Let’s be real: the Capitals did not offer a winning effort on Tuesday night, and they were lucky to have escaped with a loser point.
But in overtime, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana just sorta gave up on a very important play.
By Peter Hassett 1 week ago
Evgeny Kuznetsov conducted a Russian language interview with Sport24’s Alena Grebenkova while the Capitals were in Pittsburgh earlier this week.
During the chat, Kuznetsov gave extensive insight into events that led to the team’s four Russians being placed on the COVID-19 Unavailability List and the Capitals being fined $100,000 by the NHL.
By Ian Oland 2 weeks ago
Dmitry Orlov is a noted perfectionist and last week, he committed the biggest off-ice mistake of his career. Orlov violated the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols when he hung out with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Ilya Samsonov in the same hotel room. The decision forced Orlov out of four Capitals games and maybe a fifth tonight against the Boston Bruins.
“It’s up to the coaches but when you don’t skate for 10 days, it’s always hard to come back,” Orlov said after returning to MedStar Capitals Iceplex for the first time in 10 days. “Especially if everybody keep playing. They in good shape.”
The Washington Capitals had some major stars re-join the team for their morning skate on Saturday.
Alex Ovechkin and Dmitry Orlov returned to MedStar Capitals Iceplex and took the ice for the first time in 10 days. Ovechkin and Orlov were previously on the NHL’s COVID Unavailability List along with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov after the four Russians broke protocol and spent time together in the same hotel room during the team’s opening road trip of the season. Samsonov at the time had COVID-19.
During practice, Ovechkin skated on the team’s second line along with TJ Oshie, who is filling in for Kuznetsov at center, and Richard Panik. Orlov was one of the team’s extras.
By Ian Oland 1 month ago
The Washington Capitals will be without Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov for the next week of games at least after the Russians broke NHL protocol by hanging out in a hotel room together during their recent road trip.
“Right now the players are in quarantine,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said. “At this point, I believe it’s four games and then under review so we’ll go from there. There’ll probably be an announcement at some point.
“Those are four big pieces for us, important pieces,” Laviolette said. “They’ll be missed.”
By Ian Oland 1 month ago
Alex Ovechkin’s wife, Nastya, took to Instagram on Thursday to share her thoughts on the Russian Capitals’ placement on the NHL’s COVID-19 unavailability list. Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Orlov, and Samsonov were disciplined and uneligible to play for a while after hanging out together in a hotel room during the Capitals’ most recent road trip. The Capitals were fined $100,000 as a team.
“I regret my choice to spend time together with my teammates in our hotel room and away from the locker room areas,” Ovechkin said in a statement released by the Capitals. “I will learn from this experience.”
Nastya took umbrage with the arbitrary nature of the league’s protocol.
By Ian Oland 1 month ago
The Washington Capitals took the ice on Thursday without four of their best players: Alex Ovechkin, the team’s elite goalscorer and captain; Evgeny Kuznetsov, the team’s second-line center; Dmitry Orlov, a first-pairing defender; and Ilya Samsonov, the team’s starting netminder. The four Russians were placed on the NHL’s COVID unavailability list due to breaking protocol during their recent road trip and the team was fined $100,000.
Capitals’ head coach Peter Laviolette responded to the absences by promoting Jakub Vrana to the first line, Brenden Dillon to the first pairing, and the bottom six to the middle six. Jonas Siegenthaler, who has sat during all four games this season, jumped onto the second pair and skated with Justin Schultz while Conor Sheary got back into the lineup.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Capitals were assessed a large fine (to me at least, maybe not to Ted) for violating the NHL’s COVID protocols.
Then we learned that Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov are unavailable due to the COVID protocols.
Now the Caps and Ovechkin have released statements that should clear everything up.
By Peter Hassett 1 month ago
The other shoe has dropped. The NHL has released the Washington Capitals’ unavailabilities due to COVID protocols.
The list is the Caps Russians: forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin, defender, Dmitry Orlov, and goalie Ilya Samsonov.
Earlier today, the Caps were fined $100,000 for violating COVID protocols.
By Peter Hassett 1 month ago
The Washington Capitals held their first day of training camp on Sunday. Nearly every player on the team’s roster was present except for the quarantining Zdeno Chara, who the Capitals signed to a one-year contract on Thursday.
The Capitals conducted physicals with players and also fulfilled obligations for media, including taking bio photos and gathering b roll footage for next season.
It gave us a first look at our boys in Capitals uniforms for the first time in the new year.
