Steve Oleksy is quickly becoming a fan favorite here in DC. In his first game with the Caps, the 27-year-old defenseman scored his first NHL point with a secondary assist on a Mike Ribeiro goal. He also had a huge first period hit on Shawn Thornton. On Thursday night against the Panthers, Oleksy showed he can get fancy with his hits too, hip-checking Mike Santorelli hard into the boards.
Video is below the jump.
Note: I’m writing this post heavily medicated and a day after right-leg surgery. Yes, I’m hockey-player tough.
While the Washington Capitals got outplayed in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Jets, they came out strong in the second , scoring some goals and getting a little cocky. I love it when my favorite team gets cocky. Particularly because it can lead to a line brawl, one started by five-foot, ten-inch (yeah right) French Canadian Mathieu Perreault.*
After absorbing a legal shoulder-check from tough guy defenseman Zach Bogosian, Perry decided to get a lil’ saucy and slash Bogosian in the legs. Bad idea.
GIF by welshhockeyfan
Last season with the Winnipeg Jets, Eric Fehr had a disaster season. Still feeling the effects of shoulder surgery, the big six-foot four-inch winger had two goals in 35 games. Winnipeg did not offer him a contract to come back.
His shoulder sure looks healthy now. During the second period of the Capitals match-up Sunday against New York, Fehr drove his shoulder into Anton Stralman’s chest, leveling him to the ice.
Fehr is riding a four-game point streak after assisting on John Carlson’s first period goal. The winger has three goals and three assists during that span.
Good signing, GMGM.
Photo credit: Nick Wass
Almost four years ago to the day, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby — at the height of their rivalry — nearly fought at the Capitals bench. After Ovechkin bumped Crosby on his way to a shift change, Sid shoved him in the back. The two exchanged pleasantries until Ovi ended the conversation by ripping Crosby’s helmet off. Between their heated races for the Calder and Maurice Richard trophies, it was the first time the two showed anger towards each other on the ice. It was glorious.
The rivalry has cooled since then. Ovechkin’s goal scoring has slowed with age. Crosby has dealt with injury.
But on Sunday, while the Penguins blew out the Capitals 6-3 and Crosby edged Ovechkin 3-1 in points, the Russian machine established dominance in his own way: checking Crosby into the net.
In the first four games of the new season, Alex Ovechkin has struggled. He’s looked lost on the right wing and had trouble finding his role in Adam Oates’ new system. Before today’s matinee with the Buffalo Sabres, Ovi had one point, an assist. The Washington Capitals went 0-3-1 during that stretch.
That doesn’t mean Ovechkin hasn’t had his chances — especially in Oates’ 1-3-1 powerplay. After their game against New Jersey on Friday, Mike Green lamented to CSN sideline reporter Al Koken,”I missed [Ovi] on a pass that was about four or five inches out of his wheelhouse.” On Sunday, Green found Ovi with a beautiful cross-ice pass to give the Russian machine his first goal on the season. It would end up being the game-winner.
Video is below the jump.
GIF by welshhockeyfan
During training camp, Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates told the media that he would “absolutely” use Alex Ovechkin on the penalty kill. Well Saturday night, Oates stayed true to his promise, putting the Capitals captain out on the ice during the last 40 seconds of Tampa Bay’s first power play of the night.
Ovechkin used the time wisely, destroying Tampa Bay rookie Cory Conacher with a huge open ice hit after the former AHL MVP tried to maneuver around him.
Video is below the jump.
Tuesday morning, the Washington Capitals scrimmaged the Reading Royals at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, winning in a nail biter by a score of 8-0. During the first period of the game, Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson violently collided into one another. Since the game wasn’t broadcast online, we had to rely on tweets and blurry photos to try to imagine what happened. We all thought the worst.
Thankfully, both players ended up being okay, but after investigating CSN’s video of the hit, we don’t know how.
Wheeee!!!!
While Dmitry Orlov is a defenseman who is known more for his offensive instincts, the 21-year-old Russian sure loves to hit too. Last season he crushed Blake Wheeler, Steve Downie, and Lars Eller all with devastating hip checks. And during Hershey’s second game of the season this year, he flipped a dude head over heels. Last night, during Teddy Bear Toss night at Giant Center, Orlov — apparently jealous of the fans — attempted to toss something over the boards too: Norfolk’s Jay Rosehill.
Blame it on my birthday; blame it on turkey day. Last week, during Dynamo’s 4-2 loss to Severstal Cherepovets, I totally dropped the ball.
Alex Ovechkin did more than get the C stitched on his jersey, grab an assist, and complain ad nauseam about the zebras. He also had one of those thunderous body checks, the kind where you wonder how many of his 206 bones are made from Soviet steel.
During Alex Ovechkin‘s storied NHL career, he’s broken sticks, goal cameras, and faces. He’s also broken the glass with a hit more than once. Playing Colorado in 2006, Ovechkin nailed defenseman Karlis Skrastins with a shoulder check that exploded a pane of Pepsi Center glass. Ovechkin was pleased with himself, telling The Washington Post’s Tarik El-Bashir,”First time [to break glass] for me. I was surprised, like wow, I’m strong.”
Six years later, Ovechkin showed how mighty he is again, this time breaking a pain of glass after body-checking Alexei Mikhnov. Thanks to welshhockeyfan, here is a lovely assortment of GIFs.
