By now we all know Matt Hendricks has Serious Shootout Skills. But the shootout is a gimmick, a sideshow that decides games for no good reason except to entertain fans. The shootout never really meant much… until tonight.
The Capitals held practice after taking their 2011-12 team picture on Monday. Practice wasn’t too serious though, and Matt Hendricks thought it was the right time to teach Mathieu Perreault the finer points of fighting. Notice how he manhandles Perry and Carlson and uses the a headbutt to finish them off.
Here’s hoping Perry never decides to drop the gloves in an actual NHL game.
Also see: John Carlson/Jay Beagle Mock Fight
S/T to @phaceoffhockey for the video and unibrouw.tumblr.com for posting it!
GIF by welshhockeyfan.tumblr.com
While the glove kiss remains Alex Ovechkin’s first reaction to scoring, we’ve seen him add new flourishes over the years. There’s jumping into the glass and the hot stick fiasco, and now it’s time to add a new item to the list: the belly pat.
We like to think of it as the gestural companion to “attaboy”, something that a four year-old boy who just learned how to eat with a fork might do when he’s pleased with himself. It’s a thing of joy, of bravado, of that precise brand of smugness that makes Ovi so lovable to his fans and so infuriating to everyone else.
Photo credit: Evan Vucci
Alex Ovechkin has played the point on the power play for most of his entire seven-year NHL career. During that time, using his heavy rocket of a shot, the Capitals prized left-winger has tallied 111 goals with the extra man – for an average of 16 per season.
Unfortunately, Ovechkin has also found himself on the wrong side of a lot of shorthanded opportunities over the years as well. Using a forward at the point can be risky, and the statistics tell the tale: the Caps have given up nine shorthanded goals this season, fourth most in the NHL.
Former NBC Washington sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak moved on to Bristol, Conneticut nearly a year ago, to be an anchor on SportsCenter. This week she returned to her old stomping grounds to do a feature story on Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin. Among the things discussed are how Ovi and tennis star Maria Kirilenko first met, Ovi’s response to the Washington Post’s critical story on him published eight games ago, and what he needs to do to take the next step in his career.
The money quote? “I won Stanley Cups on computer games,” Ovi says of hockey’s greatest team award. “Of course I have dreams about it. The most important thing to me right now is to win the Stanley Cup. It’s not to score 60 goals. It’s not to score 100 points. The only thing is the Cup.”
How Swede this news is! (Photo via dumpnchase.com)
Nicklas Backstrom has missed the last 37 games — almost half of the season — dealing with concussion symptoms after Rene Bourque elbowed him in the head on January 3rd. But after skating by himself for 10 of the last 11 days, Backstrom was cleared to practice today with his teammates without any restrictions. If all goes well, the Capitals number one center could return before *gasp* the end of the regular season.
“It’s good sign for us,” Ovechkin told the media at Kettler after practice “Everybody knows we miss him. He’s that kind of guy we need right now. So I hope he’s going to be OK and he going to help us in these kind of games.”
Once in game shape and ready to return, Backstrom will have to pass a neuropsychological test and then be cleared by a doctor according to team trainer Greg Smith.
After blowing a three-goal lead against Winnipeg last night, this is exactly the kind of lift the team needed. In the Caps first 39 games of the season, Backstrom was the team’s MVP, averaging more than a point per game. In fact, he was on pace to tally 90-plus points, which would have been his second best season in the NHL — all sorely needed offense for a team that lacks center depth.
Below, I’ve transcribed Backstrom’s full comments to the Caps media today.
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett
With eight games left in the regular season and the Capitals struggling to hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, every standings point matters. So when the Caps were unable to break a 1-1 tie with the Flyers after 60 minutes of regulation and a five-minute overtime, the shootout carried high stakes.
Enter Matt Hendricks.
Dale Hunter selected Hendy as the Capitals first shooter. The Blaine, Minnesota native did not disappoint. Hendricks used his patented move, this time baiting Ilya Bryzgalov to pokecheck. Bryz missed, allowing yet another highlight-reel shootout goal for the team’s leader in penalty minutes. Video is below the jump.
Photo credit: Bill Smith
With the Capitals down 4-1 to the Blackhawks late in the second period, Alex Ovechkin carried the puck solo into the Blackhawks’ zone. With three defending players marking him, Ovechkin didn’t wait for his teammates; he did it Rambo-style. The Russian machine dipped his shoulder, slid the puck between his skates, and walked around one of the NHL’s best defensemen, Duncan Keith. He finished the sequence by putting the puck over Corey Crawford’s left pad to score.
Video is below the jump.
This is a legal hit in Canada.
Heading into tonight’s game, there was no doubt that the Jets’ season was on the line. With a loss, they would fall six points behind the Capitals for the eighth and final playoff spot — all but essentially eliminating them from the playoff race. “These are games that define your team,” Evander Kane told The Washington Times’ Stephen Whyno. “And we’re going to see what we’re made of.” Sure are.
Predictably, the Jets came out fired-up and scored first. Andrew Ladd tallied his 24th goal of the season on literally a magical backhander. 22 seconds later, the Capitals responded, as Marcus Johansson perfectly placed a slap-pass onto Brooks Laich’s blade and watched him tip it in past a helpless Ondrej Pavelec.
Late in the second period, the Jets regained the lead as Nik Antropov out-worked Ovechkin to the front of the net to flip one past Vokoun. Mathieu “I’m teeny tiny like a leprechaun” Perrault managed to tie the game again on a third period power play. Unfortunately, Dustin Byfuglien and his big rear were too much to handle. Jets beat Caps, 3-2.
Apparently, Winnipeg Jets fans have a short memory.
Oh, you Canadiens. You’re so very clever. Next Friday though, it’s on.
S/T to @whistler and The Pensblog for initially posting the video.
