Phoenix Coyotes

Caps at Coyotes Pregame: Let’s Get Some Points This Week

Shane and his Skittle stick.

I need a win. You need a win. The Caps need a win. Arizona is as good a place as any to get one. This whole week is as good a time as any to get some.

Stay up late with us, 9 PM, and watch the Washington Capitals in the high desert as they try to get the win they should got off the Arizona Coyotes back in early November. It’s on CSN-DC.

Team	Record	Possession	PDO	Power Play	Penalty Kill
Washington Capitals	7-7-3	52.33%	98.64	25.9%	80.7%
Arizona Coyotes	8-9-1	48.40%	98.80	20.0%	77.0%

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

0 Comment

Don’t Panic: Coyotes beat Caps 6-5

Nope, this wasn’t the turning point. The Washington Capitals started strong against the Arizona Coyotes, but surrendered five unanswered goals after the first period and looked more than a little messy. Some nasty reffing didn’t help either.

Antoine Vermette got a quick power-play goal in the first period, but the Caps stormed back with three of their own: Tom Wilson’s deflection of Alex Ovechkin’s long bomb, John Carlson’s point-blank wrister, and an Ovi shot from the Ovi spot.

The second period belonged to the Coyotes, who got two goals on or immediately after power plays.

Arizona scored two early in the third– first when Sam Gagner did something mysterious and inscrutable in front of Justin Peters, and again when Shane Doan stole Alex Ovechkin’s defensive-zone turnover. Tomas Rierder got his first NHL goal on a breakaway in the final five minutes.

Joel Ward got a PPG in garbage time off the skate of a Yotes defender, and then Troy Brouwer made it a one-goal game with a weird bounce in the final 30 seconds.

Coyotes beat Caps 6-5.

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

0 Comment

Caps vs Coyotes Pregame: The Turning Point? Please?

The Caps keep losing, but so do the Coyotes. It’s a stoppable force versus a movable object tonight at 7 PM on CSN proper. From home at Verizon Center, I think this is the moment when the Caps right the ship, but we shall see.

Team	Record	Possession	PDO	Power Play	Penalty Kill
Washington Capitals	4-4-2	54.7%	99.8	25.7%	80.6%
~~Phoenix~~ Arizona Coyotes	3-6-1	50.9%	94.8	24.3%	78.1%

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

0 Comment

Matt Niskanen: A Case Study in Context

Matt Niskanen, late of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is one of the marquee defensemen expected to go to free agency tomorrow. New Caps beat writer Alex Prewitt covered the buzz around Niskanen in the Post this morning.

A move to Washington would keep Niskanen with his old defensive coach, Todd Reirden, who coached the blueliner in Pittsburgh and can speak knowledgeably about the player to the Caps front office. And at a glance, Niskanen looks like a very strong player.

Let’s check out ExtraSkater.com, which is the best site on the internet next to the Benedict Cumberbatch Name Generator. Last year with Pittsburgh, Niskanen saw 53.4 percent of shot attempts belong to his team during 5v5– a number 7.3 percent better than when he was off the ice. In 2012-13, he had a 51.2 percent shot-attempt percentage, a 3.6 percent improvement compared to when he was on the bench.

That looks fantastic, but hold on a second.

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 9 years ago

0 Comment

Marty Erat Scores, Of Course He Did, Why Wouldn’t He, Isn’t That Just GREAT (Video)

This is an image of Martin Erat, a professional hockey player, after scoring a “goal.”

Capitals pariah Martin Erat was shipped out of town— at his request— at the trade deadline. Disappointing everyone with his performance in Washington since the Filip Forsberg trade in April of 2013, Erat never really found a spot in the Caps lineup. (Or maybe he just got limited ice time, weaker linemates, and a rigid coach who didn’t exploit his talents, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Erat scored just one goal in 2013-14 as a Capital– an empty netter right before the Olympic break. If you count own goals, make it two. Oof.

So what did we think would happen once he got out of town? Of course he would score. Of. Freaking. Course. That’s just freaking priceless.

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 10 years ago

0 Comment

The Comeback Caps beat Coyotes 3-2 in Rego!

Photo: Carolyn Kaster

The Washington Capitals wrapped up a week of tremendously unimpressive hockey with a stunning comeback win over the Phoenix Coyotes.

It started off great with Alex Ovechkin generating four shots in the game’s first six minutes, but the Caps couldn’t sustain the pressure, giving the Coyotes the puck and plenty of opportunity to pepper first-time Capitals Jaroslav Halak in goal. Down two goals with ten minutes to go, the Caps summoned up some magic they hadn’t used since last week: even-strength scoar.

Brandon McMillan struck first, catching Keith Yandle’s stretch pass while the Caps were making a line change. Radim Vrbata made it 2-0 with a power play goal that dwibblwed between Halak’s pads.

But then! Karl Alzner tallied goal number two of the season thanks to a feed from Eric Fehr, and then Brooks Laich tied it up thirty seconds later. Life back in Verizon Center, and then everyone’s head exploded as Backstrom gave Troy Brouwer a layup to put the Caps up from the Ovi spot.

This stupid team. This stupid, lovely team.

Caps beat Coyotes 3-2.

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 10 years ago

0 Comment

NHL Rulebook Night in Glendale: Coyotes beat Caps 4-3 (SO)

Photo: Norm Hall

The Washington Capitals had won four in a row going into Saturday night, including a stirring comeback against a strong Wild team on Thursday. Playing the Coyotes, however, the Caps wasted a stunning second period, ending their board-certified, USDA-approved Winning Streak with a shootout loss.

Shane Doan scored a lay up on a loose puck during a first period power play. Troy Brouwer caught a very stretchy stretch pass from Mike Green and roofed it to tie the game early in the second. On the very next power play, John Carlson released a one-timer from high in the slot to give the Caps the lead.

After a looooooong span of special teams in the second period, the game finally returned to five-on-five. Joel Ward promptly scored a no-angle goal to make it 3-1 and utterly demoralize the Coyotes.

The Yotes came back in the third as Lauri Korpikoski dove to get one though Neuvirth’s five hole, and Shane Doan tied the score on a power play in regulation’s final two minutes.

Shootout bullets! Again! Every game!

Vermette beat Neuvy glove side.
Grabo didn’t even get a shot off.
Boedker had some speed and roofed it backhand.
Alex Ovechkin missed wide. Balls.

Coyotes beat Caps 4-3 (shootout).

(more…)

By Peter Hassett 10 years ago

0 Comment

Trade: Antoine Vermette to Phoenix

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Columbus Blue Jackets have traded center Antoine Vermette to the Phoenix Coyotes for goalie Curtis McElhinney, a 2012 second-round and a 2013 fifth-round draft pick.

Vermette has a cap hit of $3,750,000 and had been projected as a possible option for the Caps themselves, likely because he has a pulse and the letter “C” in his player bio, but we’d remind you that there is certainly another center on the Blue Jackets that seems to be very much up for grabs. Vermette will instead now be providing center depth to a team filling holes for the postseason, while Columbus will presumably gain some breathing room in net from the acquisition of ~~McBackup~~ McElhinney.

We don’t want to jump to conclusions, but this may be an indication that the Blue Jackets aren’t going to try to make a run for the playoffs this year.

By 12 years ago

0 Comment

Haven’t seen many of these lately. (Photo credit: Greg Fiume)

"Nick, Dennis, you do know I like my job, right?" (Photo credit: Greg Fiume)

Lauri Korpikoski picked up the puck at center-ice after being awarded a penalty shot and skated in on Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun. With a quick flick of the wrist the puck was in the back of the net, and the Caps down 2-0. Bruce Boudreau — possibly fighting for his coaching life — turned his back is disgust and slammed into the plexiglass to his left with fervor. It was a new low this year for the Caps, who were coming off a horrendous 7-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night and in the mist of the skid that saw them lose six of seven and four straight. But after hitting rock bottom, the Caps finally got back up — with a lot of luck and maybe a little help from a certain red balloon.

(more…)

By Chris Gordon 12 years ago

0 Comment

RMNB Presents the Rally Balloon T-Shirt

RMNB’s New Rally Balloon T-Shirt. Click here to view all colors and sizes.

LaBarbera swipes at the Rally Balloon. (Photo credit: Ann Heisenfelt)

The Rally Balloon. It turned a struggling team– who had lost four straight, with one star benched and another under scrutiny, with an embattled head coach and a bunch of grumpy fans– into winners.

When the Capitals were down 2-1 in the second period, an unassuming red balloon floated out from the crowd. It hovered ominously twenty feet over Jason LaBarbera’s head. The annoyed Coyotes goaltender swiped at the ‘loon before knocking it up in the air with his stick. No biggie, right?

The Capitals promptly scored three inspired goals and defeated Phoenix 4-3.

First star of the game? Among fans it’s the #RallyBalloon. There’s now a RallyBalloon Twitter account, a rollicking Rally Balloon hashtag, and now our Rally Balloon T-Shirt.

Check ’em out here.

(more…)

By Ian Oland 12 years ago

0 Comment

Page 1 of 2