Canucks season preview: Sizing up the roster
GM Mike Gillis didn’t waste anytime making changes to a Vancouver team that has bowed out in the 2nd round of the playoffs 2 yeas in a row. His first move was to send the Canucks 2nd round pick, Steve Bernier, and Michael Grabner to the Florida Panthers for Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskivich.
Categories: Around the League, By Teams, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, Northwest, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Western Conference Tags: Aaron Rome, Alexander Edler, Alexandre Bolduc, Alexandre Burrows, and Darcy Hordichuk, Andrew Alberts, Andrew Raycroft, Christian Erhoff, Cody Hodgson, Cory Schneider, Dan Hamhuis, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Ian Clark, Jannik Hansen, Joel Perrault, Jordan Schroeder, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Kyle Wellwood, Manny Malhotra, Mario Bliznak, Mason Raymond, Michael Grabner, Mikael Samuelsson, Mike Gillis, Rick Rypien, Robert Luongo, Roland Melanson, Ryan Johnson, Ryan Kesler, Ryan Suter, Sami Salo, Sergei Shirokov, Shane O’Brien, Shea Weber, Steve Bernier, Tanner Glass, Tomas Fleischmann, Victor Oreskivich
Eric Belanger Signs with the Capitals
NHLHS Washington Capitals correspondent Jodie Smola discusses the reports that Eric Belanger will indeed return to the Washington Capitals for the 2010-11 season. According to reports, Eric Belanger will be back in red for one more season.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Caps, Eric Belanger, NHL
Southeast Division Draft Recap
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent Mike Murangi discusses the Southeast Division in his draft recap. Mike is a self proclaimed prospects expert and shows off his skills.
The Southeast had only one team qualify for the play-offs in 2010. Strange, because the division owns two Stanley Cups with the Lighting in 2004 and the Hurricanes in 2006.
Categories: Around the League, Atlanta Thrashers, By Teams, Carolina Hurricanes, Eastern Conference, Florida Panthers, NHLHS Features, Southeast, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Eric Stall, Evander Kane, Martin St.Louis, nhl draft, NHL Entry Draft, Nicklas Backstrom, prospects, Semyon Varlamov, Steven Stamkos
Is the Southeast getting tougher?
NHLHS Washington Capitals Correspondent Jodie Smola writes on the happenings within the Southeast Division and how it has become a tougher and better division.
Is it just me or did the southeast division get a little tougher? I do believe they did. I get to see the southeast division a lot here in Washington and as I noted earlier in the year, the Capitals were pretty dominant last season but I’d say change is blowing in the wind.
Categories: Around the League, Atlanta Thrashers, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Southeast, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals Tags: Martin St.Louis, Simon Gagne, Steve Downie, Steve Yzerman, Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier
Blues Trade King to Caps for Della Rovere
NHLHS St. Louis Blues Correspondent Jeff Quirin breaks down the trade between the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals that sent tough guy D.J. King to the Southeast Division.
According to Andy Strickland and Jeremy Rutherford the St. Louis Blues have sent enforcer DJ King to the Washington Capitals. King agreed to a two-year contract extension totaling $1.25 million prior to the trade.
King was the Blues 6th Round pick (190th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Since making his NHL debut on October 5th, 2006 King has appeared in 101 games with the St. Louis Blues. In that time frame he has accumulated 4 goals, 9 points and 185 penalty minutes.
Categories: Around the League, By Teams, NHLHS Features, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals Tags: Barrie Colts, Cam Janssen, DJ King, St. Louis Blues, Stefan Della Rovere, Washington Capitals
Where’s the big move?
NHLHS Washington Capitals Correspondent Jodie Smola discusses the lack of movement from the Capitals and wonders what went wrong.
While many teams have taken advantage of the early stages of the free agency period, I can’t help but feel that the Caps need to make a big move. As I write this, I’ve been waiting 14 days for GM George McPhee to work his magic…and I’m still waiting.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, By Teams, NHLHS Features, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Calder Cup, George McPhee, Hershey Bears, John Carlson, Mike Green
NHLHS Mock Draft: With the Twenty Sixth Pick…
NHLHS Mock Draft is our latest feature where we collectively predict the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The draft is a crapshoot and we will be wrong… …but we thought it would be fun to try.
With the 26th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals select…
Read more…
Categories: NHLHS Features, Washington Capitals Tags:
Captain America Leads The Charge
NHLHS Washington Capitals Correspondent Jodie Smola summarizes the future of the Caps as their minor league affiliate, the Hershey Bears, have taken home the Calder Cup.
The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup the other night and it shouldn’t shock anyone that John Carlson started off the scoring. (Caps fans generally refer to him as Captain America after all.) It also shouldn’t shock anyone that the D made their presence felt on the score sheet last night. (This is the team & fans that wholeheartedly embrace Mike Green.)
Categories: Around the League, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: AHL, Calder Cup, Hershey Bears, John Carlson, Michael Neuvirth, Mike Green
Ode to Mike Knuble
I’ll admit it: I was in a state of extreme shock when the Flyers let Mike Knuble walk. I was also fuming and ready to breathe fire, but it’s business, right? You brush your team off and start a new chapter after training camp. Funny thing is that I didn’t really have to let Mike Knuble go. Not completely at least. I starting really writing about hockey this past season so lucky for me I happen to cover the Washington Capitals, which, of course, means I can continue my hockey “crush” on Knuble.
Here is why I like Mike Knuble:
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Mike Knuble, NHL
Eight(h) is Enough
Congratulations to the second biggest underdog to enter the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs for, what has been thus far, the most amazing Cinderella run since 1993.
For the Montreal Canadiens, the number eight seed was simply enough. Enough to ignite a spark under a team compiled of averaged sized players surrounded in turmoil from every angle except financially.
And to think, luck was on their side in order to squeak into the playoff picture.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, Montreal Canadiens, NHLHS Features, Northeast, Pittsburgh Penguins, Playoff Coverage, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Andrei Markov, Hal Gill, Jaroslav Halak, Marc Andre Fleury, Michael Cammalleri, Ottawa Senators, P.K. Subban, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Washington Capitals
The End of the Road…
NHLHS Washington Capitals Correspondent Jodie Smola breaks gives her final words on the Washington Capitals season.
I know that I walk a fine line with Washington Capitals fans. I’m considered an outsider because the Caps are not my home team but I actually think that the Capitals fans need to hear what an outsider has to say at this very moment when they don’t see any silver lining.
Repeatedly I keep hearing the same blames being hashed out and I’d like to address it.
I’ll start with the first one I heard : It’s all Mike Green‘s fault. Wow, really? The last time I checked hockey is a team sport. One man doesn’t cause the downfall of the entire team. And trust me you cannot find anyone more critical of Mike Green than me. This was the best playoffs he has had as a Capital and he really didn’t play all that different than the regular season. So why is the game 7 loss his fault? Because he took a stupid penalty? He happens to be one of the most volatile and passionate players on the team. That wouldn’t be his first mild eruption and it won’t be his last. (I vividly remember him wrestling Bobby Ryan to the ice.) To blame him is just absurd in my book. If you want to be upset with him about something, how about the fact that he has defensive flaws? That is, however, a different topic for another paragraph.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Playoff Coverage, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Bobby Ryan, Chris Pronger, Jaroslav Halak, Jose Theodore, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Green, Scott Niedermayer, Semyon Varlamov
Halak-ing into the Semi’s
NHLHS Montreal Canadiens Correspondent Christopher Nardi breaks down the overall thoughts from the Habs first round series which they wrapped up last night against the Washington Capitals.
When Montreal began the series with Washington, it was obvious that the number one seed in the league just didn’t have what it takes to beat the Canadiens. The Capitals, with the number one powerplay and the most goals scored in the league really had nothing on the team who’s penalty kill clicked at exactly 83%, good for 12th in the league and who had scored on average, 2.56 goals/game, ONLY 1.26 goals/game less on average than the Caps.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, Montreal Canadiens, NHLHS Features, Northeast, Pittsburgh Penguins, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Hal Gill, Jaroslav Halak, Jose Theodore, Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, Semyon Varlamov
Hal-ak to Move it Move it
NHLHS Canadiens Correspondent Christopher Nardi gives his game six recap and a look at what is in store tonight for the final game in round one of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Game six of the Washington Capitals – Jaroslav Halak series was quite the show. The Halaks, down in the series 3-2 against the offensive powerhouse that is Washington, needed to capitalize on the fact that they had home ice advantage to bring out their biggest effort of the game. Let me tell you, they had quite the home ice advantage, considering that the fans were the loudest I’ve ever heard them in, well, forever!
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, By Teams, Eastern Conference, Montreal Canadiens, NHLHS Features, Northeast, Southeast, Washington Capitals Tags: Andrei Markov, Glen Metropolit, Jaroslav Halak, Josh Gorges, Maxim Lapierre, Michael Cammalleri, Patrick Roy, Semyon Varlamov
Masterton Trophy Reminds Us of Hockey’s Humanity
NHLHS writer Dave Strehle takes a closer look at this year’s Masterton Trophy nominees and the perseverance associated with the individuals.
Outside of teams beat writers that get to see players on an almost daily basis, it can be easy for one to lose perspective on the human side of NHL players.
With professional athletes’ salaries widely publicized and chatter circulated worldwide about the lifestyles they lead, some may come to the conclusion that everything is handed to these players on a silver platter.
But each year around this time the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominations are announced, and we are quickly reminded of the humanity of those who play in the “Greatest Game of Earth”.
Categories: Around the League, NHLHS Features, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals Tags: bill masterton, Jed Ortmeyer, Jose Theodore, Kurtis Foster, masterton trophy, NHL, nhl awards show
It Keeps Getting Better
Five days in, seven overtime games and ten road wins later, the playoffs have been all that we could expect and more.
In what has been discussed time and time again, the National Hockey Leagues second season, also known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is all about goaltending.
Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, Brian Boucher of the Philadelphia Flyers, Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins, Ilya Bryzgalov of the Phoenix Coyotes, Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators, Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Antti Niemi of the Chicago Blackhawks, Brian Elliot of the Ottawa Senators, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Canadiens, Craig Anderson of the Colorado Avalanche as well as both Jose Theodore and Seymon Varlamov of the Washington Capitals have not only stepped up to make some amazing saves but have been able to keep each and every series even or close enough to it.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Central, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Eastern Conference, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, NHLHS Features, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Northeast, Northwest, Ottawa Senators, Pacific, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Playoff Coverage, San Jose Sharks, Southeast, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Western Conference Tags: Andrei Kostitsyn, Antti Niemi, Braydon Coburn, Brian Boucher, Brian Elliot, Craig Anderson, Evgeni Malkin, Evgeni Nabokov, Henrik Zetterberg, Ilya Bryzgalov, Jaroslav Halak, Jimmy Howard, Jonathan Quick, Jose Theodore, Marc Andre Fleury, Martin Brodeur, Mike Richards, Nickas Backstrom, Nicklas Backstrom, Patrick Sharp, Pekka Rinne, Peter Forsberg, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller, Seymon Varlamov, Sidney Crosby, Tuukka Rask
