Home / Page 2
Caps beat Hawks 6-1 in John Carlson’s return

The Washington Capitals positively washed the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Chicago goalie Anton Khudobin served Conor Sheary a free goal to start us off, then Anthony Mantha pounced on a loose puck in the slot, making it 2-0 after one period.

Nic Dowd scored his 13th of the season in the second period, and Nicklas Backstrom piled on with a power-play freebie in front of the Chicago net.

John Carlson scored during a power play early in the third period, but then Nikita Zaitsev got a screened shot past Darcy Kuemper to end the shutout. Alex Ovechkin scored an unassisted breakaway goal in the final five minutes.

Caps win 6-1!

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 2 days ago

3 Comments

Read More



Capitals vs Blackhawks live analysis and updates (March 23, 2023)

This is your place to check for updates and comment along with the Washington Capitals vs. Chicago Blackhawks game on March 23, 2023.

The Washington Capitals are back in action after (embarrassingly) falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-6 (and making my son cry all the way back to the metro).

The Caps will get John Carlson back in the lineup for the first time since December 23 – though it’s debatable if that’s a good thing for the team in the moment.

Tonight’s game is on NBC Sports Washington. Puck drop is a little after 7 pm. It’s Women In Hockey Night.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 days ago

0 Comment

Read More

How to buy the Washington Capitals’ new cherry blossom merchandise

The Washington Capitals announced a line of cherry-blossom-inspired merchandise on Wednesday, designed by DC artist Taylor Kampa Olson. The design features a navy and pink Capitals logo, framed by hand-drawn renditions of DC’s iconic blossoms.

Players will wear the special jerseys in warmups on April 2nd against the New York Rangers, with the jerseys then going up for auction to benefit the MSE Foundation.

Though the jerseys won’t see a wide release, fans can purchase hats, tees, and sweatshirts with Kampa Olson’s artwork. The merchandise will release between now and April 2nd, with some already available.

Here’s a guide on where you can get your own cherry blossom Caps gear.

(more…)

By Katie Adler 2 days ago

4 Comments

Read More

The pros and cons of John Carlson playing again this season

When John Carlson took a 90-mph slap shot to the side of the head in late December, there were immediate fears for the defenseman’s well-being and concerns that he may never play hockey ever again. Carlson was immediately transported to the hospital during the third period where he was diagnosed with a fractured skull and severed temporal artery.

Three months and after a lot of hard work later, there is good news to report: Carlson’s career will continue and he will make his incredible return to the Capitals against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Carlson’s return is worth celebrating but it comes at a pivotal moment for the Capitals where the landscape of the team has greatly shifted. The Capitals were firmly in playoff position in late December when John was last in the lineup, but their play cratered in the months following. GM Brian MacLellan signaled the team was throwing in the towel when it dealt five veteran players at the trade deadline, but head coach Peter Laviolette is still gunning for a playoff spot despite all odds.

With 10 games remaining in the Capitals’ season, an uncomfortable question must be posed: Is a John Carlson comeback even worth it this season?

For Carlson personally: the obvious answer is yes. But for the Capitals as a team, the answer is much less clear.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 days ago

3 Comments

Read More

Ivan Miroshnichenko scores game-tying goal for Omsk Hawks in MHL playoffs

Washington Capitals top forward prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko is back on the scoresheet in Russia. The 19-year-old offensive powerhouse got his first taste of regular KHL action this season with Avangard Omsk, scoring his first three goals in the league but has returned to the organization’s junior affiliate for their playoff run.

Miroshnichenko has gotten into five postseason games for the Omsk Hawks and put away his first goal in their Thursday matchup with Tolpar. He has four points (1g, 3a) in those five games.

(more…)

By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago

0 Comment

Read More



Capitals send Zach Fucale and Gabriel Carlsson down to Hershey Bears

The Washington Capitals announced on Thursday afternoon that they have sent goaltender Zach Fucale and defenseman Gabriel Carlsson back to the Hershey Bears.

The moves come as both John Carlson and Darcy Kuemper are ready to make their respective returns from injury against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Capitals needed an open roster spot to be able to activate Carlson from long-term injured reserve.

(more…)

By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago

1 Comment

Read More

Jakub Vrana says Capitals trading him was unexpected and tough to accept: ‘I thought I would get more opportunity’

The Washington Capitals are set to miss the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Led by head coach Peter Laviolette since 2020, the Capitals have become the oldest and least durable team in the league, struggling to put full games together. They have not won a round in the postseason under Laviolette. In nearly every lineup decision made by the coach, the team has trended older, further cratering its ceiling during the final years of the Alex Ovechkin Era.

One of the earliest casualties of the Laviolette regime was talented goal-scorer Jakub Vrana, a popular member of the 2018 Stanley Cup championship team who seemed to be a budding superstar (Craig Laughlin’s words, not mine) and helping lead the Capitals into the future.

Vrana’s lack of a consistent two-way game caused both player and coach to butt heads, leading the Czech forward to be benched, scratched, and later dealt out of town. “There was a tug of war between coaching staff and staffs that have had him and the way he was playing,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said at the time. “I think we had a frustrated player and we tried to move on from that.”

The Capitals sent Vrana, Richard Panik, and a first-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings, a young and up-and-coming team, for Anthony Mantha (who’s now being benched off and on by Laviolette).

Vrana, who is now with the St. Louis Blues, recently reflected on the trade out of DC with The Hockey News’ Lou Korac.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 days ago

1 Comment

Read More

Rasmus Sandin moved off first power-play unit and first defense pairing with John Carlson back

The Washington Capitals took to the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Thursday with a very familiar face ready to get back into a game for the first time in three months. John Carlson has returned and will play against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Carlson’s arrival back into the fray means some shifting in the team’s lineup was necessary, including a major role reduction for young defenseman Rasmus Sandin.

(more…)

By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago

2 Comments

Read More

John Carlson will return from serious head injury against Chicago Blackhawks

The Washington Capitals are expecting to get a huge piece of their lineup back against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. The team announced that star defenseman John Carlson is ready to return from the serious head injury he suffered on December 23 against the Winnipeg Jets.

The 33-year-old Carlson has been working back from a fractured skull and severed temporal artery after taking a slap shot to the head. He’ll jump back into game action exactly three months to the day he originally left it.

(more…)

By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago

3 Comments

Read More

It’s confirmed. NHL players hate Tom Wilson, but wish he was on their team, too.

The NHLPA released the results of its annual player poll Wednesday, confirming what Caps fans know to be true. Tom Wilson might be easy to hate as an opponent, but he’s still a guy you want on your side.

One question in the NHLPA poll, which surveyed 626 NHL players from all 32 teams, asked which player do you least enjoy playing against, but would like to have on your team?

8.1% of NHL players named Tom Wilson, earning him third place in the league.

(more…)

By Katie Adler 3 days ago

0 Comment

Read More



Page 2 of 2172