Peter Laviolette

Peter Laviolette’s empty-net strategy is to ‘shoot the puck from anywhere on the ice’

Nic Dowd sealed the Capitals’ 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, taking a pot shot at the Flyers’ empty net with 28 seconds left remaining in the game. At first, Dowd’s decision seemed ridiculous and perhaps unwise. Dowd launched a wrist shot from behind both Ilya Samsonov and the Capitals net, 185 feet away from the Flyers’ goal.

Dowd’s shot was perfect though and it went in. According to the checking-line center, this was all according to Peter Laviolette’s plan.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

2 Comments

Jakub Vrana scores twice, including overtime game-winning goal, after getting benched by Peter Laviolette again

Peter Laviolette does not give Jakub Vrana a lot of ice time, yet on Tuesday, V bailed out coach once again.

Vrana scored twice, including the overtime game-winning goal, after being benched for almost the entire third period.

This is becoming a story that’s repeating itself.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

10 Comments

Alex Ovechkin calls the NHL’s 7-game suspension of Tom Wilson a joke. ‘Even the ref said it’s not two minutes.’

Tom Wilson was suspended seven games by the NHL on Saturday night for his hit on Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. The Capitals reacted to Tom’s mega-ban after their morning skate.

Alex Ovechkin pulled no punches in criticizing the league.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

5 Comments

Peter Laviolette wins 650th career game in Capitals’ 2-1 shootout victory over Bruins

Peter Laviolette accomplished a major milestone during the Capitals’ 2-1 shootout victory over Bruins on Wednesday. The win marked the 650th victory in Laviolette’s career.

Lavy became the 15th coach in NHL history to accomplish the feat.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

0 Comment

Peter Laviolette ties Jim Schoenfeld for winningest start in franchise history as a new head coach

The Washington Capitals hung on to beat the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. With the victory, Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette accomplished a bit of history.

Laviolette tied Jim Schoenfeld for the winningest start in franchise history as a new head coach.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

1 Comment

Jakub Vrana scores big breakaway goal after getting benched by Peter Laviolette: ‘Guys got to compete hard to play hard’

The Washington Capitals got off to a rare good start during an afternoon game against the New Jersey Devils. The Caps scored three goals in the first 13:40 of the first period, seeming like they’d cruise to an easy victory over the second-worst-in-the-East Devils. Instead, they turtled in the second and watched New Jersey score two unanswered goals. The third didn’t go much better until THE SNEK struck.

After being benched for most of the second period, Vrana returned in the third and scored on a breakaway.

The goal sapped the Devils of momentum. And while it wasn’t the game-winner, [wink] we know who really iced the game.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

7 Comments

Peter Laviolette promotes Conor Sheary to the top line: ‘He’s been one of our most effective forwards’

Peter Laviolette is tinkering with his top nine again and promoting a player to the top line that he healthy scratched multiple times earlier in the season.

Conor Sheary will skate with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the team’s top trio against the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday while Lars Eller has been returned back to the third line. Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals’ top scorer, will skate between Jakub Vrana ond Tom Wilson on the second line, which will arguably be the Capitals’ most dangerous line.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

1 Comment

Peter Laviolette stopped practice to have an expletive-filled ‘chat’ with the team

In December, Peter Laviolette was enthusiastic about the NHL’s new pandemic rules requiring coaches to wear masks because of the added privacy it would give him. “Nobody will see what’s coming out my mouth,” the intense bench boss joked. “My mother will be happy.”

On Tuesday, there was no hiding Lavy’s f-bombs as Capitals players started practice not as sharp as he would have liked.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

2 Comments

Peter Laviolette says Vitek Vanecek will make his eleventh straight start

The Washington Capitals will turn to rookie Vitek Vanecek for the eleventh straight game on Tuesday with Ilya Samsonov still out of the lineup.

Vanecek, who was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in January after not losing in regulation, has cooled off considerably in February. Vanecek is 0-3 in his four February starts, giving up 3.75 goals per game and posting a .846 save percentage.

Despite Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noting that Vanecek looks “worn out by the workload” in his latest 31 Thoughts column, Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette will turn to the 24-year-old again against the Penguins.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 2 years ago

1 Comment

The Washington Capitals have not yet arrived

If you go the NHL’s stat site, go to teams, and then sort by goals against per game, you see the Capitals right near the top: 3.77 per game, second highest in the league, behind only Ottawa.

That’s atrocious. It paints a picture of the Capitals — now nursing a four-game losing streak — as a disaster. But I don’t think that picture is accurate.

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 2 years ago

8 Comments

« First ‹ Previous 10 11 12 131415 16 17 Next ›

Page 14 of 17