Caps Today is an in-season daily update of Capitals stories, events and schedules. During the off-season Caps Today will be updated as news presents itself as during Capitals Development Camp, Rookie Camp and Training Camp.
| Today’s Storyline Welcome to the show – Defenseman John Carlson is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Carlson will be the 10th Capitals drafted player to suit up for Washington this season – Mathieu Perreault became the ninth player after making his NHL debut on Nov. 4 at New Jersey. Carlson was drafted in the first round, 27th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At 19 years old Carlson will be the Caps youngest player to make his NHL debut since Alexander Semin made his debut in 2003-04 season. The Natick, Mass. native has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) and is a +14 in 17 games for the Hershey Bears this season. Last season the Capitals had six players make their NHL debut – Karl Alzner, Jay Beagle, Sean Collins, Andrew Gordon, Oskar Osala and Tyler Sloan. Upcoming Media Today, 2 p.m.: PreCap on WashingtonCaps.com Tomorrow, 6 p.m.: Saturday Night Caps on Caps Radio 1500 and 820 AM Must Read/See/Hear Material WashingtonCaps.com: Caps Head Home to Host Habs Washington Post: Carlson Hopes to Prove He’s Up Where He Belongs Washington Times: Carlson Set to Make NHL Debut Washington Times: Status of Capitals’ Theodore Remains Unclear Express: Caps Tap Hershey for Help (.pdf, page 18) NHL.com: Habs Come to Washington to Face Ovi, Caps AP: Canadiens-Capitals Preview CBC.ca: Morrison Resurgent for Caps Recent Transactions Nov. 17: Recalled Jay Beagle and Michal Neuvirth from Hershey (AHL). |
Next Three Days Friday, Nov. 20 10 a.m.: Morning skate, Kettler Capitals Iceplex 7 p.m.: vs. Montreal Canadiens, Verizon Center TV: CSN (HD) | Radio: Caps Radio 1500, 820 AM Saturday, Nov. 21 11:30 a.m.: Morning skate, Air Canada Center 7 p.m.: at Toronto, Air Canada Center TV: CSN+ | Radio: Caps Radio 1500, 820 AM Sunday, Nov. 22 Day off Get updated audio and video clips on WashingtonCaps.com and audio clips on TweetMic Get updated practice times and other news at twitter.com/capsmedia Injury Update Boyd Gordon – Day-to-day Milan Jurcina – Day-to-day Alexander Semin – Day-to-day Shaone Morrisonn – Day-to-day Mike Knuble – Out 3-4 weeks Quintin Laing – Out 4-6 weeks |
| NOTE OF THE NIGHT Balanced attack –Washington and San Jose are the only teams in the league with more than two players with at least 20 points; they each have four (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Laich and Green are Washington’s). Entering Thursday’s games 12 teams don’t have a single 20-point scorer. FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT Home run –Washington has won three home games in a row and is 6-0-3 in its last nine at Verizon Center. Its 7-1-3 home record on the year is tied with Philadelphia for the best in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are 57-18-9 at home under head coach Bruce Boudreau (.732). Washington has just four home games in the next 33 days. Flash flood –Tomas Fleischmann’s nine-game point-scoring streak is tied for the fourth-longest in the NHL this season; only Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have had longer streaks for the Capitals since the 2004-05 work stoppage. Fleischmann ranks first in the league in shooting percentage (33.3%) and fifth in goals per game (0.70) and already has seven goals and 11 points despite missing more than half the season recovering from a blood clot in his leg. Happy return –Alex Ovechkin scored just 15:16 into his return from injury Tuesday night and –despite missing six games and 15 days –still holds a share of the NHL lead in goals with 15. Ovechkin also leads in shots (87) and ranks tied for fourth in points (a team-high 24). Ovechkin has scored in four of the last five games he has played, the lone exception coming in the game when he was hurt. Powerful stuff –The Capitals have scored a power-play goal in 10 of their last 11 games and are 14-for-38 (36.8%) in that time. They are 8-for-17 in the last six games (47.1%) with at least one PPG in each of those games. Hitting 100 –Head coach Bruce Boudreau is the fourth-fastest NHL coach to reach 100 wins in his career and the fastest among coaches who made their debuts during the season. Boudreau won No. 100 in his 164th game (100-45-19), and did it after inheriting a team that had 70 points the year before he arrived. The coaches who reached 100 wins faster inherited teams that posted 99 points (Tom Johnson, 138 games), 98 points (Mike Keenan, 152 games) and 95 points (Terry Crisp, 158 games). |
|
|
Caps Today is a daily roundup of the schedule and top stories for the Washington Capitals. |
|
