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Don't believe everything being said

2011-11-30T22:52:00.002-05:00

The biggest question that was asked after Bruce Boudreau was fired on Monday was whether or not he had a rift with Capitals Captian Alex Ovechkin.

Both Boudreau and Ovechkin have said there was no rift and they both respected one another. Boudreau revealed in an interview with the Washington Posts Tarik El-Bashir on Wednesday morning that he and Ovechkin spoke for 15-minutes on Tuesday, and Ovechkin told Boudreau he enjoyed playing for him is thankful for everything Boudreau taught him.

Despite all the warm and fuzzy talk, Alex Ovechkin quit on Bruce Boudreau, and the debate should not take very long.

Ovechkin's time under Boudreau began with thunderous results. He scored 65, 56 and 50 goals in Boudreau's first three seasons as coach. The Capitals won division titles in each of those seasons and came within a game of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009.

So, where did Ovechkin loss confidence in Boudreau?

Some might point to the 2009-10 season which ironically sits as the best season in franchise history. The Capitals finished that season with a franchise record 54 wins and 121 points which was good enough for the franchise's first Presidents Trophy.

But, the team suffered a historic loss in the first round of the playoffs that year as they became the first #1 seed to blow a three games to one series lead over a #8 seed.

The following season, an 8-game losing streak in December caused Boudreau to switch to a more defensive system which took away from the teams normal offensive output. Ovechkin played the majority of that season overweight and with a suspected knee injury which caused the superstar winger to score a career low 32 goals and finish with a career low 85 points.

Still, the Capitals were the Eastern Conference's #1 seed at the start of the playoffs and this time a three games to one series lead was not lost as the Capitals closed out the New York Rangers in five games.

But, it was obvious during that series that the Capitals biggest advantage was possessing more talent and still were not necessarily a great team. Plus, the infamous blown three-goal lead by the Rangers in Game 4 all but won Game 5 for Washington before it even started.

The Capitals and Boudreau's deficencies were exploited in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the next round and again questions about Boudreau's job security surfaced.

Ovechkin came into training camp in much better shape, and Boudreau attempted to become the task-master many felt he should've been all along.

That did not sit well with Ovechkin.

After scoring five goals in the first ten games of the season, Ovie has scored just three in the passed 13 and disappeared for three, four games at a time in November.

It was obvious at that point that Ovechkin was no longer listening to Boudreau's words and a change needed to be made before this season spirals hopelessly out of control.

When and why Ovechkin lost confidence in Boudreau will never be truly known. But, the bottom line is it happened and it cost Boudreau his job.

Will Ovechkin find the 50-goal scorer that we all screamed for five years was better then Sidney Crosby under the tutelage of Dale Hunter? Or, will the immature attitude that Ovechkin has shown the last month ultimately prevail and cost this franchise a shot at winning the Stanley Cup it so desperately wants to win.

Time will tell, but if Ovechkin wants to achieve the on-ice success he's always claimed he wants, he is going to have to stop whinning and return to the form of his first five Nhl season's.

If he doesn't, another coach will be fired and a team that was thought to have so much promise will fall flat on their faces.

Caps come up short in Game 1 under Hunter

2011-11-29T21:36:00.002-05:00

The first game of the Dale Hunter era ended the same way the final game of the Bruce Boudreau era did; with a loss.

The Capitals fell to the St. Louis Blues, 2-1, on Tuesday night for their ninth loss in 12 games and 10th in their last 16.

As they did on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, the Capitals managed just one goal and no consistent offensive pressure as they struggled to get regular traffic in front of Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

There was noticeable difference in the effort the Capitals gave tonight, though. Early in the first period Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Matt Hendricks all made strong hits along the boards to get Blues' players off the puck, and the defense did a better job keeping the front of their net clean and allowed zero odd-man rushes.

Washington also didn't fold after allowing consecutive goals as they did near the end of Boudreau's tenure. I say that is an encouraging sign.

The biggest hustle play of the night had to go to Backstrom during a crucial point in the second period. With the Capitals on an extended five on three with Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer in the penalty box, Backstrom worked along the near boards while drapped by two Blues players to gain possession of the puck which drew a penalty on St. Louis defensemen, Kevin Shattenkirk.

The penalty on Shattenkirk nullified the remainder of the five on three and the Capitals eventually killed the last part of Brouwers penalty.

However, some of the goaltending issues that have plagued this team the last month were a problem Tuesday as Vokoun allowed two fluke goals.

Vokoun was unable to locate an Alex Steen shot that rang off the crossbar and fell to his right in the crease. T.J. Oshie tapped the loose puck into the open net to tie the game.

In the second period, shortly after killing the Blues extended power play, Vokoun was unable to coral another rebound and a fluky bounce allowed Matt D'Agostini to easily score on the wrap around.

The Capitals did push hard in the third period and nearly tied the game on several occasions, but several nice saves from Halak prevented Washington from sending the game into overtime.

So, what do we know?

You can already see the Capitals playing harder. That is natural when a new coach comes along as a breath of fresh air has been provided. But, the Capitals were also noticeably nervous through the first ten minutes of the game, and a few admitted after the game they were happy to get this game out of the way as they can now concentrate on playing hockey.

Hunter even said after the game that it was good to see the team live as it allowed him to clearly see the areas the Capitals need to work on.

Another loss is disappointing, but fans need to understand that this is going to be a process. Hunter has only coached two guys on the current roster, whereas Boudreau had coached half the roster he took over to a Calder Cup in Hershey.

Time will tell whether or not Hunter will be able to restore the Capitals to the level that Boudreau took them too. But, if the effort continues to improve as Hunter learns his players, the turnaround may not take as long as it currently appears it will.

Fanfare about Crosby's return needs to subside

2011-11-25T12:59:00.002-05:00

On Monday night, the much anticipated return of Pittsburgh Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby from a 10th month absence due to a concussion took place at Consol Energy Center, and wound up being of the story book variety.

Crosby scored a little over five minutes into the game and finished with a game high four points (2g, 2a) as the Penguins rolled the New York Islanders, 5-0.

It was a return reminiscent of the returns of the guy that brought Crosby into the organization; Mario Lemiuex. Lemiuex returned from long absences several times in his career and each time left hockey fans saying "how does this guy do it?"

Crosby did the same on Monday which caused hockey analyst, namely Barry Melrose, to proclaim the Penguins as the favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

I say everyone, fans and analyst, need to relax. Crosby's return was fantastic and showed why he is arguably the best player in the world let alone the NHL. But, Crosby and the Penguins were playing with a bit more emotion then usual on Monday and the Islander are still among the weakest teams in the league.

Reality set in a bit on Wednesday for Crosby and the Penguins against the St. Louis Blues. Crosby was held scoreless while being whistled for three minor penalties. The Blues also showed no mercy to Crosby as he and Blues center David Backes mixed it up along the boards in the second period.

There is no doubt Crosby's return is a big deal. But, if anyone thinks he is going to pick up where he left off last season I would suggest taking some time to reflect on that sentiment.

Missing 10 months of live game action isn't something that a player overcomes in a few games; even a player as great as Crosby. I understand he has been practicing with the team for several months and has played with his linemates for several season's now.

But, live game action and conditioning can not be replicated and gained in practice. It is going to take some time for Crosby to get back in the flow of playing. Will it take long? I don't think so, but it's not going to happen in a couple of games.

It appears Crosby isn't playing tentative as he flew around the ice on Monday and absored a few big hits from the Islanders. He also didn't shy away from Backes.

The Penguins are without question one of the leagues top teams and Crosby one of it's top players. But, before anyone annoints the Penguins the conferences best team and Crosby back to old form, lets let a sufficient amount of time pass.

More then one game anyway.

Capitals next five games

2011-11-25T10:32:00.002-05:00

The Capitals have rebounded from their four game losing streak with wins in their last two games. Here is a look at the Capitals next five opponents:

Nov. 25 vs. New York Rangers- The Capitals welcome the Rangers to the Verizon Center for the first time since Game 5 of last season's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. This is the first meeting between the two clubs since the Capitals ousted the Rangers four games to one last spring and should be an intense matchup. The Rangers come into the game on a two-game losing streak that follows a seven-game winning streak. The off-season addition of Brad Richards has paid some dividends for the Rangers as Marion Gabrik is on pace for a 40-goal season. But, Richards has just 13 points in 18 games and needs to be more productive then that if the Rangers hope to move passed the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Nov. 26 @ Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres currently sit third in the Northeast Division and have gone just 2-2-1 in Ryan Miller's absence. Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are off to great starts combining for 49 points in the teams' first 21 games. But, the team is still averaging just 2.8 goals a game and Enroth hasn't exactly been a wall, evidenced by allowing the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins come back from a two-goal deficit on Wednesday night on home ice. The Sabres have also dropped three in a row at home, so expect a strong effort.

Nov. 29 vs. St. Louis Blues- The Capitals welcome the Blues to the Verizon Center for the only meeting between the two this season. The Blues have gone 5-1-2 since the hiring of Ken Hitchcock including a 3-2 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. The Capitals swept the Blues last season including a 3-2 win at Verizon Center Mar. 3 in which current Blue Jason Arnott scored the game winning goal. The Blues are not an offensive juggernaut as their top two scorers T.J. Oshie and Alexander Steen have just 14 points a piece in the teams' first 21 games, but they have been more productive since Hitchock took over so watch out.

Dec. 1 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins- I don't need write much about this one as the name of the visiting team paints the entire picture. The Penguins come to Verizon Center for the first time this season and it will be the first time the Capitals have faced Sidney Crosby since last season's Winter Classic. Emotions are sure to run high not just because of Crosby, but it is also the first tiem the Capitals have faced the Penguins since Pittsburgh forward Arron Asham knocked out Capitals forward Jay Beagle when the two fought on Oct. 13. The Capitals won the game, 3-2, in overtime on a goal from Dennis Wideman, but Beagle suffered a concussion as a result of the fight with Asham and hasn't practiced let alone played since. This game will not be for the weak at heart.

Dec. 3 vs. Ottawa Senators- Washington hosts the Senators for the second time this season in this one. The Senators last visit was on Oct. 15, a 2-1 Capitals win that was the fourth of their franchise record seven straight to start the season. The Senators have won just three times in their last nine games since a six-game winning streak to end October. Washington should prevail in this one, though I wouldn't take it for granted.

Caps fortunes this season lie on Bruce Boudreau

2011-11-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have recently read several articles and had discussions with several friends that centered around who is most responsible for the Washington Capitals potential success or failure this season.
Those articles and discussions centered on one man; Capitals Captain Alex Ovechkin.
Though the arguments raised were compelling, I’ve come to the conclusion that the wrong person is being held responsible. One person and one person only is responsible for how far the Capitals go this season, and that man is Coach Bruce Boudreau.
Capitals fans and a portion of the media have been on Boudreau the last two seasons as the team has entered the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Eastern Conferences number one seed and failed to reach the Conference Finals on both occasions.
Questions have arose as to whether or not Boudreau is a playoff caliber coach as he seems to not be able to adjust to what the opponent is doing to stymie his offense, and some have even wondered how accountable he holds his star players.
Well, so far this season, Boudreau has attempted to answer the question of accountability as he has already scratched two of the Capitals top six forwards and has held out two of the teams’ five prized off-season acquisitions.
Marcus Johannson was not given a jersey for the season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes and Michael Neuvirth started in place of Tomas Vokoun as Boudreau did not feel either player’s preseason performance warranted an opening night start.
More recently, Alex Ovechkin was held out of the final minute of regulation of the Capitals game versus the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 1 with Washington trailing by a goal, and just this week Alexander Semin and Joel Ward were healthy scratches.
Semin had been whistled for minor penalties in seven straight games and Ward overslept and was late for a team meeting prior to Wednesday game against the visiting Winnipeg Jets.
Boudreau has also shortened the Capitals bench in the third period of several games so far this season only playing the lines that he felt were having the most success.
So, how well is this new philosophy working?
Johannson responded to his benching with five goals and six points in his first eight games and has 12 points in 19 games played. Vokoun recorded wins in his first six starts and a 1.83 goals against average in those games after not playing on opening night.
Semin scored a goal and finished with a plus/minus of plus-2 on Wednesday against the Jets. Ward gets his first chance to answer this afternoon against the visiting New York Rangers.
It would appear holding the players accountable has worked so far as each player has reacted with strong stretches of play after their benching.
Players such as Jason Chimera and Mike Knuble have been vocal about how important it is that each player be held responsible for their play and that they be rewarded with more ice time because of it.
Chimera currently leads the Capitals in goals with eight and his line with Brooks Laich and Ward has been the team’s best line through the first quarter of the season.
But, I do have one concern.
Though I think Boudreau has done a great job in attempting to chance the teams’ attitude, he has still fallen back on some of his old habits.
After consecutive losses to the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks to end October, Boudreau promptly changed three of the four forward lines and since Michael Neuvirth has healed from a foot injury he and Vokoun have played every other game.
If the Capitals are going to go beyond the second round of the playoffs this season, Boudreau is going to have to be more consistent in every facet of his job.
The best season the team has had in Boudreau’s tenure was the 2009-2010 season when they won the Presidents Trophy. One reason for that was for the majority of the season, Boudreau kept all four forward lines the same.
With the amount of talent and grit on this team now, there is no reason to consistently switch the forward lines. Chimera, Laich and Ward have been the most successful line this season and the main reason is is they have played together every game this season except for Wednesday when Ward was scratched.
One reason for Vokoun’s hot start was the fact that he got a sweater every night. His play has slipped recently and I suspect the main reason is because Boudreau has pulled him from several games and has only started him for consecutive games once this month.
A goalie of Vokoun’s caliber should get at least 10 consecutive starts before receiving a night off because it allows that goalie to get into a rhythm. Any goalie in the league will tell you that.
So, though I commend Boudreau for letting each player know there play and not their name will dictate their playing time, he is still showing some of the same weaknesses that some feel have cost the franchise the last two springs.
Only time will tell, but if Boudreau doesn’t find complete balance as a coach, headlines at the end of the season won’t be the one’s Boudreau wants.

Back to basics is working for Caps

2011-11-24T00:09:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals have gotten back in the win column the last two games for one reason; they’ve gone back to the basics.
Now, what does that mean exactly?
It means the Capitals have consistently had one or two forwards in front of the opposing net which has resulted in rebound goals or easy tap-ins; just like they were doing when they raced to a franchise best 7-0-0 start to this season.
Washington has scored eight goals in the last two games after combining for that many in their previous five games. They had a 1-3-1 record in those five games by the way.
A concerted effort has been made the last two games to get more traffic in front of the net and the results have come.
John Carlson, Cody Eakin and Nicklas Backstrom’s goals on Monday against the Phoenix Coyotes were all a direct result of net traffic. Both Carlson and Eakin’s goals were deflected in off of Phoenix sticks, but the effort of the other Capitals on the ice to skate to the net put the Coyotes defensemen in shooting lanes which leaves the possibility of a deflection open.
On Wednesday, Jason Chimera scored twice on tap-in’s of passes to the net and Backstrom scored his second goal in as many games on another rebound. Yes, both of Chimera’s goals, especially the overtime winner came from nice passes, but the fact that Chimera positioned himself in front of Winnipeg Jets’ goalie Ondrej Pavelec allowed Brooks Laich and Dennis Wideman the opportunity to make both passes.
There were still a few areas of concern, though. Defensive breakdowns resulted in the Jets first two goals, and Tomas Vokoun overplayed a late third period rush from the Jets that allowed Bryan Little to tie the game at 3 with 7:24 to go.
Vokoun has been shaky lately allowing three or more goals in five of his last seven starts after allowing more than two in just one of his first seven starts. He has also been pulled in two of those seven starts.
Defensive breakdowns can be blamed for several of those outings, mainly Oct. 29 against the Vancouver Canucks, last Thursday against the Jets and Saturday’s 7-1 thumping at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But, the Capitals defense put Vokoun in some tough spots during the 7-0 start and he rose to those challenges. So, just because Vokoun hasn’t received consistent support is no excuse for the amount of goals he’s let in lately.
Intensity has been more apparent the last two games as well. In the losses to the Jets and Leafs, there was an obvious lack of intensity from the Capitals which caused them to not respond after allowing goals.
The last two games have been different, though. Even when they were down 2-0 to the Coyotes on Monday, the Capitals intensity and confidence never wavered which is why they were able to come back and win the game.
On Wednesday, that same intensity allowed the Capitals to respond to each Jets tally, including Little’s that came less than a minute after Mike Knuble’s apparent game clincher was nullified after goaltender interference.
A commitment to doing the little things right has done wonders for the Capitals the last two games. If they keep that up and receive more consistent play from their defense, a return to the top of the NHL standings won’t be hard.
More importantly, success in the spring may come a bit easier.

Beagle/Asham fight not that serious

2011-10-15T16:48:00.002-04:00

The reaction to the fight between Pittsburgh Penguins forward Arron Asham and Washington Capitals forward Jay Beagle has been a bit strong.

Alex Ovechkin and Karl Alzner both stated they felt it was unnecessary for Asham to engage with Beagle due to Beagle's inexperience playing in the National Hockey League. Ovechkin went as far as to say Asham's actions were "not respectful."

Asham actually text former teammate Mike Knuble after the game and apologized for the unsportsmanlike gestures after the fight (Asham used the "safe" sign that baseball umpires use to signal that Beagle was done then used then put his hands together and layed his right cheek on them to signal that Beagle had been knocked out) and even called his actions "classless" during his post game interview.

However, Asham has since called Ovechkin a hypocrite for saying his actions were not respectful and referenced Ovechkin's "hot hands" celebration after scoring his 50th goal of the season in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in March of 2009.

Asham went as far as to say "the rivalry is back."

To me, the overall response to the fight is unnecessary.

As captain of the team, I understand Ovechkin wanting to stick up for Beagle. Beagle is in his first year in the NHL and is not a fighter. However, Asham properly engaged Beagle and even said Beagle is the one who asked to fight.

Alzner's reaction is simply because he and Beagle played together for several years with the Hershey Bears.

However, Asham is also going a bit too far with saying that Ovechkin is a hypocrite. The "hot hands" celebration happened over two years ago, and since then Ovechkin has not unnecessarily celebrated any goal he has scored. Asham simply didn't appreciate Ovie's comments and through out the first example he could use to rebutle.

I, personally, thought it was interesting that Asham said the rivalry is back after this incident. Last time I checked, these two teams have had one of the most heated rivalry's in the NHL for the past 20 years and it has become more intense since Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby came into the league. It doesn't hurt that both teams are a perenial Stanley Cup contender either.

Players on both teams need to relax. It was an honest hockey fight that had an unfortunate ending. When they meet next on Dec. 1 at Verizon Center the Capitals don't need to focus on getting revenge on Asham. They need to worry about not getting outshot 41-19 like they did on Thursday and play a full 60-minute game.

Fighting has it's place in hockey and that fact was proven by this incident. The fight sparked the Penguins who proceeded to outshoot the Caps 18-2 in the third period and force overtime.

If players and traditionalist don't want fighting eliminated from the game then they need to stop overreacting to incidents like this one.

Comcast SportsNet to televise 71 Capitals Regular Season Games

2011-09-19T22:51:00.002-04:00

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for multiplatform sports coverage, and the Washington Capitals have announced the team’s 71-game regional television schedule for the 2011-12 NHL regular season. The network’s coverage, which begins with the Capitals’ season opener against Carolina on Oct. 8, will again feature comprehensive pregame and postgame coverage with ‘Capitals Central’ and ‘Capitals Postgame Live.’;

Through Comcast SportsNet and national NHL television partners NBC and VERSUS – which will be re-branded NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2 – the Capitals’ entire 82-game regular-season schedule will be delivered throughout the region by the NBC Sports Group. As previously announced, VERSUS will televise six games exclusively, with five scheduled as exclusive NBC/VERSUS ‘flex’ games, with the network being determined at a later time. In addition, VERSUS will air four Capitals games to a national audience outside the region, with Comcast SportsNet providing exclusive coverage regionally.

Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the Capitals – which was recently honored with an Emmy Award as the region’s top live sporting event production – will be led by six-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati. He will again be joined by veteran hockey analyst Craig Laughlin and longtime sideline reporter Al Koken, who are entering their 15th consecutive season together as the on-air team covering the Capitals.

‘Capitals Central’ and ‘Capitals Postgame Live’ return to Comcast SportsNet this season to provide extended team coverage surrounding the game. Alan May will again serve as analyst for the half-hour pregame and postgame shows, with Al Koken hosting during road games. A new host for home games will be announced by the network shortly. Beninati and Laughlin will contribute to the coverage from the arena, with Jill Sorenson – the network’s Capitals television beat reporter – and CSNwashington.com ‘Capitals Insider’ Chuck Gormley providing reports and features.

Comcast SportsNet’s television coverage of the upcoming Capitals’ season includes 61 games on Comcast SportsNet and 10 games on Comcast SportsNet Plus. The network’s entire 71-game Capitals’ schedule will be available in HD to all cable and satellite providers throughout the region. For information regarding Comcast SportsNet Plus HD carriage and channel location, check with your provider or go to CSNwashington.com or CSNbaltimore.com for information.

Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the 2010-11 Capitals delivered record television ratings in several categories. The network posted its fourth consecutive season of double-digit increases in household ratings during the regular season, setting a new all-time high by 12 percent. Comcast SportsNet also recorded the top playoff series rating in network history during the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the N.Y. Rangers, which topped the 2010 first round by seven percent.

(See attachment for Comcast SportsNet 2011-12 Capitals television schedule)

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.7 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.

Comcast Sports Group, part of the NBC Sports Group, consists of 11 local networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and breaking news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s sports networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

John Carlson to throw Ceremonial First Pitch at Washington Nationals game on Thursday, Sept. 8

2011-09-08T08:42:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson will throw out the Ceremonial First Pitch at the Washington Nationals game on Thursday, Sept. 8. Carlson will throw the first pitch prior to the Nationals game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which is slated to begin at 1:05 p.m.

Carlson will be available for interviews in the Shirley Povich Media Center during the second inning of the game. Credentialed media interested in speaking with Carlson are advised to contact manager of media relations Ben Guerrero at bguerrero@washcaps.com.

John Carlson was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team following his first full campaign in the league, matching a single-season Capitals franchise record for the most points by a rookie defenseman with 37. He finished 2010-11 leading all NHL rookie defensemen in ice time (22:38), was ranked third in plus/minus (+21), fourth in points (37), third in assists (30) and tied for fourth in goals (7). He led the team and all NHL rookies in blocked shots (160) during the regular season and finished second among rookies in playoff ice time (24:23).

Carlson was born in Natick, Mass. but spent most of his childhood in New Jersey. He was the Capitals’ first-round choice, 27th overall, in the 2008 Entry Draft.

WHO: Capitals defenseman John Carlson

WHAT: Throwing out the Ceremonial First Pitch when the Washington Nationals host the Los Angeles Dodgers

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 8 at approximately 12:50 p.m.

WHERE: Nationals Park
1500 South Capitol St., SE
Washington, DC 20003

COMCAST SPORTSNET BEGINS NFL REGULAR-SEASON COVERAGE THIS WEEK

2011-09-08T08:40:00.000-04:00

Per Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic:

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic begins its NFL regular-season coverage this week with extensive on-air programming and online content surrounding the 2011 Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. This season’s expanded coverage is highlighted by the debut of ‘Ravens Kickoff’ and ‘Ravens Postgame Live,’ which join Redskins pregame and postgame shows as part of the network’s comprehensive game-day coverage of the region’s NFL teams.

Comcast SportsNet’s award-winning Redskins pregame show, ‘;Redskins Kickoff’;, will make its regular-season debut live from FedExField prior to the Redskins’ season-opener against the N.Y. Giants on Sunday, Sept. 11, beginning at 3 p.m. ‘;Redskins Postgame Live,’ a comprehensive 90-minute postgame show, will air immediately following the game. Hosted by Chick Hernandez, the game-day shows feature analysts Brian Mitchell and Trevor Matich, with reporting from Kelli Johnson, as well as special guests. These programs will air before and after each game throughout the season.

As part of a new partnership with the Ravens, Comcast SportsNet will also be home to the team’s official pregame and postgame shows this season. ‘;Ravens Kickoff,’ which will air for an hour prior to select games this season, will debut on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 12 p.m. prior to Baltimore’s game at Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. ‘;Ravens Postgame Live’ will air for 90 minutes following all regular-season and playoff games, beginning with Sunday’s opener. Hosted by Chris Miller, the exclusive Ravens game-day shows will feature analysts Brad Jackson and Antonio Freeman and reporter Brent Harris.

Comcast SportsNet will again deliver live coverage of the Ravens’ and Redskins’ weekly head coach press conferences as part of special half-hour shows. ‘;SportsNet Central: Mike Shanahan Live,’ which will be led by Johnson and feature analysis from Mitchell, will air live at 3 p.m. the day after each game throughout the season, immediately followed by an encore at 3:30 p.m. ‘;SportsNet Central: John Harbaugh Live’ will feature Miller and Jackson and will air at 4 p.m. the day following each game, with a 4:30 p.m. encore. The shows will make their season debuts on Monday, Sept. 12.

The network will continue to air the Redskins’ and Ravens’ daily team shows throughout the season. ‘;Redskins Nation,’ hosted by Larry Michael, airs weekdays at 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. The Ravens’ full lineup of shows air during the regular season and playoffs, including ‘;1 Winning Drive’ (Monday), ‘;Ravens One on One’ (Tuesday), ‘;Game Plan’ (Wednesday), ‘;Ravens Report’ (Thursday) and ‘;Purple Passion’ (Friday). The Ravens’ programs, which began this week, will air at 5 p.m. and 12 a.m. on their respective days, except for ‘Ravens One on One,’ which only airs at 12 a.m.

Comcast SportsNet’s NFL coverage will also be prominently featured on the network’s full lineup of daily news and entertainment programs, including ‘;Washington Post Live,’ which recently moved to a new 10:30 p.m. timeslot, and ‘;SportsNet Central,’ which airs daily at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Exclusive one-on-one interviews with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan will be featured during ‘SportsNet Central’ the day following each game and on Fridays.

Comcast SportsNet also provides complete daily coverage of the Redskins and Ravens online at CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com. The network’s stable of reporters, led by Redskins Insider Ryan O’Halloran, Redskins Blogger Rich Tandler and Ravens Insider John Eisenberg, will continue to deliver extensive team content throughout the season.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens , Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.7 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.

Comcast Sports Group, part of the NBC Sports Group, consists of 11 local networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and breaking news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s sports networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

Capitals to visit Glassmanor Elementary School

2011-09-08T08:38:00.001-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

Washington Capitals center Matt Hendricks, goaltender Michal Neuvirth, assistant coach Dean Evason and Slapshot will visit Glassmanor Elementary School in Oxon Hill, Md., at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, the Washington Capitals announced today. Hendricks, Neuvirth, Evason and Slapshot are participating in the Capitals Hockey School program. The trio will be directing a floor hockey session in the school’s gym with 130 third- through sixth-grade students.

Hendricks, Neuvirth and Evason will participate in a question-and-answer session with the students and lead a skills demonstration. They will guide the students through several drills focusing on stickhandling, passing and shooting. Hendricks and Neuvirth will demonstrate each skill and call on student volunteers to demonstrate what they have learned. The clinic will conclude with several students participating in a brief scrimmage with Hendricks on one team and Neuvirth on the other. Following the clinic, the Capitals will donate a set of street hockey equipment to the school.

This will be the first Capitals Hockey School visit this season. The Capitals host two Hockey School visits each month between September and May and donate street hockey equipment to each participating school.

This is the fifth consecutive year the Capitals have conducted their Hockey School program. The Caps have hosted more than 50 clinics and reached more than 7,500 students in the past four years. Hockey School is a free program, designed to be both instructional and interactive, with the goal of exposing students to floor hockey while teaching proper technique. This year each school will receive an official Capitals Hockey School banner to display in their school year-round.

WHO: Washington Capitals center Matt Hendricks, goaltender Michal Neuvirth, assistant coach Dean Evason and Slapshot

WHAT: Teaching students several drills focusing on stickhandling, passing and shooting as part of Caps Hockey School.

WHEN: Thursday, Sept.8, 2011
1:45 to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Glassmanor Elementary School
1011 Marcy Avenue
Oxon Hill, MD 20675

Capitals Announce Rookie Camp Schedule and Roster

2011-09-08T08:35:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

Capitals rookies will take to the ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex next week for the 2011 Washington Capitals rookie camp, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Several players will participate in rookie camp, which begins Sunday, Sept. 11, with a 10:30 a.m. practice and runs through Thursday, Sept. 15, when the Caps rookies face off against the Philadelphia Flyers’ rookies at 5 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

The public is welcome to attend every practice, free of charge, beginning Sunday, Sept. 11.

Head coach Bruce Boudreau and players will be made available to the media following the on-ice session of each day (approximate times listed on the next page). Please make player requests to a member of the Caps media relations staff.

Note: A complete rookie camp roster and schedule follows on the next page. Veterans will report to training camp on Friday, Sept. 16 for physicals and fitness testing. The first practice session and media availability will take place on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. A training camp roster and schedule will be released at a later date.2011 Washington Capitals Rookie Camp Roster

FORWARDS
# Player Ht. Wt. Shoots Born Birthplace 2010-11 Club(s) League(s)
89 DE KASTROZZA, David* 6’3” 201 Right 10/20/86 Toms River, New Jersey South Carolina/Hershey ECHL/AHL
50 EAKIN, Cody 5’11” 179 Left 5/25/91 Winnipeg, Manitoba Swift Current/Kootenay WHL
88 EDMONDSON, Reid* 6’2” 194 Left 4/30/88 Richmond, British Columbia Laredo CHL
61 ELLIOT, Mitch* 6’5” 217 Left 7/15/93 Prince George, British Columbia Seattle WHL
95 FRAZEE, Thomas* 6’4” 205 Right 3/31/90 N. Vancouver, British Columbia Regina/Kamloops WHL
49 GALIEV, Stanislav 6’1” 188 Right 1/17/92 Moscow, Russia Saint John QMJHL
87 HENLEY, Samuel* 6’3” 175 Left 7/25/93 Val d’Or, Quebec Lewiston QMJHL
73 LOCKHART, Luke* 5’10” 182 Right 11/1/92 Burnaby, British Columbia Seattle WHL
76 MITCHELL, Garrett 5’11” 195 Right 9/2/91 Regina, Saskatchewan Regina/Hershey WHL/AHL
54 PAQUETTE, Danick 5’11” 201 Right 7/17/90 Montreal, Quebec Gwinnett ECHL
63 ROSS, Garrett* 6’0” 170 Left 5/26/92 Dearborn Heights, Michigan Saginaw OHL
33 SJOGREN, Mattias 6’1” 209 Left 11/27/87 Landskrona, Sweden Farjestad SEL
96 STEFISHEN, Taylor 6’0” 185 Right 8/15/90 N. Vancouver, British Columbia Prince George WHL

DEFENSEMEN
65 CARRIER, Samuel 6’1” 186 Right 4/28/92 Varennes, Quebec Lewiston QMJHL
68 FLEMMING, Brett 5’11” 184 Right 2/26/91 Regina, Saskatchewan Mississauga OHL
97 LUDWIG, Tyler* 6’1” 205 Left 5/24/85 Colleyville, Texas Idaho ECHL
94 OLIGNY, Jimmy* 5’10” 190 Left 4/30/93 St. Michel, Quebec P.E.I. QMJHL
81 ORLOV, Dmitry 6’0” 197 Left 7/23/91 Novokuznetsk, Russia Novokuznetsk/Hershey KHL/AHL
66 STEVENSON, Dustin 6’5” 220 Left 8/12/89 Gull Lake, Saskatchewan South Carolina ECHL
98 TABISZ, Nick* 5’11” 178 Right 6/1/87 Kettering, Ohio St. Norbert/South Carolina NCAA Div. III/ECHL
47 WIETECHA, Scott* 6’1” 201 Right 10/19/87 Wolverine Lake, Michigan Ferris State/Elmira CCHA/ECHL

GOALTENDERS
78 ANDERSON, Brandon 6’0” 163 Left 7/13/92 Langley, British Columbia Lethbridge WHL
31 GRUBAUER, Philipp 6’0” 180 Left 11/25/91 Rosenheim, Germany Kingston OHL
40 SOBERG, Steffen 5’11” 176 Left 8/6/93 Oslo, Norway Manglerud Norway
Rosters as of Sept. 7, 2011
* Amateur Tryout Agreement
2011 Washington Capitals Rookie Camp Numerical Roster

31 Philipp Grubauer.......... G
33 Mattias Sjogren............ C/RW
40 Steffen Soberg.............. G
47 Scott Wietecha............. D
49 Stanislav Galiev........... C/LW
50 Cody Eakin................... C/LW
54 Danick Paquette........... RW
61 Mitch Elliot.................... LW
63 Garrett Ross................. LW
65 Samuel Carrier.............. D
66 Dustin Stevenson......... D
68 Brett Flemming............. D
73 Luke Lockhart............... RW
76 Garrett Mitchell............. RW
78 Brandon Anderson...... G
81 Dmitry Orlov................. D
87 Samuel Henley.............. LW
88 Reid Edmondson......... F
89 David De Kastrozza...... RW/LW
94 Jimmy Oligny............... D
95 Thomas Frazee............. C
96 Taylor Stefishen........... LW
97 Tyler Ludwig................. D
98 Nick Tabisz................... D

WASHINGTON CAPITALS ROOKIE CAMP SCHEDULE

Day Time Event Media Availability
Sunday, Sept. 11 10:30 A.M. – 11:30A.M. Practice 11:45 A.M.
11:45 A.M. – 1 P.M. On-Ice Testing
Monday, Sept. 12 10:30 A.M. – 12 P.M. Practice 12:30 P.M.
Tuesday, Sept. 13 10:30 A.M. – 12 P.M. Practice 11:45 A.M.
Wednesday, Sept. 14 10:30 A.M. – 12 P.M. Practice
11:45 A.M. – 1 P.M. Scrimmage 1 P.M.
Thursday, Sept. 15 5 P.M. Game at Philadelphia Flyers, Wells Fargo Center Post-Game

Alex Ovechkin to make special announcement

2011-09-01T14:06:00.002-04:00

I received an e-mail from the Capitals Media Relations Department today notifying all media that cover the team that Alex Ovechkin will make a special announcment at Kettler Capitals IcePlex on Tuesday afternoon.

My initial thought was "Is it possible that Ovie is going to relinquish his Captain 'C'?" I don't think so because a few weeks ago Tarik El-Bashir posted an interview with Bruce Boudreau on Capitals Insider where Boudreau said he told Ovie last month that he wants him to take his captaincey to the next level.

I don't think relinquishing it is the level that BB meant.

So, what could it be?

Could it be a new equipment endorsement deal since he ended his relationship with CCM and is reportedly signing with Bauer?

Or is Ovie going to stand in front of the masses at Kettler and say "we've learned from our mistakes of last few years. With guys we get during offseason we going to make next step towards Stanley Cup."

Readers, leave comments and let me know what you think.

Capitals Single-Game Tickets Go On Sale Wednesday, Sept. 7

2011-08-26T14:43:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

Washington Capitals single-game tickets for the 2011-12 season go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. at 202-397-SEAT, on WashingtonCaps.com, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex and at all local Ticketmaster outlets, including the Verizon Center box office.

Verizon Center has been sold out for 106 consecutive Capitals games (including playoffs) and, for the second straight season, the Capitals sold out every home game. Single-game tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

The home season begins with Opening Night at Verizon Center presented by GEICO on Saturday, Oct. 8, against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals will unveil their 2010-11 Southeast Division championship banner prior to the game, and fans will receive a magnet schedule presented by GEICO.

The Capitals will introduce dynamic pricing this season, a system that allows consumer demand to set the price that reflects the most accurate current market value. Similar to the travel and entertainment industries, fans who purchase their tickets early are more likely to get the best value. With dynamic pricing, the price of single-game tickets may fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including league standings, opposing team, rivalries, star players, day of the week and supply and demand. For example, games against the top teams in the league are anticipated to be in high demand, whereas it’s possible that early-season and week-day games experience a decrease in price. The system is designed to reward single-game buyers for purchasing earlier in the season

Among the ticket options available is the Washington Capitals Pregame All-Inclusive Package, which starts at $89 per package and includes a game ticket, a pregame all-you-can-eat buffet in the Dewar’s 12 Club, unlimited beer, wine and soda, a Caps hat and a Caps rally towel.

For more information on Capitals tickets contact 202-266-CAPS or visit WashingtonCaps.com.

Washington Post Live moving to later time slot

2011-08-26T14:42:00.000-04:00

Per Comcast SportsNet:

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for multiplatform sports coverage, has announced its new weekday program lineup, which will take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 6. As part of the updated daily schedule, ‘;Washington Post Live with Ivan Carter’ will air live each weekday at 10:30 p.m., giving the network two hours of live programming following Capitals and Wizards games.

The new late-night live version of ‘;Washington Post Live,’ which currently airs live at 5 p.m. with encores at 10:30 p.m., will allow Carter to incorporate relevant postgame topics and interviews, as well as up-to-date news and information, into the shows fast-paced format. The show will continue to feature debates and commentary from Carter and his daily guest list of analysts, reporters and athletes. The program will encore nightly at 12:30 a.m., as well as multiple times in the mornings.

Comcast SportsNet’s daily Baltimore Ravens shows will premiere each weekday at 5 p.m., with encores at 12 a.m., throughout the regular season and playoffs. Returning to the network this year are ‘1 Winning Drive’ (Monday), ‘;Game Plan’ (Wednesday), ‘Ravens Report’ (Thursday) and ‘;Purple Passion’ (Friday), with a new interview show, ‘Ravens One on One’ (Tuesday), making its debut this season. ‘Redskins Nation’ will remain at 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. each weekday.

Comcast SportsNet’s comprehensive daily news program, ‘SportsNet Central,’ will continue to air live four times daily at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., with multiple re-airs each morning. On Capitals’ and Wizards’ game nights, the network will again present half-hour pregame and postgame shows surrounding the live-game coverage as ‘Central’ and ‘Postgame Live.’;

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.7 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.

Comcast Sports Group, part of the NBC Sports Group, consists of 14 local networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and breaking news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s sports networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

Comcast SportsNet acquires ACC Football and Basketball rights

2011-08-26T09:49:00.000-04:00

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for multiplatform sports coverage, has acquired long-term television rights to live Atlantic Coast Conference football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, soccer and lacrosse, as well as other conference events. Through the multi-sport agreement, Comcast SportsNet remains the region’s official sports network of the ACC and will televise up to 120 live conference events annually.

The comprehensive package begins this season and provides Comcast SportsNet with a weekly schedule of live ACC football for the first time since 2004 and significantly expands its lineup of other conference sporting events. The network, which obtained the rights as part of the new ACC Network sublicensed regional package, will deliver this programming exclusively to more than 4.7 million households throughout Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

“Our longstanding relationship with the ACC, its member schools and their many fans throughout the region make our network an ideal partner for the conference and a great home for their exciting product,” said Comcast SportsNet Senior Vice President and General Manager Rebecca Schulte. “This partnership represents a considerable increase in our high-quality programming and confirms our position as the region’s leader in college sports coverage.”;

Comcast SportsNet will be the regional rights-holder for 14 ACC football games this season, beginning with James Madison at North Carolina on Sept. 3 at 3:30 p.m. Other match-ups scheduled to air on the network include NC State at Wake Forest on Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m. and a doubleheader on Sept. 17 featuring Kansas at Georgia Tech (12:30 p.m.) and Arkansas State at Virginia Tech (4 p.m.) The remainder of the football schedule will be announced throughout the season.

Also highlighting the new package of ACC programming is up to 59 basketball games, including up to 31 men’s games – featuring 16 conference match-ups – and 28 women’s basketball games. In addition, Comcast SportsNet now has the rights for up to 20 conference baseball games, including ACC baseball tournament games, and a variety of soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, softball and field hockey. The network will also be home to ‘ACC All Access,’ a weekly half-hour program.

Comcast SportsNet also has established partnerships with the three ACC programs in the region, the University of Maryland, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. These school partnerships will complement the network’s robust conference programming with special team and coaches’ shows, encore game presentations and marketing and branding elements. The network also has partnerships with other colleges throughout the region, including the University of Richmond, Towson University, Old Dominion, James Madison University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

The new ACC package adds to Comcast SportsNet’s already substantial live-game coverage of college athletics. As the official sports network of the Colonial Athletic Association, the network produces and airs a full schedule of conference football and basketball games and serves as the region’s exclusive provider of syndicated football, basketball and baseball games from the nation’s top conferences, including the Pac-12, Big 12 and Conference USA.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.7 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.

Comcast Sports Group, part of the NBC Sports Group, consists of 14 local networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and breaking news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s sports networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

Capitals Sign Forward Stanislav Galiev

2011-08-24T13:29:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Stanislav Galiev to a three-year entry-level contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 6’1”, 188-pound forward spent the 2010-11 season with Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he helped lead his team to the Memorial Cup championship. Galiev tallied a goal and two assists in four Memorial Cup games after helping Saint John win the QMJHL championship. He ranked fifth in the league in playoff points (27), third in assists (17) and tied for sixth in goals (10). During the regular season, Galiev set career highs in goals (37) and points (65) while adding 28 assists.

Galiev, 19, recorded 60 points (15 goals, 45 assists) in 67 games with Saint John during the 2009-10 season and led all rookies in assists while also being named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team. He has compiled 125 points (52 goals, 73 assists) in 131 QMJHL games and is eligible to return to juniors next season.

Prior to his stint with Saint John, Galiev spent one season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) where he helped lead the Indiana Ice to the Clark Cup championship. He registered 64 points (29 goals, 35 assists) in 60 games while being named to the USHL All-Star Game as well as the league’s All-Rookie Team.

The native of Moscow, Russia, was drafted by the Capitals in the third round (86th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Maximum of 12 Capitals games to be broadcast exclusively across NBC and VERSUS

2011-08-19T11:10:00.001-04:00

NBC, which will operate under a flexible schedule for seven of the network’s regular-season dates, has chosen five dates from the Washington schedule for potential national coverage, the network announced today as the NHL released its national broadcast schedules. VERSUS will broadcast at least 10 Washington Capitals games to a national television audience in 2011-12. Washington will have the maximum of 12 nationally exclusive games on NBC and VERSUS.

In addition to the broadcast schedule the Capitals announced five time changes from the original schedule: Nov. 1 vs. Anaheim (7:30 p.m.), Feb. 13 vs. San Jose (7:30 p.m.), Feb. 20 at Carolina (7:30 p.m.), March 4 vs. Philadelphia (7 p.m.) and April 2 at Tampa Bay (7 p.m.).

NBC will have the option to select from five Washington Capitals games via their NBC/VERSUS flex scheduling. VERSUS will broadcast at least 10 Capitals games, six exclusively and four non-exclusively. NHL Network will carry 15 Capitals contests, while 12 games will be televised nationally in Canada on CBC (seven games) and TSN (five games).

NBC has the option to select from the following flex schedule games: Jan. 22 at Pittsburgh, Feb. 12 at New York Rangers, March 18 at Chicago, March 25 vs. Minnesota and April 7 at New York Rangers. The games not selected by NBC will be broadcast on VERSUS on a non-exclusive basis.

VERSUS will feature the Capitals at least 10 times this season, six of which will be exclusive, nationally broadcast games. The network, which will be re-named “NBC Sports Network” on Jan. 2, will broadcast the following games exclusively: Dec. 28 vs. New York Rangers, Jan. 11 vs. Pittsburgh, Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay, Feb. 5 vs. Boston, Feb. 13 vs. San Jose and March 4 vs. Philadelphia. The following dates are non-exclusive VERSUS broadcasts: Oct. 10 vs. Tampa Bay, Nov. 1 vs. Anaheim, Feb. 20 at Carolina and April 2 at Tampa Bay.

NHL Network will carry 15 Capitals contests this season: Oct. 13 at Pittsburgh, Oct. 20 at Philadelphia, Oct. 22 vs. Detroit, Nov. 11 at New Jersey, Nov. 12 vs. New Jersey, Nov. 25 vs. New York Rangers, Dec. 1 vs. Pittsburgh, Jan. 13 vs. Tampa Bay, Feb. 18 at Tampa Bay, Feb. 25 at Toronto, March 8 vs. Tampa Bay, March 10 at Boston, March 22 at Philadelphia, March 29 at Boston and March 31 vs. Montreal.

In addition to the national broadcasts in the United States, 12 Capitals games will be televised nationally in Canada. CBC will televise seven Capitals games: Oct. 15 vs. Ottawa, Oct. 29 at Vancouver, Nov. 19 at Toronto, Dec. 3 vs. Ottawa, Feb. 4 at Montreal, Feb. 25 at Toronto and March 31 vs. Montreal. TSN will televise five Washington games: Oct. 27 at Edmonton, Dec. 7 at Ottawa, Jan. 18 at Montreal, Feb. 22 at Ottawa and Feb. 24 vs. Montreal.

Washington’s local broadcast schedule will be released in the near future.

Matt Hendricks, Capitals Fans to Take Part in

2011-08-19T11:08:00.000-04:00

Washington Capitals forward Matt Hendricks, mascot Slapshot and more than 120 Capitals fans will volunteer their time on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Washington, D.C., as part of the D.C. Public Schools’ (DCPS) annual Beautification Day. This is the third-straight year the Capitals have participated in the DCPS Beautification Day.

Hendricks and the rest of the volunteers will be undertaking a variety of projects to prepare Thurgood Marshall Elementary for the school year including painting murals, classrooms and exterior doors, putting together a robotics table for their robotics program, helping teachers organize classrooms, creating a garden, weeding and pruning and cleaning the amphitheater.

John Marshall, son of Thurgood Marshall, will also be in attendance to help out on Saturday. In addition, Marshall will come out to the school during the school year to talk to the students about his career and his father’s legacy. Marshall grew up a Caps fan and loved playing hockey in Washington, D.C., at Fort Dupont Ice Arena. His love for hockey continued as he attended college at Georgetown University where he played on the club-level team and continues to play recreationally today.

Wes Johnson, the Caps public address announcer, will emcee the event. Lunch will be donated by Front Page, Arlington along with gift cards for the volunteers.

Hendricks, 30, recently completed his first season with the Capitals. He ranked tied for third on the team with three game-winning goals and set career highs in games played (77), assists (16), points (25) and penalty minutes (110). Hendricks signed as a free agent on Sept. 27, 2010.

WHO: Washington Capitals forward Matt Hendricks, mascot Slapshot, public address announcer Wes Johnson, Thurgood Marshall’s son John Marshall and more than 120 Capitals fans

WHAT: Beautification projects as part of D.C. Public Schools’ annual Beautification Day

WHEN: Saturday, August 20
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
3100 Fort Lincoln Drive, NE
Washington, DC 20018
Parking is available in the parking lot behind the school located on Commodore Joshua Barney Drive.

Flyers Rookies to Host Capitals Rookies at Wells Fargo Center

2011-08-17T11:32:00.001-04:00

Washington Capitals rookie camp will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 15, with a 5 p.m. game against rookies from the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the Capitals and Flyers rookies have met in a game. Philadelphia will broadcast streaming coverage of the game live, which will also be available at WashingtonCaps.com.

The Capitals will open rookie camp on Saturday, Sept. 10, with all on-ice workouts at Kettler Capitals Iceplex open to the public and free of charge. Select participants in rookie camp will be invited to join veteran players in training camp, which begins Friday, Sept. 16. Like rookie camp, all training camp on-ice workouts are open to the public. A complete schedule of practice sessions for both rookie camp and training camp will be announced at a later date.

Gartner, Bondra and Johansson Highlight Inaugural Caps Alumni Game

2011-08-17T09:15:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals will host the inaugural Capitals Alumni Game at Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. The game will include several popular former Capitals players and will kick of the 2011 Capitals Convention weekend festivities.

The game will feature “Team Langway” facing off against “Team Laughlin.” Participating alumni are scheduled to include, Hall of Famer Mike Gartner, former All-Stars Peter Bondra, Don Beaupre and Dennis Maruk as well as former Caps Calle Johansson, Greg Adams, Alan May, Mark Lofthouse, Yvon Labre, Gord Lane, Jason Woolley, John Druce, Sylvain Cote, Paul Mulvey, Alan Hangsleben, Nelson Burton, Errol Rausse, Gary Rissling, and Ken Sabourin.

Recently retired NHL referee Bill McCreary will officiate the game. McCreary began his 25-year NHL officiating career on Nov. 3, 1984 at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland and picked the Verizon Center to referee his final NHL game on April 2, 2011.

Tickets are $10 with all proceeds benefiting Capitals Charities. You must be a Caps Convention ticket holder to purchase Capitals Alumni Game tickets. Tickets go on sale Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. and are limited and sold on a first-come, first-served basis. A convention ticket does not guarantee an alumni game ticket. To purchase tickets, please visit WashingtonCaps.com.

In addition, the alumni game will be the first opportunity to purchase Caps Convention merchandise. Attendees will also have a chance to pick up their autograph wristbands at the game.

The 2011 Capitals Convention, presented by GEICO, will take place the following day at the Washington Convention Center. The event has been a tremendous success in its first two years, attracting sold-out crowds of more than 6,500 to the day-long interactive and informational celebration of the Capitals, which features the entire roster of current players and a number of prominent alumni.

Upcoming Capitals Events

Tuesday, Sept. 20 Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Md.
Friday, Sept. 23 Inaugural Caps Alumni Game
Saturday, Sept. 24 2011 Capitals Convention presented by GEICO
Saturday, Oct. 8 Opening Night vs. the Carolina Hurricanes

Matt Hendricks to participate in charity golf tournament

2011-08-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

The Ice Pack Hockey League is hosting the first fundraising event for Defending the Blue Line in Maryland on Monday, Aug. 22. The charity golf tournament is sponsored by FreeSecureShredding.com. All proceeds will benefit Defending the Blue Line.

Matt Hendricks of the Washington Capitals is one of the celebrities scheduled to play in the tournament. The tournament will start at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start at Needwood Golf Course located at 6724 Needwood Road, Rockville, MD. Open slots are still available. Those interested can register at www.DefendingTheBlueLine.org. Participants will also receive practice balls, lunch, and beverages on the course. There will also be raffles and contests in which an array of prizes will be given away.

Defending The Blue Line is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by a group of National Guard soldiers. The charity assists families of all branches of the military with costs associated with hockey. They provide financial assistance for registration fees, free equipment, summer hockey camps, and sending many deserving families down to NHL hockey games in several different markets.

Defending The Blue Line is excited for this opportunity to further help military families. Keeping the kids focused and active in hockey is a great way to help keep their minds off of a parent’s upcoming deployment.

The Ice Pack Hockey League is a private pick-up hockey league started in the spring of 2006. They currently host games among six teams on Tuesday & Thursday nights at the B & C level of adult hockey. They play their games at Cabin John Ice Rink.

FreeSecureShredding.com is green community service provided by Office Paper Systems targeting identity theft and environmental concerns. Free secure shredding is available Monday through Friday at 7650 Airpark Road in Gaitherspark, MD.

For more information or for interviews, please contact:
Bryan Reynolds
Community Relations
Defending The Blue Line
Bryan@DefendingTheBlueLine.com
763-226-6959

Steve Allen
sallan@rosenbergmedia.com
248-808-4132

Should There Be Concern For Sidney Crosby?

2011-08-16T23:17:00.002-04:00

Word got out on Monday afternoon that Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby may not be ready for the start of the regular season. Crosby is apparently still suffering concussion-like symptoms almost eight months after suffering a concussion that forced him to miss the final 41 games of the regular season, and all of the Penguins seven game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Penguins General Manager Ray Shero has said they are not setting a time frame for Crosby's return, but do expect the former Hart Trophy winner to eventually return to full-time play.

Though there doesn't appear to be any serious concern on part of the Penguins organization on whether or not Crosby will ever play again, I can't help but wonder if that question needs to be asked?

Crosby suffered the injury in either against the Washington Capitals in the Winter Classic, or Jan. 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. That was a little more then seven months ago and Crosby is still apparently dealing with headaches, though Shero said he is still able to do his full workout routine.

The Penguins are definitely taking the correct approach in not rushing Crosby back, but he began skating in April and four months later is still experiencing concussion-like symptoms. Crosby chose to return to Canada this offseason, but I can't help but wonder if it would've benefitted him more to stay in Pittsburgh where the teams' trainers and doctors could monitor his workouts everyday and evalute him afterwards.

When I think about this situation, I can't help but think about Eric Lindros. Lindros was well on his way to being one of the most dominant forwards to ever play in the NHL before suffering a series of concussions that ultimately derailed his career.

The information on concussions was not what it is now when Lindros was going through his troubles, and this is only Crosby's first concussion, but once a player suffers one he is always susceptible to another one.

Do I think Crosby's career is in danger? No. But, the fact that nearly eight months after suffering his first concussion he is still experiencing symptoms suggests to me that the injury is worse then the Penguins have led on.

Alex Ovechkin "Mean as a bear"

2011-08-10T13:37:00.002-04:00

I read a post earlier this afternoon that Tarik El-Bashir posted on the Capitals Insider on washingtonpost.com. It had to do with an interview he conducted with Bruce Boudreau this past Sunday at Boudreau's 29th annual Golden Horseshoe Hockey School in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The post was about an apparent conversation Boudreau and Ovechkin had a Kettler Capitals Iceplex last month where Boudreau informed Ovechkin of his expectations of Ovie for the upcoming season. Needless to say, they are high, but not unrealistic, nor unreasonable.

Boudreau said he expects Ovechkin to come to training camp "as mean as a bear" after the worst statistical season of his NHL career. Ovechkin certainly has much to prove next season, but it isn't just on the stat sheet.

According to Boudreau, he told Ovechkin that he needs to take his role as team captain a step further and establishing a more serious tone in the dressing room the first day of training camp. Boudreau, according to the post, also told Tarik "we're not all 22-year-old guys anymore. He's the captain. I think he's a great captain on the ice because no one works as hard as him, and no one wants to win more than him."

Tarik also wrote that he felt Boudreau was trying to tell Ovechkin to also be more vocal and assertive in the locker room and less concerned about hurting feelings.

Boudreau is right in everything he said to Ovechkin and hopefully Ovie listened. I know there are those that will read this and say "it's about time" and that Ovechkin should have made this turn in his maturity sooner.

I don't totally disagree with those opinions because Sidney Crosby's maturity has been arguably his greatest virtue since coming into the league, and we've all seen how quickly the young guns for the Blackhawks matured.

But, there are plenty of 25-year old males in this world that aren't professional athletes that aren't mature. So, if it is now that Ovechkin has finally realized where he needs to grow up and improve himself it certainly hasn't come to late.

It sounds like he may have as Boudreau said Ovie plans on coming back from Russia earlier then he has in the past.

There are also some that are going to say Boudreau should've had these discussions with Ovechkin two, three years ago. For all we know, he very well may have, it may have just taken a few years and a several playoff disappointments for that message to sink in.

What I'm taking from Tarik's report is very positive. If Ovechkin has indeed turned the corner in his maturity, the sky is the limit for both he and the team. A more serious minded and mature Ovechkin is a scary thought.

Imagine what he will be able to do this season if he's in top shape at the start of camp in both his weight, stamina and no nagging injuries.

Even more so, if Ovechkin's teammates follow his lead and come into camp with a more serious attitude which I imagine they will with the additions of Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward, Jeff Halpern and Roman Hamerlik, this very well could be the year they turn the corner and win the Cup.

Of course, at the moment this is all speculation. But, if the picture Dan Steinberg posted of Ovechkin at a Russian youth hockey camp a few weeks ago are any indication of what he's going to do this season, all I can say is watch out.

Steve Kolbe Out as Capitals play-by-play voice

2011-08-09T22:27:00.002-04:00

A few minutes passed noon today, I read on washingtonpost.com that John Walton has been hired to replace Steve Kolbe as the Washington Capitals play-by-play voice. Walton, 38, has been in the same position with the Hershey Bears for quite sometime and will most certainly do an admirable job in his new role with the Capitals.

But, I wanted to take this time to extend a sad fairwell to Steve Kolbe. I was fortunate enough to start going to Capitals home games at the start of the 2007-2008 season. One of the first media members I met at the start of the season was Kolbe. He and I have a mutual friend, so I used that as a way to introduce myself and begin to build a relationship with Steve.

It took me the majority of the season, but as the playoffs neared that year Steve began to address me by my first name and even came up to me in the press box a few times and initiated conversation.

Before Game 1 of the Capitals first round series with the Flyers in 2008, Steve called into the radio show I was doing at George Mason at the time and gave us a solid 10 minute interview on how he thought the series was going to play out.

That was one of the great things about Steve was he never seemed to let his position go to his head. I was doing a lowly college radio show, yet he gave us all the time that we wanted and answered every question very thoroughly.

As the seasons passed, Steve and I began to talk a little more. He would come up to me in the media room after games and we would discuss how we thought the Caps played that night, or that week. We even discussed whether or not George McPhee should trade Alex Semin on several occasions.

But, there are two things Steve did for me that I will always remember. During the Capitals President's Trophy winning 2009-10 season, Steve brought me into his booth in the Verizon Center and showed me how he kept notes during games and throughout the season.

At the start of last season after I was unable to get a credential for the season, Steve agreed to do a Q&A with me once a month even though I wasn't going to be at any games.

After 14 seasons, it would seem that Steve's job would've been secure even with a new position being created. But, for whatever reason the organization decided to go another direction.

Steve, I appreciate all the kindness you showed me over the last four years and the coversations we had before, during and after games.

I will miss hearing your voice on the radio and hearing you read off stats that you, and only you knew about.

Wherever you end up, I'm sure it will be for the best and you will give it your all.

Goodluck, Steve, and thank you.

Chris Osgood: Hall of Famer?

2011-07-20T22:40:00.002-04:00

With Detroit Red Wings netminder Chris Osgood annoucing his retirement on Tuesday the question begs; Is Osgood a Hall of Famer.

Based on his career numbers the answer is yes. Osgood finished with 401 wins over his 17-year career, a 2.49 save percentage, 50 regular season shutouts and 74 career playoff wins. Oh, and he just happened to win three Stanley Cup championships.

However, despite his impressive career numbers I'm going to say that Osgood does not get elected to the Hall of Fame, and here's why.

There's no doubt that Osgood came through in the clutch for the Wings on numerous occasions. After allowing a fluky goal in overtime of Game 5 of the 1998 Western Conference Finals, Osgood rebounded with a shutout in Game 6 to seal a return trip to the Finals for the Wings.

Ten years later Osgood was at it for the Wings, again. After Dominik Hasek struggled in Games 3 and 4 against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Osgood was named the starter for Game 5 and led the Wings to nine straight victories.

After the Wings dropped Games 4 and 5 of the Western Finals against the Dallas Stars, Osgood allowed just one goal in the Wings series-clinching win in Game 6 in Dallas, and then shutout the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Detroit went on to win the series in six games for the franchises fourth Stanley Cup victory in 11 seasons.

However, Osgood was also pushed aside by the Wings organization on several occasions. Mike Vernon was named the starter for the 1997 playoffs after splitting time with Osgood during the regular season. Vernon went on to lead the Wings to their first Stanley Cup championship in 42 years.

During the 2001 offseason, the Wings acquired Hasek from the Buffalo Sabres and subsequently left Osgood unprotected in the waiver draft where he was picked up by the New York Islanders.

Due to his poor regular season play the last several seasons, Osgood lost the starting job to Jimmy Howard during the 2009-10 season and played just 23 games last season due to injury issues.

Osgood clearly has the resume, but how many Hall of Fame goalies were benched before a Stanley Cup run, waived three years after winning a Cup, brought back to the organization and eventually losing his starting job to a rookie?

Ozzie was always one of my favorite players. I'll never forget his fight with Patrick Roy at the end of the 1998 season where Osgood was clearly outweighed and probably outmuscled, but managed to hold his own.

His ability to deal with adversity and come through in the clutch were his greatest strengths, but there are too many setbacks on his resume for me to say he is a Hall of Famer.

For his sake, I hope I'm wrong.

Really? Really? Really?

2011-07-18T22:50:00.002-04:00

So, when I got home from work tonight I decided to check washingtonpost.com to see if any new interesting articles had been posted. As usual, Katie Carrera had posted a few new entries on Capitals Insider, so I decided to take a look and see what new updates she was giving us.

Her first post was an interview with George McPhee in which GMGM expressed his satisfaction with the offseason moves the Capitals have made so far, and said if the organization doesn't make any more moves he would be happy with the roster as currently constructed.

As usual the thread undernearth Carrera's post was filled with comments, many of them insulting to McPhee.

There was one that stuck out in my mind, and is the prime motivation for my entry tonight. One fan suggested the Caps trade Alex Semin, and Mike Green to the Los Angeles Kings for Drew Doughty, and maybe Dustin Brown if the Kings were willing to give him up.

This is actually an interesting proposition that would never happen and here's why. Obviously, a Green for Doughty swap would be a win for the Caps as Doughty is a much better defender then Green, and the Caps also have Dennis Wideman and John Carlson on the roster who are more than capable of quarterbacking the power play. Wideman and Carlson manning the points would give the power play two player who are capable of handling the puck and potentially improving the pp's zone time. How many times last season did we all watch Ovie let the puck get passed him and cost the team prescious zone time?

However, the trade won't happen and here's why. Though Green and Semin possess more natural skill then Doughty and Brown a swap of these four players would be a step back for the Kings.

Los Angeles has rebuilt itself into a defense first hard checking team, and as much as I love Sasha and Greenie those two terms don't exactly stick out when you think of them.

Also, a Semin for Brown swap would strip the Kings of one of there best forwards for a guy you can't count on for a consistent effort one game to the next.

Now, having said that I don't think McPhee can trade, or release Semin unless he knows for sure that he has someone who can fill the scoring void that Semin would leave. As much as a I agree Semin should go, you can't get rid of a player his caliber without a backup plan, and a second line of Troy Brouwer, Marcus Johansson and Brooks Laich will not fill the scoring void left by Semin.

Though it's a trade I would most certainly endorse, it's also a trade that Dean Lombardi would never agree to because he and anyone else with any hockey knowledge knows who would come out on the better side.

But, if McPhee were able to pull it off, I wonder how many of the naysayers would change their tune?

Since Lombardi isn't an idiot, I guess we'll never know.

George McPhee's draft history

2011-07-17T21:44:00.000-04:00

Anyone that knows me, or reads my blog knows that I am a big supporter of George McPhee. I think McPhee is primarily responsible for the current state of the organization and will be primarily responsible for the team winning the Stanley Cup.
But, there are those among Caps nation that think anyone with the amount of first round picks the Caps have had the last seven years could have built this team and that McPhee is the reason the team hasn’t moved beyond the second round of the playoffs since 1998.
I’ve also heard arguments that McPhee should’ve learned what it takes to win in the playoffs well before his 14th season as General Manager and his argument that a playoff coach is no different than a regular season coach is utterly ridiculous.
So, I decided to take a look back at all of the drafts since McPhee was hired as Vice President and General Manager on June 9, 1997.
1997
9
Nick Boynton
D
35
Jean Francois Fortin
D
89
Curtis Cruickshank
G
116
Kevin Caulfield
RW
143
Henrik Petre
D
200
Pierre-Luc Therrien
G
226
Matt Oikawa
RW

1998
49
Jomar Cruz
G
59
Todd Hornung
C
106
Krys Barch
LW
107
Chris Corrinet
RW
118
Mike Siklenka
D
125
Eric Wendell
C
179
Nathan Forster
D
193
Ratislav Stana
G
220
Mike Farrell
D
251
Blake Evans
C

1999
7
Kris Beech
C
29
Michal Sivek
C
31
Charlie Stephens
C/RW
34
Ross Lupaschuk
D
37
Nolan Yonkman
D
132
Roman Tvrdon
C/LW
175
Kyle Clark
R

192
David Bornhammer (Johansson)
D
219
Maxim Orlov
C
249
Igor Shadilov
D

2000
26
Brian Sutherby
C
43
Matt Pettinger
LW
61
Jakub Cutta
D
121
Ryan Vanbuskirk
D
163
Ivan Nepriayev
C
289
Bjorn Nord
D

2001
58
Nathan Paetsch
D
90
Owen Fussey
RW
125
Jeff Lucky
RW
160
A. Ternavsky
D
191
Zybnek Novak
F
221
John Oduya
D
249
Matt Maglione
D
254
Peter Polcik
LW
275
Robert Muller
G
284
Viktor Hubl
LW

2002
12
Steve Eminger
D
13
Alexander Semin
LW
17
Boyd Gordon
RW
59
Maxime Daigneault
G
77
Patrick Wellar
D
92
Derek Krestanovich
C
109
Jevon Desautels
LW
118
Petr Dvorak
C
145
Robert Gherson
G
179
Marian Havel
C/LW
209
Joni Lindlof
W
242
Igor Ignatushkin
W
272
Patric Blomdahl
W
18
Eric Fehr
RW
83
Steve Werner
RW
109
Andreas Valdix
LW
155
Josh Robertson
C
249
Andrew Joudrey
C
279
Mark Olafson
RW

2004
1
Alex Ovechkin
LW
27
Jeff Schultz
D
29
Mike Green
D
33
Chris Bourque
LW
62
Mikhail Yunkov
C
66
Sami Lepisto
D
88
Clayton Barthel
D
132
Oscar Hedman
D
138
Pasi Salonen
LW
166
Peter Guggisberg
RW
197
Andrew Gordon
RW
230
Justin Mrazek
G
263
Travis Morin
C

2005
14
Sasha Pokulok
D

27
Joe Finley
D

109
Andrew Thomas
D

118
Patrick McNeill
D

143
Daren Machesney
G

181
Tim Kennedy
LW

209
Viktor Dovgan
D

2006
4
Nicklas Backstrom
C
23
Simeon Varlamov
G
34
Michal Neuvirth
G
35
Francois Bouchard
RW
52
Keith Seabrook
D
97
Oskar Osala
LW
122
Luke Lynes
C
127
Maxime Lacroix
LW
157
Brent Gwidt
C
177
Mathieu Perreault
C

2007
5
Karl Alzner
D
34
Josh Godfrey
D
46
Theo Ruth
D
84
Phil DeSimone
C
108
Brent Bruneteau
C
125
Brett Leffler
RW
154
Dan Dunn
G
180
Justin Taylor
C
185
Nick Larson
C
199
Andrew Glass
LW

2008
21
Anton Gustafsson
C
27
John Carlson
D
57
Eric Mestery
D
58
Dmitry Kugryshev
RW
93
Braden Holtby
G
144
Joel Broda
C
174
Greg Burke
LW
204
Stefan Della Rovere
LW
2009
Marcus Johansson
Dmitri Orlov
Cody Eakin
Patrick Wey
Brett Flemming
Garrett Mitchell
Benjamin Casavant
2010
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Stanislav Galiev
Phillip Grubauer
Caleb Herbert
Samuel Carrier
2011
Steffen Soberg
Patrick Koudys
Travis Boyd
Garrett Haar

McPhee clearly missed on almost every pick in his first five drafts. Brian Sutherby and Matt Pettinger are the only picks to ever become NHL regulars and neither of them are impact players.
McPhee’s fortunes changed with the 2002 and 2003 drafts when he drafted Alexander Semin, Boyd Gordon and Eric Fehr. Semin and Gordon were selected in 2002 and Fehr in 2003. Semin is the only one who is on the roster now as Gordon decided to sign with the Coyotes a few weeks ago, and Fehr was just traded to the Winnipeg Jets.
But, to me this is was a key draft because the Capitals turnaround because it brought players to the organization that became regulars and were guys the team could count on. Yes, Semin is clearly the best of the three and Fehr battled injuries, but the Caps did get a 21 goal season from Fehr and Gordon was a solid fourth-line center who could be counted on to play on the penalty kill and won nearly 60% of his faceoffs last season.
Since 2004, McPhee has drafted Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, Jeff Schultz, Nicklas Backstrom, Michael Neuvirth, Semyon Varlamov, Karl Alzner, John Carlson and Marcus Johansson that have become NHL regulars while Mathieu Perreault has been a solid contributor on recalls.
Braden Holtby flashed his potential this past season that has many thinking he will ultimately win the Capitals starting goaltender race.
There is also Dmitri Orlov, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Cody Eakin who played in the gold medal game of the World Junior Championships this past year and is expected to make the NHL roster in the next few years.
Not everyone single player has been a first round selection, either. Perreault was a 6th round pick in 2006 while Holtby was a fourth round pick in 2008. Eakin was actually selected in the third round in 2009 which is technically a high round pick, but I still think McPhee should get credit for that.
Where the improvement has come from I don’t know, but whatever it is doesn’t need to be changed.
George McPhee knows what this team and this organization needs. I know there has been a big stink about his decisions to not jump into free agency before this past offseason, but he wanted to see which of the homegrown players were going to pan out and which ones they needed to trade, or not resign in order to improve the team.
Depending on how this year’s free agent signings pan out, McPhee may need to part with a few of his young assets in order to give the Caps the one or two players they need to make a run at the Cup. But, that remains to be seen.
George McPhee built the Capitals into what is the best professional team in this area at this time and he did it once Ted Leonsis gave him full rain to do so.
I think he deserves to be here to see the end result.

Capitals Re-Sign Defenseman Karl Alzner

2011-07-15T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Karl Alzner to a two-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to have re-signed Karl Alzner to a two-year contract,” said McPhee. “We feel he’s an important part of our defensive core who logs critical minutes against other teams’ top players.”;

Alzner, 22, recently completed his first full season in the NHL, playing in all 82 games with the Capitals and posting career highs in goals (two), assists (10), points (12), penalty minutes (24) and plus/minus (+14). His 132 blocked shots were third on the team while his 98 hits were tied for seventh. Alzner was one of just three NHL defenseman aged 22 and younger to play in all 82 regular-season games. In addition, he ranked sixth on the team in average time on ice per game (20:00). The Burnaby, British Columbia, native recorded an assist in nine playoff games and was tied for second on the team with 20 blocked shots.

From 2008 through 2010, Alzner appeared in 103 AHL games with the Hershey Bears, collecting 41 points (seven goals, 34 assists) and a plus-57 rating while helping lead the team to the 2010 Calder Cup championship.

A two-time gold medalist at the IIHF World Junior Championship with Canada, Alzner captained the Canadian team in 2007-08 and was named one of the team’s top three players by the coaching staff. Alzner also represented Canada in the 2007 Canada/Russia Super Series and played for the WHL team in the 2006 Canada-Russia Challenge.

The 6’3”, 206-pound blueliner collected 117 points (19 goals, 98 assists) in 260 games with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 2004-2008 and was named the WHL Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year in 2007-08.

Alzner was drafted by Washington in the first round (5th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Capitals Renew ECHL Affiliation with South Carolina Stingrays

2011-07-15T09:30:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have renewed their affiliation agreement with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL for the 2011-12 season, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

“We are very pleased to extend our affiliation with South Carolina,” said McPhee. “The Stingrays are a first-class organization who give our prospects a great place to develop as professionals.”;

Six Capitals prospects spent some time with South Carolina in 2010-11, as the Stingrays finished the season with a record of 37-29-3-3 under head coach Cail MacLean. MacLean, a former forward who played for both South Carolina and Hershey, is attending the Capitals Rookie Development Camp.

2011-12 will mark the eighth consecutive season that the Capitals and Stingrays have been affiliated. South Carolina won the Kelly Cup in 2009, the same year that Hershey won the AHL’s Calder Cup.

“We are very excited to continue our affiliation with the Washington Capitals,” said South Carolina Stingrays President Rob Concannon. “Throughout the past seven seasons, we have seen many great prospects join our organization and develop into NHL-caliber players.”;

Six players who have played for South Carolina are currently under contract with Washington: Sean Collins, Braden Holtby, Patrick McNeill, Michal Neuvirth, Dustin Stevenson and Dmitry Kugryshev. Of those, Collins, Holtby and Neuvirth have all appeared at the NHL level with the Capitals. Holtby began the 2009-10 season with the Stingrays and represented South Carolina in the ECHL All-Star Game, the second straight season that a Capitals goaltending prospect appeared in that game (Michal Neuvirth).

Leonsis needs to stop marketing

2011-07-14T17:31:00.001-04:00

At the National Press Club on Wednesday, Ted Leonsis made one very interesting comment regarding the Washington Capitals during his hour long talk. As highlighted by Michael Lee of the Washington Post, and the Associated Press.
“I do think our young players that form our core, led by Alex Ovechkin, it’s their time now,” Leonsis said. “They are not even in their prime.”
As I read this remark two words popped into my head.
Shut up.
I have been a strong supporter of Leonsis, George McPhee and Bruce Boudreau the last several years as fans have called for all of their heads.
I do believe that these three are the right trio to lead the Capitals to the franchises first Stanley Cup championship, and that belief was strengthened two weeks ago with the clubs free-agent acquisitions.
However, reading these comments caused me to think back to how Leonsis got himself into position to buy the Capitals in the first place.
Marketing.
Above all else, Ted Leonsis is a businessman. He built a Communications company to a level that American Online bought the company, and then helped turn AOL into a billion dollar a year company.
His marketing ability has been of great benefit to the Capitals as Leonsis sent out handwritten letters to season ticket holders asking them to be patient during the rebuilding process, and just before the start of the 2007-08 season publicly declared the rebuild to be over.
Leonsis’s marketing sense has reared its head, again.
According to Arctic Ice Hockey, the average points-per-game peak for a player is age 25 with the peak scoring ages being between 24 and 26
The Capitals core group is made up of Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Brooks Laich.
Laich is 28 and Semin is 27, while Ovechkin will be 26 before the season starts and Green will turn 26 during the first week of the season. Backstrom is the youngest of the core at 23 which leaves all six in, or very near the prime of their careers.
The “young guns” are no longer, with the exception of Backstrom, young. Ovehckin, Semin, Laich and Green have all been in the league for five full seasons, while Backstrom just finished his fourth, and all six have been in the playoffs four consecutive seasons.
The time is now for all the “core is still young,” excuses to stop. Now is the time for these guys to perform, especially since two of them have recently signed lucrative multi-year contracts.
Leonsis’s comment was made as a way to keep the media and the fan base happy. Both groups were very outspoken after the team was swept out of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning, saying the culture within the locker needed to be changed, and that Boudreau, Green, and, or Semin needed to be fired or traded.
The Capitals just had the highest attendance of any season in franchise history this passed season as over 754,000 fans attended games, so Leonsis doesn’t want to lose that kind of attendance and support.
Leonsis has made it this far by knowing what the right move is and when to make it.
Well, the right move now is this. Stop making excuses. The core is in their prime, so it’s time to put up, or shut up.
The best thing for Teddy to do right now is shut up.

Capitals Sign Forward Jacob Micflikier

2011-07-14T15:13:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Jacob Micflikier to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Micflikier, 27, recorded 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) and 80 penalty minutes in 78 games last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native finished second on the team in goals and third in points. In addition, Micflikier appeared in 14 playoff games, collecting three points and six penalty minutes. In 193 career AHL games with Springfield, Rochester, Albany and Charlotte, Micflikier has registered 126 points (55 goals, 71 assists) and 126 penalty minutes.

The 5’8”, 180-pound forward has played 55 career ECHL games with Stockton and Florida, recording 93 points (29 goals, 64 assists) and 65 penalty minutes. In 12 career Kelly Cup playoff games with Stockton and Florida, he collected 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) and 18 penalty minutes.

Micflikier played four seasons at the University of New Hampshire, registering 150 points (58 goals, 92 assists) and 157 penalty minutes in 154 career games. Micflikier, who was named as an assistant captain in his senior year, helped UNH win the 2007 Hockey East regular season title. In his junior season, he was named UNH’s Most Valuable Player and led the team in scoring with 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists). Micflikier currently ranks 24th on the all-time scoring list at UNH.

Capitals Re-Sign Center Mathieu Perreault

2011-07-14T08:34:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have re-signed center Mathieu Perreault to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Perreault, 23, played in 35 games for the Capitals last season, collecting 14 points (seven goals, seven assists). He set career-highs in games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes (20). The 5’10”, 175-pound native of Drummondville, Quebec, also recorded 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 34 regular-season games and six points (three goals, three assists) in six playoff games for the Hershey Bears. He finished seventh on the team during the regular season in points despite playing in only 34 games.

Perreault, who wears No. 85 for Washington, registered 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) and 34 penalty minutes in 56 regular season games with Hershey during the 2009-10 campaign. He helped lead the Bears to the Calder Cup championship with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) and 18 penalty minutes in 21 playoff games. In addition, he collected nine points (four goals, five assists) and six penalty minutes in 21 games for the Capitals.

In 56 career NHL games with Washington, Perreault has registered 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) and 26 penalty minutes. Perreault was drafted by the Capitals in the sixth round (177th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Capitals Sign Right Wing Troy Brouwer

2011-07-06T10:45:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals have signed right wing Troy Brouwer to a two-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Brouwer, 25, recorded 17 goals and a career-high 19 assists for 36 points in 79 regular-season games in 2010-11. He led the Blackhawks and ranked fifth in the NHL with 262 hits and finished third on the team with five game-winning goals. Brouwer appeared in all seven playoff games with Chicago, collecting 11 penalty minutes and finishing with a plus-two rating.

The 6’3”, 215-pound forward helped lead the Blackhawks to win the 2010 Stanley Cup while tallying a career-best eight points (four goals, four assists) in 19 playoff contests.

During the 2009-10 campaign, Brouwer registered a career-high 22 goals and 40 points in 69 games with the Blackhawks. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native ranked third on the club with a career-high seven power-play goals despite ranking seventh in power-play ice time. In 238 career NHL games with Chicago, Brouwer has recorded 103 points (49 goals, 54 assists).

Brouwer was originally drafted by Chicago in the seventh round (214th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Capitals Trade Goaltender Semyon Varlamov to Avalanche

2011-07-01T14:14:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals acquired a first round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and a second round pick in the 2012 or 2013 NHL Entry Draft from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for goaltender Semyon Varlamov, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Capitals Sign Center Jeff Halpern to One-Year Contract

2011-07-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed free agent center Jeff Halpern to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Halpern, 35, played 438 games for the Capitals from 1999-2006 and captained the team during the 2005-06 season. The 5’11”, 198-pound center has recorded 214 points (87 goals, 127 assists) in his career with Washington, including a career-high 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) during the 2003-04 season. In 17 playoff games with the Capitals, Halpern has tallied four goals and five assists.

The Potomac, Maryland, native collected 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 72 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. He logged the second-most shorthanded minutes (2:20) per-game amongst Canadiens forwards and helped lead the team’s penalty kill unit which ranked seventh in the NHL. Halpern also finished second on the team in faceoff percentage (56.9%) and registered one goal in four playoff games.

Halpern has collected 342 points (142 goals, 200 assists) in 792 career NHL games with Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles and Montreal. In 34 career postseason playoff games, Halpern has recorded seven goals and six assists.

Halpern first joined the Capitals as an undrafted free agent on March 29, 1999, and made the NHL club as a rookie in 1999-2000.. He has represented the United States in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and five World Championships (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008). While in Washington, Halpern was an active member of the community, helping launch Halpern’s Hometown Heroes to benefit local charities.

Halpern played youth hockey for the Little Capitals and former captains Rod Langway and Dale Hunter were among his favorite players. He played junior hockey in Canada and prep school hockey in New Hampshire before enrolling at Princeton University in 1995-96. One of only four players to be named Princeton’s MVP three times, Halpern was the team captain as a senior. He finished his college career ranking first all-time at Princeton in games played (132), third in career points (141) and assists (81) and tied for fifth in career goals (60).

Re-signing of Laich good move

2011-06-29T15:45:00.001-04:00

Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee’s decision to re-sign center Brooks Laich can only be described by a bit of cultural slang.

No-brainer.

The 28-year old has been a model of not only consistency as he has averaged just over 21 goals and just under 50 points the last four seaosons, but also of professionalism and character.

And, no, I’m not talking about how he changed a tire for a stranded motorist on his way home from the Capitals Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens two seasons ago. Laich has been the most upfront and honest member on the current roster when it comes to the teams play, or at times lack there of.

Everyone should remember his comments during HBO’s 24/7 documentary before the Winter Class when Laich admitted that at times the team gets complacent.

There are, as one should come to expect, the detractors who say the Caps overpaid to keep Laich as they are paying him 27 million over the next six years.

I disagree with that wholeheartedly and here is why.

One, the free agent market is thin this year, especially on quality forwards. A guy with Laich’s stats and ability would’ve commanded a much longer and richer salary on the open market especially for a team like Toronto who is looking to re-build, or a team like the Chicago Blackhawks who are looking to reload.

In the last four days the Hawks have traded both Troy Brouwer, ironically to the Caps, and Tomas Kopecky to the Florida Panthers. That’s 32 goals and 78 pts lost from last season. Laich certainly could’ve made up for some of that production.

Two, because Laich is a two-way player who also happens to play on the penalty kill and the power play. He finished first amongst Capitals forwards last season in average shorthanded ice time per game at 2:18.

The last reason, and the one which is most important is Laich is glue guy; a natural born leader. As soon as the Caps began their ascent to the top of the league in the spring of 2008, Laich became one of the faces of the team. Sure, there were the obvious attention getters; Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green come on down, but Laich was the one who stepped forward.

He seemed to have an internal understanding that when a young team is suddenly in the limelight they need a guy to step forward and take on the brunt of the spotlight; a guy who can stand in front of the camera’s and answer the tough questions when no one else on the team wants to.

Laich did that immediately.

I remember after the gut-wrenching loss to the Flyers in Game 7, Laich answered questions for about five-minutes from reporters, and then stayed just as long and answered each question as courteously as he did before when the second wave of reporters bombarded him.

I know because I was amongst the second wave.

Oh, and if George McPhee pulls off the trades and free agent signings the fan base has been yelling for the last few seasons a big thank you should go to Laich.

He said during his conference call with reporters yesterday that there needs to be more accountability amongst the players and coaches next season regardless of salary, length of tenure, or the name of the back of the jersey.

Laich knows the team has underachieved the last few seasons and that the only way they can achieve the ultimate goal is by changing the culture in the locker room.

Does anyone think it’s a coincidence McPhee traded for a player like Brouwer after Laich voiced his concerns after the sweep by Tampa Bay? Look at his role when the Hawks won the Cup in 2010. He’s exactly what the Capitals need, and hopefully a few more like him are on the way.

So, do I think the Capitals overpaid to keep Brooksie?

No, they couldn’t have paid him enough.

Capitals Re-Sign Brooks Laich

2011-06-28T10:50:00.000-04:00

Per the Washignton Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have re-signed center Brooks Laich to a six-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very pleased to have Brooks Laich continue his career as a Washington Capital,” said McPhee. “Brooks has excelled as one of the League’s finer two-way players and is just entering his prime. His combination of size, speed, versatility and leadership makes him a valuable part of our club.”;

Laich, 28, finished fourth on the Capitals in points (48), fifth in goals (16) and third in assists (32) while posting a plus-14 plus/minus rating and collecting 46 penalty minutes. For the third time in his career, he played in all 82 of Washington’s regular-season games and finished second on the Caps with 207 shots on goal. In addition, Laich closed out the 2010-11 campaign fifth on the team in hits (113) and won 51.3 percent of his faceoffs. He scored his 100th career NHL goal on Mar. 15 at Montreal and finished second on the team in points during the playoffs (7) while leading the Caps with six postseason assists in nine games. Laich also finished first amongst Capitals forwards in average shorthanded ice time per game (2:18) and was instrumental in leading the Caps penalty kill unit that ranked second in the NHL during the regular season.

“I’m thrilled to make the commitment to remain a Capital,” said Laich. “It is a wonderful organization with terrific fans and I’m very happy to continue to call Washington home for many years to come.”;

The 6’2”, 215-pound center set career-highs in goals (25), assists (34) and points (59) during the 2009-10 season and scored 20 or more goals in three straight seasons from 2007-2010. In 475 career regular-season games, Laich has recorded 237 points (100 goals, 137 assists) and is a plus-14. In 37 career playoff games, he has tallied seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points.

The Wawota, Saskatchewan, native is second among active Capitals players in franchise games played (474), fifth in points (237), third in goals (100) and fifth in assists (137). Laich is 15th amongst his 2001 draft class in points but is one of only three players in the top 15 to be drafted later than the third round.

Laich was a sixth-round draft pick (193rd overall) by Ottawa in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired from Ottawa along with the Senators’ second-round draft pick in 2005 (traded to Colorado) and future considerations for Peter Bondra on Feb. 18, 2004.

Capitals Announce 2011 Preseason Schedule

2011-06-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals 2011 preseason schedule features seven games against four opponents and includes three games at Verizon Center. The Capitals will open their preseason schedule against the Nashville Predators in the Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on September 20 at 7 p.m.

The Capitals will begin their preseason road schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 21 (7 p.m.) at Columbus versus the Blue Jackets before facing off against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Friday, Sept. 23 (8:30 p.m.).

The team’s preseason home opener at Verizon Center is Monday, Sept. 26 (7 p.m.) against the Blue Jackets. The Capitals will then travel to Nashville on Sept. 28 (8 p.m.) before returning home to face the Buffalo Sabres on Sept. 30 (7 p.m.) and the Blackhawks on Oct. 2 (5 p.m.) at Verizon Center.

The Capitals were 5-1-0 in the preseason last year, and their all-time preseason record is 140-112-29-9.

The 1st Mariner Arena, formerly the Baltimore Arena, is Baltimore’s largest indoor venue. The Capitals called Landover, Maryland home from 1974-1997. They played their home games at the Capital Centre before moving to downtown Washington, D.C. for the 1997-98 season.

Audio from every preseason game will be broadcast live on WashingtonCaps.com. The complete 2011-12 NHL regular season schedule will be released at a later date.

Capitals Hire Olie Kolzig as Associate Goaltender Coach

2011-06-16T12:00:00.002-04:00

The Washington Capitals have hired former Capital Olie Kolzig as associate goaltender coach, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. Dave Prior will return to his role as director of goaltending and NHL goaltender coach.

“We are excited to add a familiar face to our staff in Olie Kolzig,” said McPhee. “Olie had a tremendous impact on this franchise as a goaltender as well as an individual, and we are looking forward to him having the same impact as a coach.”

Kolzig, 41, played in 711 games as a Capital from 1989-90 through 2007-08. He currently owns nearly every all-time Capitals goaltending record, including games played, wins (301), shutouts (35) and minutes (41,259) and ranks fourth (minimum 3,000 minutes played) in goals-against average (2.70) and third in save percentage (.906). In terms of single-season records, Kolzig leads in games (73), minutes (4,371), wins (41) and is second (minimum 1,200 minutes) in goals-against average (2.20), save percentage (.920) and shutouts (6).

The Johannesburg, South Africa, native was awarded the 2000 Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s top goalie, and was named the 2005-06 King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner (awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community). He was also named to two NHL All-Star teams (1998 and 2000) as a member of the Capitals.

A former Caps first-round draft pick (19th overall) in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Kolzig helped guide Washington to its only Stanley Cup Final in 1998. During his final season with the Caps in 2007-08, Kolzig was teammates with several current Capitals, including captain Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green. The three-time German Olympian (1998, 2002 – sat out due to injury and 2006) appeared in 719 career NHL games with Washington and Tampa Bay before retiring in September 2009.

Prior spent 12 seasons as the Capitals goaltending coach from 1996-97 through the 2008-09 season, including 11 seasons coaching Kolzig, and worked in the Capitals organization as a goalie coach this past season. Under his watch, Washington goalies posted three of the five lowest team goals-against averages in franchise history, including Kolzig’s Vezina-winning season (1999-2000) and the Caps 1998 Stanley Cup appearance. The Capitals won four divisional championships and made six playoff appearances during Prior’s tenure.

Before joining the Capitals’ coaching staff, Prior worked as a goaltending coach for the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets. In addition, the native of Guelph, Ontario, gained international experience mentoring goalies on the German National Team and spent seven years working with the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.

Both coaches will attend the Capitals’ Rookie Development Camp, running from July 11-16 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va.

Capitals Re-Sign Defenseman Patrick McNeill

2011-06-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Patrick McNeill to a two-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

McNeill, 24, has spent the past four seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). The 6’, 198-pound defenseman finished the 2010-11 campaign with 51 games and was tied for first among Hershey defensemen in goals (7) and third in points (27) despite missing the first 27 games with an injury to start the season. His four power play goals led all team blueliners during the regular season and he paced the Hershey defensemen with three points (one goal, two assists) in six playoff games. McNeill was recalled to Washington on two separate occasions and joined the Capitals for the playoffs but did not dress.

McNeill collected 35 points (8 goals, 27 assists) in 62 games with Hershey during the 2009-10 season, almost doubling his point total from the previous year. His 27 assists and 35 points ranked second on the team among defensemen behind John Carlson. In addition, McNeill registered six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 11 playoff games to help Hershey win the Calder Cup.

McNeill was a fourth-round draft pick (118th overall) by Washington in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Capitals Acquire Taylor Stefishen from Nashville for Conditional Draft Pick

2011-06-03T10:20:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have acquired left wing Taylor Stefishen from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a conditional draft pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Stefishen, 20, spent last season with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The 6’, 185-pound left wing finished second on the team with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) and 72 penalty minutes in 68 regular season games and added four points (two goals, two assists) in four playoff games.

The North Vancouver, British Columbia native transferred to Prince George after spending two seasons in the NCAA with Ohio State University, recording 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 42 collegiate games.

During the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, he tallied 137 points (58 goals, 79 assists) and 144 penalty minutes in 116 games for the Langley Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

Stefishen was a fifth-round draft pick (136th overall) of the Predators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He is scheduled to attend the Capitals’ rookie camp in July.

Capitals Sign Center Mattias Sjogren

2011-06-01T21:04:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals have signed free agent center Mattias Sjogren to a two-year entry-level contract beginning next season, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to have Mattias join the Capitals organization,” said McPhee. “He is a big center who has developed very well over the past few seasons and is ready for a new challenge.”;

The 6’2”, 214-pound center spent the 2010-11 season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League, recording a career-high 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) and 44 penalty minutes in 51 games. Sjogren helped lead Farjestad to a SEL championship, registering nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 13 postseason games.

Sjogren, 23, represented Sweden at the 2011 IIHF World Championships in Slovakia, winning the silver medal while tallying four points (one goal, three assists) in nine games. He scored the game-winning goal versus USA in the preliminary round.

The native of Landskrona, Sweden has 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists) in 148 career games with Farjestad and Rogle of the SEL.

Capitals Hockey School program

2011-05-23T15:02:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

Washington Capitals defenseman Jeff Schultz and assistant coach Bob Woods along with Capitals alumnus Ken Sabourin and Slapshot will visit Berwyn Heights Community Center at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24. Schultz, Woods, Sabourin and Slapshot are participating in the Capitals Hockey School program presented by Capital One Bank. The trio will be directing a floor hockey session in the community center’s gym with 140 fifth and sixth-grade students.

Schultz, Woods and Sabourin will participate in a question-and-answer session with the students and lead a skills demonstration. They will guide the students through several drills focusing on stickhandling, passing and shooting. Schultz and Sabourin will demonstrate each skill and call on volunteers from the audience to demonstrate what they have learned. The clinic will conclude with several students participating in a brief scrimmage along with Schultz on one team and Sabourin on the other. Following the clinic a set of street hockey equipment will be donated by the Capitals to the school.

This will be the Capitals 18th Capitals Hockey School visit this season and the third of the month. The Capitals host at least two Hockey School visits each month between September and May, donating street hockey equipment to each participating school.

This is the fourth-consecutive year the Capitals have conducted their Hockey School program. The Caps hosted more than 30 clinics and reached nearly 5,000 students the past three years. During the 2010-11 season alone, thousands of elementary and middle school students graduated from the program.

WHO: Washington Capitals defenseman Jeff Schultz and assistant coach Bob Woods along with Capitals alumnus Ken Sabourin and Slapshot

WHAT: Teaching students several drills focusing on stickhandling, passing and shooting as part of Caps Hockey School presented by Capital One Bank.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 24, 2011
1:45 to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Berwyn Heights Community Center
6200 Pontiac Street
Berwyn Heights, MD 20740

Ted Leonsis and the state of the Washington Capitals.

2011-05-22T16:48:00.002-04:00

On Thursday afternoon I was listening to ESPN 980's "The Sports Fix" with Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro. After taking questions about how Mike and Kyle Shanahan's handling of Donovan McNabb for the upteenth time, Sheehan teased a review of Capitals owner Ted Leonsis's interview on the team's website after a commercial break saying "you won't believe what Leonsis said."

Upon hearing this I couldn't wait to get home and listen to the interview and hear what Leonsis said that was so unbelievable.

I'm hear to report that Sheehan and Loverro need to stick to what they like talking about the most; the Redskins.

Leonsis simply stated that the he understands the fans anger and frustration with another early playoff exit as he too shares those feelings, but that he, the organization and the fans need to remain patient.

He mentioned how the team got younger last season with Marcus Johannson, John Carlson, Karl Alzner and Michael Neuvirth being brought up from the minors, and how the decision to switch to a more defensive minded system at mid-season was a good move for the organization.

He also stated that the one reaction from fans that has bothered him is the notion that the Capitals window of opportunity is closing.

I'm guessing this is what Sheehan felt was so "unbelievable", and if so it only proves how much Sheehan doesn't know about hockey.

The Capitals core group is still in its mid 20s and will probably stay that way for several more years as several players in the team's farm system expected to be brought up in the next year or two.

All four of the teams that are still playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs have a core that is older and more experienced then the Caps.

Leonsis, George McPhee and Bruce Boudreau have all stated publicly that they are frustrated with the current lack of playoff success and they want to find out why they have been unable to carry the team's regular season success into the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin has even said he is going to find a new way to train this offseason because he feels the training regimen he has been following isn't properly preparing him for the rigors of the long season.

What else do any of these guys need to say?

The organization knows it has underachieved so far and they need to figure out why. However, local radio hosts like Sheehan insist that stating this is a slap in the face to the fans.

The only slap in the face is fans and media members constantly attacking an organization that has worked so hard to become currently the most competative of the four major franchise's in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.

Radio hosts like Sheehan need to sit back and think about words uttered by George McPhee during HBO's 24/7 series leading up to this past years Winter Classic.

"When you're losing all the experts come out, and the fact of the matter is if any of them knew anything about the game they would be in it."

Well said, George.

Caps Red Line Nominated for an Emmy Award

2011-05-17T23:45:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have announced today that Caps Red Line – Episode One has been nominated for a 2010 Emmy Award by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS-NCCB). The 53rd Emmy Awards will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC.

The episode, which aired Feb. 17, 2010, featured several fan-favorite segments including, Cruisin’ with Nicklas Backstrom, X's and O's with Matt Bradley and a behind the scenes look at Mike Green's GEICO commercial shoot. The official nominees are: Timothy Libeau, Editor (Base Productions, Inc.), Chuck Roseberry, Producer (Base Productions, Inc.), Joe Dupriest, Vice President, Chief Marketing Office (Washington Capitals) and Mike Wurman, Director, Game Entertainment & TV Production (Washington Capitals). This is Red Line’s first Emmy nomination.

“This nomination is really a testament to all of those who have worked tirelessly to produce the show, including executive producer Michael Wurman, the great staff at Base Productions, Caps public relations and marketing staff members and our show talent Guerin Austin, Elliot Segal and Mike Vogel,” said Dupriest. “Our goal was to give the fans an inside look at the players and the game of hockey. We look forward to raising the bar even higher next season and finding new ways to keep our fans both entertained and informed.”;

Caps Red Line, which recently completed its third season, began as a series of segments during the 2008-09 campaign and grew to new heights in 2009-10 with the addition of host Guerin Austin and newly created segments Cruisin’ and X’s and O’s.

NATAS-NCCB is a non-profit, professional organization serving the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. television community. The Academy's Emmy Award is the industry's benchmark for the recognition of television excellence.

After Game 6 victory, Red Wings are just one win away from making history

2011-05-11T12:28:00.000-04:00

When Darren Helm’s empty netter and Mike “Doc” Emerick’s call of “scorrrrre” sealed the Detroit Red Wings victory over the San Jose Sharks on Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals I thought to myself “is this really happening.”

Just last Wednesday I felt like I was having déjà vu. When Devin Setoguchi scored 9:21 into overtime to give the Sharks a 4-3 win and a three games to none series lead I couldn’t help but think about Patrick Marleau’s overtime goal in Game 3 of last year’s Semifinals series that gave the Sharks a 3-0 series lead after two one goal games in San Jose.

The Wings would take Game 4 from the Sharks last year before falling in Game 5 in San Jose. So, after the Detroit’s 4-3 win in Game 4 this year I figured they will fight valiantly in Game 5, but will ultimately fall in five games as they did last season.

That’s when the feeling of déjà vu vanished. The Wings managed to keep the series alive after trailing by two goals early in the third period and pushed the series back to Detroit.

Then, after a lucky goal by Logan Couture 54 seconds into the third period last night broke a scoreless tie the desire and drive that no other team in the league seems to have reared its head, again, and the Wings found a way to score two goals and push this series to an unlikely Game 7.

But, how could this happen?

How could a team that looked like its days of being a perennial Stanly Cup contender had passed them by suddenly be on the verge of making history?

It’s quite simple; because they believe they can.

The Red Wings play with the mindset that they are never out of a game, or a series regardless of what the score or the series tally might be.

The core of this team, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Kris Draper have played in more combined Stanley Cup Finals then any team in the league. Plus, they have a general in Nicklas Lidstrom that has been with this franchise for every up and down it has experienced the last two decades.

So, when the Wings won Game 4 the Sharks allowed them to believe it was possible they could come back. When the Sharks coughed up a two-goal third period lead in Game 5 and allowed the series to come back to Detroit it gave the Wings the final push they needed.

The Wings knew they could win Game 6. At home, and with the a raucous crowd behind them a one-goal deficit early in the third period was nothing to the Wings have never seen before. Heck, with the way they were dominating the game they probably felt the game was still tied.

Now, the Wings are in their comfort zone with a Game 7, and one has to wonder about the Sharks current mindset.

Are they going into Game 7 feeling sorry for themselves and thinking how they failed in their previous three chances to close the series.

Are all the playoff failures of the last decade creeping into their psyche and casting feelings of doubt, or are the Sharks simply saying to themselves “all we have to do is win one game.”

What the Sharks mindset is going to be heading into Game 7, I don’t know. But, I do know what the Red Wings’ mindset is.

Just two words.

We believe.

No Time To Panic

2011-05-10T22:57:00.002-04:00

Nearly a week after the Washington Capitals were unceremoniously swept out of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning one word keeps popping into my head.

Patience.

In the hours that followed the Capitals uninspired 5-3 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals several opinions surfaced. The most common was the feeling that Coach Bruce Boudreau should be fired. The same man, affectionetly known as "Gabby", who in almost four full seasons has taken the Capitals from dead last in the league standings to a perennial playoff participant was all of a sudden considered a minor league lifer who's cinderella story had reached it's end.

The second common opinion was that Vice President and General Manager George McPhee, the man responsible for acquring the talent that Boudreau has groomed the last four years also needed to go. He was being chastised for believing in the players he drafted "too much" and not wanting to admit that a few of them may never develop into what McPhee envisioned.

Calls for Alexander Semin and Mike Green to be traded also ran rampit across the local blogosphere.

After reading all of these blog posts and listening to callers on local sportstalk radio one word overwelmingly kept popping into my head.

Patience.

Yes, the Capitals have failed to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs in any of the last four years even blowing a 2-0 lead to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

Yes, for the second straight season the Capitals earned the Eastern Conference's number one seed and were unable to advance at least to the Conference Finals, and for the fourth straight season the Capitals were eliminated from the playoffs by a lower seeded team.

Despite all of that a complete makeover is not in order.

Do the Capitals have some questions they need to ask themselves? Yes. Do the Capitals need to look at their roster and admit that it's not as playoff ready as they thought it was when the playoffs began this season? Yes.

For three straight games to start the Semifinals series with the Lightning, the Capitals controlled the first two periods but came out flat and lifeless in the third period which ultimately cost them each game.

Playoff games are won in the third period, and the Capitals inability to keep their intensity at a high level for three periods shows that this team is not yet ready to win a Stanley Cup.

However, a complete overhaul of the roster isn't necessarily the way to solve the problem.

Do I think Alexander Semin needs to go? Yes. In the six seasons that Semin has worn a Capitals sweater he has never shown the ability to play at a consistent level game in and game out despite his fellow countrymen, Alex Ovechkin, showing every bit of that.

Semin personify's the organizations perceived feeling of complacency, and he is still young enough and talented enough to be able to get the Capitals the parts they so much need if they decided to trade him.

But, it also needs to be noted the philosophy change the Capitals made this season. Switching to a more defensive system in the middle of December after three straight season's of a wide-open offensive system is an adjustment that takes time to complete. Not four months of time, but a full year.

An off-season to relect and a full training camp to continue to work on the transition will do the Capitals a lot of good once the 2011-2012 season begins.

It should also not be forgotten that three players age 22, 21, and 20 were injected into the Capitals regular line up this season. John Carlson, Karl Alzner and Marcus Johannson showed their inexperience at times early in the season, but by the time the playoffs started Carlson and Alzner had become the Capitals top defensive pair, and Johannson was earning minutes on the top line with Alex Ovechkin.

Do the Capitals need to make some changes? Yes. But selling the farm at this point in the process would bring the Capitals right back to where they were when this process started.

At the bottom.

At Trade Deadline, Capitals Make Big Splash

2011-02-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

Ever since the Washington Capitals gut wrenching 2-1 loss in Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to the Montreal Canadiens, one of the main questions that has followed the team is when was General Manager George McPhee going to address the teams need for a proven two-way second line center?
On Monday afternoon, McPhee finally addressed that need by trading for veteran center Jason Arnott of the New Jersey Devils. In return for Arnott, the Capitals send fourth line center David Steckel, and a second round pick in 2012 to the Devils.
In Arnott, the Capitals get a two-way center who can immediately step in and center the Capitals second line with Alexander Semin and either Brooks Laich, who has played on the second line with Semin the majority of the last two seasons, or the newly acquired Marco Sturm whom the Capitals acquired off of waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
The Capitals also acquired Dennis Wideman from the Florida Panthers for a prospect Jake Hauswirth and a third round pick in 2011. The puck moving defensemen will most likely be asked to quarterback the Capitals top power play unit while defensemen Mike Green continues to recover from a blow to head suffered in Friday night’s 6-0 loss to the New York Rangers.
After constant criticism from fans, and on occasion the local media, George McPhee pulled off three moves in the last two days that on paper, at least, have addressed weaknesses the Capitals have ignored all season long.
The question now is did McPhee make the right moves?
Do Arnott, 36, and Sturm, 32, have enough left to improve the lack of consistent scoring that has plagued the Capitals since December?
In four seasons with the Nashville Predators, Arnott was unable to get the Predators passed the first round of the playoffs, and in 62 games with the Devils this season only produced 24 points, and Sturm is less than a year removed from tearing his ACL and MCL in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
However, Arnott averaged nearly 28 goals a season in the first five seasons after the lockout, and Sturm did manage four goals and five assists in the 17 games he played with the Kings this season from December 21 to February 24. Giving both veterans a fresh start in Washington playing with the likes of Semin, Laich, Marcus Johannson and Jason Chimera could help both produce at the level they are used to.
Today’s moves brought back memories of the deals McPhee made on deadline day in 2008 when he acquired goalie Cristobal Huet and forwards Sergei Federov and Matt Cooke. All three were key contributors in the Capitals winning their first Southeast Division title since 2001 as they provided the veteran leadership the Capitals young core so desperately needed.
Federov even hung around for another year, and proved huge in the Capitals first round matchup with the New Rangers in the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals as he sent the Verizon Center into a frenzy with his late third period goal in Game 7 that gave the Capitals a 2-1 win and their first trip to the second round since 1998.
These moves have a bit of the same feel. Arnott, too, has scored big goals in the playoffs, none bigger than his goal in double overtime in Game 6 of the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. The Capitals have struggled since December 1 going just 15-14-6 while being shut out seven times in falling to fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals needed some fresh blood, and McPhee got that in Arnott, Sturm, and Wideman. The question now is will these three provide the Capitals the spark they need to get over the hump come April and May?
If the results are anything like they were in the spring of 2009, the answer just might be yes.

Caps Today and Top Game Notes

2011-02-16T10:48:00.001-05:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations department:

Not very often do the Washington Capitals play a Western Conference team twice, but this season the Caps will play three Western Conference teams twice (Anaheim, St. Louis and San Jose). In the first meeting between these two teams Brooks Laich scored the only goal, while Semyon Varlamov stopped 22 out of 24 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss Dec. 15 at Verizon Center. Washington has won the two previous meetings in Anaheim against the Ducks dating back to Jan. 13, 2006. On that night, rookie Alex Ovechkin recorded his first career hat trick for a 3-2 overtime win against Anaheim. Ovechkin will look to rekindle the same magic tonight.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Duck Hunter – Alex Ovechkin has registered 11 points (5-6-11) in five career games against the Ducks, his highest career point total against any Western Conference opponent despite being held scoreless in the meeting with Anaheim earlier this season. In his first four career outings against the Ducks, Ovechkin scored three or more points in three of the four games. His first career NHL hat trick came against Anaheim when he scored all three Washington goals in a 3-2 OT win on Jan. 13, 2006.

FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Pacific Tour - Tonight’s game marks the fourth of five straight games against Pacific Division opponents for the Capitals, who began the stretch by hosting the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 8 and the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 12. The Caps continued the run by playing at Phoenix on Monday, play in Anaheim on Wednesday and at San Jose on Thursday. Alex Ovechkin has registered 31 points (16-15-31) in 27 career games against Pacific Division opponents.

Back in business – Alexander Semin collected an assist Monday night in Phoenix to record his first point since Dec. 26. Semin, who ranks third on the Caps in scoring with 18-18-36, missed 12 games due to injury from Jan. 11 to Feb. 6.

Net ‘virth’; – Michal Neuvirth has started three of the last four games for the Capitals, going 1-2-0. He has allowed just five goals in that span while posting a 1.69 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and recorded a shutout win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 6.

50-50 proposition – Alex Ovechkin (56 points) and Nicklas Backstrom (50) made the Capitals one of just five teams in the NHL with at least two 50-point scorers (Anaheim, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Vancouver; through Monday’s games).

PK replay – The Capitals have killed off 39 of their last 42 shorthanded situations (92.9%), a run that stretches back 14 games. Washington’s 86.2% penalty-kill ranks second in the NHL; the team hasn’t finished among the league’s top 10 in penalty killing since 1999-00 and hasn’t been higher than 17th (or 82.2%) in the past eight years

Capitals Recall Patrick McNeill from Hershey

2011-02-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

Per the Washington Capitals' Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman Patrick McNeill from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

McNeill, 23, registered 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) and 16 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Bears this season. The 6’0, 198-pound defenseman has played in 182 career AHL games with Hershey and could make his NHL debut tomorrow night as the Capitals play against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.

McNeill collected 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 62 games with Hershey last season, almost doubling his point total from the previous season. His 27 assists and 35 points ranked second on the team among defensemen behind John Carlson. In addition, McNeill registered six points (three goals, three assists) in 11 playoff games to help Hershey win the Calder Cup.

McNeill, who wears No. 46 with the Capitals, was Washington’s fourth-round choice (118th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

LEONARD SHAPIRO JOINS COMCAST SPORTSNET MID-ATLANTIC

2011-02-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s premier source for multiplatform sports coverage, has announced that award-winning sportswriter Leonard Shapiro is joining the network’s rapidly-growing digital media properties, where he will serve as a regular contributor to CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com. Shapiro, who has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading voices during four decades in sports media, will be featured on the network’s digital platforms beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Shapiro, 64, recently retired from The Washington Post, where he served as a sports reporter, editor and columnist. Shapiro has already amassed more than 7,400 newspaper bylines, authored six sports-themed books and appeared in numerous national publications. He has covered more than 70 major golf tournaments, including every U.S. Open since 1991, five Olympics and numerous Super Bowls, World Series, NBA playoffs and NCAA championships.

“Len is an institution with a loyal following because of his unique gift for telling stories with passion, insight and color” said Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Senior Vice President and General Manager Rebecca Schulte. “He is part of the region’s sports culture and a significant addition to our expanding team of leading reporters, analysts and insiders serving Washington and Baltimore sports fans.”;

Shapiro is the latest sports media veteran to join Comcast SportsNet’s digital media team. Former Washington Times sports reporter Mark Zuckerman and longtime Redskins correspondent and football authority Rich Tandler – along with their established sports websites – joined the network in January. Ray Frager, a 24-year veteran of the Baltimore Sun sports department, was named digital media managing editor earlier this month to direct the sites’ expanding editorial content.

Comcast SportsNet’s digital masthead of reporters, bloggers and producers also includes Ryan O’Halloran, a former sports reporter for the Washington Times, and longtime Baltimore Sun sports columnist John Eisenberg. Their coverage, which is complemented by the network’s vast television video and news resources, provides fans with the region’s most complete multiplatform sports news, information and analysis.

“Our strategy is to give sports fans the most comprehensive and accessible coverage of their hometown teams,” said Comcast Sports Group Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Eric Grilly. “Fans are tuning in because of our investments in our digital platforms and the addition of talented and respected journalists like Len Shapiro.”;

During the fourth quarter of 2010, CSNwashington.com earned a 310 percent increase in unique visitors and a 151 percent gain in page-views compared to the same period in 2009. CSNbaltimore.com, which debuted in July 2010, has delivered similar traffic growth, including a 101 percent month-over-month gain in visitors and a 92 percent increase in unique visitors in January. CSNwashington.com was recently honored with three CableFAX ‘Best of the Web Award’ nominations, including one for best overall website.

First Period Recap

2011-02-12T13:14:00.002-05:00

Alex Ovechkin got the Verizon Center rocking just 66 seconds into the game with his patented use the defensmen as a screen move on the Los Angeles Kings Drew Doughty to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead.

Ovechkin skated into the zone down the left wing, cut to the right as he got to the top of the left circle and fired a shot through Doughty's legs that beat the Kings' Jonathan Bernier to his blocker side.

The goal was the quickest of the season for the Caps, and came on the games first shot.

Washington was solid defensively in the first period as they limited the Kings to just four shots while blocking 11.

The Capitals were unable to generate much offense after Ovechkin's initial tally; they had just seven shots on goal the rest of the period, but did manage several quality scoring chances.

Matthew Perrault took a pass in the neutral zone and after entering the Kings zone cut to the top of the slot and fired a shot on Bernier that was deflected into the air with Jason Chimera parked in front of the net.

Brooks Laich also had several scoring chances, his best coming on a back hand shot from the low slot midway through the period.

Mike Green skated for 7:57 of the first period after missing Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks after taking a shot to the back of his right ear in Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Niemi, Sharks, Blank Caps

2011-02-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

For two periods Tuesday night, Michael Neuvirth and Antii Niemi went save for save as neither looked like they were going to yield the critical first goal.

As it turned out, Neuvirth would be the one to finally falter as he allowed two goals 2:12 apart in the third, and a flurry of shots in the dying minutes proved too late as the Capitals were blanked by the Sharks, 2-0.

Logan Couture and Dan Boyle beat Neuvirth at the 11:55, and 14:07 marks of the third after Neuvirth stopped the first 31 shots he faced.

Washington has now been shutout eight times in their last 36 games, and have won just one of their last four home games.

After consecutive wins of the Tampa Bay Lightning and arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins over the weekend in which the Capitals put together their best back-to-back performances of the season, Washington struggled to keep the puck in the offensive zone on Tuesday and failed to do the things that led to this past weekend's strong showing.

The Sharks also did their part as they blocked 25 Capitals shots, six of which came off the stick of Alex Ovechkin.

Tuesday night saw the return of Alexander Semin, who had missed the Capitals last twelve games after suffering a groin muscle injury on Jan. 8.

Semin did manage four shots on goal, but was unable to truly establish himself in the game.

After neither team could muster anything on the scoreboard through two periods, Couture beat Neuvirth stick side to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead with less then nine minutes to go in the game.

After a long shift where the Capitals were unable to clear the puck, Boyle scored on a slapshot that beat Neuvirth short-side with 5:53 left.

The play of the game came with just over a minute to go in the second.

David Steckel intercepted a pass at the San Jose blue line, and forced Niemi out of position after a nice backhand to forehand move. But, Steckel was unable to gather the puck after he pulled it back to his forehand and wiffed on the shot with the left side of the net open.

Washington has three days off before hosting the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon.

Second Period Recap

2011-02-08T20:35:00.002-05:00

The Capitals and Sharks remain scoreless after two periods at Verizon Center as both Antii Niemi and Michael Neuvirth continue their steller play.

Niemi and Neuvirth combined for 16 saves in the period; 4 and 12 respectively, as the Sharks, again, managed to put double digit shots on goal.

Neuvirth was tested several times early in the period, but managed to make every save and got steady help from his team as the Capitals defense was able to clear loose pucks.

While they managed just four shots on goal in the period, the Capitals managed the best scoring chance of the period.

With just over a minute to go in the period, David Steckel intercepted a San Jose pass at the Sharks blue line and raced towards Niemi. Steckel went backhand to forehand to force Niemi out of position, but was unable to regain control of the puck as he went to his forehand and wiffed on the shot.

The Caps have been outshot 27-13 through the first two periods, but have not allowed a goal now in six straight periods going back to Friday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

First Period Recap

2011-02-08T19:51:00.003-05:00

The first period has concluded at Verizon Center with the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks still scoreless.

The Capitals managed several quality scoring chances, one each from Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, but Sharks netminder Antii Niemi managed to stop them all.

The best of Niemi's nine saves came with the Capitals on their only power play of the period. Alexander Semin, back after missing 12 games with a groin muscle injury, found Backstrom wide open in the left circle who shot high to the glove side. Niemi managed to get the tip of his glove on the puck which forced the puck wide right of the net.

Semin also threatened Niemi as a shot from the right cirlce trickled through between Niemi's right arm and side. Unfortunately for Semin and the Caps, the referee lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle before Niemi inadvertenly knocked the puck into the net.

Michael Neuvirth, making his second consecutive start, stopped all 15 shots he faced.

Capitals Assign Jay Beagle to Hershey

2011-02-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

The Washington Capitals have assigned center Jay Beagle to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Beagle, 25, has played in 22 games for Washington this season, registering three points (2 goals, 1 assist) and six penalty minutes. The 6’3”, 210-pound native of Calgary, Alberta, has collected 11 points (7 goals, 4 assists) and 20 penalty minutes in 24 games for the Bears this season.

Beagle has appeared in 32 career NHL games for the Capitals, posting five points (3 goals, 2 assists) and 10 penalty minutes. He also played in 66 games for the Bears during the regular season last season, collecting 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) and 25 penalty minutes while also recording nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 21 playoff games.

Beagle was signed as a free agent by the Capitals on March 26, 2008.

Caps Today and Top Game Notes

2011-02-08T13:14:00.001-05:00

From the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

Today’s Storyline
Tests vs. the best – San Jose comes to Verizon Center on a 7-0-1 run, one of the hottest teams in hockey hoping to strengthen its playoff positioning with another win tonight. It’s the kind of test, however, that Washington has answered of late. After going a month (Jan. 2-Feb. 3) without beating a team that was in a playoff position at the time, the Capitals have posted consecutive wins against two of the best in the Eastern Conference. Friday’s 5-2 win at Tampa Bay halted the Bolts’ six-game winning streak on home ice, while Sunday the Caps ended Pittsburgh’s five-game winning streak. A win tonight would give Washington a three-game winning streak of its own, its first since Dec. 26-Jan. 1.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

50-50 proposition – Alex Ovechkin (55 points) and Nicklas Backstrom (50) make the Capitals one of four teams in the NHL with two 50-point scorers (Dallas, Tampa Bay, Vancouver; through Sunday’s games). Twenty teams don’t have a single 50-point scorer. Friday night at Tampa Bay was just the first time that both Ovechkin and Backstrom had four points in the same game. The first instance came in Washington's 10-2 rout of the Bruins on March 3, 2008, when Ovechkin tallied five points and Backstrom chipped in with four.

FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT

Blank stare – Sunday’s shutout was Michal Neuvirth’s second of the season, matching Semyon Varlamov for the team lead. The last time the Capitals had two goaltenders with multiple shutouts in a season was 1999-00 (Olie Kolzig and Craig Billington). Washington’s four shutouts as a team are its most since 2002-03 (4). Sunday marked the first time Washington shut out the Penguins since Oct. 29, 1991 (Don Beaupre).

Kids are all right – Washington had five rookies in the lineup Sunday against Pittsburgh. Among that group Michal Neuvirth had a 22-save shutout, John Carlson led the team in ice time, Mathieu Perreault set up the first goal (eventual game-winner) and Marcus Johansson scored the second goal while shorthanded. The four rookie skaters were a combined +5.

Two few – In their last nine games the Capitals are 5-1-3 and have not allowed more than two goals in regulation (1.30 goals-against average). Stretching back 22 games, the Capitals have allowed just 39 goals, with the team’s three goaltenders combining for a 1.71 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage in that time. The team ranks fifth in the league in goals against (2.39); Washington hasn’t been in the top 12 in the league in goals against since finishing fourth in 1999-00.

PK replay – The Capitals have killed off 35 of its last 37 shorthanded situations (94.6%). Washington’s 86.3% penalty kill ranks second in the NHL; the team hasn’t finished among the league’s top 10 in penalty killing since 1999-00 and hasn’t been higher than 17th (or 82.2%) in the past eight years.

Six shooter – The Capitals offense has produced at least a goal in six straight periods for the first time since Nov. 24-28 (seven straight).

COMCAST SPORTSNET TO AIR MARYLAND-DUKE PREGAME SHOW ON SUNDAY, JAN. 9, AT 7:30 P.M.

2011-01-09T11:23:00.000-05:00

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s premier source for television and online sports coverage, announced it will present a special half-hour edition of Geico SportsNet Central to preview the Maryland at Duke NCAA men’s basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. The pregame show will lead in to Comcast SportsNet’s live coverage of the Atlantic Coast Conference match-up, which is part of the network’s ACC Sunday Night Hoops schedule, which begins at 8 p.m.

The special SportsNet Central presentation will be led by host Chick Hernandez and analyst Ron Thompson, who will be live from Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. The pregame coverage will be highlighted by special guests, including former Terps’ guard Greivis Vasquez, and a one-on-one interview with Terps’ Head Coach Gary Williams. The program will also provide complete pregame news and analysis and present a detailed history of the rivalry.

CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com will continue to provide expanded coverage of the Terrapins all season. Led by Terps Insider Chris Knoche and a stable of experienced local reporters, Comcast SportsNet is the one-stop source for online news, videos, blogs and interactive features surrounding the Maryland Terrapins.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.7 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.

Comcast Sports Group operates 14 local networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and breaking news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s sports networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages NECN (New England Cable News), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

2011 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC MOST-WATCHED REGULAR SEASON GAME IN 36 YEARS

2011-01-04T08:11:00.001-05:00

Forwarded from the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department from the NHL League office:

Saturday night’s Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on NBC (8-11 p.m. ET) was the most-viewed NHL regular season game in 36 years with an average of 4.5 million watching in primetime as the Washington Capitals defeated the host Pittsburgh Penguins in front of more than 68,000 at sold out Heinz Field. The 4.5 million viewers represents a 22-percent increase over last year’s game played in Boston’s Fenway Park (3.7 million viewers). Four of the five most-watched NHL regular season games since 1975 are now NHL Winter Classic broadcasts. Most-Watched NHL Regular-Season Games Since 1975
· 4.5 million Jan. 1, 2011 NBC Capitals-Penguins
· 4.4 million Jan. 1, 2009 NBC Red Wings-Blackhawks
· 3.8 million Jan. 27, 1996 FOX Six-game regional coverage
· 3.8 million Jan. 1, 2008 NBC Penguins-Sabres
· 3.7 million Jan. 1, 2010 NBC Flyers-Bruins
The 2.3 national rating and 4 share for the NHL Winter Classic achieved a 10 percent increase from last year (2.1/4, 1-4 p.m. ET). The game earned a 32.0/46 in Pittsburgh and a 7.6/13 in Washington D.C. The 32.0 rating in Pittsburgh is up a whopping 81 percent over the inaugural Winter Classic in 2008 that featured the Penguins and earned a 17.7 in the market.

The milestone was achieved despite the fact that, due to weather, late on Friday the announced start time of the event was changed from 1 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET resulting in the NHL Winter Classic going head-to-head with eight U.S. hockey markets, including overtime games involving New York, Boston and Buffalo.

“By all measures, this will be the most successful NHL Winter Classic yet,” said NHL COO John Collins. “We are thrilled with the strong viewership and growth on NBC, especially considering the short notice on the time change and the head-to-head hockey competition we ended up facing in eight of our U.S. markets. The impact of the NHL Winter Classic goes well beyond television. The event greatly enhances all of our global businesses, from NHL.com and NHL Network, to advertising and sponsorship, and of course, the NHL Winter Classic delivered significant economic impact to Pittsburgh.

“The scene in Pittsburgh was simply spectacular – a real celebration of hockey – and the weather will no doubt become part of NHL Winter Classic lore. Each NHL Winter Classic is unique and special in its own way. In Buffalo in 2008, our players showed we can play in the snow and Saturday night the Penguins and Capitals showed we can have a hard-fought and entertaining game in the rain. It was a memorable night as we saw once again why the NHL Winter Classic has quickly earned its place as a New Year’s Day tradition and one of the most anticipated major national sports events of the year.”

The 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic also won the night for NBC against the other broadcast networks in the highly-coveted Adults 18-49 demographic. The event earned a 1.8/5 in the demo, besting Fox (1.6/5), CBS (1.2/3) and ABC (0.9/3). AOL Fanhouse on the event: “The NHL once again knocked it out of the park.”

ESPN.com on the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic: “An awesome event…Every outdoor game has been different so far. We've seen snow, we've seen rain, we've been in baseball fields and football fields. I think that's part of the attractiveness of the event.”

Sidney Crosby on the NHL Winter Classic: “Playing hockey in front of that many people, it's something that probably none of us ever dreamed of doing. It would have been nice to be on the other side of things, but it's still a privilege to be part of that. And we had amazing support. The event was great. I think everyone enjoyed it, and obviously we've seen year after year, it's getting bigger and bigger.”

Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau on the NHL Winter Classic: “This is as close to the Stanley Cup as we've gotten. We are not denying that it was more than just two points. It was a fabulous game.”

The 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic continues the league’s media growth and momentum.
Additional recent television milestones for the NHL include: · In the 2010 Playoffs, Chicago’s Game 6 Stanley Cup Final-clinching win over Philadelphia on NBC was watched by 8.28 million, making it the most-watched NHL game in the U.S. in 36 years. Overall, NBC’s four broadcasts in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final were the most-watched in the U.S. in 13 years.·

The 2010 Playoffs on VERSUS were the most watched on U.S. cable in eight years. VERSUS this year dropped the puck on its sixth year of NHL coverage with the most-watched opening night game (Flyers at Penguins, 10/8/10) on U.S. cable in eight years and the most-watched NHL regular season cable telecast (Penguins at Flyers, 12/14/10) in VERSUS history. · All four Winter Classic broadcasts on NBC have been among the most-watched NHL regular season games in history.

VARLAMOV, DOAN AND LIDSTROM NAMED NHL 'THREE STARS' OF THE WEEK

2011-01-04T08:09:00.000-05:00

Washington Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov, Phoenix Coyotes right wing Shane Doan and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending Jan. 2.

FIRST STAR -- SEMYON VARLAMOV, G, WASHINGTON CAPITALS Varlamov stopped 55 of 56 shots in backstopping the Capitals to a pair of victories, including the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. He began the week stopping 25 shots for his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens Dec. 28. Named the Capitals' starting goaltender for NHL Winter Classic earlier in the day, Varlamov recorded 32 saves in Washington's 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of 68,111 outdoors at Heinz Field Saturday night. The 22-year-old Samara, Russia native improved his career regular-season record to 26-8-8 in 45 appearances.

SECOND STAR -- SHANE DOAN, RW, PHOENIX COYOTES Doan led all scorers last week with eight points (five goals, three assists) in four games, extending his consecutive-game point streak to six. Doan scored the Coyotes' lone goal in a 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks Dec. 28 and notched three points (two goals, one assist) in a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings Dec. 29. He tallied two more goals, including the 700th point of his NHL career, in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues Dec. 31. His first goal, at 6:20 of the third period, ended Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak's shutout streak at 129:29. Doan finished the week by recording two assists in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild Jan. 2. The Coyotes captain, still in quest of his first career hat trick, upped his career goals total to 285, including 37 two-goal games. The only player with more career tallies without a three-goal game is Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Murphy (287).

THIRD STAR -- NICKLAS LIDSTROM, D, DETROIT RED WINGS Lidstrom tallied eight points (two goals, six assists) and extended his point streak to seven games as the Red Wings posted a 2-1-1 record. Lidstrom recorded a goal and three assists in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Colorado Avalanche Dec. 27, notched one goal and one assist in a 7-3 win over the Dallas Stars Dec. 29, tallied one assist in 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders Dec. 31 and had one assist in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers Jan. 2. The 40-year-old Red Wings captain and six-time Norris Trophy winner ranks second among NHL defensemen in scoring with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 39 games.

Comcast SportsNet Announces 2010-2011 College Basketball Schedule

2010-11-07T11:33:00.001-05:00

Per the Comcast SportsNet Marketing Department:

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s premier source for television and online sports coverage, has announced its 179-game schedule of 2010-11 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball coverage, which begins with the Maryland men’s season-opening game against Seattle University at Comcast Center on Monday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. A special college basketball edition of Washington Post Live will air prior to the game at 7:30 p.m.

The region’s top men’s teams take center court on Comcast SportsNet in November to start the season, including Maryland, Georgetown (Nov. 12 at Old Dominion), Virginia (Nov. 18 at Stanford) and Virginia Tech (Nov. 21 at UNC Greensboro). Early season match-ups also feature Old Dominion, James Madison (Dec. 2 at Longwood), William & Mary and VCU, who face each other in Richmond on Dec. 4.

Comcast SportsNet’s comprehensive 129-game men’s college basketball schedule features the nation’s leading conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Pac-10 and the Atlantic 10 (A10). As the official network of the ACC, Comcast SportsNet will provide 19 of the conference’s top weekly match-ups throughout the season as part of ACC Sunday Night Hoops.

This season’s ACC men’s coverage on Comcast SportsNet includes 39 games, with Maryland scheduled to appear 11 times, including key games against rivals Duke (Jan. 9) and North Carolina (Feb. 27). Virginia is slated for nine games on the network and Virginia Tech will appear five times. Comcast SportsNet will provide live coverage as these teams go head-to-head when the Hokies host the Cavaliers on Dec. 5 and the Terps take on the Cavaliers on Jan. 27.

Comcast SportsNet, the official network of the CAA, will air 21 games featuring conference teams this season, highlighted by George Mason, Towson, Old Dominion, James Madison, VCU and William & Mary. The network will also feature area teams as part of its A10 men’s schedule, which includes three games each for George Washington and Richmond. Comcast SportsNet will also deliver conference tournament coverage of the A10 in March.

Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of women’s college basketball, which features expanded coverage of the ACC and CAA, begins on Dec. 5 when Old Dominion hosts Tennessee. The 50-game schedule picks up again when Maryland travels to Duke on Jan. 6, which marks the first of four regular-season appearances on the network for the Terps. Virginia will make four regular-season appearances on the network and Virginia Tech will be featured twice. Comcast SportsNet will also carry all of the action from the ACC tournament, including the championship game on March 6.

The CAA women’s basketball schedule on Comcast SportsNet this season includes several teams in the region, including Old Dominion, James Madison, Towson, VCU and William & Mary. In all, the network will air 14 games featuring CAA teams. Comcast SportsNet’s live-game coverage will also include the conference’s tournament final on March 13, as well as the tournament finals from the Big 12 and PAC-10.

Top Game Notes for Capitals vs. Flyers

2010-11-07T11:30:00.001-05:00

Today’s Storyline
Crazy eights: Entering tonight’s contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin both have eight goals apiece, which is tied for sixth in the NHL and makes Washington as the only team in the league with two eight-goal scorers. The duo has combined for seven goals in the last four games for the Capitals, who enter tonight’s game just one point behind the Flyers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Green light – Mike Green and John Carlson are tied for the lead among Capitals defensemen with eight points each. That makes the Caps one of two teams (Chicago) with two defensemen with at least eight points (entering Saturday’s games). Last year, Green had more than three times as many points (76) as the next closest Capitals defenseman (Tom Poti, 24).

FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT

Second that – The Capitals have outscored their opponents 12-0 in the second period in the last three games. Washington has scored 16 goals in their three-game winning streak, 12 of those 16 goals coming in the middle stanza.

Young in Net – With Braden Holtby’s NHL debut Friday night – a win in 10 minutes of relief work – the Caps have now had three of the nine youngest goaltenders to appear in the NHL this season.

Tall hands – Alexander Semin scored Washington’s fourth shorthanded goal of the season Friday night, which leads the NHL and matches the Capitals’ total number of SHGs all of last season.

Goal streaks – Mike Green and Alexander Semin have each scored goals in three straight games, matching Alex Ovechkin for the Capitals’ longest goal streaks this season.

Flying past Philly – The Capitals were 3-0-1 versus the Flyers last season, outscoring Philadelphia 21-13 and have won three in a row (two at Verizon Center).

Capitals assign Marcus Johansson to Hershey Bears

2010-11-07T11:11:00.001-05:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations department:

The Washington Capitals have assigned center Marcus Johansson to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Johansson (YO-hahn-son), 20, has a goal in six games for the Capitals this season. He missed the last six games due to injury but took warm-ups with the team last night and has been cleared for game action. He will join Hershey in Charlotte for the Bears’ game there on Sunday.

The 6’0”, 197-pound center was Washington’s first selection, 24th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

What Happened to the Islanders?

2010-11-04T22:42:00.002-04:00

On Oct 13, I went to the Capitals-Islanders game at the Verizon Center with a good friend of mine who happens to be an Islanders fan.

He's born and raised in New York, so we try to go to one Caps-Isles game a year. So far, each one has ended well for me; we've gone to two, and the Caps have one both.

The most recent meeting ended in a 2-1 win for the Caps thanks to a late power play goal from Nicklas Backstrom. I was not surprised by the close score as the Islanders have played the Caps extremely tough in the Alex Ovechkin era.

Though the Islanders lost two nights later in Pittsburgh to the Penguins, 3-2 in overtime, they rebounded with quality wins in their next three games over the Colorado Avalance, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The wins over the Leafs and Lighting both came on the road and in overtime, and handed the Leafs their first loss of the season and the Lightning just their second.

I couldn't help but get a little excited.

As any long time hockey fan knows, the New York Islanders are one of the more storied franchises in the National Hockey League. From 1974-1988, the Islanders made the playoffs every season including five consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Finals from 1980-84 that saw the Islanders win four straight Cups from 1980-83.

The Islanders are one of only two franchises in NHL history to make five straight appearances in the Finals, the other being the Montreal Canadiens who actually accomplished that feat twice.

The Islanders have also had eight former players or coaches inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Al Arbour, Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Bill Torrey and Bryan Trottier were members of all four Cup winning teams, while Pat LaFontaine is the most recent inductee, having been honored in 2003.

At 4-1-2 after the three straight wins I thought "How cool would this be? One of the leagues former giants returning to prominance at a time when the league is making it's return to mainstream status."

The Blackhawks did it last year breaking their 49 year Stanley Cup drought.

Well, that feeling of optimism has quickly faded.

On Thursday night, the Islanders lost to the Ottawa Senators, 4-1, for their sixth straight loss. It was also the Islanders third straight blow out loss as they lost Wednesday night in Carolina, 7-2, and Saturday in Philadelphia, 6-1.

The Islanders have lost their last three games by a combined score of 17-4, and have trailed by multiple goals before notching their first in all three.

The Islanders fell behind the Flyers 4-0, the Hurricanes 5-0, and Thursday night to the Senators 3-0.

This recent run of futility cannot be blamed solely on goaltending as Dwayne Roloson and Rick Dipietro have each started three times.

What is it that is ailing the Islanders? Not special teams as the Islanders have scored six power play goals during the six game skid while only allowing four.

Wait. Really?

I thought winning the special teams battle usually guarunteed a win?

Well, in most cases it does, but not this one.

I don't know exactly what is going on here. Maybe John Tavares is keeping Doug Weight out to late at night and Grandpa Dougie isn't getting his proper rest.

Sorry Weight. I know that was a cheap shot, but you are 39 while little Johnnie is only 20.

Whatever the reason for the Isles current struggles, they need to fix it.

For a league trying to re-establish mainstream status, it wouldn't hurt for one of it's past giants to re-emerge.

Attention Capcentre readers

2010-11-04T14:06:00.002-04:00

I have made a change to the site. You can now leave comments on my posts without needing a google e-mail account. I am going to be posting content regularly in the near future, so your comments are appreciated, and welcomed.

Thanks,

Justin

Caps Today

2010-10-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

Capitals’ center Marcus Johansson recorded his first NHL goal and point at 7:42 of the second period last night. Johansson, who was named the third star of the game, registered a +1 rating in 11:30 of ice time. The 20-year-old Swede spent last season in the Swedish Elite League posting 10 goals and 10 assists in 42 games for Farjestad. Johansson was the Capitals’ first-round choice, 24th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Upcoming Media
Today, 9:25 a.m.: Matt Hendricks on WNST 1570 AM Baltimore
Today, 5:40 p.m.: Eric Fehr on ESPN 980 AM
Thursday, 12:45 p.m.: Matt Bradley on NHL Live

Recent Transactions
Oct. 17: Assigned D Brian Fahey
Oct. 16: Recalled D Brian Fahey

Injury Update
RW Matt Bradley – day-to-day
D Mike Green – day-to-day

Capital One Bank Hosts Capitals Street Festival Outside Verizon Center

2010-10-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of the hockey season, Capital One Bank (www.capitalone.com/bank) is hosting a free Capitals Street Festival for the public with family friendly hockey-related activities before Saturday night’s home game against the Atlanta Thrashers.

What: Capitals Street Festival – Free and open to the public
When: Saturday, October 23
3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: 600 block of F Street between 6th and 7th Streets
Look for the giant inflatable Capitals jersey
Activities: Hockey activities for all ages
Appearances: Various sports players and personalities will make fan appearances, including John Wall of the Wizards; Marissa Coleman of the Mystics; Ted Leonsis, chairman and majority owner of the Washington Capitals, Mystics and Wizards; and the Capitals’ Slapshot mascot.

The festival will feature a variety of activities for hockey fans, including:
Slap Shot Challenge – Hockey fans will see how fast they can take a shot at the hockey goal. A radar gun will record each person’s top speed and a leaderboard will track the fastest times.
Hockey Accuracy Challenge – Each goal shooter will see how accurate their puck action is by hitting as many white light targets as possible before the buzzer sounds.
Call the Play – Participants can experience what it’s like to be a sportscaster and record play-by-play commentary on their favorite Capitals plays.
Hockey Rink Photo Booth – Fans will be in the middle of the hockey action with this staged booth using green screen technology.
Zamboni Photo Zone – People can sit in the driver’s seat and act like a professional driver of the ice resurfacing machine.
“What’s in your Wallet” – Any Capital One customer will receive complimentary food vouchers for the nearby Green Turtle restaurant.

Caps Today and Top Game Notes

2010-10-19T10:32:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals will put their home unbeaten streak (3-0-0) on the line tonight as they face-off against the Boston Bruins at Verizon Center in the first half of a home-and-home that sees Washington visit TD Garden on Thursday. Michal Neuvirth, the only rookie to play all of his team’s minutes in goal thus far this season, has tied the club record for home winning streak with a run of 10 in a row (shared with Olie Kolzig, 2000-01) while allowing just one or two goals in each of those 10 games.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT
A real winner –;Alex Ovechkin has either scored or assisted on all four of the Capitals game-winning goals this season.

FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Kill joy –;Washington has killed off all 21 shorthanded situations it has faced through five games, one of two teams perfect on the penalty kill this year (Florida is the other). It is the longest stretch the Capitals have gone without allowing a power-play goal (in terms of games) since a six-game stretch from Feb. 8-20, 2008.

Power bar –;Washington was 2-for-5 on the power play Saturday night, including the game-winning goal. That matched the Capitals’ PPG output from the first four games and raised their percentage to 18.2% (4-for-22).

Just Laich this –;Brooks Laich has scored goals in three of the five games thus far and has points in four out of five. His +4 rating is tied for the best on the team.

Ahead of schedule –;John Carlson has points in four straight games, totaling 1g-5a, and entered Monday’s games leading all NHL rookies in scoring. Carlson’s six points through five games match his total in 22 games last season (1g-5a).

Net newbies –;Goaltenders Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov are both 22 and have combined for 59 career games in the NHL. Thirty-seven active goaltenders have played more games on their own.

Capitals Donate $25,000 to the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association

2010-10-18T20:44:00.000-04:00

Washington Capitals Charities donated $25,000 to the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association (PVAHA) to help fund the 2010-11 John Crerar Hockey Development Grant. Last season Washington Capitals Charities gave PVAHA $20,000 for this grant.
Organized amateur hockey in the Washington, D.C., area developed in large part through the perseverance and dedication of John Crerar. Crerar was one of the founders of the Cap Boys youth hockey program, served as the president and co-founder of the Capital Beltway Hockey League, was the president of the Southeastern Amateur Hockey Association, and served for many years as a director of USA Hockey. Crerar was also the director of operations for off-ice officials for the Washington Capitals for a number of years. Crerar passed away on Oct. 14, 2006. To honor his contribution to the hockey community, the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association established the John Crerar Hockey Development Grant Program.
“The Washington Capitals are partners and great supporters of youth and amateur hockey within our area,” said John Cole, president of the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association. “The grant funds awarded to PVAHA by the Washington Capitals allow us to promote new membership at our younger age levels, and to support disabled hockey and American Development Model initiatives.”
The purpose of the John Crerar Hockey Development Grant Program is to assist the member associations within PVAHA to increase participation and promote hockey development within Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) member associations within the Potomac Valley Amateur Association are eligible to apply for affiliate grants. Member associations are asked to come up with ideas to grow the sport at the local level and can seek financial assistance from PVAHA to help support their efforts.
“One of the main goals of Washington Capitals Charities is to support programs that encourage participation in hockey,” said Elizabeth Wodatch, director of community relations for the Washington Capitals. “This grant shows our dedication to amateur hockey in the D.C. area and commitment to grow the sport locally.”
Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association
The Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association is an Affiliate of the Southeastern District of USA Hockey. The Affiliate is the governing body of all amateur hockey within the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and Virginia.
Washington Capitals Charities
Created in 2000, Washington Capitals Charities offers unique resources and Caps Care programs to other charities and organizations on behalf of the Capitals. Its mission is to create, maintain and support community programs in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area that encourage participation in hockey, serve to educate youth, assist those who are less fortunate and focus on health and wellness. Washington Capitals Charities is also committed to supporting the charitable endeavors, initiatives and foundations of the team’s players and alumni.
During the 2009-10 season, the Washington Capitals Charities provided support to the following programs through the John Crerar Hockey Development Grant: Baltimore Saints Special Hockey, Bennett Blazers Sled Hockey, Kids On Ice, Montgomery Cheetahs Hockey Club, Montgomery Youth Hockey, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Nelson Hockey Association, Northern Virgina Cool Cats Special Hockey, The Northern Virginia Hockey Club Youth Program, Reston Raiders, Southern Maryland Sabres Hockey Club, Inc., Tri-City Youth Hockey Club, USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program, Washington Ice Dogs and Whaler Nation.

Caps Today

2010-10-18T20:43:00.000-04:00

150 and counting – Alexander Semin recorded his 150th career goal on Saturday against the Nashville Predators, sparking the rally that led to Washington’s overtime win. He now has five points (two goals, three assists) in five games for the Capitals this season. Last season, Semin recorded career highs in goals (40) and points (84) in 73 games. He is one of only 12 players who has posted at least 26 goals in each of the last four seasons. The 26-year-old Semin has had the best plus/minus rating of any NHL forward in the last three seasons combined at +63.
Upcoming Media
Tomorrow, 2 p.m.: PreCap on WashingtonCaps.com
Wednesday, 9:25 a.m.: Matt Hendricks on WNST 1570 AM Baltimore
Must Read/See/Hear Material
WashingtonCaps.com: Postgame Notebook: Capitals 3, Predators 2, OT
Caps365: Post game interviews from Nashville
Wa. Post: Brooks Laich’s overtime goal lifts Capitals and Michal Neuvirth to a 3-2 win over the Predators
AP: Capitals rally to beat Predators in OT
Recent Transactions
Oct. 17: Assigned D Brian Fahey
Oct. 16: Recalled D Brian Fahey
Oct. 15: Assigned G Dany Sabourin to Hershey (AHL)
Injury Update
RW Matt Bradley – day-to-day
D Tom Poti – day-to-day
D Mike Green – day-to-day

Q&A with Steve Kolbe

2010-10-16T18:37:00.000-04:00

Steve Kolbe, the radio voice of the Washington Capitals took some time to talk with SBNation about the opening week of the season for the Capitals. Here is his take:
What do you think of how the team has played the first four games?
I think the Capitals, like the rest of the league, are trying to figure just exactly where they are. Everyone knows the Caps offense is going to be what it is, but they ran into a couple of scrappy teams in Ottawa and the New York Islanders and I think that helps them because they were able to find ways to win. They won in overtime against Ottawa and late against the Isles and they know they’re going to count on their offense throughout the season, but getting those late wins is going to be critical throughout the year. Offensively they know what they have, defensively they played a couple of solid games giving up just three goals in the last two, so off to a good start and whenever you can win three out of four games to start the season it’s a pretty good job.
After the season opener with the Thrashers a lot of people were making a big fuss because the Caps lost, but that game was kind of odd. You had the situation with Ondrej Pavelec in the first period and it was also the debut of all the former Blackhawks, so there was really no reason to read too much into that loss?
No, I don’t think so. Obviously your season’s not going to be determined by just one game. I know everyone wants to win the opener no matter if it’s home or on the road, and your absolutely right that the game got off to an interesting start. It’s good news for Ondrej Pavelec that he’s ok now, but you’ve got to think on both benches, not just the Thrashers bench, but on the Capitals side as well that they may have taken a little steam out of the game, and Atlanta played a good game. They played a good defensive game against the Capitals, they got timely goals, but a season isn’t going to be dictated on just one game. I think everyone has forgotten about the opening night loss because a three game homestand and a three game winning streak can really put that behind you.
What do you think the fights at the end of the game against New Jersey last Saturday says about the Caps this season?
You have to remember the Caps have five fights already in the first four games of the season. They had just 20 all of last year. So, I think the game against New Jersey was probably more of just an indication of frustration on one side and just wanting to send a message for the next time these two teams meet. It’s not often a team is able to chase Martin Brodeur from the game by scoring four goals on just eight shots in one period. But, that shows how the Capitals are going to stick together. Also, Bruce Boudreau put out his number one power play unit after all that was said and done with only four minutes to play and a five goal lead to basically send the message right back. So, I think in terms of toughness we see that DJ King comes out against the Islanders and goes against Gillies and I think that’s what the Capitals are going to have on their bench this year. When a player looks down the bench and he sees DJ King there, he knows he has someone their just in case things start to go south in terms of physical play.
We all know what DJ King can do in terms of fighting but he’s not the best skater. Does that worry you at all?
DJ King has a roll and I think that roll is going to monitored in terms of minutes that he sees per game, and everyone on the team has their particular spot to play. Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Green, everyone knows what their role is going to be. Guys like David Steckel, Boyd Gordon everyone knows what their role is throughout the course of the season. So, everyone has their part in this to play in the long haul.
Mike Green specifically talked this offseason about needing to be more of a leader and needing to be more mature and it seems if you watch his play through the first four games that he’s taken that very seriously?
Well, I think you can never have enough guys who take that leadership mentality on your team. Obviously, Ovechkin has the “C” and he has it for a reason because he’s the heart and soul of the hockey club. Guys like Mike Knuble, Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Poti have the “A’s” on their sweaters for various games because they’re also the leaders on the team. A guy like Mike Knuble who’s been around the block once or twice and knows exactly how things are supposed to go throughout the course of the year is one of those leaders who can pull a younger guy aside and say “hey, let’s try it this way. I know the work and it can help us down the line here somewhere.” I think leading by example, guys like Ovechkin, Backstrom and Green they lead by example on the ice by the way they play. Look at Mike Green, he’s already had a game this season where he’s been on the ice for over 30 minutes because of some bumps and bruises to other defensemen. But, by the play on the ice guys are going to look down the bench, hold each other accountable to their teammates because they don’t want to let the guy next to them down.
Green has blocked a lot of shots early this season, do you think that shows maturity in his game?
I think it also shows that maybe they are playing a different style and maybe getting him in the right position to make those blocks. Blocking shots is a little bit of being in the right place at the right time and a little bit of skill being able to know how to do it effectively. I think that this team is obviously the favorite in the Eastern Conference for a reason; picked by many to make a run to the Stanley Cup Finals, but nothing is guaranteed and they just have to keep on plowing along. They are in a tough stretch here where five of their next seven are on the road which wasn’t a problem for this team last year. They were able to win 24 times on the road last year, and I don’t think whether they are playing at home or on the road is going to change what this team is going to be able to do down the line.
After Monday’s game, Ovechkin mentioned they need to stop being cute on the power play and just keep things simple. What do you think that says about Alex’s maturity?
That’s what all teams have to go back to. Whenever the power play is struggling that is basically the old stand by. Keep it simple, get shots through and any guy that is a goal scorer will tell you. They’ve got to get shots on goal to be able to score. Instead of working the perimeter and trying to get that fancy goal just got the puck on net and hope for a tip. The Capitals did that Wednesday night against the Islanders. Ovechkin took the shot and Nicklas Backstrom goes to the front got a tip and got the puck by Dwayne Roloson. That’s how a power play team and strong power play teams break out of slumps. These guys know how they have to score goals and they know when things aren’t working and how to make adjustments. So, I don’t think the Capitals have anything to worry about in terms of their power play.
We’ve seen Boudreau put Erich Fehr and John Carlson on the power play at times so far, what is that going to add to the power play?
This team is pretty deep from top to bottom. You’ve got a guy like John Carlson who’s poised to do big things and Carlson had taken Mike Green’s place Wednesday night when Green had to leave the game, and Carlson picked up one of the assist on the eventual game winning goal. But, that’s the reason they like his maturity for a young early 20’s defensemen and that’s where the maturity level comes in. John Carlson is a guy that I think is more saavy beyond his years. The number one unit is going to take up the bulk of each power play and then guys like Erich Fehr are going to get their chances. Fehr is off to a good start with a pair of goals in the first four games, and you’d expect with that good start and what he did last year that there’s no reason he can’t reach the 20-goal mark once again.
John Carlson already has a swagger about him, what does that bring to the Capitals?
I think what that brings is letting guys like Tom Poti and Mike Green know they can count on this guy to be there and play solid. This is a guy who’s won a gold medal in the World Junior Championships he’s won the Calder Cup, so he’s experienced. I think those experiences are going to carry over into his first full season in the NHL where he’s going to be counted on to play significant minutes on a nightly basis. That’s something that perhaps can’t be taught. It’s either with a person, or it’s not to be confident in your ability and I think John Carlson is one player who has that confidence. Karl Alzner, I think, is another player who has that confidence and he believes he can get the job done at this level and I think that is going to show throughout the season as well.
With what has happened in the playoffs the last few years, everybody is looking for a sign that shows the team has taken the next step. Have you seen anything through the first four games that suggests that?
I think it’s a little bit early. I don’t think you can see whether or not a team has taken that next step until the season gets at least a huge chunk of the way through. I think the next step will be measured when you get to the point in the season where teams are starting to via for playoff positions. I don’t think you can too high or low on a team based on four, five or even 10 games because if you look around the league some teams that everyone thought was going to be rock solid throughout the year are off to tough starts and some that people thought were going to be doormats are off to terrific starts. So, I think it’s too early to really be able to tell about next steps and I think that’s only going to come as the season goes along. I think this team as a whole is still the same team from last year with upgrades in particular spots, and with a young goalie in Michael Neuvirth who’s really gotten off to a really really good start, and hopefully Semyon Varlamov comes back and will be able to chip in their as well. So, I think this team is right on pace, and if you asked them if they were still upset about losing on opening night they would say we’ve moved on from that and we’re on a three-game winning streak and we’ll just worry about the games as they come.
Michael Neuvirth has played great. Varly is probably going to play sometime within these next few games, but how hard is Neuvirth making it on Varly right now?
Well, it’s an opportunity for Michael Neuvirth to get in there and the Capitals know what he can do, or he wouldn’t be on the squad. He’s a guy who’s going to compete every time he’s out there and I think he has. I don’t think he’s been shaky at all. He’s had four solid games in goal for the Capitals and his record reflects that and I think these two guys are going to gel together very well. They’re both the same age, so there’s not a guy who’s older and a guy who’s older. I think they are going to be peers throughout the season and I think these guys have a healthy respect for each other and what they can do inside the goal crease that will let them perform on a nightly basis. When one is in and one is out, I don’t think there is going to be any grumbling. I think the one guy is going to be behind the starter 100% on a game to game basis and I don’t think there is going to be any animosity what so ever.

Caps vs. Devils Top Game Notes

2010-10-09T14:41:00.003-04:00

The Washington Capitals open their home schedule tonight as they welcome the New Jersey Devils to Verizon Center. The Capitals will be looking for their ninth straight win in a home opener, but it will not be an easy task. The Devils finished with the second best record in the Eastern Conference last season and won three of the four meetings with the Capitals. Both teams enter tonight's game coming off of losses. The Capitals fell to the Thrashers, 4-2, in Atlanta while the Devils blew a 2-0 lead in losing their home opener to the Dallas Stars, 4-3, in overtime. Here are a few notes to keep in mind as you watch tonight's game.

In the Spotlight: Alex Ovechkin has scored at least a goal in all five of the home openers he has played in his career, and has won each game. He has totaled eight goals and two assists in those games.

Starting Something: Brooks Laich gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead last night against the Atlanta Thrashers just 3:18 into the game, the second year in a row that he scored the team's first goal of the season. Last year he struck first on the power play 17:15 into the first period.

Youth Movement: A year ago Washington had just one rookie in its opening-night lineup: goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who didn't start in the opener. Last night three rookies took the ice for the Capitals: John Carlson, Marcus Johannson and Michael Neuvirth. Neuvirth, at 22, became the youngest Capital goaltender to start a season opener since Jim Carey, who was two months younger when he started the first game of the 1996-97 season.

Familiar faces: The only players on the Capitals who finished last season with another NHL team are Matt Hendricks (Colorado) and D.J. King (St. Louis). Washington returns the top seven scorers from last year's team, which led the league in offense, including all seven 20-goal scorers. Take away the 26 goals scored last season by players no longer with the Capitals organization and Washington still would have led the league offensively.

First rounders: Washington boasts 11 of its own first-round draft choices on the opening night roster, the most of any team in the NHL. Edmonton is the next closest with seven home-grown first-rounders; the league average is 3.93.

Series Notes: The Capitals, who enter the 179th meeting against the Devils tonight at the Verizon Center, lead the season series 88-68-13-9 (52-26-6-5).

2010-2011 NHL Preview and Predictions

2010-10-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

2010-2011 NHL Preview and Predictions
Eastern Conference
1. Washington Capitals- This is an easy prediction to make. The Capitals have the most talent of any team in the Eastern Conference and play in the conferences worst division. While I do think the division will be improved, it won’t be enough to knock the Capitals out of the top spot. Having defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner for a full season should make the defense better and the acquisitions of rugged forwards Matt Hendricks and DJ King should provide the Capitals with more grit. The only thing that will make this season a success, though, is a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins- The Penguins have the best trio of centers in the NHL (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal), but realized after last season you need more then quality forwards to compete for the Cup. The Penguins lost defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi after winning the Cup in 2009 and it showed last season as the Penguins struggled defensively. That changed this offseason with the additions of former Devil Paul Martin and former Senator Zybnek Michalek. Martin will give the Penguins the physical presence they need on the blue-line, plus it saves them from having to play against Martin six times a season. The Penguins, however, are weak at the wing position, but look for GM Ray Sherro to fix that come the trade deadline.
3. Boston Bruins- The Bruins were one of the league’s biggest disappointments last year falling from 1st in the conference in 2009 to sixth last season. Boston should be much improved this year with the additions of Nathan Horton and 2nd overall pick Tyler Seguin provided the Bruins can stay healthy for an entire season. Seguin could easily win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year considering he won’t be asked the carry the team like 1st overall pick Taylor Hall with the Edmonton Oilers.
4. New Jersey Devils- The Devils were finally able to sign Ilya Kovalchuk this offseason and it should prove to help the Devils offensively. Anton Volchenkov was brought in along with Henrik Tallinder to make up for the loss of Paul Martin, though that will be a tough task. Martin Brodeur is back for another season, but might be relied on more than in the past as the Devils try to adjust to a more offensive minded style of play. The Devils are as solid as any team in the league at forward with Travis Zajac, Zack Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Dainius Zubrus and the still effective Patrik Elias.
5. Ottawa Senators- The Senators still have fire power at forward with Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfreddson and improved their power play with the addition of Sergei Gonchar. The only thing preventing the Senators from winning the Northeast is goaltending as neither Pascal LeClaire or Brian Elliot have staked their claim as the Sens top netminder.
6. Montreal Canadiens- The decision was to trade Jaroslav Halak was a surprise, and it’s still unclear if Carey Price will ever fully live up to his potential. But, the Canadiens are as solid as any team in the league on defense with Hal Gill, Josh Gorges, Roman Hamrlik, Andrei Markov and rookie PK Suddan who was solid in the postseason and no team has more grit at forward then the Canadiens do with Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri. This team could be the surprise division winner.
7. Philadelphia Flyers- The Stanley Cup hangover will impact the Flyers for much of the regular season. If you look at recent history, lower seeded teams who make the Cinderella runs to the Cup Finals don’t usually make the playoffs the following year. The 2000 Buffalo Sabres and ’06 Flames being the exceptions, although the Flames don’t really count seeing as they had an entire year to rest due to the ’04-’05 season being whipped out. However, the Flyers still have enough overall talent to sneak into the postseason.
8. Buffalo Sabres- This will be one of the better defensive teams in the league with Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller in goal and second year defenseman Tyler Myers. But, the Sabres did nothing in the offseason to address their lack of scoring and I doubt any of their current ones will magically turn into Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby. They will, however, have enough to make the playoffs.
Western Conference
1. Vancouver Canucks- The Canucks are the only Western Conference team to make significant additions this offseason with the additions of Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis on the blue-line. Ballard and Hamhuis will provide size and grit for the Canucks to go along with their solid group of forwards. If Roberto Luongo can put together a solid season, the Canucks could return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since their magical run in 1994.
2. Detroit Red Wings- I like the Wings to grab the second seed in the West mainly because they should be well rested. Back to back trips to the Finals caught up with the Wings last season as did many injuries to key players. The Wings are much healthier this season and the return of Jiri Hudler provides solid forward depth. Mike Modano gives the Wings another veteran presence; like they need anymore.
3. San Jose Sharks- The Sharks underwent a mini makeover this offseason after making it to the Western Conference Finals last season. Gone is longtime goalie Evgeni Nabokov and veteran defenseman Rob Blake. Enter Anterro Nittymaki, and Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi to replace Nabokov. Niemi should end up winning the starting goaltender spot.
4. Los Angeles Kings- The Kings are a sleeper in the West this season after returning to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2002. Forward Anze Kopitar and solid defensemen Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson give the Kings a solid core to go along with goaltenders Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier. If the Kings manage to mature a bit faster than most expect, they could overtake the Sharks in the Pacific division.
5. Chicago Blackhawks- The Hawks traded half of their team after winning the Cup last year, and at least for this season it may prove too much to make a return trip to the Finals. Gone are gritty forwards Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and depth defenseman Brent Sopel and goaltender Antti Niemi. However, the Hawks still have Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, so they should make the playoffs.
6. Phoenix Coyotes- This team surprised the entire league last year with its run to the playoffs and surprised even more when they took the Wings to seven games last season. With a solid group of forward and Ilya Bryzgalov in goal, the ‘Yotes should be able to get back to the post-season.
7. Nashville Predators- Another team built around defense and goaltending with Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne, the Predators should have enough to make it back to the playoffs. The loss of Dan Hamhuis will hurt, but this team is well run and well coached, so they should be able to come up with enough to get back to the post-season.
8. Colorado Avalanche- Another surprise playoff team from last year that I think has enough to make it back. They have enough talent at the forward positions led by Milan Hejduk and Paul Stastny and the ageless wonder Adam Foote on the blue-line. With Craig Anderson in goal, the Aves should be able to make another run into the post season.

Week 4 Review

2010-10-06T22:15:00.002-04:00

It doesn't matter how long I watch the NFL I still find myself shaking my head sometimes at what happens week to week. I've been watching the NFL regularly since 1993, so you would think by now I would've seen it all.

Not exactly the case.

Here's my take on another wild week in the NFL.

Best team performance: I wanted to go with the team from the City that never sleeps. The blue one that treated Jay Cutler and the Bears like one of Apollo Creed's sparring partners in Rockey 2. But, my choice is the team that wears a darker shade of blue, the New England Patriots. I mean come on; two special teams touchdowns one of which was a blocked field goal that was returned to break the game open at the beginning of the fourth quarter? Oh, and how about the 51-yard interception return by Patrick Chung for the games final score? The Patriots defense and special teams outscored it's offense 21-20, and the Dolphins 21-14. Maybe that's why Bill Belichik decided to trade Randy Moss.

Best individual performance: I'm going with the Jets LaDanian Tomlinson. Tomlinson gained 133 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns. Yes, it was against the Buffalo Bills who will probably finish with the league's worst record. But, for a guy who was let go this offseason because his previous team thought he lost a step, a performance like that speaks to the contrary.

Worst team performance: This is a no-brainer!!!! The Chicago Bears!!!! I mean who else should I pick after that performance. 10 sacks allowed; Nine in the first half and a concussion for starting quarterback Jay Cutler. The Bears had the Giants defense looking like Buddy Ryan and the '85 Bears defense. On top of that, the Bears managed just 110 yards of total offense. Hakeen Nicks, Ahmad Bradshaw and Eli Manning had more yards then that individually!!!!!! And the Bears think they're a playoff team? Please.

Worst individual performance: I'm keeping with the theme, and team, from the previous category. This goes to Jay Cutler. Yes, your offensive line gave you no help, but you didn't exactly help yourself. Cutler passed up several intermediate passes because he wants to hit the big play on every pass play. Cutler himself has said he believes he has a stronger arm then John Elway. That's great, but Elway had the brain to know how to use that arm, an attribute that Cutler clearly doesn't have at this point in his career. Yes, Jay, you have an attractive arm, but when's the last time style won a championship?

Bonehead play of the week: Without question this goes to the 49ers Nate Clements. Clements intercepted the Falcons Matt Ryan with less then two minutes to go to seemingly seal the Niners first win of the season. But, instead of just falling to the turf, Clements decided to race down the sidelines in an attempt to score a highlight reel touchdown. Clements ended up having the ball knocked out of his hands by the Falcons Roddy White, however, which the Falcons recovered. A minute and half later the Falcons kicked a field goal to win the game and keep the 49ers winless. I guess Clement wasn't watching in 2006 when Marlon McCree fumbled a potential game-winning interception in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff for the Chargers against the Patriots.

Bonehead call of the week: I hate to because I like him, but this goes to Colts Coach Jim Caldwell. Caldwell called a timeout with less then a minute to go in the fourth quarter which gave the Jacksonville Jaguars enough time to mount what ended up being a game winning drive. Caldwell defended his decision by saying he called the timeout so there would still be some time on the clock if the Jaguars had to punt. Peyton Manning is good, Coach. But, with less then a minute to go in the fourth quarter and your defense unable to stop anyone right now, go ahead and take your chances at winning the overtime coin toss. Remember, it's not the playoffs yet, so the first team to score in overtime still wins right now.

Shout out of the week: How about the Ravens Ray Lewis. Lewis, who is 35 years old now, laid out to intercept Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch's pass with 26 seconds left to seal the Ravens 17-14 win at Heinz Field. Lewis looked like he was 25 again as he laid out to his left to intercept Batch's pass. Whoever said 35 was over the hill?

Redemption performance: Though his numbers weren't great, I'm giving this to Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb for the leading the Redskins to a victory in Philadelphia over McNabb's former team. Eight for 19 and a quarterback rating of 60.2 is nothing to go home about, but McNabb led the Redskins to scores on their first three drives including a third down touchdown pass to tight end Chris Cooley that gave the Redskins a 14-0 lead. McNabb also picked up a key first down on a third down scramble on the Redskins final drive that took three and a half minutes off the clock and left the Eagles with just 1:07 to work with when they finally got the ball back. McNabb told his new teammates in the post game locker room that the Eagles made a mistake in trading him. Though he hasn't hit his stride yet with the Redskins, the Eagles probably wouldn't mind having McNabb right now with Michael Vick out 1-2 weeks with torn rib cartelage and Kevin Kolb as his replacement. Oh yea, I forgot, it's like Andy Reid said in his bad english after Kolb suffered a concussion on opening day against the Packers, "Kevin Kolb is the starting quarterback."

Moss to Vikings Trade Shouldn't Surprise Anyone

2010-10-06T19:42:00.002-04:00

The New Englad Patriots raised many eyebrows late this morning when they announced they had traded Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Patriots will receive a 2011 third-round draft pick in return for Moss as the Vikings attempt to strengthin a receiving core that at the moment doesn't remotely resemble the one that helped Brett Favre throw 33 touchdown passes last season.

This move, however, should not surprise anyone.

Even though he maintained he wouldn't be a distraction the remainder of the season, it was clear that Moss wanted out of New England after his post game rant following the Patriots season opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

There's no other explination for why Moss would make such comments after such a strong season opening performance.

Also, look at the Patriots recent track record. Does anyone remember the Deion Branch situation?

Branch was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX after an 11 catch, 133-yard performance and followed that by catching 78 passes for 998 yards in 2005.

Branch, who was still under contract wanted a deal in the neighborhood of $40 million dollars over five or six years, while the Patriots were only willing to offer a three year extension with a $4 million signing bonus.

Branch decided to hold out of training camp in 2006 and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

This philosophy came about again this off-season with two-time Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins. Mankins became a restricted free agent this off-season, but was only offered a $3.26 million tender instead of a long-term deal. The Patriots lowered the tender to $1.54 million in June after Mankins had failed to sign. Mankins reacted by publicly requesting a trade and as of now is sitting at home on his couch.

Also, the Patriots were not going to just let a player of Moss's caliber walk out the door as an unrestricted free agent this off-season and receive not any compensation. Look at last season when the Patriots traded then 29-year old defensive end Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders.

Seymour was in the last year of his contract and was going to want a long-term deal in the off-season. The Patriots knew they weren't going to give him one, so they traded him instead of letting him walk.

Now, do I think Belichik's ego played a small part in this decision? Sure. Belichik doesn't like playes putting themselves before the team.

But, the amount of times Belichik and the Patriots have let playes go when they were still productive should soften that sentiment a little bit.

Belichik is a three-time Super Bowl winning coach while Moss has only played in one. So, who should really be criticized here?

Last time I checked, it shouldn't be the guy with three rings.

2010 Warrior Ice Breaker Tournament To Be Streamlined On-Line By Hockey PrimeTime

2010-10-05T19:38:00.000-04:00

Hockey Primetime will offer live PPV event for college hockey fans online

The 2010 Warrior Ice Breaker Tournament will be held this weekend in St. Louis with games beginning Friday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m. EST and broadcast on www.HockeyPrimetime.com.

The tournament will feature four of the nation’s premier hockey programs: Boston University, Holy Cross, Notre Dame and Wisconsin. Holy Cross will take on Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, and Boston University faces off against Wisconsin at 8:30 p.m. The tournament’s consolation game will be played at noon on Sunday, Oct. 10, and the championship game follows at 3 p.m.

Hockey fans can subscribe to a PPV broadcast with access to all four games for $9.95 via Hockey Primetime’s website (listed above). In addition, Hockey Primetime’s Justin Bourne and Blake Benzel will be hosting a live blog during each game for college hockey fans to interact with each other and the writers, during the broadcast.

“Broadcasting the Warrior Ice Breaker Collegiate Hockey Tournament from Scotttrade Center is just the beginning. Hockey Primetime will certainly add an exciting new dimension to the collegiate hockey base while providing enhanced online and mobile streaming presence with the ease of live access and visibility,” said Samuel Eng, Primetime Radio’s Chief Executive Officer.

“College Hockey, Inc. is excited to be working with Hockey Primetime to grow and increase the awareness of college hockey and to bring the great action at this year’s Warrior Ice Breaker tourney to all fans,” said Kevin Lovitt, Senior Director, Business Operations. “The Icebreaker officially serves as the kick off to the new season by pitting four of the top teams in America, and this year is no different with Boston University, Holy Cross, Notre Dame and last year’s NCAA finalist, the University of Wisconsin.”

ABOUT HOCKEY PRIMETIME: Established in 2007, Hockey Primetime is a dynamic, fully featured online hockey community, whose mission is to bring and promote hockey to the masses, with NHL-credentialed journalists and broadcasters across North America. Its interactive features include a social networking website and live or on-demand internet radio/video streaming through its parent company, Primetime Radio, Inc.

ABOUT COLLEGE HOCKEY, INC: College Hockey, Inc is the educational and promotional arm of the 58 NCAA Division I men’s hockey programs. Under the direction of Executive Director and former NHL Players’ Association head Paul Kelly, College Hockey, Inc is the primary information resource for prospective student athletes on NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey. Combining a comprehensive education and marketing campaign focused on elite young players, with innovative business initiatives, improved special events, and new television and digital opportunities, College Hockey, Inc.’s mission is to broaden the exposure and raise the profile of NCAA college hockey.

Capitals Unveil Winter Classic Uniforms at 2010 Capitals Convention

2010-10-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals unveiled the jersey’s they will be wearing on New Year’s Day when they take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic Saturday at the 2010 Capitals Convention.
Capitals’ Captain Alex Ovechkin along with former Captains Rod Langway and Yvon Labre displayed the uniforms for the almost 7,000 fans in attendance at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The uniforms, which are a white jersey with the original Capitals logo across the front along with red shorts, are a throwback to the uniforms worn by the team from 1974 through the 1994-95 season.
“Going back to the classic Caps jersey, I was hoping for a little more of a tweak there. I don’t know how you would do that, but something to make it a little more modern,” said Pat Giddings of Kansas City, Maryland. “But, still, its classic Caps.”
There were several shootout area’s set up for fans who wanted to test the accuracy of their shot, as well as a display of the original jersey’s worn by the original six NHL teams, the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.
The 2009-2010 Southeast Division championship banner was displayed as well as the 2009-2010 President’s Trophy banner the Capitals won last season for finishing with the best regular season record, as well as several area’s wear current and former Capitals took turns signing autographs.
Giddings said he wouldn’t have imagined five years ago that the Capitals would ever have reached this level of popularity.
“I always hoped because it always depressed me when you would go to a game and see 5,000 people there,” said Giddings. “Someone once said there are only 20,000 hockey fans in each city, and I think now you’re starting to see the Caps becoming so popular that doesn’t hold true anymore. So, I think it’s awesome.”
Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig were also among the alumni in attendance. Bondra, who played for the Capitals from 1990-2003, said it is remarkable how popular the Capitals have become.
“We had that feeling a little bit when we went to the Finals against Detroit because the fans were so excited, but now the season hasn’t even started yet, and you have 6,500 people out here supporting the team,” said Bondra. “I believe Ovie has a big part in this and overall they have a great team, and even for me to go to a game I get excited to watch the team play and how they compete. So, it’s just a lot of fun.”
Bondra, who is one of the most popular players in franchise history, was in demand all day as he was stopped several times for autograph and picture requests even after his scheduled time had passed. He said he appreciates how excited the fans still get when they see him.
“One lady told me she waited 14 years for me to sign her jersey,” said a smiling Bondra. “But, it’s great and a good feeling. Feelings of having been here and done something and the fans still come up to you and say good things.”
The teams’ popularity is even noticed by media members. Comcast SportsNet Capitals beat reporter, Jill Sorenson, who covered the team from the late 90’s through the mid 2000’s for Channel four sports and then Comcast SportsNet, said even she gets excited when she sees how much attention the team gets from the various media outlets.
“When I first started it was just, and Jason LaCanfora was the Post beat writer and then Dave Fay was the Washington Times beat writer,” said Sorenson. “Even at training camp this year there was at least a dozen media their everyday between the new media and mainstream media. It’s insane, but it’s really awesome.”

Week 3 Review

2010-09-28T16:33:00.002-04:00

After three weeks of regular season football, there are three unbeaten teams remaining and you can make the argument that all three are unexpected. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears remain in the unbeaten ranks and all three had legit reasons before the season started to not reach this mark. The Steelers are without Ben Roethelisberger, the Chiefs were believed, and still may be in the rebuilding stage, and no one thought the Bears would beat the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in back to back games. However, despite all that all three overcame their perceived limitations and sit atop the league.

Here are more observations from Week 3:

Best individual performance: This has to go to the Eagles' Michael Vick. Vick is already the comeback player of the year and a legit early season MVP candidate. Yes, despite back to back games against the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars, Vick has shown enough to be thrown into the MVP conversation. In 10 quarters of football this season, Vick has thrown six touchdown passes and zero interceptions while completing 60% of his passes. His touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson on Sunday and his second one to Jeremy Maclin were things of beauty. Vick put those passes in places only Jackson and Maclin could have caught them and both had defenders around on each play. He has added a calmness and swagger to the Eagles they would not have if Kevin Kolb were still starting which is why I think the Eagles will win the NFC East.

Rebound performance of the week: How about the Ravens Joe Flacco? After a dismal performance in Cincinatti last week where he completed just 17 of 39 passes for just 154 yards and four interceptions, Flacco rebounded against Cleveland on Sunday completing 22 of 31 passess for 262 yards and three touchdowns; all of which went to Anquan Boldin. More important, Flacco threw zero interceptions. Yes, I know he did this against the woeful Cleveland Browns who might as well start doing background checks on Alabama runningback Mark Ingram, or University of Washington quarterback Jake Lockler in preperation for this year's draft, but after his performance against Cincinatti, Flacco needed this performance. Plus, with a trip to Pittsburgh coming this Sunday a warm up against the Browns is just what Flacco needed to work the kinks out.

Rebound win: This one has to go to two teams, the Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings. Both were preseason Super Bowl favorites that had gotten off to 0-2 starts. More so, neither team had even remotely resembled the teams that won 12 and 11 games last season and their respective division titles. They both reverted to form on Sunday. The Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions at home, 24-10, while the Cowboys went on the road and beat the previously unbeaten Houston Texans, 27-13. The Cowboys showed the balance on offense they had been missing the first two weeks running 27 times and throwing 30 on Sunday while the Vikings got 160 yards and two touchdowns from Adrien Peterson. The wins also came at a crucial time as both teams are going into their bye week.

Most embarassing loss: There is no question this goes to the Washington Redskins, yes, my Washington Redskins. There is absolutely no excuse for the Redskins losing to the St. Louis Rams. It doesn't matter that the game was in St. Louis, or that the Redskins were coming off a game against the Texans in which they blew a 17-point second half lead. The Rams had lost 27 of their previous 28 games including 14 straight at home. To add insult to injury, the Rams combined had scored 27 points in their first two games of the season against the Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders, yet lit the Redskins up for 30 on Sunday, and this is without star running back Steven Jackson who missed the entire second half with a groin injury. The Redskins have developed a penchant for embarassing losses the last two seasons, evidenced by losses to the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs last season.

Worst Individual performance: This, again, has to go to a Redskin. DeAngelo Hall told the local media on Monday after the loss to Houston that for the rest of the season he was going to guard the opposing teams top receiver. Hall even used the phrase "This is my team and my defense," while making this statement. However, Hall was taken to the cleaners by the Rams Mark Clayton as Clayton caught five passes for 85 yards, the last being a quick screen in which Hall slipped attempting to make the tackle which allowed Clayton to sprint 30 yards down field. The play set up a field goal that gave the Rams a 27-16 lead and for all intents and purposes the win.

Team on the brink: This has to be the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 31-10 on Sunday to fall to 0-3 on the season. Six days after falling to the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on a last second field goal, the 49ers managed just 251 yards of offense while allowing 457, including 207 on the ground. This also marks the second time this season the 49ers have been blasted on the road. They also lost 31-6 in Seattle in Week 1. With a trip to Atlanta coming this Sunday, the Niners are staring their first 0-4 start since 2004 in the face.

Not off the hot seat: The Minnesota Vikings. Yes, they won on Sunday but questions still remain. Brett Favre threw two more interceptions on Sunday bringing his season total to six in three games. This after Favre threw just seven in 16 regular season games last year. Plus, with a receiving core without Sidney Rice for the foreseeable future and a tough schedule looming after their bye week, a return trip to the playoffs let alone the NFC Championship game don't look good right now.

Bonehead decision of the week: Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy chose not to let the Bears score an easy touchdown on Monday night after a pass interference call gave the Bears a first and goal on the Packer 9-yard line with under two minutes to go and the game tied at 17. Instead, McCarthy burned the Packers final two timeouts in the hope Chicago's Robbie Gould would miss the ensuing game-winning field goal. Gould made the kick while McCarthy stood on the sidelines attempting to apply chiropractor tricks to his neck. Did he forget he has a quarterback by the name of Aaron Rodgers on the his team?

Capitals Sign Matt Hendricks to One-Year Contract

2010-09-28T09:39:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Matt Hendricks to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hendricks, a 6’0’’, 215-pound native of Blaine, Minn., registered nine goals, seven assists and 74 penalty minutes in 56 games for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2009-10 NHL season. Hendricks, 29, who was invited to the Washington Capitals’ training camp on a tryout basis, has wasted little time acclimating himself to Washington, leading the Capitals to their first preseason win with a hat trick in a 6-2 victory at Columbus.
Hendricks played for Capitals’ head coach Bruce Boudreau as a member of the Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears in 2006-07. He recorded 18 goals and 26 assists for a total of 44 points in 65 regular season games that year. Hendricks also appeared in 19 AHL playoff matches that season, scoring eight goals and registering four assists.
Hendricks, who made his NHL debut in 2008, has appeared in 60 career NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, posting 16 points (9 goals, 7 assists) and 87 penalty minutes. He also appeared in six postseason games with the Avalanche during their 2010 playoff run.
Hendricks was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round (131st overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Caps Sign Poti to Two-Year Extension

2010-09-21T19:17:00.001-04:00

The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Tom Poti to a two-year contract extension, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Tom has played very well for the Washington Capitals and has been a key part of our success since he joined the team,” McPhee said. “We are pleased that he has made the commitment to remain a Capital.”
Poti, 33, recorded 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) and 42 penalty minutes in 70 games for the Capitals last season. In addition, he registered four assists and five penalty minutes in six playoff games. The 6’ 3”, 198-pound native of Worcester, Mass., ranked fifth among NHL defensemen and third among team defensemen with a career-high +26 rating during the 2009-10 campaign. He ranked second on the team with 121 blocked shots while averaging 21:24 of ice time.
Poti, who signed with the Capitals as a free agent on July 1, 2007, has appeared in 787 career NHL games with Edmonton, the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders and Washington, recording 318 points (67 goals, 251 assists) and 578 penalty minutes. He has also registered 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists) and 29 penalty minutes in 51 career playoff games.
Poti was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round (59th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Week 1 Review

2010-09-15T21:26:00.002-04:00

Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season has come and gone and already there is plenty to talk about. There are disgruntled wide receivers and wide receivers who need IV's. There are quarterback's who still make dumb plays and one who may have taken the first step in resurrecting his career.

Where to start?

How about New England?

Part of a plan?: Right after your team clobbers one of it's conference foes who happens to be a defending division champion, and one of your teammates has a breakout game in his first game after a major injury, what is their to be mad about? Apparently if you are Randy Moss; plenty. During his press conference after Moss and the Patriots had just rolled over the Cincinnati Benglas, 38-24, at Gillette Stadium in which the returning Wes Welker caught two touchdown passes, Moss decided it was time to once again voice his displeasure about his current contract situation. Moss is in the last year of his contract with the Patriots, and at this point the organization hasn't even begun discussions with him on a new one.

But, my question is this. Was Moss's outburst the sign of a player who has turned his back on his team? Or, is it simply the first step in Moss' plan to get the contract extension he so clearly wants? Only time will tell.

Reason to worry?: The Cincinnati Bengals have made it clear they are taking a run at the Super Bowl this year and made those intentions crystal clear when they decided to bring in flamboyant, but aging wide receiver, Terrell Owens to team up with the ultra flamboyant Chad Ochocinco.

Yet, on the last play of the first half Sunday with the Bengals trailing the Patriots, 24-3, neither Ochocino nor Owens were anywhere near the field. Both were in the locker room for what Bengals' Coach Marvin Lewis said were different reasons. Lewis said Ochocinco was being given an IV, which he apparently does on a regular basis, and Owens was simply being worked on.

With it being the opening game of the season, it's understandable if both player's were doing what Lewis said they were. Starters don't play nearly as much in the preseason as they used to, and the Bengals didn't sign Owens until a week before their first preseason game. Not to mention, Owens became visibly annoyed when asked about his absence at the end of the first half by the media.

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, you would think their most vocal and recognizable players would be on the field for a critical play. But, then again, it makes for a better twitter post if they aren't.

Individual performance of the week: This has to go to the Houston Texans' Arian Foster. Foster went undrafted in 2009 out of the University of Tennessee, but ran through the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday to the tune of 231 yards on 33 carries with 190 of those yards coming in the second half. Foster also had three rushing touchdowns. Not bad for a guy who went undrafted after rushing for nearly 3,000 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns in four years in college.

Worst individual performance of the week: This is somewhat unfair, because his coach has written a check that his team potentially may not cash, but the Jets Mark Sanchez was flat out dreadful on Monday night.

Sanchez finished 10-21 for 74 yards on Monday as the Jets managed just 176 yards of total offense and only six first downs. Yes, the Jets were playing one of the premiere defenses in the league, but that defense was also down two of it's starting defensive backs, one of which happens to be Ed Reed.

Sanchez did not show the ability to locate the open receiver and at times looked like he had regressed from last season.

Part of the spotlight that's on Sanchez is becaue Rex Ryan has decided to crown the Jets as the next great dynasty in the NFL, which is unfair seeing as how Sanchez is in just his second year in the league and has plenty of improvement to make. Still, Sanchez has to play better then he did Monday if he is going to be considered among the league elite.

Surprise performance of the week: There was a guy who stepped under center for the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday and he looked a lot like Michael Vick. He wore number 7, displayed a strong left arm, and even scampered through the defense of the Green Bay Packers when it appeared the original play had broken down.

Yup, that was Vick, and the Eagles better give Vick's performance its due diligence. Vick replaced starter Kevin Kolb in the second half after Kolb suffered a concussion in the second quarter. Kolb finished the half, but there was clearly something wrong.

Vick finished with 175 yards and two touchdowns on 16 of 24 passing to go along with 103 rushing yards on 11 carries. Vick led three scoring drives, displaying an ability to stand in the pocket and read defenses that he had not shown at any time while with the Atlanta Falcons.

More importantly, he clearly provided an emotional lift for the Eagles who looked dormant under Kolb. Though Andy Reid has made it very clear that Kolb will be the starter when he is healthy, he may want to put aside his pride and go with Vick. If Vick can continue to play the way he played Sunday, the Eagles could very easily win the NFC East and challenge for the NFC Championship.

Bone head call of the week: This could be broken down into bone head call and decision, but lets not pour salt in the wound. Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips decision to let Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett call anything but a kneel down at the end of the first half against the Washington Redskins on Sunday is the perfect example of what is wrong with the Cowboys.

Garrett decided to call a Hail Mary play with the Cowboys at their own 36 yard line with 4 seconds left in the first half. When Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo couldn't find anyone open down field, he decided to flip the ball to tailback Tashard Choice in the flat. Choice had the ball stripped by Redskins' defensive back DeAngelo Hall, who subsequently picked the ball up and ran it in for the Redskins only touchdown of the night.

Dallas lost 13-7 when an apparent touchdown on the last play of the game was negated by a holding call on the Cowboys Alex Barron. That play may not have been necessary if Phillips had just told Garrett to tell Romo to take a knee.

Capitals Announce Composite 2010-2011 Television Schedule

2010-09-15T21:23:00.001-04:00

The Washington Capitals will have all 82 games televised during the 2010-11 regular season, the team announced today in conjunction with Comcast SportsNet. Comcast SportsNet will televise 70 games, with all broadcasts available in high definition (HD) for the first time.
Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the upcoming Capitals season includes 59 games on Comcast SportsNet and 11 games on Comcast SportsNet Plus. This season marks the first time that Comcast SportsNet Plus will be available in HD to all cable and satellite providers throughout the region. As details regarding Comcast SportsNet Plus HD carriage and channel location become available, check with your provider or go to CSNwashington.com or CSNbaltimore.com for information.
As previously announced, the remaining 12 games will be broadcast by the NHL’s national television partners, Versus and NBC. Versus will carry eight exclusive broadcasts, as well as three games it will air outside of the region. NBC will carry the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic at Pittsburgh on Jan. 1, 2011, and is tentatively scheduled to broadcast three additional games during the second half of the season as part of its flexible scheduling.
Comcast SportsNet’s 70-game schedule of Capitals live game coverage begins with the team’s regular-season opener on Friday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m., when they travel to Atlanta to face the Southeast Division-rival Thrashers. The network’s back-to-back coverage continues the following night as the Capitals host the reigning Atlantic Division-champion New Jersey Devils for their home opener at Verizon Center on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., when the team will unveil banners commemorating last season’s Presidents’ Trophy and Southeast Division championship.
Comcast SportsNet’s live game coverage of the Capitals this season will be led by five-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati, veteran hockey analyst Craig Laughlin and longtime sideline reporter Al Koken, who return for their 14th season together as the Capitals’ television broadcast team. Jill Sorenson, who was recently named Comcast SportsNet’s Capitals television beat reporter, will also contribute to the network’s live game coverage.

2010-11 Washington Capitals Television Schedule
October
Fri., Oct. 8 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m. CSN
Sat., Oct. 9 New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN
Mon., Oct. 11 Ottawa 7 p.m. CSN
Wed., Oct. 13 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN/VS*
Sat., Oct. 16 at Nashville 8 p.m. CSN
Tues., Oct. 19 Boston 7:30 p.m. VS
Thurs., Oct. 21 at Boston 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Oct. 23 Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN
Wed., Oct. 27 at Carolina 7 p.m. CSN
Thurs., Oct. 28 at Minnesota 8 p.m. CSN
Sat., Oct. 30 at Calgary 10 p.m. CSN
November
Wed., Nov. 3 Toronto 7 p.m. CSN
Fri., Nov. 5 Boston 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., Nov. 7 Philadelphia 5 p.m. CSN
Tues., Nov. 9 at N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m. VS
Thurs., Nov. 11 Tampa Bay 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Nov. 13 at Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., Nov. 14 Atlanta 5 p.m. CSN
Wed., Nov. 17 Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN+
Fri., Nov. 19 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m. CSN
Sat., Nov. 20 Philadelphia 7 p.m. CSN
Mon., Nov. 22 at New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN
Wed., Nov. 24 at Carolina 7 p.m. CSN
Fri., Nov. 26 Tampa Bay 5 p.m. CSN
Sun., Nov. 28 Carolina 5 p.m. CSN
December
Wed., Dec. 1 at St. Louis 8 p.m. CSN+
Thurs., Dec. 2 at Dallas 8:30 p.m. CSN
Sat., Dec. 4 Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN
Mon., Dec. 6 Toronto 7 p.m. CSN
Thurs., Dec. 9 Florida 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Dec. 11 Colorado 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., Dec. 12 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. CSN
Wed., Dec. 15 Anaheim 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Dec. 18 at Boston 7 p.m. CSN+
Sun., Dec. 19 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m. CSN
Tues., Dec. 21 New Jersey 7:30 p.m. VS
Thurs., Dec. 23 Pittsburgh 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., Dec. 26 at Carolina 7 p.m. CSN+
Tues., Dec. 28 Montreal 7 p.m. CSN
January
Sat., Jan. 1 at Pittsburgh 1 p.m. NBC
Tues., Jan. 4 Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. CSN
CSN – Comcast SportsNet, CSN+ – Comcast SportsNet Plus
January (Cont.)
Sat., Jan. 8 Florida 7 p.m. CSN
Tues., Jan. 11 at Florida 7:30 p.m. CSN+
Wed., Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. CSN
Fri., Jan. 14 Vancouver 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., Jan. 16 Ottawa 3 p.m. CSN
Tues., Jan. 18 at Philadelphia 7 p.m. CSN
Thurs., Jan. 20 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Jan. 22 at Toronto 7 p.m. CSN+
Mon., Jan. 24 N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m. VS
Wed., Jan. 26 at Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN
February
Tues., Feb. 1 Montreal 7:30 p.m. CSN
Fri., Feb. 4 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. CSN+
Sun., Feb. 6 Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m. NBC
Tues., Feb. 8 San Jose 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Feb. 12 Los Angeles 12:30 p.m. CSN
Mon., Feb. 14 at Phoenix 9 p.m. VS
Wed., Feb. 16 at Anaheim 10 p.m. CSN
Thurs., Feb. 17 at San Jose 10:30 p.m. CSN
Sun., Feb. 20 at Buffalo 3 p.m. NBC
Mon., Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. VS
Fri., Feb. 25 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. CSN+
Sat., Feb. 26 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN
March
Tues., March 1 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN
Thurs., March 3 St. Louis 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., March 6 at Florida 5 p.m. CSN
Mon., March 7 at Tampa Bay 7 p.m. VS
Wed., March 9 Edmonton 7 p.m. CSN
Fri., March 11 Carolina 7 p.m. CSN
Sun., March 13 Chicago 3 p.m. NBC
Tues., March 15 at Montreal 7 p.m. CSN+
Wed., March 16 at Detroit 7:30 p.m. CSN/VS*
Fri., March 18 at New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN
Tues., March 22 at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m. VS
Fri., March 25 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m. CSN+
Sat., March 26 at Montreal 7 p.m. CSN
Tues., March 29 Carolina 7 p.m. CSN
Thurs., March 31 Columbus 7 p.m. CSN/VS*
April
Sat., April 2 Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN
Tues., April 5 at Toronto 7 p.m. CSN
Wed., April 6 Florida 7 p.m. CSN+
Sat., April 9 at Florida 7 p.m. CSN
*Versus outside of the Comcast SportsNet region
VS – Versus

Knuble, Sloan Chronicle The Capitals' 2009-2010 On "Hockey Diaries: The Almost Season"

2010-09-11T14:23:00.001-04:00

Having chronicled their personal journeys through the eventful 2009-10 NHL season by recording their thoughts and observations, Washington Capitals Mike Knuble and Tyler Sloan will give fans a first-hand account of life in the NHL tonight with the premiere of “Hockey Diaries: The Almost Season,” presented by NHL Radio and broadcast on Sirius XM Radio and streamed on NHL.com . Knuble will appear in person and in front of a live audience at Sirius XM’s Performance 1 Studio radio theater in Washington, D.C. Sloan will join via telephone as both players take questions from those in attendance and those calling in. Sirius XM will air the event live from 7-9 p.m. ET – the documentary for the first hour followed by the studio Q & A that will be hosted by Sirius XM’S Glenn Younes – on NHL Home Ice XM 204 and SIRIUS 208. The show encourages NHL fans to call in with questions during the live special. The number to submit questions is 1-877-645-6696. NHL Radio’s “The Almost Season” tells the story of the triumph and disappointment of the Caps’ 2009-10 season through the thoughtful audio diary entries of veteran forward Knuble and aspiring young defenseman Sloan supplemented by personal interviews and rich field recordings. “The Almost Season" captures the intensity of the game, the mood of the team and the psyche of the players as they chase down their four goals: win the division, win the Eastern Conference, win the Presidents' Trophy, win the Stanley Cup. “The Almost Season” was produced in association with Gemma Hooley and Chris Nelson of Media Chameleon. The executive producer is Gregg Baldinger, director of NHL Radio.

COMCAST SPORTSNET BEGINS EXTENSIVE NFL REGULAR-SEASON COVERAGE THIS WEEKEND

2010-09-11T14:19:00.000-04:00

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for television and online sports coverage, begins comprehensive coverage of the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens 2010 NFL Regular Seasons this weekend with extensive television programming and online content on Comcast SportsNet, CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com.
Comcast SportsNet’s award-winning pregame show, Redskins Kickoff, will make its regular-season debut live from FedEx Field prior to the Redskins season-opener against Dallas on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 7-8 p.m., with an additional 20 minutes of exclusive online coverage at CSNwashington.com from 8-8:20 p.m. Host Chick Hernandez, along with analyst Trevor Matich, Redskin Mike Williams and television beat reporter Kelli Johnson, will provide complete pregame news, analysis and opinion. Redskins Kickoff will air prior to each Redskins game throughout the season.
Redskins PostGame Live, also hosted by Hernandez, begins immediately following the Redskins-Cowboys game for an hour-and-a-half of full postgame coverage, including player interviews and head coach Mike Shanahan’s press conference. The program, which will also air live from FedEx Field, will feature analysts Trevor Matich, Brian Mitchell and Rick “Doc” Walker, with Kelli Johnson reporting and providing interviews from the locker-room. Redskins PostGame Live airs on Comcast SportsNet following each Redskins game during the season.
As part of their expanded NFL coverage, Comcast SportsNet will deliver full coverage of the Ravens’ and Redskins’ weekly head coach press conferences in special shows hosted by Russ Thaler. SportsNite: Mike Shanahan Live, which will include analyst Brian Mitchell, debuts on Monday, Sept. 13, at 3:30 p.m. SportsNite: John Harbaugh Live will premier this week on Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 4 p.m. Both shows will air at those times the day after every game this season, with consecutive airings on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. when both play on Sunday. Additionally, Comcast SportsNet will present Kelli Johnson’s exclusive one-on-one interview with Mike Shanahan the day after every Redskins game within SportsNite.
Beginning on Monday, Sept. 13, Comcast SportsNet will begin extensive Ravens postgame coverage online at CSNbaltimore.com. The special coverage, which will be highlighted by live streaming of head coach John Harbaugh’s postgame press conference, will include exclusive player interviews from the locker-room. Led by Comcast SportsNet’s Baltimore beat reporter Brent Harris, Raven’s postgame coverage will be available on CSNbaltimore.com immediately following each game throughout the season.
As the official cable network of the Ravens, Comcast SportsNet recently began broadcasting the team’s full line-up of original television programs. This programming includes five half-hour shows that air weekly throughout the season; 1 Winning Drive, The John Harbaugh Show, Game Plan, Ravens Report and Purple Passion. Comcast SportsNet airs that day’s respective Ravens show on weekdays at 4:30 p.m. and 12 a.m., as well as various other times throughout the week.
Comcast SportsNet’s expanded television coverage of the Redskins and Ravens will also be featured on the network’s full line-up of daily news and entertainment programs, including Washington Post Live, SportsNite and Redskins Nation. The network will also provide complete daily coverage of the Redskins and Ravens 2010 regular seasons online at CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, led by Redskins Insider Ryan O’Halloran and Ravens Insider John Eisenberg.
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official sports network of the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.6 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com and CSNbaltimore.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.
Comcast Sports Group operates 11 sports networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and sports news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS, and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages New England Cable News (NECN), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

Caps announce Rookie and Training Camp schedule

2010-09-11T14:11:00.000-04:00

The Washington Capitals 2010 rookie camp and training camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., will feature practices and scrimmages that are open to the public and free of charge.
Rookie Camp begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 12, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The five-day camp features a scrimmage at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Rookie camp will culminate with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers rookies at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16, also at Kettler Capitals Iceplex (all tickets to that game were free and have been distributed already). This is the fourth straight year that Washington rookies will play Philadelphia rookies prior to training camp.
Throughout rookie camp Capitals veterans who have returned to the area early will skate informally.
Formal on-ice sessions of training camp begin Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m., and include scrimmages at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as three teams compete for the Gaetan Duchesne Cup, named for the former Capitals forward.
Washington will play its first preseason game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at Columbus. The Caps open their home preseason schedule at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28, against Boston.
This marks the Capitals’ fourth training camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the Metro-accessible, inside-the-Beltway practice facility that features two NHL-sized rinks. All on-ice sessions at rookie camp and training camp – like every Capitals practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex – will be open to the public and free of charge.
Media Note: Unlike previous years Kettler Capitals Iceplex will be closed to the media on the day Capitals veterans conduct physicals and off-ice testing. The first day of formal media availability will be the first day of camp, Saturday, Sept. 18.
Washington’s complete rookie camp and training camp schedule are on the following page.
2010 Washington Capitals Rookie Camp and Training Camp Schedule

Date Time Event
Sun., Sept. 12 10:30 a.m. Rookie Camp practice
Mon., Sept. 13 10:30 a.m. Rookie Camp practice
1:15 p.m. Veterans skate
Tues., Sept. 14 8 a.m. Veterans skate
10:30 a.m. Rookie Camp practice
Wed., Sept. 15 8 a.m. Veterans skate
11:45 a.m. Rookie Camp scrimmage
Thurs., Sept. 16 10 a.m. Veterans skate
3 p.m. Rookie game vs. Philadelphia
Fri., Sept. 17 Kettler Capitals Iceplex closed to the media
Sat., Sept 18 10 a.m. Group A practice
11:15 a.m. Group B practice
1 p.m. Group C practice
Sun., Sept. 19 10 a.m. Group A practice
12 p.m. Group B vs. Group C scrimmage
Mon., Sept. 20 10 a.m. Group B practice
12 p.m. Group A vs. Group C scrimmage
Tues., Sept. 21 10 a.m. Group C practice
12 p.m. Group A vs. Group B scrimmage
Wed., Sept. 22 10 a.m. Morning skate
11:15 a.m. Practice
1 p.m. Practice
7 p.m. at Columbus, Columbus, Ohio
Thurs., Sept 23 10 a.m. Practice
12 p.m. Practice
1:30 p.m. Practice
Fri., Sept. 24 10 a.m. Practice
11:15 a.m. Practice
1 p.m. Practice
Sat., Sept. 25 10:30 a.m. Morning skate
11:30 a.m. Practice
8 p.m. at Nashville, Nashville, Tenn.
Sun., Sept. 26 12 p.m. Practice
Mon., Sept. 27 10:30 a.m. Practice
Tues., Sept. 28 10 a.m. Morning skate
7 p.m. vs. Boston, Verizon Center
Wed., Sept. 29 10 a.m. Morning skate
7 p.m. at Boston, Boston, Mass.
Thurs., Sept. 30 11 a.m. Practice
Fri., Oct. 1 10 a.m. Morning skate
7 p.m. vs. Columbus, Verizon Center
Sat., Oct. 2 10:30 a.m. Practice at Verizon Center (closed to the public)
Capitals Convention
Sun., Oct. 3 12:30 p.m. vs. Nashville, Verizon Center

Saints' Bush Dealing with Serious Distraction

2010-09-08T23:02:00.003-04:00

The New Orleans Saints are preparing to begin defense of the franchise's first Super Bowl championship tomorrow night, yet all anyone can talk about right now is whether or not running back Reggie Bush is going to be stripped of his Heisman Trophy.

Bush, who won the Heisman in 2005 to cap a remarkable career at the University of Southern California, is now on the verge of becoming the first player in the awards 75 year history to be stripped of the most coveted individual award in college sports.

A Yahoo! report came out on Tuesday saying the Heisman Trophy Trust had decided they were going to strip Bush of the Heisman, yet on Wednesday, trust Executive Director Robert Whalen told the Associated Press that no decision had been made.

Whether or not the trust is going to strip Bush, or whether or not Bush is guilty of any wrong doing is a mute point, because a more serious issue is at the root of this situation.

Bush is accused of accepting money and other gifts from sports agents while still at USC. The NCAA has mandated for years that student athletes are not permitted to accept gifts or money of any kind from anyone. University's make millions of dollars every season in ticket sales, tv revenue and for appearing in bowl games, yet a very small percentage of that money is given to the players.

School Presidents, Athletic Directors, and coaches receive the bulk of that money in the form of higher yearly salary's. School's are able to renevate buildings on campus and athletic facilities in order to make the University more appealing for potential incoming students.

Yet, the players that are largely responsible for bringing in the money University President's use to improve their campus's receive little in return financially, and are told they must continue to live like poor college students.

What's wrong with a player taking $100 to buy himself some nice clothes, or go to a nice restaurant instead of having to go to McDonald's?

I've never been one to advocate breaking rules, nor will I ever be. But at what point do the rules fail the one's they meant to protect?

Rex Ryan calls out DeAngelo Hall

2010-09-02T14:35:00.002-04:00

Cindy Boren of the Washington Post posted a video on her "The Early Lead" blog late this morning containing a clip of the up coming "Hard Knocks" episode on HBO. The clip shows New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan calling out Redskins' cornerback, DeAngelo Hall.

Ryan tells Hall "you ain't gonna tackle nobody" and "that's why my brother got rid of your [bleep]." Ryan was referring to his brother, Rob Ryan, who coached Hall for the first eight games of the 2008 season while the Defensive Coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders released Hall because he "failed to adapt to the Raiders man-to-man style of defense."

The fact that Ryan called Hall out is not a huge surprise as coaches and players have had altercations in the past. I'm sure we all remember Atlanta Falcons Coach, Mike Smith, getting in Hall's face during an altercation during the Redskins-Falcons game last November, or when then Packers Coach, Mike Sherman, exchanged words with then Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle, Warren Sapp, after a Buccaneers-Packers game late in the 2002 season.

However, what caught my eye about this particular incident is that it happened in the pre-season. Smith's incident with Hall took place during the regular season and occured during a scrum between both team's after a late by Redskins safety LaRon Landry, while Sherman and Sapp exchanged words because Sherman took exception to Sapp's blindside block on the Packers' Chad Clifton after a Buccaneers interception. The block knocked Clifton out of the game and eventually out for the remainder of the '02 season.

But, what prompted Ryan to call out Hall during a preseason game? My guess is Hall was exchanging words with a Jets offensive player and probably sad something to the tune of "I'm going to get you", or "watch out cause I'm coming."

Some of it, also, is Ryan's ultra-competative nature. He wants the Jets to win every game they play in, including preseason, and wants them to play with that "baddest man on the planet" attitude at all times.

How well that will serve the Jets this season remains to be seen. But, one thing the rest of the league can count on is Ryan has no problem getting right in the middle of the battle.

Even if it is only preseason.

Nats-Marlins Brawl Raises Several Questions

2010-09-02T01:21:00.002-04:00

Washington Nationals leadoff man, Nyjer Morgan ,made headlines, again, last night when he charged Florida Marlins pitcher, Chris Volstad, in the top of the sixth inning after Volstad threw his first pitch of Morgan's at-bat about six inches behind Morgan.

Morgan took exception to the pitch and charged Volstad, connecting with a left hook before being clothes-lined by Marlins first baseman, Gaby Sanchez.

Morgan's act can be taken several ways. On one hand, his actions show a lack of maturity and professionalism as Morgan is currently appealing a seven-game suspension for throwing a baseball at a fan in the stands in Philadelphai on Aug. 21. This, combined with his decision to bowl over St. Louis catcher, Bryan Anderson, last Saturday and Marlins catcher, Brett Hayes, Tuesday night speaks to a mindset of someone who doesn't respect the game and feels he is above the rules.

If this is the case, the Nationals should do what they can to get Morgan out of town as quick as possible.

However, another question is raised and one that I have been pondering for years. Why is it ok for a pitcher to throw a baseball as hard as he can at a defenseless batter, but it's not ok for two consenting hockey players to fight?

Wednesday's brawl happened for two reasons. One, because the Marlin's wanted payback on Morgan for seperating Hayes's shoulder on Tuesday night, which was accomplished when Volstad beened Morgan in the right hip in the top of the fourth inning Wednesday.

However, the biggest reason for the brawl was because Volstad didn't feel his fourth inning plunk of Morgan sufficed. So, Volstad took it upon himself to throw at Morgan, again, in the top of the sixth.

The explination for Volstad's decision was simple, according to the Associated Press who quoted Marlins' third-baseman, Wes Helms. "There's nothing good I can say about someone who doesn't play the game the right way and doesn't respect the integrity of the game,"said Helms.

Doesn't respect the integrity of the game? Helms claim had to do with Morgan's decision to steal two bases in the top of the fourth after Volstad hit him and the Nationals were trailing 14-3. How is a player disrespecting the game when he is trying to help his team win and the game isn't even half over?

Was Morgan trying to show the Marlins up by stealing the two bases? Probably. But what's wrong with that? What's wrong with a player standing up for himself within the rules of the game?

Wednesday night's brawl leads back to a long time belief that baseball players have "Carte Blanche" when it comes to standing up for one another.

I've read columns throughout my life that bash fighting in hockey, and more recently, the negative physical impact that playing football potentially has on player's brain functions; a few of which came from highly respectable newspapers.

But, when is the column, or story, going to come out about the free pass that Major League baseball players get for throwing baseballs at defenseless batters or charging semi-defenseless pitchers?

I guess it will come from me. A blogger who doesn't understand the double-standards in professional sports.

VERSUS to televise 11 Capitals games; NBC will carry as many as four

2010-08-26T06:53:00.001-04:00

VERSUS will broadcast 11 Washington Capitals games to a national television audience in 2010-11, the network announced today as the NHL released its national broadcast schedules. NBC, which will operate under a flexible schedule for nine of the network’s regular-season dates, will carry the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1 and has the option to pick up three other Washington games.
In addition to the broadcast schedule the Capitals announced 10 time changes from the original schedule: Oct. 19 vs. Boston (7:30 p.m.), Nov. 9 at New York Rangers (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 19 at Ottawa (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 21 vs. New Jersey (7:30 p.m.), Jan. 24 vs. New York Rangers (7:30 p.m.), Feb. 1 vs. Montreal (7:30 p.m.), Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m.), March 15 at Montreal (7 p.m.), March 16 at Detroit (7:30 p.m.) and March 22 at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m.).
VERSUS, which will broadcast 78 regular-season NHL games, will feature the Capitals 11 times this season, tied for the most appearances of any team. The network will also broadcast the following games: Oct. 13 vs. New York Islanders, Oct. 19 vs. Boston, Nov. 9 at New York Rangers, Dec. 21 vs. New Jersey, Jan. 24 vs. New York Rangers, Feb. 14 at Phoenix, Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh, March 7 at Tampa Bay, March 16 at Detroit, March 22 at Philadelphia and March 31 vs. Columbus.
In addition to the national broadcasts in the United States, 17 Capitals games will be televised nationally in Canada. CBC will televise four Capitals games: Oct. 30 at Calgary, Jan. 1 at Pittsburgh, Jan. 22 at Toronto and March 26 at Montreal. TSN will televise five Washington games: Nov. 3 vs. Toronto, Feb. 1 vs. Montreal, March 9 vs. Edmonton, March 15 at Montreal and March 25 at Ottawa. TSN2 will televise nine games: Oct. 19 vs. Boston, Nov. 9 at New York Rangers, Dec. 21 vs. New Jersey, Jan. 24 vs. New York Rangers, Feb. 6 vs. Pittsburgh, Feb. 14 at Phoenix, Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh, March 7 at Tampa Bay and March 22 at Philadelphia.
Washington’s local broadcast schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
2010-11 Washington Capitals Schedule
October
Fri., Oct. 8 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 9 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Mon., Oct. 11 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 13 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. VS
Sat., Oct. 16 at Nashville 8 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 19 Boston 7:30 p.m. VS
Thurs., Oct. 21 at Boston 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 23 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 27 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 28 at Minnesota 8 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 30 at Calgary 10 p.m.
November
Wed., Nov. 3 Toronto 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 5 Boston 7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 7 Philadelphia 5 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 9 at N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m. VS
Thurs., Nov. 11 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 13 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 14 Atlanta 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 17 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 19 at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 22 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 24 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 26 Tampa Bay 5 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 28 Carolina 5 p.m.
December
Wed., Dec. 1 at St. Louis 8 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 2 at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 4 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 6 Toronto 7 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 9 Florida 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 11 Colorado 7 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 12 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 15 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 18 at Boston 7 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 19 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 21 New Jersey 7:30 p.m. VS
Thurs., Dec. 23 Pittsburgh 7 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 26 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 28 Montreal 7 p.m.
January
Sat., Jan. 1 at Pittsburgh 1 p.m.* NBC
Tues., Jan. 4 Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 8 Florida 7 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 11 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 14 Vancouver 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 16 Ottawa 3 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 18 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 20 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 22 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 24 N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m. VS
Wed., Jan. 26 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
February
Tues., Feb. 1 Montreal 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 4 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 6 Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 8 San Jose 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 12 Los Angeles 12:30 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 14 at Phoenix 9 p.m. VS
Wed., Feb. 16 at Anaheim 10 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 17 at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 20 at Buffalo 3 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. VS
Fri., Feb. 25 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 26 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
March
Tues., March 1 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Thurs., March 3 St. Louis 7 p.m.
Sun., March 6 at Florida 5 p.m.
Mon., March 7 at Tampa Bay 7 p.m. VS
Wed., March 9 Edmonton 7 p.m.
Fri., March 11 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sun., March 13 Chicago 3 p.m.
Tues., March 15 at Montreal 7 p.m.
Wed., March 16 at Detroit 7:30 p.m. VS
Fri., March 18 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Tues., March 22 at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m. VS
Fri., March 25 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
Sat., March 26 at Montreal 7 p.m.
Tues., March 29 Carolina 7 p.m.
Thurs., March 31 Columbus 7 p.m. VS
April
Sat., April 2 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Tues., April 5 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Wed., April 6 Florida 7 p.m.
Sat., April 9 at Florida 7 p.m.
* 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field
All Times Eastern U.S. Television Included

Capitals rookie camp to conclude with game against Flyers

2010-08-24T22:15:00.001-04:00

Washington Capitals rookie camp will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 16, with a 3 p.m. game against rookies from the Philadelphia Flyers at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Admission to the game will be free but due to space limitations will require a ticket that fans can obtain from WashingtonCaps.com beginning Sept. 1.
This is the fourth consecutive year that the Capitals and Flyers rookies have met in a game at one of the teams’ practice facilities, the second time that it will take place at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. WashingtonCaps.com will broadcast streaming audio and video of the game live, with Capitals radio voice Steve Kolbe and senior writer Mike Vogel calling the action.
The Capitals will open rookie camp on Sunday, Sept. 12, with all on-ice workouts at Kettler Capitals Iceplex open to the public and free of charge. Select participants in rookie camp will be invited to join veteran players in training camp, which begins Saturday, Sept. 18. Like rookie camp, all training camp on-ice workouts are open to the public. A complete schedule of practice sessions for both rookie camp and training camp will be announced in early September.

Capitals Renew ECHL affiliation with South Carolina Stingrays

2010-08-03T15:00:00.001-04:00

The Washington Capitals have renewed their affiliation agreement with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL for the 2010-11 season, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.
“Our affiliation with South Carolina has been beneficial for the Capitals, our prospects and the Stingrays,” Washington vice president and general manager George McPhee said. “The city and the franchise have given our prospects a good place to play and develop as professionals.
Five Capitals prospects spent some time with South Carolina in 2009-10, as the Stingrays finished 41-19-6-6 and tied for the best record in the ECHL’s American Conference. Goaltender Braden Holtby began the season with the Stingrays and represented South Carolina in the ECHL All-Star Game, the second straight season that a Capitals goaltending prospect appeared in that game (Michal Neuvirth).
Ten players who have played for South Carolina are currently under contract with Washington: Trevor Bruess, Sean Collins, Joe Finley, Josh Godfrey, Andrew Gordon, Jake Hauswirth, Holtby, Patrick McNeill, Neuvirth and Steve Pinizzotto. Of those, Collins, Gordon and Neuvirth have all appeared at the NHL level with the Capitals.

Capitals Sign Right Wing Brian Willsie

2010-07-14T23:38:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed free agent right wing Brian Willsie to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Willsie, 32, is a former Capital and Hershey Bear who returns to the organization after splitting the past four years between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche organizations. A veteran of 380 NHL games since he made his debut in 1999-00, Willsie has totaled 52 goals and 56 assists (108 points) in the NHL. His best season came in 2005-06 with the Capitals when he finished fourth on the team with 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games.
The Belmont, Ontario, native stands 6’1” and weighs 202 pounds. He played four games for Colorado last season while spending most of the year with its American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. Willsie led Lake Erie in goals (26) and was third in points (57) in 75 games. Willsie spent parts of four seasons with Hershey from 1998-2003, when he was originally in the Colorado organization. The Avalanche drafted him in the sixth round, 146th overall, of the 1996 Entry Draft.
Brian Willsie
Right Wing
Ht.: 6’1” Wt.: 202 Shoots: Right
Born: March 16, 1978 (Belmont, Ontario)
Drafted: Colorado’s sixth-round choice, 146th overall, in the 1996 Entry Draft
Career Statistics
Year Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1994-95 St. Thomas OJHL-B 45 35 47 82 47 - - - - -
1995-96 Guelph OHL 65 13 21 34 18 16 4 2 6 6
1996-97 Guelph OHL 64 37 31 68 37 18 15 4 19 10
1997-98 Guelph OHL 57 45 31 76 41 12 9 5 14 18
Canada WJC 7 0 2 2 4 - - - - -
1998-99 Hershey AHL 72 19 10 29 28 3 1 0 1 0
1999-00 Colorado NHL 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
Hershey AHL 78 20 39 59 44 12 2 6 8 8
2000-01 Hershey AHL 48 18 23 41 20 12 7 2 9 14
2001-02 Colorado NHL 56 7 7 14 14 4 0 1 1 2
2002-03 Colorado NHL 12 0 1 1 15 6 1 0 1 2
Hershey AHL 59 29 28 57 49 - - - - -
2003-04 CAPITALS NHL 49 10 5 15 18 - - - - -
2004-05 Ljubljana Interliga 12 7 6 13 34 - - - - -
Ljubljana Slovenia 2 0 3 3 4 - - - - -
Portland AHL 53 23 17 40 47 - - - - -
2005-06 CAPITALS NHL 82 19 22 41 77 - - - - -
2006-07 Los Angeles NHL 81 11 10 21 49 - - - - -
2007-08 Los Angeles NHL 53 4 8 12 30 - - - - -
2008-09 Colorado NHL 42 1 3 4 14 - - - - -
Lake Erie AHL 12 8 6 14 8
2009-10 Colorado NHL 4 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
Lake Erie AHL 75 26 31 57 44 - - - - -
CAPITALS TOTALS 131 29 27 56 95 - - - - -
NHL TOTALS 380 52 56 108 217 10 1 1 2 4

Capitals Sign Eric Fehr to Two-Year Contract

2010-07-08T16:37:00.001-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed right wing Eric Fehr to a two-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Fehr, 24, set career highs in goals (21), assists (18), points (39), plus/minus (+18) and shots (145) while averaging 12:07 of ice time. He finished seventh on the team in goals and ninth in plus/minus rating. Each of the 105 other NHL players who scored at least 20 goals this season averaged more ice time than Fehr; only Alex Ovechkin (1.90), Alexander Semin (1.71) and Sidney Crosby (1.68) averaged more goals per 60 minutes of ice time than Fehr (1.50). The Capitals were 16-3-1 when Fehr scored a goal and 27-4-3 when he had a point. Fehr scored three goals in the playoffs, third-best on the team, and tied for fourth on the team with four points.
The Winkler, Manitoba, native was the Capitals’ first-round choice, 18th overall, in the 2003 Entry Draft. He has played in 178 career games for Washington, potting 36 goals and dishing out 37 assists. He was also an integral member of the Hershey club that won the 2006 Calder Cup. In 19 playoff games that year, he had eight goals, three assists and scored the overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to lift the Bears to the Calder Cup Final.
Eric Fehr
Right Wing
Ht.: 6’4” Wt.: 212 Shoots: Right
Born: Sept. 7, 1985 (Winkler, Manitoba)
Drafted: Capitals’ first-round choice, 18th overall, in the 2003 Entry Draft
Career Statistics
Regular Season Playoffs
Year Team League GP G A Pts PIM +/- PP SH GW S GP G A Pts PIM
2000-01 Pembina MMHL 36 45 13 58 30 - - - - - - - - - -
Brandon WHL 4 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - - - - -
2001-02 Brandon WHL 63 11 16 27 29 - - - - - 12 1 1 2 0
2002-03 Brandon WHL 70 26 29 55 76 - - - - - 17 4 8 12 26
2003-04 Brandon WHL 71 50 34 84 129 - - - - - 7 5 0 5 16
2004-05 Brandon WHL 71 59 52 111 91 - - - - - 24 16 16 32 47
2005-06 CAPITALS NHL 11 0 0 0 2 E 0 0 0 10 - - - - -
Hershey AHL 70 25 28 53 70 - - - - - 19 8 3 11 8
2006-07 CAPITALS NHL 14 2 1 3 8 3 0 0 1 25 - - - - -
Hershey AHL 40 22 19 41 63 - - - - - - - - - -
2007-08 CAPITALS NHL 23 1 5 6 6 4 0 0 0 40 5 1 0 1 0
Hershey AHL 11 3 4 7 4 - - - - - 2 1 3 4 2
2008-09 CAPITALS NHL 61 12 13 25 22 8 1 0 2 134 9 0 0 0 0
2009-10 CAPITALS NHL 69 21 18 39 24 18 3 0 3 145 7 3 1 4 4
CAPITALS/NHL TOTALS 178 36 37 73 62 33 4 0 6 354 21 4 1 5 4

COMCAST SPORTSNET TO TELEVISE JOHN WALL’S WIZARDS DEBUT

2010-07-08T16:24:00.001-04:00

Per Press Release from Comcast SportsNet:

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for television and online sports coverage, has announced it will televise all five Washington Wizards games of the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The live high-definition game coverage will be highlighted by John Wall’s first appearance with the Wizards since being selected by the team first overall in the 2010 NBA draft on June 24. The network will also provide comprehensive news and special feature programming surrounding the Wizards seven-day summer season.
Comcast SportsNet’s five-game television schedule for the Wizards NBA Summer League season begins when the Wizards play the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, July 11, at 8 p.m. and finishes with their final game on Saturday, July 17, at 4 p.m. against the New York Knicks. Comcast SportsNet’s Steve Buckhantz will provide play-by-play for the first four broadcasts, with Phil Chenier serving as analyst for all games. Wizards radio announcer Dave Johnson is scheduled to handle play-by-play duties for the Wizards final game on July 17.
Washington Wizards Summer League Television Schedule:
Day/Date Opponent Time Television
Sunday, July 11 Warriors 8 p.m. Comcast SportsNetMonday, July 12 Clippers 10 p.m. Comcast SportsNetThursday, July 15 Mavericks 8 p.m. Comcast SportsNet
Friday, July 16 Hornets 8 p.m. Comcast SportsNetSaturday, July 17 Knicks 4 p.m. Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet will also deliver exclusive “Wall-to-Wall” coverage of the summer league with special Wizards-related news and feature programming throughout the week. A special-edition half-hour SportsNite: Wall to Wall Wizards show will debut prior to the team’s first game on Sunday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. and re-air on July 17. Washington Post Live: Wall to Wall Wizards, hosted by Ivan Carter, will air live leading into the games on Thursday, July 15, and Friday, July 16, from 7-8 p.m. and will feature the region’s top basketball analysts and insiders.
Comcast SportsNet Wizards television beat reporter Chris Miller will be reporting from Las Vegas throughout the week-long event for the network’s special programs and daily news and entertainment shows, Washington Post Live and SportsNite. Miller, who has been covering Wall since the Wizards claimed the top choice in the NBA draft lottery in May, will also contribute video content to CSNwashington.com as part of the website’s coverage of the summer league games.
Comcast SportsNet “Wall-to-Wall” Summer League Coverage:
Day/Date Show Time
Sunday, July 11 SportsNite: Wall to Wall Wizards Special 7:30-8 p.m.
Thursday, July 15 Washington Post Live: Wall to Wall Wizards Special 7-8 p.m.*
Friday, July 16 Washington Post Live: Wall to Wall Wizards Special 7-8 p.m.*
Saturday, July 17 SportsNite: Wall to Wall Wizards Special 6-6:30 p.m.

Capitals Sign Defenseman Jeff Schultz to Four-Year Contract

2010-07-07T16:19:00.002-04:00

The Washington Capitals have signed restricted free agent defenseman Jeff Schultz to a four-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Schultz, 24, is coming off the best season of his career having led the NHL in plus/minus rating with a +50. Schultz's plus/minus rating was also the best single-season rating in franchise history.

The signing comes two days after Schultz filed for salary arbitration, a move Schultz said was more of a precautionary measure in a conference call earlier this afternoon.

"I saw salary arbitration as a precautionary measure in case something didn’t get done so we weren’t left with nothing," said Schultz. "I’m glad we were able to get a deal done before that happened."

Schultz also said he was happy with a four-year deal instead of a five-year deal.

"It means I’m in their plans in the long term and I feel like they want me to be a part of the team for a while," said Schultz. "This is a team that is getting better every year and I want to be a part of that."

Schultz, who's 23 points last season (3g, 25a) were also a career high, is the second of the Capitals four restricted free agents to sign with the team as his signing comes one day after center/right wing Boyd Gordon signed a one year deal. Tomas Fleischmann and Erich Fehr are the only two restricted free agents yet to sign, and both filed for salary arbitration with Schultz on Monday.

The Capitals also signed defenseman Brian Fahey to a one-year contract and left wing Kyle Greentree to a two-year contract on Wednesday. Fahey spent last season with Lake Erie in the American Hockey League recording 25 points in 71 games, while Greentree led the AHL's Rockford IceHogs with 25 goals in 64 games last season. Both are expected to be assigned to the Hershey Bears.

Caps Sign Boyd Gordon

2010-07-06T22:16:00.002-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed center/right wing Boyd Gordon to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Gordon, 26, completed his seventh professional season with the Capitals in 2009-10 and registered four goals and six assists in 36 games. His ice time was limited due to injury but he led the team with a 61.0% faceoff rate, which would have led the league had he taken enough draws to qualify. He ranked third on the team in average shorthanded ice time (2:39 per game) and had a goal and an assist, both while shorthanded, in the playoffs.
The Unity, Saskatchewan, native was the Capitals’ first-round choice, 17th overall, in the 2002 Entry Draft and is the longest-tenured Capital on the roster. He has played in 303 career games for Washington, recording 76 points (24 goals, 52 assists) and just 66 penalty minutes. He was also an integral member of the 2006 Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League, playing in all 21 playoff games. The former Red Deer Rebel won the Memorial Cup in 2000-01.

Gordon was one of the Capitals four unsigned restricted free agents along with Tomas Fleischmann, Erich Fehr, and Jeff Schultz who applied for salary arbitration yesterday.

Boyd Gordon
Center/Right Wing
Ht.: 6’1” Wt.: 201 Shoots: Right
Born: Oct. 19, 1983 (Unity, Saskatchewan)
Drafted: Capitals’ first-round choice, 17th overall, in the 2002 Entry Draft
Career Statistics
Regular Season Playoffs
Year Team League GP G A Pts PIM +/- PP SH GW S GP G A Pts PIM
1999-00 Red Deer WHL 66 10 26 36 24 - - - - - 4 0 1 1 2
2000-01 Red Deer WHL 72 12 27 39 39 - - - - - 22 3 6 9 2
2001-02 Red Deer WHL 66 22 29 51 19 - - - - - 23 10 12 22 8
2002-03 Red Deer WHL 56 33 48 81 28 - - - - - 23 8 12 20 14
Canada WJC 6 0 0 0 15 - - - - - - - - - -
2003-04 CAPITALS NHL 41 1 5 6 8 -9 0 0 0 42 - - - - -
Portland AHL 43 5 17 22 16 -1 0 0 2 90 7 2 1 3 0
2004-05 Portland AHL 80 17 22 39 35 -20 7 1 3 183 - - - - -
2005-06 CAPITALS NHL 25 0 1 1 4 -4 0 0 0 12 - - - - -
Hershey AHL 58 16 22 38 23 9 7 7 7 154 21 3 5 8 10
2006-07 CAPITALS NHL 71 7 22 29 14 10 0 2 0 104 - - - - -
2007-08 CAPITALS NHL 67 7 9 16 12 5 0 1 0 100 7 0 0 0 0
2008-09 CAPITALS NHL 63 5 9 14 16 -4 0 1 2 69 14 0 3 3 4
2009-10 CAPITALS NHL 36 4 6 10 12 4 0 0 0 40 6 1 1 2 0
Hershey AHL 2 0 2 2 0 - - - - - - - - - -
CAPITALS/NHL TOTALS 303 24 52 76 66 2 0 4 2 367 27 1 4 5 4
WHL East First All-Star Team (2003)

Capitals Sign Goaltender Dany Sabourin

2010-07-02T17:38:00.000-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals have signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Dany Sabourin to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
A 6’4”, 200-pound native of Val-d’Or, Quebec, Sabourin (SA-boo-rihn) is a 10-year professional who has played 57 NHL games for Calgary, Pittsburgh and Vancouver. He spent 2009-10 with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting a 28-27-0 record in 56 appearances with a 2.67 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage and three shutouts. He finished third in the AHL in saves (1,579), fourth in minutes (3,278) and tied for sixth in wins.
Sabourin, who will turn 30 on Sept. 2, played 43 games in the NHL in 2007-08 and ’08-09 while with the Penguins, posting a 16-17-3 record in that time. This season marked the first time since the 2004-05 work stoppage that he didn’t play at least one game at the NHL level. He was named the AHL’s top goaltender in 2005-06 when he led the league with a 2.26 goals-against average with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Sabourin was originally a fourth-round choice, 108th overall, of Calgary in the 1998 NHL Draft.
Dany Sabourin
Position: Goaltender
Born: September 2, 1980 (Val-d’Or, Quebec)
Height: 6’4” Weight: 200 Catches: Left
Drafted: Calgary’s fourth-round choice, 108th overall, in the 1998 Entry Draft
Regular Season Playoffs
Year Team League GP W L O/T MIN GA SO GAA SA SPCT GP W L Min GAA
1997-98 Sherbrooke QMJHL 37 15 15 2 1906 128 1 4.03 - - - - - - -
1998-99 Sherbrooke QMJHL 30 8 13 2 1477 102 1 4.14 - - 1 0 1 49 2.45
Saint John AHL - - - - - - - - - - 1 0 1 57 4.19
1999-00 Sherbrooke QMJHL 55 25 22 5 3067 181 1 3.54 - - 5 1 4 324 3.33
2000-01 Saint John AHL 1 1 0 0 40 0 0 0.00 - - - - - - -
Johnstown ECHL 19 4 9 1 903 56 0 3.72 - - 1 0 0 40 3.00
2001-02 Johnstown ECHL 27 14 10 1 1539 84 0 3.28 - - 3 0 2 137 2.18
2002-03 Saint John AHL 41 15 17 4 2220 100 4 2.70 - - - - - - -
2003-04 Calgary NHL 4 0 3 0 169 10 0 3.55 66 .848 - - - - -
Lowell AHL 14 5 7 2 821 39 0 2.85 - - - - - - -
Las Vegas ECHL 10 6 3 1 613 24 0 2.35 - - 1 0 1 58 2.07
2004-05 Wilkes-Barre AHL 20 8 8 2 1029 38 1 2.22 - - - - - - -
Wheeling ECHL 27 19 6 1 1579 44 5 *1.67 - - - - - - -
2005-06 Pittsburgh NHL 1 0 1 0 21 4 0 11.43 14 .714 - - - - -
Wilkes-Barre AHL 49 30 14 4 2943 111 4 *2.26 - - 6 2 4 362 2.15
2006-07 Vancouver NHL 9 2 4 1 480 21 0 2.63 224 .906 2 0 0 14 4.29
Manitoba AHL 2 1 1 0 119 4 1 2.01 - - - - - - -
2007-08 Pittsburgh NHL 24 10 9 1 1242 57 2 2.75 596 .904 - - - - -
2008-09 Pittsburgh NHL 19 6 8 2 989 47 0 2.85 463 .898 - - - - -
Springfield AHL 13 5 6 2 795 42 0 3.17 - - - - - - -
2009-10 Providence AHL 56 28 27 0 3278 146 3 2.67 - - - - - - -
NHL TOTALS 57 18 25 4 2901 139 2 2.87 1363 .898 2 0 0 14 4.29
AHL First All-Star Team (2006) * Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award (AHL – Outstanding Goaltender) (2006)

Tee Time Presented By Geico Returns To Comcast SportsNet

2010-06-30T23:51:00.002-04:00

Per Press Release from Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic:

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the region’s leading source for television and online sports coverage, announced the return of Tee Time Presented by Geico, the network’s popular summer golf program, for its third season in July. This year’s four-episode Tee Time series, which is hosted by Chick Hernandez and features prominent sports and entertainment personalities, will air weekly throughout July on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and Sundays at 9:30 p.m., beginning July 3, as well as at various times throughout the summer.
The half-hour program delivers comprehensive golf content and exclusive access to celebrated sports and entertainment figures who share a passion for the game. Hernandez joins these high-profile golf enthusiasts on the course to profile their participation in the sport and discuss a variety of other topics.
In the season debut (July 3), Tee Time takes viewers to the “Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After The Masters” celebrity pro-am in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Hernandez in joined on location by event participants, including musician Darius Rucker, PGA player John Daly and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino.
During subsequent episodes, Hernandez is joined by three of the region’s most compelling sports figures for a round of golf at local courses, including legendary Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, Redskins all-pro tight end Chris Cooley and University of Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams. These episodes debut on the following dates: Episode 2 featuring Joe Theismann (July 10); Episode 3 featuring Gary Williams (July 17); Episode 4 featuring Chris Cooley (July 24).
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic – the official television partner of the Washington Redskins, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, D.C. United, Atlantic Coast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association – delivers more than 500 live sporting events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming, to more than 4.6 million homes throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Comcast SportsNet’s digital portfolio, highlighted by CSNwashington.com, is the region’s leading source for online sports news and information.
Comcast Sports Group operates 11 sports networks that deliver 2,400 sporting events annually and sports news and analysis to more than 50 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast Sports Group’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SNY, The Mtn. – Mountain West Sports Network, CSS, and Comcast Sports Southwest. Comcast Sports Group also manages New England Cable News (NECN), the nation’s largest regional news network, and The Comcast Network, based in Philadelphia and Washington, which delivers community-oriented programming. For more information, see ComcastSportsNet.com.

Capitals select Evgeny Kuznetsov in First Round of NHL Draft

2010-06-26T10:41:00.001-04:00

Per the Washington Capitals Media Relations Department:

The Washington Capitals selected center Evgeny Kuznetsov in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, held Friday evening at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Kuznetsov, a 6’0”, 172-pound native of Chelyabinsk, Russia played last season with Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. He tallied two goals and seven assists in 35 games last season while recording only 10 penalty minutes. Kuznetsoz represented Russia at the 2010 World Junior Championship and scored two goals in six games.
The 18-year-old pivot also played for Team Russia at the World Under-18 Championship in both 2009 and 2010. He captained Russia in 2010 and led his squad with five goals and seven assists in seven games. He also had a team-high 40 shots and a +8 rating as the Russians finished fourth. In 2009, Kuznetsov led Russia to a silver medal after scoring six goals and dishing out seven assists in seven games.
The Capitals enter Saturday’s proceedings – featuring rounds two through seven of the draft – with five selections: one each in the third, fourth and sixth rounds (Nos. 86, 116 and 176). The Caps also have picks No. 142 and No. 146 in the fifth round.
Washington Capitals 2010 NHL Entry Draft Picks
Rd. No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Shoots Birthday Birthplace Team
1 26 Evgeny Kuznetsov C 6’0” 172 L 5/19/92 Chelyabinsk, Russia Chelyabinsk Traktor