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Caps Today and Game Notes for @ Tampa Bay

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:53 am
by Bob 0119
Today’s Storyline

A Big Plus – In Saturday’s 8-1 win at Atlanta, Jeff Schultz had the highest plus-minus rating (+5) of any Caps player in a single game this season. Schultz is second on the team to Alex Ovechkin in plus-minus at plus-23 for the season, and first among NHL defensemen. Over one third of that total has been accumulated in three games at Philips Arena this season, as Schultz is plus-8 with a goal and five assists in the Capitals’ three wins at Atlanta .


NOTE OF THE NIGHT

Baker’s dozen? – Washington has won 12 in a row against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a streak that began with head coach Bruce Boudreau’s first game against Tampa and stands as the longest winning streak against one team in Caps history. The streak includes seven straight wins at the St. Pete Times Forum since the Lightning last beat the Capitals, 5-2 on Nov. 16, 2007. Washington has only had one longer road winning streak against one team in its history (nine vs. NYI, 10/8/97-11/27/01).



FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT

Follow the leader(s) – Washington ’s 16-point advantage on Atlanta and Tampa Bay in the Southeast Division race marks the Capitals’ biggest divisional lead in franchise history. The Capitals’ affiliates also have substantial leads in their divisions: Hershey is 14 points up

in the AHL’s East Division and South Carolina is 16 points up in the ECHL’s South Division.



Turn on the red light – Washington has scored 17 goals in its last three games (5.67 per game), including tying a season high with eight goals Saturday night. Ten players have scored goals in the last three games. The Capitals’ league-leading 3.61 goals per game are 0.39 more than the next-closest team ( Chicago , 3.22). Washington has never led the league in scoring for a season (best was second in 1991-92).



3’s a charm – Defenseman Tom Poti has points in five straight games since returning from injury, one shy of his career-best six-game point streak (twice, most recently 2002-03). It’s the longest current streak of any NHL defenseman and includes a three-point effort Saturday at Atlanta . Poti has 10 points in his last 14 games after recording four points in his first 22. Ten of his points have come on the road (1g-9a) and eight have come in the third period (1g-7a).



First things first – The Capitals scored a first-period goal for the first time in five games Thursday night. Each of the last 10 times the Caps have scored in the first period they have scored at least two goals in the period. Washington leads the NHL with 51 first-period goals and has scored at least one goal in the first period of 31 of its 43 games. Washington has scored first in 29 of 43 games this year. When the Capitals have allowed the first goal they are 7-5-2.



Don’t Back down – Nicklas Backstrom – who has played the last six weeks at a 64-goal, 118-point pace (14g-12a in 18 GP) – is one of three players in the NHL with 15-plus goals and 30-plus assists (also Henrik Sedin and Patrick Kane). Backstrom recorded his 50th point Saturday in his 44th game, six games ahead of his pace from last season.

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:12 pm
by langleyparkjoe
That game last night was wack! But I'm sooo glad Bradley (I thought it was him, maybe not?) stepped in and didn't let Ovie handle that fight.. we need him on the ice, not in the p-box.

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:59 pm
by Bob 0119
langleyparkjoe wrote:That game last night was wack! But I'm sooo glad Bradley (I thought it was him, maybe not?) stepped in and didn't let Ovie handle that fight.. we need him on the ice, not in the p-box.


Yeah, it was crap that Ovie still got penalized, but it was awesome to see Brads jump in to defend his Captain!

That "Third Man In" penalty is too subjective. My interperatation of "engaged" was like Locker's, they haven't started swinging, they aren't holding onto each other, the fight hasn't engaged.

I can see how Joe B (and the refs) interperate it, but the idea is so that one guy doesn't wind up fighting two. Ovie didn't join in, so it wasn't three in the scrum.

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:24 pm
by langleyparkjoe
12-1 vs tb.. dag gone it, blow up the team! :lol:

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:30 pm
by Bob 0119
langleyparkjoe wrote:12-1 vs tb.. dag gone it, blow up the team! :lol:


It's all Leonsis' and Mcphee's fault!

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:47 pm
by langleyparkjoe
Bob 0119 wrote:
langleyparkjoe wrote:12-1 vs tb.. dag gone it, blow up the team! :lol:


It's all Leonsis' and Mcphee's fault!


Oh, and Snyder's and ABE's (R.I.P.).. why? Because their owners here and should've known better than letting Leonsis put together THAT kind of squad!! Monkey

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:10 am
by langleyparkjoe
Good recovery by beating the Panthers last night. Is Toronto any good, 'should' we win or it'll be competitive? I'm also trying to see if I can get a ticket for that red wing game on tuesday

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:10 pm
by Sir_Monk
langleyparkjoe wrote:Good recovery by beating the Panthers last night. Is Toronto any good, 'should' we win or it'll be competitive? I'm also trying to see if I can get a ticket for that red wing game on tuesday


they are rebuilding, second worst team in the Eastern Conference. They beat us earlier in the season. Their coach Ron Wilson, used to coach the Caps, and got us to the finals in '98.

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:17 pm
by BossHog
Sir_Monk wrote:
langleyparkjoe wrote:Good recovery by beating the Panthers last night. Is Toronto any good, 'should' we win or it'll be competitive? I'm also trying to see if I can get a ticket for that red wing game on tuesday


they are rebuilding, second worst team in the Eastern Conference. They beat us earlier in the season. Their coach Ron Wilson, used to coach the Caps, and got us to the finals in '98.


It was a great win last night.

Toronto isn't any good... but they beat the Caps the last time they played, so nothing is ever a given...

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:50 pm
by Sir_Monk
BossHog wrote:
Sir_Monk wrote:
langleyparkjoe wrote:Good recovery by beating the Panthers last night. Is Toronto any good, 'should' we win or it'll be competitive? I'm also trying to see if I can get a ticket for that red wing game on tuesday


they are rebuilding, second worst team in the Eastern Conference. They beat us earlier in the season. Their coach Ron Wilson, used to coach the Caps, and got us to the finals in '98.


It was a great win last night.

Toronto isn't any good... but they beat the Caps the last time they played, so nothing is ever a given...




Toronto has not been an easy win for the Caps for a few years. All the games this season have been pretty close. Last year I remember Curtis Joseph jumping off the bench late in a game and stonewalling the Caps, winning in the shootout.

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:33 pm
by BossHog
Sir_Monk wrote:Toronto has not been an easy win for the Caps for a few years. All the games this season have been pretty close. Last year I remember Curtis Joseph jumping off the bench late in a game and stonewalling the Caps, winning in the shootout.


Definitely true, but as a local who for some reason subjects himself to every Leaf game - they're really struggling right now, and have only won 2 of their last 10. Contrarily, they were really on a roll the last time the two teams squared off.

I'm personally expecting a pretty convincing win from the Caps, say 6-2.

But secretly I'm hoping that the above sentence will act as a personal mojo and help the Leafs pull off an unlikely win.

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:49 pm
by BossHog
Just an update - and I know most won't care but as background for tomorrow night's Caps game... the Leafs played really well tonight in a 4-0 thrashing of the Flyers.

Check out Tyler Bozak's first ever NHL goal - it was a beauty - let alone for his first tally ever.

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:53 pm
by langleyparkjoe
WE BEAT DETROIT WE BEAT DETROIT WE BEAT DETROIT WE BEAT DETROIT ... So what, I got excited.. LOL