PressBox: Hockey Archive: March / April 2012

Hockey Archive: March / April 2012

Capitals Must Minimize Penalties
The Capitals cannot expect to play into the Rangers' strategy and win the series. Instead, Washington needs to stay disciplined and not retaliate if and when the Rangers get aggressive.

Capitals Try To Continue Winning Ways Against Rangers
The Washington Capitals face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Aside from having one of the toughest goaltenders to beat in the league, the Rangers also feature a physical and hard-fought defense, with a hard-working, opportunistic offense.

Caps-Bruins Series Will Go To Game 7
The Capitals split their two weekend games against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Bruins and have two days to rest before Game 7 on Wednesday.
• Around The NHL

Capitals Hit The Road For Game 5
Two Capitals players will return to the roster -- forward Nick Backstrom (one-game suspension) and backup goaltender Michal Neuvirth (injured since April 5) -- when they play the Bruins in Boston April 21 and try to take a 3-2 series lead.

Caps Win Game 4, Tie Series At 2
The home crowd was loud and the Capitals were able to feed off of that enthusiasm as they won, 2-1, to tie the series with Boston at 2.

Bruins Take 2-1 Lead Against Capitals
The referees called 16 total penalties in the Bruins' 4-3 Game 3 win against the Capitals, and there seemed to be some bad blood brewing, which is almost a guarantee that the after-the-whistle antics will continue for the rest of the series.
• Around The NHL

Capitals Host Bruins For Two
Washington came out of the first two games of this series tied with the Bruins, 1-1. The Capitals are in a good position, but they need to make sure they take full advantage of home ice during the next two games.

Caps Look To Tie Series In Boston
The first game of the Capitals-Bruins series was a defensive battle, with Chris Kelly of the Bruins scoring less than 90 seconds into overtime to give Boston a 1-0 win.

The Race For Stanley's Cup
Stephen London profiles the first round playoff series between the Capitals and Bruins, Senators and Rangers, Sharks and Blues, and Blackhawks and Coyotes.
• Thursday Night Picks: Playoff Edition

NHL Postseason Prepping
The NHL postseason is right around the corner. There are a ton of great storylines in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, some with old rivalries and others with shades of new rivalries coming to form.

Caps Move Up To Seventh In Standings
With a win against the Rangers -- and the Senators' loss to the Devils -- the Capitals moved up in the standings to the seventh spot. This means that the Capitals will play the Boston Bruins during the opening round of the playoffs.

Capitals' Playoff Chances In Jeopardy
The Capitals played a hard-fought game April 2, but a few brief defensive lapses allowed the Lightning to steal a 4-2 win, diminishing the Capitals' playoff chances.
• Around The NHL

Caps Barely Hang On To Playoff Hopes
Currently, the Capitals have 86 points and are tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the Buffalo Sabres, who play the Pittsburgh Penguins March 30.

The Postseason Pressure Is On
The Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres, who are right on their tails in the standings, March 27. It is imperative that the Capitals beat the Sabres to get another game up in the standings and help solidify a playoff chance.

Early Domination In Detroit
With a powerful performance by Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals were able to pull off a 5-3 win in Detroit. The goal is to win the division, with only nine games left on the schedule.
• Thursday Night Picks

Frozen Four Features Future NHL Stars
The NCAA ice hockey tournament, which includes teams with future NHL talent on their rosters, gets underway Friday, March 23, and this year's tournament has a bunch of great matchups and story lines.

Outplayed Caps Fall In Chicago
Washington fell to the Blackhawks, 5-2, and during the last 12 games, the Capitals have converted only two power play opportunities into goals, out of 24 possible opportunities.

Ovechkin's Overhaul In Long Island
The Capitals had a bit of a scare March 13 when they found themselves down, 4-1, during the second period, to the New York Islanders. Luckily for the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin pulled through for his 12th multi-point game of the season and fourth point during his last four games to push this game into overtime.
• Thursday Night Picks

With Mike Green Suspended, Caps Push Forward
Capitals defenseman Mike Green issued a somewhat high hit to a vulnerable Brett Connolly of the Tampa Bay Lightning March 8, and with that hit, Green received a three-game suspension.

Capitals Move To Eighth Place
With Washington's overtime win against Tampa Bay and the Winnipeg Jets losing to the Vancouver Canucks, the Capitals jumped the Jets in the standings, getting to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, which would make them the last team into the playoffs.

Capitals Drop Two Straight
With just 17 games left on the schedule and only eight of them at the Verizon Center, the next three home games are vital for the Capitals.
• Around The NHL | Thursday Night Picks

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