Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes

The Caps are back home before a 3 game road trip this week. They are comin off their biggest win of the season in New York. Here is the lineup for tonight's tilt with the Canes.

Forwards:  

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Ward

Johansson-Backstrom-Brouwer

Chimera-Fehr-Laich

Glencross-Latta-Wilson 

Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson

Alzner-Niskanen

Gleason-Green 

Holtby 

Peters

Other Notes:

*Jay Beagle remains out with an injury but he will make the trip with the team up North. 

*Dimitry Orlov has been playing in Hershey and could join the Caps at some point. Orlov has been out all season after getting hurt in the World Tournament.

*Evegeny Kuznetsov will stay on the line with OV.

*Alex Ovechkin will have a chance to get goal number 50 on the season. OV is running away with the Rocket Richard trophy race.

*Overall this is a game the Caps should win. The Canes are out of the playoff race and if the Caps show up they will win. They absolutely need to win tonight 

Gametime 7 pm on CSN 

Postgame Recap: Caps 5 Rangers 2

 The Caps needed a win after a tough loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. They would end up with maybe the biggest win of the season to date with a 5-2 win over the first place Rangers at  Madison Square Garden. Here are the highlights.


Caps/Rangers:

My Thoughts:

*Alex Ovechkin scored twice and is now up to 49 goals on the season. OV has been quiet the last few games but if he can get going again it will give the Caps a better chance moving forward to clinch a playoff spot.

*Jason Chimera has struggled scoring all season, but he stepped up in a big way today scoring two goals in the third period to help turn the game into the Caps favor. Chimera was skating with Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich on the third line today.

*Marcus Johansson scored a empty net goal today making his total to 18 on the season which is his career high.

*Braden Holtby had a nice bounce back game today after being pulled against the Predators. Holtby is now 3-0 after a game that he was pulled in. He has been strong and has had a short memory all season. That's a good thing if the Caps make it to the playoffs.

*Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr each had two assists on the Chimera goals. The Caps will need those secondary guys to chip in in the last 6 games.

*Overall this win was huge because Ottawa lost so the Caps lead over them is 6 points with 6 games to go. The Caps still lead Boston by 3 for the top Wild Card spot. The Caps chances to move up in the Metro Division is not dead yet either.

*The Hershey Bears beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-3 with goals by Stan Galiev, Andre Burakovsky, Casey Wellman, and Jim O'Brien. The Bears have officially clinched a spot in Calder Cup Playoffs.


What's Next: Tues. Mar. 31st vs. Carolina 7 p.m on CSN

Hershey Bears win second game against Manchester 6-2

Postgame Recap: Predators 4 Caps 3

What's Next: Today at. New York Rangers 3 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Devils 2 OT

 The Caps didn't play their best game giving up a two goal lead, however a Matt Niskanen shot from the point may or may not have been deflected in front of the net went in and the Caps got the very important two points. Here's the highlights.


Caps/Devils:

My Thoughts:

*Karl Alzner scored his 5th goal of the season to open the scoring. Alzner has been very good with Matt Niskanen and it's good to see him shot the puck.

*Matt Niskanen himself had a great game with a goal and assist. Both plays happened in four on four situations, the pass to Alzner was especially impressive as he was able to get the puck through two Devils to find Alzner wide open.

*Eric Fehr scored what I would say was a lucky goal, however he desperately needed to see the puck go in the net. Maybe that will give him some of his confidence back.

*The Caps started the game well but then hit a wall after giving up a shorthanded goal to Travis Zajac. The Caps to that point were in control but then the effort from there was not as good.

*Tim Gleason returned to the lineup after and injury and played pretty well overall.

*Michael Latta was bumped up a line to play with Joel Ward and Jason Chimera. Latta at times this season has shown promise.

*Overall the Caps got two points while the Islanders, Penguins, Senators, and Bruins (in overtime) lost. So even though I wasn't trilled with the effort the Caps helped themselves in the standings. They needed that win as well because this is going to be a tough weekend with back to back games against very good teams.


What's Next: Sat. March 28th vs. Nashville 12:30 pm on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. New Jersey Devils

The Caps return home after a few days off to take on former coach Adam Oates and the Devils at Verizon Center tonight. I will be at the game, here is the projected lineup for tonight.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson

Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer

Chimera-Fehr-Ward

Laich-Latta-Wilson

Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson

Alzner-Niskanen

Gleason-Green

Holtby 

Peters 

Other Notes:

*I expect Tim Gleason to return to the lineup tonight after missing a few because of an injury.

*Braden Holtby will be back in net and I expect him to start the rest of the games this season based on what the standings look like right now.

*The Caps need some secondary scoring, Curtis Glencross has been good since he has come to D.C. However, guys like Eric Fehr, Marcus Johansson, and Troy Brouwer need to get going. 

*Don't look now but Ottawa is on fire and catching up to the Caps. Tonight is a big game for the Caps and I'm essence the playoffs start now. 

*The game in Winnipeg was frustrating but the Caps didn't play that bad. After a few days off they need to come out hard and play like its a playoff game. The Schedule is tough down the stretch. Every point is important now. 

Gametime 7 p.m on CSN 

Postgame Recap: Jets 3 Caps 0

What's Next: Thurs. March 26th vs. New Jersey 7 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Winnipeg Jets

 The Caps finish their road trip tonight and try to keep the ball rolling as they visit the Jets in Winnipeg tonight. Here is projected lineup for tonight's game.


Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson
Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Laich-Latta-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Schmidt-Green


Holtby
Peters



Other Notes:


*Tim Gleason is questionable for tonight's game, with a few days off I think Trotz might hold him out one more game just to make sure he is ok. So, I believe Gleason will sit out but we will see.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov is on a roll and looks like he is starting to find his game and is doing really well with Curtis Glencross on his line.

*Braden Holtby will be in net no change there as the Caps are fighting for the playoffs.

*The Caps fourth line was very good in Minnesota and played physical and with tons of energy. However, they were able to keep the puck in the Wild zone. If they keep that up it will wear down the opposing teams defense corp with all 4 lines rolling.

*Brooks Orpik played very well in his return to the lineup, it is very important to have his leadership on the ice.

*The Hershey Bears beat the Portland Pirates 3-2 in overtime after Andre Burakovsky scored his first AHL goal in overtime. The Bears and Pirates will play each other again tonight.

*Overall the Caps are playing a team in the Jets who are also playing for a playoff spot and it should be a playoff type atmosphere at the MTS Centre. The Caps just need to play with energy and play a physical style against the Jets. Braden Holtby has had a lot of success against the Jets, we will see if they can continue to play well against the Jets.


Gametime 7 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Wild 2

 The Caps played well last night and survived a late push to beat the Wild for the first time in Minnesota since the Wild were established in the 2000-2001 season. With the win and the Penguins loss the Caps are tied with the Pens for third in the Metro and now only 2 points behind the Islanders for second. Here are the highlights.


Caps/Wild:

My Thoughts:


*Alex Ovechkin scored two goals bringing his total to 47 on the season. Ovechkin was playing with energy from the get go and was a big reason why the Caps were able to win.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his 9th goal of the season last night and has 5 points in his last 5 games. We have been waiting for Kuzzy to come around and it appears he is starting to do so.

*Brooks Orpik returned to the lineup and played a solid hockey game on the back end. In the locker room after the game he was rewarded with the Honest Abe award and got to put on that goofy hat once again.

*Braden Holtby was outstanding last night in my opinion, the Wild were able to put some pressure on him late but Holts was able to withstand that pressure to help the Caps earn a huge two points.

*I thought Nate Schmidt filled in well for Tim Gleason last night. Schmidt was excited to play infront of family and friends for the first time as an NHLer but did play games their in High School and in College and University of Minnesota.

*Overall this was a great win for the Caps to be able to play against a team that was really playing well in Minnesota and to come out with a win is huge. The Caps came out with energy and played the game like a playoff game and played fast and physical. It was great to see as now they are on a three game winning streak. Let's see if they can keep it rolling.


What's Next: Sat. Mar. 21st at. Winnipeg 7 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Minnesota Wild

 The Caps are on the road again as they will try to win for the first time in Minnesota since the Wild came into the league. The Wild were able to beat the Caps at Verizon Center earlier this month 2-1. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.


Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson
Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Laich-Latta-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Schmidt-Green


Holtby
Peters


Other Notes:


*It appears that Michael Latta and Brooks Orpik will return to the lineup after missing the last few games. However, their is a chance Tim Gleason will not be available tonight with an upper body injury. If he can't got then Nate Schmidt will play in his home state of Minnesota.

*Braden Holtby will be ready to go yet again tonight after coming up big in the shootout against Buffalo on Monday. Holtby played pretty well the last time he saw the Wild even though it was a losing effort.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov played very well against the Sabres and Monday, I would like to see the young center to start turning the corner in his development.

*Tom Wilson will be back on the 4th line with Michael Latta returning to the lineup. Wilson and Latta have played well together this season.

*The Hershey Bears beat the Worcester Sharks 3-2 on Wednesday night. The Bears got goals from Tim Kennedy, Cam Schilling, and Jim O'Brien.

*Curtis Glencross has been on a roll since coming to Washington. It's been his net presence that has made a difference so far. As well as it seems that he is starting to get some chemistry with Troy Brouwer. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jay Beagle have been the centers since Glencross was traded to the Caps.

*Overall this will be yet another big game for the Caps with 11 games left they are fighting to keep their position as well as still trying to inch closer to the teams that are in front of them. It will be a tough game because the Wild are playing very well lately and Devin Dubnyk has been outstanding in net for them.  We will see but tonight would be a good time to get that first win in St. Paul.


Gametime 8 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Sabres 3 SO

 The Caps didn't play their best game in Buffalo on Monday night but were still able to win in a shootout and get 2 very important points in the standings and have a new winning streak going. Here are the Highlights.


Caps/Sabres:

My Thoughts:


*Evgeny Kuznetsov played his best game of the season last night. Kuz scored a powerplay goal in the third period and scored in the shootout to help give the Caps the lead in that. Not only did he produce but he had about 8 shots on net which is good. His energy level was high and he looked like he was going to do something on every shift.


*Braden Holtby didn't play his best game but came up big when it mattered the most as he was able to shut the door on the Sabres shooters in the shootout.

*Curtis Glencross continued his hot start as a Caps with his 4th goal and 6th point with the Caps in just 7 games since being traded to D.C from Calgary. Glencross has add more net presence to the team as most of his goals have come right around the paint.

*Mike Green scored last night as well coming in at the right time to finish off a flurry by last night's 4th line.

*Matt Niskanen had a solid game with a pair of assists.

*Overall this was not the prettiest of wins, but the two points was huge as the Caps now have a 9 point lead over the Ottawa Senators and 4 points back up on Boston for the first Wild Card. Both of those teams have games in hand so it will be important for the Caps to try to continue to get points here with only 11 games left in the regular season.



What's Next: Thurs. Mar. 19th at. Minnesota 8 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Buffalo Sabres

 The Caps are back in action tonight, one night after a big 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins. The Caps will take on the NHL's worst team in the Buffalo Sabres in what is a must win game. Here is the lineup for tonight's game.


Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Johansson-Laich-Conner


Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Gleason-Green


Holtby
Grubauer



Other Notes:

*It appears that the Caps will again be without Brooks Orpik and Jay Beagle tonight.

*Braden Holtby will make his second start in consecutive nights with every game being big Holtby will probably play a ton down the stretch.

*Nate Schmidt played very well last night, we will see if he can bring that effort on a consistent basis with these big games ahead and Brooks Orpik needing to get over an injury.

*Tom Wilson was very effective on the top line last night, Wilson was able to draw a penalty and didn't take any bad penalties.

*Nick Backstrom is now the franchise leader in assists, all Caps fans who follow the team on a everyday basis know what this guy has brought to the team in his career.

*The Caps played with a lot of energy and the forecheck was very good last night, it needs to carry over tonight against a Buffalo team who is struggling.

*Overall this is a must win game against a team the Caps should be able to beat, however, they can't take this game for granted as the Caps need to get two points with how other teams around them are playing right now. We will see if they can start a winning streak tonight.


Gametime 7 p.m on NBCSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 2 Bruins 0

 The Caps needed to respond after a poor effort against the Stars on Friday and they did shutting out the Boston Bruins and moving back into the top Wild Card spot. Here are the Highlights.


Caps/Bruins:

My Thoughts:

*Braden Holtby recorded his 8th shutout of the season and is closing in on the all-time Caps record for shutouts in a single season which I believe is 9. Holtby was pulled from the game Friday and responded in a big way.

*John Carlson scored on the powerplay to give the Caps a 1-0 lead, Carlson is having the best season of his career when it comes to point and his overall play.

*Nick Backstrom picked up two assists and is now the Caps all-time leader in assists and he is still only 27 years old. Backstrom has never made it to an all-star game despite being a very consist player his entire career.

*Nate Schmidt chipped in with a big goal to put the Caps up 2-0 in the second period. Schmidt played a solid game last night as he is still filling in for a banged up Brooks Orpik.

*Tom Wilson got an assist and more importantly played a good game and didn't take any dumb penalties. Wilson drew a penalty on Brad Marchand and the Caps scored on that powerplay.

*Overall this was a huge win for the Caps but there is no time to celebrate as they will have another game tonight. The Panthers lost to the Rangers, but the Senators beat the Flyers in a SO so the Caps remain 7 points ahead of the closest team that is not in the playoffs. The Caps had a strong effort from the beginning of the game and if it wasn't for Tuuka Rask the Caps could have blown the Bruins out early. Big 2 points for the boys.


What's Next: Tonight at. Buffalo 7 p.m on NBCSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins

 Well folks its gut check time for the Caps who have lost 4 of their last 6 games and now instead of being comfortable are now in a battle to try to make the playoffs. The Bruins are playing very well right now and the winner of this game will move into the first Wild Card spot.


Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Johansson-Laich-Conner


Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Gleason-Green


Holtby
Grubauer



Other Notes:

*The Caps called up Forward Chris Conner and Goalie Philip Grubauer from the Hershey Bears, and Andre Burakovsky was re-assigned to the Bears.

*Braden Holtby will be back in the net tonight after leaving the game early on Friday against Dallas after giving up 4 goals.

*The Caps were suppose to have an off day yesterday but after the poor effort on Friday Barry Trotz canceled it and they practiced.

*Alex Ovechkin will be a key guy tonight as Zdeno Chara will be covering OV all night. Those two have had plenty of of battles.

*Brooks Orpik and Jay Beagle will again be out with injuries, these two guys have been a big part of this team this year and it hurts having them out but other guys must step up.

*Tom Wilson will get another chance to play on the top line with OV and Backstrom. Wilson will need to play physical against the Bruins but can't take any bad penalties.

*Marcus Johansson will drop all the way to the 4th line, MoJo is still struggling with consistency.

*Overall this is maybe the biggest game of the season, with 14 games to go they are still in a playoff position but the Ottawa Senators have gone on a lengthy run and the Panthers are still within striking distance. It's time to turn it up, we will see if the Caps really want to return to the playoffs or not.


Gametime 7:30 p.m on NBCSN

Postgame Recap: Stars 4 Caps 2

The biggest home stand of the season for the Caps is not going so well. As the team took a night off and let the Stars control the game from the get go. Here are the highlights.


Caps/Stars:

My Thoughts:

*Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and assist and that was one of the very few positives last night.

*Curtis Glencross scored again, Glencross has been really good in my opinion and the move my BMac seems to be paying off.

*The Hershey Bears beat the Binghamton Senators 2-1 with goals from Chris Brown and Casey Wellman. The Bears are in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference and only one point out of 1st. For Highlights copy and paste this link.

http://ahl.neulion.com/ahl/video/binghamton-senators-vs-hershey-bears/11994

*Overall when it comes to the Caps they need a better effort period. This is not the time of year to take games off. That's Adam Oates hockey, not what Barry Trotz wants. Last time Trotz had to lay into them they played better. It's simple either they play hard or Trotz will send them somewhere else. This team has shown this season that they are better than this. I know Orpik and Beagle where out but that's an excuse. Boston is closing in and they come into town tomorrow. The Caps have to respond.


What's Next: Sun. Mar. 15th vs. Boston 7:30 p.m on NBCSN

Caps projected Lineup vs. Dallas Stars

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson

Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer

Chimera- Fehr-Ward

Burakovsky-Laich-Wilson

Defense and Forwards:

Schmidt-Carlson

Alzner-Niskanen

Gleason-Green

Holtby

Peters 

Postgame Recap: Rangers 3 Caps 1

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers

 The Caps have themselves a big game tonight. The red hot New York Rangers are in town to try to move into first place in the Metro Division as the Caps try to make a statement and show they can play with them. The Caps lost their only meeting which was in New York 3-2.


Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson
Glencross-Beagle-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Laich-Kuznetsov-Wilson



Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Schilling-Gleason


Holtby
Peters


Other Notes:

*Braden Holtby will be back in net for this big game. In my opinion the first game against the Rangers was not his best. The winning goal especially is a puck Holts has more times than not.

*Mike Green will be out of the lineup tonight with a minor injury. With that the Caps will welcome Nate Schmidt back into the lineup after being recalled from the Hershey Bears.

*Cam Talbot has been hot in net for the Rangers, the Caps have to get pressure on him and get in front of the net.

*Alex Ovechkin will see plenty of the Rangers defensemen who after the addition of Keith Yandle have gotten even better. OV has been hot but tonight will be a big challenge or him to see if he can beat the Rangers D.

*This just in Brooks Orpik will be out as well tonight with an injury, he was going to be a gametime decision to begin with. Orpik is one of the most important players on the team. The rest of the defensemen will have to step it up. Tonight is too important for them not too.

*Cam Schilling will be in for Brooks Orpik.

*Overall this will be a big challenge for the Caps tonight in front of their home crowd at the Verizon Center. It will be tougher now without Mike Green and Brooks Orpik, but this again can be a character builder going into the postseason. It's not guaranteed however the Caps look like they will return to the playoffs. We will see how the boys respond tonight.


Gametime 8 p.m on NBCSN

Highlights of Hershey's 5-3 win over Hartford

Postgame Recap: Caps 6 Sabres 1

 The Caps got back in the win column on Saturday with a dominant win over the Buffalo Sabres who seem to be all in for Conner McDavid who is this years big prospect in the draft. The Caps had a balanced attack with 6 different goal scorers. Here are the Highlights.


Caps/Sabres:

My Thoughts:


*Curtis Glencross had a goal and two assist to make it 4 points in three games since being traded to the Caps. Glencross seems to be fitting in well with his new teammates and if he keep this play up the Caps will have more help when it comes to secondary scoring.

*Alex Ovechkin returned to the lineup and scored his league leading 44th goal of the season, OV looks good last night and will now have a few days to rest before the big game on Wednesday.

*Brooks Laich scored his first goal in 26 games last night, Laich has had a rough go at it when it comes to scoring this season. We will see if this goal takes some pressure off of him.

*Jay Beagle had a goal and an assist last night as well. Beagle is enjoying a career year this year and has been a great hard working depth forward.

*Mike Green played a better game after the mistake he made against Minnesota by getting two assists. Green now has 33 assists on the season.

*Nick Backstrom speaking of assists got his 50th and 51st assists of the season. Again Backstrom is enjoying quite a season himself. Apparently he isn't an All-Star thought, smart move NHL. He is only the league leader in assists and tied with OV for second in the NHL in points and is only 1 point behind John Tavares. One other note that the top 6 scorers in the league are from the Metropolitan Division.

*Joel Ward scored his 16th goal of the season, and Marcus Johansson scored his 17th of the season. The Caps may not have a secondary sniper but have more spread out scoring through the lineup. Which may be a better thing come playoff time.

*Overall the Caps played very well and beat a team they should have beat. The Pens won so the Caps remain three points behind them. However, the Caps remain 8 points up on Boston and 10 up on Florida. So they are in good position to make the playoffs, and if you make the playoffs anything can happen.


What's Next: Wednesday March 11th vs. New York Rangers 8 p.m on NBCSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Buffalo Sabres

 The Caps return to the ice tonight for the second of 5 games in a row at home as the Sabres are in town. Here are the line rushes during warmups.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson
Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Laich-Beagle-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Gleason-Green

Holtby
Peters


Other Notes:

*It appears that Alex Ovechkin will be back in the lineup tonight after missing the game on Thursday. He is the most important player on the team so it is good that he is back in with every game being important now.

*Braden Holtby will be back in net again which I think every Caps fan expects by now.

*Curtis Glencross scored his first goal as a Cap on Thursday, now that he has been with the team a week we will see if he starts to feel comfortable with his new teammates.

*Mike Green made a mistake that lead to the winning goal for Minnesota on Thursday, I would like to see him bounce back tonight.

*The Caps need to win tonight plain and simple. If they win tonight they can get back on track with more home games coming up.

*The Hershey Bears lost to Providence 2-1 on Friday, but bounced back today with beating the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-3 with goals from Dustin Gazley, Chris Conner, Casey Wellman, Kris Newbury, and Stan Galiev to stay on the top of the AHL Eastern Conference.


Gametime 7 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Wild 2 Caps 1

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Minnesota Wild

 The Caps being a 5 game home stand tonight in snowy D.C against the Wild. However, they will have to do it without captain and NHL goal scoring leader Alex Ovechkin who is out with a lower body injury. Here is the Lineup.

Forwards:

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Johansson
Glencross-Beagle-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Laich-Kuznetsov-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Gleason-Green

Holtby
Peters

Other Notes:

*Andre Burakovsky has been recalled from Hershey as an emergency call up, he will be on the top line tonight.

*Brooks Laich is back in the lineup after being a scratch on Tuesday, Laich has struggled the last 20 or so games. Maybe sitting out a game will get him going tonight.

*Jay Beagle will move up to the second line and get a chance to skate with new Cap Curtis Glencross and Troy Brouwer.

*Jason Chimera played one of his best games of the season on Tuesday, if he can play with that edge and energy he can be an asset to the lineup. However, he needs to continue that if he wants to stay in the lineup.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov has had an up and down rookie season, he will be on the 4th line tonight.

*Michael Latta will be day to day with an upper body injury suffered in a hit he took in Columbus.

*Overall this will be a tough game, now without Alex Ovechkin it will be more of a challenge. However,  Barry Trotz is trying to make the Caps into a team that doesn't have to rely on the stars every night. So, we will see if the boys can show some character and get a big two points.


Gametime 7. pm on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 5 Blue Jackets 3

 The Caps won their second in a row last night behind two more goals for Alex Ovechkin to finish off the season series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Here's the highlights.


Caps/Jackets:

My Thoughts:

*Alex Ovechkin is inching closer to another 50 goal season, but again with his plus minus being in the positive I believe this is a more impressive one then last year. The first goal was because of a deflection off of a Brooks Orpik shot. Getting into those dirty areas helps come playoff time.

*Curtis Glencross played his first game as a Cap and did well considering he doesn't know his new teammates all that well yet. He did make a good pass to send Troy Brouwer out on a breakaway but Sergei Bobrovsky made the save.

*The officiating was terrible. Michael Latta was hit Jarrett Boll and yet it was 5 on 5. Jason Chimera got hit after the whistle, and then late in the game they called Marcus Johansson after his stick broke after an icing. At the end of the day Columbus couldn't take advantage of help, new rivalry forming that's for sure.

*Braden Holtby played ok but not one of his better games, however, it was not terrible either. I expect him to play well Thursday against the Wild.

*Tom Wilson had an eventful night with a goal and about 17 minutes of penalty time as he did the right thing by defending Michael Latta after he was hit.

*Eric Fehr played well scoring his 18th goal of the season again with net presence. Another new Cap Tim Gleason got his first point as a Cap with an assist on the play.

*Jason Chimera had a good game with 2 assists and overall played a very good game. He was in on pucks and getting into it with Columbus "tough guy" Dalton Prout who went after the Caps oldest player.

*Overall it was a win against a team not going to the playoffs, so it was taking care of business. The Caps did a good job of not backing down and keeping their composer to pick up two huge points. The Panthers loss puts the Caps 11 points up on them for a playoff spot. 17 game to go.


What's Next: Thurs. Mar. 5th vs. Minnesota 7 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Columbus Blue Jackets

 The Caps are in Columbus to tangle with the Jackets once again. Here is the lineup for tonight's game.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson
Glencross-Kuznetsov-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Beagle-Latta-Wilson

Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Gleason-Green

Holtby
Peters


Other Notes:

*Curtis Glencross will make his Caps debut tonight since being traded on Sunday. He will wear #22 and skate on the 2nd line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Troy Brouwer.

*Tim Gleason had a solid first game as a Cap. However, it was his affect on Mike Green that was the biggest positive as Green can sneak into the play a little more.

*Braden Holtby will assume his position between the pipes tonight looking for win number 31 on the season.

*Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the win over Toronto, he is playing the best hockey of the season and looks like he might be able to reach 50 again.

*A big key tonight for the Caps is to get off to a quick start tonight. The Caps have been dominant all season long when they score first. If they score first it will go a long way.

*The Caps also have to play with energy tonight, they have to forecheck strong all night and force turnovers in the offensive zone.

*The Caps powerplay may not get many chances tonight because of being in Columbus, so they have to make their powerplays count. Even if they don't score they need to gain momentum off of them.

*The Caps defense corp with the addition of Tim Gleason is now solid up and down. Sunday all 6 defensemen play around the same amount of time. If Coach Trotz can keep them fresh it only helps Braden Holtby more.

*Joel Ward also will play in his 500th NHL game tonight. Congrats to Wardo!


Gametime 7 p.m on CSN

Highlight's of Hershey's 2-0 win over Lehigh Valley

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Maple Leafs 0

 The Caps finally got a quick start and Braden Holtby was good again as the Caps were able to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs.


Caps/Leafs:

My Thoughts:

*The Caps played an overall solid game against a team they should have beat. So in other words the Caps took care of business.

*Tim Gleason made his Caps debut and got a nice ovation after he blocked a shot in the first period that stung him but he was ok.

*Alex Ovechkin got goals number 40 and 41, now it looks like he might have a realistic shot at another 50 goal season.

*Marcus Johansson was able to score, MoJo has been quiet in the goal scoring department but maybe this one will get him going again.

*Joel Ward scored an empty net goal with a little over 5 minutes to go in the game as the Maple Leafs pulled the goalie down by three.

*I thought that putting Joel Ward and Jason Chimera back together was a good idea, along with Eric Fehr that line had a solid game.

*The Hershey Bears remain hot after a 2-0 win over Lehigh Valley. The Bears got goals from Dustin Gazley and Stan Galiev. Philip Grubauer made 37 saves in the shutout.


What's Next: Tues. Mar. 3rd at. Columbus 7 p.m on CSN

Caps Lineup vs. Toronto

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Burakovsky
Johansson-Beagle-Brouwer
Chimera-Fehr-Ward
Laich-Kuznetsov-Wilson


Defense and Goalies:

Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Gleason-Green

Holtby
Peters

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

 The Caps return home tonight to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in what has been a busy weekend off the ice with the addition of Tim Gleason and Curtis Glenncross. Gleason will make his Caps debut tonight while we will have to wait for Glenncross. Not sure what the lineup is yet but I will post it later.


Other Notes:

*I expect Braden Holtby to be in net tonight.

*The Caps have assigned Aaron Volpatti and Cameron Schilling to the Hershey Bears. Volpatti cleared waivers.

*It will be interesting to see what the Caps do with Andre Burakovsky. It looks like now with Glenncross maybe Burakovsky will go down and play for Hershey. That's not a guarantee though that he will be sent down but Barry Trotz wants him to be eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs.

*The Caps have lost three in a row but the Leafs played last night so this can be the perfect opportunity to get back into the win column as the Caps try to make their push for a postseason birth.

*The Hershey Bears have moved into 1st place in the Eastern Conference with their 4-2 win at home against the Albany Devils last night. The Bears have quietly climbed the standing all season long and Troy Mann and Brian Helmer have done a great job.

*The most important thing for the Caps tonight is to make sure that they have a quick start. The effort has not been good enough lately and all the games remaining are huge from here on out.

*Alex Ovechkin is still one goal away from another season with 40 or more goals, the captain has been great this season but will need to play even better as the season comes to an end.


Gametime 7 p.m on CSN

Highlights of Hershey's 4-2 win against Albany

*The Bears are currently in 1st place in the AHL's Eastern Conference.

Caps acquire Curtis Glenncross from Calgary for a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick

 Caps GM Brian MacLellan has been a busy man this weekend as the Caps continue to load up for the playoffs. The Caps were linked to Glenncross and just a few minutes ago made the deal.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps did not give up a lot in my opinion to get a guy who will be a solid forward to put with Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom.

*Glenncross has 9 goals and 19 assists in 53 games this year but is also a plus player and his numbers should go up playing with the the big guns.

*The Caps still have another roster spot open as well so stay tuned as I here the Caps may be in on Erik Cole too.

*Overall the Caps are trying hard to improve for the playoffs, and so far so good in my opinion.