The Washington Capitals kicked off their New York road trip with a bang against the Islanders on Saturday night. The Caps took it to the Isles, scoring five unanswered goals in the Metro Division win.
It was a fun night and there haven’t been enough of those lately.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals hung on for dear life against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night and they…well their goaltender’s efforts stole them a point. That third period was a prime example of why New Jersey is where they are in the Eastern Conference standings right now.
Darcy Kuemper has gotta be wondering where his team went for the final twenty minutes.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals had their mini, two-game winning streak halted by the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. The Kings, solidly in the Western Conference playoff picture, beat up all over the Caps in an eventual 4-2 victory.
This was an incredibly ugly effort from the road team.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals played their best hockey of the season in late November and December, when their lineup looked way different from today. On November 29, Caps forwards lined up like this for their late-night, 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks:
Ovechkin – Strome – Sheary
Milano – Kuznetsov – Mantha
Johansson – Eller – NAK
Protas – Dowd – Hathaway
Somehow without Wilson, without Backstrom, and without Oshie, this was the best lineup of the season, and it should serve as a guide on the Caps can best organize themselves for the stretch run.
By Peter Hassett 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals were determined to not be swept in a season series by one of the league’s cellar dwellers in the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. It took them an extra frame but they eventually got the job done 3-2.
That was at least…something.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
In December, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski spoke to Washington Capitals principal owner, Ted Leonsis, about the future of the team. Leonsis was clear: the Caps are not rebuilding.
“We’re not going to rebuild the team [while Alex Ovechkin is here],” Leonsis told Wyshynski. “To me a rebuild is when you look the players, the coaches, the fans in the eye and say ‘we’re gonna be really, really bad.’ And if we were really, really bad, I don’t think Ovechkin would break the record.”
I think that quote perfectly encapsulates Washington’s strategy, which we’ve seen enacted in recent weeks. And we’ll see it much more starkly this summer. I call this strategy the Promise Strategy.
By Peter Hassett 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals took their good vibes from Saturday and almost immediately dunked them into the trash on Sunday. They scored four goals which is a great output of late for them but they also just didn’t play any defense, falling 7-4 to the Buffalo Sabres.
This year’s Caps cannot play like that and win.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals parted company with Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway on Thursday night, signaling that the team will be “retooling“, which is just another word for selling at the trade deadline.
More trades are coming before the deadline hits at 3 PM on Friday March 3, and we have figured out who is most and least likely to go. Gird your loins and find out.
By Peter Hassett 7 months ago
The Washington Capitals squared off with the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. The Ducks came into the game as the NHL’s worst team. They left Capital One Arena with a regulation victory.
Yep. Things are that bad right now.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
After Tuesday’s nigh-unwatchable loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Washington Capitals now sport a 3-7-0 record in their last ten games. This is the worst record in the National Hockey League, tied with the St Louis Blues. Two of Washington’s three wins came after regulation – one from the shootout. Their only win was – improbably – against the Boston Bruins.
The Capitals are very bad right now, and it’s important we understand how.
By Peter Hassett 7 months ago
