Washington Capitals

[hockeyplayer]

Re: Washington Capitals

Who has been your best player, excluding your star players (Ovechkin, Backstrom, etc.)?

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Who has been your best player, excluding your star players (Ovechkin, Backstrom, etc.)?

Laich has been pretty good, but the real surprise player has been Steckle. His ability to breakout has allowed him to score 5 shorthanded goals - most in the league.

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Friendly Fire, Another Milestone

Washington Post:

14/1/2011: Most of the time its goalies that feel the burn of Ovi`s shot but this time Backy was unfortunately victem.

"I was looking for the puck, then I felt a searing pain in my side and I went down like a town of bricks. Geez it hurts."

Taking the Ovi howitzer to the mid section, the crafty playmaker (56 points in 44 games) will be missed from the top line for 7 games with a hip injury.

Greg Smith, Head Trainer, had this to say. "It didn`t break any thing, thank God, but it did do some damage to the muscle tissue and ligaments. So an easy-as-you go theraphy will be maintained and Backy will be back early Febuary, maybe sooner."

Ovi was not available for comment.

With the Caps top center missing, Marcus Johansson (15 points in 44 NHL/AHL games) has been called up from Hershey. Brooks Laich, who has been manning the left wing on the 2nd line and hovering around the 4th spot in points on the Caps, will get his chance in the faceoff circle beating out slumping Thomas Fleischmann (36% in the dot - also nursing a knee injury) for the job. This is how the top 2 lines look right now:

Ovechkin - Laich - Knuble
Fleischmann - Johansson/Perreault - Semin

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14/1/2011: His name seems to litter the headlines recently, as Ovechkin breaks another milestone, this time all-time points.

The perennial goal scorer now moves up the all-time points ladder to 3rd on the Caps and 279th in the NHL with 600 points (310 goals and 290 assists, averaging 1.36 pts/game), and he`s only 25.

"600 points. My parents would be proud, Russia would be proud." Ovi sits 13th on the all-time points board for Russa.

[mikko1995]

Re: Washington Capitals

Nice job, bthomp. Ovechkin still stays hot. Tough luck with Backstrom's hip, but luckily it didn't break.

By the way, what happened to that Sign-up dynasty you were going to do?

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Nice job, bthomp. Ovechkin still stays hot. Tough luck with Backstrom's hip, but luckily it didn't break.

By the way, what happened to that Sign-up dynasty you were going to do?

Thanks Mikko. Yeah I was very happy, I was even more happy when after two games he was back. :-)

Its kind of on hold for now, only have time for one thing and I want to put my time and effort into this.

Thanks for following..

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Injury Bug, Backy Back

Washington Post:

22/1/2011: Staying healthy is always a concern during a long season and with Backy already nursing an injuried shoulder the bug hits again.

"When you play an aggressive game, injuries do happen." Quoted Carlson.

This time Fleischmann, already nursing a bummed knee, is the unlucky victem taking a visous check into the boards and injuring his shoulder. Listed as questionable, he will most likely miss the next two games, but with the allstar break coming up he will have all the time in the world to heal.

"Its more of a bruised shoulder then anything else, but it sure as hell hurts alot." Tweeted Fleischmann.

No one has been recalled from Hershey - but Perreault and Johansson remain on the big club.

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24/1/2011: Miraculously cleared by team physician Ben Shaffer after only a two game absence, Backy will re-enter the lineup against the Rangers.

"He's still is in a little pain but we believe the ligaments have healed sufficiently enough that if he wants to, he can play." Ben Shaffer

"I won`t lie, its still tender. But its healed enough that I can get back on to the ice." Backstrom.

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

All-Star Game Weekend

Washington Post:

30/1/2011: One of the most anticipated weekends of the NHL season is finally here, as the 10/11 All Star game in Carolina is set to begin.

Missing from todays line-ups are guys like Crosby, Malkin, the Sedin twins, Z'berg, Datsyuk, Stamkos, etc - but replacing them are players like Versteeg, Kessel, Higgins, Kostitsyn, Hedman, Kopitar, Duchene, Bourque, etc. Weird, but that is what the votes have established.

From Washington, only 3 players made the ballet. NHL leading point man Ovechkin, speedy reargaurd Carlson, and outstanding goalie Neuvirth. Missing are Backstrom and Semin who have a combined point total of 94 points but seemed to have missed the boat.

The East has won 5 out of 7 meetings with the West and currently bolsters a 41 point and 7 goalie win total over the West (East: 822 points, 56 goalie wins West: 781 points, 49 goalie wins). Here are this years Rosters:

East (points/wins):

Ovechkin (81) - E. Staal (48) - Gaborik (57)
Kovalchuk (48) - M. Richards (45) - Byfuglien (50)
Vanek (49) - A. Kostitsyn (41) - Kessel (61)
Versteeg (59) - Michalek (33) - Higgins (47)

Phaneuf (36) - Chara (45)
Martin (28) - Streit (35)
Carlson (31) - Hedman (28)

Mason (30) - Neuvirth (26)

West (points/wins):

Morrow (41) - Kopitar (48) - Iginla (50)
Doan (41) - Duchene (57) - Nash (58)
Bourque (49) - Stewart (54) - Ryan (42)
Perron (40) - Penner (41) - Burrows (47)

Keith (30) - Lidstrom (30)
Weber (49) - Boyles (35)
Ballard (33) - Burns (36)

Anderson (22) - Rinne (27)

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All-Star Game: It was sort of a none contest as the East beat the West 5 to 2 in front of a sellout crowd.

"We were a powerhouse, beating them in goals - shoots - opportunities - everything. We rocked." Quoted East team captian Ovechkin.

The East saw its 1st line of Ovi-Staal-Kovi decimate the West with 7 points, scoring 3 of the 5 goals scored by the East. The three stars of the game, saturated by the East, where Kovi (1st) - Ovi (2nd) - Staal (3rd).

But the real surprise here was Ovi. Usually considered a snipper, Ovi set-up the plays instead of finishing them contributing 3 assists on the night.

Other stats: East went 2/3 on the PP while the West went 1/2.

[Jonesey]

Re: Washington Capitals

Good to see Weber and Rinne make the All-Star game!!!

[hoxltc]

Re: Washington Capitals

Without a doubt you want Ovi to keep scoring goals, but if he keeps the passing going from the All-Star game....watch out.

Great thread, really enjoy the read!!!

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Good to see Weber and Rinne make the All-Star game!!!

Unforunately for the West they were like ghosts.

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Without a doubt you want Ovi to keep scoring goals, but if he keeps the passing going from the All-Star game....watch out.

Great thread, really enjoy the read!!!

At this point he has 49 goals and 32 assists - but if he did average 2 or 3 assists a game it would be scarry... :-)

[HeroWorship]

Re: Washington Capitals

Jesus ****ing Christ Ovechkin has over 80 points? He might break some records at this rate.

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

Jesus ****ing Christ Ovechkin has over 80 points? He might break some records at this rate.

I wish, it would be nice to break Gretzky`s goal record of 92 or maybe catch Mario`s 199 point production in 89.

[HeroWorship]

Re: Washington Capitals

I still argue that Lemieux would have broken Gretzky's goal record if he wasn't ill or injured so much. He was such a dominant player that I believe he scores 900 goals.

[bthomp05]

Re: Washington Capitals

I still argue that Lemieux would have broken Gretzky's goal record if he wasn't ill or injured so much. He was such a dominant player that I believe he scores 900 goals.

I would agree. He had the skill and was much bigger - but ow well, thats how life play out sometimes.