Marcus Johansson

Marcus Johansson is Crashing the Net and the Capitals are Scoring Goals

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Starting out in the league, Marcus Johansson‘s reputation was for finesse and playmaking. Last season, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz asked him to shoot more. In turn, Johansson more than doubled his goal total from the previous year, cracking 20 goals for the first time in his career. Now it seems the 25-year-old Swede might have added another element to his game: his butt. In Washington’s 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on Saturday, Johansson’s presence in front of Carolina goalie Cam Ward led to two goals, including Nicklas Backstrom’s game winner.

“It’s part of scoring goals and getting goals for the team,” Johansson said Sunday. “Someone has to screen the goalie because they’re so good nowadays. You can’t just shoot and expect it to go in. If that’s what it takes to get goals, I’m happy to go there.”

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By Chris Gordon 4 years ago

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They’re Back: Capitals Beat Devils 5-3

Photo credit: Patrick Smith

Greetings, fans! After five and a half months away, fishing, muddin’, and engagin’, the Washington Capitals returned to Verizon Center to start a new season with nervous anticipation.

The team laid out the red carpet carpet before the game, showcasing the team’s finest knit ties and undercuts. Afterwards, however, there was hockey to play. On ice. For real.

The Capitals got off to a slow start, going almost five minutes without a shot attempt early in the first period. Then Evgeny Kuznetsov hooked somebody. Uh oh. Naturally, Jason Chimera and Justin Williams immediately blew right past the Devils defense for a short-handed tick-tack-toe. Then, just two minutes and 28 seconds later, the unthinkable. Brooks Orpik, who missed all of the preseason with a wrist injury, scored. It was his first as a Capital and it came on a one-timer.

The Caps, though, like to disappear after they score. Maybe they go play with their ferrets. I don’t know. Something dumb probably. Anyway, because the Capitals played with their ferrets the Devils scored twice in under three minutes, first Adam Henrique and then Eric Gelinas. Then nothing happened for 25 minutes.

That was, until, Alex Ovechkin happened. The captain went end to end, blowing past John Moore before flipping a delicious, crisp and refreshing wrist shot top shelf on New Jersey netminder Keith Kinkaid. Marcus Johansson added another. Oh, and then Matt Niskanen got himself an empty netter. But wait, the Devils came back with one of their own. Shower of goals! Caps beat Devils 5-3!

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By Chris Gordon 4 years ago

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75 Photos from the Caps Dog Calendar Photoshoot That Will Overcome You With Feels

Photos: Amanda Bowen

On Tuesday afternoon, the Capitals celebrated all twelve months of the year with Homeward Trails’ Animal Rescue dogs for the 2015-16 Caps Canine Calendar. Each month had its own silly theme based on a season or holiday, with the players and dogs dressed accordingly.

Here’s a quick preview: Caps roomies Tom Wilson and Michael Latta celebrated Valentine’s Day by putting roses in their mouth for February; Braden Holtby wore a sombrero and poncho for Cinco de Mayo; and Karl Alzner dressed in a skin-tight skeleton costume with his dogs for Halloween in October.

January models Andre Burakovsky and Marcus Johansson had problems. By the time the photographer was ready for them, the puppies they were carrying fell asleep in their arms. Adorable, but improvisation was needed. The New Years theme became “falling asleep before midnight.” After two rounds of throwing balloons, the crew tried popping confetti champagne bottles that startled the two pups awake in the middle of the take. The Swedes handled it well: with many puppy kisses.

After the main sets, the photographer did sessions with the player families that wanted their own set of photos. #SquadGoals.

Prepare yourself for enormous amounts of adorable. We can’t wait to buy this calendar.

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By Amanda Bowen 4 years ago

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The Capitals Are Taking Their Informal Skates Very Seriously, You Guys

Photo: @WashCaps

Over the last few weeks, most of the Caps roster has filed back into Kettler Capitals Iceplex for informal skates. TJ Oshie arrived on Wednesday, leaving captain Alex Ovechkin as the last remaining player out of town. Ovechkin is missing a lot, as these pre-preseason skates are very serious affairs.

Let’s summarize.

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By Ian Oland 4 years ago

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On Wednesday, restricted free agent Marcus Johansson and the Washington Capitals went to arbitration. Johansson asked for $4.75 million while the Caps offered $3 million. Two days later, an arbitrator has finally announced his decision. The Caps winger, who set career highs in goals, shots on goal, and points last season, has been awarded a one-year, $3.75 million contract for next season.

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By Ian Oland 4 years ago

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Marcus Johansson is Asking for $4.75 Million in Arbitration

Photo: Rob Carr

On Wednesday, July 29th, the Capitals and Marcus Johansson have an arbitration hearing to decide the forward’s salary for next season. Via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the numbers are now out for what each side will be asking for.

Johansson is asking for $4.75 million while the Caps offered $3 million.

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By Ian Oland 4 years ago

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Marcus Johansson: 2014-15 Season Review

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who recognize Marcus Johansson as a top-six forward and those who choose to be wrong.

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By Patrick Holden 5 years ago

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Marcus Johansson and Andre Burakovsky Have Become Physical Forces in the Playoffs

Swedish bruisers. (Photo credit: Len Redkoles)

Over the past season, we’ve seen Marcus Johansson go from a talented set-up man into the Caps third leading goal scorer. Andre Burakovsky has gone from an 19-year-old babyfaced rookie into, for a while, the team’s top-line right wing. In the past two weeks, those two have added more facets to their game. In the 2015 playoffs, Johansson and Burakovsky have become physical forces on the ice. But instead of going for needless checks that only put them out of position as so many players do, Marcus and Andre pick their spots, using their bodies to bump opponents off the puck or maintain possession.

“You never want to approach a game looking for hits,” Brooks Orpik, who was third in the league in that stat during the regular season, told me Wednesday. “If you do that you’re gonna be out of position.”

“We can’t try to be a skill team all the time,” he added. “If you are a big team, you have to use that to your advantage.”

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By Chris Gordon 5 years ago

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Marcus Johansson Hit by Cal Clutterbuck: Just a Bruise (GIF)

Scary moment, but a false alarm. First, Eric Fehr went down after a shoulder hit by Kyle Okposo, then Marcus Johansson suffered what could have been a bad injury from Cal Clutterbuck.

(Mojo’s okay now. Deep breaths, everybody.)

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Marcus Johansson Scores Caps First Goal of 2015 Playoffs to End Lifeless First Period

The Washington Capitals were outgunned and out-hustled in the first period against the New York Islanders. It felt like every dangerous chance came off of an Isles player’s stick. And then, with under a minute to go in the period, good ol’ Canadian Boy Brooks Laich shook things up.

Laich chased Jay Beagle’s seemingly harmless dump-in and won a battle behind the net. Laich’s tenacious forecheck created chaos, then a turnover. Once he got to the puck, Laich threw a beautiful pass to Marcus Johansson, skating hard to the slot. Mojo buried it.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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