Bleacher Report - Articles by Cheryl Nichols

Washington Capitals Win: Varly Saves The Day

Cheryl Nichols — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:54:51 -0500

**Interesting to note that the No. 11 was an important number in DC sports today. Earlier on Wedneday, the Washington Nationals' made history when Ryan Zimmerman (No. 11) won the NL 3B Gold Glove which is the first Gold Glove for the Nationals. Then tonight, the Caps won their eleventh in an eleven round shootout. Both of these took place on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.**

Washington, DC -- The Washington Capitals hosted the New York Islanders on a cold and rainy night, but made the night very exciting with a 5-4 win in an eleven round shootout. Winning goal was scored by Captain Chris Clark.

Alex Semin is back and didn't waste any time getting things started. Eight seconds in (and tying a franchise record for fastest goal to start a game), Semin scored with a rocket slap shot after Morrison won the draw. Semin scored twice in regulation and again in the shootout. Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau said, "He looked like he wanted to play. And when he wants to play, he could have had six. He's scary good when he's motivated. There's the good and the bad—the goal, the giveaway, the miss."

The Islanders quickly responded with a Matt Moulson goal at 1:02. New York scored another two goals, making it three unanswered goals in less than seven minutes of the first period. The game was on pace for a football score. Jose Theodore was pulled at 6:54 after the three Islander goals and replaced by Semyon Varlamov .

"I don’t like to do that,” said Coach Boudreau of pulling Theodore, “especially so early, but he looked a little rattled and he looked a little down. It’s not like pulling him when the game is out of reach, we had so much time left. The last time he was pulled, Varly came in and shut the door, so I thought he would be able to do it again. Theo has played so well for us and he had a rough outing and he’ll come back this week and play another game and he’ll be great for us.”

Tomas Fleischmann scored on a power play at the end of the first period. The second period had only two goals and both were by Caps including Semin's second goal of the night to tie the game at three. With only 3:08 left in second, Eric Fehr became the tenth Cap to score in the four games where Ovechkin has been sidelined. "Good teams have guys pick it up," Boudreau said. "But by no means do we not miss him."

Varlamov shut down the Islanders until Trent Hunter scored on a power play with only 2:08 left in regulation to tie it up at four. "We can't stand prosperity," Boudreau said. "We go penalty-less for two periods, then we take three in the third."

After a scoreless overtime, Varlamov yielded only one goal in the shootout by Jeff Tambellini which was on the Islanders' first attempt. Varly made several fantastic saves in the shootout, however, the highlight was in Hunter's 9th round shot which Varly stopped with his pads, then used his arms to grab the crossbar to stop from sliding into the goal with the puck in his pads. "I was just skating back into the goal very fast," he said through an interpreter. "I just grabbed the first thing I could to stop my movement into the net."

It took eleven rounds of the shootout before Captain Chris Clark beat Roloson to give the Caps the win.

Varlavmov earned the number one star of the game as well as the Hardhat for his 25 saves and .962 Save Pct.

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SCORESHEET 1ST PERIOD

00:08 Alex Semin (8), Slap Shot. Assist: B Morrison

01:02 Matt Moulson (8), Wrist Shot. Assist: Streit

05:10 Mark Streit (3), Slap Shot. Assist: Gervais, Schremp

06:54 Sean Bergenheim (2), Backhand. Unassisted.

13:42 Power Play -Tomas Fleischmann (6), Slap Shot. Assist: Backstrom, Knuble

2ND PERIOD

05:35 Power Play -Alex Semin (9), Snap Shot. Assist: Green

16:46 Eric Fehr (2), Backhand. Assist: Clark, Green

3RD PERIOD 17:52 Power Play - Trent Hunter (2), Slap Shot. Assist: Tavares, Nielsen

OT None

SHOOTOUT

NYI: Tambellini (Round 1), Wrist Shot WAS: Semin (Round 2), Backhand and Clark (Round 12), Snap ________________________________________________________

THREE STARS

1. S. Varlamov - WAS (Saves: 25, Save Pct: .962)

2. A. Semin - WAS (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)

3. M. Streit - NYI (Goals: 1, Assists: 1)

Lastings Milledge Breaks Hand

Cheryl Nichols — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:51:18 -0400

Syracuse.com is reporting that outfielder Lastings Milledge fractured his right hand while attempting to bunt on a pitch from Ty Taubenheim in the first inning of the Chiefs game against the Indianapolis Indians at Alliance Bank Stadium on Monday morning.

There is no word as to how long Milledge will be out.

Nats Busy First Home Stand 2009

Cheryl Nichols — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:39:52 -0400

It was nice to have a day "off" since it has been such a busy week. Here are a few things that I wanted to share before we get into "Meet Beat the Mets" mode (notebook style).

-Scott Olsen will be the first National to make an appearance at ESPN Zone this season on Monday, May 18 at noon. Sounds like it will be like last year and Charlie Slowes will moderate the Q&A session and Olsen will sign autographs for fans.

-Congratulations to Frank Robinson! Frank was appointed as Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. Nice to see him stay involved in the game he loves.

-Lastings Milledge was finally removed from the home page on team's website. Not sure why they removed Flores, but now there are just two: Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman. This seems to be often overlooked. Last year, Paul LoDuca was gone for almost a month and was about to return to Nats Park as a Marlin, but our home page still had him pictured as a National with Dmitri Young and Chad Cordero. After multiple requests it was changed to Zim, Flores and Milledge. Those little details just get under my skin.

-Thankfully, it sounds like the Nats are not interested in Pedro Martinez.

-What happened to Nick Johnson's beard? I thought maybe he was growing his hockey playoff beard, however, at the Tuesday game he was clean shaven. Do you like NJ furry or smooth?

-Speaking of playoff beards, Dave is still working on his and hopefully (can't believe I just said that) won't have to shave it quite yet if the Caps can pull out a win on Friday night. Help him Rock the Red Beard and donate to Caps Care for growing a playoff beard.

-Slapshot and hockey sticks were part of the Presidents' Race on Tuesday night. Was this the Nats way of making up for the Monday night rain delay issues? Very interesting considering Mark Lerner owns a piece of the Caps. Anyone watch the Caps game at Nats Park on Wednesday night at Red Loft? Just curious.

-Just in case you have not heard, we have our first scheduled day-night weekend doubleheader at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 16! The rain-out game from Wednesday, April 15 against the Phillies has been rescheduled for a 1:05 p.m. game time and the regular scheduled game is at 7:05 p.m. Jackie Robinson Day will now be celebrated on May 16 and both the Nats and Phils will wear the No. 42 jerseys. See website for ticket information.

Alex Ovechkin on ESPN: E:60: Alexander the Gr8

Cheryl Nichols — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:23:35 -0400

If you missed Alex Ovechkin E:60 on Tuesday night, you can watch it here. It a must see! Ovi is awesome.

See Ted's comments too.

Few of my favorite quotes from video:

"It is a good day to be Ovi." - Alex Ovechkin

"..reckless abandon..." - Coach Bruce Boudreau

"..He doesn't shave and he's missing a tooth. His hair is all over the place, but somehow the girls, they just keep coming to him." - Brooks Laich

Quite a Coincidence for Washington Nationals: One Career Ends, One Gets Extended

Cheryl Nichols — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:18:33 -0400

After another game slipped through our hands on Sunday, changes were made. Much of the news from the clubhouse last night was expected.

Better news followed. Ryan Zimmerman and the Nats reached agreement on a long-term contract! It is reported as a five-year, $45 million contract extension. A press conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. today. Great news for the team and fans that he will be around for several more years.

It was a busy and newsy Sunday night in the Natosphere. After reeling from the disappointing losses and bullpen makeover, there was another piece of news that trickled in.

Former Montreal Expo and Washington National Brad Wilkerson retired yesterday to end his eight-year career. He leaves behind a .247 average, .350 on-base percentage, and 122 home runs in his big league career.

POETIC COINCIDENCE

Ryan Zimmerman is the "Face of the Franchise" ("FOF") for the Washington Nationals. On the day the Nationals' current FOF was getting a contract extension, our previous FOF was calling it quits.

Wilkerson, 31, was only in DC for the inaugural season, but he was definitely a fan favorite. He was selected by the Montreal Expos in the first round of the 1998 amateur draft and was with the Expos/Nationals until Dec. 2005, when he was part of the Alfonso Soriano trade with the Texas Rangers (along with Armando Galarraga and Terrmel Sledge).

Wilkerson spent two years with the Rangers, was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a free agent in Jan. 2008 (and then released in May), and then signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent in May 2008.

The Boston Red Sox signed him as a free agent in Feb. 2009 and, until yesterday, he was on the Pawtucket roster (AAA Red Sox).

Wilkerson secured his historic tie to the Nationals by getting the club's first hit on Opening Day in Philadelphia on Apr. 4, 2005, as well as the Nationals' first cycle, the second in his career.

Congratulations, Ryan, and best of luck, Brad!

Looking Back at 2005 Inaugural Washington Nationals

Cheryl Nichols — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:30:09 -0400

Hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane....

The Washington Nationals are now in their fifth season since moving from Montreal. Looking back, most people didn't expect much from that inaugural team and in four complete seasons, the 2005 team maintains the best record!

The 2005 Washington Nationals played 162 games during the regular season. They won 81 games, lost 81 games with a .500 winning percentage, however, in the competitive NLEast, it was only good enough for fifth place. The Nats played their home games at R.F.K. Stadium where 2,731,993 fans attended the Nationals inaugural season.

The 2005 team roster looks very different from the 2009 roster. Only Guz and NJ are still Nationals from the 2005 Opening Day roster. Jason Bergmann P was a late 2005 season call up, pitched on 8/28/2005 and remains with club, however, was recently sent to Nats AAA affiliate in Syracuse.

Ryan Zimmerman 3B was a late 2005 season call up, played his first game as a National was on 9/1/2005 and became the "face of the franchise" after Wilkerson was traded. Zimremains with club today and started at 3B on Opening Day 2009.

2005 Washington Nationals Starting Line-up on Opening Day (April 4, 2005 in Philly):

Brad Wilkerson, CF

Cristian Guzman, SS

Jose Vidro, 2B

Jose Guillen, RF

Nick Johnson, 1B

Vinny Castilla, 3B

Terrmel Sledge, LF

Brian Schneider, C

Livan Hernandez, P

Where are the other 7 players from the 4/4/2005 lineup?

Stephen Bradley Wilkerson was the "face of the franchise" before Ryan Zimmerman, however, was only in DC for the inaugural season. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1998 in the first round of amateur draft and was with the Expos/Nationals until December 2005 when Brad was part of the Alfonso Soriano trade with the Texas Rangers (along with Armando Galarraga and Terrmel Sledge). Wilkerson spent two years with the Rangers, was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a free agent in January 2008 and then released in May of that same year, and then signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent in May 2008. The Boston Red Sox signed him as a free agent in February 2009 and he is currently on the Pawtucket roster (AAA Red Sox). Wilkerson secured his historic tie to the Nationals by hitting the club's first hit on opening day in Philadelphia on April 4, 2005 as well as the Nationals first cycle and this second in his career.

Jose Vidro was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 6thround of the 1992 amateur draft and played with the Expos/Nats through 2006. Vidro was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Emiliano Fruto RP (now with Arizona) and Chris Snelling RF (now with Phillies minors) in December 2006 and later released by the Mariners in August 2008. I do not believe that Vidro is currently playing baseball.

Jose Guillen was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1992 and went on to also play for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Anaheim Angels, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals. Total of 10 teams and salary range from $150,000 to his current $12M with the Royals. Guillen just went on the 15-day DL last week for an injured hip.

Vinny Castilla played baseball in Mexico and started in MLB with Braves in 1990. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies from the Braves as the 40thpick in the 1992 expansion draft. After seven seasons with the Rockies, he was traded to Tampa Bay Devil Rays, then bounced around from Houston Astros to Atlanta Braves, back to Rockies and then signed as a free agent by the Washington Nationals in November 2004. Vinny hit the first Nationals home run at RFK during home opener on April 14, 2005 and was only a National for one season, but was a fan favorite. Nats traded Castilla to the San Diego Padres for Brian Lawrence and cash in November 2005 and Padres released him at the break in 2006. Rockies welcomed Castilla back in August 2006 and "retired" with Colorado at the end of that season. Castilla was the manager of Team Mexico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Team Mexico was eliminated by Cuba in second round.

Terrmel Sledge was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 45th round of the 1998 amateur draft, but did not sign. He was then drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 8th round of the 1999 amataur draft and did sign. Seattle sent Sledge to the Montreal Expos in September 2000 as one of the "players to be named later" to complete a deal. Sledge was an Expo/National through 2005 season and will remain in the records as hitting the Nationals' first homerun (opening day in Philadelphia on April 4, 2005). Terrmelwas part of the Alfonso Soriano trade withthe Texas Rangers (along with Armando Galarraga and Brad Wilkerson). Sledge was only a Ranger for a few days and was traded to the San Diego Padres with Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young for Billy Killian, Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. Sledge played for the Padres in 2006 and 2007 and was released after the 2007 season. Terrmel Sledge is starting his second season of playing baseball in Japan for the Nippon Ham Fighters (Sapporo).

Brian Schneider was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 5th round of the 1995 amateur draft and played withthe Expos/Nationals through 2007 season. Brian was a fan favorite and was traded to the New York Mets, along with Ryan Church, for Lastings Milledge. Schneider is currently the starting catcher for the Mets.

Eisler Livan Hernandez was signed by the Florida Marlins as an amateur free agent in 1996. Livanwas traded to the San Francisco Giants in July 1999 and then traded to Montreal Expos with Edwards Guzman for Jim Brower and Matt Blank in March 2003. Livanwas the Nationals 2005 Opening Day starter. Hernandez was a Nat until August 7, 2006 when he was traded with cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitchers Matt Chico (60-Day DL) and Garrett Mock (AAA Syracuse). He became a free agent after 2007 season and was signed by Minnesota Twins in February 2008, who later released him and was selected off waivers by Colorado Rockies in August 2008. Livan Hernandez was signed a minor league contract by New York Mets and looks like he will be their 5th starter.

WHAT HAPPENED TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE 2005 NATIONALS? WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

First of all, I forgot about some of the names on the roster. J.J. Davis? I did a little bit of research and some were tough to track down. An (*) means that I could not locate any information from a few basic searches. If you know where they are, please let us know. Thank you. Ones in bold are currently playing baseball to my knowledge.

Tony Armas Jr. SP - 2008 Mets (could not find info after last season)

Luis Ayala RP - Twins

Carlos Baerga 1B/3B - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Gary Bennett C - 2009 Dodgers

Tony Blanco 3B/OF - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Marlon Byrd OF - 2009 Rangers 4th OF

Hector Carrasco P - Finished with 2007 Angels

Jamey Carroll 2B/SS - 2009 Indians back-up 2B/SS

Matt Cepicky OF - 2006 Marlins (could not find info after last season)

Endy Chavez OF - 2009 Mariners

Ryan Church OF - 2009 Mets

Chad Cordero RP - 2009 Mariners Disabled List

Wil Cordero 1B - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Deivi Cruz 2B/SS - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

J.J. Davis OF - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Ryan Drese SP - 2009 Braves?

Joey Eischen RP - Natsthrough 2006; Done with baseball*

Zach Day SP - Twins; sent to minor league camp 3/10/2009

John Halama P - 2008 Indians AAA; still with Indians?

Jeffrey Hammonds OF - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Brandon Harris INF - 2009 Twins starting SS

Joe Horgan P - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Kenny Kelly OF - 2007 White Sox; done with baseball?

Sunny Kim P - 2007 Giants AAA; done with baseball?

Esteban Loaiza SP - Free Agent? He was with White Sox and Dodgers in 2008

Gary Majewski P - 2009 Phillies

Henry Mateo 2B - 2008 Pirates AAA; still with Pirates?

Tomo Okha P - 2009 Indians minor league contract signed December 2008

Keith Osik OF - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Antonio Osuna P - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

John Patterson SP - Retired January 2009

Jon Rauch RP - Jon stayed with the Nationals until July 2008 and is now with 2009 Diamondbacks

Rick Short 2B - Got his cup of coffee in 2005 and that was it. Played in Japan.

Junior Spivey 2B - Free agent? 2008 Red Sox AAA affiliate signed and then released after 2008 spring training

Mike Stanton P - 2007 Reds; current free agent?

T.J. Tucker P - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Claudio Vargas P - 2009 Dodgers minor league contract signed in January 2009

Brandon Watson OF - 2009 Diamondbacks; sent to their minor league camp on 3/22/2009

Matt White P - Done with baseball after 2005 season*

Preston Wilson OF - Done with baseball? Believe last team was 2007 Cardinals

Washington Capitals Head to Minnesota on Monday

Cheryl Nichols — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:59:46 -0500

The Washington Capitals (11-6-3-25) visit the Minnesota Wild (11-6-1-23) at the Xcel Energy Center at 8:00 PM ET.

Caps and Wild appear evenly matched on paper. The road-weary Caps match up against the Wild in their fourth game in six days. Minnesota penalty killers are the best in the league, while keeping opponents from scoring on more than 93 percent of their chances.

Since Johnson had the last two starts and losses, my guess is that Jose Theordore will defend the net in Minnesota.

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WHERE TO WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE CAPS

TV: Versus

Radio: Caps Radio 1500 & 820

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INJURIES

WAS: D Brian Potheir (Consussion/OUT); LW Alexander Semin (Upper body/Questionable); D Mike Green (Shoulder/Questionable)

MIN: RW Marian Gaborik (Lower body/OUT); D Kurtis Foster (Leg/OUT)

Sharks-Caps: San Jose Takes a Bite Out of Washington

Cheryl Nichols — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:31:14 -0500

The Washington Capitals were eaten alive by the San Jose Sharks, and ended up losing 7-2 in their third game in California this week. Tonight was the Caps' first trip to San Jose in three years and marks the 11th straight loss in the shark tank.

Caps faced the well-rested, Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks, who hadn't played since Monday. Road fatigue and injured players proved to be major factors in the Caps' sixth loss of the season at the sold out HP Pavilion.

Tom Poti and Tomas Fleischmann scored the two goals for the Capitals.

Sergi Federov was back in the lineup for the Caps after missing his seven straight, due to a sprained ankle. He eased back onto the ice, going only 3:47.

The Caps needed everyone healthy to have a chance against the Sharks, however, Alexander Semin missed his fourth consecutive game because of an undisclosed upper body injury and Mike Green missed his second game due to a shoulder injury sustained in Anaheim.

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THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. R. Blake - SJ (Goals: 0, Assists: 4)

2. R. Clowe - SJ (Goals: 2, Assists: 0)

3. M. Vlasic - SJ (Goals: 1, Assists: 1) ______________________________________________________

CAPS NOTES

Today marks the first anniversary of the Caps' hiring of coach Bruce Boudreau, who has transformed an underachieving club into one of the Eastern Conference's best.

Sunday, Nov. 23 is the 21st birthday of Nicklas Backstrom. ______________________________________________________

NEXT GAME: The Caps continue their road trip on Monday, Nov. 24 with the Minnesota Wild at 8:00 PM ET.

Washington Capitals: Caps In The Community

Cheryl Nichols — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:26:09 -0500

Chris Clark to Sign Autographs, Host Q & A at ESPN Zone

Washington Capitals right wing and captain Chris Clark will host a question-and-answer session and sign autographs for fans at ESPN Zone in downtown D.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Clark, who is in his fourth season in Washington, has 103 points (55g-48a) and 229 penalty minutes in 183 games with the Caps. The South Windsor, Conn., native posted career highs in goals (30), assists (24) and points (54) in 2006-07 with the Capitals.

WHO: Washington Capitals right wing and captain Chris Clark

WHAT: Question-and-answer session, autograph signing at ESPN Zone WHEN: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 7- 8 p.m. WHERE: ESPN Zone, 555 12th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20004, 202-783-3776

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Courage Caps

Courage Caps will be sold for $20 online at WashingtonCaps.com, at the Fan Gear store and stands throughout Verizon Center at Capitals home games and at the pro shop at Ashburn Ice House, The Gardens Ice House, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Prince William Ice Center, Rockville Ice Arena, Skate Frederick and SkateQuest Reston.

There will also be a limited number of autographed Courage Caps 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 signed by Nicklas Backstrom, Sergei Fedorov, Mike Green, Michael Nylander or Alex Ovechkin; for $35, fans can purchase a Courage Cap signed by any other individual Capitals player. Learn more about this program online.

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Click to Win Ticket Winners for Nov. 26

The Washington Capitals have announced another group of winners for the 2008-09 Caps Care Click to Win initiative. Septima Clark Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney, Md., Poplar Tree Elementary School in Chantilly, Va., and St. John the Evangelist School in Severna Park, Md., were each selected to receive tickets to the Capitals game on Wednesday, Nov. 26, versus the Atlanta Thrashers at Verizon Center. Each school will also receive a $500 grant from Washington Capitals Charities and the school with the highest attendance at the game will receive an additional $1,000 grant.

Caps Care Click to Win is back for its second season, again giving local schools the chance to win free Capitals tickets and cash prizes. The program is part of the team’s commitment to introduce area youth to hockey and to support local schools with charitable contributions.

Between October and March, Washington metropolitan area schools that have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and have registered at WashingtonCaps.com will be entered into a random drawing to receive complimentary game tickets and a $500 grant. The Caps will provide tickets to schools for 10 games at Verizon Center.

At the conclusion of the program, the school with the highest attendance rate overall will also receive a player visit and a Capitals team-signed jersey.

To register your school or for more information on Caps Care Click to Win, go to http://WashingtonCaps.com/click-to-win.

Washington Capitals Face Number One San Jose Sharks Tonight

Cheryl Nichols — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:08:25 -0500

The Washington Capitals (11-5-3-25) visit the San Jose Sharks (16-3-1-33) at the HP Pavilion at 10:30 PM ET.

The Caps need to step it up tonight as they take on the number one team in the NHL who also has the best home record, 10-0-1. Washington faces the well-rested, Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks who haven't played since Monday. The Caps, who have lost the last five straight in San Jose, take the ice for the third time in four nights following their 5-2 loss at Los Angeles on Thursday.

According to washcaps.com, Mike Green is getting better and is no longer wearing a sling, however, he will not play tonight.

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GOALIE PREDICTIONS:

WAS: Brent Johnson

SJ: Brian Boucher, SJ (Nabokov has been out with an injury, however, could be back tonight as a back-up).
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WHERE TO WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE CAPS:

TV: Comcast SportsNetRadio: Caps Radio 1500 & 820
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INJURIES:

WAS: D Brian Potheir ( Concussion/OUT); C/D Sergei Federov (Ankle/Questionable); LW Alexander Semin (Upper body/OUT); D Mike Green (Shoulder/Questionable)

SJ: RW Mike Grier (Lower body/Questionable); C Torrey Mitchell (Leg/OUT); G Evgeni Nabokov (Lower body/Questionable)

Kings-Caps: Los Angeles Rules Washington, 5-2

Cheryl Nichols — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:42:43 -0500

The Kings ruled the ice and shut down the Caps 5-2, and in the process stopped Ovechkin's goal scoring streak at five straight games.

The Kings are one of only three NHL teams against which Alex Ovechkin has not scored a goal. The Capitals face the other two—San Jose and Minnesota—in their next two games.

Nicklas Backstrom lived up to his NHL Star of the Week hype and scored first for the Caps on a power-play goal. Backstrom has scored a goal in four of his past five games after a season-opening 14-game drought.

The Caps' only other goal was made by Brooks Laich, his fifth of the season.

Brent Johnson got a workout tonight as L.A. out-shot Washington 33-21.

The Caps were missing key players including their leading scorer. Alexander Semin missed his third consecutive game because of an undisclosed upper body injury, Sergi Federov missed his seventh straight due to a sprained ankle, and Mike Green missed his first game after being checked hard into the boards by Anaheim's Pronger.

Alexander Ovechkin was a "King for a day" as the Los Angeles Kings proclaimed it "Russian Heritage Night" at Staples Center. Newly inducted Hall of Famer Igor Larionov dropped the a ceremonial first puck between Ovechkin and Alexander Frolov, who are both from Russia.

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Three Stars of the Game

1. D. Brown—LA (Goals: 1, Assists: 1)
2. D. Doughty—LA (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
3. K. Quincey—LA (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)

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Caps Notes

Alex Ovechkin has recorded at least one goal and two points in five straight games, matching the longest such streak in Capitals history. Dennis Maruk did the same in 1980-81. Ovechkin's four points last night at Anaheim (1g-3a) marked a season high, and give him 14 points (6g-8a) and a +12 rating in his last five games.
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Next Game

The Caps continue California dreamin' on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the San Jose Sharks at 10:30PM ET. The Sharks have not played since Monday.

Game 19 Preview: Washington Capitals at Los Angeles Kings

Cheryl Nichols — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:17:39 -0500

The Washington Capitals (11-4-3-25) visit the Los Angeles Kings (7-8-2-16) at the Staples Center at 7:30 PM ET.

According to The Washington Post Insider, D Shaone Morrisonn will be playing tonight. He returns to the ice after missing six games because of a groin muscle pull. Mike Green is scheduled for an MRI on his shoulder after being slammed into the wall last night by Anaheim's Pronger.

Brent Johnson will be guarding the net tonight for the Caps, his first start in four games.

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WHERE TO WATCH OR LISTEN TO THE CAPS:

TV: Comcast Sports
NetRadio: Caps Radio 1500 & 820
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INJURIES

WAS

D Brian Potheir (Concussion/OUT); C/D Sergei Fedorov (Ankle/Questionable); LW Alexander Semin (Upper body/OUT); D Mike Green (Shoulder/DTD)

D Jack Johnson (Shoulder/OUT); RW Marc-Andre Cliche (Shoulder/OUT)

John Lannan Named to Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team

Cheryl Nichols — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:40:23 -0500

Press Release from the Nationals:

Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher John Lannan today was named to the
50th Annual Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. Lannan was one of 10
players to earn the citation, which annually recognizes one rookie for each
position on the field, as well as the top right-handed and left-handed pitchers.

The 24-year-old turned in one of the top rookie seasons in franchise
history, going 9-15 with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts. Lannan led all big league
rookies and tied for eighth in the NL with 21 quality starts, which represented
the third-highest total ever by a Washington Nationals (2005-08) pitcher and
tied for the fifth-highest rookie total in the past 23 years, beginning with the
1986 season. He finished among this season's freshman leaders in wins (tied for
sixth), ERA (fourth) and starts (tied for third), while also ranking among the
top rookies with 182.0 innings (fifth), 112 strikeouts (fifth) and a .252
batting average against (third).

Lannan has a career mark of 11-17 with a 3.95 ERA in 37 starts. He was
selected by the Nationals in the 11th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft
out of Siena (NY) College.

Capitals-Ducks: Washington Defeats Not-So-Mighty Anaheim

Cheryl Nichols — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:44:43 -0500

Reigning NHL MVP and current NHL second star of the week, Alexander Ovechkin, extended his goal streak to five games and added three assists to help the Caps beat the Anaheim Ducks, 6-4.

Tomas Fleischmann and Mike Green scored less than two minutes apart early in the first period with the man advantage. Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Bradley, and David Steckel also scored, and Michael Nylander had two assists for the Capitals.

The Ducks have allowed more than one power-play goal in eight of their first 20 games. The Caps went three-for-eight on the power play while winning for the sixth time in seven games.

Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger's shoulder check smacked Mike Green into the end boards late in the first period. Green missed his next few shifts and did not return to the game. According to Washington Post Insider, Green was wearing a shoulder sling after the game and sounds like he will have it looked at in the morning. Apparently, Green was looking forward to this game because he is a big Scott Niedermayer fan, and asked for his stick after the game.

The Caps played without Alexander Semin, who missed his second-consecutive game because of an undisclosed upper-body injury. Sergei Fedorov missed his sixth-straight with a sprained ankle, as did Shaone Morrisonn, due to a groin injury.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

1. A. Ovechkin - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 3)

2. B. Ryan - ANA (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)

3. V. Kozlov - WAS (Goals: 0, Assists: 1)

NOTES:

Ovechkin has 14 points in his last five games.

NEXT GAME:

The Caps continue their California tour on Thursday, November 20 at the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30PM ET.

Nicklas Backstrom & Alex Ovechkin: NHL Stars of the Week

Cheryl Nichols — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:36:25 -0500

The NHL announced the leagues Stars of the Week today, and Washington Capitals center and left wing, Nicklas Bäckström and Alex Ovechkin, have been named First and Second Stars of the Week. Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis was named the NHL’s third star.

Bäckström led the NHL with 11 points in four games, including two goals, nine assists and a +10 rating. He matched a personal best of four assists in one game and set a personal record with five points on Saturday night in New Jersey. He currently holds his longest career assist streak at five games (Nov. 8-15).

Bäckström has 16 points on the season (two goals, 14 assists) and is tied with Alexander Semin for the team lead in assists. Ovechkin has recorded a goal in the Capitals last four games, totaling 10 points (five goals, five assists) and a league-best +11 rating in that span.

Teammates Ovechkin and Semin currently lead the NHL in plus/minus with a +17 rating; Bäckström is third at +11. This season Ovechkin has recorded 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists).

Game 16 Review: Jose, Jose, Jose....

Cheryl Nichols — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:19:46 -0500

THE CAPS WIN!

The Washington Capitals handed the New Jersey Devils their fourth straight loss. The RED HOT Caps beat the Devils 3-1 with Jose Theodore protecting the net in his first start in nearly two weeks.

Jose had a great night and the only puck to get by him against his 32 saves was a late breakaway goal in the third period. Alexander Semin left the game late in the second period with an undisclosed injury. The team said his status is day-to-day.

SCORING:

The Caps scored first and led all night. Brooks Laich scored his fourth goal with a power play tip-in goal in the first period assisted by Ovechkin and Green.

The last three goals of the night were the fifth goal of the season for each player. Thomas Fleischmann scored with a snap shot goal assisted by Kozlov and Green in the second period.

The other two goals came in the third period with the first of the two by the Devils with a wrist shot goal by Patrik Elias assisted by Gionta and Oduya. The Caps closed out the night with Alex Ovechkin adding an empty-net goal in the final 20 seconds of the game assisted by Backstrom and Laich.

PENALTIES:

There were only a total of six minutes of penalties for the entire game. Fleischmann got two minutes for holding, Kozlov got two minutes for high-sticking and Vrana from the Devils had two minutes for too many men on the ice. There were no penalties in the third period.

MILESTONE REACHED:

Kozlov's assist on Fleischmann's goal was his 500th career point.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

1. T. Fleischmann - WAS (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)
2. J. Theodore - WAS (Saves: 32, Save Pct: .970)
3. P. Elias - NJ (Goals: 1, Assists: 0)

NEXT GAME:

Saturday, November 15th against the very same NJ Devils in NJ which will be the only time this season Washington plays the same opponent in back-to-back games.