Jakub Vrana has four points (2G/2A) this week after being held scoreless for three games straight to close out the month of November.

Vrana is four goals away from matching his career high of thirteen (2017-18) and five assists from his career high of fourteen assists (also during 2017-18). With nine more points this season, Vrana will also match his career high, all of which look easily within reach. He’s been a monster at even strength, with every one of his goals and all but one of his assists coming at even strength, and while his shooting percentage is hovering around 17%, he’s making the most of good linemates and scoring opportunities.

This increase in offense coming despite a two minute increase in average ice time for game means that Vrana, despite some minor slips here and there, is adjusting nicely to a scoring role on the Capitals. As his ELC (expiring in July 2019) comes to a close, making gains on career highs across the board is a very good sign for Vrana’s future earning opportunities and could secure himself a spot on the Capitals well past the Seattle Expansion Draft.

Continue reading Washington Re-Capitals: Week Ten →

Nicklas Backstrom (who has more points and assists than Sidney Crosby) has cracked the top ten of league wide point scoring while Alex Ovechkin waits just outside, and as the All-Star Game approaches (in San Jose, no less!), Capitals fans are joyfully reckoning with the fact that we may see both selected this year. The foundation for a Nicklas Backstrom, Metropolitan Division Captain campaign is already being laid on Twitter.

The real question: will you honor the Goblin King’s claim to the throne or face his fury?

Continue reading Washington Re-Capitals: Week Nine →

The Capitals are on a five game winning streak, earning them first place in the extremely competitive Metropolitan Division, a coveted spot as the halfway mark of the season approaches — game forty-one will be played on the sixth of January in Detroit, and as November comes to a close, 2019 looks a lot closer than it has before. Thankfully, with Game 23 in the books, there are seventeen more games to play before the 2018-19 season is halfway over. Those of us in the States had plenty to give thanks for this long weekend, and those of us who aren’t got the fifth win in a steak the Capitals have kept alive since their game in Colorado on the sixteenth, the first winning (or losing) streak longer than two games that the Capitals have had all season.

Continue reading Washington Re-Capitals: Week Eight →

Good: The Caps went 2-1-0 this week and stole a win from the Colorado Avalanche!

Bad: Kuznetsov (upper body) and Oshie (head) are out, with no definite timetable for return.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find out what the ugly is.

Continue reading Washington Re-Capitals: Week Seven →

This week, I read a really cool RMNB article on the argument to reunite 819 on the first line after the Columbus game and I dared, dear reader, to hope. And that hope was rewarded. So let that be a lesson to all of us: if you want something enough at the exact right time, Todd Reirden will read your mind and make it a reality.

If only Peter DeBoer was that open to suggestion, right?

In the interest of transparency, my prediction for this four game week was three wins. I was a little overenthusiastic (but only by one game!), but this wasn’t a terrible week overall. Changes were made, and though they’ve yet to pay off in some cases, they make for some good, chaotic fun next week.

Continue reading Washington Re-Capitals: Week Six →