Game 57: 69-31-18-7 (PTS-W-L-OT) Streak - W1
Tue February 12, 2019 Washington Capitals @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Place: Nationwide Arena
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSWA, FS-O
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Caps Radio 24/7
NHL.COM for Live Box Score
Last Game: Mon February 11 Capitals win 6-4 against Kings
Next Game: Thu February 14, 10:30 pm ET Capitals @ Sharks
 8-Ovechkin | 92-Kuznetsov | 77-Oshie |
| 13-Vrana | 19-Bäckström | 43-Wilson |
| 65-Burakovsky | 20-Eller | 10-Connolly |
| 18-Stephenson | 26-Dowd | 25-Smith-Pelly |
| 6-Kempny | 74-Carlson |
| 9-Orlov | 2-Niskanen |
| 44-Orpik | 29-Djoos |
|
| 70-Holtby (starter) |
| 1-Copley |
-- SCRATCH -- | 23-Jaskin |
| 72-Boyd |
| 22-Bowey |
-- INJURED RESERVE -- -- 1st Powerplay Unit -- | 92-Kuznetsov | 19-Bäckström | 77-Oshie |
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit -- | 13-Vrana | 20-Eller | 43-Wilson |
Referees: Dean Morton (#36), Chris Schlenker (#3)
Linesmen: Scott Cherrey (#50), Greg Devorski (#54)
BLUE JACKETS LINEUP Artemi Panarin -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno -- Boone Jenner -- Josh Anderson
Anthony Duclair -- Alexander Wennberg -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Markus Hannikainen -- Riley Nash -- Lukas Sedlak
Seth Jones -- Ryan Murray
Zach Werenski -- David Savard
Scott Harrington -- Markus Nutivaara
Sergei Bobrovsky (starter)
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: Dean Kukan, Eric Robinson
Injured: Brandon Dubinsky (hip)
1st PeriodNone
2nd Period06:32 Jackets GOAL Duclair, assists Bjorkstrand & Werenski 1-0 CBJ
3rd Period16:12 Jackets GOAL Foligno, assists Jones & Murray 2-0 CBJ
19:50 Jackets GOAL Panerin, assist Andreson 3-0 CBJ
FINAL: 3-0 CBJ
By Ian Oland (@ianoland) on February 11, 2019
Christian Djoos scores one-handed ending 61-game goalless streak
Headline photo:
Christian Djoos made his grand return to the lineup Saturday after missing 24 games due to a thigh injury and surgery for compartment syndrome.
Djoos wasted no time getting back in the scoresheet, tallying his first goal since [blows off dust from sports almanac] December 30, 2017 — a 61-game goalless streak.
He scored one-handed.
I’m serious. You have to see this.
The goal was 50 percent speed, 50 percent overpassing, which is So Caps.
Evgeny Kuznetsov did the heavy lifting, carrying the puck into the offensive zone and finding Alex Ovechkin ambling down the center lane. Ovechkin then found Djoos, who had joined the rush and snuck down below the circles, with a pass. Instead of shooting at an empty net, Djoos passed back to Ovechkin.
Ovi one-timed the puck, but the shot didn’t get through. Djoos then poked at the puck one-handed…
I’m pretty sure this is not how Todd wrote it up on the bench, but I’m sure he’ll take it every day of the week.
At intermission, Al Koken asked Djoos, somewhat sarcastically, when was the last time Christian scored one-handed. He got a serious reponse back.
“I cannot remember it, too long,” Djoos said. “I tried joining the rush and Ovi gave me a great pass. I tried to give it back first but just a little poke check.”
Now Nicky is going to have to do this every game.
And because I couldn’t help myself, you guys…
https://twitter.com/ianoland/status/1095132583275446273
By Scott Allen February 12 at 11:23 AM
When Evgeny Kuznetsov takes the mic, have the [bleeping] bleep button handy
Evgeny Kuznetsov celebrates after scoring in the third period on Monday. (Al Drago/AP)
At times during his Capitals career, Evgeny Kuznetsov has proved to be as dangerous with a microphone in his face as with a puck on his stick, but the Russian forward’s postgame comments on live television following his four-point night on Monday were free of any four-letter words.
Kuznetsov, who had two goals and two assists in Washington’s 6-4 win over the Kings and now has 12 points in his last six games, was looser with his words after scoring the overtime winner against Colorado last Thursday. During an interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken immediately following that triumph, Kuznetsov was asked about teammate Tom Wilson sticking up for him after Ian Cole’s cheap shot.
“That’s huge, you know?” Kuznetsov said. “We know Tom play physical and he’s huge for us. When s--- like that happen, he stand up. That’s always nice to have a guy like that on the team.”
Kuzy is legendary on the mic https://t.co/ynQ5PDSWJv
— Danny (@recordsANDradio) February 8, 2019
“If people don’t like it, sorry about that,” the 26-year-old Kuznetsov said over the weekend. " . . . Any other day I’m maybe not going to speak like that, but after a game and during a game, I’m emotional. That’s what I play for, those type of emotions.”
Though it more commonly takes place in a locker room scrum than in a one-on-one interview on live TV, Kuznetsov’s casual cursing often colors his answers to reporters’ various questions.
Kuznetsov on Alex Ovechkin reaching 600 career goals last March: “Holy f---, that’s a lot of goals.”
On whether winning the Hart Trophy was a personal goal: “I don’t give a s--- about that. To be MVP, you have to work hard 365 [days] in a year, but I’m not ready for that.”
On being benched for taking an ill-advised slashing penalty in a game earlier this month: “Uh, that s--- happens, right?”
“If you look at [other players’] interviews, they’re all pretty same, right?” Kuznetsov said when asked about his cursing habit. “If I talk to media, especially after a game, always emotional and that’s all me. I don’t want to give, like, kind of form [response] like they teach you . . . I’m pretty sure the kids already know this, right? It’s probably not a bad idea to teach them, but that’s all me. That’s nature. I think that people want to see that, the nature of the emotional.”
Kuznetsov’s emotions — and nerves — got the best of him at the Capitals’ Stanley Cup victory parade last June, when he was unexpectedly encouraged to say a few words to the assembled crowd. His impromptu speech began innocently enough and concluded with the most R-rated (and hilarious, depending on whom you ask) line of the day.
“For some guys it’s been a long way to get to that point, but we’re never going to be there without our parents, without our fans, without our families,” Kuznetsov said. “And let’s f--- this s---!”
"Let's f*ck this sh*t!" is my new life motto pic.twitter.com/Ej1qS3p3R9
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) June 12, 2018
“I was nervous a little bit,” Kuznetsov later told Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt. “And every time I nervous, I swear. That one funny. You can see where it’s natural, right? Those words, I wish I can speak better so I can give a good speech or prepare. But that was first come from my mind, that’s what I said. You don’t have to explain anything. It’s natural. Everyone understand right away.”
Kuznetsov didn’t speak English when he left the KHL to join the Capitals in March 2014, four years after Washington drafted him in the first round. He regularly swore growing up and some of the first English words he learned from his new NHL teammates were, naturally, curse words.
“I know even better words,” Kuznetsov said with a laugh. “ . . . That’s the problem. When you talk like that for so many years, sometimes you just don’t even think what you’re saying. It’s just normal words for you, but for some people I guess that’s bad.”
While many Capitals fans appreciate Kuznetsov’s unfiltered nature, Kuznetsov told reporters last March that Capitals VP of Communications Sergey Kocharov didn’t appreciate him dropping the f-bomb when talking about Ovechkin’s 600th goal. A few days later, after scoring an overtime winner against the Rangers, Kuznetsov appeared to stop himself from letting a bad word slip during a G-rated locker room interview.
“I can’t swear anymore, you know?” he said with a grin.
Kuznetsov was also asked about Ovechkin and 600 goals again. Mentioned that “our PR guy doesn’t really like my answer when I said bad word ...” (referencing his “holy f—-“ line)
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) March 24, 2018
Nearly a year later, Kuznetsov as a polished interview subject remains a work in progress, especially after a game.
“I’m trying to get better, but sometimes, like I said, it’s emotional,” he said. “[Sergey] know me. When he put me out there, he know it’s 50-50.”
Isabelle Khurshudyan contributed to this report.
