A month and three days ago, the Washington Capitals lost one of their best players when Mikhail Grabovski injured his ankle after being taken down from behind by New Jersey Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador.
It was a long rehab for Grabo. After missing 8 games, the Belarusian center returned in the Caps’ first game back after the Olympics. His first shift was basically a disaster.
On Thursday, Traktor Chelyabinsk released a long interview with Washington Capitals prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov. It covers a wide range of topics. It’s essentially a goodbye from the club.
Kuznetsov speaks about his impending to move to the NHL, saying, “I don’t think it’s a secret for anybody.” He also says that he and his wife will live with Alex Ovechkin when they arrive in Washington. It also appears that Traktor’s final home game on March 4th (next Tuesday) is going to have special significance. Kuznetsov says he is inviting all of his friends to the game and half-jokingly asks to be captain just for that night — saying it would be a dream come true.
With Kuznetsov making such a big deal out of the team’s final regular season game in Chelyabinsk, it also seems to indicate that he may have a deal of some sort to skip the Nadezhda Cup, the KHL’s “loser” tournament for teams that don’t make the playoffs.
Igor Kleyner has a partial translation of the article.
It has been 19 days since a Caps game! Nineteen days! My memory is faltering. The names and faces are starting to blend together. Brooks Brouwer and Jason Johansson, right? No? Okay, maybe a refresher course is needed.
With 23 games left in the rego (yes, that word is sticking around) season, the Capitals sit precariously on the playoff bubble. Alex Ovechkin is blowing up nets, but the team as a whole is struggling. General manager George McPhee, rumored to be in the final year of his contract, has less than a week to improve his team before the trade deadline. Head coach Adam Oates has a wealth of information about his players that seems to be– at least partially– in conflict with how he has marshaled them thus far. And somewhere over the ocean, there’s a youngster with a visa and some unknown date circled on his calendar.
We’re going to get a lot of answers over the next few weeks. Those answers will tell us who this team truly is, so now seems like the right time to remind ourselves what the questions are.
By Peter Hassett 10 years ago
Washington Capitals top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov returned to action following KHL Olympic break on Wednesday as Traktor Chelyabinsk faced reigning champions Dynamo Moscow in a Gagarin Cup re-match. Traktor, still battling for a postseason spot, gave the champions a battle but fell 5-3 in a high scoring affair.
Despite being one of the best players on the ice, Kuznetsov was unable to snap his goalless streak, now at 12 games (his last goal came on November 28th). But at least he keeps racking up the assists.
By 10 years ago
You’re in for a treat. During the Olympic break, Swedish television’s Viasat ran a feature on Washington Capitals center (and gold-medal-game pariah) Nicklas Backstrom. Reporter Frida Nordstrand visited Backstrom’s hometown of Valbo to explore the roots of Washington’s quietest superstar. Nordstrand pored through old photos, talked to Nicky’s family and friends, and revealed more of Backstrom’s personality than we’ve ever seen before.
In the 13-minute clip we learn that Nick used to sleep in his skates, how he came about that trademark humility, and what it’s like to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Also, his hometown named a rink after him. It’s called Nickback. Yeah. Nickback.
Translated by F.O.T.B. Magnus Cadelin, we’ve got the video and full transcript below.
By Ian Oland 10 years ago
Happy hump day, humans. I was on Ball Hogs Radio last night. I joined the dudes to revisit the mess that was Olympic hockey, talk about Ryan Miller and what moves GMPH would make, take a stab at the team’s chances to make the postseason, and a whole of other stuff that made me look like Oscar the Grouch. It was a lot of fun anyway.
Thanks to Adam and the guys for having me on!
By Peter Hassett 10 years ago
Photo: Aftonbladet
One of our most read articles during the Sochi Olympics had nothing to do with hockey, which I guess at this point is business as usual. The day RMNB readers saw photos of Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson biking around Sochi in their suits, apparently a few ovaries exploded. Certainly, lulz were shared by all.
Hey, guess what, you guys. Since I love you, Friend of the blog Magnus Cadelin and I plundered the darkest corners of the Swedish interweb to find you more photos – and *gasp* – a GIF too!
It doesn’t disappoint.
When the Washington Capitals are defeated in the playoffs, everyone in DC becomes miserably miserable. We leave cranky comments on stories, kvetch on talk radio, and demand someone be held accountable. I’m sure some of that stuff happens in Sweden too, but take a look at this photo taken in Stockholm on Sunday night.
Ovechkin takes a break during Tuesday’s practice. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster)
Backstrom answers questions at Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Tuesday. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster)
The Caps sent five players to the Olympics. None of them accomplished their ultimate goal, and only one (Marcus Johansson) appears likely to come away with a medal.
The Sochi games were most disastrous for Washington’s two best players, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin.
On Tuesday morning, Backstrom and Ovechkin talked to the DC media for the first time since their disappointments, holding successive press conferences at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.
“It’s been a couple tough days,” Backstrom said at the start of a media availability that became combative at times. “I don’t wish no one to have to go through this. It’s not fun.”
By Chris Gordon 10 years ago
Yesterday, something terrible happened on Little Falls Road in Arlington. Jennifer Lawson, a 39-year-old mother of three, was struck and killed by a dump truck outside Nottingham Elementary School. She was helping one of her kids in or out of her minivan.
According to local residents interviewed by NBC 4, cars speed through the area all the time. One of those locals was Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, who wants speed bumps added to slow traffic down. The TV crew didn’t seem to know who he was.
By Chris Gordon 10 years ago
