Patrick Holden

About Patrick Holden (@russianmachine)

This is a Jakub Vrana appreciation post

Jakub Vrana has been incredible through the Caps’ first 25 games. After scoring 24 goals last season and establishing himself as a legitimate top-six forward, the Vrana of 2019-20 is now making the case that he is a legitimate star with 11 goals in 25 games. Vrana has been so good that, while reasonable minds may disagree, there’s a case to be made that he’s been Washington’s best forward this season.

But we’ll save that debate for another time. For now, this is simply a Jakub Vrana appreciation post.

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By Patrick Holden 3 years ago

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The slingshot isn’t the problem; the Caps powerplay needs better puck movement through neutral

The Caps powerplay hasn’t been good this season. That’s not a particularly new development, as last season the team finished 12th in the league on the PP. While getting Evgeny Kuznetsov back certainly helps, the Caps’ issues while a man up have been less about the personnel and more about the tactics, particularly on zone entries.

In 2015, I tracked 10 games of Caps PP zone entries. At that time, the Caps had consistent success gaining the zone on controlled entries with one particular tactic. A defender (often John Carlson) would pass to the center (often Nick Backstrom) in stride at the defensive blue line. The center would then pass to the right-winger (often Marcus Johansson) streaking down the boards near the offensive blue line.

The Caps have gotten away from this type of puck movement through neutral on the PP, and it’s been a major drag on their zone-entry success. But against Dallas, they showed some signs of better puck movement through the neutral zone, and while it didn’t result in a goal, it did result in more zone time. They should keep it up.

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By Patrick Holden 3 years ago

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Martin Fehervary’s first three NHL games were a success

Early in Capitals Training Camp, it became clear that the Capitals were pleased with the play of prospect Martin Fehervary. Fehervary grabbed the organization’s attention with his skating ability and work ethic. So it wasn’t much of a surprise, with Christian Djoos’ cap hit nearly impossible to keep around, that Fehervary earned a roster spot when Michal Kempny wasn’t ready to start the season.

Unsurprisingly, Fehervary was sent back to Hershey on Sunday with Evgeny Kuznetsov’s salary coming back on the books and Kempny nearing a return. But Fehervary’s three-game stint in DC made it clear why the organization is so high on him. The 2018 second-round pick displayed skills important for a defenseman to have in today’s speed-based game: he skates well, he’s poised with the puck, and he makes a quick and accurate first pass breaking out of the defensive zone.

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By Patrick Holden 3 years ago

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The Caps will find out a lot about their defensive depth with Christian Djoos out

Earlier today, the Caps announced that Christian Djoos is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left thigh. This is obviously bad news for the Caps, as the Caps’ third defensive pair is significantly better with Djoos than without him.

But the Caps can use this time without their fourth best defenseman to find out exactly how workable the rest of their third pair options are. Madison Bowey, Jonas Siegenthaler and, once he’s healthy, Brooks Orpik, will all see more ice time in Djoos’ absence.

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By Patrick Holden 4 years ago

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TJ Oshie could be just what Evgeny Kuznetsov needs

Evgeny Kuznetsov does a lot of things well. He’s one of the most offensively-talented hockey players in the world. But one thing Kuznetsov does not do well is carry the load defensively. And that’s okay and not a harsh criticism of Kuznetsov. No player does everything well and few players do the things they do well as good as Kuznetsov.

But Kuznetsov is a better player when he has good defensive players on his line, and that’s why the Caps new lines with TJ Oshie skating on Kuznetsov’s right wing is a good thing. As Peter wrote about over a year ago, the Caps losing Justin Williams and Marcus Johansson was going to be a tough adjustment for Kuznetsov, as the team fared much better when Kuznetsov skated with these two than without.

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By Patrick Holden 4 years ago

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What could the expansion draft look like for the Caps?

Earlier this month the NHL announced that the league will add its 32nd team for the 2021-22 season, as Seattle has been named the next NHL expansion team. The expansion draft is a long ways off, not taking place until June 2021, so getting a clear picture of who a team might lose in the draft isn’t an easy exercise. However, while a lot can and will change between now and then, we can still look at the Caps’ current roster to get a feel for what things might look like in June 2021.

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By Patrick Holden 4 years ago

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Todd Reirden is correct to play Nic Dowd over Travis Boyd

The Caps have lost two games in a row. Sometimes coaches like to make lineup changes after a loss or two. If Todd Reirden is considering any lineup changes for Thursday’s game against the Coyotes, those changes should not include taking out fourth line center Nic Dowd.

Dowd has seven points in 23 games, just the second time he’s totaled more than three points in a season. While this level of production may not continue, Dowd’s overall play has been significantly better than Travis Boyd, his competition for fourth line center.

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By Patrick Holden 4 years ago

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Tom Wilson’s on fire, but let’s not get carried away

Editor’s note: Here’s an article from our friend Pat Holden, who texts me every time he encounters the number 69 in real life.

Tom Wilson has been on fire since coming back from suspension. In just eight games Wilson has posted six goals and six assists.

It’s safe to say that Wilson won’t continue at a 62-goal pace for the rest of the season. This isn’t a knock on Wilson, who is playing fantastic; it’s just that he won’t maintain a pace that even the best goal scorers in the league can hardly accomplish in today’s NHL. Still, it’s worth considering that perhaps Wilson has made changes to his game that help explain the uptick in offensive production.

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By Patrick Holden 4 years ago

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Dmitrij Jaskin’s defensive abilities have been even better than advertised

Editor’s note: RMNB alumnus/free agent Patrick Holden filed this article. Follow him on Twitter for some nice tweets in your timeline.

When the Caps claimed Dmitrij Jaskin off of waivers in early October, we knew the Caps were getting a depth forward who played a strong defensive game. Jaskin’s play has been so strong in the early going that he’s earned himself ice time higher on the depth chart and will be a hard guy for Todd Reirden to sit even once the team is back at full strength. While he will ultimately best fit into the bottom-six over the long-haul, it’s hard to overstate just how strong Jaskin’s defensive game has been over the first month of the season.

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By Patrick Holden 4 years ago

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Holtby holds strong and then Vrana excels: numbers for the morning after

Thanks to a productive third period, the Caps took a 3-2 series lead over the Pens on Saturday night. Jake Vrana was promoted to and produced on the first line, and Braden Holtby held down the fort as his team got pinned in for extended periods, particularly during the second frame.

The Pens out-shot the Caps 27-26 and out-attempted them 55-44 at five-on-five.

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By Patrick Holden 5 years ago

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