Beninati: New Caps Neuvirth & CarlsonNovember 20, 2009, 11:54 pm The Caps almost pulled the rabbit out of their hat in the final three minutes tonight but a determined Carey Price and a Canadiens defense emerged with a hard fought victory. Any team coached by Jacques Martin is going to be structurally sound in the neutral zone and Montreal proved to be very frustrating to Washington's speedsters. After a lackadaisical start in the first ten minutes, Mathieu Perreault and Eric Fehr continued to demonstrate good chemistry together and they clicked to give the Capitals the lead. Fehr put that snap shot away like the goal scorer the club hopes he can be. That gave surprise starter Michal Neuvirth a lead to protect in goal for the home team. Neuvirth was victimized by two deflection goals and a bullet power play tally from Mike Cammalleri. Otherwise the 21-year-old net minder was solid, not necessarily spectacular. The Caps broke in 19-year-old defender John Carlson tonight, and it was great to see the emotional reactions of his family, particular his mom Angela in the stands. The young man didn't appear flustered much by his surroundings. He threw his weight around, he ripped a hard shot off the post, and kept his composure as his ice time mounted. The Caps lost Tom Poti to an upper body injury in the 2nd period, which means they are likely to recall another blue liner from Hershey in time for Saturday night's action in Toronto. The fans were treated to a big time strap between Georges Laraque and John Erskine in the first period. Erskine more than held his own against one of the league's heavyweight champs. You could make the argument the Caps outplayed the Canadiens this evening. Montreal was bound and determined to hook and hold and slow the tempo down, and they squeaked out the victory. Now we turn our attention to the Caps and Maple Leafs tomorrow at Air Canada Center. You can find that game on CSN+.
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Beninati: Successful Return For OvieNovember 17, 2009, 11:27 pm Tuesday, November 17, 2009 The Caps displayed a pretty complete game this evening. They received goals from their big stars and their grinders. They were good on special teams and they didn't flinch when the Rangers big gun fired away at them. The return of Alex Ovechkin was a successful one. He looked especially fresh in the third period. There was no rust on his skating legs. His power play bomb was vintage Ovie. The coaches adjusted Alex back to a point position on that second man advantage of the game and he rewarded them quickly. Marian Gaborik has always been a game breaker and he's acclimated himself nicely to Ranger red, white, and blue. His speed can be frightening and his shot explodes the way it does for the game's top scoring threats. The Caps penalty killers did an excellent job protecting Semyon Varlamov tonight. We always say special teams play can be very instrumental in winning the close games and it was the difference tonight. Aside from Varlamov losing his angle a couple times, he was nice and steady. Goalie fans have to love when you get a matchup that includes the Caps youngster and Rangers standout Henrik Lundqvist. Great job by Matt Bradley on the winning goal and all night long working with David Steckel and Jay Beagle. Those three guys busted their butts and won the little battles all over the ice. Bradley was bloodied in a first-period fight with Aaron Voros, a fight he had the upper hand in at the start. His finishing touch on the breakaway against Lundqvist was very well done. There were a lot of heroes for the Caps in this one. John Erskine deserves praise for the way he made it a tough night for Sean Avery. Every time the Rangers' pest would try to stir it up, Erskine put him back in his place. That's the kind of hard work that should not go unnoticed. Lastly, the news on Quintin Laing wasn't very promising. He's staying overnight in New York after suffering a significant injury to his jaw. Laing is a fearless shot blocker, but his timing was off and he was struck by a slap shot at close range. He's one tough athlete. The fact that he walked off after that exchange is all the proof you need.
surprise hey joe i wish you and locker would call games moer...but I hope they gave brads the work helmet..much desereved from the arm chair in my living room..when brads put the puck in net in the third the goalie and the few players around got this funny surprised look on there face...kinda weird..but we closed the deal...varley is the reason....he plays solid..the team plays soild.....lets go caps....98caps Posted by 98caps at 3:41 pm Nov 18, 2009 Tough Guys Bradley and Laing have to be the toughest guys on this team. This is the second time Bradley has gotten stiches and returned to the game, and Laing speaks for himself, hes not afraid to take shots to the ribs, jump in front of the puck to block it, and he gets up and walks off the ice after breaking his jaw. Luv those 2 guys! :) Posted by Sarah at 2:48 pm Nov 18, 2009 |
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Beninati: Hot Devils Cool CapsNovember 14, 2009, 11:43 pm There is a reason why the Devils have won 8 in a row, they stick to their game plan, even when their opponent scores two quick ones on them. Things started out beautifully for the Caps tonight. Tomas Fleischmann and Mathieu Perreault each converted off silky smooth passes to give the visitors a two goal advantage. Maybe the Caps became complacent, maybe they were out of gas playing their third game in four nights, but for whatever reason, they didn't maintain nearly the same zip with which they started the game. After Colin White and Jamie Langenbrunner tied the score, the Devils could see a surge in their confidence level. They move the puck very well, and when their passing game is clicking, they tend to produce strong goal totals. Alex Semin made a critical mistake on the goal which gave the Devils a 3-2 lead. He should have played the puck in deep along the wall, instead he forced the pass into the middle which Travis Zajac turned into a quick counter breakaway for Zach Parise. He put a pretty finish on Jose Theodore, and the Devils were on their way to another victory, their third straight against Washington. Coach Boudreau was critical of Theodore's play in net tonight. But I respectfully disagree with him. The goals by Langenbrunner, and Matt Halischuk, were very strong shots. I know Boudreau believes if an NHL goalie sees a shot, he should stop it. He is also not fond of any goals that go in on the short side. But to me, in those instances tonight, you have to tip your cap to the shooters for those two tallies. Bad news for Boyd Gordon, who appeared to re-injure his back in his first game back in the lineup after a lengthy absence. Good news it seems is on the rise for Alex Ovechkin. Most signs indicate he'll be ready to go against the Rangers Tuesday night. A game you can see on Versus.
Joe is so negitive! Hey Joe! Could you possibly say anything that is in favor of the CAPS?! Rock the red my friend! You need to try that one, you work for the Caps pretty much, yet you always seem to but the other team ahead of them in anything they do! THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF! I have no idea telling us Caps fans "how bad the Caps are doing is going to make any of us happy! Posted by scoobs at 9:20 pm Nov 17, 2009 Happy birthday Joe B - huge fans here just wishing you a happy 22x2. Posted by Kettler Fans at 7:36 pm Nov 16, 2009 flash and purrow hey joe just like last season when they brought up varley for a look-see..i saw him play just 4 games and i knew he was somthing special...now after watching these few games with flash and matt purrow ( sorry for spelling ) these two are somthing special together...brucie should ride this pair all the way to post and then some.....98caps Posted by 98caps at 7:47 am Nov 16, 2009 Theo #2 Bring on Varly and Neuvirthh I asked for his dismissal tonight after the very first goal on what could have been the very first shot of the game.. .. the chant begins VARLY!!!!!!! NEUVY!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted by slobrien at 2:31 am Nov 15, 2009 |
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Beninati: Caps Win Comes With A PriceNovember 13, 2009, 11:41 pm The two teams were determined to hammer their point home tonight. That was an extremely physical game, and that has been a calling card for Minnesota for a number of years. So that makes me feel even better about our guys finding the resolve in the 3rd period to pull out their 4th straight win. It came with a price though. As we were racing off to Dulles we learned that Mike Knuble would be lost for several weeks after breaking his finger in the first period. Reports have said the injury will require surgery. The Caps put a good number of quality chances on Josh Harding right off the bat this evening. Nicklas Backstrom the Swedish center, not the Finnish goalie was magical with the puck all night long. Not only was he stick handling in expert fashion, but he seemed to have extra jump in his skating legs. He must know that Alex Ovechkin will be back soon, possibly as early as Saturday night in New Jersey. The Cap's power play remains on a nice roll. The best thing about that unit is that they are getting timely goals. Mike Green's goal came shortly after Minnesota took the lead and appeared to deflate the Wild. Wow! that Cal Clutterbuck loves to stir it up physically. He's fun to watch trying to hit everyone in sight. He was the only guy to solve Semyon Varlamov who is brimming with confidence right now. Good to see the Caps defense core chip in with 2 goals in this one. Brian Pothier's snap-shot for the game winner was the product of the veteran defense joining the rush at exactly the right time. Look for us on CSN+ Saturday in New Jersey. Two very hot teams collide in that one. And who knows? There could be a #8 sighting.
Theo needs to sit! Please stop defending Theo. He has been awful the last few games and after every goal that he allows in, you always blame it on someone else and go on to say how great a goalie he is. VARLI!!! Posted by washington at 9:56 pm Nov 14, 2009 Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Joe B! Watching and enjoying now! PS Does anyone know when the next Caps singles night is? Posted by Capshockeyisred at 8:35 pm Nov 14, 2009 Leonsis turns back on cap fans with Comcast sportsnet plus Comcast sportsnet plus is not available in many areas where cap fans live. Ted Leonsis a media giant shouldn't let this happen Posted by Leonsis plus at 7:31 pm Nov 14, 2009 B Day Happy Birthday Joe! Posted by Capfan4ever at 3:43 pm Nov 14, 2009 getting it done hey joe good call..like i said last week this team is going to find it self with out its headliner...first in the east..and tonite a chance to make a real statment..this could be the two teams fighting it out in post season..instead of the burgers.....98caps Posted by 98caps at 9:47 am Nov 14, 2009 |
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Beninati: Lengthy Shootout WinNovember 11, 2009, 10:52 pm Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Semyon Varlamov was exceptional in the shootout. His cat-like reflexes were on display as eleven Islanders tried to beat him and only Jeff Tambellini succeeded. The Caps were also stymied by Dwayne Roloson at the other end. Alex Semin scored in round two for the home team and then Chris Clark rifled home the eventual game winner in the 11th round. Before that an Islander had the game on his stick, eight straight times to no avail. The Islanders never give up in a hockey game, so it was no surprise to see them rally to tie the game late in regulation. Trent Hunter's 30-foot slapshot was overpowering with 2:08 left, giving the New Yorkers a power play goal that forced overtime. What else is new when these two teams play? Seven of their last nine meetings have not been settled in regulation. Alex Ovechkin would have loved to play in this one. It was a wide open offensive showcase from the beginning. I don't expect Alex to play in this weekend's games. But he had to pleased when his buddy Alex Semin scored just eight seconds into the game with an evil slapshot. That marker tied the Caps record for fastest goal from the start of a game, equaling the late Gaetan Duchesne's goal against St. Louis in March of 1987. The Islanders took that early uppercut and came back with a few big punches of their own. Three goals on just five shots prompted an early exit for Jose Theodore. The only goal I didn't care for was the one by Matt Moulson. Theodore left a bad rebound off the initial shot for Mark Streit which was not a tough one to handle.
I agree...this non-HD deal sucks This seems like a step backwards from last year. The amount of non-HD games is pathetic. It wouldn't be as bad if the picture quality of CSN wasn't at the level of the 1970s. Posted by capsnumber1 at 12:19 pm Nov 16, 2009 What's with the caps not being on HD? This is the third game in the last month that has not been on the CSN HD channel for us in Fairfax. CSN needs to decide if they really are the Caps channel or not. Posted by mjj78 at 10:16 pm Nov 13, 2009 CAPS wilthdrawl Please use your connections to talk to the powers that be and get Comcast sportsnet plus for howard county fios customers!! I CANNOT believe this game isn't on! We have NHL center Ice and it's blacked out from there as well! We will miss you tonight against the wild!! Posted by TK at 7:31 pm Nov 13, 2009 hate back to backers joey..good call you and lock...why any more is there so back to back games i think its hard enough to play every other nite ..do players like them...this team is showing us we are not a one man show like years past hey...but we need help on the d...even if they would just play more mistake free would help.....98caps Posted by 98caps at 8:03 am Nov 13, 2009 d - d great win, but need to develop staining defense for these goalies; so wont be in these prediciments. Posted by biggravyd at 5:54 pm Nov 12, 2009 Locking down a lead I can tell you Caps fans that the players recognize the difficulties they've had securing leads late in games this year. But until they start finishing games off with more "killer instinct", talk is cheap. The late-game penalties are so maddening to the coaching staff, especially when they come so close together and the penalty killers are gassed. Posted by Joe at 11:16 am Nov 12, 2009 Discipline I agree with Kmatt we seem to struggle finishing games and do it in a multitude of ways. It is early so plenty of time to figure it out but my headline says it all. If they can manage to play under more control and avoid taking penalties in the 3rd we will be fine. It is also good practice for the playoff psyche to protect a 1 or 2 goal lead late in the 3rd during the season so you know you can and are not on your heels waiting for bad things to happen. Posted by DBnMD at 10:27 am Nov 12, 2009 Holding on to leads, like we used to be able to do Exciting game, but they need some fine tuning to be a more cup worhty team. Joe, can you comment sometime, on why the Caps have trouble putting teams away? Last night, it seemed ot me that some of our wingers weren't putting forth the effort to get back on D, to cover their man. Also, I heard on NHL-Live, that Theo's coach in Montreal,(Carboneau, I assume) pretty much, gave up on him. I'd much rather the Caps give Varly more games, so he can get even better. Posted by KMatt at 8:23 am Nov 12, 2009 |
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The latest comments from the CSN articles and blogs.
Ovie
Ovechkin isn't back yet...
Posted by Joel at 3:20 am Nov 21, 2009