Tag Archives: Washington Capitals

Home Stretch: Caps Get a Taste of Playoff-Style Hockey in Thursday’s Loss

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

It seems odd to lead off talking about a game the Capitals lost on a penalty kill in overtime by praising said penalty kill units.

But if it hadn’t been for some quality shorthanded time by Washington Thursday, a tight contest could have devolved into a serious letdown.

In their 2-1 loss to Ottawa, the Capitals ended up with their biggest total of minor penalties since March 22, and their largest total of penalty minutes overall since February 21, although Thursday’s numbers included a 10-minute misconduct for Jason Chimera. Continue reading →

Posted in Karl Alzner, Washington Capitals | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Adam Oates’ Winning Coaching Philosophy: Be Professional

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

There are many ways we categorize coaches in the NHL: players’ coach, offensive-minded coach, defensive-minded coach—there’s a label for every situation. When a new guy steps into the head coaching position, he’s peppered with questions about his system, players’ positioning … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Points, Adam Oates, Washington Capitals | Tagged , | 10 Comments

After Earlier Rejection, Oleksy Ends Up With First Dance

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

Finding someone to fight in the course of 60 minutes turned into a long-term project for Capitals Matt Hendricks and Steve Oleksy Tuesday. Down 3-0 in the third, Oleksy finally managed to locate a Carolina Hurricane willing to drop the … Continue reading →

Posted in Steve Oleksy | Tagged | 4 Comments

Alzner: I Knew That We Had the Personnel

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

What are Caps fans supposed to think at this point? Fresh off the team’s 4-3 comeback victory against Boston Tuesday, Karl Alzner stood in the locker room, patiently trying to help me make sense of the Gordian knot that is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Points, Washington Capitals | Tagged | 1 Comment

A Changing Storyline, Or More of the Same?

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

For only 18 games into the season, the Capitals have managed enough turnarounds and contradictions to rival the drama you’d get watching The Bachelor. (Before you ask, my roommates watch it. I just happen to be in the room.) The … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Points, Washington Capitals | Tagged | 8 Comments

Fehr Thinks of Caps as “a Pretty Old Team”

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

“I’ve never experienced a start to a season like this,” Karl Alzner said after the Capitals’ 3-2 loss Tuesday to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals, however briefly, have the worst record in hockey right now, although they’ve played three … Continue reading →

Posted in Washington Capitals | Tagged | 4 Comments

Know Your Enemy and Know Yourself

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

Sometimes, the most telling way to learn what you did right is through the eyes of your opponent. After his team lost 3-2 to the Capitals at the Verizon Center Friday, Philadelphia Flyers forward Brayden Schenn complimented the Caps’ play … Continue reading →

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Making Your Own Luck

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

With 17:44 left in the second period Thursday, it was about to get ugly. To the Capitals’ credit, the team had already killed off a penalty they suffered in the opening minute of the game. The patterns—at least from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adam Oates, Jay Beagle | Tagged , | 4 Comments

No Denial, It’s Pass or Fail, and the Caps Are Realizing It

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

For a moment, the puck just sat there by the Washington Capitals bench. It shouldn’t have—those were precious seconds wasted as the Capitals executed a personnel change, and Mike Green, caught with the puck near Winnipeg’s blueline thanks to his … Continue reading →

Posted in Matt Hendricks | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

The Blind Spot

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Elisabeth Meinecke

In hockey, net traffic and screens can be your best friend or worst enemy. Washington learned that the hard way Saturday in the 3-6 loss to Tampa. Traffic certainly didn’t account for all of Tampa’s scoring, but it appeared to … Continue reading →

Posted in Adam Oates, Braden Holtby, John Carlson, Michal Neuvirth | Tagged , , | Leave a comment