041016

After a Marvelous Comeback Season With the Ducks, Bruce Boudreau Says the Capitals are ‘Ready to Have Their Turn’

Photo: Justin K. Aller

Bruce Boudreau began the 2011-12 season with his team as a favorite to win the Stanley Cup. In his last two seasons, he followed up a Presidents’ Trophy with an Eastern Conference regular-season title. Now, he had seven straight wins to start the year. A little over a month later, Boudreau, the fastest coach in NHL history to 200 wins, was gone. The man who resurrected hockey in Washington was replaced by two coaches who slowly bled the greatness out of the Capitals.

Just under four years later, Boudreau has found himself in a similar spot. Now the coach of the Anaheim Ducks, he had led his team to within one game of the Stanley Cup Finals the year before. But the start of the 2015-16 season was a catastrophe. His team scored 10 goals in the entire month of October. They finished the month with a single victory. Boudreau didn’t have any answers.

“I don’t know,” he said after his team threw away another game on October 27. “I’m sort of at a loss right now.”

(more…)

By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

0 Comment

A Hockey Game: Ducks Blank Caps 2-0

This game meant nothing to the Washington Capitals, but for their opponent a Pacific Division title was on the line. Former Capitals bench boss Bruce Boudreau came back to Verizon Center for the first and only time this season, except for when somebody thought it was a good idea to send the Anaheim Ducks to the phone booth during a blizzard that kept me trapped on my street for four days.

The Mites on Ice played a better game than the Washington Capitals. They were probably playing for popsicles or something.

Anyway, the Caps didn’t score while Corey Perry tallied his 34th goal of the season and Nick Ritchie — rejected Jersey Shore character — tipped in his second of the year. Ducks blank Caps 2-0.

(more…)

By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

0 Comment

Scratched Alex Ovechkin Walks Through Concourse, High-Fives Caps Fans During Intermission

CSN Mid-Atlantic always shows a live shot of the Verizon Center concourse during intermissions. Usually we’ll give a live look at hurried fans trying to make it back to their seats or a bunch diehards waving and making silly faces. Tonight, CSN captured Alex Ovechkin, who was given the night off, walking amongst the fans. Of course he was high-fiving them.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 7 years ago

0 Comment

Photo: Christian Petersen

The Capitals know their first round playoff opponent, Alex Ovechkin scored his 50th goal, and Braden Holtby tied Martin Brodeur’s single-season wins record. Surely, that should mean that there is nothing on the line during tonight’s last regular season home game against the Anaheim Ducks, right? Wrong.

The Ducks come into Washington looking for two points, as that would secure them the Pacific Division title and the opportunity to face the Nashville Predators in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Philipp Grubauer is in the net for the Caps so Holtby will not be going for his record setting 49th win, unless something crazy happens. Again, everyone please just stay healthy.

More liveblog fun below tonight.

(more…)

By Chris Cerullo 7 years ago

0 Comment

Braden Holtby Will Not Start Against Ducks, Likely Denying Him Sole Possession of the NHL’s Single-Season Wins Record

Photo: Patrick Smith

After Braden Holtby tied Martin Brodeur for single-season wins record at 48 last night, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said “we’ll see” when asked multiple times by reporters if Holtby would get the start Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks. Trotz had spent days indicating Holtby almost certainly not play, with the Capitals sticking to their usual Holtby then Philipp Grubauer plan when the team plays back-to-back games. And that’s exactly what they’re doing.

(more…)

By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

0 Comment

Caps vs Ducks Pregame: The End of the Beginning

Proud parents of a superstar, rocking the Kris Kross look

Today marks the end of the regular season. Tonight’s game against the Ducks, a make-up game from the snowstorm, means precious little, but come tomorrow– that’s then the big show begins.

Let’s enjoy tonight for what it is– exhibition hockey against a good, fun team.

Puck drop at 7:30 PM. Coverage on CSN.

Team	Record	Possession	PDO	Power Play	Penalty Kill
Washington Capitals	56-17-8	52.0%	101.2	22.2% (4th)	85.0% (4th)
Anaheim Ducks	45-25-11	52.9%	98.8	23.4% (1st)	87.1% (1st)