Neuvirth Makes Pens Coach Eat His Words
By Rodger M. Wood
Rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth stopped all 39 shots, Ovie scored the game’s only goal, and the fourth line nonstop energized the team, as the Caps played playoff style hockey to beat Eastern Conference archival Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 on national television Monday night.Although playing a second away game in two nights and the last of a five game West Coast road trip and not getting their first shot until midway through the First Period. the Caps looked in charge of an injury depleted Penguins the entire game.The ferocious rivalry between the teams erupted in the second period when winger Matt Bradley avenged Matt Cooke’s knee to knee check on Alex O in the Feb. 6th game with a hard check on the accomplished cheap shot artist behind the Caps goal.After Bradley served a two minute penalty for what most in the press box thought was a clean hit, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton call up Ryan Craig challenged Bradley. As Cooke cowered on the bench, letting another player fight his battle, Craig paid the price for his teammate’s cowardly indiscretion, taking several hard punches to the head and spending the next five minutes in the penalty box.Fourth liners Boyd Bradley, David Streckel and Bradley sparked the Caps team with their fight, intense play, and hard checks the entire game.While Bradley was off serving the five minute fight penalty, Alex O flew down middle ice, reared back his stick and fired off a rocket shot that the up to that point, impenetrable Pens goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, barely saw as it passed over his left shoulder into the net to make the score 1-0.In the third period, the Penguins threw everything at the Caps but the kitchen sink, but with five Caps players working on the ice together, collapsing in front of the net, blocking shots, and checking closely, they had trouble even bringing the puck up ice through the neutral zone and getting off a clean shot.Both goaltenders were spectacular, stopping a combined 62 of 63 shots, Fleury stopping 23/24, and Neuvirth 39/39.Last night marked Neuvirth’s second straight shutout of the “Crosby-less Penguins” and 18th win of the season, tying him with Jim Carey’s 1995-96 rookie 18 win - season.After his sad characterization of Neuvirth as a “shaky” goalie in HBO 24/7 series, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma must be eating crow.The Caps return home to face the improved New York Rangers Friday February 25th.
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Caps Blank Penguins
By Rodger M. Wood
The Caps played tough two way hockey for three periods to shut out arch rival Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in their own version of the Super Bowl at the Verizon Centre Sunday afternoon.While the Penguins had difficulty mounting any offensive attack without star centers Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who were on the sidelines with injuries,the Caps, spurred on by the aggressive play of its second, third, and fourth lines, sent wave upon wave of offensive attackers on Penguin goalie Marc- Andre Fleury, who had to resort to acrobatics to keep the puck from going into the net.Taking advantage of the Penguins not covering up the point, Brooks Laich, assisted by defenseman John Erskine’s slap slot, scored the go ahead and eventual game winning goal at the 18:22 mark of the first period.Center Marcus Johansson victimized the Penguins with a flashy shorthanded goalwhich gave the Caps a 2-0 lead early in the second period.Mike Knuble’s pay off for an injured face and hard work was an empty netter at the end of the game to make the final score 3-0.In his first start since January 18th, Caps Michael Neuvirth blanked the Pens with 22 saves for the Caps first Penguins shutout at home since 1990 – 1991 season.The win didn’t come without any costs as Caps all star defenseman Mike Green took a shot in the head near the end of the first period. While Green said it was only a cut, he didn’t return to the ice in the second period and was under doctor’s observation Monday.The Penguin/Capitals rivalry became even more heated when Penguins Matt Cooke, who has a reputation for dirty play, tried to take Ovie out in the third period with a leg check.Hats off to Caps Matt Bradley for trying to get a piece of Cooke in the last minute of play, but unfortunately, he will have to wait until the end of upcoming road trip before he can exact due process.Earlier in the third period, engaging him in a wrestling match, Wilkes Barre call up Tim Wallace fought Caps David Steckel in an obvious attempt to make Steckel pay for an accidental blind side hit on Sydney Crosby in the Winter Classic.The Caps return to the ice against Pacific Division second place San Jose at home Tuesday night.
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Capitals With Neuvirth Blank The Pens! 3-0
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HBO 24/7 Preview: Washington Capitals / Pittsburg Penguins Road To the NHL Winter Classic
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And You Thought Our Winter Classic Jersey Was Bad...
There has been a bit of talk about the appeal or lack of appeal regarding the Capitals Winter Classic jersey. Take it or leave it, we can all feel better about ours now that the Penguins have unveiled their Winter Classic jersey. They say it was designed by Reebok with input from the league, but somehow I wonder if it was more likely the Ringling Brothers Circus had a hand in this.
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