John Carlson had a very bumpy 2015-16 season as he struggled with injury for the first time in his career as an NHL defenseman. Almost anyone at the start of last October would have told you that Carlson was the Capitals number one defenseman, but is that still the case now?
How exactly did this great American hockey preacher of all things good and free do this year?
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
We all already know that Andre Burakovsky is your favorite Austrian-born, Swedish cinnamon roll, but how exactly did his 2015-16 season on the ice go? Is there possibly one negative thing that can be said about this golden child?
Let’s find out as the 2015-16 player reviews roll on.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Justin K. Aller
First off, apologies for the lack of liveblog last game, I was in attendance for the Game Five victory. We’re back!
The Caps need to win in Pittsburgh tonight to force a Game Seven back home at the Verizon Center.That feat is something they have actually done recently in the postseason, as the 2009 team won Game Six in Pittsburgh on the back of a David Steckel overtime goal.
Brooks Orpik is back in the lineup and I am not excited about it. Pat wrote about Evgeny Kuznetsov’s play this playoffs, so let’s hope he has a break out game points-wise tonight and makes him look real smart.
Liveblog below.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Kyle Mace
The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently engaged in a brutal playoff series, which has featured multiple head shots and two suspensions. Meanwhile, in the American Hockey League, the two organizations’ farm teams are playing each other and things have gotten feisty as well.
Monday during Game Four, Hershey Bears and WBS Penguins players almost brawled during warm-ups, trash talking each other at center ice. According to Chocolate Hockey’s Kyle Mace, Penguins’ forward Tom Sestito tripped Liam O’Brien, looking for a fight. After the game, the rivalry spilled onto social media, with O’Brien verbally eviscerating Sestito on Twitter.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Justin K. Aller
This is about as must-win as a playoff game can get without it being an actual elimination game. Kris Letang is out suspended and Olli Maatta is still out concussed, so the Penguins defense is prime for getting scored on. If the Caps play another game like they did on Monday night, we’ll be coming out of Pittsburgh all tied up 2-2.
Barry Trotz is for some reason playing Mike Weber tonight. He’s going to be terrible and you and I are going to be mad. Let’s hope that we get scoring from all four lines and that Braden Holtby doesn’t stop being Braden Holtby.
Might die of stress. Liveblog below.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Bruce Bennett
The series has moved to Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh all tied up 1-1 after Eric Fehr dispatched the Caps in Game Two at Verizon Center. The Caps are going to have to win a game in Pittsburgh, a place where they went 1-1 during the regular season, if they want to see the Eastern Conference Final.
Brooks Orpik has been suspended by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for 3 games after his late hit to the head on Olli Maata in Game Two. This likely means that Dmitry Orlov will return to the defensive corps and that Matt Niskanen, Karl Alzner and John Carlson are probably all never going to leave the ice.
Let’s get a win eh? Also, NEW SHIRTS! Liveblog below.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Rob Carr
Who is ready for some Game Two action? I may be alone in feeling this, but didn’t Game One feel like it was such a blur? The Caps were able to pull out a 4-3 OT victory on the backs of TJ Oshie and Braden Holtby, after seemingly falling asleep in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Let’s hope for a “60 minute effort” and another big ole W tonight.
The Caps have played the Penguins in 8 playoff series before this one. The Caps have a record of 7-1 in the first game of those series, however the Pens have won 7 out of those 8 series. Statistics show that when you win Game One, you should have around a 68 percent chance at winning the series. Let’s change history and align with statistics, because numbers are cool and fun.
We might have a shakeup in the D-corps tonight. Round Two, Game Two liveblog below.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Bruce Bennett
The match-up all of the marketing people in the NHL were waiting for is upon us. Caps vs Pens. Ovechkin vs Crosby. It’s time for these two teams to rekindle the rivalry that was born 7 years ago when the Pens dispatched our Caps in 7 games. (Side-note, holy moly it’s been 7 years since that series!?)
The winner of this series is going to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Final, the next round doesn’t even matter. I would put a large sum of money on that prediction. You can see who Peter and Ian, along with ya boi Keith, a coin, think will win this series HERE. Just don’t look in the comments and see my prediction though….
We’re back to square one and Game One. Liveblog below.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: @loshie17
This photo should win an award. The Caps wives and girlfriends gathered their babies and toddlers together to watch Game Six. The kids – Stella Alzner, Lyla Oshie, Lucca Carlson, Haley Backstrom, and a few others – were dressed in Caps attire and sat on the couch. I’m pretty sure this is the sole reason why the Caps won.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
Photo: Patrick Smith
The Caps are back in Philadelphia and on this lovely Sunday afternoon we’ll see if they can cash in on their 3rd opportunity to eliminate the Flyers and move on to the 2nd round to face the Pittsburgh Penguins. The effort the Caps put out on Friday was phenomenal and if they can repeat it again tonight, I have a feeling dancing will be going on in the postgame.
The stonewall that is Michal Neuvirth is still in net for the Flyers, Brooks Orpik is still hurt and I just woke up.
Game Six liveblog below.
By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago
