Image via Clydeorama

The Washington Capitals will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Verizon Center on Thursday night as they attempt to get their first win of the 2013 season.  The Caps have dropped their first two games while conceding ten goals in the process, and are 0-2 for the first time in more than a decade.  The Canadiens, who beat the Panthers 4-1 in their last game Tuesday, are 1-1 and look good, finally restored to health after a miserable season beset by injuries last year.  Tonight is a big game for the Capitals, as an 0-3 start will plunge the team and the fan base into further panic under new head coach Adam Oates.

The ever-reliable Carey Price will get the call in goal from Michel Therrien in the Montreal net, Price’s third consecutive start.  The Habs’ franchise goaltender has played very well this season, allowing three goals across his two games for a 1.52 GAA and .944 save percentage.  Defenseman PK Subban will not play this evening as he is currently in a contract dispute with new GM Marc Bergevin and has not been signed; he’s missed Montreal’s first two games.  Other than that, Therrien will field a full lineup.

After a second consecutive uninspiring performance from Braden Holtby between the Washington pipes, Oates will turn to Michal Neuvirth to right the ship.  Neuvirth started 30 games last year and posted a 2.82 GAA and .903 save percentage; he’s also played well against the Canadiens in his career.  On the injury front, both Jack Hillen and Brooks Laich will be absent with upper-body and groin injuries, respectively.  To that end, the lineup will stay the same with Eric Fehr benched among forwards and John Erskine and Jeff Schultz joining him in the press box among defensemen. In personnel changes, Wojtek Wolski and Matt Hendricks earned promotions to the first and second lines, respectively.  This means Marcus Johnasson has been relegated to fourth line duty with Joey Crabb and Mathieu Perreault.

Puck drops from Verizon Center 7:09-ish.  The game can be seen locally on Comcast SportsNet and on RDS in Montreal, should you be in frigid Quebec.  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.

Jets winger Evander Kane continued to kill the Caps Tuesday, with a goal and an assist. (Clydeorama)

The Washington Capitals continued their slow start to the 2013 season Tuesday night, taking a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets inside Verizon Center.  The Capitals scored first with a deflection goal off the body of Matt Hendricks, but conceded four unanswered goals to Winnipeg before Troy Brouwer scored late in garbage time.  Braden Holtby was solid, but unspectacular, making 35 saves in his second consecutive start.  And no, it’s not time to panic.  But the Capitals need to start getting better soon.

Washington got off to a good start in front of their rabid home crowd, forechecking effectively and forcing some turnovers at the blue lines.  With just over ten minutes gone in the period and the Capitals still pressing, Matt Hendricks finished off a brilliant passing play by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom to give Washington a 1-0 lead.  90 seconds later, Joel Ward was sent to the box on a tripping infraction, and the Caps’ early penalty killing woes continues when Evander Kane banked a goal off John Carlson’s skate and past Braden Holtby.  Carlson’s night got worse immediately, as he was booked for delay of game with 5:30 remaining and the Jets scored again on their power play; this time it was Anderew Ladd who unloaded a one-timer that beat Holtby to his far side.  The first period closed with that score intact.

WJLA

The Washington Capitals will kick off their 2013 home schedule Tuesday night as they welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Verizon Center for a Southeast Division clash.  The Capitals, having got off to a poor start by getting smacked around in Tampa Saturday night, will need to take advantage of a Jets squad playing their second game in 30 hours.  Winnipeg lost to the Bruins, 2-1 in a shootout, on Monday and are 0-1-1 on the young season so far.  With this game comes an opportunity for the Caps to pounce on a weary team in their home opener and get two points that they need in this abbreviated season.

Ondrej Pavelec played well for Claude Noel yesterday, but given the back-to-back situation, it seems likely that Noel will opt to go with backup Al Montoya.  Montoya has not played in a game this season, but posted a 3.11 GAA and .893 save percentage last season in 26 starts for the Islanders.  On the injury front, the Jets are missing top-four defenseman Zach Bogosian, who is sidelined with a hand injury, and winger Antti Miettinen, who has an upper-body ailment.  Other than that, Winnipeg will field a full lineup.

Despite Braden Holtby's disastrous season debut, Adam Oates will once again turn to his young Canadian netminder for this evening's game.  Holtby allowed six goals on 34 shots Saturday, but has posted success coming off losses so far in his career.  On the injury front, both Brooks Laich and Jack Hillen will be out of the lineup with lower-body and upper-body injuries respectively; Laich could return to practice Wednesday.  To compensate for Hillen's injury, the recently recalled Tomas Kundratek will fill in his place and skate with Roman Hamrlik, meaning that both Jeff Schultz and John Erskine are healthy scratches in back.  Grit forward Joey Crabb will make his season debut on the fourth line, and Eric Fehr will be benched up front.

Puck drops 7:08-ish; the game can be seen locally on Comcast SportsNet and nationally on TSN in Canada.  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.

The Washington Capitals were on ice Monday for a practice following a day off after getting smacked around by the Lightning Saturday night, and as they prepare to meet the Jets in their home opener Tuesday.  Some updates from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Defenseman Jack Hillen, who took a crunching hit from Vincent Lecavalier and left the game Saturday, did not skate and was placed on injured reserve with what is believed to be a shoulder injury; he is considered week-to-week.  To replace him, rearguard Tomas Kundratek was recalled from AHL Hershey, and skated with John Erskine (Tom Poti and Jeff Schultz were partnered).  The other defensive pairs, Carlson-Alzner and Green-Hamrlik, were unchanged, and Dmitry Orlov missed another practice with his shoulder injury.

Adam Oates' forward lines were also unchanged: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson, Brouwer-Ribeiro-Wolski, Chimera-Beagle-Ward, and Hendricks-Perreault-Crabb/Fehr.  Brooks Laich, still out with a groin injury, didn't even skate, and his return is starting to look further off than initially anticipated.

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.

Photo by Brian Blanco

Don’t panic.  The Washington Capitals lost their opening game of the 2013 season on Saturday night, conceding three power play goals en route to a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.  With a new coach, a new system, and a lockout hanging over their heads, the Caps were terrible in their own zone and suffered the consequences of such sloppy play.  Joel Ward scored twice and Wojtek Wolski was on the mark for DC while Braden Holtby mde 26 saves in net.  With 47 games left and two days of practice before their next game, the Caps have some time to get things sorted out, but must get the ship back on track soon or they will be put into a pressure cooker.

Given two early power plays in the first five minutes of the period, the Capitals were unable to capitalize despite some good pressure during both two-minute advantages.  Washington paid for their transgression quickly, as Eric Brewer opened the scoring on Tampa’s first shot at the 6:24 mark.  The Caps tied the game up soon after during another power play as Joel Ward banged home a Tom Poti rebound, but Vincent Lecavalier gave the Lightning the lead right back less than a minute later.  After some back and forth with chances for both squads, Tampa was given their first power play at 14:01.  They, too, failed to convert while a man to the good, and the period closed with Tampa holding a 2-1 lead.

“To all Caps fans – local and long-distance – thank you for your ongoing support and your support of our players, we truly appreciate it. You are terrific fans, and we have worked extremely hard for many years to grow that relationship, and we have been rewarded with fantastic support. It is now incumbent upon us to be a first-class partner not only with our players but also with our fans. It is time to move forward in the best way we can, together.” – Ted Leonsis, posted on his blog, Ted’s Take.

On Thursday, January 17^th, the Washington Capitals hosted a Fan Appreciation Event to thank fans for their continued support through the National Hockey League lockout and to get everyone excited for the upcoming season. Attendance was free, concessions were free, and merchandise was 20% off. An open practice was held at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A session with DC101’s radio emcee Elliot Segal.

Upon entering the arena, all you saw was red. The players were on the ice, skating to the sounds of cheering and clapping of their fans. Jerseys were everywhere. People had smiles on their faces and a sense of excitement was in the air. The entire lower level seats were full of Caps fans, happy to see their team finally back on home ice.

The Caps scrimmaged in the first segment of practice, with the goalies, Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby, at opposite ends of the ice. Pucks rocketed off the poles of the net from all players alike: Mathieu Perreault skated as fast as he could go, firing off pucks; Alex Ovechkin displayed his flashiness that fans have missed so dearly (for more than just the length of the lockout), and even defensemen John Erskine got a goal in over Neuvirth. All in all, the players looked healthy, in shape, and ready to go.

The best part (besides the free cotton candy) was the spirit of the arena. The Q&A session was fun and upbeat. Segal teased Mike Green about his bread (which is gone now, thankfully) and the upcoming season. A group of players – Troy Brouwer, Karl Alzner, Braden Holtby, and Alex Ovechkin took turns answering questions. Holtby and Brouwer were quizzed on fatherhood was treating them (both welcomed new additions to their families). Ovechkin was asked about his engagement to Maria Kirilenko, and Segal, with a devious laugh, told Ovechkin that he would be throwing his bachelor’s party. Karl Alzner was asked about his hilarious and deviant dogs. To bring it all together, Alzner and Brouwer went head-to-head in a dance battle – one which Brouwer won by doing his best rendition of Gangham Style!

Overall, the event was fun and seemed to get the fans ready for the season to start on Saturday (today!). The sense of community was restored to Verizon Center. Fans cheered for their team as they left the ice, and shouts of “Let’s Go Caps” echoed through the arena. Caps hockey is back, folks. It all starts tonight. ROCK THE RED!

Photo by Examiner

The Washington Capitals will be in Tampa, Florida Saturday evening as they kick off the 2013 season with a game against the Southeast Division rival Lightning.  The Capitals finished last season in seventh place in the Eastern Conference before losing in seven games to the Rangers in the Conference semifinals under the jurisdiction of Dale Hunter.  With Hunter now gone and Adam Oates in charge, Washington begins their quest for the franchise’s first Stanley Cup with act one of a furious 48-game sprint to the finish before the playoffs begin.  It should be one hell of a ride.

Third-year coach Guy Boucher, who many believe to be on the hot seat heading in to this year, will give the nod in goal to summer acquisition Anders Lindback.  Lindback posted a 2.42 GAA and .912 save percentage last season for the Predators in a backup role and will be relied upon to be the force in goal that the Lightning lacked last season.  Outside of the goal crease, Tampa is not suffering from any injuries to their regulars and expects to field their full lineup.  That includes summer signing Matt Carle on defense, who will run the power play.

After his stellar playoff run for the Capitals last season, Braden Holtby will get the call in nets from Oates.  The Lloydminster, Saskatchewan native posted a 2.49 GAA and .922 save percentage in 7 regular season games last year, but upped those to a ridiculous 1.95 and .935 in 14 playoff games.  Holtby has earned this start, but what will be interesting is how Oates responds when the inevitable drop-off comes.  The Capitals will be without jack-of-all trades Brooks Laich up front, who is out while recovering from a groin injury he sustained in Switzerland during the lockout.  Eric Fehr and Joey Crabb will be the healthy scratches up front as the Capitals go with only 11 forwards.  Defenseman Tom Poti will make his return to active duty following a two-year injury layoff tonight, and will skate alongside Jack Hillen and Jeff Schultz as Washington goes with 7 defensemen; this means that John Erskine is a healthy scratch.  Fellow rearguard Dmitry Orlov is out with an upper-body injury and did not make the journey to Florida.

The game can be seen locally on Comcast Sportsnet.  Puck drop is 7:07-ish.

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 were back on ice Wednesday morning of another day of training camp as they continue to work towards Saturday night's opener in Tampa Bay.  Some notes from Kettler Capitals Iceplex:

Following the practice in the morning, forward Tom Wilson was sent home to Plymouth of the OHL to continue his development this season.  Though Wilson was impressive in camp by all accounts, there never really was a chance that he would make the team, and Otherwise, the Caps' forward lines remained the same: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson, Wolski-Ribeiro-Brouwer, Chimera-Beagle-Ward, and Hendricks-Perreault-Crabb/Fehr.  This is how you have to expect the opening night lineup to look, especially as the injured Brooks Laich did not skate.

In other roster-related news, coach Adam Oates annoucned when asked that he would "absolutely" contemplate playing Alex Ovechkin on the penalty kill this year.  At once terrifying and a bit exciting, it brings to mind the change that Ilya Kovalchuk made in his game last year and brings some hope that Ovechkin that can do the same.

That's all for now.

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.

Last Sunday, General Manager George McPhee announced that the Washington Capitals signed right-wing Eric Fehr to a one-year, $600,000 contract.

During the lockout, Fehr played with HPK of the SM-liiga in Finland and recorded 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists). In the 2011-2012 NHL season, Fehr had two goals and one assist in 35 games with the Winnipeg Jets, missing much of the season due to recurring shoulder problems.  Fehr had surgery on his shoulder in October 2011.

Caps fans should know Fehr, as he played with the team from 2005-2011. Fehr was also part of the Hershey Bears (the Caps AHL affiliate team), where he was a member of the team that went on to win the 2006 Calder Cup.

Source: http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=650156

Follow Tara Colison on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/TaraC_RtR

The Washington Capitals returned to the ice Monday morning for their second training camp practice under new head coach Adam Oates.  Some news and notes from Kettler:

First off, defenseman Tom Poti was hot on the comeback trail Sunday night, scoring a power play goal for the Hershey Bears in his first competitive game in two years.  Poti will play again Wednesday night if he feels good and could be back by the end of the week.

The Caps' forward lines remained unchanged, so they went like this: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Johansson, Wolski-Ribeiro-Brouwer, Chimera-Beagle-Ward/Wilson, and Hendricks-Perreault-Crabb/Fehr.  The injured Brooks Laich skated before practice, according to Katie Carrera of the Washington Post, but is still not ready to join the team.  On defense, the top two pairs of Carlson-Alzner and Green-Hamrlik were unchanged, but Jeff Schultz was bumped to the scratch line with Cam Schillng, while Jack Hillen skated with John Erskine.  That's not good!

That's all for now.

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.