Caps trade Brooks Laich, Connor Carrick, and a 2nd to Toronto for F Daniel Winnik, and a 5th

 The Caps longest tenured player is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Late last night the Caps traded Brooks Laich, Connor Carrick, and a second round pick to Toronto for 4th liner Daniel Winnik and a 5th round pick.

 This is not a surprise as Brooks Laich has only scored 1 goal this season with 6 assists. Brookie was around for 10 years and was a class act, it will be weird seeing him in another uniform but it is a business and the Caps want to go all in.
  Now for Connor Carrick he has been very good for Hershey but the truth is he is not as high up in the franchise depth chart has he hoped. With Madison Bowey in Hershey, and a very solid group of defenseman at the NHL level he wasn't going to make the Caps. I think it will be a good situation for him in Toronto.
  So, the Caps got Daniel Winnik who this season for the Maple Leafs scored 4 goals and 10 assists in 56 games. Winnik, 30, is not going to be a big time scorer for the Caps. However, he will had beef to the 4th line and will be slotted with Jay Beagle and Mike Richards. Winnik signed a 2 year contract with the Leafs at the beginning of the season so he will be with the team next season as well unless he was moved.
  Overall I like the trade because it will give the Caps some more cap space which they did not use today but can use it in the offseason. It is hard to see someone like Brooks Laich go but it was time, the Caps need to go in for the long haul. The most important thing is the Caps did not give up any prospects except for Carrick and still have their 1st round pick for next season. Now we have out team for the stretch run.

Postgame Recap: Blackhawks 3 Caps 2

 The Caps and Blackhawks both fought hard over a 60 minute game yesterday and in the end a controversial goal would be the difference in a fairly even game between two of the leagues best.

My Thoughts:

*Marcus Johansson had a very good game yesterday as he was involved in the offense all day. Jojo would open the scoring with a power play goal at the 6:13 mark of the first period. Justin Williams and Nick Backstrom would get the assists.

*The Caps would allow the Blackhawks to come back as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews both scored to give the Hawks the lead going into the third period.

*Now the controversy as at the 12:47 mark of the third the Hawks took a 3-1 lead when a play that should have been an icing was waved off. The Caps players let up, however Dennis Rasmussen didn't and was wide open in front of the net. That proved to be the difference.

*The Caps didn't quit as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored with 3:21 left in the game to pull the Caps within one. His unassisted goal was his 19th goal of the season.

*The Caps would run out of steam from there and wee unable to get one more past Corey Crawford and the Hawks won a hard fought game.

*Overall I am not mad about how the boys played just frustrated a blown call lead to a goal. Other than that it was a well played game on both sides. If these two teams met in the finals it would be one heck of a series.

*TRADE NEWS: Now the Caps were busy last night making a couple of moves. First the Caps made a minor league trade with the Rangers acquiring Ryan Bourque, and sending Chris Brown back in return. Bourque will join his brother in Hershey.
 The big one was the Caps were able to add some beef up front as they traded Brooks Laich and Connor Carrick along with a 2nd round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Daniel Winnik and a 5th rounder. I will have more on this later as I will have my trade deadline post tonight. I will try to keep things updated during the day.


What's Next: Tues. Mar. 1st vs. Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m on NBCSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Chicago Blackhawks

 The Caps are in the the Windy City today in what will be a big test against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The Caps won the previous meeting 4-1 back at the Verizon Center in October. However, the Blackhawks are loading up their roster for the playoffs. This will be a good one, this is what the lineup should look like for today's matinee.

Forwards:

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


Defense and Goalies:

Alzner-Niskanen
Chorney-Schmidt
Orpik-Orlov


Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Jay Beagle will return to the lineup today and will be on the 4th line. Beags has been out with a broken wrist and it will be nice to have him back today.

*Brooks Laich has been put on waivers, but will still be in the lineup today. We will see what happens but he is still around because of an injury.

*John Carlson had a procedure yesterday and will be out atleast 3 to 4 weeks. It appears that the injury he had before has come back and has been tough for him. It has been clear that he has been bothered by it because he ha not been the same.

*I do not believe that Mike Weber will make his debut yet as he finally practiced with the team yesterday. His wife had their baby so it was good he was able to make it back to Buffalo for that. I think we will see him soon just do not think it will be today.

*There will be a good goalie matchup today as Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford are going to be between the pipes today.

*The Caps have to show more life in the first period today as they have just not been good in the first lately. Today they need to get going right away, they need to make a statement that they mean business. The Blackhawks will be adding new people in the lineup with Andrew Ladd coming from Winnipeg.

*Overall this should be a good one for the nation to see, and for the Caps this might show them where they are when it comes to competing against leagues defending Champions on their home ice. Don't forget tomorrow is the trade deadline so we will see what happens.


Game time 12:30 p.m on NBC

Brooks Laich has been placed on Waivers

 Well we have been hearing for a couple of days but it has now happened. Brooks Laich, long time loyal Cap has been placed on waivers. This move had to happen because the Caps are tight in salary and with Laich being paid 4 million to play on the 4th line it was time. This frees up the activation of Jay Beagle to return to the lineup.

  I just want to say something to the Caps fans who have been hard on Laich. Though I agree that it is time to move on don't forget how much of a class act he is. This guy has been nothing but loyal to the Caps community and franchise. So, just don't forget that, he could have gone somewhere else a couple of years ago but stayed.
  Now the kicker is if he does report to the Hershey Bears than he can be brought back up if they need him for the playoffs. So, though it looks like the end he may still me with the team come April. In 59 games Laich has only scored 1 goal and 6 assists, and has not been the same since hurting his groin during the lockout a couple years ago. We will see what happens, it is possible that the Caps make a move in the next couple days to gear up for a Stanley Cup run.

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Wild 2

 The Caps got off to yet another slow start on Friday night, going into the third period trailing 2-1. However, they played a solid third and were able to score two goals on Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper to get back in the win column.

My Thoughts:

*Brooks Orpik is all of a sudden a goal scorer as he scored his 3rd of the season. Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin got the assists. This would tie the game at one in the 2nd.

*In the third period the Caps woke up and started playing better, then a delay of game penalty for pushing the net by Kuemper lead to the Caps first power play of the night. Then they finally broke through as Alex Ovechkin fired the puck in the net for goal #40 on the season. Matt Niskanen and Nick Backstrom had the assist.

*Then later Andre Burakovsky fed Dmitry Orlov who would score from a bad angle to give the Caps a 3-2 lead with 5:04 left to go in the game. Evgeny Kuznetsov would also pick up a assist on the goal.

*John Carlson was out last night with an apparent lower body injury. Later Barry Trotz said that it is indeed the same thing that has bothered Carlson for the last month or so that kept him out of games. Hopefully it is not to serious but with the way the standings are they need to take care of this.

*The Caps have still not lost back to back regulation games this season, and even though they may not be playing their best they are still winning. With the win the Caps remain 18 points up on the Rangers with a game in hand, as well as 21 points up on the third place Islanders.

*Overall the only issue again that I am having with the team is that they are slow starters, it won't affect them now but it may come postseason time and that's when it counts. With 22 games left though the Caps have plenty of time to continue to work to strengthen themselves for the playoffs.


What's Next: Sun. Feb. 28th at. Chicago 12:30 p.m on NBC

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. Minnesota Wild

Happy Friday everyone as the Caps host the Minnesota Wild tonight at Verizon Center. The Caps look the rebound after a tough game on Wednesday as they fell to the Canadians 4-3. Here is the lineup for tonight's game based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Laich-Richards-Galiev


Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Chorney
Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov


Hotly
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Michael Latta will be out tonight as the flu bug has got to him. Stan Galiev who I believe played very well on Wednesday will remain on the 4th line.

*Dmitry Orlov had a rough game on Wednesday and he may be out tonight. From the morning skate it is very possible we see Taylor Chorney make a return to the lineup.

*Mike Weber has yet to join the Caps because his wife went into labor and had their baby. Many of the Caps texted him today to congratulate him.

*There are rumors regarding Brooks Laich being sent out, however he remains in the lineup so we will have to wait till Monday to see if something happens.

*Braden Holtby will be put right back in net after being pulled Wednesday. Hopefully the guys in front of him play better tonight.

*One thing I want the Caps to do tonight is have a strong first period. They have had very slow starts of late and they need to stop that habit. Even if they don't score in the first they need to play well.

*The Wild are playing very well of late and are scoring a ton. The Caps defensive corp needs to play well in front of Braden Holtby. Also, they can't turn pucks over like they did the other night and leave Holts out to dry.

*Overall the team needs to get back to the way they normally play, just need to clean up a couple of things. Well will see if they can get back on track tonight, hopefully they are not looking ahead to the big game in Chicago on Sunday. Big two points on the line tonight.


*UPDATE: John Carlson is out tonight 

Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Canadians 4 Caps 3

 The Caps were brought back down to earth in Wednesday night as the Canadians raced out to a 4-1 lead after two periods. The Caps would rally but it would be too late as they fell to the Canadians 4-3.

My Thoughts:

*I thought the Caps were having a good start, but like the last couple of games penalties changed the momentum. Most notably Tom Wilson, who took two in the first period. One of those penalties lead to a goal that made it 2-0, and put the Caps in a whole right away.

*The power play continues to struggle, I don't know what the issue is but it has not produced much lately. They had a couple chances to change the game last night and just simply did not convert.

*Jason Chimera has been playing well and scored his 17th goal of the season from Johansson and Orpik that cut the lead to 3-1. That came after Braden Holtby was pulled for Philipp Grubauer.

*Moments later another defensive breakdown lead to the Canadians making it 4-1.

*In the third period Dmitry Orlov made a nice move and scored his 6th goal of the season, from Orpik and Ovechkin to cut the lead to 4-2.

*The Caps finally started to show some life and Andre Burakovsky scored his 13th of the season to cut the lead to 4-3. Burakovsky received a pass from Stan Galiev who was all over the ice last night, also Nate Schmidt got the secondary assist.

*The Caps would not be able to get any more quality chances and they would fall for just the 11th time this season.


*Overall again this team has had a great season and there is no need to panic after one loss. However, they have some things they need to clean up on. First the power play needs to get going again, and they need to stop taking bad penalties. I know that they have not had issues when giving up the first goal but they need to stop that as well.

*This one is over and done with, and like the players should do us fans need to just move on to the next game.


What's Next: Friday Feb. 26th vs. Minnesota 7:00 p.m on CSN

Caps projected lineup tonight vs. Montreal Canadians

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Williams

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie

Chimera-Richards-Wilson

Laich-Johansson-Galiev

Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Holtby

Grubauer

Caps acquire D Mike Weber from Buffalo for a 3rd Round Pick

 The Caps have made a move today acquiring 28 year old defensemen Mike Weber from the Buffalo Sabres for a 3rd round pick.

Weber is a UFA at the end of the season, and the Sabres will be retaining half of his contract which is only 2 million dollars. In 35 games he had a goal and 4 assists with a plus 3 rating. I am not sure where Weber will fit in, it could be for depth or he could be plugged in. I am not sure what to think of this but I think he may take Orlov's spot because he is more of a veteran. It will be interesting  to see how Trotz uses him.

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Coyotes 2

 The Caps remain on a roll as they were able to win their 4th game in a row last night behind two third period goals.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps again gave up there first goal of the game when Coyotes forwards Kevin Connauton beat Braden Holtby early in the 2nd period.

*The Caps power play would answer as Evgeny Kuznetsov took a shot that squeezed through Louis Domingue to tie the game 1-1. Alex Ovechkin and Andre Burakovsky would add assists on the goal.

*The Caps broke through in the 3rd period as Alex Ovechkin remained red hot with his 39th goal of the season giving the Caps a 2-1 lead. Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov got assists.

*Twenty five seconds later Mike Richards put in a rebound to score his 1st goal of the season, and his first goal as a Cap. This came after Tom Wilson charged the net after a shot that lead to Domingue not being able to cover the puck, it came loose and Richards shot it in. The crowd erupted for Richards who last night had a lot of good chances and played very well.

*The Coyotes however were not done a Connor Murphy beat a screened Braden Holtby a minute after the Richards goal to bring the Coyotes within one.

*Even though the Coyotes would make a push, the Caps were able to hold on for victory #44 on the season now giving them a league leading 92 points on the season.

*Marcus Johansson was out last night with the flu bug, and Stan Galiev got into the lineup. Galiev got two great scoring chances and drew a penalty.

*Jason Chimera was all over the ice last night, he got a assist on the goal by Mike Richards. However, if the puck would have bounce Chimmers way he could have had a hat trick last night.

*Overall the Caps keep humming along, the Coyotes were a desperate team that needed to win to keep their playoff hope alive. However, the Caps continue to just win.


What's Next Wed. Feb. 24th vs. Montreal 7:00 p.m on CSN-Plus

Tonight's lineup vs. Arizona Coyotes

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Williams

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie

Chimera-Richards-Wilson

Laich-Latta-Galiev

Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Holtby 

Grubauer 

Gametime 7:00 pm

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Devils 3

  The Caps and Devils had a back and forth affair at Verizon Center on Saturday night. Even though the Caps trailed 3 times they were still able to rally for a 4-3 win on home ice. For the Caps this is their 8th win in 9 games.

My Thoughts:


*The Caps gave up the first goal of the night, but Alex Ovechkin remained hot as he got open and Dmitry Orlov hit him in front. Then OV would beat Cory Schneider to tie the game 1-1, it would be his 38th goal of the season.

*The Devils would take a 2-1 lead after the 1st, however Evgeny Kuznetsov would tie it 2-2 at the 9:16 mark of the 2nd. Kuzy roofed a pass from Michael Latta who did a great job on that shift cycling the puck. Brooks Laich would also add an assist.

*The Devils would take a 3-2 lead in the third after Reid Boucher scored on a shot that handcuffed Braden Holtby. For Holts he gave up a couple goals that he normally stops but he also made a few really good saves as well.

*The Caps would rally and start taking it to the Devils, then they would break the door down as T.J Oshie would put a rebound of a couple of Devils to score his 17th goal of the season to tie the game 3-3 with 6:05 left in the 3rd. Dmitry Orlov would get his second assist of the night along with Brooks Orpik.

*The Caps would continue to push as another dominant shift ended in Evgeny Kuznetsov feeding Brooks Orpik who would beat Cory Schneider to give the Caps a 4-3 lead with just under 4:00 left in the game. For Orpik it is his 2nd goal of the year, both against the Devils. Evgeny Kuznetsov had the assist along with Alex Ovechkin.

*Overall the Caps just continue to win, and being at the game last night you can feel the excitement around this team. We have not even gotten to March yet and they have 90 points, they are now up 18 points on the Rangers, and 21 up on the third place Islanders. To put things in perspective the Devils are in 9th in the East and they are 25 points behind the Caps. We will see if the Caps can continue to play this way the last couple of months.



What's Next: Mon. Feb. 22nd vs. Arizona 7:00 p.m on CSN

Caps lineup tonight vs. New Jersey Devils

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Williams

Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie

Chimera-Johansson-Wilson

Laich-Richards-Latta

Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson

Alzner-Niskanen

Orpik-Orlov

Holtby

Grubauer

Game time 7:00 pm on CSN

Caps resign Taylor Chorney

The Caps have resigned Taylor Chorney for 2 years and 1.6 million over that time. Chorney was signed this year as the 7th defenseman and has played so well that he has earned another contract.

  Personally I am very happy for him, Chorney has played a lot and has played well. I am happy that the Caps will have him the next couple of years. 

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Islanders 2 OT

 In my opinion the Caps controlled most of the game on Thursday night in Brooklyn. However, a late goal by Frans Nielsen tied the game to send it to overtime. Late in the overtime the Caps would put it away as veteran Justin Williams would beat Thomas Greiss to beat the Islanders for the third time this season.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps would yet again give up the first goal as John Tavares made a great move to beat Nate Schmidt, and a even better shot to beat Braden Holtby as the Caps trailed 1-0 after the first period. Even though I thought the Caps played well in the first they were still trailing.


*Alex Ovechkin would make his presence felt in the second, as he scored his 36th of the season as Evgeny Kuznetsov made another great behind the back pass to OV. Almost two minutes later after Cal Clutterbuck made a stupid penalty the Caps power play finally got on the board. Nick Backstrom entered the Islanders zone and Alex Ovechkin would score his league leading 37th goal of the season and the Caps would lead 2-1 going into the third.

*In the third I thought the Caps played fine, they had a few chances and were outshooting the Islanders, at the end of the night they out shot them 35-22. I liked how the team was protecting the puck and it seemed like the Caps would run the clock out.

*Thomas Greiss kept the Islanders in the game and a lucky bounce found its way to Frans Nielsen who beat Braden Holtby to tie the game with a little less then 2:00 remaining. The teams would skate around for a couple minutes then to overtime they went.

*In overtime OV very nearly ended as a shot rang off the post, also Holts made a big save as well. Then on his only shift of the overtime Justin Williams shot a one timer from John Carlson to score his 19th goal of he season to put the game away. Another clutch moment for a player who is as clutch as they come.

*Overall I thought the boys played with a good intensity, they didn't play perfect but I thought they did fine. Defensively having Brooks Orpik back has been huge as he is fitting right back in. This week is going well so far and the fact they have beaten the Islanders all three times will be in their heads if we get them in the playoffs. The Caps are now 16 points up on the Rangers for 1st in the Metro, and 21 points up on the second place Islanders.


What's Next: Saturday Feb. 20th vs. New Jersey 7:00 p.m

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at New York Islanders

 The Caps and Islanders face off once again in Brooklyn, in yet another rematch of last years playoff series. Here is the lineup, as there was no morning skate but confirmed by Barry Trotz.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Williams 
Burakovsky-Backstrom-Oshie
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Laich-Richards-Latta


Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov


Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:


*Braden Holtby is back in tonight after getting Tuesday night off. Holts mentioned that he feels fresh and is looking forwards to being back in the net tonight.

*Andre Burakovsky has been on fire lately and his confidence is sky high. I am very impressed with his development and can't wait to see if he can continue his roll tonight/

*It is unclear as of now if Jaro Halak or Thomas Greiss will be in net for the Islanders tonight, no matter who it is I would like the Caps to try to put some pressure on them right away.

*Brooks Orpik looked good in his return to the lineup, we will see how he does tonight again some of the speed the Islanders possess in their lineup.

*The Caps have to keep the Islanders 4th line quiet, they play physical. However, you can't get more physical than the Kings so the Caps should be use to it.

*The Caps have to keep John Tavares in check tonight, he is a great play maker and can make a difference. However, another guy the Caps have to keep in check is Kyle Okposo who has 44 points on the season so far and is a physical player.

*I think the best thing the Caps can do tonight is force the Islanders to defend. Puck possession is something that will help because it will lead to good chances.

*The power play has been having a rough go of it of late, hopefully tonight the Caps can get a goal or two on it. The biggest key is shooting the puck when they can. They have to stop forcing OV, and then it will open him up eventually. Also, it will be important to have good zone entries.

*Overall this should be a good one, as these two teams are building a history together. The intensity will only grow the more games they play against one another. I expect the Barclays Center to be rocking and it should have a playoff feel to it. Another big two points on the line.


Gametime 7:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 3 Kings 1

 The Caps had a rough time early against the Kings last night, as they squandered power play chances. Then gave up a shorthanded goal, however the Caps would rally and score 3 unanswered goals to take down the Kings 3-1.

My Thoughts:

*The Caps power play is till struggling as they were 0/5 last night, and then fell behind 1-0 after a shorthanded goal by Anze Kopitar.

*The Kings were then all over the Caps but Philipp Grubauer played in my opinion the best game of his career as he kept the Caps in the game. Grubbi ended the night with 39 saves on 40 shots, and was the difference last night.

*The Caps finally got on the boards after Andre Burakovsky redirected a slap pass from Dmitry Orlov to tie the game 1-1. For Burakovsky it is his 7th goal in the last 10 games, he is developing into a good secondary scoring threat.

*Brooks Orpik got a assist on the Burakovsky goal, and for his first game since Nov. 10th I thought he played pretty well. Never was he out of position and he played a physical brand of hockey you need to have against the Kings.

*The third period the Caps started to take the game to the Kings more than the first two periods. About midway through the game the Caps had a team huddle at the bench as Barry Trotz lit a fire under his group. They responded because they played much better the second half of the game.

*The Caps would break down the door late in the 3rd as Justin Williams kept a play alive and found Evgeny Kuznetsov who tucked the puck in past Jonathan Quick to give the Caps the lead with 2:02 left to go in the game. For Kuzy it was his 16th goal of the season, not only did Williams get a assist but the red hot Andre Burakovky added one as well.

*The Kings would pull Quick but the Caps would hold on and finish the game when Marcus Johansson cleared the puck for Jason Chimera to score on the empty net to put the game away. For Chimera it was goal #16 for him as well.

*Overall the Caps didn't play well for most of the game but Philipp Grubauer stole the game, and the two points will again go a long way to clinching home ice through the playoffs. I think the second half of the game the boys played better but they need to play more consistent. Anyway, you take the two points against a team that very well can win the Western Conference.


What's Next: Thurs. Feb. 18th at. NY Islanders 7:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals vs. LA Kings

 The Caps are back home after a tough 4-3 loss in Dallas on Saturday night. The Caps will be getting a huge addition tonight as they face the Pacific Division leading LA Kings. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Laich-Richards-Latta


Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Orpik-Orlov

Grubauer
Holtby



Other Notes:

*Brooks Orpik is finally making his return to the lineup. Orpik had a lower body injury that kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 10th and had a set back in December. He will be on the third defense pairing with Dmitry Orlov, and Taylor Chorney will be a healthy scratch.

*Philip Grubauer will start in net tonight for the Caps. Braden Holtby had a rough game on Saturday which he didn't receive any help from the defense. This should be a good chance for Holts to rest.

*Michael Latta will be back in the lineup tonight on the 4th line.

*One key tonight is the Caps can't let the Kings cycle the puck all night. The Kings are one of the best puck possession teams in the NHL. The Caps have to play in the Kings zone to keep them from having the puck.

*The Kings are very physical but they do have some skill as well. One player the Caps will have to contain is Anze Kopitar, who is one of the best centers in the NHL.

*Tonight will be a good test because the Caps and Kings are both coming off losses. This could be a preview of the Stanley Cup Finals if this fall into place for both teams.

*Something I want to see tonight is the Caps need to help out Philip Grubauer by playing with a lead. If they can do that I feel like they can play with the Kings. Should be a good one tonight at Verizon.


Game time 7:00 p.m on CSN

With Trade Deadline ahead, will the Caps make a move?

 The NHL trade deadline is about two weeks away and a lot of teams will be looking to improve their rosters. Some teams will look to make a push to the playoffs, some teams will be looking at the future. That brings up the question, what will the Caps do? They currently have the best record in the NHL at 40-10-4 and have not been fully healthy in a long time. So, do they just go with what they have or try to add?

 Personally I think they should add a piece or two just to load up with depth going into the playoffs because this looks to be a golden opportunity for this franchise to make the next step. However, who could they add? Well I think another defensemen would be a good addition, someone who has been possibly linked is Dan Hamhuis. Hamhuis is a ending UFA which would be good because at this point you are only looking for a rental. I think it would take giving up a draft pick and a prospect to get him. Also, he has a no trade clause in his contract so he would have to ok the trade.
  I don't think there is a huge need for forwards with Jay Beagle still to come back, and the addition of Mike Richards. However there are a couple names out there. The first is P.A Parenteau, who is currently with the Maple Leafs. It would again probably take a pick and a prospect which is what Toronto will want. They are looking at the future and trying to sign Steve Stamkos away from the Lightning.

   Another name that I think would be a good fit would be Andrew Ladd. Again another pending UFA would has playoff experience and is the captain of the Winnipeg Jets. I think he would be a great fit but not sure what the Caps would have to give up to land him. I won't lie I think he would be a better fit in the bottom six then some other but will have to wait and see.
  I think we will have a interesting couple of weeks leading up to the deadline which is February 29th. The key or the Caps is to make sure they are not messing with the chemistry they have as a group right now. I do think adding a defensemen makes sense even though the guys in there now are playing very well. When it comes to forwards I am not so sure the Caps have to make too big of a splash. We will see what they decide to do, should be interesting.

Postgame Recap: Stars 4 Caps 3

 The Caps got off to a terrible start on Saturday as they gave the Stars the first four goals of the game. The Caps would mount a third period comeback but it was too late. They had dug themselves a whole that they would not be able to dig out of.

My Thoughts:

*There have been times recently where the team doesn't get off to good starts but are able to keep teams off the scoreboard till they get going. Last night however the Caps were unable to stop Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.

*Barry Trotz pulled Braden Holtby after two periods because he was tired of watching out team hang him out to dry, and I think that was the right thing to do. The guys in front of Holtby last night were not doing enough.

*Alex Ovechkin started the 3rd period with his 35th goal of the season on the power play, in typical OV fashion as John Carlson set him up for the one timer.

*Justin Williams scored about 3 minutes after OV to make it 4-2, then the Caps finally woke up.

*Andre Burakovsky who has been a bright spot lately was able to score his 11th goal of the season with a little over 6 minutes to go in the game to make it 4-3.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov had another two assist game as he was one of the players trying to make something happen to bring the Caps back in the game.

*The Caps would throw a lot of pucks at Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen but again the deficit was just too much last night to overcome.

*Overall the Stars showed once again why they are one of the most talented teams in the NHL, the Caps showed that too last night but they waited two periods to show up and that can't happen. It did take 54 games to lose 10 in regulation which is impressive. However, the Caps can't let this happen as the playoffs approach.



What's Next: Tues. Feb. 16th vs. LA Kings 7:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Dallas Stars

The Caps are in the Lone Star State as they visit the Stars. The Stars took the first meeting at Verizon Center 3-2, the Caps will look to continue their winning streak. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Laich-Richards-Galiev

Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Orlov-Chorney

Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Brooks Orpik did take the morning skate today but it appears he will not play again tonight as he is still not quite ready to come back to the lineup.

*Michael Latta will be a healthy scratch tonight as Stan Galiev will return to the lineup and play on the 4th line.

*Braden Holtby is on fire this season, and he will be in net once again for the Caps as he looks for his league leading 36th win tonight.

*It is important tonight for the Caps to play a solid defensive game as the Stars have plenty of goal scorers. Most notably they need to watch Jamie Benn who is turning himself into a super star in the league. He can do it all so the Caps can't give him too much space to operate.

*Another player the Caps will need to watch is Tyler Seguin who is having a nice season as well for Dallas.

*I believe that the Stars defense can be beaten, so the Caps have to establish some pressure and get some pucks deep and go to work against the Stars.

*I am curious to see how Andre Burakovsky plays tonight as his 7 game point streak came to an end in Minnesota. As a young player I just want him to keep pushing.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov took a butt end of a stick to the head on Thursday and left the game, however the good news is that he passed his concussion test. So, he is expected to be back in the lineup tonight which is huge because he is the leading scorer on the team.

*Overall this will be a very good test for the Caps as the Stars have cooled of since the beginning of the season. However, the Stars just beat the Blackhawks in Chicago and the game wasn't close. So, the Caps will have their hands full tonight but it will be a good chance to again prove how good of a team they are.


Game time 8:00 p.m on CSN

Postgame Recap: Caps 4 Wild 3

 The Caps played a solid road game on Thursday night as they were able to take down the struggling Wild. Despite horrible officiating which I will say was both ways, the Caps were able to find a way to win their 5th game in a row.

My Thoughts:

*Alex Ovechkin scored his 14th career hat trick scoring 3 goals in the second period. It was his first hat trick since he scored 4 goals against the Lightning back in 2013.

*Nick Backstrom assisted on all 3 of OV's goals for another 3 assist night for the Swede.The top line had it going last night that is for sure, as T.J Oshie also picked up an assist.

*The Caps had 3-1 lead going into the third period but a bad call gave the Wild a power play which lead to Ryan Suter cutting the lead to 3-2. The penalty came after Andre Burakovsky was clearly cross checked in the back, instead they call Justin Williams for protecting his teammate.

*Evgeny Kuznetsov left the game early last night as after all that he was hit in the face by a butt end of a stick. Even though someone mentioned it was not a penalty, and refs thought so too. The rule clear states that even if it is not intentional you are responsible for your stick. Hopefully Kuzy is okay, he will be evaluated today.

*Jason Chimera would scored his 15th goal of the season with a empty net with about 0:52 to go in the game to make it 4-2, this happened after the Caps were able to block a shot and Tom Wilson was able to chip it ahead to Chimera who was one on one with just the net.

*Late in the game the Wild scored with about 0:04 left but if you look at the replay Zach Parise fell in to Braden Holtby which didn't allow Holts to extend his pad any further that it did. The play would be reviewed and the goal would stand.

*Mike Richards did end up in the lineup last night and I thought he played well. The 4th line seems to be gaining some traction lately. Hopefully that continues to be the case.

*Overall it is win #5 in a row for the Caps, and they are 2-0-0 on this short Western Conference road trip. Last night the Caps again had a one goal game but seem to be very comfortable in them, that will be a good thing come April and May. Another two points on the road as they move on to the Lone Star State.


What's Next: Sat. Feb. 13th at. Dallas 8:00 p.m on CSN

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Minnesota Wild

 The boys are in Minnesota tonight as they look for their 5th win in a row as they play a Wild team that is currently sitting just outside of the Western Conference Playoffs. Here is what the lineup should look like, they had an optional morning skate so this is my best guess.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Galiev-Laich-Latta

Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Orlov-Chorney

Holtby
Grubauer

Other Notes:

*Brooks Orpik will be out again tonight, their was a chance to see him tonight but I believe that they are going to wait just a little longer.

*Most likely Mike Richards will be out tonight after taking an awkward fall in Nashville on Tuesday. If he does play he will be back at 4th line center. If not Stan Galiev will play wing on the 4th line and Brooks Laich will center the line.

*Marcus Johansson had a great return to the lineup on Tuesday with a goal and two assists. However, it is the chemistry that line has that is impressive. It is a line that I think Barry Trotz will need to keep together. They were getting scoring chances, along with cashing in.

*Braden Holtby will get the nod tonight as he goes for his 35th win of the season, which is 1st in the NHL. I believe that the Wild will put Devan Dubnyk back in tonight as he was not in the other night when they fell to the Stars in overtime.

*This should be a good test for the Caps as the Wild do not have a big time scorer, but they have a few solid guys like Zach Parise and Tomas Vanek. However their biggest strength is their defense corp let by Ryan Suter. So, it should be a grind it out game tonight.

*Overall this is a chance for the Caps to win their 5th in a row and going to keep the ball rolling. We will see if they can play a solid road period to start the game. The other night the Predators got a jump on the Caps but then they got going. Hopefully they grab a let an not let up. Should be a good one.

Gametime 8:00 p.m on CSN-Plus

Postgame Recap: Caps 5 Predators 3

 The Caps were able to win their 4th in a row last night behind a solid defense, even though they were able to take a 4-1 lead the Predators fought back. However, the Caps would hold on and leave Nashville with win #39 on the season.

My Thoughts:

*Marcus Johansson came back last night and did he ever make a difference. MJ90 scored a goal and added two assists. More importantly that third line buzzed all night, and was a difference maker in the game. People were throwing Marcus's name out there as trade bait but the way he has played this season shows he needs to stay.

*Tom Wilson had one of his better offensive games of the season, as he set up Jason Chimera for the first goal of the game. Then one timed a pass from Marcus Johansson to make it 2-0. Getting a goal and assist his huge for Willy's confidence.

*Justin Williams scored his 17th goal of the season after a great shift by the second line. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky added assists. I believe now that is a 7 game point streak for Burakovsky.

*The Caps took  4-1 lead in the third but a couple of lucky bounces lead the Preds to make it a 4-3 game. However, Alex Ovechkin would score a empty net goal to put the game away.

*The Caps did get a power play goal on Ovechkin's empty netter, however it still struggled a bit. Mostly last night was due to the lack of calls made on the Preds. The Caps PK however was very good even though the Preds scored one, the Caps still killed off five.

*Former Caps draft pick Filip Forsberg scored two goals last night, again making fans angry that the former GM traded him for a player who two years later is in the KHL.

*I thought all night the Caps defense played very well, blocking shots and Holtby was very good as well. The only issue with last night is the Caps let up and then the Preds got a couple of bounces. So, a game that was in control ended up being a battle to the end.

*Regardless of that the Caps still were able to win their 4th in a row. I said it before that this team is scary good, they still haven't made it to the second gear I know they have in them and are still 30 games over .500 just 52 games into the season. It was a good start to the road trip.


What's Next: Thursday Feb. 11th at. Minnesota 8:00 p.m on CSN-Plus

Pregame Notes: Washington Capitals at. Nashville Predators

 The Caps begin a three game Western Conference road trip tonight at Bridgestone Arena to take on Barry Trotz former team the Nashville Predators. Here is the lineup based on the morning skate.

Forwards:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Johansson-Wilson
Laich-Richards-Latta


Defense and Goalies:

Schmidt-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Orlov-Chorney

Holtby
Grubauer


Other Notes:

*Marcus Johansson appears to be back in the lineup tonight as he returns from a minor upper body injury. Mojo will also be back on the first power play unit.

*Brooks Orpik did make the trip this week, it remains unclear when he will return to the lineup. However, he is getting closer.

*The Caps have sent Paul Carey and Connor Carrick back to the Hershey Bears yesterday. Again it is a sign that the Caps injury situation is getting better.

*Tonight the Caps will get their first look at Ryan Johansen in a Predators uniform, he always gave them trouble when he was with Columbus.

*Tonight we will have a good goalie matchup as Pekka Rinne and Braden Holtby will face each other. Both were All-Stars and coached and developed by Mitch Korn. The Caps will need to put a lot of pressure on Rinne to score enough to win the game in my opinion.

*Another duo the Caps must watch out for of course will be Shea Weber and Roman Josi, the Caps can't give them too much room to shoot the puck especially on the power play.

*Overall this will be a good test for the boys tonight in Smashville. I expect it to be a good heavy game that very well could be a 2-1, 3-2 close game that comes down to the end. We will see if the boys can win their 4th in a row.


Gametime 8:00 p.m on CSN

Hershey Bears are on a Roll

 The Caps have had a great season so far, but with life being crazy I have not given as much love to the Caps AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears. Well I will now, as the Bears are playing very well lately under Head Coach Troy Mann. (Below are Highlights of a couple games)

Jan. 10th vs. Utica

Jan. 30th vs. Syracuse

 The Bears are currently 27-13-3-6 on the season, and have won 9 of their last 12 games. They had a undefeated weekend. They have been helped out by AHL All-Stars Chris Bourque and Connor Carrick. However, their are some Caps rookies who are doing quite well. Travis Boyd has been a pleasant surprise with 33 points in 49 games this season. Another guy to keep your eye on this season is Riley Barber who has 31 points in 47 games.
  Barry Trotz always said he wanted the AHL team to be just as strong as the NHL team. It is clear that the Bears are starting to mold into a solid hockey club themselves. Even more good news as Caps first round pick from two years ago Jakub Vrana came back from injury and was named AHL player of the week. (Below are the current stats for the Bears from www.theahl.com).
Stats-GP,G,A,+-, etc

17	Chris Bourque	LW	46	21	30	51	+12	30	7	0	1.11	0.65	124
*	15	Travis Boyd	C	49	13	20	33	0	18	5	0	0.67	0.37	76
*	19	Riley Barber	RW	47	14	17	31	+3	18	4	0	0.66	0.38	110
	28	Paul Carey	LW	43	13	18	31	+3	18	2	0	0.72	0.42	97
	23	Sean Collins	C	48	11	17	28	+8	6	2	2	0.58	0.12	86
	18	Carter Camper	C	47	7	19	26	+10	12	3	0	0.55	0.26	75
	12	Nathan Walker	LW	48	10	14	24	+16	26	0	0	0.50	0.54	80
	10	Dustin Gazley	RW	43	10	13	23	+10	39	0	1	0.53	0.91	68
	25	Connor Carrick	D	39	9	13	22	+18	36	3	1	0.56	0.92	93
	21	Chandler Stephenson	C	25	4	13	17	-1	10	1	1	0.68	0.40	33
*	4	Madison Bowey	D	44	3	14	17	+13	32	1	0	0.39	0.73	65
	36	Garrett Mitchell	RW	34	8	8	16	+3	56	0	0	0.47	1.65	55
	27	Aaron Ness	D	35	2	14	16	+17	18	0	0	0.46	0.51	56
*	5	Christian Djoos	D	42	6	9	15	+8	6	2	0	0.36	0.14	53
	39	Scott Gomez	C	10	3	11	14	+8	0	1	0	1.40	0.00	12
*	13	Jakub Vrana	LW	12	5	8	13	+4	6	1	0	1.08	0.50	33
	32	Erik Burgdoerfer	D	47	4	9	13	+4	47	0	0	0.28	1.00	51
	11	Zach Sill	C	37	2	7	9	+8	41	0	0	0.24	1.11	45
	24	Chris Brown	RW	19	3	5	8	-1	20	1	0	0.42	1.05	43
	20	Liam O'Brien	LW	33	3	5	8	+3	76	0	0	0.24	2.30	50
	6	Mike Moore	D	36	4	3	7	-7	48	0	0	0.19	1.33	37
	7	Ryan Stanton	D	35	2	5	7	+4	40	0	0	0.20	1.14	40
	22	Stanislav Galiev	RW	5	3	0	3	+2	2	0	0	0.60	0.40	20
*	2	Tyler Lewington	D	19	2	1	3	+4	53	0	0	0.16	2.79	7
*	33	Joey Leach	D	6	0	3	3	+6	7	0	0	0.50	1.17	2
*	40	Caleb Herbert	RW	23	0	2	2	-1	10	0	0	0.09	0.43	11
	29	Bobby Shea	D	3	0	1	1	+2	2	0	0	0.33	0.67	3
	39	Cam Reid (total)	C	4	0	1	1	-1	2	0	0	0.25	0.50	5
	14	Austin Fyten	C	6	0	1	1	-4	2	0	0	0.17	0.33	5
	35	Justin Peters	G	26	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0.04	0.00	0
	31	Dan Ellis	G	27	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0.04	0.00	0
	30	Mark Dekanich	G	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0.00	0