Bruce Boudreau Refuses to Talk Playoff Goalies

The question on every reporter’s (and fan’s) mind is “Who will be the starting goalie during the playoffs?” With Jose’s leaky goaltending in recent games, who fans thought was a shoe-in for starter goalie isn’t looking as hot any more. Boudreau, however, refuses to speculate on the who just now:

Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau this afternoon was willing to talk about his team’s recent losing streak, the slow starts and what needs to done to get back on track over the final six regular-season games. The one taboo subject, however, was who would be his top goalie for the postseason.

When asked if he had made a decision on that front, Boudreau simply said, “No.”

When prompted again, his response was considerably more acerbic.

“Really on this goaltending thing, eh?” he said. “I’m not going to answer goaltending questions today, okay?” [...]

Theodore: “I’m aware you have to play well if you want to play, and like I said, I’m going to work hard in practice. The last couple games, there were a couple plays I was not happy with my game, so I’m just going to work hard and bounce back.”

To read the whole article on SportsFanLive.com, click here!

Capitals Host Largest Blood Drive with Inova

Last Saturday, the Washington Capitals teamed up with Inova Blood Donor Services and collected a total of 609 units of blood from 642 Caps fans at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, VA. It marked the most successful blood donation campaign hosted by a sports team in the Washington, D.C., area.

Donors received a limited edition Alexander Semin bobblehead, a Semin jersey T-shirt. With special thanks to Washington Capitals partner SHARP, everyone who completed the screening process was entered into a drawing to win a 22” Sharp LCD-TV with built-in DVD player.

“What a phenomenal success! We far exceeded our goal and I could not be more proud, not only of the IBDS staff but also of the dedication of the Caps fans,” said Terri Craddock, director of Inova Blood Donor Services. “I want to thank the Washington Capitals for another great blood drive.”

To find read more about the blood drive, click here. The next blood drive the Caps are hosting is Saturday, July 24 and donors will receive the next limited edition Capitals Blood Drive bobblehead and a Caps player jersey T-shirt. If you wish to schedule an appointment before then, call

1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372)
or visit http://www.inova.org/donateblood.

CRL: Goaltending Episode

This week’s Caps Red Line Press Pass had a segment talking about the Washington Capitals goaltenders: Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov, and Michal Neuvirth.

CRL’s Press Pass, featuring Mike Vogel, Corey Masisak, and Brian McNally, talk about which Washington goalie should start for the playoffs. Here are some possible problems they see with each goalie:

• Jose Theodore has had some problems last season; will he be able to correct his previous mistakes and shake off his recent game problems?
• Semyon Varlamov recently suffered from an injury; will he be back into playing condition for the playoffs?
• Michal Neuvirth has had some problems recently with inconsistencies; will he be more reliable in the playoffs or could his inexperience in high pressure games such as the playoffs cause more inconsistencies?

Who do you think should be the starter goalie during the playoffs? The Caps either have three goalies who could win the playoffs or three goalies who could lose the playoffs. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Watch the clip on Caps365 here!

The Caps vs. The Sens: Post Game Wrap Up

After coming off one of their worst games of the season Sunday, the start of last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators was rocky at best. With another batch of unlucky rebounds and bounces, coupled with some defensive meltdowns and leaky goaltending, the Senators showed up early with 3 goals within the first 6 minutes of the game. Unfortunately for the Caps, Jason Spezza had the bounces go his way all night as he tallied two goals and two assists. The Caps retaliated after giving up the first goal with a beautiful wrister by Semin, but that was the only goal they could put up for the period. At the end of the 1st, the score was 3-1 Sens. At least this time fans did not boo the team at the end of the period.

While later in the game, the Washington Capitals came alive and battled back from the 3-1 deficit they faced after the 1st, bringing the score 4-4 at the end of the 3rd, they were unable to maintain their energy in overtime and fell victim to the Ottawa Senators’ post-season desperation. The Senators out-shot, and just barely out-hit, the Caps who were skating and passing sloppily, turning over puck after puck.

Jose Theodore, while he was allowed to stay in goal the entire game (unlike Sunday), still seemed shaken up. He never seemed to find his rhythm and let a few easy goals slip in between the pipes.

Jose Theodore seemed to be not in the game yet when Peter Regin netted Ottawa’s first goal on the teams’ first shot of the night, quickly followed by a Jason Spezza PP tally when Mike Fisher was shoved into Theo byShaone Morrisonn, and on a D-man miscommunication, Chris Campoli’s puck had a clear lane to the net. Washington was able to battle back on goals from Mike Green, Mathieu Perreault, and two from Alex Semin before allowing Spezza to capitalize on a rebound for his second of the game -and to send the game to overtime. (RTR.net)

Convinced that Washington’s efforts should be rewarded, the team played OT hard and fast. Still, they were unable to catch Elliott (the Sens’ goalie) off guard and with just 19 seconds left in OT, when it seemed that the game would be decided in a shoot out, Niklas Backstrom was called for tripping, giving the Senators a power play that would decide the final. Alexei Kovalev slipped one in the net right between Theo and the pipe just two seconds into the PP.

The Caps have not been able to match their opponent’s desperation level in the past few outings, and some will argue how could they, with almost everything achievable in the regular season wrapped up. With games against Atlanta and Boston in the near future, the opponent is definitely going to NEED the game more than Washington. (Joe B)

Final: 5-4, Senators.

For game highlights, check out capitals.nhl.com. Courtesy of 1067 the Fan, we have a period-by-period breakdown of the game. Check it out after the jump.

Caps Fan Appreciation Week

All next week the Capitals will host Fan Appreciation Week, thanking Caps fans for their support throughout this season. Full of giveaways, contests and events surrounding the team’s last regular-season home game and last week of the regular season, the week offers each fan who registers at WashingtonCaps.com a chance to win.

Capitals prizes, which include autographed items, will be given away on WashingtonCaps.com beginning on Monday, April 5. The online raffle will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day Monday through Friday, April 9. Winners will be selected at random and will be announced online at the top of every hour. At 2 p.m. each day one lucky fan will win a jersey that will be worn by a Caps player during the team’s final regular-season home game on Sunday, April 11.

Thanks Caps fans for a great season as we look
forward to the playoffs, and good luck.

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To register for the “Fan Appreciation Week”, click here!

*If you do not register, you are unable to win. Also, you must be 18 years or older to register. Caps full season ticket holders are automatically entered to win.