042318 | RMNB

Elliotte Friedman thinks Barry Trotz told John Tortorella: ‘I’m gone, I’m gone, I’m not coming back’ after Game Six

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, this is Barry Trotz’s last season as head coach of the Washington Capitals. The news comes via Barry Trotz himself.

Let me explain.

Friedman released his latest 31 Thoughts column on Thursday afternoon. In it, the analyst gave props to the Capitals’ success in the first round despite ample adversity. He then pointed his viewers to a video of Barry Trotz and John Tortorella during the handshake line.

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Penguins fans celebrate Game One victory, chant ‘You Can’t Beat Us’ on National Portrait Gallery steps

As has become tradition during the Ovechkin/Crosby Era, visiting Pittsburgh Penguins fans claimed the steps of the National Portrait Gallery after the Pens were victorious in Game One 3-2.

Hundreds of Pens fans gathered across the street of Capital One Arena cheering as Caps fans made their way home.

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By Ian Oland On April 26, 2018 1 Comment

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez leads ‘Let’s Go Caps’ chant at Game One

Nats skipper Dave Martinez was in the house for Game One of the Capitals-Penguins second-round series.

The manager, named Fan of the Game by the team, led a Let’s Go Caps! chant to start the game.

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By Ian Oland On April 26, 2018 0 Comment

Evgeny Kuznetsov scores on the first shift of Game One

Game One of Caps and Pens is about to begi– oh the Caps have already scored.

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By Ian Oland On April 26, 2018 0 Comment

One down: numbers for the morning after

One down, three to go. I think that’s the mentality that this Capitals team and maybe even its fans should take heading into the second round after downing the Blue Jackets in Game Six 6-3, winning the series.

Yes it’s the Penguins again, yes it’s the second round again, but more importantly they’d be team two of four.

The Blue Jackets out-shot the Caps 38 to 28 and out-attempted them at five-on-five 55 to 30.

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By Chris Cerullo On April 24, 2018 0 Comment

Alex Ovechkin ‘can’t wait’ to play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round again

Immediately after the Capitals beat the Blue Jackets and finished shaking hands at center ice, Alex Ovechkin was interviewed by NBC Sports’ Joe Micheletti at the team’s bench.

Ovechkin scored two goals in the elimination game.

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By Ian Oland On April 24, 2018 0 Comment

Capitals and Blue Jackets Twitter accounts show good sportsmanship after series

The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets showed good sportsmanship on the ice after the conclusion of their first-round series.

The team’s two Twitter accounts did so off the ice as well.

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By Ian Oland On April 24, 2018 0 Comment

Best friends Dmitry Orlov and Sergei Bobrovsky hug in handshake line

Monday night at Nationwide Arena, the Washington Capitals eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets from the 2018 postseason in six games.

As the clock struck zero and the final horn sounded, the Caps and Jackets congratulated their goaltenders and then regrouped at center ice. It was there that the two teams engaged in one of the greatest traditions in sports: the handshake line.

The most notable interaction happened between goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and Dmitry Orlov.

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By Ian Oland On April 24, 2018 1 Comment

Caps eliminate Blue Jackets in six games, advance to second round, will face the – oh come on – Pittsburgh Penguins

The Washington Capitals have defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ha, what a ridiculous-ass opening sentence that was. Seems fake. But it’s not. Lemme tell you about it. You’re gonna like the part where the Caps win and it’s not in overtime.

The Blue Jackets came out of their cage and they were doing just fine until Dmitry Orlov tamped them down with a slapshot from the circles. Nick Foligno tied the game with a tricky rip in the second period, but Alex Ovechkin replied with two goals – one at evens, another from the Ovi Spot – to give the Caps a comfy lead headed into the third period.

That lead shrank quickly, as Pierre-Luc Dubois converted after a trip went uncalled behind the Caps goal line. A breakaway for Devante Smith-Pelly put the Jackets back in the two-goal hole. Chandler Stephenson put the dagger in with a shorthanded goal. Nick Foligno injected life back into Nationwide Arena with a tip-in with about 12 minutes remaining, but Lars Eller got a long-distance empty netter with fourteen seconds left, and that was that.

Caps beat Blue Jackets 6-3. Washington win the series 4-2.

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By Peter Hassett On April 23, 2018 0 Comment

Alex Ovechkin’s two-goal game prompts Care Bear hug fest at bench

Alex Ovechkin‘s Capitals teams may have never advanced past the second round, but it hasn’t been because of Ovi. The Russian machine is nearly a point-per game player in the postseason, and is the team’s franchise leader in playoff goals (51). Ovechkin is also only the NHL’s seventh active player with 50 playoff goals.

So when the team’s captain scored twice in the second period, the Caps bench just needed to love on The Ovi.

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By Ian Oland On April 23, 2018 0 Comment

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