RMNB

Ilya Samsonov stops 25 of 28 shots in fourth rehab start for Hershey Bears, a 6-3 win

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 04:31:42 GMT

Ilya Samsonov won his fourth rehab start for the Hershey Bears on Friday.

Samsonov stopped 25 of 28 shots in Hershey’s 6-3 win over the Binghamton Devils. The Russian goaltender is trying to regain his top form after testing positive for coronavirus in mid-January and spending 19 days in protocol fighting the disease.

Video

A closer look at the highlights reveals a porous Bears defense in front of the net on all three Binghamton goals.

Nolan Foote scored Binhamton’s first goal of the game 1:37 into the second period. Foote took advantage of blown coverage in front of the net to lift a loose puck over Samsonov from point blank range.
In the third period, Nick Merkley scored on a rebound from the slot after Ilya Samsonov powered over laterally to the side of the net to stop a wide-open one-timer.
Marian Studenic scored five minutes later after being left unguarded in front of the net

It’s unclear what’s next for Sammy. The Bears play again Saturday at Giant Center while the Capitals play both back-to-back games this weekend against the New Jersey Devils.

Special note: Garrett Pilon scored a highlight-reel goal on a power move to the net.

What an absolute beauty of a goal by @gpilon41. #HBH pic.twitter.com/AIWwS30ok7

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 27, 2021

Screenshot courtesy of the AHL

John Carlson is quietly making another run for the Norris Trophy

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 00:02:33 GMT

With two assists last night, including the game-winning apple, in the Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, John Carlson now has the second-most points on the Caps with 17 (five goals, 12 assists).

Carlson is quietly making another run for the Norris Trophy after a career year in 2019-20 where the Capitals heavily campaigned for him on social media.

Assist 1

Carlson’s first point against the Penguins Thursday came on a secondary assist during TJ Oshie’s one-handed diving goal. Oshie’s highlight-reel tally gave the Caps a 2-0 lead early in the third period.

Assist 2

After the Pens tied it up at 2-2, Carlson fed the puck to Tom Wilson in front of the net for the game-winner.

Carlson now sits fourth in points among all NHL defensemen. He trails Jeff Petry (18), Tyson Barrie (18), Victor Hedman (19), and Quinn Hughes (21).

Carlson’s early production could make him another strong contender for the Norris Trophy, an end-of-the-year award given “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position,” according to the NHL.

Last year, Carlson was a finalist for his first Norris Trophy after leading all defensemen in points (75) and assists (60). First-time nominee, Roman Josi, from the Nashville Predators, ended up taking home the honor after having comparable stats offensively and being an overall better defender.

Carlson is once again having a huge season offensively, though he’s somewhat off his pace from the 2019-20 season where he became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to score 20 points in October.

Season	Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points
2019-20	19	8	21	29
2020-21	19	5	12	17

Defensively, Carlson’s season has been less remarkable.

Out of all defensemen on the Caps who have played at least 14 games this season, Carlson has the second-worst five-on-five shot attempt percentage (47.1 percent) and holds the only negative five-on-five goal differential (minus-one). Carlson’s five-on-five scoring chance for percentage (46.2 percent) and high-danger chance for percentage (43.8 percent) are also below water. It’s the same issues that sunk his bid in 2019-20.

Although Carlson’s underlying play is somewhat concerning, he could still end up being voted a finalist for the Norris Trophy by the Professional Hockey Writers Associated just based on his offensive stat line. The PHWA typically rewards the highest-scoring defenseman every season with votes though it’s more of a tossup if they win the award outright.

Headline photo: @Capitals

Garnet Hathaway on rating TJ Oshie’s one-handed goal: ‘Is there something higher than a 10?’

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 22:50:55 GMT

TJ Oshie scored one of the most incredible goals in recent Capitals history Friday against the Penguins, dangling defenseman Mike Matheson and one-handing the puck past Tristan Jarry as he fell to the ice.

The Osh Babe got tons of accolades on social media but he also impressed his teammates and coaches.

Video

“The goal tonight, what an individual effort,” Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said, noticeably dazzled.

He wasn’t the only one.

Checking-line forward Garnet Hathaway was asked about the goal by Capitals Radio’s Ben Raby after practice Friday. Hathaway made a face like Bro, I can’t believe he did that.

“Is there something higher than a 10?” Hathaway asked. “What’s the scale?

“That was unbelievable,” he continued. “At the same time as how nice it was, it wasn’t surprising either. It was a combination of a lot of different attributes that Osh brings. His speed through the neutral zone, his skill to get around the guy, and then his work ethic to finish it off. It was just a snapshot of everything he is and what he brings to our team.”

The Capitals on social media called Oshie’s tally “the goal of the year” and compared it to Alex Ovechkin’s The Goal, which wasn’t too big of a stretch.

gn pic.twitter.com/wtFWbhvNVe

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 26, 2021

The lamplighter, Oshie’s fifth of the season, is easily one of the greatest goals of his career. It’ll be mandatory viewing on his highlight reel when he retires.

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A post shared by Patrick McDermott (@pdmphoto)

Ilya Samsonov sent to Hershey Bears for another conditioning start

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:25:33 GMT

Ilya Samsonov deemed himself “ready” to return to the Capitals last weekend, but it does not seem like the team agrees.

Friday afternoon, the Capitals announced that they re-assigned Samsonov back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The Bears play the Binghamton Devils at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, Friday night. Puck drop is at 7 pm.

#Caps re-assign goaltender Ilya Samsonov from Taxi Squad to the Hershey Bears (AHL)

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 26, 2021

During his third rehab start, Samsonov gave up four goals on 19 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but most of the goals were the fault of the Bears’ defense. Samsonov is 1-1-1 in his three rehab starts with the Bears, posting an .859 save percentage and 3.33 save percentage. He gave up four or more goals in two of his three starts.

Last weekend, Samsonov said, “I feel much better. Good experience for me. A couple good games. See everybody. Everything is good.”

He added, “First game was a little bit hard. It was different than practice. But second game was better. More conditioning and feel much, much better.”

Vitek Vanecek, who was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in January, has stepped up and started 16 of 19 games with Ilya out.

Vanecek, a noted grinder, is on the ice with goalie coach Scott Murray 30 minutes early. During the #Caps' current 4-1-1 stretch, Vanecek is 3-1-1 with a .928 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average.

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) February 26, 2021

“It’s one thing to be in practice,” Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said of Samsonov. “It’s another thing to be on the taxi squad. But it’s a really positive thing when you get game situations. So again, working on his conditioning, getting him back to a level where we’re setting him up for success in the net.”

Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk/RMNB

Alex Ovechkin misses practice, will be a game-time decision against the New Jersey Devils

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:04:59 GMT

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be a game-time decision against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Capitals play the Devils at Prudential Center at 1 pm.

Ovechkin, as well as Carl Hagelin, missed practice on Friday. The Capitals deemed Ovi’s absence as a maintenance day.

It’s not exactly unknown what kept Ovi off the ice.

Alex Ovechkin will be a game-time decision for the Capitals tomorrow vs. Devils, team says.

Ovechkin had a maintenance day today and did not practice. Hagelin also had a maintenance day.

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 26, 2021

NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reported that Ovechkin blocked a shot from Kris Letang off his foot on Tuesday and “had a long talk with the trainer at the end of the morning skate” Thursday. It’s unclear if that shot block is what kept the future Hockey Hall of Famer off the ice.

Ovechkin blocked a shot off his foot from Letang in the third period on Tuesday. He played after that, but not in OT.

Had a long talk with the trainer at the end of the morning skate yesterday and played last night.

So seems to be playing through something. https://t.co/s33UivQyd9

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 26, 2021

Ovechkin has missed four games this season, but not due to injury. Ovi was placed on the COVID-19 Unavailability List after watching UFC matches and played video games in the same hotel room with Ilya Samsonov, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov without wearing a mask. Samsonov, the Capitals later learned, tested positive for coronavirus and passed it to Kuznetsov.

Ovi is one of the most durable players in NHL history. On January 28, 2020, we wrote that Ovechkin had only missed 17 out of 1,164 games due to injury during his career.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

Truculent Tom: numbers for the morning after

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 11:40:35 GMT

The Washington Capitals didn’t have their best game Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins so in response, they decided to reverse that and dominate the puck all Thursday night against those same Pens. The Caps came out on top by a final score of 5-2 after some late, scary back and forth on the scoreboard.

The Caps outshot the Pens 35 to 28 and out-attempted them at five-on-five 55 to 37.

That is a lot more like it. The start was a little slow and there are still some issues special teams wise but it felt like the Caps really had a stranglehold on this game when it was played at five-on-five. While the Caps were leading in this game they played some really dope hockey at even strength, out-attempting the Pens by 17, holding a plus-11 scoring chance differential, and a plus-5 high danger chance differential.
Tom Wilson sure had an impact on this game. I’ll let the opinions on the hit stay with the Twitter hot take experts of the hockey world. Willy scored his seventh goal of the season which ended up being the game-winner. It’s his third game-winning goal of the season which leads the Capitals and ranks tied for third in the NHL.
Hello, members of the Nick Jensen fan club. I am your new President. In a game that saw him get exactly zero offensive zone starts (he saw six defensive zone faceoffs), the Caps with Jensen on the ice five-on-five still received 68.2-percent of the shot attempts, 70-percent of the scoring chances, and a plus-three high danger chance differential (the Pens had zero). Add that to his beauty of an assist on Nicklas Backstrom‘s opening tally.

The Capitals are 3-0-1 this season when T.J. Oshie scores a goal and 7-0-2 when he records a point.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 26, 2021

It may not feel like it but the goals are coming for Alex Ovechkin. The Great Eight led the Caps with seven individual shot attempts, six individual scoring chances, and three individual high danger chances.
This one goes out to all you faceoff stat lovers out there. I am not one of you but I know you exist. No Caps center was below 54.6-percent in the dot in this game and both Nic Dowd and Lars Eller came in above 63-percent.
Weird game for Vitek Vanecek and a weird trend that Peter pointed out in the recap. For 40 minutes a night, he seems to be impenetrable even with some rebound control concerns but then falters in third periods on relatively tame shots against. We’ll still take a 26 save victory that gives him eight total on the season which ties him with the Blackhawks’ Kevin Lankinen for the most among rookie goaltenders.

Numbers thanks to Hockey-reference.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Reporters overheard Tom Wilson and Evgeni Malkin’s expletive-filled ‘chat’ after Tom’s ...

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 08:06:52 GMT

Tom Wilson was whistled for a two-minute interference minor in the Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Penguins on Thursday. Wilson was penalized after delivering a late hit to Penguins’ forward Mark Jankowski.

The Capitals screamed from the bench in frustration that officials made a call while the Penguins were furious with what they thought was another dirty hit by Wilson. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin skated over to the penalty box while Jankowski struggled to get up and exchanged words with Wilson.

So what did they say?

Malkin “just came over to have a chat,” Wilson explained. “When it’s that quiet in there, you can have those conversations.”

According to beat writers who were at Capital One Arena, there was a lot more spiciness coming from the chirping hockey players.

Video

Josh Yohe reported that Malkin sarcastically complimented Wilson’s bludgeoning of his teammate and Wilson responded in kind.

Malkin during timeout to Wilson: “Nice fucking hit. Fuck you.”
Wilson responded with a simple “fuck you.”
No fake fan noise is great.

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) February 26, 2021

Samantha Pell said that Wilson was adamant that his hit was clean.

Tom Wilson called for interference as he collides with Jankowski.

Wilson yelling from the box: "That's a great f—ing hit!"

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) February 26, 2021

Taylor Haase heard Wilson say that his hit was late by “two f*cking milliseconds.”

Tom Wilson, yelling from the penalty box: "What is that, two f—ing milliseconds?"

— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) February 26, 2021

Stephen Whyno observed that Wilson called Malkin a clown.

Wilson just called someone a clown while yelling from the penalty box and said it was a "great fucking hit."

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 26, 2021

Yohe says Peter Laviolette defended his player.

After Wilson hit, Peter Laviolette yelled “he’s allowed to hit him” as referees escorted him to penalty box.

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) February 26, 2021

“I thought it was a great hit, but I haven’t watched it at all in live time,” Wilson said. “He batted it out of the air and I finished him through the body right after. I think that’s a great hockey play, and I’ll watch the replay.”

The Penguins gave Jankowski an opportunity to speak his mind after the game along with forward Brandon Tanev. Both players avoided saying much and didn’t opine about the hit.

“I just knocked the puck into their end and I kind of turned — I was about to go change — I got hit,” Jankowski said.

“Obviously, we saw the play develop and what happened, and the refs thought it was a penalty and they made the call,” added Tanev. “It’s not in our control. It’s up to the refs and their judgment and what they want to do in the situation. So we just got to continue to play the game and play the game the right way.”

Wilson would later score the game-winning goal in the third period.

“I thought he was really good,” Peter Laviolette said. “He played fast. He played physical. He was hard.”

Wilson to Teddy Blueger: “Are you fucking scared?”
I don’t know what else to add.

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) February 26, 2021

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Kris Letang’s sticks shatter on Tom Wilson’s game-winning goal and Carl Hagelin’s empty-netter

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 05:56:04 GMT

The Washington Capitals were blessed by the Hockey Gods Thursday night against the Penguins.

Kris Letang’s sticks broke during two of his final four shifts of the game. The stick breaks led directly to Capitals goals, including Tom Wilson’s game-winning power-play tally.

Ignore what our dear Capitals posted on Twitter. Kris Letang’s broken sticks were the first star of the game.

Tom Wilson’s game winner

Letang’s fiberglass-shattering adventure began on the Capitals’ third and final power play of the game. After having his stick break, Letang returned to the crease to try and defend two Capitals players with his hands. That did not work. John Carlson fed Wilson for a one-timer in front of the net. A defenseless Letang watched Wilson bury the puck past Tristan Jarry. 3-2 Capitals.

After the goal, a frustrated Letang could be seen yelling at his teammates on the bench.

“Did you know he broke his stick?” Joe Beninati asked Wilson during NBC Sports Washington’s postgame show.

Wilson laughed. “Could you hear me yelling up there?” he asked. “That’s an advantage you always want to take advantage of. It worked out.”

Wilson added to Beninati and Craig Laughlin, “Sometimes when I was in the box I could hear you calling [the game].”

Just some wine uncles and a Willy giggling about how they can both hear each other yelling during the games pic.twitter.com/Pl1bXqKFZL

— jan (dad) (@lesbijans) February 26, 2021

“We just didn’t execute,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. “Obviously, we’d like to get our defenseman a stick “It’s hard to defend the net-front without a stick. If someone’s going to play without one, it has to be a forward.”

Carl Hagelin’s empty netter

Then, to add insult to injury, Letang’s stick broke again as the Penguins tried to tie the game with 1:31 left in the game. As Letang caught a pass from Evgeni Malkin on his blade, his twig broke on the shaft just above the heel.

Carl Hagelin picked up the loose biscuit, jumped over a diving Letang, and scored on the empty net for his second goal of the season.

Online, Penguins fans were not pleased.

Letang's sticks tonight: pic.twitter.com/5snqVwbiRF

— Jessica Lynn (@slapmesillysid) February 26, 2021

Letang with two assists

— The Lunz (@lunz71) February 26, 2021

kris letang's stick tonight #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/Dd1ZY5U5jT

— pensBRUH (@pensbruh) February 26, 2021

Letang must call his stick Mr Glass

— Matt Hindes (@MattHindes) February 26, 2021

After losing four out of their first five games against the Penguins this season, the Capitals took three out of a possible four standing points in their two back-to-back games against Pittsburgh this week. The points could be pivotal at the end of the season as only four teams from the East Division will make the playoffs.

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Tom’s game: Caps beat Pens 5-2

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 02:35:11 GMT

Against the Penguins on Thursday night, your Washington Capitals did what Washington Capitals do: obtain lead, blow lead, repeat. But this time there was a twist. I won’t spoil it for you, but it was Tom Wilson.

Offensive dynamo Nick Jensen set up white-hot Nick Backstrom for a good goal early in the game, but then the rest of the first period and all of the second passed without any more scoring. TJ Oshie scored a thrilling goal to open up the third period, but Brandon Tanev’s shorthanded goal followed close behind. Then Jake Guentzel got a greasy goal and all of a sudden the lead was fully blown.

As per the Prophecy, the game was won by Tom Wilson with a low-down tap-in on the power play. Carl Hagelin scores as only Carl Hagelin can: with an empty netter. Eller added another.

Caps win!

Not calling this a bailamos game. Two empty-netters. Feels wrong.

Tom Wilson put a late hit on Mark Jankowski late in the first period. Jankowski was dazed but able to return for the second period. Wilson was a marked man for the rest of the night. Cody Ceci laid him out for it. This tweet is a bit much though:

HERE COMES THE BOOM pic.twitter.com/2cP1MhBADu

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 26, 2021

We’ll get back to Tom later.
With some Caps scoring conspicuously quiet these days, it’s very good to see Nicklas Backstrom producing. Gives him more opportunity to calibrate the vibe on his celebration smile, which is still a bit off, like an android that just got brained.
TJ Oshie‘s goal was remarkable. So let’s remark on it. Oshie has a step, but he gets spilled by Matheson. Then, while on his tummy and with one hand, he jabs the puck into the net. Amazing, and definitely a crucial goal that allowed the Caps to coast to victo–
Just kidding, they blew that two-goal lead in a span of 2.5 minutes. Absolutely hilarious Caps action. I hate them.
Vitek Vanecek keeps doing this. He faces a trillion shots and stops them all through two periods, and then any clown with a jock strap can beat him in the third. This has nothing at all to do with me taunting the jinx in the RMNB discord and everything to do with VV having some iffy reads. That Tanev one had no excuse.

#JoeBSuitOfTheNight #CapsPens A lovely tan number with a striking blue tie and matching pocket square. @JoeBpXp pic.twitter.com/qOJlfEhfx5

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) February 26, 2021

Tom Wilson was everywhere. He got drew a penalty that went uncalled, he did a bad hit, he got hit bigly (but cleanly), and then he won the game by doing what he’s supposed to do: crashing the net. That plus TJ Oshie’s perfectly ugly highlight-reel goal, and this was a darn good game.

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Goal of the year candidate: TJ Oshie scores diving, one-handed tally after dangling past Mike ...

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 02:16:44 GMT

TJ Oshie just added some fine frames to his highlight reel.

Falling headlong towards Pittsburgh’s net, Oshie managed to pool-shot the puck into the net.

It had shades of The Goal.

Video

Early in the third period, Oshie dangled around Penguins defender Mike Matheson. Without a clean opportunity to check, Matheson spilled into Oshie. For a normal human, that’s the end of the play, but summoning arcane frat magicks, Oshie was able to get a one-handed touch on the puck — just enough to beat Pens goalie Tristan Jarry.

The Capitals called it “goal of the year” on Twitter.

goal of the year send tweet pic.twitter.com/cO1B40zgC8

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 26, 2021

They also split-screened Osh’s tally with Ovi’s famous marker.

gn pic.twitter.com/wtFWbhvNVe

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 26, 2021

Good lord. This replay.

hly mly @TJOshie77 #CapsPens pic.twitter.com/cL13gXleTf

— NBCSports Washington (@NBCSWashington) February 26, 2021

That’s Oshie’s fifth goal of the season and the first to come at even strength. Oshie now has 13 points in 18 games this season.

He will never score a better goal.

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Tom Wilson’s very big and very late hit on Mark Jankowski

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 01:57:40 GMT

Tom Wilson remains one of the most feared and frequent hitters in the NHL; his 59 hits coming into Thursday’s Capitals-Pens game ranked him ninth among all forwards. But Wilson, years removed from several NHL suspensions, has passed on delivering hits that are more borderline.

Not Thursday against the Penguins.

Late in the first period, Wilson took an interference minor (that could have been a major penalty) after blowing up Mark Jankowski in the neutral zone with a late hit.

Video

Wilson checked Jankowski as the Penguins forward dumped a puck out of midair into the Capitals zone. Jankowski was unaware Wilson was targeting him and took a shoulder directly to the chest.

Jankowski to the room after this very, very late hit by Tom Wilson. Wilson assessed only a minor for interference pic.twitter.com/iehW9c7GYG

— NHL Safety Watch (@NHLSafetyWatch) February 26, 2021

Jankowski dropped his stick and laid on the ice for several minutes before retreating to the locker room. On the telecast, the Penguins could be heard screaming at Wilson from the bench.

Tom Wilson! pic.twitter.com/ay7DYgqHWY

— Dan10900 (@Dan10900) February 26, 2021

Malkin even had some words for Wilson as he sat in the penalty box for his interference minor.

While in the penalty box, Tom Wilson got some sass from Evgeni Malkin after that late hit pic.twitter.com/D81QgqmmI9

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) February 26, 2021

During the intermission, NBC Sports Washington’s Alan May admitted it was a late hit “by today’s standards.” Love that guy.

.@MayHockeyNBCS calls Tom Wilson's late hit a penalty "by today's standards," which is on-brand analysis I love.

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) February 26, 2021

Penguins defenseman Cody Ceci however would repay Wilson with a big hit in the neutral zone.

HERE COMES THE BOOM pic.twitter.com/2cP1MhBADu

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 26, 2021

It made Penguins fans very happy.

Cody Ceci hit on Tom Wilson — GTA V Remix pic.twitter.com/IjVNYi6Vy1

— Benstonium (@Benstonium) February 26, 2021

Tom has been noticeably more physical against the Penguins lately. The Capitals had lost four of their last five games against them this season before Thursday’ss 5-2 win.

Tom said take several seats pic.twitter.com/FugqwvfYJl

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 24, 2021

After the game, Wilson was asked about the controversial bodycheck.

“I thought it was a great hit,” Wilson said. “But I haven’t watched it at all in live time. He batted it out of the air and I finished him through the body right after. I think that’s a great hockey play and I’ll watch the replay.”

As for what Malkin had to say to him, Wilson wouldn’t divulge, saying it just a “chat.”

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Elite goalscorer Nicklas Backstrom scores again

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:58:11 GMT

Nicklas Backstrom has spent the last 14 seasons in the shadow of Alex Ovechkin, but this year, Nicke is different. The elite playmaker has become the elite finisher.

Thursday against the Penguins, Backstrom hit the back of the net again. And it was a very pretty goal.

Video

Backstrom scored on a layup after Nick Jensen found the Swedish center wide open with a beautiful cross-ice feed. There were no smiles or much of a celebration from Backstrom because this is normal and just what he does now.

Danger, danger! High voltage!@budlight | #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/GCO1JzJDmQ

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 26, 2021

The goal was Backstrom’s ninth of the season – the most on the Capitals. Backstrom has scored a point in 15 of 19 games this season.

Backstrom said who needs 700 assists? I’m a goal scorer pic.twitter.com/5dblLFhwXF

— HockeyKot (@hockeykot) February 26, 2021

As for Jensen, it was the defenseman’s fifth apple of the season. I am now going to require him to kill flies with a Nerf Gun before every game now. If it works, it works!

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RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Caps vs Penguins pregame: Wrapping up the homestand

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 21:28:27 GMT

A long homestand for the Washington Capitals is coming to an end this evening when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yes, again. This is their sixth match-up of the season already and the Penguins are 4-1-0 against the Caps this season.

Something else happening again? Coach Laviolette is messing with the lines. Top line Conor Sheary? Evgeny Kuznetsov back up top? What the hell, sure, why not.

Puck drop is at 7 PM and Peter will have your recap.


Record	10-6-1	9-5-4
Shot Attempt %	51.7%	48.4%
PDO	99.3	101.6
Power Play	16.3%	31.9%
Penalty Kill	75.0%	78.3%

Projected Lines

As already mentioned, Coach Laviolette is messing around with the lines again. Just like last game, Vanecek will get the start and Anderson will back him up:

Ovechkin – Kuznetsov – Sheary
Vrana – Backstrom – Wilson
Panik – Eller – Oshie
Hagelin – Dowd – Hathaway

Dillon – Carlson
Orlov – Schultz
Chara – Jensen

Vanecek
Anderson

The Season

WSH	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
BOS		3/3	3/5	4/8	4/10	4/18	4/20
NJD	2/27	2/28	3/9	3/25	3/26	4/2	4/4
PHI		3/11	3/13	4/17	4/27	5/7	5/8
NYI		3/15	3/16	4/1	4/6	4/22	4/24
PIT					2/25	4/29	5/1
NYR		3/19	3/20	3/28	3/30	5/3	5/5
BUF						4/13	4/15

Legend: = win; = loss; = OTL; = postponed

Storylines

Keep an eye out during warm-ups to see the Caps wearing special jerseys for Black History Night.
What the heck happened on Tuesday night for the Washington Capitals? Pull up a chair, allow Peter to take you through it all.
It’s a tad too early to get excited for a Henrik Lundqvist comeback. Lundqvist even said himself that it will take months before he can make any decisions.
The name and logo for the new USPHL junior hockey team was revealed by Bruce Boudreau.
Unfortunately, Ilya Samsonov didn’t have a great start back in Hershey on Wednesday.
The Caps’ third jerseys have been restocked! Get ’em while you can!
It’s always a good time when hockey twitter has a weird moment.
Keep the love/hate relationship between Evgeni Malkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov alive forever.

Saroya Tinker’s post

I wanted to take a second to highlight a great piece in the Players’ Tribune that went live today. It’s written by 23-year-old defenseman, currently playing for the NWHL’s Metropolitan Riveters, Saroya Tinker. The post highlights Tinker’s experience as a Black girl playing hockey, why the Black Girl Hockey Club (BGHC) is important, and the work she has been committed to doing to make the hockey world a better place. Take just a few minutes to read the piece in full, and donate to the Black Girl Hockey Club. This is important.

“The truth is that I never really felt welcome at an ice rink. I never felt like I belonged.”@saroyatinker71 spent years fighting for her place in hockey.

Now she’s working with @BlackGirlHockey to make the sport accessible for everyone.https://t.co/rj2Ws8ympK

— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) February 25, 2021

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Penguins

Headline image: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

Henrik Lundqvist: ‘It will be months before I can make any decisions regarding my future’

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:42:04 GMT

Henrik Lundqvist took to Twitter on Thursday to clarify his status after returning to the ice in full goalie gear earlier in the week.

“Going to the rink this week has been very rewarding,” Lundqvist wrote. “My health is obviously my No.1 priority. It will be months before I can make any decisions regarding my future after more tests/convos with Doctors. The one thing I do know with 100% certainty is that I still love the game.”

Going to the rink this week has been very rewarding. My health is obviously my No.1 priority. It will be months before I can make any decisions regarding my future after more tests/convos with Doctors. The one thing I do know with 100% certainty is that I still love the game.

— Henrik Lundqvist (@hlundqvist35) February 25, 2021

On Wednesday, the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reported that Lundqvist would “release some sort of statement regarding his health” in April.

Lundqvist is 49 days removed from open-heart surgery where he had an aortic valve replacement, aortic root, and ascending aortic replacement.

The best type of workday! pic.twitter.com/2tWlS1iOmO

— Henrik Lundqvist (@hlundqvist35) February 23, 2021

The Washington Capitals will wear special jerseys during warmups for Black History Night. ...

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:04:45 GMT

The Washington Capitals will wear special black jerseys during warmups Thursday to honor Black History Night at Capital One Arena. On each shoulder, there’s a Players Against Hate end racism shoulder patch.

“There’s only one way to put it: racism is completely unacceptable,” Tom Wilson said to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, “and (wearing the jerseys) shows that we want to bring people together.”

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The jerseys are available via an online auction on Handbid that ends on Friday, March 5, 2021, at 3 pm.

Introducing tonight's Black History Night warmup jersey benefiting the Capital Impact Fund!

All proceeds from the auction will be used to eliminate financial barriers faced by minority youth hockey players in the DMV.
Bid now: https://t.co/NVYMoTfniD #ALLCAPS x @players_X_hate

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 25, 2021

Peter Laviolette promotes Conor Sheary to the top line: ‘He’s been one of our most ...

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 17:20:01 GMT

Peter Laviolette is tinkering with his top nine again and promoting a player to the top line that he healthy scratched multiple times earlier in the season.

Conor Sheary will skate with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the team’s top trio against the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday while Lars Eller has been returned back to the third line. Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals’ top scorer, will skate between Jakub Vrana ond Tom Wilson on the second line, which will arguably be the Capitals’ most dangerous line.

#Caps lines ahead of PIT, which features a couple of forward combo changes:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Sheary
Vrana-Backstrom-Wilson
Panik-Eller-Oshie
Hagelin-Dowd-Hathaway
Sprong

Dillon-Carlson
Orlov-Schultz
Chara-Jensen
Siegenthaler-TvR

Vanecek
Anderson

— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) February 25, 2021

“I think he’s been one of our most effective forwards,” Laviolette said of Sheary’s to the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell. “He’s a guy for me that has done a really good job.”

Sheary has scored five goals and tallied six points in 15 games this season. His five even-strength goals are tied for the team lead with Nicklas Backstrom and Jakub Vrana.

The undersized forward has also had some random success against his former teams this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. Three of his five goals have come against the Penguins and Sabres in the last five games played.

Sheary always gotta show the Pens what they’re missing #CapsPens pic.twitter.com/0jk26GxdNL

— NBCSports Washington (@NBCSWashington) February 24, 2021

Conor Sheary: a man on a mission against his former teams! pic.twitter.com/cmKIiDaMfE

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 19, 2021

During eight career games against Pittsburgh, Sheary has scored six times.

“I don’t really know (why it’s happening),” Sheary said Tuesday. “I guess I know a little bit of their tendencies from being there, but a lot of guys in this league have a team that they just find ways to score against and play well against, and for whatever reason that has been Pittsburgh since I left there. I don’t really know what it is specifically, maybe I just get a little bit more amped up to play them.

“But I don’t think I had many opportunities tonight. Just the one opportunity I did get I was able to bury, which was good. But I don’t know what it is specifically.”

Meanwhile, Laviolette will turn to Vitek Vanecek for his 16th start in 19 Capitals games this season. Craig Anderson will back him up.

Vitek Vanecek will start in net tonight vs Pittsburgh, per Laviolette.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) February 25, 2021

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

Ilya Samsonov gives up four goals on 19 shots in third rehab start, a loss

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:37:03 GMT

Ilya Samsonov’s third rehab start for the Hershey Bears on Wednesday was a bit of a fire drill. Sammy gave up four goals on 19 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but his performance wasn’t as bad as it seems.

While the Bears outshot the Baby Pens 28-19, they put up a poor effort defensively in front of their netminder, giving up several high-danger chances from point-blank range that turned out to be the difference.

Video

Here’s a review of the four goals Samsonov gave up:

Radim Zohorna scored the Baby Pens’ first goal. He shed Bears defenseman Rob O’Gara and made a power move to the net. When Zohorna shot from point-blank range, the puck bounced off Samsonov, went high into the air, and then landed behind the goal line. The goal came with 12 seconds left in the first period.
Anthony Angello scored WBS’s second goal on a rebound unguarded in front of the net. The Bears were tired at the end of a shift.
Bears defenseman Cam Schilling got beat on the wing by Radim Zohorna (2) who used a power move to the net to score unguarded again.
The Baby Pens’ fourth goal by Nick Schilkey could be pinned on Samsonov. The goaltender was beaten on a bad angle.

Samsonov is 1-1-1 in his three rehab starts with the Bears, posting an .859 save percentage and 3.33 save percentage. He gave up four or more goals in two of his three starts.

Last weekend, Samsonov said he was feeling “much much better” and he was ready to return to full-time to the Capitals.

2:30 pm update: The Capitals have re-assigned Samsonov to the team’s practice squad.

#Caps re-assign goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the Hershey Bears (AHL) to Taxi Squad.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 25, 2021

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

Washington Capitals third jerseys restocked online

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 22:58:33 GMT

The Washington Capitals released two new alternate jerseys this season — a navy blue third and a red Reverse Retro sweater. Both jerseys have been popular among fans and both have been difficult to buy online.

But we have some good news. The NHL just released a new re-stock of the Capitals’ thirds. They’re not sold out anymore!

Here’s all the inventory currently available.

Alex Ovechkin men’s authentic jerseys, men’s replica jerseys, youth authentic jerseys, toddler replica jerseys, preschool replica jerseys, and signed authentic jerseys.
Tom Wilson men’s replica jerseys and youth replica jerseys
TJ Oshie men’s replica jerseys, women’s replica jerseys, youth replica jerseys, and signed authentic jerseys
Capitals blank authentic jerseys
Capitals blank replica jerseys

View all available Capitals Third Jerseys

RMNB will get a small percentage of anything purchased through the links in this article. Those funds will be used to pay our writers, improve our infrastructure, and help us create more great content for you.

Report: Henrik Lundqvist’s comeback ‘too early to determine’, announcement coming in spring

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 21:42:28 GMT

Henrik Lundqvist returned to the ice and put on his pads again Tuesday for the first time since undergoing open-heart surgery in early January. “Day 47,” Lundqvist said. “Back at the rink. Love it. Let’s do it.”

Lundqvist, who is running and training again, looked especially good in net, causing many to wonder if Hank was attempting to make a comeback this season.

Reading between the lines of a new report from the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, Lundqvist is indeed trying to do so, but it’s “too early to determine” if doctors will clear him to play in the NHL again.

Update on Henrik Lundqvist, he’s still in the rehab process as advised by his doctors, per a person with knowledge of the situation.

It is too early to determine if Lundqvist will be able to play in the NHL again, but especially this season.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) February 24, 2021

He will be further assessed by doctors in late March and around then/early April is likely to release some sort of statement regarding his health.

He is still currently on LTIR this season with the Capitals.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) February 24, 2021

Lundqvist, 38, signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals over the offseason after being bought out by the New York Rangers. He’s currently on long-term injured reserve.

Screenshot courtesy of @hlundqvist35

Bruce Boudreau names new USPHL team the Hershey Cubs, reveals team logos

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 20:48:32 GMT

Former Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau and his wife Crystal revealed the name and logos for his new USPHL junior hockey team on Tuesday. Boudreau purchased the team in January.

Boudreau named the junior hockey team the Hershey Cubs, which is an obvious play off the Hershey Bears. The logo and team colors are also inspired by the AHL team.

The Cubs’ logo is a cream and dark brown-colored hockey-playing bear featuring a halo over its head. The halo, according to the Boudreaus, “represents the angel arm of the franchise.” The Cubs intend to give back to the Hershey community through volunteering and supporting local charities.

There are three logos in total: one that features just the bear head, one that features the bear skating, and a circular wordmark that features the club’s abbreviation HC.

Logos

“The Hershey Cubs Hockey Club is about filling a void and giving back to the community,” Boudreau said in a release. “In Hershey, there is a long history of minor hockey, college hockey, and pro hockey, and the only thing missing is junior hockey. Local youth players here have needed to go away to play junior hockey in the past. Hershey is such a great community with passionate hockey fans and families, we want to add to their history. By bringing the USPHL Premiere level team to historic Hersheypark Arena, kids can stay home and play junior, and other players from around the world can come to Hershey and experience this wonderful community.”

The Boudreaus also own a USPHL team in Minnesota and Bruce’s son is an assistant coach there.

The Cubs will begin its inaugural season during the USPHL’s 2021-22 campaign and will play their home games at the Hersheypark Arena.

The team can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Here’s the full press release from the Hershey Cubs:

BRUCE BOUDREAU NAMES NEW USPHL TEAM THE HERSHEY CUBS

Former Hershey Bears and NHL coach’s new USPHL junior hockey team set to play at Hersheypark Arena in 2021-22 (Hershey, PA- February 22, 2021)- Former Hershey Bears hockey head coach, Bruce Boudreau, his wife Crystal, along with their ownership group, have announced their new Hershey-based United States Premier Hockey League team has a name and a logo. Honoring Hershey’s history, and desiring to become part of the local community, the new USPHL junior team will be called the Hershey Cubs hockey team.

Bruce and Crystal Boudreau along with their partners Bob Eisiminger, Andrew Bowman, Dan “Beaker” Stuck, Brady Boudreau, Jay Witta, and Kevin Rauch are launching a first-class program to bring junior hockey to Hershey. Players will learn the game on ice, train off the ice, and give back to the community.

The halo on the Hershey Cubs logo represents the angel arm of the franchise. The team intends to be a contributing member of the community, through volunteering, supporting local charities, and giving back. The organization will teach young men to be the best player on the ice and the best person off the ice. The club desires to teach players about hockey, discipline, hard work, responsibility, caring about the people around you, and how to be a contributing member in the community.

The Hershey Cubs Hockey Club number one priority as a USPHL organization is to provide a positive environment and opportunity for each player to develop and move onto the next level. The Hershey Cubs will hold tryouts in May and July and they are open to birth years 2001 – 2005. More details will follow in the coming weeks. Interested players can reach out to the team via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and email. Players may also reach out to Crystal Boudreau directly with questions, as well as to send video clips into the team for review.

The Hershey Cubs look forward to joining the community and having a wonderful inaugural season.