On May 3, RMNB published an article entitled Peter Laviolette says Capitals will name Ilya Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek as starter before playoffs, but team will need both goalies. From that story, the Capitals head coach said, “we’re definitely going to have to name a starter before the playoffs.”
Ten days later, after the Capitals’ first postseason practice, Laviolette, for whatever reason, reversed course.
Zdeno Chara was named the Capitals’ Masterton Trophy nominee on Monday. The award is given out annually to the NHL player who shows the most perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
“Those two words, I don’t think that you can use two better words to describe (Zdeno Chara) [the] player or [the] person than dedication and perseverance,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think that it’s a terrific choice for the Masterton and somebody’s that’s well-deserving.”
Laviolette was then asked for an “example, anecdote, or a behind-the-scenes tale” that perfectly described the future Hall of Fame defenseman. Laviolette decided to share a story that gave background behind how the Capitals inked Chara on December 30 to a one-year contract. Zee’s signing with Washington was one of the biggest surprises of the NHL’s offseason.
The anecdote involves a barrier island on the gulf coast of Florida that is known for its crystal clear water.
By Ian Oland 4 days ago
The Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. Lars Eller tied the game 1-1 with 40 seconds remaining in the third period and Conor Sheary won it in overtime after a fantastic pass by Nic Dowd.
“That was a real gutsy game with what we’re dealing with right now,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said.
No matter how enthralling and fun the comeback win was, the victory was completely overshadowed by the Capitals’ rapidly expanding infirmary list. Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson were late scratches for the game joining Alex Ovechkin (lower body), Evgeny Kuznetsov (COVID protocol), and Ilya Samsonov (COVID protocol) out of the lineup. During the game, Tom Wilson got injured in the first period, returned in the second period, and never quite looked the same. TJ Oshie got injured late in the second period and did not return.
Meanwhile in Hershey, Michal Kempny got hurt by an ice scraper.
By Ian Oland 6 days ago
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov appear to be in some major hot water with the team.
A day after the Capitals suspended Kuznetsov and Samsonov for disciplinary reasons — the team said they were late to a team function — Peter Laviolette indicated the players may not be allowed to suit up Wednesday night against the Rangers either.
Laviolette made the comments after the team’s optional practice on Tuesday.
By Ian Oland 2 weeks ago
Alex Ovechkin returned to the lineup on Monday after missing the previous four games due to a lower-body injury. He didn’t last long before being forced to leave again.
Ovechkin skated one 39-second shift in the Capitals’ 6-3 win over the Rangers. As he attempted to check Artemi Panarin and then peel back up ice, Ovechkin’s right skate got awkwardly got tangled with the Breadman’s. Ovechkin, in discomfort, immediately left the ice and went down to the locker room where the Capitals announced he was out for the game.
So what happened?
By Ian Oland 2 weeks ago
Vitek Vanecek will start against the New York Rangers Monday night. Once Vitek takes the ice at Madison Square Garden, he will have started in nearly double the games (33) as Ilya Samsonov (18) despite this being the season Sammy was supposed to take the reins of the Capitals full-time starter’s role.
Months after fully recovering from a reported ATV accident early in 2020, Samsonov contracted coronavirus in mid-January 2021 and missed over a month of the regular season. Since then, he has played his way back into game shape (which included a conditioning stint in Hershey) and has mostly regained his top form. But he still hasn’t reclaimed the top spot from Vanecek. Samsonov started one game in February, seven of 14 in March, and only six of 15 in April.
With a playoff starter unnamed and hard to prognosticate, Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette was asked about the situation after the morning skate. Lavy admitted that the team still had not made up its mind on who the starting goalie would be, but said the team will announce one before the postseason begins.
The Washington Capitals beat the New York Islanders 1-0 in front of some very special guests at Capital One Arena, Tuesday night. 2,100 Capitals fans were in attendance, marking the first time fans were allowed in the building since March 4, 2020 – right before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite only being at 10 percent capacity, Capital One Arena roared loudly several times during the game, most notably during a successful penalty kill late in the third period.
Capitals forward Tom Wilson noticed and thanked the fans for their support afterward.
Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette addressed Alex Ovechkin’s absence after the team’s 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders, Saturday.
It was only the 17th game Ovi missed in his career due to injury.
Not only is it crunch time for the Washington Capitals as a team, but it’s also crunch time for the team’s two goaltenders: Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek.
Samsonov, who came into this season as the team’s number one starter, missed nearly two months of the season due to COVID-19. Sammy’s sickness combined with Henrik Lundqvist’s open-heart surgery forced Washington to turn to Vanecek, who had spent the previous five seasons with the Hershey Bears. Vanecek’s performed admirably in net, winning 17 of his 30 starts.
Saturday, Peter Laviolette will turn to Samsonov for a rare consecutive start. It’s only (if I’m doing my math right) the third time he’s done so in his career.
The Washington Capitals play the New York Islanders on Thursday night, beginning what will be the Caps’ most defining stretch of the season. Washington will play the three other current East Division playoff teams during six of the next 10 games. The other four games include two matchups against the New York Rangers, who have bedeviled the Capitals this season and are trying to get into the loffs.
“I feel like we’re down the road of the season where everybody understands what we’re doing now,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said this week. “There shouldn’t be any excuses about not understanding [the system] or how we move about our business. I think this stretch — and the teams we have to play during this stretch — are games we’ll have to play the right way. By doing that, you prepare yourself for the playoffs.”
To be blunt, these final ten games will tell us if this year’s Capitals squad is a division-winner or a scrape-by-your-pants-into-the-playoffs type club.
By Ian Oland 3 weeks ago
