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Everyone Needs More Bradley, right? Whether Matt Bradley was scoring game winning goals, working the PK against some tough competition, staying out of penalty trouble or just plain acting like a superhero, the Caps definitely needed more of it.
But do all players benefit from playing more with Brads?
Ovechkin hails his Canadiens fans after his second-period goal (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Ryan Remiorz)
Finally, the Washingon Capitals finish a game in sixty minutes. But tonight’s soaring victory over the Montreal Canadiens nearly wasn’t such. Without Boyd Gordon’s brilliant short-handed goal early in the second period, the Caps might not have detonated the goalsplosion that followed.
Relying mostly on that 20 minute score buffet, the Caps easily bested the Nads 5-1. Caps take the series lead 2-1. Natch.
Alex Ovechkin is held pointless against the Bruins. Bummer. (Photos by Nick Wass)
The last game of the season is a curious thing. The playoffs are a sure thing, and the only matters left to question are individual achievements and not getting injured. So then, was today a bust?
The Boston Bruins, filled out by AHL call-ups, bested the Washington Capitals in 65 minutes of hockey and three rounds of a shootout. Whatever. We’re over it. Upward and onward.
April Fools? Matt Bradley scores the game winning goal. (Photos by Nick Wass)
After spending the last few days discussing if the Capitals are coasting to the playoffs or not, one thing was certain: Washington needed a win in a bad kind of way tonight. With three straight losses under it’s belt and a Capitals Blogosphere filling with doubt for the first time all year, somebody had to step up and yell “Пора взять быка за рога” (It’s time to take the bull by the horns) . And lucky for the Caps, Alex Ovechkin Matt Bradley was equal to the task. Caps THRASH Atlanta 2-1.
Me so punny:
Uh, right here? Photo credit: Heather Mabb
Sorry for the delays, everyone. Busy night.
The Capitals are now 40% through their longest home stint of the season, and it’s not gone too bad so far. In tonight’s game with the New York Rangers, Washington showed defensive rigor that’s been missing all year, but something was missing. Even though Eric Fehr and Eric Belanger’s goals lifted the Caps over the Rags, the “Is Party Now!” dynamics of Washington’s offense simply did not show up. At least Jose Theodore was perfect.
Cam Jannsen destroys Matt Bradley. Quintin Laing regulates. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Top: Mark Buckner/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Caps desperately wanted to break their two-game slide that has followed their epic winning streak. They played a disciplined, almost subdued games tonight, but that restraint did not bring them a win. Tied from the end of the 2nd period, tonight’s game in St. Louis went all the way to the shootout, where David Perron deflected a puck off of Jose’s back for the winning shot. Blues beat Caps 4-3.
At least we got a point.
Here come your last bullets for a few weeks:
On January 12th, 2010, the Washington Capitals got smacked down by the Tampa Bay Lightning. That game was marked by a lack of focus, weak goalie performance, and an insufficient will to win. It was only Alex Ovechkin’s fourth game as Captain, so the loss might have hit him hard (see Bradley stealing his fight). Something about that 7-4 scrubbing might have woken the team up. Maybe that loss was the impetus for the 14-game winning streak that followed.
In honor of The Streak (R.I.P.), the Russian Machine takes a fond look back at how it all came together.
Mike Green tumbles to the ice after knee-to-knee hit from Dmitry Kulikov. (Photos via AP)
It would be one thing if the Caps squeaked another narrow win to keep their 9-game streak alive. It’s another thing entirely when the Caps secure that win in another blowout and without the presence of any their typical superstar antics. The 4-1 victory over the Florida (America’s groin) Panthers is owed mostly to garbage man Mike Knuble, who continues to find ways to score that look horrible in a highlight reel. So although the streak continues, this fan’s worries abound.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
[Ed. Note: Since the RMNB group members are stationed everywhere in this area except for DC and Northern Virginia, we again had to miss out on an awesome event run by the Washington Capitals. But lucky for us, fan of the Blog, and mini-celebrity of the day Emily Karol was here to bail us out with all the details, photos and gossip. Take it away, Emily!]
Emily’s Summary of the Event
This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to attend the first-ever CapsCare Casino and Auction. Let me preface this piece with telling you, I’m an actress trying to make it in this crazy world and only had enough money for a VIP ticket and nothing else. So sadly, I didn’t bid on any of the auctions and the $50,000 “fun bucks” they gave us remained in my program the whole evening. I forgot to trade it in for the 5 raffle tickets, eh… c’est la vie.
Emily Getting Ready For the Event
I booked a room at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center for the evening. They offered a discounted rate for a huge room if you were with the Capitals and I knew I would not be capable of driving my car the hour it would take me to get back to Annapolis, MD. Anyways, Check-In for the event began at 6pm, with the VIP portion starting at 6:30. I was, of course, fashionably late and didn’t arrive until a mere 5 minutes before the VIP party began. The line was long and the ages ranged from 60’s to 21. (No one under 21 the whole event, there was an open bar after all. Two in the VIP room and four in the casino).
