Capitals 0 Hurricanes 5

The Washington Capitals were blown out of the RBC Center in just the time it took Cory Stillman to score a natural hat trick. Stillman scored his first goal 3 seconds into the Hurricanes first power play of the night at 4:23 of the first period. His second goal took a little longer, 18 seconds into their second power play. And he finished off the hat trick by burying a 2-on-1 from Eric Cole at 11:28 of the first period. It was all downhill from there as the Caps couldn't recover. In the first four minutes they came out hard, pressed the play, and recorded the first 4 shots of the game. Then came the penalties Milan Jurcina was called for holding. Result: Carolina Goal. Alex Ovechkin was called for boarding. Result: Carolina Goal. The second period looked like the Caps might start to build some momentum but a hooking call to Michal Nylander took the wind right out of their sails. Then Donald Brashear was given a major bording penalty and a game misconduct for hitting a Canes player from behind and driving him into the glass. The Canes Eric Staal scored on the 5-minute power play and the Caps were done. Staal added another goal in the third and Kolzig was lifted for Brent Johnson.

Of Note:

• Carolina scored on their first shot of the game. This was the 4th time in 5 games the opposition scored on their first shot.
• The Caps out shot the Hurricanes 35 to 33. The teams divided the face-offs evenly at 35 wins apiece.
• Donald Brashear recorded his 900th career shot on goal. He has participated in 860 NHL games, while Alex Ovechkin recored his 890th career shot on goal in his 177th game.
• The Capitals were shut out for the second time in 3 games. They have been outscored 10-2 in those 3 games.
• No rest for the weary, the Capitals head to Atlanta to face the Thrashers tonight.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Super Stats

Caps Sign Godfrey

According the the Capitals Website, The Caps have signed defensemen Josh Godfrey to a 3-year entry level contract today. He was the 34th overall pick in the 2007 draft and is currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League for the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds. He is 6'-1" and 195 pounds. He has 17 points in 18 games with the Greyhounds.

Game #14 Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes

Where: RBC Center, Raleigh, NC

When: November 5, 2007, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 6-8-1-0
Caps Game 14 Record: 14-14-4-0
All-Time vs. CAR: 62-90-19-0
Last Season vs. CAR: 3-5-0
Last Meeting: 10/6/07, WAS 2 CAR 0

This Year:
WAS Record: 5-8-0
Standings Points: 10
Division Rank: Tied 4^th
Conference Rank: Tied 14^th
Last Game: 11/2/2007, WAS 2 PHI 3
Streak: Loss 2

CAR Record: 8-3-3
Standings Points: 19
Division Rank: 1^st
Conference Rank: 2^nd
Last Game: 11/3/2007, CAR 4 FLA 2
Streak: Win 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 15 GORDON, 25 KOZLOV,
Forward Line 2: 19 BACKSTROM, 92 NYLANDER, 43 FLEISCHMANN
Forward Line 3: 18 PETTINGER, 39 STECKEL, 21 LAICH
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 16 SUTHERBY, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 23 JURCINA
Defense Pair 2: 2 POTHIER, 55 SCHULTZ
Defense Pair 3: 52 GREEN, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 37 KOLZIG
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Carolina
Forward Line 1: 61 STILLMAN, 17 BRIND’AMOUR, 11 WILLIAMS
Forward Line 2: 13 WHITNEY, 12 STAAL, 26 COLE
Forward Line 3: 16 LADD, 8 CULLEN, 24 WALKER
Forward Line 4: 59 LAROSE, 51 HAMILTON, 27 ADAMS
Defense Pair 1: 5 KABERLE, 6 HEDICAN
Defense Pair 2: 7 WALLIN, 42 GLEASON
Defense Pair 3: 22 COMMODORE, 2 WESLEY
Goalie: 30 WARD
Back-up Goalie: 47 GRAHME

Injuries:
Washington – 14 FEHR (hip) IR, 28 SEMIN (ankle) DTD, 44 EMINGER (ankle) IR, CLARK (ear) DTD, 3 POTI (groin) DTD
Carolina – 7 WALLIN (shoulder)

Caps Milestones:
Alexander Semin needs 4 Points to reach 100 for his career
Chris Clark needs 3 Points to reach 100 with the Capitals
Matt Pettinger needs 5 Points to reach 100 for his career
Brian Pothier needs 7 Points to reach 100 for his career
Michal Nylander needs 7 Goals to reach 200 for his career
Donald Brashear needs 1 Shot on Goal to reach 900 for his career
Viktor Kozlov needs 6 Shots on Goal to reach 1,900 for his career

Preview:
The Capitals are reeling after back-to-back 1-goal losses to the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. The Caps have been coming out and playing well in the first period but cannot seem to keep the momentum going. Penalties and an inability to score were problems in both games. In the Philly game the Caps had 2 power plays as compared to the Flyers 7. In the two games the Caps managed a mere 2 goals. The Caps start a three game road trip Monday, and they need to put some wins on the board. They are currently tied for last place in the standings. If you believe the rhetoric on the Caps Message Board, the Caps better put a much better product on the ice or they will be seeing a new coach. They want Coach Hanlon's head on a plate. We’ll see how the team responds. With the injuries to Cark, Semin and Poti, I’m not sure management will be that quick on the trigger. I don’t think its midnight yet but it’s getting late. Look for another fast start by the Caps but Carolina has been playing very good hockey lately so it will be a tough test. If the Caps can limit their penalties, they have a chance. If not, they won’t win. Neither Clark nor Semin has made the trip to North Carolina. Poti traveled with the team and will be a game time decision.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 2 Car 1.

Official Preview

Capitals 2 Flyers 3

The Capitals had to kill off 7 Flyer power plays last night only allowing 1 goal. Unfortunately for the Caps it was the game winner and the Flyers prevailed 3-2. The Caps took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Tomas Fleischmann knocked the puck out of mid-air behind Philadelphia goalie Antero Niittymaki. The Caps then paraded to the penalty box taking 10 penalties in all. Philly scored 3 unanswered goals before Alex Ovechkin blasted a slap shot past Niittymaki for a power play goal with a little over 4-minutes to play. It was the second and last power play Washington would have. The Caps have lost 4 of 5 1-goal games. The team heads off on a three game road trip Monday starting in Carolina against the Hurricanes.

Of Note:

• Tomas Fleischmann scored his second goal of the season and has 3 points in the last 4 games.
• Alex Ovechkin's 107th career goal gives him 214 points, tying him with Jeff Halpern for 28th place on the Caps all-time point list.
• The Caps and Flyers each won 29 face-offs. Michal Nylander led the Caps winning 12 of 16 draws.
• Nylander also assisted on both goals. He has 5 points in his last 3 games.
• The Caps were out shot 26 to 29 and had 25 shots blocked.
• Washington is now in 14th place in the Eastern Conference two points ahead of Atlanta.
  

Official Recap
Game Summary
Super Stats

Game #13 Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When: November 2, 2007, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 2-6-4-0
Caps Game 13 Record: 15-13-4-0
All-Time vs. PHI: 62-90-19-0
Last Season vs. PHI: 4-0-0
Last Meeting: 1/9/07, WAS 6 PHI 2

This Year:
WAS Record: 5-7-0
Standings Points: 10
Division Rank: Tied 3^rd
Conference Rank: Tied 12^th
Last Game: 11/1/2007, WAS 0 NYR 2
Streak: Loss 1

PHI Record: 7-4-0
Standings Points: 14
Division Rank: 1^st
Conference Rank: 3^rd
Last Game: 11/1/2007, PHI 2 MON 5
Streak: Loss 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 15 GORDON, 25 KOZLOV,
Forward Line 2: 19 BACKSTROM, 92 NYLANDER, 18 PETTINGER
Forward Line 3: 87 BRASHEAR, 39 STECKEL, 21 LAICH
Forward Line 4: 43 FLEISCHMANN, 16 SUTHERBY, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 23 JURCINA
Defense Pair 2: 2 POTHIER, 55 SCHULTZ
Defense Pair 3: 52 GREEN, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 37 KOLZIG
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Philadelphia
Forward Line 1: 19 HARTNELL, 48 BRIERE, 22 KNUBLE
Forward Line 2: 20 UMBERGER, 17 CARTER, 9 UPSHALL
Forward Line 3: 32 COTE, 18 RICHARDS, 15 LUPUL
Forward Line 4: 55 EAGER, 34 DOWD, 24 KAPANEN
Defense Pair 1: 21 SMITH, 44 TIMONEN
Defense Pair 2: 28 KUKKONEN, 5 COBURN
Defense Pair 3: 8 FITZPATRICK, 29 GUENIN
Goalie: 43 BIRON
Back-up Goalie: 30 NIITTYMAKI

Injuries:
Washington – 14 FEHR (hip) IR, 28 SEMIN (ankle) DTD, 44 EMINGER (ankle) IR, CLARK (ear) DTD, 3 POTI (groin) DTD
Philadelphia – 2 HATCHER (knee) IR, 12 GAGNE (dizziness) DTD, 6 JONES (suspended), 36 BOULERICE (suspended)

Caps Milestones:
Alexander Semin needs 4 Points to reach 100 for his career
Chris Clark needs 3 Points to reach 100 with the Capitals
Matt Pettinger needs 5 Points to reach 100 for his career
Brian Pothier needs 7 Points to reach 100 for his career
Michal Nylander needs 7 Assists to reach 200 for his career
Donald Brashear needs 2 Shots on Goal to reach 900 for his career

Preview:
The Capitals swept the season series from the Flyer for the first time in their history last year. This year, however, the Flyers are in first Place in the Atlantic Division and the Caps are struggling with injuries and finding a hard time scoring. Alex Ovechkin meets up with his good buddy Daniel Briere for the first time this season. The Caps secondary players need to find a way on to the score sheet to make up for the absence of Clark, Semin, and Poti. Look for this to be a tight checking game with lots of hitting.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 2 PHI 1, The Donald KO’s Ben Eager.

Official Preview

Capitals 0 Rangers 2

The Capitals lost in another close game last evening. They had no answer for Ranger's goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Caps came out fast out shooting New York 10-3 in the first period and had several opportunities but just couldn't get the puck in the net. The Rangers looked much more inspired in the second and third periods. They were able to beat Olie Kolzig once in each of those periods. The first was on a deflection by Chris Drury of a Marc Staal point shot in the second and a backdoor goal from Michal Rozsival while on a 5-on-3 advantage halfway through the third. The Caps had a chance to come back with a little more than 7 minutes left in the third period when Fedor Tyutin took a double minor for hooking and slashing. The Caps put 8 shots on goal during the 4 minute power play but came away empty. The Caps need to shake this one off quickly as Philly comes into Verizon Center this evening.

Of Note:

• The Caps were again without Captain Chris Clark, Tom Poti, and Alexander Semin due to injury. All three took the morning skate but were held out of action.
• The Caps out shot the Rangers 31 to 28. Viktor Kozlov led the way with 8 shots on goal.
• After a rocky 1st period the Caps pick up the intensity in the face-off dot and finished up winning 22 of 52 draws (52%) David Steckel was best among the Caps 10 for 13 while Michal Nylander was not 3 for 11.
• Kolzig played well enough for a win stopping 26 of 28 shots. During a partial breakaway in the first period, Kolzig was run over by Chris Drury but he stayed in the game after several minutes with the trainer.
• The Rangers were credited with 42 hits last night while the Caps were given credit for 29. In the first meeting the Caps had 21 and the Rangers 19.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Super Stats

Game #12 Washington Capitals at New York Rangers

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When: November 1, 2007, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 6-5-2-0
Caps Game 12 Record: 8-20-4-0
All-Time vs. NYR: 80-73-18-4
Last Season vs. NYR: 1-3-0
Last Meeting: 10/12/07, WAS 1 NYI 3

This Year:
WAS Record: 5-6-0
Standings Points: 10
Division Rank: Tied 3^rd
Conference Rank: Tied 9^th
Last Game: 10/29/2007, WAS 7 TOR 1
Streak: Win 1

NYR Record: 4-6-1
Standings Points: 9
Division Rank: Tied 4^th
Conference Rank: Tied 13^th
Last Game: 10/29/2007, NYR 3 TAM 1
Streak: Win 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 43 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 21 LAICH
Forward Line 3: 18 PETTINGER, 39 STECKEL, 15 GORDON
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 16 SUTHERBY, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 23 JURCINA
Defense Pair 2: 2 POTHIER, 55 SCHULTZ
Defense Pair 3: 52 GREEN, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 37 KOLZIG
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Rangers
Forward Line 1: 81 HOSSA, 19 GOMEZ, 68 JAGR
Forward Line 2: 25 PRUCHA, 23 DRURY, 14 SHANAHAN
Forward Line 3: 44 HOLLWEG, 15 BETTS, 10 DAWES
Forward Line 4: 17 DUBINSKY, 28 ORR
Defense Pair 1: 3 ROZSIVAL, 5 GIRARDI
Defense Pair 2: 51 TYUTIN, 8 MALIK
Defense Pair 3: 27 MARA, 18 STAAL, 34 STRUDWICK
Goalie: 30 LUNDQVIST
Back-up Goalie: 40 VALIQUETTE

Injuries:
Washington – 14 FEHR (hip) IR, 28 SEMIN (ankle) DTD, 44 EMINGER (ankle) IR, CLARK (ear) DTD, 3 POTI (groin) DTD
Rangers – 16 Avery (shoulder) IR, 24 CALLAHAN (knee) IR, 82 STRAKA (broken finger) IR

Caps Milestones:
Alexander Semin needs 4 Points to reach 100 for his career
Chris Clark needs 3 Points to reach 100 with the Capitals
Matt Pettinger needs 5 Points to reach 100 for his career
Brian Pothier needs 7 Points to reach 100 for his career
Michal Nylander needs 7 Assists to reach 200 for his career

Preview:
The Capitals will try to extend to momentum they gained in Wednesday’s 7-1 victory in Toronto into New York as the face the Rangers for the second time this season. In game 4 the Rangers stopped the Caps season opening 3-game winning streak with a 3-1. The Caps will need to stay out of the penalty box as the Ranger scored all 3 goals on the power play. The Caps power play is starting to show signs of life over the past 3 games as they have 5 goals in their last 16 attempts. The penalty killing is also returning to form not allowing a goal in the last 2 two game. Look for the Caps to continue playing the same style and keep the pressure on the Rangers. The Rangers are still feeling out their line combinations but there is a rumor that agitator extraordinaire Sean Avery may play this evening.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 NYR 1.

Official Preview