Caps Fall to Flyers in Shoot Out: 5-4 Final

After last night’s ugly loss at the hands of the Atlanta Thrashers, the Caps had a quick turnaround to get ready for a hard-hitting, high-scoring Flyers team. They were also without the services of the gritty Mike Knuble, who was injured during last evening’s loss. Gabby expected his troops to rebound and step up for the injured Knuble, and for the most part they did just that.

Marcus Johansson had quite an impressive game, scoring the Capitals’ first goal – as he was on his way down from getting wrecked. Later in the second period, the young Swede single-handedly skated and protected the puck through three Philly defenders. End of the first: Caps 1 – Flyers 0

The Caps power play struggled through the second period. While the team saw shots from Green, Semin, Ovi and Laich (characteristically parking his tush in front of Brian Boucher) but no success in permeating the wall of knarly Flyers crowding their crease. Semin also got whistled with his signature slash at 4:21, while John Carlson joined him in the box for hooking giving the thugnasty visitors a 5 on 3. The Caps were able to kill off the penalty with mucho help from Michal Neuvirth.

Minus his flaming red locks, the always agitating Scott Hartnell tried to poke Neuvy after the whistle resulting in a scrum and another Caps power play at 7:39.

Brooks Laich couldn’t put the brakes on fast enough with less than 7 minutes left in the second and took a seat for interference. Claude Giroux got quite the lucky break on the power play as the puck bounced off his pants for the Flyers’ goal.

Meanwhile, Eric Fehr annihilated Ville Leino after he'd dumped the puck, resulting in a boarding call and Flyers squawking for justice. As the penalty expired, Hartnell slid the puck across to PK Subban’s BFF Mike Richards, who roofed it over a sprawling Neuvirth to give the black and orange a one-goal lead. End of the second: Flyers 2 – Caps 1

At the start of the third period, AO was tripped up and the power play unit went to work. Once more, the man advantage did not yield the desired results for the boys in red. MJ90 had one of the better scoring chances as he sped through the neutral zone and shot towards an awaiting Boucher. After being scratched by Gabby earlier in the week, Tomas Fleischmann was a shooting fool but could not seem to outschool the Philly net minder.

With just under 11 minutes left in the final stanza, Jeff Carter notched his tenth goal of the
season as he deftly evaded Mike Green. The boys got yet another shot at the power play with less than 10 minutes left. The Caps set up camp in front of the crease and Nick Backstrom tallied the first power play marker of the night. As Kimmo Timmonen was set to get out of the sin bin, the Flyers’ captain tripped up a red sweater giving the Caps yet another man advantage (as Peter Laviolette proceeded to blow a gasket). Jason Chimera scored the tying goal a mere 28 seconds after Backstrom’s goal.

At the six minute mark, Andreas Nodl evaded Jeff Schultz and Mike Green to set up his toy shop behind the net and score to once again to gain the lead. Matt Bradley then took a seat for interference at 14:31.

The Caps killed off a biggie and should have had their sights set on netting the tying goal. Instead, they found themselves short-handed again thanks to another ill-timed slashing call on Sasha Semin. As the boys went back to work, John Carlson was the recipient of a high-stick, from none other than the recently suspended-for-such-nonsense Danny Briere. As the final seconds of the game ticked off the clock, Neuvy went to the bench and Eric Fehr tied the game with a rocket from the wide right angle. As if this game wasn't exciting enough, these two rivals were headed to OT. At 1:48 of the OT period, Ovi and his running mate Nick Backstrom were criss-crossing the ice attempting to set up a play when Backstrom clipped a Flyer, drawing an interference call. The boys did an outstanding job of killing off the penalty and forced the high-flying game into a shoot out.

In the shoot out, Nick Backstrom stepped up first for Washington and was stopped by a Boucher glove save. Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux tried to dipsy doodle deke Neuvy but was denied by the Caps young net minder. Next, it was Alex Ovechkin’s turn. Ovi skated wide but ended up shooting right to the glove of Brian Boucher. Then it was the villainous Daniel Briere's turn. Unfortunately his orchestrated moves worked for a Flyers goal. The game then fell into the hands of stick handler extraordinaire Alex Semin. But alas, Sasha's shot was a miss, bringing a hard-fought game to an abrupt end and giving the Flyers the 5-4 win.

All in all, a much improved effort over last night’s debacle in Atlanta. The boys rest up tomorrow and will face the injury-depleted New Jersey Devils on Monday.

Sold Out Hockey & Heels a Smashing Success

More than 250 women of all ages gathered together last night at Kettler Capitals IcePlex to bond and share their mutual passion for our Washington Capitals during the team's fifth annual Hockey & Heels event. The ladies were divided into groups and took turns practicing shooting, face offs and stonewalling pucks on the ice with lots of handy tips and demonstrations provided by current Caps Braden Holtby, Marcus Johansson, John Carlson and the mustachioed Karl Alzner. Popular Capitals alumni Peter Bondra and Paul Mulvey also helped the gals with the finer points of achieving the perfect wrister and beating out your opponent for a face off win.

John Carlson supervises stick work during Hockey & Heels.

Caps alum Peter Bondra.

John Carlson during on-ice demonstrations.

Marcus Johansson jokes with the ladies while sporting his Nats lid.

Karl Alzner looking a bit like one of the Three Musketeers with his Movember stache.

This year's event was bigger than ever, with a new session conducted by Caps strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish. My boys have participated in his off-ice conditioning drills and several ladies attested to "feeling the burn" after he put them through their paces as he showed them the kinds of exercises the players must perform.

Of course one of the most popular sessions of the evening was Coach Bruce Boudreau's film session. Gabby used a laser pointer (which my cat - also named Gabby after the beloved Boudreau - would love to borrow) to point out scripted plays, player errors and lessons learned from different game films. The jovial coach told the women to stop him if he used a term they didn't understand and drew laughs when he talked about simplifying the game. He joked that most players from Canada (himself included) didn't complete their formal education before entering the world of pro hockey, thus the need to "simplify" film breakdown. Another memorable comment from Coach when asked about Alex Semin being left off the NHL All-Star ballot was that it was "a travesty", resulting in numerous shouts from the room to write the talented forward in on the ballot ourselves. (Sidenote: You can write in Sasha and vote as many times as your heart desires for other Caps on the ballot here. Let's make sure our Caps represent!)

The event ended with a locker room look at Alex Ovechkin's Winter Classic uniform, complete with unworn gloves (the only pair of hockey gloves HM has come into contact with that didn't yet smell like the Hudson River).  The women all left with some swag of course, including a Scarlet Caps water bottle and stylish logo tote bag. Hockey Mom scored with some retail therapy of her own and purchased an adorable Capitals Santa Claus from the Capitals Team Store at Kettler - they've got lots of great gifts for the Caps fan on your holiday list...

Jenn models the Winter Classic gloves - don't make her drop 'em!

Overall, a fabulous time was had by all and kudos to the Caps organization for putting together this great event dedicated to their ever-growing female fan base!

Capitals to Host Fifth Annual Hockey N’ Heels Tomorrow

The Washington Capitals will welcome more than 250 female hockey fans (including yours truly) to Kettler Capitals Iceplex tomorrow night when the team hosts another sold-out Hockey N’Heels event. This year’s event, which is only open to Club Scarlet members, sold out in a record five – yes, five minutes!

MIX 107.3 radio personality Chilli Amar will emcee the event, which runs from 6-9 p.m. with check in beginning at 5:30 p.m. The fabulous female fans will be in store for a fun and enlightening evening as they participate in popular on-ice demonstrations. This year’s on-ice demonstration will be conducted by young guns Karl Alzner, John Carlson and Marcus Johansson, who’ll illustrate how to shoot a slapshot, take a faceoff, and how to stop a puck in the net. While waiting for their turn on the ice the ladies will be able to see and try on different hockey equipment.

Capitals alumni Capitals alumni Peter Bondra and Paul Mulvey will also be on hand to discuss the secrets of a perfect wrist shot or glove save. Hockey ‘n Heels will use both sheets of ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, giving the women an opportunity to spend more time on ice. Ladies, remember to dress warmly and comfortable kickers such as tennis shoes are the suggested footwear attire as that ice can be tricky.

The second session is something new this season with Caps’ strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish detailing the fitness routines the players go through. The third session is with head coach Bruce Boudreau and his famous film talk. Boudreau will help the women understand how to dissect and analyze different aspects of the game. The fourth and final session will include a picture in front of a locker set up with the Winter Classic uniform and equipment.


* All sessions and players are subject to change.


HM is looking forward to mingling with her fellow female puckheads tomorrow evening – this unique group of Caps fans are some of the most vibrant, vocal and passionate ladies on the D.C. sports scene and their enthusiasm continues to attract even more women to the wonderful sport of hockey!

Star for Sasha

A Hockey Mom high-five to Alex Semin who has been named one of the NHL’s three stars of the week for the first time in his career.Ovi's BFF was named First Star of the Month back in Oct. 2008.

The Russian winger joined archrival Sidney Crosby atop the weekly scoring list with eight points (four goals, four assists) as the Capitals (13-4-1) won three of four games and concluded the week first in the NHL overall standings. After tallying one assist in a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers Nov. 9, Sasha recorded a five-point night in a 6-3 victory over the Lightning Nov. 11, highlighted by a third-period hat trick, a pair of assists and +3 rating. He tallied one assist in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and closed the week by scoring his 13th goal of the season in yesterday's win over Atlanta. Semin ranks among League leaders in goals (second, 13) and points (fourth, 23).
 

Monday Musings

After a crazy run-around week, HM managed to miss both of the Capitals' games this weekend (well sort of, I actually fell asleep watching Saturday night's ho-hum effort that gave the Sabres their first win on home ice). Of course I was at a kids' game during yesterday's match against the Thrashers but sounds like it was a humdinger. Following the game on Twitter and on one of my sports apps, I saw that the boys once again gave up a fairly commanding lead only to have to fight back hard for the win. I did manage to catch bits and pieces via the Web and saw that big, bad John Erskine tallied the tiebreaker (that's two goals for #4 in six days) and got into a heavyweight throwdown with Eric Boulton. In case you missed it, here's the stache-rocking Erskine getting it done in an old time hockey bout:



Here are some other items for your Monday reading pleasure:

• More on John Erskine's stache and the meaning of "Movember" from my pal at Blonde Girl's Guide.
• The Hockey Writers look at what the Matt Hendricks signing has meant for the Caps.
• Storming the Crease looks at the week that was and the week ahead.
• Fellow hockey parents, be sure to register your young players for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be an official stick kid for the 2011 Winter Classic. HM will be hitting the Target during her lunch hour to pick up a few decks of Upper Deck cards...
• Finally, the ladies are getting excited for the Capitals' fifth annual Hockey N'Heels, which takes place tomorrow at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. This year's event sold out in a record five minutes! HM will have more on the event later today, including the very important "what to wear" to all those planning to attend. Til then....

Caps Defuse Lightning 6-3

The Veteran's Day meeting between Southeastern Conference rivals Tampa Bay and Washington started off fast and furious. In the opening minutes, Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier thought he had buried the puck but the stripes called no goal. Upon review, it was plain as day that the puck clinked off the post but did not cross the line behind Michal Neuvirth. As a matter of fact, the posts were Neuvy's BFF's in the early going as the Lightning later lost another goal to the iron bar. The boys welcomed back defense man Tom Poti, who's been on the shelf for weeks with a groin injury. Teddy Purcell got the Bolts on the board first at 9:27 of the opening period. Meanwhile, the visitors were the recipients of practically back-to-back power plays as Mike Knuble was whistled for roughing, then John Carlson took a delay of game. The boys killed both penalties off but they were still struggling to clear the puck away from their own goal. They were also outshot by the Lightning 13-8 with Alex Semin getting the better of any scoring opportunities.

First Period: Lightning 1 - Caps 0

As has been the trend, the Caps didn't stay off the board for long. Mere minutes into the middle stanza, Tom Poti netted his first of the season - a nifty backhand shot with the assists coming from Semin and Backstrom. Not too shabby for a first game back - welcome back sir! The Caps were then swarming Dan Ellis like the plague and Mike Knuble scored another beauty at 7:51, from BEHIND the net no less. The boys went shorthanded once again as Brooks Laich was sent to the sin bin for interference and the Capitals penalty kill unit went on to take care of business, with plenty of help from their young net minder. Tempers flared later in the period as Matt Bradley laid a clean, tooth-rattling hit on Mike Lundin, then had to answer the bell with Adam Hall (what is this, Mini Mite hockey where you can't hit? Seriously). As he always does, the Professor dropped his mitts and got the better of Hall and actually emerged without looking like he'd gone three rounds with a chain saw. Way to go Bradley!

Second Period: Capitals 2 - Lightning 1

The third period saw the lamp light up like the National Christmas tree for both teams. Former Penguin Ryan Malone opened it up for the visitors. Two minutes later, Alex Semin was tripped up by Dominic Moore and let's just say Sasha made the Bolts pay. Not only did the red hot sniper score on the resulting power play, but also notched a second tally with a sizzler at 10:46. You knew it was going to be next to impossible to keep Steven Stamkos off the score sheet and the young star brought his team to within a point with his third period goal. But three minutes later, it was lights out for the Bolts as Alex Semin got the puck to his pal Ovi who blasted Dan Ellis with the Caps' fourth goal. Sasha topped off the win with the empty net goal for the hat trick and a stellar five-point night. Salut! Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin both had outstanding performances as well, with four points for #19 and three for our captain. Michal Neuvirth had another active night, stopping 38 shots against a talented Tampa Bay team. After sleepwalking through the first period, the cardiac Caps stormed back and captured a huge home win for their sixth straight victory!

FINAL: Capitals 6 - Lightning 3

Courage Caps Help Support Our Military Kids

On this Veteran's Day, HM joins all Americans in thanking the brave men and women who have served and are currently serving our great nation. These armed forces members and their families make unimaginable sacrifices to preserve our freedom - leaving home for long deployments, often into hostile and dangerous combat environments. These deployments are tremendously difficult for all involved, but most especially the children of military members - who are separated from their moms or dads for extended periods of time. This year, the Capitals are reaching out to these kids by donating the proceeds of sales of the team's Courage Caps to the Our Military Kids organization.

Our Military Kids provides grants to the children of deployed National Guard and Military Reserve personnel, as well as children of all Wounded Warriors. The grants pay for participation in activities such as sports, fine arts and tutoring, which nurture and sustain the children while a parent is overseas serving our country. Our Military Kids grants are made to honor the sacrifices military families make and to ensure the children have access to activities and support that help them better cope with challenges arising during a parent's deployment or recovery.


“Unlike other branches of the military, the National Guard and Reserves are dispersed throughout the country, and often lack access to support services found on military bases,” said Linda Davidson, executive director of Our Military Kids. “We’re elated to be the beneficiary of Courage Caps, which will help us provide grants so these children have a positive outlet during a parent’s deployment.”

The Capitals kicked off this season’s Courage Caps this past Saturday, when they hosted 35 families from Our Military Kids to a two-hour long skating party and pizza lunch at Kettler Capitals Iceplex with Caps forwards Matt Hendricks, Mike Knuble, David Steckel and defenseman Tom Poti.

“Military families have to deal with so many other issues, it is nice to invite them to come out and have a little fun and enjoy skating and a pizza party,” Hendricks said of the event.




Matt Hendricks skates with children from Our Military Kids during the skating party and pizza lunch on Nov. 6 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Fans can purchase Courage Caps starting today - the Camouflage Courage Caps and Courage T-shirts will be sold for $20 online at WashingtonCaps.com and at the Washington Capitals Team Store at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Courage Caps will  also be sold at the Fan Gear store and at stands throughout Verizon Center for $20 during Capitals home games. There will also be a limited number of autographed Courage Caps and Courage T-shirts available for sale at WashingtonCaps.com and at the community relations table located behind section 104 on the main concourse at Verizon Center. For $50 fans can purchase a Courage Cap or Courage T-shirt signed by Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Mike Knuble or Alex Ovechkin; for $35, fans can purchase a Courage Cap or Courage T-shirt signed by any other individual Capitals player.

The Courage Caps program is in its fourth season and has raised more than $120,000 in its first three years. This season, 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit Our Military Kids - show your Capitals spirit and help these terrific kids at the same time!