With the NHL stuck in a labor dispute, Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom became the team’s latest star player to sign with a professional team in Moscow.
This one really hurt. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)I have to admit, I didn’t expect to be writing this story in April. As a crowd of reporters waited outside the Capitals locker room for post-game interviews following last night’s Game 7 loss, it felt like waiting for the dentist. We could hear the cheers from the Montreal Canadiens as they celebrated their 2-1 win on their way to the dressing room. And they had reason to. The…
The Verizon Center exploded as Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble celebrateBackstrom’s winning goal, which capped an incredible comeback to keep the Caps from falling into a2-0 hole against Montreal. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)During a second period Saturday that Nicklas Backstrom called “embarrassing,” the Washington Capitals found themselves down 4-1 against the Montreal Canadiens and waiting for a referee review of an earlier play. Eric Fehr, who had the only Capitals goal at that point,…
Photo by clydeorama.No power play goals, no shots on goal by Alex Ovechkin, and some uncharacteristic moves from Nicklas Backstrom: not much else needs to be said about the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 overtime loss to the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s hardly a death knell. But the Capitals were sober enough in the locker room that Boyd Gordon, who had four hits against the…
Photo by clydeorama.When Nicklas Backstrom got a standing ovation from the home crowd Thursday, it wasn’t for a slick assist to Alex Ovechkin or a wraparound goal of his own. It was because, with his stick shattered on the ice and his team down two men, Backstrom wasn’t afraid to use his body to block the puck, shot after shot, in front of the net. It was a perfect snapshot of Backstrom’s relatively unsung durability…
Alexander Ovechkin and goalie Jose Theodore react to Ryan Callahan’s opening goalduring the second period of last night’s 4-3 loss. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The most frustrating thing for a head coach may be when the team drops a game it should have won. Capitals boss Bruce Boudreau certainly showed some of that frustration after the Caps gave up a 3-2 lead against the Rangers with under ten minutes remaining in the third period…
Nicklas Backstrom at a preseason practice. Nicklas Backstrom is skipping the NHL’s Young Stars Game because he wants a day off. The Caps’ second leading scorer is sitting out a competition that pits second year players against rookies. Last year, when the Young Stars game featured only rookies, Backstrom competed. This year, many fans and analysts have asked why Backstrom isn’t on the Eastern Conference All Star team. While it’s nice that the NHL…
Simeon Varlamov’s long trip from Hershey, PA meant he didn’t arrive in time to back up Brent Johnson when the puck dropped Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Instead, the Caps had to rely on team Web Producer and former Division III goalie Brett Leonhardt as their backup goalie for ten minutes of nail-biting NHL action. The Senators took every possible opportunity to try to hurt Johnson and get to Leonhardt, the only Division III goalie…
Caps left wing Alexander Ovechkin is back in the spotlight today. The NHL named him its second star of the week. Last week, of course, Alexander Semin took over the NHL’s scoring lead for the second time this season, and Ovechkin was among the first to suggest that his teammate would make a good MVP candidate this season. Ovechkin was beaten for first star voting this week by his own linemate, sophomore center Nicklas Backstrom….
Tonight it’s draft lottery time in the NHL once more. For the last four seasons, this has been the day that we Caps fans cross our fingers and hope that the team is lucky enough to get a chance at a player who will help them do better in the future. This year, though, Washington will not participate, because the Capitals have made the playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes lost their final game to the Florida…