The Washington Capitals are being called for a bunch of penalties. Through the game’s first two periods, this is how the box score reads.
This will even out. A little, at least. pic.twitter.com/XflFRtvBTx
— RMNB (@russianmachine) January 1, 2015
The officiating was already irritating head coach Barry Trotz when he went into Barry Crush Mode after John Carlson took an dumb cross-checking penalty during a penalty kill.
We’ve known for years that Alex Ovechkin is a tough player. Russian machine never breaks and all that. During a first-period power play, Ovechkin’s immunity to human pain was spotlighted when he blocked a Blackhawks clearing attempt WITH HIS THROAT.
Photo via @NHLPA
We don’t love the idea of Jay Beagle on the first line, but darn it if a clutch screen by #TopLineBeagle didn’t just help Alex Ovechkin score at the Winter Classic.
What a moment.
With two goals, Eric Fehr was the hero of the 2011 Winter Classic. The 2015 Winter Classic has barely started, but Fehr is doing it again.
Fehr scored his third career outdoor game goal on a sweet breakaway to become the NHL’s leading outdoor scorer. Look at this.
If you were showering or eating lunch when the Winter Classic broadcast started, this is what you missed. Billy Idol performed a medley of songs including “White Wedding.” He made a lot of faces like this.
After practice this morning, Tom Wilson interviewed roommate Michael Latta for a video on ESPN.com. However, Wilson’s interviewing skills — though it was a fascinating conversation — aren’t why I’m writing today. This is a post because Caps’ back-up goaltender Justin Peters pied Wilson in the face.
“Is that for the deke?” Wilson says to Peters out of frame, while wiping his eyes. “I put his jockstrap in the stands out there and now he’s coming at me.”
Photo: Bruce Bennett
Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik plays on the edge, always looking for the big hit. That’s why he’s a league leader in the statistic and universally respected among players. Tonight, Orpik landed a big hit on Cal Clutterbuck and may have seriously injured himself.
It was scary.
Every time I think I’ve seen Alex Ovechkin do it all, he does something new and mind-boggling. This time, it was Ovechkin’s last-second shot on Marc-André Fleury from Saturday night. Ovechkin didn’t score, but he freaking juggled the puck over his head twice high before taking a baseball swing and firing a shot on net.
He almost scored stick-side. That would have been every bit the highlight-reel goal Ovechkin’s score from last week was.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has a reputation among Caps fans as a whiner. He did not to help his cause tonight. After snapping his stick and shanking a one-timer late in the third period, a disgusted Crosby threw his broken stick against the boards, nearly impaling himself in the process.
Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and GIF that.
In episode one of The Road To The Winter Classic, Tom Wilson and Michael Latta revealed that they are protective of their on-ice dad, Nicklas Backstrom. In episode two, Backstrom showed a rare glimpse of his life away from the rink, where he is actually a dad. The segments featured Backstrom’s daughter, Haley.
After returning home from New Jersey, Backstrom and girlfriend Liza took their one-year-old daughter to the park. “We were just on a road trip for six days,” Backstrom said. “You’re kind of like, ‘I wonder if she recognize me now?'”
The Swedish dad pushed Haley on a swing and rode down the slide with her. It’s adorable.
“It’s one thing to have a good group of guys on a team,” Backstrom said. “We’re all family, but it’s awesome to come home from games and enjoy her.”
