Courtesy: Rob Grabowski- USA TODAY Sports
WASHINGTON — In their season-opening game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Washington Capitals continued where they left off last season netting three powerplay goals on six opportunities.
As good as that number seems, the Capitals fell to the defending Stanley Cup champions 6-4 as the Hawks only netted one goal with a man-advantage in four chances. It still appears as if the Capitals continue to struggle gaining an advantage at even strength as Chicago was able to net four even strength goals; five if you count the empty netter by forward Marian Hossa before the final period ended.
Looking at this Capitals roster, not too much has changed at the back end with the defenseman. Mike Green didn’t look too bad defensively in the first game and looked exceptional offensively once again adding two assists on the powerplay. Karl Alzner and John Carlson are back in D.C. once again as is veteran defender John Erskine. Steve Oleksy is set for his first full 82-game season with the D.C. hockey club as is Jack Hillen. The newcomer to the group is Connor Carrick as he made his NHL debut Tuesday night.
Carrick appeared to struggle noticeably in his first professional game with communication. With 12:05 left in the third period, it was pretty apparent that Carrick and fellow D-man Erskine weren’t on the same page as the Blackhawks infiltrated the slot with virtual ease. Blackhawks center Michael Handzus set up winger Brandon Saad on a nice give-and-go as he buried the puck behind goaltender Braden Holtby.
If the Capitals hope to get over the hump this year and advance past the first round of the postseason, communication and finding ways to win battles at even strength will be crucial to their success. In addition to communication, Washington must corral their opponents with an aggressive forecheck and remind themselves constantly of how important backchecking and transition defense are as it has been a recurring issue for the Capitals in recent memory.
Grabovski Shines in Capitals Debut
It was a thing of beauty seeing forward Mikhail Grabovski score three goals and add an assist in his Capitals debut. His hat trick was historic on many fronts as he became the first player in franchise history to earn a hat trick in Washington’s season-opening contest. It was also the 29-year-old’s first hat trick of his career and third career four point effort — the last time Grabovski tallied four total points was Jan. 24, 2012 as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs as he scored a goal and added three assists in a 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Islanders.
Grabovski’s hat trick also marked the first time since Feb. 16, 2011 that a Washington skater has score three goals in a road game since Alexander Semin did so against the Anaheim Ducks. He also set the franchise records for goals and points by a player making his Capitals debut and set the records for points and goals in a season opener for the boys in red. Mikhail is also the first player to tally three goals in his first game with a franchise since Derek Stepan recorded three goals in his first game as a member of the New York Rangers on Oct. 9, 2010.
With all of these positives surrounding the new addition, it will be interesting to see how the Capitals take it to one of the more lowly franchises in the NHL in the Calgary Flames. The Flames not only traded away two of their most prized possessions last season in defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and forward Jarome Iginla, they are also beginning their first season without Miikka Kiprusoff between the pipes. The 36-year-old called it quits in the NHL and for the first time since the 2002-03 season, the Flames will be sending out a different goaltender to man the cage. Head coach Bob Hartley certainly has his work cut out for him this year and it should be an uphill battle tonight as they face the Capitals.
Statistics courtesy: Washington Capitals PR
