Game #13 New York Rangers at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When: November 8, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 3-6-2-0
Caps Game 13 Record: 15-14-4-0
All-Time vs. NYR: 82-74-18-4
All-Time Home vs. NYR: 47-31-9-3
Last Season vs. NYR: 2-2-0
Last Meeting: 2/10/08, WAS 2 NYR 1

This Year:
WAS Record: 6-4-2
Standings Points: 14
Division Rank: 2nd
Conference Rank: 8th
Last Game: 11/6/08, WAS 3 CAR 2
Streak: Win 1

NYR Record: 11-4-1
Standings Points: 23
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 1st
Last Game: 11/6/08, NYR 5 TAM 2
Streak: Win 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 28 SEMIN
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 39 STECKEL, 16 FEHR
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 55 SCHULTZ, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 89 SLOAN, 3 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 1 JOHNSON
Back-up Goalie: 60 THEODORE

New York
Forward Line 1: 91 NASLUND, 19 GOMEZ, 24 CALLAHAN
Forward Line 2: 10 DAWES, 23 DRURY, 25 PRUCHA
Forward Line 3: 13 ZHERDEV, 17 DUBINSKY, 34 VOROS
Forward Line 4: 20 SJOSTROM, 15 BETTS, 28 ORR
Defense Pair 1: 18 STAAL, 27 MARA
Defense Pair 2: 5 GIRARDI, 6 REDDEN
Defense Pair 3: 3 ROZSIVAL, 45 KALININ
Goalie: 30 LUNDQVIST
Back-up Goalie: 40 VALIQUETTE

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 26 MORRISONN (groin) DTD, 91 FEDOROV (undisclosed) DTD, 17 CLARK (undisclosed) DTD
New York – 51 BARNES (undisclosed) IR

Caps Milestones:
Victor Kozlov needs 1 point to reach 500 in his career.
Matt Bradley needs 4 points to reach 100 in his career.
Donald Brashear needs 4 penalty minutes to become the 42nd Cap to reach 300 with the team.

Preview:
The Caps are still very inconsistent but were able to pull out a dramatic victory over Carolina on Thursday. Tonight the face the NHL standings point leading New York Rangers. Granted the Rangers have played 2 more games than anyone else in the conference but they still have the same number of losses as the Caps. Head Coach Bruce Boudreau tried to shake things up a bit by putting Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Sergei Fedorov on the same line last game. The trio scored one goal before Fedorov was injured but the two Alex combo provided two more goals to get the win. With the all eggs in one basket approach the coach is hoping to get Ovechkin to snap out of his snake bit streak of 8 games without a goal. With injuries to Shaone Morrisonn, Sergei Fedorov and Chris Clark, Tyler Sloan, who was recalled from Hershey, Eric Fehr and Dave Steckel will get the start. Look for the Caps to simplify their play in the defensive end and try to get the forecheck going. Watch the top line again as the Caps pair Ovechkin and Semin with Backstrom. I’m not too sure what we get tonight but expect a big crowd and hopefully the team can put together a good effort.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 3 NYR 2

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Game #12 Recap - Capitals 3 Hurricanes 2

Alexander Semin scored 2 goals in the final minutes to propel the Caps to a 3-2 win over Carolina. In a game that featured choppy and disjointed play the Caps were able to pull out a victory in dramatic fashion. Brent Johnson had another good effort in the net stopping 32 of 34 shots. Overall, an ugly win for the Caps.

Of Note:

• Alexander Semin's two goals gives him 84 in his career and he moves ahead of Jaromir Jagr into 29th place on the Capitals All-Time Goal Scoring list. The last goal was also his 12th game-winner in his career.
• Alex Ovechkin did not score a goal but had the primary assist for all 3 Caps goals. Ovechkin registered a team-high 7 hits.
• The Caps failed to score on 3 power play attempts. The Caps did not allow Carolina to score with the man advantage in 2 attempts including 1:03 of 5-on3.
• The Caps did very well in the face-off circle winning 35 of 55 draws (64%).
• Sergei Fedorv scored his 4th goal of the season and reached a milestone with his 3,900th career shot on goal.
• Three Caps D-men recorded assists: Jeff Schultz, Tom Poti, and Mike Green.
• Donald Brashear put a beatdown on Wade Brookbank in a second period fight.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #12 Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When: November 6, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 6-5-1-1
Caps Game 12 Record: 8-21-4-0
All-Time vs. CAR: 30-19-7-3
All-Time Home vs. CAR: 17-9-2-1
Last Season vs. CAR: 4-4-0
Last Meeting: 4/1/08, WAS 4 CAR 1

This Year:
WAS Record: 5-4-2
Standings Points: 12
Division Rank: 2nd
Conference Rank: 9th
Last Game: 11/4/08, WAS 1 OTT 2 (OT)
Streak: Loss 2

CAR Record: 7-3-2
Standings Points: 16
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 3rd
Last Game: 11/4/08, CAR 5 TOR 4
Streak: Win 2

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 28 SEMIN
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 91 FEDOROV, 10 BRADLEY
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 17 CLARK
Defense Pair 1: 55 SCHULTZ, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 26 MORRISONN, 3 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 1 JOHNSON
Back-up Goalie: 60 THEODORE

Carolina
Forward Line 1: 18 BAYDA, 12 STAAL, 13 WHITNEY
Forward Line 2: 14 SAMSONOV, 17 BRIND’AMOUR, 24 WALKER
Forward Line 3: 59 LAROSE, 63 HELMINEN, 15 RUUTU
Forward Line 4: 28 BROOKBANK, 39 DWYER, 44 EAVES
Defense Pair 1: 6 GLEASON, 77 CORVO
Defense Pair 2: 4 SEIDENBERG, 7 WALLIN
Defense Pair 3: 22 MELICHAR, 33 BABCHUK
Goalie: 30 WARD
Back-up Goalie: 49 LEIGHTON

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR
Carolina – 45 TANABE (concussion) IR, 8 CULLEN (leg) DTD, 16 SUTTER (concussion) DTD, 11 WILLIAMS (torn Achilles) IR, 5 KABERLE (foot fracture) IR, 25 PITKANEN (knee) DTD

Caps Milestones:
Victor Kozlov needs 1 point to reach 500 in his career.
Matt Bradley needs 4 points to reach 100 in his career.
Sergei Fedorov needs 1 shot on goal to reach 3,900 in his career.

Preview:
The Caps performed much better in Ottawa but fell in overtime. The team returns to the Verizon Center tonight to face Carolina. This is only the second match up with a division opponent this season. Currently, the Canes are 4 points ahead of the Caps in the standings and were the preseason pick to contend for the division title. The Canes have been playing well on the road and will present a big test for the Caps. Look for the Caps to continue to work hard and play their system. The team appears to be just a bit out of sync but I that it’s only a matter of time before they put it all together. Watch for the top line of Ovechkin, Kozlov, and Backstrom to put it together tonight. Ovechkin has 29 points in 24 career games against Carolina.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 5 CAR 2

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Game #11 Recap - Capitals 1 Senators 2

The Capitals were defeated with 40-seconds left in overtime. In a game where Capitals Goalie Brent Johnson stopped 42 of 44 shots the Caps couldn't seem to generate quality scoring chances. With that being said the team just looks a little off. I have a feeling that soon things will start clicking for this team. This was a tough game for the Caps but they still managed a point in the standings.

Of Note:

• Tomas Fleischmann scored his 4th goal of the season with assists from Alexander Semin and Michael Nylander.
• Semin's assist gives him 154 points in his career. He is now tied with Geoff Courtnall for 38th on the Caps All-Time Points list.
• The Caps killed off all 5 Ottawa power plays including a 1:57 of 5-on-3 advantage. The Caps failed to score on their 1 and only power play attempt.
• Sergei Fedorov reached the 800 penalty minute milestone.
• In his first game back, Alex Ovechkin had 4 shots on goal. He moved ahead of Sylvain Cote into 9th place on the Caps All-Time Shots on Goal List with 1,308.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #11 Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

Where: Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario

When: November 4, 2008, 7:30 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 8-4-0-0
Caps Game 11 Record: 10-18-5-0
All-Time vs. OTT: 28-26-5-0
All-Time At OTT: 13-15-1-0
Last Season vs. OTT: 4-0-0
Last Meeting: 1/15/08, WAS 4 OTT 2

This Year:
WAS Record: 5-4-1
Standings Points: 11
Division Rank: 2nd
Conference Rank: 9th
Last Game: 11/1/08, WAS 0 BUF 5
Streak: Loss 1

OTT Record: 4-5-2
Standings Points: 10
Division Rank: 5th
Conference Rank: 12th
Last Game: 11/1/08, OTT 2 TAM 3 (OT-SO)
Streak: Loss 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 91 FEDOROV, 28 SEMIN
Forward Line 3: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 17 CLARK
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 26 MORRISONN, 52 GREEN
Defense Pair 2: 55 SCHULTZ, 3 POTI
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie: 60 THEODORE
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Ottawa
Forward Line 1: 15 HEATLEY, 19 SPEZZA, 11 ALFREDSSON
Forward Line 2: 20 VERMETTE, 22 KELLY, 10 DONOVAN
Forward Line 3: 73 RUUTU, 12 FISHER, 18 WINCHESTER
Forward Line 4: 71 FOLIGNO, 5 SCHUBERT, 25 NEIL
Defense Pair 1: 24 VOLCHENKOV, 4 PHILLIPS
Defense Pair 2: 17 KUBA, 21 SMITH
Defense Pair 3: 45 PICARD, 2 RICHARDSON
Goalie: 31 AULD
Back-up Goalie: 29 GERBER

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 26 MORRISONN (undisclosed) DTD
Ottawa – none

Caps Milestones:
Victor Kozlov needs 1 point to reach 500 in his career.
Matt Bradley needs 4 points to reach 100 in his career.
Sergei Fedorov needs 1 penalty minutes to reach 800 in his career.
Sergei Fedorov needs 3 shots on goal to reach 3,900 in his career.

Preview:
After an embarrassing effort in Buffalo the team was put though a workout and a half. Head Coach Bruce Boudreau was not very happy with the team’s performance and let them know it. Hopefully the rebuke has the intended effect as the team heads to Ottawa to face the Senators. Good news for the team as Alex Ovechkin has returned from Russia and Shaone Morrisonn’s injury from last game is not as bad as first thought and both should be able play in Ottawa. Look for the Caps to be flying around in Ottawa with a strong forecheck. The defense has to be better and look for Ovechkin to take command of the game in the early going. The Caps went 4-0-0 against Ottawa last season so the Sens will be ready. It should be a physical match up and close on the scoreboard.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 3 OTT 2

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Alexander Semin Named NHL 1st Star for October

The NHL just named the three Stars for the month of October:

1. Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
2. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
3. Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
   

Semin and Alex Ovechkin are the only Caps to be named the 1st Star of the Month. The monthly three star awards were started last season. Ovechkin, Olaf Kolzig, Jim Carey (twice), and Mike Gartner previously earned NHL player of the Month honors for the Capitals.

Link

Game #10 Recap - Capitals 0 Buffalo 5

What can you say about this one? Well, Buffalo showed up and the Caps did not. The Sabres then stuck it to the Caps 5-0. Head Coach Bruce Boudreau did not the performance one bit. After the game he called out a few guys and canceled today's day off. The team will practice at 11:00 and I assume much skating and battling for pucks will be involved.

It would be easy to put this one on the goalie, who did not have his best game but the defense was absolutely shameful. Mike Green made Thomas Vanek look All-World as he went around him and scored on the first shot of the game. From there it didn't get any better. The Caps took eight minor penalties with Buffalo converting once. Defensemen Shaone Morrisonn was injured and forced Sergei Fedorov back to blue line duty. Morrisonn was taken to the hospital but did return with the team to Washington. The Capitals expect Alex Ovechkin to return to the team on Monday, not soon enough.

Of Note:

• John Erskine and David Steckel were the only two Caps not to register a minus rating in the game.
• Jose Theodore stopped 22 of 27 shots in the loss.
• Michael Nylander recorded his 1,600th career shot on goal.
• Tomas Fleischmann ringing the cross bar and Nylander hitting the post was the closest any Cap came to scoring.
• The Caps recorded 29 shots on goal. They also missed 10 shots and had 17 shots blocked.
• On the power play the Caps were 0 for 5 including over a minute of a 5-on-3 advantage.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary