Nate Schmidt

Nate Schmidt’s First Career Multi-Point Game Helps Capitals Claim Seventh Straight Win

Photo: Patrick McDermott

The Capitals have the best record in the National Hockey League. They are playing their most impressive hockey in years. On Saturday, after not skating for four days during the Christmas break, the Capitals pounced on the hobbled Montreal Canadians for their seventh straight victory, with Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jay Beagle, and Jason Chimera providing the scoring.

“I think it’s huge for us,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “I think with this team, we showed tonight, we don’t need everybody going. We have secondary scoring. It takes a lot of the pressure off some our top guys.”

One of those top guys, in fact, is Schmidt. Since Brooks Orpik went down with a lower body injury in early November, Schmidt has been called on to play on the top defensive pairing with John Carlson, one of the team’s stalwarts for the past five seasons. Against the Canadians, Schmidt tallied two assists, tying his career high in points and helpers.

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By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

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The Capitals Released Their Christmas Card and Alex Ovechkin Dressed Up as a Pink Bunny (Video)

Your day is about to get better: the Washington Capitals released their holiday video and it’s a doozy. Featuring Alex Ovechkin wearing a pink bunny costume, Michael Latta getting his tongue stuck to a pole, Rod Langway as Santa, and Alex Ovechkin in a pink bunny costume, this video is an instant classic.

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By Rachel Cohen 7 years ago

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Nate Schmidt Calls His First NHL Fight a Royal Rumble: ‘Things Were Happening’

Photo: Scott Audette

Washington Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt is kindness on skates. So, needless to say, it was a little weird to see him viciously throwing hands with a fellow NHL player. Schmidt’s second period fight with J.T. Brown was his first in the NHL and the third of his professional career.

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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No Smiles: Nate Schmidt’s First NHL Fight (Video)

It was probably the longest Nate has ever gone without smiling. In the second period of Saturday’s Bolts-Caps game, Nate Schmidt dropped his gloves with J.T. Brown. It was, as the olds say, a slobberknocker.

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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The Comprehensive Nate Schmidt Thanksgiving Interview

On Monday morning, Nate Schmidt sat down with a sigh in his stall in the locker room at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. After having an off day on Sunday, Washington had just concluded a hard, training camp-style practice. Schmidt, though, claimed he had other reasons for being zapped.

“I usually get my energy from being outside and it’s been raining,” he told Katie Brown of NHL.com.

Schmidt is a fun guy and a great hockey player. He’s also American, which means unlike most Capitals players he celebrates our annual feast. Last Thursday, he visited some extended family in Virginia. There, Schmidt had a “double dinner” at two and seven, taking “an absolutely comatose nap” in between.

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By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

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Nate Schmidt Should Remain on the PK Even After Brooks Orpik Returns

Photo: Rob Carr

When Brooks Orpik went down with an injury on November 10, Nate Schmidt was handed a large role by Barry Trotz and the Caps coaching staff. One area where Schmidt has been playing a lot more in Orpik’s absence is on the penalty kill. While Schmidt’s sample of minutes killing penalties is still quite small (about 17 minutes), early returns show that Schmidt should be given more minutes on the penalty kill and remain there once Orpik returns.

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By Patrick Holden 7 years ago

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The Capitals New Pre-Game Routine Includes A Lot of Dancing and Gyrating

Because Hockey Night In Canada loves us, they recorded the Capitals pre-game routine in the hallway just outside the locker room. It is ridiculous and therefore I must show you.

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By Ian Oland 7 years ago

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Photo: Chris Gordon

On October 12, 2013, Nate Schmidt made his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche. A little more than two years later, Schmidt has played 83 NHL games. His journey to the NHL has been unsteady with his coaches trying to figure out whether he’s an AHL prospect, a healthy scratch candidate, or typical third pairing defensemen. But Schmidt is none of those. In fact, he may be one of the better defensemen in the NHL. And with a lower body injury sidelining top pairing defenseman Brooks Orpik, Schmidt finally has a chance to prove it.

“I don’t think we’re seeing anything different,” head coach Barry Trotz told me of Schmidt’s play. “Nate, we felt, we had the most trust in at this point that we moved him up, gave him the opportunity. The things that he does well is skate. He’s skating and getting up ice, getting back on the breakouts, hard on the forecheck, and he defends well because of his mobility and stick. He’s a very effective player for us.”

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By Chris Gordon 7 years ago

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Awesome Photo: Chris Gordon

The love for Nate Schmidt ’round these parts is well-documented. Possession monster, always smiling blah blah blah. Enough already, RMNB, right? Never.

Instead of talking about his possession prowess or his facial expression, today we’ll look at game clips to illustrate what makes Schmidt such an effective defender: his skating and passing. These qualities make Schmidt a solid player. They are why his possession numbers are glowing.

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By Patrick Holden 7 years ago

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The best moment of Tuesday’s generally bad Caps-Rangers game was Alex Ovechkin’s goal by way of Nate Schmidt’s pass. It was Ovechkin’s 6th goal of the season, Schmidt’s first point, and occasion to celebrate with an intense hug.

Speaking with the Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, Schmidt called the hug “magical,” and I think he means that in the Harry Potter sense, wherein hundreds of people die horrible deaths.

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By Peter Hassett 7 years ago

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Nate Schmidt

Nate Schmidt’s First Career Multi-Point Game Helps Capitals Claim Seventh Straight Win

The Capitals Released Their Christmas Card and Alex Ovechkin Dressed Up as a Pink Bunny (Video)

Nate Schmidt Calls His First NHL Fight a Royal Rumble: ‘Things Were Happening’

No Smiles: Nate Schmidt’s First NHL Fight (Video)

The Comprehensive Nate Schmidt Thanksgiving Interview

Nate Schmidt Should Remain on the PK Even After Brooks Orpik Returns

The Capitals New Pre-Game Routine Includes A Lot of Dancing and Gyrating

Nate Schmidt is a Fantastic Hockey Player and It’s Time Everyone Knows About It

Nate Schmidt’s Skating and Passing Abilities Lead To Success

Nate Schmidt, Alex Ovechkin’s Latest Celebration Victim, Compares Hug to Being Hit By Bus