The Puck Buddys have the night off to pamper their new greyhound puppy. So instead, here’s me!

The Washington Capitals are running out of time to earn a playoff berth. Berth is a weird word. It just means anchor, but it sounds a lot more… obstetrical. Like once you clench a berth, you are supposed to take a hot shower and replace electrolytes.

Stuff is looking dire for the Caps, but here’s a spot of good news: they get to play the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday! With a 22-26-11 record, the ‘Canes are the worst team in the eastern conference and the closest thing our team will have to a sure thing from here until April.

• The Canes have earned 11 pity points for overtime losses this season. They will have to share their participation trophy with the Kings and the Panthers, also at 11.
• They won’t be in Raleigh, but those Florida Panthers will be the team to look out for during this game. Thanks to Boose Boudreau and his Ducks giving Florida a 2-0 beatdown on Sunday, the Caps can claim first in the division with a win on Monday. The Panthers won’t play again til Thursday.
• The Canes lead the league in an obscure statistic that only we track: number of players with names that could be minor characters in the Star Wars Extended Universe. Jussi Jokinen (diplomat from Dantooine, 8G 23A) + Tuomo Ruutu (Mandalorian vibroblade expert, 17G 13A) + Drayson Bowman (spice smuggler with heart of gold, garbage stats).
• At their last meeting, the Capitals were shut out 3-0 due to the hot hand of Mister Cam Ward.
• Also on a hot streak is Nick Backstrom, who secured a 48-save shutout and dammit I just realized that’s the other Backstrom.

But the Hurricanes really are awful:

Our Caps reaaaally need this win. It’s like the rest of the league is deliberately tanking it to give our guys a chance, and you know the schedule only gets harder from here on out. We’ve got one more date with the Canes (March 6), but pretty much every other game is against scary good teams.

Puck drops at 7:30 on NBC Sports.

Crash the net.

Tuomo Ruutu is a pest. From picking on Nicklas Backstrom to giving Dennis Wideman world’s grossest injury, the dude is flat out annoying. So in the third period of the Caps’ 2-1 win over Carolina, Alex Ovechkin — after losing an edge — decided to take his anger out on the 28-year-old Finn. As Ruutu dumped the puck in the Capitals’ zone, Ovi leveled him into the boards with his titanium left shoulder. The hit was so powerful, in fact, that it took out both Ruutu and the linesman beside him. After the officials disallowed Laich’s second period goal, this is the kind of accident that’s nice to watch over and over on replay.

Canes’ Annoucers Play-by-play of the Hit

Hit in GIF Form

Via welshhockeyfan.tumblr.com

Wideman grimaces in pain after being laid out by Tuomo Ruutu. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon!)

Cam Ward celebrates the victory. Click to enlarge. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

After an extended 10 day break to rest an undisclosed injury, the Capitals welcomed their kapitan back to the lineup Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. During the three game stretch in which Ovechkin sat out, the Caps went 2-1-0, their most dominant win coming Saturday night in Montreal when Braden Holtby shutout the Canadiens.

Alex Semin’s Canadian Ice Dad, Jason Arnott, also returned from injury, forcing Jason Chimera to the press box. Pre-game, head coach Bruce Boudreau told CSN that while it was great that two of his top six forwards were returning, he also had a fear that there would be a letdown. “You know, the guys have been working so hard while [Ovechkin and Arnott] have been out. I’m scared they’ll look at them returning and go ‘they should carry the load now.’”

In the first period, however, Boudreau would have nothing to worry about. Led by a determined Russian Machine, the Capitals as a team hit everything that moved and rifled 16 shots at Cam Ward, feeding off the energy of a Verizon Center crowd they hadn’t played in front of for sixteen long days. The Caps would not see their hard work be rewarded, and the game would remain scoreless until early on in the second period. After Nick Backstrom took a tripping penalty at 1:06, Joe Corvo brilliantly found Jussi Jokinen wide-open in the slot for a one-timer. Jokinen converted and the Hurricanes would take a 1-0 lead.

The Capitals would answer back twelve minutes later. After Carolina turned it over in their defensive end, Brooks Laich fed Alex Semin the puck along the boards. Sasha Minor then curled around four Hurricanes, went in alone on goal and accurately placed a wrist-shot over Cam Ward’s right shoulder. The goal was certainly of the highlight-reel variety, even though you wouldn’t of noticed by Semin’s celebration.

Marcus Johansson then capped the second period’s scoring off by notching his 13th goal of the year three minutes later.

The Capitals then came out a bit complacent for the third period. 18-year old sensation Jeff Skinner pierced Semyon Varlamov for a softy — his 27th goal of the year  – 1:48 into the period, and the Capitals lost any momentum they had built previously. Both teams traded chances for the rest of the third period and overtime, but a victor could not be decided. In the shootout, the Hurricanes were allowed to shoot first. Skinner and Tuomo Ruutu would score, while both Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom missed on their opportunities. Canes beat Caps, 3-2 (SO).

• Let’s be honest with ourselves, Carolina just wanted this game more in the end.
• The circus might have left town, but it seems as if they left one of their carnival acts behind. I’m just kidding, Tuomo Ruutu. Not really. Despite Cam Ward and Jeff Skinner being named the first and second stars of the night, in this writer’s opinion, there was no more effective and valuable player on the ice for Carolina than the young Finn. Ruutu had eight hits, including one which knocked Dennis Wideman out of the game, and he also potted the shootout game-winner. Let’s not forget too that he had a secondary assist on the game’s first goal and got under the skin of Alex Ovechkin to the point where the Great Eight was targeting him in the third.
• Yeah, about that Wideman hit. It was most certainly a dangerous play, as Ruutu unnecessarily accelerated towards Wideman in open ice, looking for the knockout. Ruutu clipped the Capitals defenseman awkwardly, injuring what looked to be his right leg, and connected on a glancing blow to his head. Regardless on if the hit was clean or not, the play was irritating because of how completely unnecessary it was. But I guess that’s the type of stuff Ruutu does.

• Bruce Boudreau told the media after the game that Dennis Wideman was “okay” and he’s listed as “day-to-day.” I’d be shocked, however, if we see Wideman Thursday. Really, D-Wide. No rush!
• 

  Ovi reacts in frustration as Cam Ward stops his shootout attempt. Click to enlarge. (Photo by Chris Gordon)

  Alex Semin scored his 28th 27th goal of the year, had the primary assist on Marcus Johansson’s tally and then was benched for all five minutes of overtime. That noise you’re hearing right now is me applauding Bruce Boudreau. With 3:19 left in the third period, Semin senselessly took a hooking penalty in the neutral zone. The Hurricanes would not score on the resulting power play, but that’s besides the point. In the playoffs, you cannot take stupid penalties like that or you will lose games. I think we’ve all been frustrated at Bruce for rarely putting his foot down over the past few years with Semin. But tonight, this discipline could not have come at a better time. Play smart or don’t play at all.
• A word for you readers as well. An Alex Semin Hat Trick is when Sasha Minor scores a goal, a goal and a goal. Not a goal, an assist and a penalty. Really, let’s not glorify his laziness. I can assure you, Gordie Howe is not impressed by his stick infractions.
• The Capitals out-chanced the Hurricanes 25 to 14 overall, and 23 to nine at even strength. A dominant offensive performance if not for Cam Ward. One troubling stat however was that Carolina had just as many chances short-handed as the Caps did on the power-play: two. Chad LaRose was even awarded a penalty shot — which Semyon Varlamov poke-checked away — in the second period.
• Karl Alzner was the Capitals best defenseman, as he was on the ice for 14 scoring chances-for and only four against! He also blocked five shots. And I bet you didn’t even notice him on the ice! (Well, minus him slicing Eric Staal’s face up with an inadvertent high-stick.)
• Mike Knuble looked like a junk yard dog tonight. He was everywhere! Knuble had six shots, blocked a shot on a Hurricane’s four on three power play and looked to have the legs of a 22-year old.
• Eric Fehr had one scoring chance for, one against and rifled one shot on goal. Fehr was also not effective at the point on the power play. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly the statement game he needed with Jason Chimera scratched.
• Scott Hannan was on the ice for seven scoring chances for and nine against. He also had two giveaways, took a minor penalty and had a minus-one in 26:12 of ice time.
• Alex Ovechkin didn’t score, but he had five shots — one of which broke Cam Ward’s stick in overtime — and five hits. Ovi had this to say, as quoted by The Washington Times’ Stephen Whyno:
  

  Joe B. Suit of the Night

  “It was pretty hard when you’re coming back after three games sitting out. But every shift, every period I was feeling better and better.” That’s good news. Ovi’s energy burst is back!

The Columbus Blue Jackets come to town on Thursday, a team that’s just playing the rest of the season out. Will the Capitals bring the intensity and win a game that they should win? With five games left, it’s time to start putting this machine into overdrive. We’ll see you then!

Additional reporting by Neil Greenberg.

SCOAR! (Photo credit: Jacquelyn Martin)

After extending their season-high winning streak to six games with Wednesday’s 5-0 blowout win over the Edmonton Oilers, the Capitals tried to keep things in perspective. Following this morning’s pre-game skate, Mike Knuble told the Washington Post’s Katie Carrera that, “I don’t know if we’re hot-hot, but we’re playing better.” Bruce Boudreau even admitted that tonight’s game against the always hard-working Carolina Hurricanes would be “a great test.”

Indeed it would be. Despite chucking 19 shots at Cam Ward through two periods, the Capitals went into the lockerroom facing a 1-0 deficit. Why? Because everyone’s favorite Ruutu brother, Tuomo, converted on a three-on-two odd man break, blasting a slap shot past a screened/interfered-with (you choose) Braden Holtby. The goal, scored with only 36 seconds left in the period, forced the normally chipper Craig Laughlin to lament “goals at the beginning and end of periods are always back-breaking.” Joe Beninati then let us know that the Hurricanes were 21-0-0 when leading after two. Wuh oh.

But then God’s gift to hockey, Alex Ovechkin, decided to do his thing. 47 seconds into the third period, Ovi rifled a twisted wrister past a baffled Ward. Tie game. Then six and a half minutes later, Matt Hendricks showed us again why he was the most valuable player the Capitals picked up over the summer. Jason Arnott, who was sprung on a breakaway after serving a two minute minor for hooking, was initially denied by Ward’s glove. However, a rebound was left in the crease, and Hendricks, who had just killed off Arnott’s hooking penalty, hustled all the way down the ice and chipped home the rebound.

Braden Holtby would then hold the fort down until the final buzzer. Caps clip Canes 2-1!

• Tonight marked the thirteenth straight game that the Capitals failed to take a lead into the first intermission. Ugh.
• Braden Holtby picked up his seventh win of the year, this time by stone-walling the Hurricanes with 40 saves. Once again, fans in attendance saluted his effort by chanting “Holt-by, Holt-by, Holt-by” in the third period. Don’t look now, but the eccentric 21-year old goalie now boasts a .934 save percentage and a 1.84 goals against average in 11 games played. Braden continues to look confident in net, and his impressive stick-handling and passing behind the net has even helped the defense transition out of the zone better. Again, if he continues to play like this and put up the same gaudy numbers, how, if you’re George McPhee, do you send him back down to Hershey in good conscience?
• Alex Semin‘s three-game goal streak and four-game point streak ended tonight. But hey, his two-game stick penalty streak is still alive! Semin played well in stretches during the game and ended the night with one shot and three takeaways. His effort has been much more consistent however. It’s clear to this writer that Jason Arnott has had a positive influence on him. Every game that passes is just more evidence to how badly the Capitals have needed veteran leadership since Sergei Fedorov left.
• What can we say about Alex Ovechkin that hasn’t already been said? Nothing? Well then let’s show some awesome video of his mad puck juggling skills then.

• Matt Hendricks, speaking with Al Koken after the game, said of Arnott’s breakaway chance, “I had all the confidence in him.” Though he said this while laughing and having a huge grin on his face. Then, in all seriousness he replied, “if there was a rebound I wanted to be the first one to it.” Well Hendy. You were. That’s why you’re awesome.
• You know who else had a good game tonight? John Carlson. Captain America had five blocked shots, three hits, and led the team with 23:33 of time on ice.
• Fun fact of the night. After Nicklas Backstrom ended his consecutive games streak at 341 games Wednesday, the player with the next longest active streak on the team goes to Jason Chimera with 83 straight games played. Wow. Hockey is a tough sport.
• The Capitals lucked out with an early whistle after Holtby juggled a Hurricane shot late in the third period. A Carolina player would then shoot the puck past Braden, but the goal was disallowed. Paul Maurice fumed behind the bench, and was still seething after the game. “It was a horse [poop] call.”

Joe B... in glasses?

The Capitals now own a lovely seven game-winning streak heading into a crucial match-up against the Chicago Blackhawks on national tv Sunday. With a win (hopefully with the President in attendance), the Capitals will have swept their three-game home stand.

But that’s not what we’re thinking about right now. In less than 24 hours, we will be hosting RMNB Party 2: Electric Boogaloo at Front Page Arlington from 6pm-12am. We will be raising money for the Brian and Emily St. Louis Family Fund. Please, please come down, pay us a visit, maybe donate a dollar or two, and hang out with us for a few hours. We really can’t wait to see you guys!

The Washington Capitals hosted the Carolina Hurricanes in a pleasant matinee of stick’n'puck and HOLY WOW I SAW THE CAPS WIN IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME EVAR!!!

Marcus Johansson got it started early with a crease-borne knock-in set up by Eric Fehr. A 2-on-1 breakway by the Alexes led to a picturesque second tally (Minor scored, Major gets the assist). Erik Cole made the Caps pay for not clearing the zone and put the Canes on the board early in the second period. There the score sat until only 2.2 seconds remained in regulation. With Cam Ward on the bench and an extra attacker up in our face, Eric Staal tied the game, earned the Canes a well deserved point in the standings, and sent us all the way to the shootout. Where Ovi and Varly totally dominated. Caps beat Canes 3-2 (SO).

Bullet time.

• Head coach Bruce Boudreau‘s continual shuffling of lines may prove to be the shrewdest work of his career. Opposing teams are unable to match the Capitals forward combinations, and that may become a precious advantage in the postseason. Plus it gives us something to talk about! (e.g. – I want to Ovechkin on the right wing more and less of Knuble and Laich’s redundancies on the same line.)
• Alex Ovechkin: Soviet-made, goal-scoring engine? Maybe not so much. But in his place is a playmaking, assist-taking team player that may actually be more exciting. Ovi was on the ice for 8 of the Caps’ 15 even-strength scoring chances tonight (33/52 in the last 3 games). Even if he’s not scoring the goals, he’s essential to the Caps offense. Let Stamkos and Crosby (and Semin!) fight it out for Richard, the stats of Ovechkin’s team are what really matters.
• Mike Green returned to action tonight, but that return ended when Joni Pitkanen‘s shot collided with his knee during overtime. The sound of the impact was sharp, clear, and gruesome. Green needed help leaving the ice, and did not return. Bruce Boudreau reports that Mike is “okay”, which is astonishing since I felt his pain all the way up in the 200 level.
• Eric Fehr continues to drift in the wrong direction. He was on ice for only two 5v5 chances-for in 10:28 of playing time. His “scoring chances per 15 minutes” stat trends down in the last four games: 7.8, 2.3, 1.7, 1.4.
• We all knew Marcus Johansson was going to get better, but we didn’t expect he’d do it this fast. He scored the game’s first goal, worked the cycle capably, protected the puck like a doting mother, and did good work on the PK. There are some among us who might prefer another forward play in MJ90′s stead, but I imagine those opinions are softening lately.
• Tuomo Ruutu went 0 for 10 on the faceoff. Bwahahahaha.
• If anyone has a photo of Ovechkin cuddling with Eric Staal in the crease, please send that over right quick. IT HAPPENED, I PROMISE.  (UPDATE: Here’s the best picture we could find, thanks to Clydeorama!)
• The afternoon’s imagination was captured by… let’s just call them rumblings about an impending trade. Do we know anything substantive yet? Nope! Nonethless, let’s let loose with wild guesses. My money’s on D.J. King to the Devils for a sack of nickels and some mozzarella sticks.

Joe B suit of the night

I don’t think anyone can seriously argue that this team is operating at 100% capacity. It’s unlikely that Tom Poti or Semyon Varlamov has completely recovered from the #brittlegroin scourge. Alex Ovechkin might be emerging from his own head to play actualized hockey again, but the goals aren’t there yet. So the Caps won three in a row despite their shortfalls. What to take away from this? God help a team facing them at full strength.

The Caps emerge victorious in another southeast match-up, and everything is lovely. Well, the second-period slump still sucks the life out of the Caps, and also someone seems to have purchased the now-blackened souls of hockey officials. But surely those things won’t ever come back to haunt us!

On a personal note, I went to my first Capitals game over 15 years ago. It was against the Flyers at the Cap Centre, and the Capitals lost. I’ve been to maybe twenty games since then, and I’ve never seen the Capitals win. I saw ties when they were still around, I saw punishing overtime losses, and I saw mind-stabbing and season-ending blowouts. But until tonight, no wins. So thank you, Washington Capitals, for the visceral delight of watching you win in person for the very first time. I’m seriously considering becoming a fan.

Original Entry:
Peter Hassett will have your gamer later tonight when he returns home from Verizon Center. Until then, feel free to chat about the Caps third straight victory in the comments below. The curse is over.