Capitals (1-1-0) vs. Wild (3-0-0) Preview
From NHL.com's preview:
"Minnesota's revamped offense will try to slow down Washington's
high-scoring left wings, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin.
The two have scored six of the Capitals' seven goals this season,
including a hat trick by Semin in a 5-2 victory over Carolina on
Saturday.
Semin, who was sued by the Capitals after he went to play in
Russia
instead of the minor leagues during the lockout, had never scored
more than once
in 53 career games before his outburst.
"I scored three
tonight - but I could
have scored more," Semin said through a
translator.
Ovechkin, the reigning NHL rookie of the year, bounced back
from a poor
effort in a season-opening loss 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers
last Thursday
with a career-high 15 shots and his first two goals of the
season.
"First period, I played awful," Ovechkin said. "Terrible. Second
period, I told myself: Shoot everything."
Forward Chris
Clark and defenseman Brian Pothier are tied for
the team lead with
four assists each."
Mike Vogel's Washingtoncaps.com probable lines, injuries and short shifts:
Short Shifts: Donald Brashear has three goals and six points in 11 career games against Minnesota … Chris Clark has a goal and four points in 15 career games against the Wild … Brent Johnson is 3-3-2 with a 1.57 goals against average and a .931 save percentage lifetime against Minnesota … Olie Kolzig is 2-4 with a 2.09 goals against average and a .931 save pct. lifetime against Minnesota … Alex Ovechkin netted two goals in Washington’s home opener for the second consecutive season … Alexander Semin joined Mike Gartner (10/10/87 vs. Chicago) as just the second player in franchise history to record a hat trick in the team’s home opener … Richard Zednik has three goals in seven career contests against the Wild … Dainius Zubrus has one goal and two points in five career tilts vs. Minnesota … Pavol Demitra has seven goals and 13 points in 14 career games against Washington … Pascal Dupuis has two goals and four points in four career games against the Capitals … Manny Fernandez is 1-0-1 with a shutout and a 0.96 goals against average in two career appearances against the Caps … Marian Gaborik is without a point in five career games vs. the Capitals. Boston and Washington are the only NHL clubs against which Gaborik has yet to record a goal … Kim Johnsson has three goals and 13 points in 21 career games against Washington … Petteri Nummelin has an assist in his lone career appearance against the Caps … Mark Parrish has two goals and 11 points in 29 lifetime contests against the Capitals … Brian Rolston has 10 goals and 29 points in 36 lifetime games against the Caps … Stephane Veilleux has a goal in two lifetime tilts vs. Washington … Wes Walz has three goals and seven points in nine career games against the Caps. Walz’s next goal will be the 100th of his NHL career … Todd White has one goal and nine points in 10 career games against Washington.
Injuries
Minnesota Wild: None.
Washington: Center Boyd Gordon has a lower body injury and is day-to-day. Left wing Matt Pettinger has an upper body injury and is week-to-week. Right wing Matt Bradley has a lower body injury and is day-to-day.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Minnesota
Forwards
10-Gaborik, 38-Demitra, 21-Parrish
12-Rolston, 28-White, 96-Bouchard
19-Vellieux, 9-Koivu, 92-Radivojevic
24-Boogard, 37-Walz, 11-Dupuis
Defensemen
5-Johnsson, 55-Schultz
26-Foster, 41-Skoula
3-Carney, 33-Nummelin
Goaltenders
32-Backstrom, 35-Fernandez
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 20-Zednik
87-Brashear, 16-Sutherby, 21-Laich
22-Fata, 38-Klepis, 10-Bradley
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
27-Clymer, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 52-Green
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: Minnesota Washington
Goals: M. Gaborik (2) A. Semin (4)
Points: P. Demitra (5) A. Semin (4)
+/-: P. Bouchard (2) A. Semin (3)
Team Stats/Game (Rank): Minnesota Washington
Goals For: 3.33 (11) 3.50 (9)
Goals Against: 2.67 (16) 3.50 (22)
PP Pct: 46.2 (1) 12.5 (17)
PK Pct: 87.5 (11) 87.5 (10)
The JET's take:
With only a small sample size, the Caps game seems inconsistent. As good as they were at home against Carolina, they were that bad against the Rangers. Both were very good teams last year, but the 'Canes have apparently fallen off early this year.
The fact of the matter is that the Wild have beaten three decent teams (Vancouver, Nashville, Colorado) at home and the Caps were embarrassed in New York against the Rangers. In the end it's the same story as last year with the Caps performing dysmally away from the Verizon Center. The Wild's balance and performance on the power play against a penalty-prone Capitals team will let the Wild come away with the victory.
"Minnesota's revamped offense will try to slow down Washington's
high-scoring left wings, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin.
The two have scored six of the Capitals' seven goals this season,
including a hat trick by Semin in a 5-2 victory over Carolina on
Saturday.
Semin, who was sued by the Capitals after he went to play in
Russia
instead of the minor leagues during the lockout, had never scored
more than once
in 53 career games before his outburst.
"I scored three
tonight - but I could
have scored more," Semin said through a
translator.
Ovechkin, the reigning NHL rookie of the year, bounced back
from a poor
effort in a season-opening loss 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers
last Thursday
with a career-high 15 shots and his first two goals of the
season.
"First period, I played awful," Ovechkin said. "Terrible. Second
period, I told myself: Shoot everything."
Forward Chris
Clark and defenseman Brian Pothier are tied for
the team lead with
four assists each."
Mike Vogel's Washingtoncaps.com probable lines, injuries and short shifts:
Short Shifts: Donald Brashear has three goals and six points in 11 career games against Minnesota … Chris Clark has a goal and four points in 15 career games against the Wild … Brent Johnson is 3-3-2 with a 1.57 goals against average and a .931 save percentage lifetime against Minnesota … Olie Kolzig is 2-4 with a 2.09 goals against average and a .931 save pct. lifetime against Minnesota … Alex Ovechkin netted two goals in Washington’s home opener for the second consecutive season … Alexander Semin joined Mike Gartner (10/10/87 vs. Chicago) as just the second player in franchise history to record a hat trick in the team’s home opener … Richard Zednik has three goals in seven career contests against the Wild … Dainius Zubrus has one goal and two points in five career tilts vs. Minnesota … Pavol Demitra has seven goals and 13 points in 14 career games against Washington … Pascal Dupuis has two goals and four points in four career games against the Capitals … Manny Fernandez is 1-0-1 with a shutout and a 0.96 goals against average in two career appearances against the Caps … Marian Gaborik is without a point in five career games vs. the Capitals. Boston and Washington are the only NHL clubs against which Gaborik has yet to record a goal … Kim Johnsson has three goals and 13 points in 21 career games against Washington … Petteri Nummelin has an assist in his lone career appearance against the Caps … Mark Parrish has two goals and 11 points in 29 lifetime contests against the Capitals … Brian Rolston has 10 goals and 29 points in 36 lifetime games against the Caps … Stephane Veilleux has a goal in two lifetime tilts vs. Washington … Wes Walz has three goals and seven points in nine career games against the Caps. Walz’s next goal will be the 100th of his NHL career … Todd White has one goal and nine points in 10 career games against Washington.
Injuries
Minnesota Wild: None.
Washington: Center Boyd Gordon has a lower body injury and is day-to-day. Left wing Matt Pettinger has an upper body injury and is week-to-week. Right wing Matt Bradley has a lower body injury and is day-to-day.
Possible Line Combos and Defensive Pairings
Minnesota
Forwards
10-Gaborik, 38-Demitra, 21-Parrish
12-Rolston, 28-White, 96-Bouchard
19-Vellieux, 9-Koivu, 92-Radivojevic
24-Boogard, 37-Walz, 11-Dupuis
Defensemen
5-Johnsson, 55-Schultz
26-Foster, 41-Skoula
3-Carney, 33-Nummelin
Goaltenders
32-Backstrom, 35-Fernandez
Washington
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 9-Zubrus, 17-Clark
28-Semin, 24-Beech, 20-Zednik
87-Brashear, 16-Sutherby, 21-Laich
22-Fata, 38-Klepis, 10-Bradley
Defensemen
2-Pothier, 26-Morrisonn
27-Clymer, 44-Eminger
6-Heward, 52-Green
Goaltenders
1-Johnson, 37-Kolzig
Team Leaders: Minnesota Washington
Goals: M. Gaborik (2) A. Semin (4)
Points: P. Demitra (5) A. Semin (4)
+/-: P. Bouchard (2) A. Semin (3)
Team Stats/Game (Rank): Minnesota Washington
Goals For: 3.33 (11) 3.50 (9)
Goals Against: 2.67 (16) 3.50 (22)
PP Pct: 46.2 (1) 12.5 (17)
PK Pct: 87.5 (11) 87.5 (10)
The JET's take:
With only a small sample size, the Caps game seems inconsistent. As good as they were at home against Carolina, they were that bad against the Rangers. Both were very good teams last year, but the 'Canes have apparently fallen off early this year.
The fact of the matter is that the Wild have beaten three decent teams (Vancouver, Nashville, Colorado) at home and the Caps were embarrassed in New York against the Rangers. In the end it's the same story as last year with the Caps performing dysmally away from the Verizon Center. The Wild's balance and performance on the power play against a penalty-prone Capitals team will let the Wild come away with the victory.
posted by The Jet at 11:22 AM
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