Caps Take Night Off Against Tampa!
By Rodger M. Wood
I’m tired seeing our Caps get pushed around, beaten up, and bullied. I'm starting to believe they’re not tough enough to beat teams that rough them up.Little 5-11, 191 Steve Downey, Ryan Malone, and Mattias Ohlund intimidated and beat our superstars last night at Tampa 3-0, in what was not a contest. The loss put the Caps two points behind the upstart first place Lightning in the Southeast Division.I don’t care that the Caps played the night before at Florida. They took half that game off too, having to come back from 3-0 deficit, only to lose 4-3 in overtime.In the Tampa game, Alex O. broke five sticks, fell down twice on breakaways, was knocked down by Ohlund a couple times, and generally looked like he should be on a life support system, and he did't look much better the night before against Florida. There’s something wrong with our hero, he’s too unexplainably inconsistent in his play this season to be at peak strength.
With John Erskine a healthy scratch against Tampa, the Caps bite was up in the stands wishing he could help out his teammates. Matt Bradley and DJ King are hurt, which doesn’t help either.Coach Boudreau has tied everything. He’s shaken up the forward lines. Now he should damn the torpedoes and go full speed ahead giving the hard working Matt Johansson, Matt Hendricks, Dave Steckel, Jay Beagle and Eric Fehr the lion’s share of the ice time. Reward those who give you a 100 % and produce on the ice. Maybe the other players will wake up.In the meanwhile, GM George McPhee should see if he can trade for a few players with the heart to make our guys tough enough to regain their focus on a Stanley Cup run, if that is still possible now. He missed the boat not getting Dwayne Rolanson from the Islanders for a 5th round Pick before he shut out the Caps Twice in successive starts forTampa.
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Random Shot: Caps vs. Panthers... Again!
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Caps Down Panthers 3-2
By Rodger M. Wood
Alex O showed definite signs of getting his scoring touch back, scoring the winning goal and skating with abandon in the Capitals 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers last night at the Verizon Center.It was a superstar goal! – Alex O flew down the left wing with Panthers defenseman Bryan McCabe hanging on his tail, cut in front of the net, was tripped and while falling, shot the puck through three hole behind the goalie Scott Clemmensen into the net. The goal immediately restored your belief in Alex O’s greatness.Eric Fehr and Mike Green combined again to score and assist on the tying and go ahead goal late in the second and third periods. That is Fehr’s sixth point in the past six games. Green’s goal was a much overdue power play goal.Semyon Varlamov started his fourth straight game in the Capitals nets, stopping 25 of 27 shots and shutting down the Panthers with a goal until the last minute of the 3rd Period, when on a 6-4 man advantage, Panthers Dadonov made it 3-2. Varlamov has allowed only 4 goals in the past 4 games.With all teams reving up their engines for a midseason playoff burst, Caps are a point behind Southeast Division Lightning for a first place automatic berth, and five points from falling to the conference 9th place and missing out on the playoffs. They can’t let up from their 6-0-2 streak going into Tuesday rematch against the Panthers.
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Defense In the Caps Favor!
By Rodger M. Wood
Even after they lost 1-0 to their new Southeast Division rival Tampa Bay Lighting in overtime this past Tuesday and fell out of first place, Versus commentator Brian Engblom said, “I like the Caps chances in the playoffs now that they havelearned to play defense.”Indeed, defense has been the name of the Caps game lately. Since ending their 8-game losing streak with a win at Ottawa 3-2, the Caps shut down the Devils 5-1, lost to Penguins 3-2 in an overtime shootout, shut out the Canadiens 3-0, beat the Penguins 3-1 in the Winter Classic, and lost to the Lightning 1-0 in overtime. They’ve allowed 8 goals in 6 games, an outstanding average of 1.33 per game.Although Lightning GM Steve Yzerman may have pulled off a coup getting the veteran goalie, Dwayne Rolonson from the Islanders, the Caps have been getting Stanley Cup goal tending from its rookie goalies tandem of Michael Neuvirth (2.58 average and .911 save %) and Semyon Varlamov (2.09 ave and .925 save %) during its 5-0-2 streak the past 7 games.Jeff Schultz is back on the blue line teaming with Mike Green, Scott Hannan is taking hold, and John Erskine is playing the best defense of his career. Rookie defensive pairing of John Carlson and Karl Alzner is hyped by Washington press as the Caps stop combination on Crosby, Stamkos, and other top opposition lines. The defense has been doing so well, Coach Boudreau made defenseman John Erskine, whose toughness, scoring, and heart as of late have ignited the Caps, a healthy scratch against Tampa.The Winter Classic was a win and a half for the Caps. Before the game, Mike Milbury slammed Alex O as “Peck’s Bad Boy” and made the Caps out to be bad guys, while making Crosby and the Penguins look like the good guys.They went on to compare the Winter Classic contest to the blood baths the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings played in the 1950s and the contest between Crosby and Alex O. to the battle that went on between Gordie Howe and the Rocket Richard every time they played against each other.
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CapitalPowerPlay Wallpaper: January 2011
Our January installment of the CapitalPowerPlay.com, monthly computer desktop and iPhone/iPod Touch wallpapers. Every month we will make a new wallpaper available for download in various standard resolutions.This month we showcase Semyon Varlamov for standing on his head during the Winter Classic!
Download: Computer Screen Resolutions1980x1320 Widescreen1280x852 Widescreen1024x768 Standard
Download: iPhone Screen Resolution320x480 iPhone
Wallpapers are provided for personal use as a computer desktop wallpaper.Capitalpowerplay.com images by PhotoByThom.com are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Alex Ovechkin Takes On Russian Dolls: I'm Glad I'm Not One Of The Dolls
Sweet Winter Classic Victory
Caps’ Defense Shutout Canadiens 3-0
By Rodger M. WoodStill smarting from playoff elimination by them last spring, the Washington Capitals showed their nemesis Montreal Canadiens they had learned how to play playoff hockey again in their 3 – 0 shutout of them last night at the Verizon Center.Working Coach Boudreau’s new mid ice checking patterns, and better keeping the puck In the opponents end of the ice, while supported by Semyon Varlamov’s 25-shot shutout goaltending, the Capitals displayed a defensive style of hockey, which they can practice in the Winter Classic against the Penguins New Year Day and perfect before Stanley Cup playoffs begin again in mid - April.Hershey call up, and Caps 10th center in 2010, Jay Beagle scored the lead goal, assisted by Eric Fehr and Matt Hendricks at 16.20 of the first period.Coach Boudreau was impressed with Beagle’s play since call up, “There’s a guy that’s making a bid to stay here. It’s his 4th year pro and his work ethic is second to none.”Continuing 2-game goal scoring streaks, Mike Green put the Caps up 2-0 with 38 seconds remaining in the first period, and Alex the Great netted an empty netter at the game’s end.Hats off to right winger Eric Fehr whose energy and hard grinding play with line mates Jay Beagle and Matt Hendricks lit up the ice against Montreal.Out 9 games with a fractured thumb, it was good to see defenseman Jeff Schultz back protecting the Caps blue line.
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Caps Unofficial Victory Anthem
Alex O Returns to Form in Caps 3-2 Win!
By Rodger M. WoodSlumping without a goal in 8 straight games, Alex O erupted with the game winner and an assist at Carolina last night.Early in the second period, he assisted on Dave Steckel’s 4th goal of the season to give the Caps a 2-1 lead, and five minutes later, assisted by Mike Green, scored the 3-2 game winner, his 13th of the season.At 13.33 of the first period, assisted by Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin,rookie Mathieu Perreault netted his 5th goal of the season, giving the Caps an early 1-0 lead.
Less than five minutes later, Carolina monster man, defenseman Tim Gleason gave the diminutive 165 pound Perreault a vicious elbow cheap shot “thank you” for the goal, which put both players out of the game, Perreault with a game ending head injury and Gleason with a charging game misconduct.Hats off to Caps Matt Hendricks, who took Gleason on after the cheap shot and to center, Dave Steckel for his hard 3rd line play and face offs game in and game out.The Caps play Montreal at home Tuesday.
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Caps Take Penguins to Overtime Shootout
By Rodger M. WoodThe hard play of veteran forward Alex Ovechkin and defenseman Mike Green ignited Caps teammates to play their best game of the season against Sidney Crosby and his hard charging Pittsburgh Penguins before a capacity crowd at the Verizon Center last night.Alex O’s hard check on Evevgi Malkin in the first minute of play set the tone for the game, telling opposing Penguins he and the Caps were there to play them tough.Making bone breaking checks on Penguins forwards Crosby, Malkin, and other opposing forwards, while playing 31+ minutes of strong defense, veteran Cap defenseman, Mike Green made sure the Penguins got Alex O’s message.Midway through the second period, Green topped his strong defensive effort off with a goal to tie the game 1-1, and midway through overtime, appeared to have stuffed the game winning goal behind Penguins goalie Marc Andre Fleury, only to have the goal disallowed on review.
Killing a penalty at the 14.31 mark of the third period, Caps center Brooks Laich, set up Mike Knuble’s shorthanded goal to tie the game at 2-2.Throughout the game, Caps newly acquired stay at home defenseman, Scott Hannan added a steadying Influence in front of rookie goaltender, Michael Neuvirth, who seemed to thrive under the game’s pressure, stopping 25 shots, and Malkin’s unnerving penalty shot In the second period.While the Caps had their opportunities to win on 5-3 and other man advantages situations, the game was a 2-2 tie at the end of overtime, forcing the Caps and Penguins into a shootout to decide this hard fought contest.Scoring on the Caps first shootout try, Alex O. gave the home team a chance to win, but Penguin defenseman Kris Letang tied it next frame, and Dupuis won it for the Penguins in the seventh frame.While the Caps got only a point in the standings for all their effort, the Caps’ hard play showed the visiting team the bite, which will make the Winter Classic Game a “must game” for all hockey fans on New Years Day.
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Caps Youngsters Beat Devils 5-1
By Rodger M. WoodCaps rookies and a couple grinders showed our slumping veterans how to play the game last night in the Caps 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils.Looking a lot like mentor, Niklaus Backstrom, rookie Marcus Johansson set up rookie line mate, Andrew Gordon for his first NHL goal near the end of the first period to give the Caps a 1-0 lead.Veteran Versus commentator and NHL defensemen, Brian Engblom described young Johansson as “the best player on the ice.”At the 10 minute mark of the second period, rookie Jay Beagle came through for the home team with his second NHL ever goal, grinders, Dave Steckel and Matt Bradley assisting.Two minutes later at the 12.39 mark, veteran 3rd liner Jason Chimera flew up the ice to turn on the goal light for a Caps 3-1 lead, this time young Gordon and rookie defenseman John Carlson assisting.Two minutes later, at the 12.39 mark, veteran 3rd liner Jason Chimera flew up the ice to turn on the light for a Caps 3-1 lead, this time young Gordon and rookie defenseman John Carlson assisting.Carlson scored his own goal on a drop pass from Alex O. at the 16.31 mark of thesecond period, and veteran Mike Knuble, assisted by Tom Poti and Brooks Laich, scored midway through the 3rd period for a 5-1 victory.Twelve different Caps were involved in the scoring last night. Engblom was also impressed with the Caps third and fourth lines, whom he said could make the Capitals champions once Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green start putting the puck in the net again.Let’s hope those players start popping those goals in tomorrow night against Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in their final tune up before the Winter Classic on New Year Day.
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Caps End Eight Game Losing Streak
by Rodger M. WoodPlaying with the passion of a champion against Ottawa away last night, the Caps scored three goals in the second period to come back from a first period 2-0 deficit to beat the Senators, end their 8-game losing streak and reclaim first place in the Southeast Division. Mathieu Perreault tallied twice, Eric Fehr once, while Alex O, still unbelievingly snake bit, had an apparent goal waved off in the second period for kicking the puck into the net.In their previous two games, the Caps came close at home losing 2-1 against the Anaheim Ducks in overtime, and 3-2 against the Boston Bruins away. In the Ducks game, Brooks Laich and Alex O. were robbed of goals, when a stubborn puck stopped still on the goal line before being batted away by a Ducks defender, and another went in the nets an instant after the second period had ended. The Bruins withstood a ferocious Capitals 26 shot third period barrage to win.The Caps have been playing without their leading goal scorer Alexander Semin, and top plus/minus defenseman, Jeff Schultz. The Caps play New Jersey at home Tuesday night, hopefully ready to resume their championship play for win #2 in a row, and with D.J. King suited up to beat the daylights out of the Devils’ bully, who pummeled our young rookie Swede, Marcus Johansson to the ice from behind in October.
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Tim Thomas Speaks After Bruins Defeat the Caps 3-2
Caps put forth a tremendous effort in the third period with over 25 shots on Thomas, but couldn't overcome the three first period goals by the bruins.