The New York Rangers ended the Capitals’ seven-game winning streak on Saturday night after a late goal by budding superstar Mika Zibanejad.
The goal came with 1:32 remaining in the game off a Brenden Dillon turnover in the Capitals defensive zone. The play garnered vitriol from some Caps fans on social media.
The Capitals-Rangers game started slow but ended with fireworks and a Brenden Dillon fight.
The violent encounter started after Brendan Lemieux decided to skate through Vitek Vanecek’s crease with seconds left to go in the game. The Czech goaltender put his arm out as if to tell Lemieux you are not welcome here. Lemieux clipped Vanecek and the Czech goaltender fell to the ice.
The Capitals didn’t appreciate that gesture too much.
What does the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump’s impeachments, and Taylor Swift’s last two albums Folklore and Evermore have in common? These are all things that happened since Brenden Dillon last scored in the NHL.
Thursday, Dillon scored his first goal as a Capital and his first goal since December 12, 2019 (against NYR), as a member of the San Jose Sharks. That’s a 399-day goal drought.
By Ian Oland 3 months ago
The Washington Capitals shockingly signed Zdeno Chara away from the Boston Bruins on Wednesday to a one-year, $795,000 deal. The 43-year-old legend may not be what he used to be, but his new Capitals teammates are grateful they’ll never have to face him again.
Chara is the tallest player in NHL history and plays a physical, grueling game. The Norris Trophy winner is impossibly gangly and blocks nearly everything tossed his way. He also has a power game; he owns one the hardest slap shot in NHL history.
TJ Oshie and Tom Wilson were the first players to react to the news and they expressed their bodies’ gratefulness that they’ll no longer be as bruised and battered as before.
By Ian Oland 3 months ago
The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on every major sport this year and rewrote the NHL’s calendar. 2020 has been so wacky that Christmas Day, usually occurring during the second month of the regular season, fell in the NHL’s offseason.
The Capitals and their significant others went all out to celebrate Christmas. The holiday marks one of the final days the families have with each other exclusively before Capitals’ training camp begins on January 3.
Here’s how they spent the holiday.
Brenden Dillon is now a married man.
Over the weekend, the Capitals defenseman got married to longtime girlfriend Emma Wittchow. The Capitals’ described it as a “beautiful intimate ceremony” held in Vancouver.
Brenden Dillon was a guest on DC101’s Elliot In The Morning on Wednesday.
The Capitals defenseman, who signed a four-year extension worth $3.9 million per season, spoke about his excitement remaining in Washington and the team’s moves in free agency.
One transaction that Dillon was particularly enthusiastic about was the signing of Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, Dillon is basically like all of us.
Minutes after revealing Michal Kempny’s devastating Achilles tendon injury, the Washington Capitals announced they’ve resigned Brenden Dillon to a four-year, $15.6 million contract.
The deal has an average annual value of $3.9 million – a raise of $630k. The defenseman was coming off a five-year, $16.35 million deal ($3.27M AAV) he originally signed with the San Jose Sharks in June 2015.
By Ian Oland 6 months ago
Brenden Dillon did an interview with TSN 1040 on Friday and gave some insight about his negotiations with the Washington Capitals.
The Capitals are trying to re-sign the 29-year-old defenseman before the start of free agency and may move a player to do so, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman delivered some more bite-sized nuggets of Capitals analysis on his 31 Thoughts podcast along with Jeff Marek.
Friedman elaborated on his report from earlier in the week that the Capitals were trying to “move money” to bring back pending UFA Brenden Dillon.
One player that could possibly be out the door is bottom-six forward Richard Panik, who ended the season on the fourth line after he was expected to be a mainstay on the third.
