If a superstition works, it works. And if it doesn’t, well, ditch it and start a new one.
After losing both away games in Raleigh, the Washington Capitals have abandoned their hot lap superstition that was started last postseason.
By Elizabeth Kong 4 years ago
After their 5-0 Game Three loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, Alex Ovechkin’s hot lap duty has come to a close.
At Thursday’s morning skate, Andre Burakovsky continued the superstition, skating a hard lap around the rink as his teammates cheered him on. Burakovsky moved up to the third line during Wednesday’s practice after head coach Todd Reirden shook up all four offensive lines for the Capitals.
By Elizabeth Kong 4 years ago
The Washington Capitals are in Raleigh, North Carolina for Game Three of their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. And one lingering question has been answered minutes before the Capitals’ morning skate.
Alex Ovechkin brought back the team’s superstition from their Stanley Cup run last year and did a hot lap.
Our very superstitious Capitals are back in Las Vegas ahead of Game Five. One more win will see them come home with that big silver shiny thing.
Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena, Lars Eller did the hot lap again because the Caps won’t win without him doing so.
By Donya Abramo 5 years ago
After the success Alex Ovechkin, and the rest of the Caps squad, has been having with the hot lap tradition, Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault began to think maybe it might bring him some luck too.
Marchessault was seen taking his own version of the “hot lap” at Capital One Arena earlier today.
By Elyse Bailey 5 years ago
The Washington Capitals are a superstitious bunch and Sunday they continued a tradition that Jay Beagle started, Alex Ovechkin stole, and head coach Barry Trotz has now inherited.
With no morning skate before Game One on Monday, Coach Trotz took his hot lap today.
It was tremendous.
Several weeks ago, Alex Ovechkin asked Jay Beagle if he could take on his superstition ahead of Game Six against the Penguins. During the day of away games, Beagle would take a hot lap around the rink to start the team’s morning skate. “If the big guy wants it, he gets it,” Beagle said.
Ovechkin’s hot lap proved to be lucky. The Capitals would go on to eliminate the Penguins later that night. Ovechkin continued the tradition in the Eastern Conference Final and the Caps kept winning, taking a 2-0 series lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The magic, however, ran out during Game Five, and Wednesday, ahead of a series-deciding Game Seven, someone new took the lap.
…Barry Trotz.
By Ian Oland 5 years ago
The Washington Capitals are 3-0 on the road since the team’s captain, Alex Ovechkin, kicked off the team’s morning skate with a hot lap around the ice.
Welp, this morning that tradition, which is now a full-bore superstition, continued.
The Alex Ovechkin hot lap is now officially a thing.
It all started on May 7. Before Game Six against the Penguins, Ovechkin asked Jay Beagle if he could take the fourth-line center’s tradition of doing a solo lap around the rink before the team’s morning skate.
“If the big guy wants it, he gets it,” Beagle said to NBC Sports Washington’s Tarik El-Bashir.
The Capitals proceeded eliminated the Pens later that night. Ovechkin did the hot lap again Friday before Game One against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals dominated, scoring the game’s first four goals and hanging on to win 4-2.
Sunday morning, ahead of Game Two, Ovechkin did the hot lap again. Both El-Bashir and the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan got video.
On Monday, ahead of the Capitals decisive Game Six against the Pittsburgh Penguins, captain Alex Ovechkin took over the traditional “hot lap” from Jay Beagle at morning skate.
According to NBC Sports Washington’s Tarik El-Bashir, Ovi’s hot lap is now “officially a thing.” At Amalie Arena Friday, the Russian machine once again kicked off morning skate with a lap around the rink, as the rest of the Capitals cheered and tapped their sticks.
By Donya Abramo 5 years ago
