Martin Erat

Alex Ovechkin Slams Into Derek Stepan’s Forearm, Refs Make Terrible Call, Martin Erat Injures Arm (GIF)

Erat lies on the ice after colliding with Ovechkin and Stepan. (Photo credit: Bruce Bennett)

The Washington Capitals power play was very good this season; they scored a lot of goals on it. In the first period of game 4 on Thursday Night, though, it was very bad — so bad that the Rangers had more shorthanded chances than the Caps had shots on goal. One of those opportunities for New York was rather disastrous for Washington.

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By Chris Gordon 10 years ago

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Let’s Admire Martin Erat’s Awesome Hand-Eye Coordination (GIF)

Martin Erat is a skilled guy. He’s registered 49 points or more in the last eight seasons and when the Capitals acquired him in a trade for Filip Forsberg a few weeks ago, he was Nashville’s leading point-getter. Consistently putting up that many points can be a sign of good hands, which is exactly what Erat showed off on Thursday, assisting on the Capitals’ only goal in the team’s 3-1 loss to Ottawa.

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By Ian Oland 10 years ago

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Caps Smack Leafs 5-1; Don’t Hit Nicky!

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott

Looking to extend their season-high seven game win streak, the Washington Capitals hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. In a match-up of possible first-round opponents, the Caps came off a shaky ending to their last win and played a game that was anything but against a tired Leafs team.

Jack Hillen scored (when doesn’t he?), Nicky got boarded, the Caps got mad, Erat got his first in red, ~~the Brouwitzer~~ a nice backhand shot was unleashed, Ovi had a scoar, and MoJo hacked one in. Caps smack Leafs 5-1.

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By Chris Gordon 10 years ago

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Martin Erat and the Case Against the “Upper Body Injury”

Photo credit: J Pat Carter

Less than twenty minutes into the contest between the Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers, the Caps’ big trade deadline acquisition, veteran winger Martin Erat, went awkwardly into the boards courtesy of a reckless shove by hulking young defenseman Eric Gudbranson. A few anxious seconds later, Caps fans were holding their breath as Marty was helped off the ice by his teammates, clearly favoring his right leg. Later on, the team referred to it as a “lower body injury.” Nothing to be happy about, of course, but it could have been so much worse, especially given Erat’s extensive concussion history.

“Wait! What concussion history?,” you may ask, and rightfully so. After all, Marty has been an NHLer for over a decade, and in all that time the Nashville Predators (his team since his debut in 2003) released exactly zero statements mentioning Martin Erat having a concussion. The ubiquitous “upper body injury” appears numerous times, but never a concussion. In fact, a Google search for “Martin Erat concussion” yields references to just one suspected case – an injury Erat suffered during the last World Championship. So, no worries then, right?

But what if someone actually asked Marty? Because someone did.

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By Igor Kleyner 10 years ago

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Erik Gudbranson’s Dirty Hit on Martin Erat

Photo credit: Joel Auerbach

He’s been on the ice for less than 20 minutes in a Washington sweater, but the Capitals are once again without Martin Erat. In the latter half of an otherwise boring first period in Sunrise, the Panthers’ Erik Gudbranson decided to liven things up with a dirty hit on Washington’s new forward.

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By Chris Gordon 10 years ago

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Caps Beat Panthers 4-3; Ovechkin Scores Some Goals

Photo credit: Joel Auerbach

Thursday night, the Washington Capitals moved into a playoff spot for the first time all year, taking over first place in the Southeast Division. Tonight, the Caps fought to defend their position against Miami’s other other other other team, the Florida Panthers. And they did.

OVI SCOAR, RIBEIRO SCOAR, OVI SCOAR, OVI SCOAR (ruined by Hendricks penalty), OVI SCOAR, HATS, Florida goals we don’t care about. Caps beat Cats 4-3.

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By Chris Gordon 10 years ago

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The Erat Era Begins with 14:43 of Ice Time and Hopes for a Stanley Cup

Photo Credit: Nick Wass

The Washington Capitals think they have a shot at the Stanley Cup. This season began with a pitiful start under new head coach Adam Oates, but the team is better now. They’re used to his system, they’re healthier, and they’re picking up pieces to help them in the short-term.

“We weren’t going to be sellers,” said George McPhee yesterday. “You never know once you get in. Let’s see what happens.”

“We have a good thing going here,” said Mike Ribeiro. “We know how good we can be.”

“I have complete confidence in the guys in this room,” said Troy Brouwer. “We have the ability in here to make a splash in the playoffs.”

“I want to play for the Stanley Cup,” said Martin Erat. “Washington is one of the places where you have a chance.”

On Thursday, the Caps moved into playoff spot for the first time this season.

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By Chris Gordon 10 years ago

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Caps Fans Work Through Their Feelings Using Filip Forsberg’s Wikipedia Page

Photo via @SteeChain

When I got home from work tonight, I ate my feelings in homemade Hawaiian pizza (thanks, Ashley). I’m bummed about the Erat/Forsberg trade. As much as I love this team, I worry they are just not that great, getting older, and not actually improving along with their win-loss record. I hoped the Caps would flip some guys in the final years of their contracts for picks and prospects, but instead George McPhee did the opposite: trading part of the Caps’ future, Filip Forsberg, for Martin Erat, a 31-year-old left wing who is 249th in goal scoring and has a cap hit of $4.5 million. The team is better now, but I don’t know about their future.

It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who is ambivalent. A few minutes after the trade was announced, Forsberg’s Wikipedia page was defaced. Like five times.

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By Ian Oland 10 years ago

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George McPhee on Trade for Martin Erat: “He’s Going to be with Us for a While”

Photo credit: Hannah Foslien

A little before 5pm, the Washington Capitals traded their future in the hopes of winning a Stanley Cup now: Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat and Michael Latta.

Many people, including us, think that is a bad idea. Erat, while a top-six forward, is aging and well compensated. The Caps are now on the hook for his $4.5 million yearly salary for the next two seasons, with a salary cap that is going down by six million next year. He’s scored just four goals this year.

Washington, it seems, wants to win now. If they don’t — and remember it’s a toss-up and whether they’ll even make the playoffs — this trade will have been a bad idea. George McPhee, therefore, has some explaining to do. He did that Wednesday evening.

“I wasn’t going to sell,” McPhee told Monumental Network. “I wasn’t going to attempt to sell anything. We would add if we could and I think we added a real good piece.”

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By Chris Gordon 10 years ago

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Caps Trade Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat

Wednesday’s trade deadline was pretty tame for the Washington Capitals until a few minutes after 3 PM, when we heard Mike Vogel that the team had “something brewing.”

Then… about two hours of speculating and waiting. The Capitals were “incredibly mum” according to Bob McKenzie. The Caps Report video special with Alan May, Mike Vogel, and John Walton went into extra innings– vamping to fill time until the news broke. George McPhee declined to name the trade until all involved players were named.

Those players turned out to be Martin Erat, a 31-year old RW lefty from Nashville, and Caps prospect Filip Forsberg. Nashville threw in Michael Latta as well.

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By Peter Hassett 10 years ago

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