Postgame Recap: Flyers 2 Caps 1 SO

 Last night the Caps and Flyers played an emotionally charged game, though the Caps have nothing to play for the game was extremely important for the Flyers who came away with a win in a shootout.

My Thoughts:

*It was a tight defensive game for most of the night, both teams had chances but were unable to score for the first two periods of the game.

*In the third period the Caps were able to break through as Alex Ovechkin scored his 44th goal go the season on the power play. This came after a great cross ice pass by Evgeny Kuznetsov, Justin Williams for the secondary assist.

*The Flyers tied the game when Brayden Schenn deflected a puck past Braden Holtby on a power play for the Flyers.

*No one would score in overtime even though the Caps had a power play, and didn't score. It was a blown chance for the Caps that lead to the Flyers being able to get the two points.

*Braden Holtby was very good last night, he ended the night with 33 saves on 34 shots. If these two met in the playoffs and he played like that the whole series I feel good about their chances.

*Overall the game was more about near misses for the Caps then the Flyers beating them. The Caps hit 2 posts during the course of the game that could have put the game away right away. Also, Sean Couturier was going to got called for goalie interference in overtime as well. However, he was bailed out by a roughing penalty on Holtby. Looking back at the replay it was a bit of a cheap call on Holtby, he may have wrapped his arm around him but it wasn't anything vicious.

*At the end of the day the Caps didn't really need this game. I am happy they played with intensity through the night. They gave a great effort which I think will benefit them when the playoffs start. Can't win games in shootouts during the playoffs, and the overtimes are not 3 on 3 so the Flyers 10 overtime wins this season would be tougher if it were 5 on 5. Overall no big deal for the Caps, just time to move on.


What's Next: Fri. Apr. 1st at. Colorado 9:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Philadelphia Flyers

 The Caps are in Philly tonight for a potential 1st Round Playoff matchup as they play the Flyers, who are desperate to make the playoffs. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Johansson
Burakovsky-Backstrom-Williams
Chimera-Beagle-Wilson
Winnik-Richards-Latta

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Schmidt-Carlson
Orpik-Orlov


Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*T.J Oshie came back from a illness on Monday but got twisted up during the game. So, he may be held out tonight as a caution. From what I have heard he will take the warmup and then see how he feels.

*It appears Dmitry Orlov will be in again tonight despite having to have a heart to heart talk with Barry Trotz. The thing that Orlov has to work on is turnovers. If he can do that he will be just fine because I fell the Caps are better with him in the lineup.

*Braden Holtby is only 3 wins away from setting the NHL record for a season. Now I do believe he will get a couple of games off so the Caps will have to take advantage of the games that he is in.

*If T.J Oshie does not play then it is possible that Michael Latta will get back in the lineup. He is a better matchup for the Caps to have him in again the Flyers than Stan Galiev.

*The Caps have to stay out of the box tonight because with Claude Giroux and Shane Gostisbehere they are very dangerous.

*It is important for the Caps to score first tonight because the Wells Fargo Center will be rocking with a team that is making a push for the playoffs. It will definatly be a playoff atmosphere in that arena tonight.

*Overall this is a chance for the Caps to work on things to fine tune things for the playoffs. With the President's Trophy locked up, its about making a statement to the Flyers tonight. We will see if they come out with intensity.


Gametime 8:00 p.m on NBCSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Blue Jackets 1

 The Caps bounced back from a bad game on Saturday, with a solid game on Monday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. With the win the Caps are the 2016 Presidents Trophy winners.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps got the scoring started when Justin Williams put in a rebound off a shot by John Carlson for his 22nd game of the season. Nate Schmidt got the secondary assist.

*They would however give it back as a turnover lead to the Blue Jackets Cam Atkinson to tie the game a 1-1 just a little over a minute after the Caps took the lead.

*The second period would end tied, but 3:46 into the third the Caps broke through as Tom Wilson put in a rebound for his 7th goal of the season, with Mike Richards and Daniel Winnik getting the assists. The 4th line as a whole was pretty solid last night, and it was good to see them score.

*Late in the third the Caps would get a power play and it wouldn't take them long to increase the lead as Matt Niskanen's wrist shot from the point was deflected in by T.J Oshoe for his 24th goal of the season. Nick Backstrom also got an assist. Oshie, who missed the last two games because of flu like symptoms looked good in his return.

*Nick Backstrom would score his 20th of the season in an empty net to put the game away. Matt Niskanen and Jason Chimera got assists and the Verizon Center went crazy as the Caps clinched their 2nd Presidents Trophy in team history.

*Braden Holtby had a solid game as he picked up win #46 on the season for himself, and stopped 21 of 22 shots on the night.

*Overall it was good to see the boys bounce back from a tough night in Saturday, it was perfect as they hit a wall in the 2nd period but they took over the 3rd and were able to run away with it at the end. With 7 games remaining in the regular season it is time to make a push and play well going into the playoffs.


What's Next: Wed. Mar. 30th at Philadelphia 8:00 p.m on NBCSN

Caps lineup tonight vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Williams

Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Oshie

Chimera-Johansson-Beagle

Winnik-Richards-Wilson

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Schmidt-Carlson

Holtby

Grubauer

Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Blues 4 Caps 0

 The Blues came into Verizon Center Saturday night and ran the Caps out of the building. After a scoreless first the Blues scored 3 in the second and the Caps never made it a game.

My Thoughts:

*First period wasn't bad but the Caps are now getting into a habit of not shooting the puck. Too many passes are leading to lost opportunities.

*Philipp Grubauer started out fine last night but ended with a rough night as he gave up a couple of goals that he probably should have stopped.

*The turning point of the game was the Blues second goal when it appeared that they were offsides, however the challenge would not work as the goal would count.

*Overall I don't have much to say about this game because it was a waste of time, this has become a bit of the norm lately that the Caps get beat bad by a decent team. They better wake up or they will have a difficult time come the postseason. There is time to correct these issues but it has to start now.


What's next: Mon. March 28th vs. Columbus 7:00 p.m on CSN

Caps projected lineup tonight vs. St. Louis Blues

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Williams

Johansson-Kuznetsov-Burakovsky

Chimera-Beagle-Wilson

Winnik-Richards-Galiev

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Schmidt-Carlson

Grubauer

Holtby 

Gametime 7:00 pm on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 1 Devils 0 OT

Friday night in New Jersey was a defensive minded game, so much so there were no goals until John Carlson beat Scott Wedgwood to give the Caps the overtime win.

My Thoughts:

*Braden Holtby was very good last night earning the shutout with 22 saves. I think that he has looked very comfortable in the crease this week. Hopefully he can get into a groove before the postseason starts as he hit a bit of a rut. However, he does appear to be working himself out of it.

*The Caps did have chances to win the game in regulation as they missed on a couple of power play opportunities. Also Jay Beagle and Evgeny Kuznetsov rang a couple of shots off the posts.

*In overtime John Carlson was able to score his 7th goal of the season on a one timer from Jason Chimera. Carlson looked to be his old self in his return last night. Marcus Johansson had the secondary assist.

*T.J Oshie was out last night as he is dealing with with the flu bug. It is unclear if he will play tonight against the Blues.

*Overall last nights game was very tough to watch as it was such a defensive minded game, and the Devils just had no punch and that's why they will end up on the outside of the playoffs. The Caps played a solid game just didn't score until overtime. With the win the Caps are 1 point away from clinching their second President's Trophy in team history.



What's Next: Tonight Mar. 26th vs. St. Louis 7:00 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight at New Jersey Devils

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Williams

Johansson-Kuznetsov-Burakovsky

Chimera-Beagle-Wilson

Winnik-Richards-Galiev

Defense and Goalies: 

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Schmidt-Carlson

Holtby

Grubauer

Gametime 7:00 pm on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Sens 2

 Last night was a big night for the Caps, as they got off to a great start and were able to hold off the Senators to win 4-2 Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre. The Caps are now the Champions of the Metropolitan Division, and will be the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

My Thoughts:

*Mike Richards scared his 2nd goal as a Cap after Tom Wilson kept the puck in the zone and found Richards who was behind the Ottawa defense.

*Alex Ovechkin scored his league leading 43rd goal of the season on a power play to give the Caps a 2-0 lead. The assists were from Nick Backstrom and Marcus Johansson.

*The Caps were not done yet as Backstrom scored to make it 3-0 from Beagle and Chimera. It was good to see Backstrom get a couple of points has he has been struggling of late. Last night though it looked like he was back to playing the way we expect him to.

*The Sens were able to get a couple of goals to make it 3-2 late in the game. However, a great hustle play by T.J Oshie lead to him putting in the empty net goal fro his 23rd of the season to put the game away. The assists were from Karl Alzner, and Daniel Winnik.

*Last night it was great to see the Caps get off to a very fast start, a three goal first period was just what they needed after the previous game. Now they didn't play a perfect  game as they seemed to just coast from there but when the game was on the line they were able to still get win #52 on the season.

*Braden Holtby played well, both Senators goals were kind of weird bounces that didn't go Holts way. However, overall I thought he was good last night. For Holtby, he was able to earn his 44th win of the season.

*Overall a good night for the Caps, a bounce back game that saw them finally get off to not just a good start but a great start. They were able to achieve another goal that they set out for themselves which was to win the division and home ice through the Eastern Conference Playoffs. So, now we will see if they can clinch the President's Trophy soon.


What's Next: Friday Mar. 25th at New Jersey 7:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Ottawa Senators

 The Caps are in the capitol of Canada as they take on the Senators as they look to bounce back from a terrible performance in Pittsburgh on Sunday. With a win the Caps can clinch the Metropolitan Division. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Williams
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Chimera-Johansson-Beagle
Winnik-Richards-Wilson

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov
Weber-Chorney


Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Barry Trotz was not happy with the team Sunday which I think all Caps fan are siding with him. So, I expect this team to play a much better game tonight. Again the division is there for the taking to be clinched.

*Justin Williams will get a chance on the top line tonight to try to give them a bit of a spark. Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom are not playing their best right now, and Williams may be able to help them out some.

*With that move Jay Beagle will take Williams spot on the third line. I think Beags fits in a little better with Chimera and Johansson. I think that has the makings of a good hard working line. We will see is Beagle can bring some production to that line.

*Mike Weber had a tough game against the Pens, but Barry Trotz is going to keep him in the lineup tonight as Nate Schmidt will be the healthy scratch on the back end tonight.

*Braden Holtby looks to have a bounce back performance tonight as well, he got hung out to dry against Pittsburgh. Hopefully tonight he gets a little more help. Craig Anderson will be in net tonight for the Senators.

*Overall this is a game that the Caps have to win, they are playing a team that is struggling of late. The Caps have to put a strong performance together tonight and they can wrap up the division tonight. Well will see if they respond from one of their most lopsided losses of the season.


Gametime 7:30 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Pens 6 Caps 2

The Caps decided last night that they really didn't need to win, so they allowed 6 goals and got ran out of the building. The Pens spent most of the night in the power play, and defensive breakdowns left Braden Holtby out to dry.

My Thoughts:

*Jason Chimera score his 18th goal of the season on a weird play as Marc-Andre Fleury poke checked the puck into Jason Chimera's head and then into the net.

*Andre Burakosvky scored his 16th goal of the season on a breakaway which at the time tied the game at 2-2. It appeared the Caps had the momentum but they let the Pens get the lead back less that a minute later.

*Mike Weber was not very good last night, and he had a boarding penalty in the third period which was really uncalled for. The way the defense corp played last night really makes you miss John Carlson who is hoping to be back Friday.

*Braden Holtby didn't look great last night but I do think some of that had to do with the fact that the Pens had easy goals.

*Overall I don't have a lot to say about last night. Caps got what they deserved, and for the Caps to only get 18 shots on goal against a team that played the previous night is just ridiculous. The way the Caps played last night is concerning because guess what they will have to play tough teams in the playoffs. They better start getting into playoff mode now.


What's Next: Tues. Mar. 22nd at. Ottawa 7:30 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Pittsburgh Penguins

 The Caps are in Pittsburgh to take on their Metro Division rivals with a chance to clinch the Division, and the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a win. There is no morning skate today as the Caps are traveling. So, here is what the lineup with probably look like.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Beagle
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Chimera-Johansson-Williams
Winnik-Richards-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov
Schmidt-Chorney/Weber


Holtby
Grubauer



Other Notes:

*The Caps have gotten off to better starts the last two games. Now the goal for them has to be to continue that. The Pens played in Philadelphia yesterday, so the Caps will need to try to jump on them right away. I still expect the Pens to come out hard as they are try to climb the Metro Division standings with just 3 weeks left in the season.

*Daniel Winnik scored his first two goals as a Cap on Friday, and that is important because the Caps are looking to bottom six production. It seems to be working but we will see how things go tonight against another tough opponent.

*Braden Holtby will probably be in net tonight because the Caps have not played a ton of games this week like in weeks past. I am not sure what the Pens will do as Marc-Andre Fleury played in Philly yesterday. It is possible he plays again tonight but we won't know till warm-ups.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov has been on fire lately as he continues to lead the Caps in scoring, while the Pens have lost their second line center Evgeni Malkin for a few weeks. He might even miss the first round of the playoffs.

*I am not sure if Taylor Chorney will remain in the lineup, I think most likely he will. If not then Barry Trotz might call upon Mike Weber because he is a more physical player.

*The Caps have a chance tonight to clinch the division in a rivals building, which I think would make it a little sweeter. I think the Caps will look to get that off the check list so they can again worry about more important things.

*Overall this is going to be a great atmosphere at the Consol Energy Center tonight. With the chance that these two teams might meet again in the postseason. The Pens are playing well lately and this will be a chance for the Caps to get their third win in a row, and like I said early it is a chance to clinch the division and the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.


Gametime 6:00 p.m on NBCSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Predators 1

 The Caps got off to a good start again last night even though the Predators scored first. A three goal second period lead to win number 51 on the season.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps had a solid first period even though it was scoreless. The Predators scored first but the Caps looked to be in control of things.

*The Caps tied the game when Braden Holtby passed the puck all the way to the Preds blue line to send away Evgeny Kuznetsov who made a brilliant slap pass to Daniel Winnik who scored his first goal as a Washington Capital.

*It didn't take long for the Caps to take the lead as Evgeny Kuznetsov made his back pass to set up T.J Oshie for his 22nd goal of the season.

*Daniel Winnik wasn't done as he beat Carter Hutton with a wrist shot over his glove to give the Caps a 3-1 lead. Dmitry Orlov picked up the assist on the goal. The Caps have been looking for production from the 4th line and they got it last night. That will be huge come April.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov was also not done as he picked up his third assist as he set up Andre Burakovsky who scored his 15th goal of the season to put the game away. Kuzy was a wizard with the puck last night, when he plays like that the Caps are very dangerous.


*Overall I believe the Caps are starting to play the right way again. They got scored on first but the effort was there from the start of the game. It was a power play goal, not a major breakdown. Not only did the Caps beat a good team, but beat them soundly. That's what you want to do against a team that played the previous night. Good all around win.


What's Next: Sat. Mar. 20th at. Pittsburgh 6:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Nashville Predators

 The Caps look to start a new winning streak tonight as the red hot Nashville Predators come to Verizon Center looking to continue their push to the playoffs. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Beagle
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Chimera-Johansson-Williams
Winnik-Richards-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Orlov-Oprik
Chorney-Schmidt


Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Barry Trotz is going to keep the lines the same they were the other night when the Caps were able to beat the Hurricanes. They did have a better start on Tuesday, so we will see if they can continue that tonight.

*I expect Pekka Rinne to be in net tonight even though the Preds played last night. They are pushing to catch the Blackhawks for the third spot in the Central Division.

*Jay Beagle was very good on Tuesday on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom. Beagle was fighting for pucks in the corner and playing a hard nosed simple game which I think is something that they needed.

*Justin Williams is fitting in perfectly on the third line. If they keep playing that well than I don't think Barry Trotz has any choice but to keep them together.

*Braden Holtby returns to the net tonight to continue his pursuit of the regular season wins record of 48 which Martin Brodeur set years ago. I thought on Tuesday he looked very sold, made the saves he needed to and look comfortable in the net.

*The Caps defense will have their hands full tonight as the Predators are loaded up front. It will be important for the defensive corp as a whole play well to help Holts out tonight.

*Overall this will be another good test for the Caps leading up into the playoffs. The Caps need to have another solid first period tonight so they can stop all the issues they were having. I think it will be a tough playoff type game tonight because the style of play. We will see what the boys can do.


Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 2 Hurricanes 1 OT

 The Caps got back on track with an overtime win Tuesday night against a team desperate for points in the Carolina Hurricanes. The win has officially clinched a playoff spot for the Caps.

My Thoughts:


*The Caps finally had a good start to the game, even though they didn't score in the first period they were all over the Canes at times. If it wasn't for hitting the post 4 times then this would have not been a close game.

*The Caps did indeed score the first goal for a change as Justin Williams redirected a pass from Jason Chimera that beat Eddie Lack. For Williams it was his 21st goal of the season.

*They kept coming and putting pressure on the Canes however again the post, and Eddie Lack kept the Canes in the game till Jordan Stall tied the game.

*The 3rd period both teams had chances but could not capitalize on those chances.

*The game would go to overtime where Evgeny Kuznetsov found Alex Ovechkin for his 42nd goal of the season to give the Caps their 50th win of the season. Ending a two game losing streak.

*With the win Braden Holtby has broken Olaf Kolzig's team record for wins in a season. For Holts it was his 42nd win of the season, and we still have 13 more games for him to add to that record. For Holtby, it looked to be a bounce back performance for him as he looked very solid in net stopping 25 of 26 shots.


*Overall it is nice for the Caps to clinch the playoffs, it is the first step that they hope to achieve this season. Now that that is done, it is time to focus on just playing well and locking up home ice which should happen fairly easily given their standing. It was good to see them play with effort for almost the entire night. That's why they deserved to win tonight. We will see if they can start making that a habit.



What's Next: Friday Mar. 18th vs. Nashville 7:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes

 The Caps have returned from the West Coast with a 2-1-1 record one one of their longest trips of the season. Despite the winning record Barry Trotz was not pleased with the way the team is playing. That shows in tonight's lineup. Here it is based on the morning skate at Kettler this morning.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Beagle
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Chimera-Johansson-Williams
Winnik-Richards-Wilson

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Opik-Orlov
Schmidt-Chorney

Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Jay Beagle will move to the top line to try to give them a bit of a spark. Beagle hasn't been on the top I believe since Adam Oates was the coach.

*T.J Oshie will be bumped down the the second line to play with the young skilled forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky.

*With that Justin Williams will be on the 3rd line to try to bring some production to that line. I think he will fit in well with Jojo and Chimmer.

*Tom Wilson has not produced lately so he is on the 4th line with Richards and Winnik who have played well together since Winnik was traded to the Caps.

*The Hurricanes are still on the outside of the playoffs but have remained pesky and have played hard down the stretch. This won't be a easy game.

*Overall we have all been talking about the way the Caps are playing in the first period, it won't get better until they fix it. Hopefully the line changes will give the team a little spark. Sometimes the first home game after a road trip is hard. With this team it shouldn't be an excuse.

*Braden Holtby has also not played as well lately but he got to rest on Saturday. So, hopefully he is refreshed tonight and play well.

*If the Caps play the way they should they should win this game, but if they play down to their level then it could be a tough night. We will see if they can get going early.


Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Sharks 5 Caps 2

 The Caps went into SAP Center on Saturday looking to bounce back after a tough overtime lose to the Kings. Instead the Sharks once again score easily and were able to sweep the Caps.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps still can't get off to a good start in a game as they gave up the first goal once again. It is ridiculous that this team can't play right away in games. I have said it before it needs correcting, it is starting to become unacceptable because this team is capable of more.

*T.J Oshie scored his 21st goal of the season after a great pass by Nick Backstrom on a power play. Alex Ovechkin also got a assist.

*The Caps would get another power play, but Dmitry Orlov got beat and a 2 on 0 breakaway by the Sharks was converted when Joel Ward found Patrick Marleau.

*Caps would tie the game again when Evgeny Kuznetsov made a great pass to Justin Williams who beat Jones for his 20th goal of the season. Andre Burakovsky got the secondary assist.

*The 3rd period was one to forget as the Sharks scored 3 goals, and walked away with a win. The Caps in two games again the Sharks this year gave up 10 goals. That is an embarrassment.

*If I sound salty today it's because the Caps are better team than this and they have showed it to us all season. If they are serious about being a championship team they need to act like it day in and day out. Don't making being board of the regular season an excuse to not show up in the first period.

*Alex Ovechkin is in a slump lately and again I think its because the teams the Caps are playing are fighting for playoff positions. The Caps are just coasting into the playoffs. Bad habits might set in, I hope not because then this season would become a waste if they lose in the playoffs early.

*Overall the Caps finished the road trip 2-1-1, which is not bad. They will come back home now to try to bounce back from losing two in a row.


What's Next: Tues. Mar. 15th vs. Carolina 7:00 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight at. San Jose Sharks

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie

Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams

Chimera-Johansson-Wilson

Winnik-Richards-Beagle

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Weber-Schmidt

Grubauer

Holtby

Gametime 10:30 pm 

Postgame Recap: Kings 4 Caps 3 OT

 The Caps once again dug themselves a hole on Wednesday in LA. The Kings took a 3-0 lead in the first period and looked like they were going to run away with the game. However, the Caps battled back with 3 goals in the third to force overtime. Jeff Carter would win it for the Kings, sending the Caps to San Jose with a overtime loss.

My Thought's:

*Another bad start for the Caps, three goals in the first period. I wonder if this team will ever correct that. If they don't then they may be in for a rude awakening.

*T.J Oshie started the rally in the third period with his 20th goal of the season on the power play. Marcus Johansson and Matt Niskanen got assists.

*The Caps continued to rally as on another scrum in front of Jonathan Quick, the puck found its way to Nick Backstroke who scored his 18th goal of the season to cut the lead to 3-2. Alec Ovechkin and T.J Oshie got assists on the goal.

*Dmitry Orlov would tie the game with his 8th of the season from Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov. It looked like all the momentum was in the Caps favor at that point.

*A bad line change lead to a odd man rush in overtime, Jeff Carter beat Braden Holtby and the Caps comeback would fall just short.

*Braden Holtby in my opinion looked like he was not playing his best again last night. After a strong game against the Ducks he just didn't look good. Maybe he is going through a bit of a slump. It's ok to have that now but he has 15 games to get out of it.

*The Caps seem to be hard headed when it comes to getting off to a decent start in a games. I don't know what the issue is but they need it corrected and soon.

*Overall the Caps stole a point in a tough place to play, against a good team. They will have a chance to end the road trip on a positive note. The Caps are 2-0-1 so far so we will see what they can do Saturday.


What's Next: Sat. Mar. 12th at. San Jose 10:30 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight at LA Kings

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie

Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams

Chimera-Johansson-Wilson

Winnik-Richards-Beagle

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Weber-Chorney

Holtby

Grubauer

Gametime 10:30 pm on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 2 Ducks 1 SO

The Caps went to Honda Center in Anaheim last night to play the leagues hottest team in the Anaheim Ducks. In what would be a good test for the Caps they were able to come away with a big shootout win.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps again started slow, shocker  I know. Ryan Getzlaf fired a bullet passed Braden Holtby just 1:00 into the game to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

*Braden Holtby was great last night as he stopped 27 of 28 shots, but some of them were very big saves that keep the game from getting worse.

*The Caps had their chances last night but John Gibson was very good for the Ducks. The Caps had a few quality chances and Gibson held his own.

*Andre Burakovsky would tie the game just 0:41 into the 3rd period as he was set up by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Justin Williams had the secondary assist. For Burakovsky it was his 14th goal of the season.

*Both teams had chances in overtime as the Caps outshot the Ducks 3-2, but again the goaltending was outstanding.

*In the shootout Braden Holtby made a couple of big time saves, T.J Oshie scored first to put the Caps in front. Corey Perry would score in the top of the 3rd round to tie it, but Nick Backstrom would put the game away beating Gibson to end the Ducks winning streak.

*Overall this was a huge win for the Caps to be able to go into Honda Center, and beat the Ducks. The Ducks can score a lot of goals and the Caps were able to keep them from scoring too much. It was a very big two points in my opinion. The Caps now have a 20 point lead over the Rangers for the division with just 16 games left in the regular season.


What's Next: Wed. Mar. 9th at. LA Kings 10:30 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight at. Anaheim Ducks

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie

Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams

Chimera-Johansson-Wilson

Winnik-Richards-Beagle

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskane

Orpik-Orlov

Weber-Schmidt

Holtby

Grubauer 

Postgame Recap: Caps 2 Bruins 1 OT

 The Caps went into Boston last night playing their 4th game in 5 nights. Though the Bruins would put a ton of pressure on Philipp Grubauer the Caps goalie would stand tall as the Caps were able to win it in overtime 2-1 behind a Matt Niskanen bullet past Tuuka Rask.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps started a little slow again as Patrice Bergeron scored 7:11 into the game, the Caps left the back door open and he was able to beat Grubauer.

*Torey Krug scored and appeared to make it 2-0 Boston, however Barry Trotz challenged for a offsides. After review Loui Eriksson was indeed offsides and the score remained 1-0. In my opinion this was definitely the turning point of the game.

*Alex Ovechkin was called for a 5:00 major for boarding Kevan Miller, after the replay it appears OV let up but still hit him pretty hard. Miller would leave the game, wish him a speedy recovery as you don't want to see someone get hurt. As for OV I am not sure if they will have a hearing or not about the hit but we will have to wait and see.

*Philipp Grubauer was great last night as he stopped 33 shots of the 34 the Bruins took at him. Grubbi was the difference last night as he has been very good the last 4 appearances he has had.

*The Caps would tie the game when Karl Alzner redirected a pass from Nick Backstrom for his 4th of the season. Alex Ovechkin got the secondary assist.

*In overtime the Caps defense would end it, as Andre Burakovsky feed Matt Niskanen who unleashed a missile passed Tuuka Rask to give the Caps their 48th win of the season and 100 points now on the season.

*Overall this was a very busy week for the Caps, 4 game in 5 nights is no easy task. However, they were able to win 3 of 4 and continue to have a solid lead in their division despite losing to the Rangers on Friday. Now the longest road trip and toughest of the season will continue.


What's Next: Mon. Mar. 7th at. Anaheim 10:00 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight at Boston Bruins

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie

Burakvosky-Kuznetsov-Williams

Chimera-Johansson-Wilson

Winnik-Richards-Beagle

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Chorney-Schmidt

Grubauer

Holtby 

Postgame Recap: Rangers 3 Caps 2

 The Rangers got off to a fast start last night as the Caps again had a bad first period. However the Caps would come back once again but this time they fell short. For the Rangers now have momentum and confidence after last night.

My Thoughts:

* Well finally a bad first period came back to hurt the Caps, though they were able to rally they need to get it in their heads that it needs to stop. Mark my words if this continues the Caps will have a earlier playoff exit then they want.

*Jay Beagle scored his 7th goal of the season and first since he came back from injury. The one positive from last night is that the 4th line of Beagle, Richards, and Winnik were very good all night. They were able to keep the puck in the Rangers zone on almost every shift.

*T.J Oshie would tie the game late in the second period with his 19th of the season, it came on the power play after a Rangers shot when well wide Oshie went end to end to score.

*Derek Stephan scored 0:17 into the third period as the puck was deflected a bit by a Caps stick to beat Braden Holtby.

*The Caps would get chances and overall outshot the Rangers 34-23, but were unable to get the goal back as they ran out of time.

*The Caps had a chance to win the season series and take something into the playoffs when it comes to a potential mental advantage. Instead they again did not come out and play in the 1st period, and its happened for a month or so now. There is only so much Barry Trotz can do about that as it is up to the players.

*Overall the Caps will be back at it again tonight to try to get back in the win column. It has been a busy week for the Caps and now it won't get any easier as they will now begin a 4 game road trip.


What's Next: Tonight Mar. 5th at. Boston 7:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers

 The Caps are home tonight as they welcome their rival the New York Rangers to town to try to win their 3rd in a row. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstorm-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Winnik-Richards-Beagle


Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov
Weber-Chorney


Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Braden Holtby will be back in tonight as they Rangers will go with Annti Raanta who is in because Henrik Lundqvist is dealing with a neck injury.

*Daniel Winnik looked pretty good in his debut, especially on the penalty kill. However, he had more speed then I originally thought which was good to see.

*The Caps need to make a statement tonight, the Rangers are a good team and have taken the Caps down in the playoffs many times. However, the last two games the Caps have been able to beat them.

*The Caps again need to try to get off to a good start. They had a better start against the Maple Leafs but I feel like they could still do a little better. They will need to try to string together 3 good periods to beat the Rangers.

*Jay Beagle's return to the lineup has been great for this team, he brings speed back to the 4th line. Also he has been good on the PK and face-offs.

*I feel like the other night the Caps did a good job on the forecheck, they need to do that tonight against the Rangers defense corp who may be without Marc Stall because of the flu. The are a solid group so they have to try to wear them down.

*One of the most important things tonight is the outlet passes have to be clean, the Rangers are very god with their sticks and can cause turnovers. Have to make smart passes so that the Rangers don't have a chance at odd man rushes.

*Overall this can be a statement game for the boys. With a win the Caps could go up 20 points on the Rangers with 18 games left in the season. So, this can give the Caps a chance to basically warp up the division. Should be a great game and atmosphere tonight.


Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame: Caps 3 Leafs 2

 The Caps finally had a lead after the first period last night against the Maple Leafs. However, the young Leafs didn't give up and were able to tie the game in the 3rd period. The power play would again be the difference as the Caps were able to come away with a 3-2 victory.

My Thoughts:


*Taylor Chorney scored his first goal as a Cap with a long wrist shot that found its way past Jonathan Bernier to give the Caps a 1-0 lead. T.J Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov had the assists.

*28 seconds after the Chorney goal T.J Oshie caused a turnover and Nick Backstrom fed Alex Ovechkin show would score his 41st goal of the season and the Caps took a 2-0 lead after the 1st period.

*The Caps would then let up a little and the Leafs would keep coming. With goals from Nikita Sosnikov and Colin Greening the Leafs would have the game tied in the 3rd.

*The Caps would get a power play, and Matt Niskanen again would be the difference as for the second night in a row he found the back of the net. Backstrom and Oshie would get assists and the Caps took the lead midway through the 3rd period.

*The Leafs would try to make a push but behind Philipp Grubauer's 27 saves on 29 shots the Caps would hold on for their 2nd win in a row.

*At times last night the Caps looked flat, they looked like a team that played the night before. However, they found a way to win the game and add to their win total.

*Philipp Grubauer was very good last night, he made some big saves and really kept the Caps in the game all night. It will be important for him to keep that up as he will get the game Saturday most likely.

*Daniel Winnik made his Caps debut last night against his former club. Winnik would get 13:09 of ice time and some of that was on the penalty kill. It will take a few games but he looked pretty good.

*Brooks Laich made his emotional return to the Verizon Center and even though he didn't score I thought he played a decent game as he got 14:17 of ice time. Connor Carrick, another former Cap got an assist on the game trying goal and also got 14:18 of ice time.

*Overall the Caps were able to take care of business even though they looked tired at times. The young Leafs played a hard game, so it was good the Caps kept at it and still got the 2 points. They will finally get a day off today before a big one on Friday night.



What's Next: Friday Mar. 4th vs. New York Rangers 7:00 p.m on CSN

My 500, with OV's 500

 This is my 500th post on All Things Caps Hockey, a season and a half later the Caps look primed for a special season. So, for my 500th post I figure I just post Alex Ovechkin's 500th career goal.

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

 The Caps are back at it again tonight at Verizon Center as they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs. This will be the 2nd of what will be a very busy week for the boys. Here is the projected lineup based
on Barry Trotz meeting with the media.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Winnik-Richards-Beagle


Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov
Weber-Chorney


Grubauer
Holtby


Other Notes:

*Daniel Winnik will make his Caps debut tonight. I expect him to get some penalty kill minutes as well as playing on the 4th line.

*Brooks Laich spent a long time as a Cap, and tonight he will play a game at the Verizon Center for the first time wearing a different uniform. I expect a emotional moment when the game starts but then both the Caps and Brooksie will be focused on the task at hand.

*The Caps have to learn to get off to better starts, tonight they need to as the Leafs have a ton of youngsters in their lineup and the Caps have to take advantage of that.

*Philipp Grubauer will start in net tonight as he will get a couple games this week with the busy schedule. The Leafs will go with Jonathan Bernier.

*Mike Weber made his debut last night and will stay in the lineup tonight. However, we will see Taylor Chorney back in tonight as Nate Schmidt will take a seat. The Caps were a little loosy goosy last night at times on defense so Trotz is making a bit of a change.

*Another former Cap Connor Carrick should be in the lineup tonight for the Leafs as well. Will be interesting to see how he does as he is going to get a lot of games with the Leafs.

*Overall this will be a good chance for the Caps to start a new winning streak against a team that has the future on their minds. I would like to see them play a solid 60 minutes, limit defensive mistakes and have a strong 1st period. We will see how things go as another two points will be on the line.


Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Pens 2

 The Caps got off to their normal slow start on Tuesday night as the Penguins scored the first two goals of the game. However, the Caps got stronger as the game when along and were able to score 3 unanswered goals to take down the Pens for win #46.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps defense at times last night was a little suspect, as twice they got so out of position that they left Holtby out to dry. However, I thought they got bette as the game went along.

*The Caps were a different team in the 2nd period, after a bad 1st Trotz must have said something because the effort and intensity was a lot better even though the Pens would get another goal to take a 2-0 lead.

*The game would change as Mike Richards got his 2nd goal of the season as he beat a screened Matthew Murray to cut the lead to 2-1. Nate Schmidt and Jason Chimera got the assists on the goal. Richards looked good again last night as he is coming into his own with this team.

*Later in the period a great effort by Justin Williams set up Evgeny Kuznetsov for his 20th goal of the season to tie the game 2-2. Andre Burakovsky also got a assist on the goal. It was a dirty goal close to the crease. It was that type of play that lead to the comeback.

*The Caps were taking the game over but in the third period the score remained tied until a high sticking penalty on Evgeni Malkin lead to a power play. Instead of force feeding Alex Ovechkin, Matt Niskanen called his own number and ripped a one timer past Matthew Murray to give the Caps a 3-2 lead with 6:22 left in the game.

*Braden Holtby and the Caps defense corp would shut the game down from there and the Caps would get their 46th win of the season. For Holtby he earned win #40, and is the first Caps goalie to reach that mark in consecutive season.

*Mike Weber made his Caps debut, he was a plus 1 in 12:24 of ice time, at times looked a little rusty playing with new teammates but was a physical presence on the blue line.

*Overall this was a good win for the boys to get back up to 16 over the New York Rangers who themselves are hot lately. Beating a rival is alway a big deal no matter how far away they are in the standings. We take every two points we get, now the busy week continues.


What's Next: Tonight Mar. 2nd vs. Toronto 7:00 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie

Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams

Chimera-Johansson-Wilson

Galiev-Richards-Beagle

Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Weber-Schmidt

Holtby

Grubauer

Gametime 7:30 pm on NBCSN