I doubt anyone thought of Lars Eller‘s 2017-18 season — you know, the one in which he scored the Cup-winning goal — as a letdown. Still, he followed it up with a bounce-back outing that has me feeling real good about the future.
By Peter Hassett 1 week ago
Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest forwards of all-time. His alter ego, Ovi The Goalie, is no slouch either.
Wednesday, during Team Russia’s 10-0 trouncing of Italy, Ovechkin saved one of his teammates from a potentially gnarly face wound by gloving a stray puck at the bench.
You have to see this.
After a quiet start to the 2019 IIHF World Championship, the Capitals’ troika of Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov combined for 7 points in Russia’s 10-0 stomping of Italy. 7!
Kuznetsov registered four points in the win, including two goals. Ovechkin also scored his first goal of the tournament.
By Brennin Weiswerda and Ian Oland 2 weeks ago
One reason why the World Championship can be fun is the awkward situations it creates. For example, on Monday, Russia played the Czech Republic, pitting five Capitals teammates against each other. The Caps troika of Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov suited up for the red machine while Jakub Vrana and Dmitrij Jaskin donned white and blue for the Czechs. It went exactly how you would predict.
“[P]ersonally I was trying not to let [Ovechkin] get in my head,” Jakub Vrana said in a Czech TV interview as translated by Alexandra Petakova. “He was trying to provoke me a bit and make me lose focus on my game, but I was more trying to concentrate on my game to help the team the best I could and I didn’t want to allow myself to be distracted.”
After the game was over, the Caps opponents high fived and hugged each other in the handshake line, letting bygones be bygones. Ovechkin even gave Jaskin a respectful tap to the calves from his stick.
“Well, as for me, he’s my captain and I respect him a great deal, but when we play against each other, we are opponents and you can’t consider the season,” Vrana said, seemingly conflicted. “He might be my captain, but right now we’re opponents.”
Vrana’s TV interview is translated below.
By Ian Oland and Alexandra Petakova 2 weeks ago
Many Caps players competed to inherit the mantle of the great Jay Beagle, the heralded role of fourth-line center, but only one man actually won it: Nic Dowd.
By Peter Hassett 2 weeks ago
Team Denmark announced on Wednesday that Lars Eller has been sent home from the 2019 World Championship tournament. According to Danish news outlet Ekstra Bladet, Eller entered the tournament with a leg injury which he had played through with the Washington Capitals.
This news comes just one day after Eller had a four-point performance as Denmark steamrolled Great Britain 9-0.
By Elizabeth Kong 2 weeks ago
The Washington Wizards were in desperate need of some good fortune. The team, which recently fired its longtime GM, Ernie Grunfeld, finished the 2018-19 season 32-50 after losing star guard John Wall to a ruptured left Achilles tendon. As they are currently constructed, the Wizards are good enough to make the playoffs but do not appear to have the talent needed to contend for a championship. They’re locked into several huge contracts, which will make it difficult for any new GM to maneuver and turn things around quickly.
So heading into the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday, the Wizards were hoping for some good luck. The Wiz had the sixth-best odds to get the number one overall pick and land superstar Zion Williamson. Monumental Sports and Entertainment owner Raul Fernandez even brought some bling out to Chicago to help the stars align.
He wore his Capitals Stanley Cup championship ring.
Oh, Great Britain. Everyone loves an underdog, but it’s hard watching a loveable underdog get shut out 9-0–even if it comes at the hands of Team Denmark, led by Capitals’ center Lars Eller.
Eller paced Denmark with four points on the night, tallying one goal and three assists.
It was the biggest game by a Capitals player in the tournament thus far.
By Brennin Weiswerda 2 weeks ago
Tuesday, Philipp Grubauer dressed for his first game of the IIHF World Championship for Team Germany against France. Halfway through the match, Grubauer left the game and was replaced with backup goaltender Niklas Treutle.
TSN commentators during intermission reported that it was a “muscle tweak.”
By Brennin Weiswerda 2 weeks ago
Longtime Capitals captain Dale Hunter was named head coach of Team Canada’s 2020 World Junior team on Tuesday. Hunter’s assistants will be André Tourigny (Ottawa, OHL) and Mitch Love (Saskatoon, WHL).
Hunter’s brother, Mark, was named to Team Canada’s Program of Excellence group in March, taking over the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team. Just like in OHL London, the two will team up together with Team Canada.
