Game #61 Recap: Caps 1 Pittsburgh 0

For Michal Neuvirth, nothing is more satisfying. After watching Pittsburgh's head coach denigrate the young goalie on the HBO 24/7 Series the Caps net minder notched his second consecutive shutout against the rival Pens. Neuvirth stopped all 39 shots sent his way and kept his team in the game during the first period when he was peppered with 18 shots. He robbed Jordon Staal with a remarkable glove save just as he had done earlier in the season to his brother Eric. Washington was outworked in the first leading to 3 power plays for the Pens who failed to connect but kept the Capitals pinned in there own end for most of the frame. In the second period Matt Bradley got the Caps fired up by laying the body and was called for a phantom charging penalty when he leveled Matt Cooke in some payback for the knee on knee hit he gave Alex Ovechkin in the two teams last game. Bradley then administered a nice beat down to the Pen Ryan Craig who wanted some revenge for the hit on Cooke. With 5 minute remaining in the second period the Caps went to the power play. After some ineffective play the Caps' Mike Knuble took the puck down the right wing and fired a low shot on net. The goalie made the save but offered up a rebound that went high in the air and was gloved down by Marcus Johansson. The young Swedish center made a quick pass back to Ovechkin who one-timed an absolute missile into the top left corner of the net. The Pens goalie had no chance and the Caps led 1-0. It would be all the offense they needed as the Caps shut down the Pens the rest of the way with Neuvirth making 14 stops in the third to seal the shutout. The Capitals completed their 5-game road trip with a 3-2-0 record and will next face the New York Rangers at home on Friday.

Of Note:

• Alex Ovechkin scored his 24th goal of the season and has goals in 4 of his last 6 games. The goal was his 8th game-winning goal of the season which ties him for the league lead in that category. It was his first game-winner against the Pens and the 293rd goal in his career.
• Marcus Johansson and Mike Knuble got the assist on the Ovechkin power play goal. For Johansson it was his first power play assist and his first assist on an Ovechkin goal.
• The Capitals went 1 for 3 on the power play and have connected for a power play goal in each of the last three games. The penalty killers did all their work in the first period and were a perfect 3 for 3.
• For the 8th time this season the Capitals blocked 20 or shots. Karl Alzner and Tyler Sloan led the team with 4 blocks apiece.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Highlights:

Game #61 Preview: Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins

Where: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA

When:  February 21, 2011, 7:30 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 5-6-2-1

Caps Game 61 Record: 14-14-4-2

All-Time vs. PIT: 85-86-16-5

All-Time at PIT: 35-51-7-1

Last Season vs. PIT: 4-0-0

Last Meeting: 2/6/11, WAS 3 PIT 0

Season Series: 2-0-1

This Year:

WAS Record: 31-19-10

Standings Points: 72

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

Last Game: 2/20/11, WAS 2 BUF 1

Streak: Win 1

PIT Record: 36-19-5

Standings Points: 77

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 4th    

Last Game: 2/20/11, PIT 2 CHI 3 (OT-SO)

Streak: Loss 1

Probable Line-Ups:     

Washington

Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 22 KNUBLE

Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 90 JOHANSSON, 28 SEMIN

Forward Line 3: 26 HENDRICKS, 85 PERRAULT, 25 CHIMERA

Forward Line 4: 39 STECKEL, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY

Defense Pair 1: 23 HANNAN, 55 SCHULTZ

Defense Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON

Defense Pair 3:89 SLOAN, 4 ERSKINE

Goalie: 1 VARLAMOV

Back-up Goalie: 30 NEUVIRTH

Pittsburgh

Forward Line 1: 12 STERLING, 11 STAAL, 23 CRAIG

Forward Line 2: 24 COOKE, 25 TALBOT, 9 DUPUIS

Forward Line 3: 18 CONNER, 27 ADAMS, 48 KENNEDY

Forward Line 4: 17 RUPP, 46 VITALE, 22 WALLACE

Defense Pair 1: 7 MARTIN, 4 MICHALEK

Defense Pair 2: 3 GOLIGOSKI, 5 ENGELLAND

Defense Pair 3: 44 ORPIK, 58 LETANG

Goalie: 29 FLEURY

Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Injuries:

Washington – 3 POTI (upper body) IR, 16 FEHR (upper body) IR, 52 GREEN (inner ear) DTD

PIT – CROSBY (concussion) IR, MALKIN (knee) IR, TANGRADI (concussion) IR, JEFFREY (upper body) IR, KUNITZ (lower body) IR, ASHAM (upper body) IR, LETESTU (lower body) IR, COMRIE (hip) IR, GRANT (wrist, neck) IR

Caps Milestones:

Jason Chimera needs 4 goals to reach 100 in his career.

Brooks Laich needs 4 goals to reach 100 in his career.

Alex Ovechkin needs 2 assists to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:

In the final game of the Capitals five game road trip the Capitals will take on the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens have been devastated by injury but continue to hold the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. Washington is looking to come off of their road trip with a winning record after splitting the first four games. The Capitals appear to be coming around on the power play as they have connected in two consecutive games. This game should be a grinding physical affair with the Pens trying to slow the offense of the Capitals, which doesn’t have all that much pop recently, and keep the scoring chances to minimum. The Caps will need to exploit the experience gap between the two squads and they will need to connect with the man advantage. The Capitals have been playing a better all-around game lately but they still need work on their finishing. The team has allowed the opposition to dictate play in the final period and ended up on the losing end more times than is acceptable. I expect the Caps will push the offense early and try to break out in the first period. Look for a big game from Alex Ovechkin who is getting back on his normal scoring track.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 PIT 1

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Game #54 Recap: Caps 3 Pittsburgh 0

The Capitals continued their momentum from their Friday night victory in Tampa to Sunday when they shutout the Penguins by a 3-0 score. The win was predicated on good defense and some timely scoring. The Capitals took the lead in the second period when Brooks Laich stuffed home the puck under Marc-Andre Fleury from tight in front. For Laich it was his second goal in two games and his 11th on the year. From there the Capitals played deep in the Penguins end and did not allow their speedy forwards to get up the ice unimpeded. At the end of the first period the Caps lost their All-Star defeseman Mike Green when he took a slap shot to the side of the head. He was down on ice bleeding for some time and would not return to the game. Early in the second period it appeared that Washington had taken a two goal lead when Mike Knuble put the puck in the net. The referees determined that Matt Hendricks had committed goalie interference after he was checked from behind by a Pens defender. Not to worry as the Caps killed off the penalty and extended the lead with a Marcus Johansson shorthanded goal. Johansson made a sweet backhand shot as David Steckel went to the net creating a distraction for Fleury who didn't pick up the puck until it was too late. From there the Caps played solid defense allowing the Penguins only 7 shots on goal in the third period. Steckel was called on to fight AHL call up Tim Wallace in some apparent retribution for his Penguin perceived dirty hit to Sidney Crosby in the Winter Classic. Steckel held his own and everything seemed to be done when Matt Cooke of the Penguins deliberately kneed Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin did return to the game but not before Cooke declined Matt Bradley's invitation to settle matters with some fists. Of course this is Cooke's M.O. He acts irresponsible and will not account for it no matter the situation. So Caps, take a note and remember that play for the next game. As for this one, the scoring was finished off when Hendricks fed Knuble for an empty net goal. The now get ready to face the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

Of Note:

• Michal Neuvirth was in net for the first time in 7 games and stopped all 22 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.
• The Capitals out shot the Pens 24 to 22 and out blocked the Pens 18 to 15. 
• The penalty kill continued its good play stopping both Penguin power plays but the Caps power play went 0 for 4.
• Marcus Johansson's goal was the first shorty on his career.
• John Erskine, Jeff Schultz, Mattieu Perrault, and Matt Hendricks each had 1 assist.
• The game-winner by Brooks Laich was the 15th of his career.
• Hendricks and Nicklas Backstrom led the Caps with 3 blocked shots each.
• Backstrom led the Capitals in the face-off dot winning 14 of 17 draws. The team dominated winning 32 and losing 17.

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Event Summary

Game #54 Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When:  February 2, 2011, 12:30 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 4-3-2-1

Caps Game 54 Record: 20-11-2-1

All-Time vs. PIT: 54-67-17-2

All-Time at home vs. PIT: 33-28-9-0

Last Season vs. PIT: 4-2-0

Last Meeting: 1/1/11, WAS 3 PIT 1

Season Series: 1-0-1

This Year:

WAS Record: 28-15-10

Standings Points: 66

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

Last Game: 2/4/11, WAS 5 TAM 2

Streak: Win 1

PIT Record: 34-15-4

Standings Points: 72

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 4th    

Last Game: 2/4/11, PIT 3 BUF 2

Streak: Won 5

Probable Line-Ups:     

Washington

Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 CHIMERA

Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 85 PERRAULT, 83 BEAGLE

Forward Line 3: 26 HENDRICKS, 90 JOHANSSON, 22 KNUBLE

Forward Line 4: 39 STECKEL, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY

Defense Pair 1: 52 GREEN, 55 SCHULTZ

Defense Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON

Defense Pair 3: 23 HANNAN, 4 ERSKINE

Goalie: 1 VARLAMOV

Back-up Goalie: 30 NEUVIRTH

Pittsburgh

Forward Line 1: 14 KUNITZ, 15 JEFFERY, 9 DUPUIS

Forward Line 2: 24 COOKE, 11 STAAL, 48 KENNEDY

Forward Line 3: 18 CONNER, 25 TALBOT, 17 RUPP

Forward Line 4: 26 TANGRADI, 27 ADAMS, 28 GODARD

Defense Pair 1: 7 MARTIN, 4 MICHALEK

Defense Pair 2: 3 GOLIGOSKI, 6 LOVEJOY

Defense Pair 3: 44 ORPIK, 58 LETANG

Goalie: 29 FLEURY

Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Injuries:

Washington – 3 POTI (upper body) IR, 28 SEMIN (hip) DTD, 16 FEHR (upper body) DTD, 89 SLOAN (lower body) DTD

PIT – 87 CROSBY (concussion) IR, 71 MALKIN (knee) IR, 10 LETESTU (knee) IR, 45 ASHAM (upper body) DTD

Caps Milestones:

Jason Chimera needs 4 goals to reach 100 in his career.

Brooks Laich needs 6 goals to reach 100 in his career.

Alex Ovechkin needs 5 assists to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:

It’s been a month since the Winter Classic and these two teams are back at it again on Super Bowl Sunday. The Pens will be without Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeny Malkin who suffered a knee injury on Friday night. There has been a lot of speculation on whether David Steckel’s contact with Crosby in the Classic was incidental or not but the Pens believe it was so the guys better be prepared for everything at the beginning of this one. The Pens are coming in on a 5-game winning streak and the Caps are hoping to see another performance from Alex Ovechkin and Niclas Backstrom where each of them put 4 points on the SE division leaders. Expect an extremely physical game, especially in the first period and don’t rule out DJ king getting a jersey just for good measure. Against Tampa the Caps played a disciplined, controlled, full 60-minute effort. The team needs to put together more of these types of games and they will be a contender come playoff time. Be prepared for another exciting fast paced game between the two rivals and I think the Caps will build on Friday’s momentum to the victory.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 PIT 1

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Game #40 Recap: The Winter Classic, Caps 3 Pittsburgh 1

In a game that lived up to all the hype, the two teams slugged it out in less than perfect conditions with the Capitals victorious by a 3-1 score. The first period saw both teams feeling out the other with great physicality. John Erskine and Mike Rupp engaged in an epic bought that saw the hay makers rain down on both guys. Erskine won the decision and the fight sparked the energy higher than I thought possible. The hits were were hard and in the second the teams adjusted to the changing conditions as the rain began to fall. In one of the few mistakes in the game, a bad line change by Washington led to an Evgeni Malkin breakaway goal to open the scoring. The Capitals responded on the power play that saw Mike Knuble do what he does best. Digging in front of the crease he shoveled home a lose puck to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the period, on a miscue from the Pens goalie Marcus Johansson found Eric Fehr all alone in front of the net. Fehr one-timed the pass into the goal to give the boys in the white jerseys the lead at 2-1. The rain came harder in the third and the Capitals continued to adjust and went to shut down mode. They allowed 9 shots in the period and nice transition play led to a breakaway for the Capitals. Eric Fehr was the recipient of the give and go pass from Jason Chimera and netted his second goal of the game with a wrist shot to the top shelf. The Caps held the Pens off the rest of the way and won by a 3-1 margin. Semyon Varlamov took the game's #1 star stopping 32 of 33 shots including 16 in the first period. It was another epic game for the Winter Classic and a great win for Washington.

Of Note:

• Eric Fehr, the #2 star of the game, had 2 goals on 3 shots and contributed 2 blocked shots on the defensive end.
• Washington as a team blocked 16 Pittsburgh shots and have averaged as many in their last 8 games. The team is 5-1-2 in those 8 games.
• Marcus Johansson, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Jason Chimera and John Erskine each had 1 assist in the game.
• The Penguins finished the game with no goals on 4 power play attempts. The Caps have not allowed a power play goal in their last 4 games and have allowed only 1 in the last 27 attempts.
• Scott Hannan was +1, as was Jeff Schultz.
• Alex Ovechkin led the Capitals with 6 shots on goal and had a goal disallowed for incidental contact with the goalie.
• Karl Alzner and John Carlson the rookie defense pairing for the Caps played primarily against Pittsburgh's top line led all Caps in ice time and allowed no goals against, 3 hits and 2 blocked shots. Not a bad effort from the rookies.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Winter Classic Update

Per the NHL, the Winter Classic start time has been changed from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM. So change your plans accordingly. Go Caps!!!

Game #40 Preview: The Winter Classic - Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins

Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA

When:  January 1, 2011, 1:00 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 14-6-3-1

Caps Game 40 Record: 14-17-3-1

All-Time vs. PIT: 83-86-16-5

All-Time at PIT: 34-51-7-1

Last Season vs. PIT: 4-0-0

Last Meeting: 12/23/10, WAS 2 PIT 3 (OT-SO)

This Year:

WAS Record: 22-12-5

Standings Points: 49

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

Last Game: 12/28/10, WAS 3 MON 0

Streak: Win 2

PIT Record: 25-11-3

Standings Points: 53

Division Rank: 1st

Conference Rank: 1st    

Last Game: 12/29/10, PIT 1 NYI 2

Streak: Loss 1

Probable Line-Ups:     

Washington

Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 22 KNUBLE

Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 85 PERRAULT, 28 SEMIN

Forward Line 3: 25 CHIMERA, 90 JOHANSSON, 14 FEHR

Forward Line 4: 26 HENDRICKS, 83 BEAGLE, 39 STECKEL

Defense Pair 1: 52 GREEN, 23 HANNAN

Defense Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON

Defense Pair 3: 55 SCHULTZ, 4 ERSKINE

Goalie: 30 NEUVIRTH

Back-up Goalie: 1 VARLAMOV

Pittsburgh

Forward Line 1: 14 KUNITZ, 87 CROSBY, 9 DUPUIS

Forward Line 2: 25 TALBOT, 71 MALKIN, 24 COOKE

Forward Line 3: 18 CONNER, 10 LETESTU, 48 KENNEDY

Forward Line 4: 17 RUPP, 27 ADAMS, 45 ASHAM

Defense Pair 1: ORPIK, 58 LETANG

Defense Pair 2: 7 MARTIN, 4 MICHALEK

Defense Pair 3: 3 GOLIGOSKI, 5 ENGELLAND

Goalie: 29 FLEURY

Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Injuries:

Washington – 3 POTI (undisclosed) DTD, 15 GORDON (lower body) IR, 17 KING (undisclosed) IR, 10 BRADLEY (broken finger) IR

PIT – COMRIE (lower body) IR, GRANT (wrist, neck) IR, STAAL (foot, hand) IR

Caps Milestones:

Mike Knuble needs 2 points to reach 500 in his career.

Nicklas Backstrom needs 6 points to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:

It’s finally here. The Winter Classic with the Capitals travelling to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins in front of 80,000 fans at the outdoor rink set up at Heinz Field, home of the NFL’s Steelers. The script could not have played out any better for the NHL. The Pens lead the league in standings points and Washington is back playing winning hockey and the two teams played to a standstill a week ago. The Caps are bringing momentum into the game with two good wins over Carolina and Montreal. The defense is settling in nicely with Scott Hannan getting more comfortable with Mike Green and Jeff Schultz return to the lineup. The Caps new defensive systems have been getting better as of late. The team has allowed 11 goals against in their last 7 games and is averaging 16 blocked shots per game in that same stretch. The offense is starting pick up with Alex Ovechkin scoring in two straight and Mike Green with points in 3 consecutive games. Look for the Classic to start with physical action from both teams as they try to send messages early. It should be a tight contest but I am expecting a big game from the Capitals captain and victory for the boys in the white jerseys.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 PIT 2

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