AlexOvechkin Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/alex-ovechkin/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Sat, 05 Apr 2025 15:38:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 AlexOvechkin Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/alex-ovechkin/ 32 32 136660061 ANALYSIS: Ovechkin’s night a right of passage for young Blackhawks https://www.the-rink.com/analysis-ovechkins-night-a-right-of-passage-for-young-blackhawks/ https://www.the-rink.com/analysis-ovechkins-night-a-right-of-passage-for-young-blackhawks/#respond Sat, 05 Apr 2025 15:38:52 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=33291 Last night, the hockey world was treated to something special: A seminal moment for the league with a record-tying performance. When Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal marker of... Read more »

The post ANALYSIS: Ovechkin’s night a right of passage for young Blackhawks appeared first on The Rink.

]]> Last night, the hockey world was treated to something special: A seminal moment for the league with a record-tying performance. When Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal marker of 894 career NHL goals, hockey fans worldwide witnessed a passing of the torch they believed they would never see. Gretzky’s record, thought by some to withstand time and never be broken, will fall perhaps as early as Sunday afternoon when the Washington Capitals face the New York Islanders. In the span of a few days, the Alex Ovechkin/Sidney Crosby era continues to deliver and exceed expectations, as “Sid the Kid” himself registered his 20th straight point-per-game season. It is another feat that will have hockey historians scratching their heads. 

If you are a Chicago Blackhawks fan and tuned into last night’s game, you are probably okay if not pleased to see Ovechkin get this done against your side. Perhaps like me, you are somewhat frustrated with yet another loss in a rebuilding season when your team entered the third period holding a 3–2 lead. Yet, as Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno encouraged his team to stick around after the horn sounded for all to shake the hand of Alex the Great and congratulate him on his momentous achievement, when looking at the nameplates, numbers and considering the ages of those embracing Ovi, you may have witnessed another torch being passed. For the young Hawks to be a part of this game, to feel that moment and electricity, to compete all night while maybe not fully realizing the gravity and magnitude of that game, it will only serve them well as they continue to grow and mature as young hockey players. 

Though it was Ovi’s night, if you were watching the contest on NHL Network as I was, many times during the game, and particularly in the second period, Capitals play-by-play announcers Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin often complimented Chicago’s youth movement. Whether it was the speed of Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar’s determination or the reads and angles of 19-year-old Artyom Levshunov, it was clear to those covering the home side that these kids can play. Nazar was perhaps the best forward on the ice, as he has significantly raised his game over the last two weeks. Moore tallied the first two points of his young career with two assists on the night. Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski were in the lineup again and Alex Vlasic was solid, as was Landon Slaggert. Young goaltender Spencer Knight remained poised as the clock wound down, stopping shot after shot from Ovechkin as he tried to break the record before time expired. And though Connor Bedard looks wiped out and downright exhausted, maybe that can happen in April of your second year as a pro when you have played 140 games, tallied 120 points in that span, are shy of your 20th birthday and are a marked man league-wide. It is fine to be critical of his play and I certainly have been at times, too, but keep it in perspective. Bedard is going to be just fine — elite and a force. An offseason reset will help him, and the shot in the arm of the youth movement will be just the injection he and the organization needs heading into the 2025–26 season. 

Oliver Moore tallied his first two points in his third NHL game with assists on goals by Frank Nazar and Philipp Kurashev. (Photo courtesy of Nick Wass / Associated Press)

There is work to be done, of course, as this team continues to climb the mountain. There is an abundance of young defensemen in the organization. Ethan Del Mastro was out of the lineup last night, but he will still be in the Blackhawks’ plans. Though Wyatt Kaiser has played well of late, will he stick? When will Nolan Allan get another shot? These are not bad problems to have.

Chicago does need to prioritize the hiring of a new coach — and early — this offseason, preferably before free agency opens on July 1. At this point, interim head coach Anders Sorensen seems more like a placeholder until a more seasoned NHL coach takes the reins of this young and budding club. You will hear names like University of Denver head coach Dave Carle and current Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who may or may not be available as possible hires. Time will tell what the Hawks do about this, but with plenty of cap space at General Manager Kyle Davidson’s disposal this summer, in order to attract marquee free agents of the likes of Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, Brock Boeser and many others who will be in high demand, nailing down a solid coaching hire is critical.

They will also have another lottery pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, quite possibly in the top three. A world-class prospect such as Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa or James Hagens may soon be joining the arsenal of young talent within the Blackhawks’ system. 

There will be many hiccups for the kids as well. None are the finished product; they are all still prospects and some of them will hit and some will miss. But in today’s NHL, if you have speed, you have a chance, and you are starting to see the return of Davidson’s philosophy of investing in high-end skaters. And if you are not excited about where the Hawks are in this stage of their rebuild and what you see when you watch multiple young 20-somethings and two teenagers blazing around to close out a grueling 2024–25 season, I am not sure there is much more to tell you. Hawks fans have been asked to be patient; it is not easy, but it is happening, so jump on the train. 

For the youngsters, two of which Moore and Rinzel, who were wearing a white Blackhawks sweater for the first time while congratulating one of the game’s greatest players, gaining the experience of that hockey moment is invaluable, something they will all look back on with fondness and one that can and will motivate each of them to be the best they can possibly for their hockey team both now and in the future, hopefully to the tune of another era of multiple Stanley Cups in Chicago.

The post ANALYSIS: Ovechkin’s night a right of passage for young Blackhawks appeared first on The Rink.

]]> https://www.the-rink.com/analysis-ovechkins-night-a-right-of-passage-for-young-blackhawks/feed/ 0 33291 RECAP: Ovechkin ties Gretzky with a pair of goals in 5–3 win over Chicago https://www.the-rink.com/recap-ovechkin-ties-gretzky-with-a-pair-of-goals-in-5-3-win-over-chicago/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-ovechkin-ties-gretzky-with-a-pair-of-goals-in-5-3-win-over-chicago/#respond Sat, 05 Apr 2025 02:26:14 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=33287 Fans are always at a crossroads when players have a chance to break a record against their favorite teams and tonight was like no other. Alex Ovechkin came into tonight’s... Read more »

The post RECAP: Ovechkin ties Gretzky with a pair of goals in 5–3 win over Chicago appeared first on The Rink.

]]> Fans are always at a crossroads when players have a chance to break a record against their favorite teams and tonight was like no other. Alex Ovechkin came into tonight’s action three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record. The 39-year-old forward would find the back of the net twice and had some excellent chances late, one that Spencer Knight stopped with the top of his right shoulder, but would have to settle for “only” tying the record tonight, as the Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5–3.

First period

All eyes were on Ovechkin as he chased history and the Russian wasted no time scoring his 40th goal of the season at the 3:52 mark of the opening frame. Ovechkin beat Knight after firing home a shot from former Blackhawks center Dylan Strome. The goal left Ovechkin one goal short of tying Gretzky.

Tyler Bertuzzi tied the game at 1–1 beating Washington netminder Charlie Lindgren for his 21st goal of the season. The goal, assisted by forwards Landon Slaggert and Frank Nazar, would be all the scoring in the period.

Second period

Less than a minute into the middle period, Nazar buried home his eighth goal of the season to give the visitors a 2–1 lead. The goal was assisted by forward Oliver Moore, his first career NHL point, and the soon-to-be-retired Pat Maroon.

Martin Fehervary fired a wrist shot past Knight to tie the game at 2–2, but it would be a short-lived tie game after forward Phillipp Kurashev scored his seventh goal of the season to take back the lead for the Hawks at 3–2.

Third period

Chicago would knock the puck into its own goal and Strome would be credited with the easiest goal of his career to knot things back up at 3–3 at 3:46 mark of the period.

The goal everyone was waiting for, No. 894 of his career, to tie the record found the back of the net at the 6:13 mark to give the Capitals lead at 4–3. Ovechkin found himself at his usual left dot and fired home a wrist shot past Knight.

Capitals forward Ryan Leonard scored his first career goal into an empty net to finish off the Blackhawks 5–3. Ovechkin was given the choice and did not want the record-breaking goal to come by an empty net.

Chicago is back on home ice on Sunday for a 5 p.m. CDT puck drop against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Analysis

Ovechkin has been a polarizing figure since joining the NHL and is one goal away from breaking a record many thought was untouchable. The forward gets his next chance in New York against the Islanders. That game would be the same exact amount of games it took Gretzky to score 894 at 1,487 games played.

Nazar scored tonight and has been doing a nice job playing a simple game and always seems to have a nose for the puck or the open ice to make plays. The 21-year-old forward has also been doing a great job of finding himself in front of the opposing team’s goaltender, a talent a lot of forwards on this team do not possess.

Moore finished the game with two assists and a +2 rating. The youngster has shown the ability to use his speed and slick stick handling to be a factor every time he steps on the ice in his young career.

The post RECAP: Ovechkin ties Gretzky with a pair of goals in 5–3 win over Chicago appeared first on The Rink.

]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-ovechkin-ties-gretzky-with-a-pair-of-goals-in-5-3-win-over-chicago/feed/ 0 33287 RECAP: Blackhawks Down the Champs, 8-5 https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-capitals-2/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-capitals-2/#respond Mon, 21 Jan 2019 04:21:24 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=11552 The Blackhawks and Capitals both came into Sunday’s matinee on losing streaks. The Blackhawks come home after losing two games against the Devils and Rangers on the road. The Capitals,... Read more »

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Down the Champs, 8-5 appeared first on The Rink.

]]> The Blackhawks and Capitals both came into Sunday’s matinee on losing streaks. The Blackhawks come home after losing two games against the Devils and Rangers on the road. The Capitals, losers of four straight, have lost their stranglehold on the Metropolitan division thanks to the red-hot Islanders.

Jeremy Colliton really changed up the lines during Saturday’s practice, keeping those same lines for Sunday’s game. Noticeable changes include Chris Kunitz entering the lineup, as well as Slater Koekkoek playing over Henri Jokiharju. The lines were as follows:

Caggiula – Toews – Kane

DeBrincat – Strome – Kahun

Saad – Kampf – Kruger

Kunitz – Anisimov – Hayden

Keith – Seabrook

Dahlstrom – Murphy

Koekkoek – Gustafsson

Delia

 

Brendan Perlini entered concussion protocol over the weekend, so his status remains uncertain.

First Period:

The first period began with the Capitals pacing play. An early Capitals power play could have given the visitors an early lead. Instead, the Capitals played on the outside and didn’t get any quality opportunities on Collin Delia, and the game remained deadlocked with no score.

Six minutes into the first, the Blackhawks’ new third line broke out on a rush up the ice, with Brandon Saad leading the charge. Saad danced around one defender, crossed the blue line and walked the young defenseman Madison Bowey, before putting the puck past Braden Holtby’s blocker for a 1-0 Chicago lead.

The Blackhawks’ fun wouldn’t stop there. Just over a minute later, the Capitals had a major defensive breakdown. Patrick Kane found himself wide open in the high slot. Kane held the puck, picked his spot and fired home his 28th goal of the season to make it 2-0 Blackhawks. Credit has to go to Drake Caggiula on the play, as he had a perfect screen on Holtby. The Capitals’ goaltender stood no chance with Kane wide open and not having a clean look at the puck.

https://twitter.com/CMS_74_/status/1087045064801640448

As the period neared its last five minutes, the Capitals were able to get one back. Defenseman Brooks Orpik threw a shot on Collin Delia that glanced off of his body and into the net. The goal was Orpik’s second of the year and the Capitals halved the Blackhawks lead 2-1.

Around 30 seconds later, (yes, seconds) the Blackhawks added their third goal of the first period, with some help from Dmitri Orlov. The Blackhawks top line generated some chances before a puck found its way up into the air in front of Braden Holtby. Orlov attempted to swat the puck over the net, but after whiffing on that chance, the puck floated into the net behind Holtby for the Blackhawks’ third goal of the period. Despite Orlov putting the puck in, Toews was the last Blackhawks player to touch the puck so he was credited with his 19th of the season.

The Blackhawks took the 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Only 9 first period shots led to the three goals for the Blackhawks.

Second Period:

The Blackhawks didn’t stop the goal scoring to open the second period. After a Capitals turnover, Dylan Strome skated up ice with the puck. Once he entered the Capitals’ zone, Strome drew four defenders’ attention and found a wide-open Alex DeBrincat, who fired home his 25th goal of the season. DeBrincat’s goal was the last shot Braden Holtby would see as he was pulled for Phoenix Copley.

https://twitter.com/CMS_74_/status/1087056673330655237

The middle portion of the period was defined by chippiness and extra-curricular activities between both teams. Notably, Alex Ovechkin took a run at Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy retaliated. Tom Wilson and Duncan Keith also exchanged shoves and a nice hip check from Keith drew more attention from Wilson. Brent Seabrook was involved as well, all leading up to one big “party in the sin bin” for both teams.

With under five minutes remaining, another weak goal helped the Capitals crawl back into the game. As the Capitals tried establishing position in the offensive zone, Dmitri Orlov fired a shot from a bad angle, almost fully in the corner to Delia’s right. The puck had eyes and found a small opening on Delia to make the game 4-2.

Third Period:

The early portion of the third period made it seem as if the Capitals were going to rally. Only three minutes in to the third, John Carlson capitalized for his 7th goal of the season. A big face-off win for the Capitals led to Carlson’s monster one timer that found the corner over Delia’s shoulder.

Following Washington’s third goal, Nicklas Backstrom went to the penalty box and sent the red-hot Blackhawks power play onto the ice. This would prove to not be a good idea for the Capitals. Just over 10 seconds into the power play, Jonathan Toews found Patrick Kane at the right-wing face off dot, after Kane settled the puck, he fired the puck through Copley’s underarm to make the game 5-3.

Four minutes later, Patrick Kane made a great play in the defensive zone to get the puck out to a flying Jonathan Toews. Toews and Drake Caggiula had a 2-on-1 from the red line in. The Captain kept the puck and fired a laser to Copley’s stick side to further the Blackhawks lead, 6-3. The goal was Toews’ 20th of the season, his 12th straight year of accomplishing that feat.

However, the momentum began to shift in favor of the visitors. Two goals at the ten and thirteen-minute marks gave the Capitals some life and cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 6-5. To that point, all five goals for the Capitals came from defensemen as Carlson scored his second and Niskanen scored his first of the game.

Today’s game was a game of superstars, as Jonathan Toews put the team on his back and gave the Blackhawks a cushion. The Captain, after a great move to shake free, fired a puck five-hole on Phoenix Copley, giving him his 21st goal, the Blackhawks’ 7th of the day, and the hat trick for #19.

After the Capitals pulled Copley, Dylan Strome fought through a hooking penalty to hit the empty net and increase the Blackhawks lead to three. The Blackhawks beat the defending Stanley Cup champions, 8-5.

Quick Hits:

  • What a day for the big guns. Both Toews and Kane had five points each. Toews’ hat trick helped the Captain reach the 20-goal plateau for the 12th straight season. Patrick Kane is also now only nine points away from the Art Ross (most points) lead. These two have been spectacular this year and they’re two of the oldest players on the roster.
  • Despite giving up five goals, Collin Delia was excellent for the Blackhawks today. He continues to make numerous big saves due to Blackhawks’ defensive breakdowns. His best save of the day was the sprawling save made below (check out the highlight).

  • The Blackhawks snap a two game losing streak. They are still in the basement of the league, but it’s performances like this today that gives hope for this team moving forward. They’re learning how to play under Colliton and with an infusion of talent through the prospect pool and free agency, there is a chance this team returns to being competitive sooner than later.

 

The Blackhawks host the red-hot New York Islanders on Tuesday, January 22nd at the United Center. Puck drop is at 7:30pm CST.

 

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Down the Champs, 8-5 appeared first on The Rink.

]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-capitals-2/feed/ 0 11552 Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Capitals https://www.the-rink.com/preview-game-thread-blackhawks-vs-capitals-2/ https://www.the-rink.com/preview-game-thread-blackhawks-vs-capitals-2/#respond Sun, 20 Jan 2019 13:00:02 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=11543 Washington Capitals (27–15–5) vs Chicago Blackhawks (16–24–9) 11:30am CST United Center TV/Radio: NBC/WGN PROJECTED STARTERS Chicago – Collin Delia (3–2–3, SV%: .929, GAA: 2.75) Washington – Braden Holtby (17–11–2, SV%:... Read more »

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

]]> Washington Capitals (27–15–5) vs Chicago Blackhawks (16–24–9)

11:30am CST
United Center
TV/Radio: NBC/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Collin Delia (3–2–3, SV%: .929, GAA: 2.75)
Washington – Braden Holtby (17–11–2, SV%: .912, GAA: 2.82)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (18,8%, 17th)
Washington (21.3%, 12th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.4%, 31st)
Washington (78.4%, 23rd)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (31.2, 19th; 34.9, 30th)
Washington (29.3, 23rd; 32.0, 21st)

Shooting %
Chicago (9.5%, 17th)
Washington (11.2%, 4th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.8%, 17th)
Washington (46.4%, 31st)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 197lbs
Washington 6’2” 205lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun

Brandon Saad–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Chris Kunitz–Artem Anisimov–John Hayden

Duncan Keith–Brent Seabrook

Carl Dahlstrom–Connor Murphy

Slater Koekkoek–Erik Gustafsson

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin–Nicklas Backstrom–T.J. Oshie

Jakub Vrana–Lars Eller–Tom Wilson

Andre Burakovsky–Evgeny Kuznetsov–Brett Connolly

Chandler Stephenson–Nic Dowd–Devante Smith-Pelly

Dmitri Orlov–John Carlson

Michal Kempny–Matt Niskanen

Brooks Orpik–Madison Bowey

Analysis

Another 4-3 loss for the Blackhawks ended the New York area trip for the Blackhawks without recording a point in the standings. The Blackhawks have a chance to redeem themselves as the Washington Capitals pay a visit to town.

After the back-to-back losses for the Blackhawks, Jeremy Colliton set the line blender to “high” for Saturday’s practice. Drake Caggiula was skating with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, DeBrincat and Strome were reunited and Chris Kunitz re-enters the lineup after Brendan Perlini entered concussion protocol.

The Capitals enter Sunday’s game on a four-game losing streak, most recently losing to the now-first-place New York Islanders 2-0. The Capitals will need to rebound in order to keep pace with the division, as the Islanders, Capitals, Blue Jackets and Penguins all have between 58 and 60 points.

This will mark the first and only time this season that defenseman Michal Kempny returns to the United Center. After never being able to find regular ice-time in Chicago, the former Blackhawks defenseman has put together an excellent campaign in the first year of his lucrative four-year deal. Most notably, Kempny is a plus-23 this season, which is currently tied for 7th-best in the NHL to this point.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

]]> https://www.the-rink.com/preview-game-thread-blackhawks-vs-capitals-2/feed/ 0 11543 RECAP: Blackhawks fall 4–2 to Capitals https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-capitals/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-capitals/#respond Thu, 22 Nov 2018 16:11:47 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=10252 The Chicago Blackhawks kicked off a three-game road trip in the nation’s capital, tonight, against the Washington Capitals. Chicago had held their past three opponents to two regulation goals, however,... Read more »

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 4–2 to Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

]]> The Chicago Blackhawks kicked off a three-game road trip in the nation’s capital, tonight, against the Washington Capitals. Chicago had held their past three opponents to two regulation goals, however, the Capitals would waste no time scoring this evening.

FIRST PERIOD

Forward Tom Wilson wasted no time finding the back of the net at the :54 mark. The Capitals played the 3-on-3 perfectly. A quick give-and-go from forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, resulted in Ovechkin finding Wilson all alone in front of the net for an easy tap in behind Corey Crawford. The goal gave the feisty Wilson his second of the season.

Breaking down the play, Nick Schmaltz found himself watching the pass and then out of position, while Wilson crashed the net uncontested.

After a tripping call on Gustav Forsling, the Capitals were able to capitalize on the ensuing power play. Forward Andre Burakovsky found himself wide open at the right circle and fired a shot passed Crawford. Initially, Crawford stopped a Matt Niskanen shot from the left point, however, the rebound found Jakub Vrana in front, who dished it over to Burakovsky for his third tally of the year. Capitals led 2–0 with just over six minutes gone in the game.

Chicago had a chance to generate some momentum with a pair of power plays, during the period, but could not find any sustained pressure on goaltender Braden Holtby. After the first period, Chicago led in shots 14–12.

SECOND PERIOD

Both teams traded punches for half of the second period until the Capitals broke through for a 3–0 lead.

Former Blackhawks’ defenseman Michal Kempny ripped a one-timer from the point past Crawford. Andreas Martinsen lost the defensive zone draw, which found forward Vrana with the puck on his stick, who then dropped a nice pass to Kempny for the marker. The goal gave Kempny his first on the year. Washington took a commanding 3–0 lead.

Two minutes later, Brandon Saad put the Hawks on the board with his seventh goal of the season. Saad took a feed from Jonathan Toews and whistled a wrist shot by Holtby blocker side. Toews made a nice area pass in which Saad was able to retrieve along the boards.

Chicago trailed 3–1 but held a 24-to-21 shot advantage after the middle frame.

THIRD PERIOD

Just over five minutes into the third period, Erik Gustafsson closed the Capital’s lead to one goal. Gustafsson jumped in on the play and found himself on the backhand to beat Holtby. Artem Anisimov and Nick Schmaltz assisted on the play. The goal gave Gustafsson his second on the season.

Any momentum the Hawks built would be short lived. Less than two-minutes later, forward Devante Smith-Pelly extended the lead back to two goals. Center Travis Boyd found Smith-Pelly with a nice cross-crease pass, giving Smith-Pelly fourth on the year.

The play was started by a nice play by Kempny, as he picked a pass out of the air, which would have sprung Anisimov on a breakaway.

The goal took the wind right out of the visitors. Crawford would be pulled with just under three minutes to play, but the Hawks would not threaten to shorten the gap.

Chicago out shot the Capitals 39-to-27 for the game, however, could not recover from the first six minutes of the game. Trailing 2–0 before even breaking a sweat is never a recipe for success, especially on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

THE GOOD

Brandon Saad. The 26-year old winger has goals in three straight games.

39 shots. Chicago generated chances but could only find the scoreboard twice.

THE BAD

Artem Anisimov. The Russian center entered tonight winning 46.7% of his draws, but could only win 2-of-9 tonight. He did assist on Gustafsson’s goal, but has been below average at the dot and has two goals in 22 games.

The power play. Chicago was 0-for-3 on the evening. Even the best teams are going to get blanked on certain nights, however, the Hawks were only credited with three shots on goal with the man advantage tonight.

Alex DeBrincat. The shifty forward now has one goal and one assist in his last twelve games.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 4–2 to Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-capitals/feed/ 0 10252 Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Capitals https://www.the-rink.com/preview-game-thread-blackhawks-vs-capitals/ https://www.the-rink.com/preview-game-thread-blackhawks-vs-capitals/#respond Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:19:17 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=10236 Chicago Blackhawks (8–8–5) at Washington Capitals (10–7–3) 6 p.m. CST/7 p.m. EST Capital One Arena TV/Radio: WGN/WGN PROJECTED STARTERS Chicago – Corey Crawford (5–6–1, SV%: 0.922 GAA: 2.44) Washington – Braden Holtby (6–5–2, SV%: 0.906 GAA: 3.07) TEAM STATISTICS Power Play... Read more »

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

]]> Chicago Blackhawks (8–8–5) at Washington Capitals (10–7–3)

6 p.m. CST/7 p.m. EST
Capital One Arena
TV/Radio: WGN/WGN


PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (5–6–1, SV%: 0.922 GAA: 2.44)
Washington – Braden Holtby (6–5–2, SV%: 0.906 GAA: 3.07)


TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (14.1%, 29th)
Washington (26.7%, 4th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (74.6%, T-26th)
Washington (73.3%, 29th)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.4, 12th; 33.4, 28th)
Washington (30.8, 20th; 32.3, 20th)

Shooting %
Chicago (8.2%, 26th)
Washington (10.9%, T-5th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.8%, 17th)
Washington (48.9%, 20th)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 195lbs
Washington 6’1” 204lbs

 

PROJECTED LINEUPS/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Brandon Saad–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat–Artem Anisimov–Nick Schmaltz
Alexandre Fortin–David Kampf–Dominik Kahun
John Hayden–Marcus Kruger–Andreas Martinsen
Duncan Keith–Brent Seabrook
Erik Gustafsson–Henri Jokiharju
Brandon Manning–Jan Rutta

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin–Lars Eller–Tom Wilson
Jakub Vrana–Nicklas Backstrom–Andre Burakovsky
Chandler Stephenson–Travis Boyd–Devante Smith-Pelly
Dmitrij Jaskin–Nic Dowd–Brett Connolly
Dmitry Orlov–John Carlson
Michal Kempny–Matt Niskanen
Christian Djoos–Madison Bowey

Analysis

Having earned a point in four straight games (2–0–2), the Chicago Blackhawks take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Tonight’s game starts a stretch of five road games in the Hawks’ next six contests.

Corey Crawford, having turned aside 39 shots against the Wild on Sunday, will be opposite Braden Holtby in net. Both goalies have had their ups and downs in their playoff runs—Crawford having been pulled in round one in 2015 and Holtby starting last year’s playoffs on the bench—however, both are directly responsible for their team’s Stanley Cup success.

Chicago tallied a power play goal on Sunday, giving them two straight games scoring on the man advantage. Jonathan Toews, who tallied the goal, is on a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists).

Forward Alex Ovechkin leads the Capitals with 15 goals this season. The captain is tied in points with forward Nicklas Backstrom with 23 points each, respectively.

Tonight’s contest will be a good matchup for the Blackhawks’ defense. The Capitals can score in waves and can turn a power play into an easy goal. However, the Hawks have surrendered just two goals in the past three games.


Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com. 

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

]]> https://www.the-rink.com/preview-game-thread-blackhawks-vs-capitals/feed/ 0 10236