RMNB | Russian Machine Never Breaks

Caps Prospect Filip Forsberg Named HockeyAllsvenskan’s Best Under-20 Player

Washington Capitals 2012 first round pick, Filip Forsberg, received a prestigious honor today. The forward was named the best under-20 player of the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan. Forsberg, who finished the season with 14 goals, 17 assists, and a plus-minus of plus-14, also captained the Swedish World Junior Championship team which won the silver medal this year and did the Gangnam Style dance multiple times to utter perfection.

“Lots of players have played well in the league, but of course I’m really happy to win the award,” Forsberg was quoted by the league and translated by friend-of-the-blog Jake Ware. “I’m a bit shocked as the competition was tough. I though Mikael Wikstrand was the favorite with all the points he’s put up.”

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By Ian Oland 9 years ago

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The Alex Ovechkin Pass That Summed Up The Night

GIF by welshhockeyfan

Ten minutes into tonight’s game, I lost all hope of the Capitals winning. It wasn’t the two goals the Caps gave up in the first 4:04 (unlucky goals on broken plays). No, what made me despair was this one terrible pass by Alex Ovechkin that revealed how crummy everyone else was playing. As Ovi curled around the Flyers net, he sent a lackadaisical, no-look backhand pass to …no one. The pass went 185 feet down the ice until Braden Holtby came out of his net to play it. Basically the opposite of how it’s supposed to go.

The Capitals played nearly flawless hockey in Tuesday’s 3-0 shutout of Carolina, but that doesn’t mean that they can come out against the Flyers a night later and play like decapitated poultry. They lacked effort and focus in Philadelphia. As Neil stated earlier, last night’s victory only improved the Caps chances of making the playoffs to 19%. They have a lot of work to do.

In the below video, in which a certain NBC professional blowhard lays into Ovechkin for the zillionth time, please ignore him and focus on the replays.

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By Ian Oland 9 years ago

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Flyers beat Caps 4-1, Grubauer Plays His First NHL Game

Photo credit: Elsa

Washcaps Philaflyers. Last game good. This game less good. Make words hurt so use less. Puck not in good net. Puck in bad net. Giroux make goal. Simmonds make goal. Gagne make goal. Maxbag Talbutt make goal. Ward make goal make Bryz sad. Groooooooooooo.

Flyers beat Caps 4-1.

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By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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Capitals Recall Philipp Grubauer from Hershey Bears

Photo credit: Kyle Mace of Sweetest Hockey On Earth

Bears goalie Philipp Grubauer has been called up from AHL Hershey. Braden Holtby has started the last seven games (posting a .940 Sv%), but Wednesday’s game would have been Michal Neuvirth’s most likely opportunity to start in more than two weeks. Mike Vogel reports Neuvy is ill.

This will be Grubauer’s first assignment in the NHL. Caps asistant goalie coach Olie Kolzig told RMNB last month that Grubauer is ready:

He really played fantastic. He played the way he’s played the last two years. He looks like he’s been there, done that. He’s very calm in the net. He made three or four huge saves (Saturday), was great in the shootout, and after the game you couldn’t tell it was first AHL win. He’s only lost one game in regulation since the end of November. This guy knows how to win.

Grubi will wear #31. Press relase below.

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By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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Alex Semin’s Return to DC in 28 Photos

Photo credit: @SuzanneKang

For the first time in 290 days, Alex Semin, the 5th greatest goal scorer in Washington Capitals history, was back in his old barn. Now wearing visitors white, the 28-year-old forward was booed each time he touched the puck. Despite four shots on goal, Semin finished the game without a goal.

Here are my 28 favorite Semin-related photos from the night.

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By Ian Oland 9 years ago

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Alex Semin’s Two-Part English Interview With Tripp Tracy

Happy Sasha. (Photo credit: @megab23)

Ahead of tonight’s reunion game against the Caps, Alex Semin sat down with Carolina Hurricanes color guy Tripp Tracy for a two-part English interview. It’s totally awkward.

For those worrying Tripp would nail Semin with incisive, hard-hitting questions like “Are your shoes comfortable?“, you may now relax. Instead, Tracy tossed up softballs like “What do you think of your teammates?” and “Do you enjoy Carolina?”

Hey, you guys don’t think there was any collusion between Tracy and Carolina PR following Troy Brouwer’s unkind words, do you? Naw! Tracy probably came up with “your teammates are clearly the most important relationship to you” all on his own.

With immense thanks to welshhockeyfan and Tom Kaz, videos and transcript are below.

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By Ian Oland 9 years ago

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Caps beat Canes 3-0, How Good is Braden Holtby?

Awko taco (Photo credit: Patrick McDermott)

Everyone, including us, made a big deal about Alex Semin coming back to DC. But the star of Tuesday’s match-up between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes wasn’t Sasha, it was the man, the legend, Joe Corvo.

Just kidding. That guy sucks.

The Caps put up a ton of offense from unlikely guys, including Erskine and Carlson — and also Backstrom, from whom goals have been scarce of late. The Caps took over possession in the second period and didn’t relent, firing a season-high 40 shots. On the other end of the ice, Braden Holtby was perfect. Great Caps hockey.

Caps beat Canes 3-0.

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By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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O HAI Alex Semin

You’ve all seen Troy Brouwer’s comments about Alex Semin. Brouwer echoed Matt Bradley, David Steckel, Michal Neuvirth, Pierre McGuire, Marc Crawford, and sarcastic Peter Hassett: Semin is a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get from that enigmatic Sasha Minor.

We’re not here to re-litigate it, even if we have minor quibbles about the substance of his argument.

The fact remains: Semin is back in town, and we all gotta pretend like we’re not emotional basketcases for the next few hours.

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By Ian Oland 9 years ago

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Carolina Hurricanes Pregame: Return of Sasha (PuckBuddys Preview)

[Ed. note:Today, the latest member of the PuckBuddys team hits the ice. Jason Rogers currently hangs his hat in Virginia, has studied in Paris and worked in China (always one step ahead of Interpol). But where ever he is in the world he’s a Caps fan through and through. He knows the game and we’re not holding that against him. Jason currently sports #8 – and the “C” – playing center for the Manassas Sperm Whales. Srsly. Give him a follow on twitter.]

Morning Skate: Well, Saturday’s game against the Devils sure was fun to watch, no? Alex Ovechkin bowled a Magician, and the whole team clearly ate their morning Oates with breakfast. It was a real big-boy win against the defending Eastern Conference champions for this Caps team, and like a really nice yard with an unmarked septic field, hopefully something they can build on. Today, Southeast Division rival Carolina Hurricanes blow into town like a hot, smelly belch from the South. I hope they brought illegal fireworks.

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By Doug Johnson 9 years ago

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Important: John Carlson Has Cut His Hair

John Carlson has had an ugly season. Sure, he’s got the third-worst goals-against count in the league, but that’s not the true source of the ugliness. No, we’re talking about the untamed tresses flowing down Carlson’s back. The hairstyle that says, “whatever, I’m a pro-hockey player and I can totally pull this off– no don’t look at Brooks look over here please.” We’re talking about this:

Oh thank god that’s over now.

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By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

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February 2013