Battles, hockey plays, great goaltending. (Clydeorama)

The Washington Capitals are in New York, New York, this evening to take on the Rangers as part of “Hockey Day in America.”  Washington, having won three in a row, comes in to this contest with a record of 5-8-1; their 11 standings points place them last in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.  The Rangers, who lost in a shootout against the Islanders in their last game, are 7-5-1 for 15 standings points; this places them third in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.  This is the first meeting between these two teams this season and therefore the first since their seven-game playoff series last spring, which the Rangers won.

Henrik Lundqvist is sure to get the call in goal from John Tortorella after being rested earlier this week.  Lunqvist, the reigning holder of the Vezina Trophy, has a 2.48 GAA and .912 save percentage on the season but has been much better than that of late, allowing only five goals in his last three starts.  On the injury front, superstar forward Rick Nash is questionable with an undisclosed injury, and will be a game dime decision; if he cannot play, Chris Kreider will get his jersey.  Other than that, Tortorella has his full lineup at his disposal.

Braden Holtby will get his fourth consecutive start from Adam Oates this evening.  The young goaltender has been less than spectacular overall on the year but has been noticeably better over his last three starts, all wins; he has posted a 3.90 GAA and .877 save percentage, along with one shutout, this season.  On the injury front, centers Marcus Johansson (upper body) and Brooks Laich (groin) are both still out with their injuries while defenseman Mike Green is questionable with a lower body ailment.  Should Green be unable to go, Tom Poti would play for him while Roman Hamrlik would be a healthy scratch.

Puck drop will be 6:10-ish, and the game can be seen locally on NBC Sports Network.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here for all your news needs this season.

February Point Streak-The Hershey Bears faced the East Division leaders in the Binghamton Senators last Friday night. The Sens are injury and call up swiss cheese right now but always put up a good fight. The Bears power play got a workout with 8 advantages and converted on 2 of those. Philipp Grubauer looked strong saving 23 out of 26 and improved his record to 4-3 with a 4-3 win. Sunday’s game was against the basement of the East Division, the Norfolk Admirals. The game started at 5 but Hershey didn’t show up until the 3^rd period. Norfolk has a comfortable lead at 3-0 on 16 shots heading into the final frame. From the first shift of the third period you could see it might turn out to be a very different game then the first 40 minutes. The energy and physical play had been turned way up. Barry Almeida scored 1:42 into the period and you could see the Bears start to come out of hibernation a little more every minute. Ryan Potulny would pot a beautiful pass to the back of the net at the 10:35 mark to even further wake up the building until it erupted with just 35 seconds left. Ryan would score again and tie the game at 3 to force overtime. The game would eventually end in a 4-3 shootout loss for the Bears but their heart was sure on display for Valentine’s Day week. The Bears are now headed to Hamilton, Toronto and Rochester for a weekend triple play up north this weekend.

Casey Wellman #19

Photo Courtesy of Carl Minieri.

Casey Wellman-Zach Hamill was sent to the Florida Panthers organization on January 31^st. The counterpart to the trade headed to Hershey was Casey Wellman. Casey even took Zach’s number and wears number 19 for the Bears. Casey has played 5 games for the Bears and has certainly shown his worth already. His speed is one of the biggest assets the Bears needed to create a quick transition out of the defensive zone and into an offensive stance. With Oates system, the Capitals have not lacked shots on goal like the Bears had because the Caps were better suited with players who could transition up the ice faster. You can also immediately see he is not afraid to take a shot and get in the crease. He had 5 shots alone in his first game. Casey has 4 assists in the 5 games with the Bears but more importantly assisted on both of Ryan Potulny’s goals on Sunday night to force the game to OT. His energy has helped to spark the team along with newcomer Peter LeBlanc. The Bears will expect a lot from him as he becomes familiar with his surroundings.

Changing Crowd-I am not sure how educated the crowd is at the Verizon Center since I haven’t attended enough games to get a feel for the home crowd. I will say this about Hershey though the crowd is a changin’. (This is gonna make me sound like a rocking chair porch dweller) Back in Hersheypark Arena (Old Barn) the crowd was filled with the die hard blue collar workers of the surrounding region. The crowd, for the most part, were avid hockey fans on many levels and had grown up with it. They knew the game. They knew the players. They knew the history. And the teams coming in to the Old Barn knew this. They hated to play here because the crowd was practically on top of them and knew the game and play so well that their comments were very educated heckles. Section 25, where I learned the game, was known as “Murderer’s Row.” I had a mother of a girl I took to a game once ask me how many of us were ex-cons. When the Giant Center opened up there were some immediate changes that happened. The crowd was no longer “on top” of the ice to be easily heard with a pointed heckle. The crowd itself changed as well slowly through the years too. With the addition of Club Seats and the Suites more people were introduced to the game through the White Collar approach. You had businesses buying seats and giving them to clients or employees who didn’t know the game or had never been to one before. A great way to develop new fans but you also had spectators who came because they had a free ticket and tagged along with another. This has completely changed the complexion of the Giant Center fan. You have people who are uneducated in the game of hockey or some even come to have a social hour. Sometimes the uneducated like to Boo or yell shoot for three periods straight. I know we were spoiled before in the level of dedication to the game of those in the seats but depending on the game you have no idea the type of fan or non fan who could be sitting next to you. As a 25 year season ticket holder for the Bears, I am pretty far from any seats that are open to be purchased on a game by game basis and I count my blessings. The simple fact is be kind to the people who go to the game to watch the game and keep your conversations down and pay attention. If you want to conduct business do it in a suite or in between play. You might want to pay attention for your own safety depending on where your seats are in relation to the safety netting around the rink. I am just sharing my viewpoint of how the crowd has changed over the years. We certainly hold the team to a high standard in Hershey and we have become a bit spoiled over the last 75 years with 11 Championships and reaching the Finals another 11 times. Hershey and Giant Center are still a wonderful place to see a game. That is story and I am sticking to it. Now, Get off my lawn!

Go Bears. 

Troy Brouwer was a hero on Tuesday night. Can he do it again? (Clydeorama)

The Washington Capitals are in Tampa, Florida, this evening to take on the Lightning in another Southeast Division clash as they look to build on the momentum they have built with two wins over the Florida Panthers.  Washington, having won two in a row, is 4-8-1 for nine standings points; this places them last in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.  The Lightning, who came back late to tie the Canadiens on Tuesday but still lost in a shootout and are 6-5-1 overall for 13 points.  They therefore stand second in the Southeast and ninth in the Conference.  This is the second meeting between these two teams this season as the Bolts beat the Caps 6-3 on opening night.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher is almost certain to go with starter Anders Lindback in goal following a 31-save performance against the Habs earlier in the week.  Lindback, acquired from the Predators over the summer, has started nine games and posted a 2.94 GAA and .903 save percentage so far in his first season as a full-time starter.  On the injury front, Boucher’s team will be without power forward Ryan Malone, who was recently placed on injured reserve with a lower body injury and will miss at least ten days.

Braden Holtby, despite allowing five goals in what was actually not a bad performance on Tuesday, will start again for Adam Oates, the youngster’s third consecutive go in the net.  Holtby has posted a 4.04 GAA and .874 save percentage on the young season but has still made some big saves and will continue to be given chances to prove himself.  Marcus Johansson (upper body), Tom Poti (upper body), and Jack Hillen (shoulder) are all out and not even on the trip, while center Brooks Laich was just cleared for contact and is not expected to suit up either.  That said, expect an identical lineup to the one that beat Florida 6-5, which means Roman Hamrlik in the press box.

Puck drops 7:39-ish.  No recap from me tonight because of school obligations.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here for all your news needs this season.

Oppa Brouwer GWGagnam style! (ESPN)

The Washington Capitals won a thriller in Sunrise, Florida, on Tuesday night, outgunning the Florida Panthers 6-5 in overtime at their home arena.  The Panthers took the lead twice following an opening goal from Mike Ribeiro, including a two-marker advantage in the third period that looked to have ice the result for the defending Southeast Division champions.  But a late charge, fueled by goals from Eric Fehr and Alex Ovechkin, tied the game late for Washington before Troy Brouwer won the game on a second-chance goal following a beautiful lead pass by Nicklas Backstrom.  With their win, the Caps are now 4-8-1 and no longer last in the NHL.  Small victories, y’all.

Penalties continue to be a worrying trend with this edition of the Capitals.  It seems as though whenever the Caps begin to play well, they take a penalty of the stupid variety – a puck over the glass, a lazy stick play – and it either costs them a goal or costs them all of their momentum.  That is something that cannot happen for a team that needs all the help they can get offensively right now and needs their defensive players to be rested for even strength play, not worn out by killing penalties.

Ahh, the sweet taste of victory.  Nice, when you can get it. (Clydeorama)

The Washington Capitals are in Sunrise, Florida, Tuesday night to take on the Panthers as they attempt to build upon their 5-0 thrashing of this same team on Saturday night.  Florida, the defending Southeast Division champions, have done their best so far this season to encourage the idea that last season was a fluke by going 4-6-1 in the early going for nine standings points; they are therefore fourth in the Southeast Division and 13^th in the Eastern Conference.  The Capitals have been the only team in the division worse; they are 3-8-1 for seven standings points and are they are therefore last in both the Division and Conference.  This is the second meeting between these two teams this season.

After Jose Theodore was blasted by his former team three days ago, Kevin Dineen is likely to go with Scott Clemmensen in goal tonight.  Clemmensen is 0-1-1 on the year with a 3.77 GAA and .853 save percentage, and has been relegated to backup duty most of the year accordingly.  Dineen will be missing three regulrs for this contest as Ed Jovanovski (knee), Scottie Upshall (ankle) and Sean Bergenheim (groin) are all out with long term injuries and will not partake.

Braden Holtby has been confirmed as the starter in goal by Adam Oates following his shutout of the Panthers on the weekend.  The young goaltender, who has crashed hard following his unsustainable statistical start in the NHL, looked very good on Saturday and will look to continue his momentum.  On the injury front, both Marcus Johansson (upper body) and Jack Hillen (shoulder) are not on the trip and will not play with their injuries.  Center Brooks Laich, who has not played a game this season, is on the trip but has not been cleared for contact.  To that end, expect the lineup to remain the same from Saturday, but we will see for sure at the morning skate.

The puck will drop 7:09-ish.  Check back later.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here for all your news needs this season.

"HEEEEE shoots and scores. Make me a milkshake!" Heard too often. (Video screenshot)

The Washington Capitals were humiliated by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night  for the second time in less than a week, falling 5-2 at the CONSOL Energy Center.  After Mike Ribeiro scored a goal in the first period to give Washington a rare first-intermission lead, the Penguins scored four goals in the second period, three on the power play and three in a little over three minutes to take a commanding 5-1 lead.  Michal Neuvirth was pulled after allowing the first two goals on 11 shots, but Braden Holtby could fare no better despite a great save on Sidney Crosby.  Alex Ovechkin added a sympathy tally on a power play in the third, but once again the Capitals were victimized by a bad stretch and fell to 2-8-1, the worst in the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin was better tonight, I’ll give him credit.  Two points, six shots, three hits against a good Penguins team is something to build on, but as always with Ovechkin, the question at this point is whether or not he can build on it.  Then, once he builds on it, he needs to come up with a way to be better defensively, not give up on plays easily, and be a better captain.  Then, he might be worth what the Capitals are paying him for the next near-decade.  It's just daunting to talk about now.

Turning the corner?-The Hershey Bears welcomed the Manchester Monarchs into town last Saturday as well as 2 new players on their own roster. Zach Hamill and Mathieu Beaudoin were traded for Casey Wellman and Peter LeBlanc respectively. They certainly added some jump to the roster as the Bears put up a season high 44 shots and walked away with a great 2-1 team win with Philipp Grubauer racking up 22 saves. Sunday Dany Sabourin mirrored Grubauer’s great performance with a 37 save game. Unfortunately he did not get the win but an overtime loss. Captain Boyd Kane was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while on the bench with just over a minute to go in overtime. The Bears nearly stretched it to the shootout but lost on a shot just inside the left goal post at the 4:49 mark of OT. On Tuesday the Bears traveled to Cleveland to take on the Lake Erie Monsters and left with 2 points on a 3-2 shootout win.  Sabourin put up 31 saves and the PK went 7 for 7. Let’s hope the Bears can continue the movement towards putting points on the standings board after getting 5 of 6 in the last 3 games. Binghamton and Norfolk come to Giant Center this weekend. 2 wins against East Division foes would be most welcome about now.

Trade Deadline/Clear Day Changes-The new NHL 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement has made some changes in the AHL as well. The first change is the movement of the trade deadlines to April. The NHL deadline is April 3^rd, while the AHL deadline is now April 10^th. The AHL clubs used to have to release a Clear Day Roster which was in essence an AHL playoff roster. This used to happen a week after the NHL trade deadline and limited the NHL teams to 4 recalls till the end of the season. The new NHL CBA has eliminated the AHL Clear Day Roster. The AHL Playoff Roster will now be submitted at the end of the regular season. This will no longer limit the number of recalls by the NHL team. Hershey Bears President-GM Doug Yingst said, “It’s a total change in the process, and it probably should have been implemented years ago.” It will certainly give more flexibility to both leagues to make sure their players are where they want them. The concern I have is will the NHL clubs pad their roster with practice squad players, who could be helping the AHL team in their playoff run? Time will tell.

Penn State University vs Ohio University-The Penn State University Ice Hockey program has been turning heads all over the Northeast with their jump to NCAA D-I. February 1^st they came to Giant Center to host the Ohio Bobcats. Ohio jumped out to a quick one goal lead but then it was all Blue and White. 6,107 fans showed up to cheer on the PSU Icers. It seemed that all were veteran fans by the knowledge of the cheers from the opening faceoff on. The Lions added 2 goals in the first and 4 in the second to skate away victorious at 6-1 with a boisterous crowd cheering them on. I have a feeling this program will only grow and they are surprising many with the numbers they are putting up on the scoresheet and in the seats.   

Go Bears. 

Forever linked, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are going in different direactions...rapidly. (Clydeorama)

The Washington Capitals are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to take on the Penguins this evening as they continue to look for a boost in form.  The Capitals, having lost two in a row, most recently a 3-2 decision at the hands of the Leafs Tuesday are 2-7-1 on the season for five standings points; they are therefore dead last in the Southeast Divison, the Eastern Conference, and the entire National Hockey League.  The Penguins, riding a four-game winning streak, are 7-3-0 and on top of the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference.  This is the second game of three between these two clubs this season; the Penguins humbled the Capitals 6-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Coming off a win over the Islanders in which he made 32 saves, Marc-Andre Fleury seems almost a lock to start for Dan Bylsma’s Penguins.  Fleury has posted a 2.44 GAA and .907 save percentage on the season while starting six games and winning four of them.  On the injury front, the only injured member of the Penguins’ regular lineup is defenseman Matt Niskanen, who has an ankle injury and has not played in over a week.

Michal Neuvirth has been confirmed as the starter in nets for Adam Oates for the second consecutive game.  After making 18 saves on 21 shots against the Leafs, Neuvirth brings a .893 save percentage and 2.99 GAA into this contest through six starts.  Neuvirth has always played well against the Penguins and will look to continue that success in a tough barn.  Both forward Brooks Laich (groin) and defenseman Jack Hillen (shoulder) will be absent from the lineup once more, as they have been for almost all, if not all, of the season.  Blueliner John Erskine is also out for the game on suspension.  I wouldn’t bet on too many lineup changes, meaning that Roman Hamrlik and Mathieu Perreault would remain healthy scratches, but we will know for sure after the morning skate.

Puck drops 7:11-ish.  The game can be seen on Comcast SportsNet locally.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here for all your news needs this season.

The Washington Capitals dropped another game on Tuesday night, falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 inside Verizon Center.  The Leafs jumped out to a 2-0 lead off a pair of goals from offseason acquisition James van Riemsdyk and after Marcus Johansson cut the lead in half, Korbinian Holzer restored the two-goal cushion midway through the second period.  Mike Ribeiro, who continued to be great all over the ice, scored on a power play in the third to make it close, but the Caps could get no closer, and dropped to 2-7-1 on the season.  They are now dead last in the NHL with five standings points.  Some quick hits:

John Carlson looked better tonight.  The Capitals’ young defenseman, who has been on the ice for 21 of the 35 goals Washington has allowed this season, was more aggressive and assertive in his puck handing during this game and seemed to be gaining a bit of confidence.  He made a hilariously terrible error in the late stages that was wiped out by David Steckel missing an open net, but other than that, looked a lot better.  This was hopefully a turn around game for him.

Michal Neuvirth should get another crack at Toronto on Tuesday (Clydeorama).

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to Verizon Center on Tuesday night for a matchup between two struggling teams as Washington once again tries to regain their footing.  Coming off a 6-3 humbling at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday, Washington is 2-6-1 on the season; their five standings points place them last in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference.  Toronto, who have lost two in a row and hold a 4-5-0 mark for eight standings points, are fourth in the Northeast Division and 10^th in the Conference; their last game was a 4-1 setback at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes and Alexander Semin.  This is the two teams’ second meeting this season, Toronto came back from a 2-1 2^nd intermission deficit to beat the Capitals 3-2 two weeks ago.

Given that Toronto lost last night but still has a solid number one goalie in James Reimer, it is tough to predict a starter for Randy Carlye’s men this evening.  Reimer has been the better goalie in the early season, but backup Ben Scrivens has not played in a while and may get the net in a back-to-back situation.  On the injury front, Toronto is missing star winger Joffrey Lupul, who has a broken forearm.  Defensemen Carl Gunnarsson, who has a bad hip, has missed the Leafs’ last two games but may play.

Following Braden Holtby’s disastrous performance on Sunday, it seems logical that Michal Neuvirth will return to the goal for Adam Oates.  Neuvirth, who has been largely very good behind a porous defense this season, has a 2.97 GAA and .899 save percentage in his five starts.  Both defenseman Jack Hillen and forward Brooks Laich will be absent with shoulder and groin injuries, respectively, while rearguard John Erskine is still suspended for an elbow to Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds last Friday night.  Despite the loss to the Penguins Sunday, the rest of the linep will remain the same.  This means that Roman Hamrlik and Mathieu Perreault will be healthy scratches.

Puck drops 7:07-ish.  Check back later.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here for all your news needs this season.