Game #59 Recap: Caps 2 San Jose 3

The Capitals started out strong but faded as the game wore on and after falling behind 3-1 in the third period could only muster one more goal for a 3-2 final. The Caps led the play for most of the first period but fell behind on a shorthanded turnover that ended up in the back of the Washington net. John Carlson lost his footing at the Sharks blue line allowing a two-on-one rush. The Caps responded 22-seconds later when Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play for the first time in 6 games. The second period was more balanced with both teams settling in for a more defensive game. The Sharks began to control the action in the third and took the lead on a blown assignment that allowed two Sharks to be free in front of the net and deposit a rebound into the net. San Jose extended the lead while on the power play when a point drive was deflected a couple times and found its way into the twine. The Capitals responded late with a goal from Nicklas Backstrom with 2-minutes remaining in the game. Unfortunately for the Caps it would be all the could get and the leave the West Coast with another loss. The team suits up again in Buffalo this Sunday.

Of Note:

• Alex Ovechkin played another good game picking up 1 goal and 1 assist for his second consecutive 2 point performance. He appears to be playing much more like he is capable of which leads me to believe he has been suffering from a nagging injury that has been bothering him from about the 18th game this season. We'll see as the rest of the season plays out.
• John Carlson, after is little stumble on the power play, picked up assists on each of the Capitals goals.
• The Caps went 1 for 1 on the power play and 1 for 2 on the penalty kill. 
• Michal Neuvirth stopped 25 of 28 shots on goal in the loss. He made several key saves late to keep the Caps in the game.
• Alexander Semin picked up an assist on the Ovechkin power play goal but was not as effective as he was in Anaheim. The Caps are definitely looking for a second line center to give him more to work with.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #59 Preview: Washington Capitals at San Jose Sharks

Where: HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA

When:  February 17, 2011, 10:00 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 5-3-2-0

Caps Game 58 Record: 17-14-2-1

All-Time vs. SAN: 9-17-1-1

All-Time at SAN: 3-9-1-0

Last Season vs. SAN: 1-1-0

Last Meeting: 2/8/11, WAS 0 SAN 2

Season Series: 0-1-0

This Year:

WAS Record: 30-18-10

Standings Points: 70

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

Last Game: 2/16/11, WAS 7 ANA 6

Streak: Win 1

SAN Record: 31-21-6

Standings Points: 68

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th    

Last Game: 2/15/11, SAN 2 NAS 1 (OT)

Streak: Win 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: 26 HENDRICKS, 90 JOHANSSON, 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

San Jose

Forward Line 1: 12 MARLEAU, 19 THORNTON, 16 SETOGUCHI

Forward Line 2: 17 MITCHELL, 8 PAVELSKI, 15 HEATLEY

Forward Line 3: 29 CLOWE, 39 COUTURE, 20 WELLWOOD

Forward Line 4: 55 EAGER, 21 NICHOL, 10 MAYERS

Defense Pair 1: 3 MURRAY, 22 BOYLE

Defense Pair 2: 44 VLASIC, 40 HUSKINS

Defense Pair 3: 7 WALLIN, 60 DEMERS

Goalie: 31 NIEMI

Back-up Goalie: 34 HUTTON

Injuries:

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

SAN – 30 NIITTYMAKI (undisclosed) DTD

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 4 assists to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:

The Caps went into Anaheim and got the win. Now they need to build on that victory as they take on the San Jose Sharks at the Shark Tank. The Caps exploded on offense last night but need to baton down on the defense as the Sharks boast one of the most talented offenses in the league. Look for this game to be another fast paced contest with special teams being the key to victory. The Caps were able to weather a power play goal on two attempts from Anaheim while failing to connect on two of their own. I expect the Capitals to come out with renewed vigor in this game and put up some goals early on and hold off the Sharks for the win.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 SAN 2

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Game #55 Recap: Caps 0 San Jose 2

Washington ran into a buzz saw in San Jose and fell to the tune of a 2-0 score. The Capitals played pretty even for 2 periods but the Sharks converted on back to back goals in the third period and wouldn't allow Washington to generate any offense to counter. In the end the Capitals simply could not get the puck to the net of the 59 shots they took in the game only 25 made it onto the Sharks net. In the loss Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced but would like to have the first Sharks goal back for sure. For the young goalies it has been a tough year as the team has produced the kind of support they have accustom to in the last couple of seasons. The offense got a boost with the return of Alexander Semin who missed the last 12 games with a lower body injury and it looked like he had made a triumphant return when his first shot on net trickle through the goalie and ended up in the back of the net. Unfortunately the nearside ref lost sight of the puck and blew the play dead before the puck crossed the line. The Caps get a 4 day break before they take on the LA Kings this Saturday.

Of Note:

• The five-some of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jason Chimera, Karl Alzner and John Carlson each had a -2 rating on the night.
• The Caps were dominated in the face-off dot winning 25 and losing 36 draws.
• The penalty killers again did their job stopping the Sharks power play on their one attempt.
• Jeff Schultz and Alzner led Washington with 4 blocked shots each.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #55 Preview: San Jose Sharks at Washington Capitals

  

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When:  February 8, 2011, 7:00 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 6-5-3-0

Caps Game 55 Record: 15-13-4-2

All-Time vs. SAN: 9-16-1-1

All-Time at home vs. SAN: 6-7-0-1

Last Season vs. SAN: 1-1-0

Last Meeting: 12/30/09, WAS 2 SAN 5

Season Series: 0-0-0

This Year:

WAS Record: 29-15-10

Standings Points: 68

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

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

Streak: Win 2

SAN Record: 28-19-6

Standings Points: 62

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th    

Last Game: 2/5/11, SAN 2 BOS 0

Streak: Won 3

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

San Jose

Forward Line 1: 12 MARLEAU, 19 THORNTON, 15 HEATLEY

Forward Line 2: 29 CLOWE, 8 PAVELSKI, 16 SETOGUCHI

Forward Line 3: 55 EAGER, 39 COUTURE, 20 WELLWOOD

Forward Line 4: 10 MAYERS, 21 NICHOL, 78 FERRIERO

Defense Pair 1: 3 MURRAY, 22 BOYLE

Defense Pair 2: 44 VLASIC, 40 HUSKINS

Defense Pair 3: 7 WALLIN, 60 DEMERS

Goalie: 31 NIEMI

Back-up Goalie: 34 HUTTON

Injuries:

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

SAN – 17 MITCHELL (lower body) IR

Caps Milestones:

Matt Bradley’s next game will be his 400^th as a Capital.

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

Brooks Laich needs 5 goals to reach 100 in his career.

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

Preview:

After two big victories the Capitals cannot rest on their laurels as the San Jose Sharks come to the Phone Booth for an inter-conference battle. Both teams are sitting in fifth place in their respective conferences and are looking to make a move up the standings. Washington has been relying on good defense, goal tending and penalty killing to win. They have allowed just 26 goals against in the last 16 games and are looking to continue that trend. The Sharks bring a combination of size, skill and talent to this match up but find themselves battling for a playoff spot with their stars not performing as expected. It sounds familiar to Washington’s situation and should make this a great game to watch. Look for an intense game with lots of pace. The key will be the play of both teams #1 line. I expect the Ovechkin line to breakout early in this one and the Caps defense to hold them in for a close victory.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 3 SAN 2

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Game #20 Recap - Capitals 2 Sharks 7

As the last left hand from Donald Brashear rained down on the Sharks Jody Shelley, it seemed that all the fight had left the Capitals. The Sharks then pounded the Caps 7-2 on the scoreboard. The Sharks scored on their first shot on goal and 3 of the first 5. Even when the Caps controlled the play every time they made a mistake the puck ended up it their net. All over the ice the Caps were soundly beaten and it didn't help that Sergei Fedorov left after the first period after re injuring his ankle. Unfortunately for the Caps, this was an example of how winning teams win. The Sharks stepped on the gas from the beginning and never let off. The Caps have now given up 22 goals in the last four games. That will not get it done. The Team will now head to Minnesota to face the Wild.

Of Note:

• Tom Poti scored his third goal of the season with assists from Matt Bradley and Tyler Sloan.
• Tomas Fleischmann scored his eighth of the season on the power play off some really nice passing from Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. For Ovechkin it was his first career point against the Sharks. He has now scored points on every team in the NHL.
• The Caps were in the box way too often. They gave up goals on 2 of 6 San Jose power plays. The Caps scored on 1 of 4 attempts.
• Brent Johnson had a tough night in the net stopping 21 of 28 shots.
• The team combined for a total minus-19 rating in the game. Jeff Schultz took the worst of it with a minus-4.
• Who knows what the stats guy in San Jose was watching but the Caps were credited with 49 hits to the Sharks 28.
  

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #20 Washington Capitals at San Jose Sharks

Where: HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA

When: November 22, 2008, 10:30 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 7-5-1-1
Caps Game 20 Record: 12-16-3-2
All-Time vs. SAN: 8-14-1-1
All-Time at SAN: 3-7-1-0
Last Season vs. SAN: Did not play
Last Meeting: 2/21/07, WAS 2 SAN 3 (OT-SO)

This Year:
WAS Record: 11-5-3
Standings Points: 25
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 3rd
Last Game: 11/19/08, WAS 6 ANA 4
Streak: Loss 1

SAN Record: 16-3-1
Standings Points: 33
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 1st
Last Game: 11/17/08, SAN 4 NAS 1
Streak: Win 3

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 17 CLARK
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 39 STECKEL, 16 FEHR
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 55 SCHULTZ, 26 MORRISONN
Defense Pair 2: 89 SLOAN, 3 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 60 THEODORE
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

San Jose
Forward Line 1: 12 MARLEAU, 19 THORNTON, 16 SATOGUCHI
Forward Line 2: 29 CLOWE, 8 PAVELSKI, 9 MICHALEK
Forward Line 3: 39 PLIHAL, 11 GOC, 14 CHEECHOO
Forward Line 4: 45 SHELLEY, 27 ROENICK, 25 GRIER
Defense Pair 1: 22 BOYLE, 37 LUKOWICH
Defense Pair 2: 4 BLAKE, 44 VLASIC
Defense Pair 3: 3 MURRAY, 10 EHRHOFF
Goalie: 20 NABOKOV
Back-up Goalie: 33 BOUCHER

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 91 FEDOROV (undisclosed) DTD, 28 SEMIN (upper body) DTD, 52 GREEN (upper body) DTD
San Jose – MITCHELL (broken leg) IR

Caps Milestones:
Matt Bradley needs 3 points to reach 100 in his career.
Chris Clark needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 600 in his career.
Brooks Laich needs 4 shots on goal to reach 400 in his career.

Preview:
The Caps took a beating in LA and try to rebound against the number one team in the NHL. San Jose has been unbeatable at home and has lost only 3 times in regulation this season. The Sharks expect their number one goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, back in the net for the match up with the Caps. Look for the Caps to bring much more energy to the start of this game. A slow start killed the Caps in the last game. Watch for Alex Ovechkin as San Jose is the only team in the NHL he has not recorded a point against. He’s played them twice, recording 4 shots on goal and 10 hits. This should be a great game and a big measuring stick for the team.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 SAN 3

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