-25.

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