Capitals Challenge Coyotes at Home, Win 4-2
By Pete Silver
OffWing Opinion
WASHINGTON D.C. (January 23) – The Washington Capitals defeated the hard-charging Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 on Saturday night.
Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich (21) goes old school after having his helmet
removed by a Phoenix Coyotes check behind the net. (Pete Silver/OffWing Photo)
Click below for a slideshow of images from Saturday night’s game, and lots more from OffWing Photo!
Caps Score Big Win Over The Devils
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 26: Chris Clark of the Washington Capitals attempts to score on goalie Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils during a NHL hockey game on December 26, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing)
By Allen Clark
OffWing Opinion
WASHINGTON D.C. (December 26) – Tonight the Washington Capitals picked up a big win over the second place NJ Devils. The Caps’s 4-1 win over the Devils moved the Capitals a point ahead of the Devils in first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Alex Ovechkin gave the Caps a 1-0 lead at 4:09 of the first and Matt Bradley made it 2-0 for Washington at 13:54. Late in the first New Jersey’s Rod Pelley scored a goal and the Devils had opportunities to draw even when they benefited from the game’s first four power play chances. But Washington was able to kill each NJ power play opportunity against the Devils extra-man unit that the entered the game with the league’s fourth-best road power play numbers (25.9%).
Nicklas Backstrom’s goal at 9:52 of the second made it 3-1 Caps. Mike Green finished the Caps scoring for the evening when he netted his eighth of the season in the first minute of the third period.
Washington Coach Bruce Boudreau was pleased with the effort, “I think we played a complete game. I thought early in the third period we started to sit back a little bit too much, but then we went back at them and took it to them in the last half of the third. I thought it was a great effort on our part.”
For more photos from tonight’s game click on the image below to view a slideshow.
Following the win the Capitals also announced that they had resigned Alexander Semin to a one-year contract extension. Semin, 25, is in his fifth season in the NHL, all with the Capitals.
Semin has 32 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 29 games this season, tied for third on the team in goals and fourth in points. In 283 career games the 6’2”, 208-pound native of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, has recorded 248 points (122 goals, 126 assists) and already ranks 26th in Capitals history in points.
Semin, who was named to the 2010 Russian Olympic team on Thursday, ranks ninth among active players 25-and-younger in goals and 12th among that group in points.
Washington Capitals Battle Buffalo Sabres 2-0 in Memory of Abe Pollin
By Pete Silver
OffWing Opinion
WASHINGTON D.C. (November 25) — Semyon Varlamov, the Washington Capitals 21-year-old goaltender, recorded his first regular-season shutout by making 25 saves against the Buffalo Sabres in a 2-0 victory Wednesday night that was completed without the Capitals’ star Alex Ovechkin, following a third period ejection for a hard shoulder check called boarding and resulting game misconduct at 3:38.
Defenseman Mike Green (#52) cuts off a pass from Buffalo Sabres’ forward Michael Grier (#25). (Pete Silver/OffWingPhoto.com)
“You lose the most prolific scorer on the planet Earth, which is tough,” said Capitals’ defenseman Brian Pothier. “But you have to kill a 5-minute penalty. As Ovie’s skating off the ice, we’re telling him, ‘We’ve got this one for you.’ He does so much for our team. Every night, he bails us out. We could sure do it for him.”
Ovechkin put the Capitals up 1-0 at 6:24 of the first period, his 17th of the season. Shots came slowly, both teams playing aggressive, trapping defense. There were no penalties in the first two periods.
Alex Ovechkin (#8) scores in the first period to put the Capitals up 1-0 over the visiting Buffalo Sabres. (Pete Silver/OffWingPhoto.com)
Eric Fehr scored the Capitals’ second goal with 6:22 in regulation, redirecting Brendan Morrison’s centering pass.
Foward Eric Fehr (#16) scores at 6:22 of the third period, sealing the Capital’s 2-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. (Pete Silver/OffWingPhoto.com)
Prior to the singing of the National Anthem, there was moment of silence in memory of Mr. Abe Pollin, Capitals owner from 1974 to 1999, who used his own money to build Verizon Center and revitalized the Washington D.C. Chinatown area, along with numerous other real estate improvement projects around the District. Pollin died Tuesday at the age of 85 from a rare brain disease. Funeral services were held Friday and a public memorial service is scheduled on Decemeber 8th at Verizon Center.
Click below for a slideshow of images from Thursday night’s game and more from OffWing Photo.
Caps Drop Pre-Season Game To Buffalo
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 21: Goalie Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals looks on as the puck passes by him from Patrick Kaleta of the Buffalo Sabres during a NHL preseason hockey game on September 21, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)
After last nights 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres I walked away wanting more, not quite able to put my finger on my feelings. After a few more steps it came to me. The last time I was in Verizon Center it was game 5 of the playoffs with the Penguins.
Right…. it is the preseason. Last night was the the first night that Theodore was in the net. We also got a peak at line that included new comer Mike Knuble with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. After the game coach Bruce Boudreau let us in on a little secret saying, “The first time they practiced it (the power play) was this morning… we’ll start practicing that a lot more.”
So it goes in the preseason, the Caps were 0-for-5 on power plays, including a 5 minute power play over the waning minutes of the first period and the beginning of the second. For Buffalo’s part their win came from a pair of goals that came within 11 seconds of each other in the second period.
There are some good things to report. Hockey season will be quickly upon us and the intensity of the players and fans will amp up.
Enjoy a slide show from Monday night’s game below.
Power Plays and Pothier Put Capitals Over Lightning
WASHINGTON D.C. — Tampa Bay entered the Verizon Center on Friday with an abysmal 12 road wins on the season, yet it took blowing a 3-1 first period lead for the Washington Capitals to show up and perform like a team bound for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2009.04.27 Washington, D.C.: Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin (#8) battles Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis (#26) at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday night. (OffWing Photo/Pete Silver).
Through tenacious neutral zone pressure the Lightning managed a 3-3 tie which remained unbroken until 15:30 remaining, when Defender Brian Pothier netted his first goal in over a year, which would be the game-winner. Pothier, who still performs daily exercises for his eyes following a near career-ending check against the boards in January of 2008, was given a standing ovation from the home fans.
“It’s been a while and really feels good,” Pothier said. “I had to hold back the emotion a little bit, but I feel like I’m contributing. To put one in and an important goal was pretty special.”
2009.04.27 Washington, D.C.: Washington Capitals’ Brian Pothier celebrates following his first goal of the season to break a 3-3 tie with 15:30 remaining against the Tampa Bay Lightning, at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday night. (OffWing Photo/Pete Silver).
2009.04.27 Washington, D.C.: Washington Capitals’ head coach Bruce Boudreau responds to questions about the emotional impact of Pothier’s return and what the Capitals must do to prepare for the Stanley Cup playoffs. (OffWing Photo/Pete Silver).
“I just told him 15 months is way too long in between goals,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. “You just think of the mountain the man had to climb. If you guys knew the days he came in — he couldn’t even focus, and he just sat there and he’d bring his kids in and he’d walked around and he’d leave. He practiced for two straight months without getting cleared, and he worked so hard, and to see a little bit of success happen to him tonight was really uplifting.”
The Capitals (now 45-23-7) went on to beat the Lightning 5-3 after Ovechkin’s open-net goal at 6.3 seconds, his 53rd goal this season. Their next game is at the Verizon Center on Wednesday, April 1st, against the NY Islanders (25-41-8).
Who Was That Team In Red On The Ice?
Coach Bruce Boudreau said it best, “We stunk. I’m not sure how I even characterize it, but we got beat to every loose puck, seemed like they had the puck on the power-play for the whole two minutes in our zone every time. I can’t sugar coat it and I can’t find excuses for it.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 1: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals falls onto the ice in front of goalie Craig Anderson of the Florida Panthers during a NHL hockey game on March 1, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)
In the end the Panther’s took the Caps to the shed for a beating, final score was 6-2. The score would have been 6-1, if not for the determination of Alex Ovechkin in the final minute that he was going to score. Down on the ice gave me the opportunity to see the determination in Alex’s eyes, he was absolutely going to score, nothing was going to stop him.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 1: Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals following his goal late in the third period against goalie Craig Anderson of the Florida Panthers during a NHL hockey game on March 1, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)
The photo above is of Alex just after his goal; no trademark fist-pumping, no jump into the boards, or big toothy smile. That goal was for Alex alone. The lack of celebration? Maybe that was for Don Cherry.
Enjoy the slideshow below by clicking on the photo. Then you can click on the square in the lower right hand corner for a full screen slideshow.
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The Green Machine Rolls Over Panthers
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 7: Mike Green of the Washington Capitals celebrates with teammate Jeff Schultz following his third period goal against the Florida Panthers during a NHL hockey game on February 7, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)
“He’s (Mike Green) pretty good,” said Capital’s Coach Bruce Boudreau. “He even played well defensively today.” Green scored the game winner at the beginning of the third period and then put the game out of reach when he scored an empty-net goal late with just over a minute left in play.
Green continued his hot hand by scoring twice in tonight’s game, now the longest goal streak ever by a Washington defenseman, having now scored goals in his last seven straight games. He scored his 18th and 19th goals of the season.
After tonight’s game the Capitals hold a 13-point lead over Florida in the Southeast Division standings, sitting second in the Eastern Conference.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 7: Jose Theodore of the Washington Capitals stops Ville Peltonen of the Florida Panthers from scoring during a NHL hockey game on February 7, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Allen Clark/OffWing Photo)
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For more photos of game action visit our OffWing Photo flickr gallery.
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