Caps Today and Game Notes for @ NY Islanders
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:17 pm
Today’s Storyline
The Great 28 – Alexander Semin has been on fire for the greater part of the last two months. In 24 games since returning from injury, Semin has 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) with a +16 rating. Semin helped the Capitals get off to a flying start the last time they faced the New York Islanders on Nov. 11, tying Gaeten Duchesne’s franchise record with a goal 0:08 seconds into the contest. The 25-year-old Russian added a power play goal in the second period for one of his six two-goal games on the year. In three games against the Islanders this season, Semin leads all Caps forwards with five points (two goals, three assists).
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Can drive 65 – All three Capitals-Islanders games this season and seven of the last nine meetings have gone to overtime. Each of Washington ’s last four visits to Nassau Coliseum have gone beyond 60 minutes; last year Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner in both trips to Long Island . Washington is 11-7-8 all-time against the Islanders in overtime games.
FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Going streaking – The Capitals enter Tuesday’s game with a six-game winning streak, tied for the longest active streak in the league. It’s the third six-game winning streak of the season for Washington , the most in the league. A win Tuesday would match the longest win streaks of Bruce Boudreau’s tenure (he had a seven-game winning streak in each of his first two seasons).
Special stuff – In each of the last three games the Capitals scored a power-play goal and did not allow one. On the year the Capitals:
- lead the league with a 26.0% power play. They are 12-for-27 (44%) in the last eight games.
- are 20-1-3 when they do not allow a power-play goal (14-0-1 when they also score a PPG of their own). They have killed 14 straight shorthanded situations.
Nine for 8 – Alex Ovechkin has points in nine straight games, matching Tomas Fleischmann and Mike Green (twice) for the longest streak by a Capital this season (Ovechkin has 7g-13a, +12 in his streak). Ovechkin has 40 points (16g-24a) in 22 games since returning from a two-game NHL suspension and leads the league in goals per game, points per game and plus/minus.
Full 60 – Jose Theodore has won five straight games for the Capitals while posting a 1.96 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. Theodore is one win shy of his best winning streak as a Capital, a six-game stretch from 12/23/08 –1/6/09.
Face it – The Capitals – who rank fourth in the league on faceoffs for the season at 52.1% -- have won 56.7% of their draws in the last four games. David Steckel leads the team and is second in the NHL at 61.3% for the season.
The Great 28 – Alexander Semin has been on fire for the greater part of the last two months. In 24 games since returning from injury, Semin has 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) with a +16 rating. Semin helped the Capitals get off to a flying start the last time they faced the New York Islanders on Nov. 11, tying Gaeten Duchesne’s franchise record with a goal 0:08 seconds into the contest. The 25-year-old Russian added a power play goal in the second period for one of his six two-goal games on the year. In three games against the Islanders this season, Semin leads all Caps forwards with five points (two goals, three assists).
NOTE OF THE NIGHT
Can drive 65 – All three Capitals-Islanders games this season and seven of the last nine meetings have gone to overtime. Each of Washington ’s last four visits to Nassau Coliseum have gone beyond 60 minutes; last year Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner in both trips to Long Island . Washington is 11-7-8 all-time against the Islanders in overtime games.
FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
Going streaking – The Capitals enter Tuesday’s game with a six-game winning streak, tied for the longest active streak in the league. It’s the third six-game winning streak of the season for Washington , the most in the league. A win Tuesday would match the longest win streaks of Bruce Boudreau’s tenure (he had a seven-game winning streak in each of his first two seasons).
Special stuff – In each of the last three games the Capitals scored a power-play goal and did not allow one. On the year the Capitals:
- lead the league with a 26.0% power play. They are 12-for-27 (44%) in the last eight games.
- are 20-1-3 when they do not allow a power-play goal (14-0-1 when they also score a PPG of their own). They have killed 14 straight shorthanded situations.
Nine for 8 – Alex Ovechkin has points in nine straight games, matching Tomas Fleischmann and Mike Green (twice) for the longest streak by a Capital this season (Ovechkin has 7g-13a, +12 in his streak). Ovechkin has 40 points (16g-24a) in 22 games since returning from a two-game NHL suspension and leads the league in goals per game, points per game and plus/minus.
Full 60 – Jose Theodore has won five straight games for the Capitals while posting a 1.96 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. Theodore is one win shy of his best winning streak as a Capital, a six-game stretch from 12/23/08 –1/6/09.
Face it – The Capitals – who rank fourth in the league on faceoffs for the season at 52.1% -- have won 56.7% of their draws in the last four games. David Steckel leads the team and is second in the NHL at 61.3% for the season.
