Michael Raffl scored his first goal as a Capital on Tuesday and the trade deadline acquisition saved it for literally the final seconds of the regular season.
Tied 1-1 with the Providence Boston Bruins, Raffl skated the puck towards the crease and flicked a no-angle shot towards the net.
…and it went in?!?!?!?!?!?!? How?
In the hours leading up to Wednesday’s rematch between the Capitals and Rangers, the Rangers organization called Tom Wilson’s role in a line brawl on Monday “a horrific act of violence.” Rangers players said Wilson had no respect for the game or its players. And the team said the Department of Player Safety’s George Parros should be fired after choosing to fine, not suspend the Capitals forward. The Rangers essentially painted themselves into a corner, where there had to be retribution in Wednesday’s game.
And retribution there was.
The Rangers and Capitals opened the game with a line brawl. All six forwards on the ice fought. Before the game was five minutes old, the teams dropped the mitts six different times.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
Ultimate Capitals teammate Zdeno Chara just morphed into The Incredible Hulk to defend Michael Raffl after a very bad hit by Matt Martin.
Raffl, who had his back turned, was knocked headfirst into the boards by the Islanders forward and laid on the ice in pain.
A furious Chara dropped his gloves with Martin and in the words of Joe Beninati “rained rights” onto the veteran’s face.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
After landing in Washington via a trade deadline deal, Michael Raffl admitted that he didn’t know anyone personally on the Capitals. Now, he officially has a friend in the team’s captain, Alex Ovechkin.
Thursday, ahead of Raffl’s Capitals debut, Ovechkin welcomed the gritty forward to the team with a bad pun.
“You know what I did last night?” Ovechkin asked his teammates in the huddle. “I went to the gas station to buy Raffl tickets.”
Brian MacLellan’s trade deadline day acquisition of Anthony Mantha got all the headlines, but there was another deal he made that day that could also help put the team over the top in the postseason.
The Capitals acquired bottom-six forward Michael Raffl from the Philadelphia Flyers for a fifth-round pick. The 32-year old Austrian is in the final year of a two-year, $3.6 million deal ($1.6 AAV) and will likely serve in a depth role in Washington. Not only does Raffl have experience (8 NHL seasons), he has versatility too; he can play both wing and center.
The Washington Capitals took to the ice at MCI on Tuesday for the first time since a bruising back-to-back series over the weekend which saw the team split their games against the Philadelphia Flyers (6-3 win) and the Boston Bruins (6-3 loss).
The Capitals were without one of their top-four defenseman, Justin Schultz, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. However, forward Michael Raffl participated in a skate for the first time since being acquired by the Capitals in a trade deadline deal last Monday.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
The Washington Capitals acquired winger Anthony Mantha in a blockbuster trade deadline deal on Monday.
Mantha will wear number 39. According to Hockey Reference, Mantha is the 12th player in Capitals history to wear number 39 and the second player this season.
Anthony Mantha took to the ice for the first time as a member of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Mantha was acquired by Brian MacLellan in a trade deadline deal Monday that sent Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, and a first and second-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings.
Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette placed the six-foot-five Mantha on the second line with Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie during their morning skate.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
The Washington Capitals have made a deal.
Right at 3 PM buzzer, the Caps landed left wing Michael Raffl from the Philadelphia Flyers for a fifth-round pick.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
Earlier this season, Evgeni Malkin hit TJ Oshie high in the head and didn’t receive additional punishment from the league. He also got mad last year at Evgeny Kuznetsov for talking to him in Russian.
Monday evening, Malkin’s taste for retaliation reared its ugly head again, this time against the Philadelphia Flyers’ Michael Raffl.
By Julia Karron 5 years ago
