Game #27 Recap - Capitals 2 Maple Leafs 1

The Caps pulled out a 2-1 victory in Toronto last evening. It was an ugly victory but I'll take any road victory at this point. Unfortunately, Eric Fehr may have injured his shoulder. The injury situation is absolutely unbelievable. Defensemen Tyler Sloan was out with a foot injury so Sean Collins made his NHL debut. Now the Caps head to Carolina for a game tonight with the Hurricanes.

Of Note:

• Karl Alzner scored his first NHL goal and assisted on the game-winner from Milan Jurcina. Alzner also recorded his first NHL hit.
• Brent Johnson stopped 19 of 20 shots for the victory.
• The Caps out shot the Leafs 30-20 and won 28 of 54 face-offs.
• Micheal Nylander recorded an assist on the Jurcina goal.
• Bryan Helmer blocked 5 shots and had 2 takeaways.
• Alex Ovechkin had 7 shots on goal and 6 hits but was held off the score sheet.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #27 Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs

Where: Air Canada Center, Toronto, Ontario

When: December 6, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 6-6-1-0
Caps Game 27 Record: 15-13-5-0
All-Time vs. TOR: 51-47-10-2
All-Time at TOR: 19-27-6-1
Last Season vs. TOR: 2-2-0
Last Meeting: 2/20/08, WAS 2 NYI 3 (OT-SO)

This Year:
WAS Record: 14-9-3
Standings Points: 31
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 3rd
Last Game: 12/4/08, WAS 5 NYI 2
Streak: Win 1

TOR Record: 9-11-6
Standings Points: 24
Division Rank: 4th
Conference Rank: 11th
Last Game: 12/4/08, TOR 3 PHO 6
Streak: Loss 2

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 92 NYLANDER
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 20 AUCOIN, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 15 GORDON, 16 FEHR
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 39 STECKEL, 10 BRADLEY
Defense Pair 1: 42 LEPISTO, 26 MORRISONN
Defense Pair 2: 89 SLOAN, 43 HELMER
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 47 ALZNER
Goalie: 60 THEODORE
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Toronto
Forward Line 1: 41 KULEMIN, 84 GRABOVSKI, 9 HAGMAN
Forward Line 2: 80 ANTROPOV, 14 STAJAN, 12 STEMPNIAK
Forward Line 3: 23 PONIKAROVSKY, 19 MOORE, 55 BLAKE
Forward Line 4: 44 HOLLWEG, 39 MITCHELL, 56 DEVEAUX
Defense Pair 1: 2 SCHENN, 15 KABERLE
Defense Pair 2: 4 FINGER, 77 KUBINA
Defense Pair 3: 7 WHITE, 36 STRALMAN
Goalie: 35 TOSKALA
Back-up Goalie: 31 JOSEPH

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 91 FEDOROV (ankle) DTD, 28 SEMIN (upper body) IR, 52 GREEN (shoulder) IR, 55 SCHULTZ (broken finger) IR, 3 POTI (groin) DTD, 4 ERSKINE (undisclosed) DTD, 17 CLARK (forearm) IR
Toronto – VAN RYN (concussion, broken nose, broken finger) IR, FROGREN (arm) IR, MAYERS (hand) IR

Caps Milestones:
Matt Bradley needs 1 point to reach 100 in his career.
Nicklas Backstrom needs 7 points to reach 100 in his career.
Chris Clark needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 600 in his career.
Shaone Morrisonn needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:
Washington heads to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs and again will be without 7 of their regulars due to injury. The Caps road record has left much to be desired as they have only won 4 of 14 contests. On Thursday the team was able to generate secondary scoring and this was the difference in the game. Look for the team to try and repeat this effort. Be sure to watch the shot counter and if the Caps have more than 30 shots on goal they more than likely will be having a good night. I think the team will pull together a hard fought victory over the Leafs.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 TOR 3

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Game #26 Recap - Capitals 5 Islanders 2

After being scolded by their coach for their effort on Tuesday, the Caps came out and took it to the Islanders 5-2. The game started with the Caps buzzing around the Islander zone and scoring on two power plays. However, they could not put the game out of reach and the Islanders came back and tied the game at 2-2. The Caps then took control in the third, they out shot New York 18 to 8 in the period and scored 3 goals. Secondary scoring was the key as Donald Brashear got the game-winner and Eric Fehr added an insurance marker. It was Brashear's first goal of the season and couldn't have come at a better time.

Of Note:

• Alex Ovechkin had 1 goal and 2 assists. He moved ahead of Steve Konowalchuk and tied Hall of Famer Larry Murphy for 16th place on the Capitals All-time point scoring list.
• The Caps were 3 for 5 on the power play and killed off 7 of 8 Islander power play attempts.
• Brashear's goal was his 10th as a Capital and 1st game-winner.
• The Caps were credited with a season low 5 hits in the game. They recorded a season high of 47 shots on goal.
• Brent Johnson got the win stopping 27 of 29 shots he faced.
• Karl Alzner and Bryan Helmer each recorded their first points as a member of the Caps. For Alzner it was his first NHL point ever, however, in 5 games he has yet to record a hit.
• Viktor Kozlov and Nicklas Backstrom each scored a goal in the game. Milan Jurcina and Brooks Laich each had 2 assists. Sami Lepisto had an assist.

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #26 New York Islanders at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When: December 4, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 7-8-1-0
Caps Game 26 Record: 14-16-3-0
All-Time vs. NYI: 80-79-13-2
All-Time home vs. NYI: 42-33-11-1
Last Season vs. NYI: 1-1-2
Last Meeting: 2/20/08, WAS 2 NYI 3 (OT-SO)

This Year:
WAS Record: 13-9-3
Standings Points: 29
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 3rd
Last Game: 12/2/08, WAS 3 FLA 5
Streak: Loss 2

NYI Record: 10-12-2
Standings Points: 22
Division Rank: 5th
Conference Rank: 13th
Last Game: 11/29/08, NYI 4 OTT 2
Streak: Loss 3

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 16 FEHR
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 39 STECKEL 10 BRADLEY
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 56 BOURQUE
Defense Pair 1: 42 LEPISTO, 26 MORRISONN
Defense Pair 2: 89 SLOAN, 43 HELMER
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 47 ALZNER
Goalie: 60 THEODORE
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Islanders
Forward Line 1: 20 BERGENHEIM, 93 WEIGHT, 13 GUERIN
Forward Line 2: 11 HILBERT, 12 BAILEY, 7 HUNTER
Forward Line 3: 15 TAMBELLINI, 10 PARK, 16 SIM
Forward Line 4: 49 FRITZ, 18 SILLINGER, 28 JACKMAN
Defense Pair 1: 14 CAMPOLI, 2 STREIT
Defense Pair 2: 25 SUTTON, 44 MEYER
Defense Pair 3: 32 WITT, 17 POCK
Goalie: 25 MACDONALD
Back-up Goalie: 34 DANIS

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 91 FEDOROV (ankle) DTD, 28 SEMIN (upper body) IR, 52 GREEN (shoulder) IR, 55 SCHULTZ (broken finger) IR, 3 POTI (groin) DTD, 4 ERSKINE (undisclosed) DTD, 17 CLARK (forearm) IR
Islanders – 39 DIPETRO (knee) IR, 8 GERVAIS (leg) DTD, 24 MARTINEK (shoulder) DTD, 89 COMRIE (hip) IR, 51 NIELSON (leg) IR, 18 SILLINGER (hip) DTD, 45 THOMPSON (groin) DTD, 21 OKPOSO (arm) IR

Caps Milestones:
Matt Bradley needs 1 point to reach 100 in his career.
Nicklas Backstrom needs 8 points to reach 100 in his career.
Chris Clark needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 600 in his career.
Shaone Morrisonn needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:
After a bad game Tuesday night and a verbal ripping from the coach, the Caps will try to rebound against the NY Islanders tonight. The coach was very critical of the effort put forth by the team. There was no energy and no accountability in the game and for a team without seven of its regular players, that’s not going to get it done. Look for the Caps to be much better against the Islanders. The team cannot rely on talent alone to get goals. They need to outwork the opposition and force them to defend the entire team not just the top line. The Caps have not fared well against the Islanders in the last three seasons. The Caps are just 3-7-2 in that span. Watch for the Caps to come out flying. If not, the W will be hard to come by. Personally, I think they will and I’d hate to be the Islanders tonight.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 5 NYI 1

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Game #25 Recap - Capitals 3 Panthers 5

By all accounts, the Caps put out an uninspired effort and were rewarded with a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. The Caps scored first but gave up 4 consecutive goals and were unable to come all the way back. The loss was the first of the year at home and with the injury situation does not bode well for the immediate future. If the Caps cannot get their energy up to play then we are destined to see more of these types of scores. The top line that had been so productive in the middle of November was on the ice for all three even strength goals against last night. Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Viktor Kozlov have a combined minus-12 rating in the last 2 games. Come on guys you have got to help out the inexperienced defense. The Caps next host the Islanders on thursday.

Of Note:

• Tomas Fleischmann put up a goal and an assist last night and has 10 goals and 6 assists on the season.
• Nicklas Backstrom and Viktor Kozlov each had a goal and an assist. Alex Ovechkin got an assist and leads the Caps with 31 points this season.
• The power play connected twice on four attempts. Unfortunately so did Florida's.
• The Caps were out drawn in face-offs 23-29. This was the second consecutive game that the Caps have been out drawn. They have won 50% or more of the draws in 18 of 25 games.
• Bryan Helmer stat line: TOI 20:08, SOG 4, Hits 2, Blocked Shots 4. Not bad for the Hershey call up.
• From the defense Shaone Morrisonn and Sami Lepisto each recorded an assist.
  

Official Recap
Game Summary
Event Summary

Game #25 Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

When: December 2, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 9-4-2-0
Caps Game 25 Record: 12-18-2-1
All-Time vs. FLA: 36-29-9-6
All-Time home vs. FLA: 19-11-5-5
Last Season vs. FLA: 4-3-1
Last Meeting: 4/5/08, WAS 3 FLA 1

This Year:
WAS Record: 13-8-3
Standings Points: 29
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 3rd
Last Game: 11/29/08, WAS 0 CLB 3
Streak: Loss 1

FLA Record: 9-11-3
Standings Points: 21
Division Rank: 3rd
Conference Rank: 12th
Last Game: 11/30/08, FLA 4 NYR 0
Streak: Win 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 16 FEHR
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 39 STECKEL 10 BRADLEY
Forward Line 4: 87 BRASHEAR, 15 GORDON, 56 BOURQUE
Defense Pair 1: 42 LEPISTO, 26 MORRISONN
Defense Pair 2: 89 SLOAN, 43 HELMER
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 47 ALZNER
Goalie: 60 THEODORE
Back-up Goalie: 1 JOHNSON

Florida
Forward Line 1: 10 BOOTH, 9 WEISS, 67 FROLIK
Forward Line 2: 85 OLESZ, 54 KREPS, 53 MCLEAN
Forward Line 3: 18 PELTONEN, 1 CAMPBELL, 14 DVORAK
Forward Line 4: 74 TARNASKY, 41 MATTHIAS, 13 STEWART
Defense Pair 1: 2 BALLARD, 4 BOUWMEESTER
Defense Pair 2: 3 SKRASTINS, 24 MCCABE
Defense Pair 3: 22 CULLIMORE, 44 BOYNTON
Goalie: 31 ANDERSON
Back-up Goalie: 29 VOKOUN

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 91 FEDOROV (ankle) DTD, 28 SEMIN (upper body) IR, 52 GREEN (shoulder) IR, 55 SCHULTZ (broken finger) IR, 3 POTI (groin) DTD, 4 ERSKINE (undisclosed) DTD, 17 CLARK (forearm) IR
Florida – 5 ALLEN (knee) IR, 21 MURPHY (shoulder) IR, 20 ZEDNIK (arm) IR, 61 STILLMAN (concussion) IR, 16 HORTON (deep leg cut) DTD

Caps Milestones:
Matt Bradley needs 1 point to reach 100 in his career.
Chris Clark needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 600 in his career.
Shaone Morrisonn needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:
The Caps return to the Verizon Center to take on the Florida Panthers for the first time this season. The Capitals injury situation has not improved as 7, possibly 8, regulars will miss the game. The players called up from Hershey have filled in well but they looked like a team full of call ups in the loss to Columbus on Saturday. Florida is coming off of a 4-0 victory over the Rangers and for his shutout effort Craig Anderson will get the start for the Panthers. The Capitals need to start fast and get the first goal. They are a different team when they get an early goal and it takes a lot of pressure off the young guys when they can play with the lead. Look for the first line to establish their presents. They have a combined 47 points against the Panthers and will be looking for more. Watch the second line as Fleischmann, Nylander and Fehr are developing some good chemistry. Also watch Milan Jurcina; he is going to score a goal soon. I think this will be a very tight game with the Caps pulling it out in the third.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 3 FLA 2

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Alex Ovechkin Named 1st Star For November

Per Capitals Insider,

"For the second straight month, the Caps have the NHL's First Star of the Month. Alexander Semin received the top honor for October, and now Alex Ovechkin has been named the league's first star for November after notching 11 goals and 14 assists in 15 games.

When Ovechkin got the news after practice, he screamed (half jokingly) at the top of his lungs, "Whoooooo!"