Caps Today and Game Notes for @ Carolina
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:01 pm
Today’s Storyline
Fehr Game – Washington may be meeting the 30th-place team in the NHL standings, but the Caps hope to reverse what’s become a trend in their series against Carolina – the team with the better record tends to struggle. The Canes finished last season on a 3-0-1 run against Washington , which was firmly entrenched in first place in the Southeast Division. Looking back to Carolina ’s last division title, in 2005-06, Washington held a 3-1-2 advantage in the last six meetings despite sitting near the bottom of the league standings. As the Caps seek their third straight win tonight – and hope to hand Carolina its fifth straight loss – they’ll look for a result that’s more true to form in the standings.
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Southeast, at last – After nine straight non-division games, the Capitals return to Southeast action Monday with their first of six games this season against Carolina . Washington is 4-0-0 against the Southeast Division and 8-4-5 against the rest of the Eastern Conference. Three of Washington ’s next four games and four of the next six are against Southeast opponents.
FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Multiples of 8 – Eric Fehr (three goals) and Alex Ovechkin (two) have accounted for all of the Capitals’ scoring in the last two games, both wins; the last player other than those two to score a goal was Jay Beagle (one week and 154:30 of playing time ago, against Ottawa ). Saturday was the first two-goal game of Fehr’s career and the first multiple-point game for Ovechkin since Oct. 29 at Atlanta .
Get it started – Alex Ovechkin has scored the game’s first goal six times, tied for the league lead, and has scored the Capitals’ first goal nine times in the 20 games he has played. Fifteen of Ovechkin’s 29 points have come in the first period (10 goals, five assists). The Capitals are 9-0-3 when Ovechkin scores a goal.
Fehr game – Eric Fehr has three goals in the last two games, lifting his season total to six, halfway to his total from last season (12 in 61 GP). Saturday’s game was the first two-goal game of his career and he skated a career-high 17:13. Three of his six goals have been the first goal of the game. In 10 games since returning from injury Fehr has posted five goals and three assists with a +6 rating. He has only had one minus game all season.
Starting something – Washington has scored first in 20 of 26 games this year. The Capitals have outscored their opponents 32-12 in the first period; they lead the league in goals in the first period and are tied for the fewest allowed. Caps goaltenders have a .952 save percentage in the first period. Washington has scored at least one goal in the first period of 22 of their 26 games, including seven straight (10-3 in that time). In the rare occasions that the Capitals have allowed the first goal they are 4-0-2.
Gnarly Varly – Goaltender Semyon Varlamov posted his 10th win of the season Saturday in just his 14th game (10-1-2, the best points percentage in the NHL). He has been especially good lately: 6-1-2 (1.97, .934) in his last nine games and 5-0-2 (1.68, .940) in his last seven games.
Fehr Game – Washington may be meeting the 30th-place team in the NHL standings, but the Caps hope to reverse what’s become a trend in their series against Carolina – the team with the better record tends to struggle. The Canes finished last season on a 3-0-1 run against Washington , which was firmly entrenched in first place in the Southeast Division. Looking back to Carolina ’s last division title, in 2005-06, Washington held a 3-1-2 advantage in the last six meetings despite sitting near the bottom of the league standings. As the Caps seek their third straight win tonight – and hope to hand Carolina its fifth straight loss – they’ll look for a result that’s more true to form in the standings.
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Southeast, at last – After nine straight non-division games, the Capitals return to Southeast action Monday with their first of six games this season against Carolina . Washington is 4-0-0 against the Southeast Division and 8-4-5 against the rest of the Eastern Conference. Three of Washington ’s next four games and four of the next six are against Southeast opponents.
FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Multiples of 8 – Eric Fehr (three goals) and Alex Ovechkin (two) have accounted for all of the Capitals’ scoring in the last two games, both wins; the last player other than those two to score a goal was Jay Beagle (one week and 154:30 of playing time ago, against Ottawa ). Saturday was the first two-goal game of Fehr’s career and the first multiple-point game for Ovechkin since Oct. 29 at Atlanta .
Get it started – Alex Ovechkin has scored the game’s first goal six times, tied for the league lead, and has scored the Capitals’ first goal nine times in the 20 games he has played. Fifteen of Ovechkin’s 29 points have come in the first period (10 goals, five assists). The Capitals are 9-0-3 when Ovechkin scores a goal.
Fehr game – Eric Fehr has three goals in the last two games, lifting his season total to six, halfway to his total from last season (12 in 61 GP). Saturday’s game was the first two-goal game of his career and he skated a career-high 17:13. Three of his six goals have been the first goal of the game. In 10 games since returning from injury Fehr has posted five goals and three assists with a +6 rating. He has only had one minus game all season.
Starting something – Washington has scored first in 20 of 26 games this year. The Capitals have outscored their opponents 32-12 in the first period; they lead the league in goals in the first period and are tied for the fewest allowed. Caps goaltenders have a .952 save percentage in the first period. Washington has scored at least one goal in the first period of 22 of their 26 games, including seven straight (10-3 in that time). In the rare occasions that the Capitals have allowed the first goal they are 4-0-2.
Gnarly Varly – Goaltender Semyon Varlamov posted his 10th win of the season Saturday in just his 14th game (10-1-2, the best points percentage in the NHL). He has been especially good lately: 6-1-2 (1.97, .934) in his last nine games and 5-0-2 (1.68, .940) in his last seven games.