Washington Capitals Fan Forum
Talk about Capitals hockey & more! => Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion => Topic started by: ArJunaZ on Friday December 22, 2017, 07:50:49 PM Eastern
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Dec. 22 Washington Capitals vs. Arizona Coyotes
Time: 9:00 p.m.
TV: NBC Sports Washington, FS-A
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
Arizona Coyotes 19-7-24-5 Last Game: Lost 3-2 against Panthers
Washington Capitals 45-22-12-1 Last Game: Won 4-3 against Stars
8-Ovechkin 19-Bäckström 43-Wilson
13-Vrana 92-Kuznetsov 77-Oshie
65-Burakovsky 20-Eller 10-Connolly
18-Stephenson 83-Beagle 39-Chaisson
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
29-Djoos 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 4-Chorney
31-Grubauer (starter)
70-Holtby
-- SCRATCH --
22-Bowey 79-Walker
25-Smith-Pelly
-- INJURED --
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
77-Oshie 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
39-Chaisson 20-Eller 13-Vrana
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Tim Peel (#20) Steve Kozari (#40)
Linesmen: Shane Heyer (#55), Ken Murchison (#79)
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By Isabelle Khurshudyan December 22 at 11:30 AM
Aussie forward Nathan Walker is back with the Caps, but for how long?
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“It’s good to be back,” Nathan Walker said. (Nick Wass/Associated Press)
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Nathan Walker stepped onto the Gila River Arena ice in a white Capitals practice jersey, chatting with teammates as he made his way around the rink, as if he had never left. Washington reclaimed the forward off waivers Wednesday, and he arrived here Thursday to rejoin his old team.
“It definitely put a smile on my face,” Walker said. “It’s good to be back with the guys and everything like that.”
But while Walker’s odyssey seems to have come full circle — waived by the Capitals, then claimed by the Edmonton Oilers, who then waived him three weeks later only for Washington to claim him back — Walker could be on the move again this month. The Capitals initially waived him in an attempt to send him down to the American Hockey League because he wasn’t cracking their lineup often enough. And now that the team is fully healthy and playing well, there’s even less chance he could break through for regular NHL playing time.
The NHL’s holiday roster freeze is in effect, and though Walker was placed on waivers before the freeze, he can’t be sent down to the AHL until the freeze ends Dec. 28 at 12:01 a.m. Unless another team put in a claim on him during this most recent 24-hour waivers period, Walker shouldn’t need to be placed on waivers again until he has been in the NHL for 30 days or played 10 games. With Walker on board, Washington has two extra forwards on the roster, and it seems unlikely that he would leapfrog 13th forward Devante Smith-Pelly if there aren’t any injuries.
“Right now, he’s got to stay with us through the roster freeze, and he’ll be with us until after winter break here,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “Then we’ll have to decide. He needs to play hockey. He’s played what now, nine or 10 games max? That’s just not enough for a young player.
“So, we’re going to evaluate that and then make the right decision for the player — not necessarily for us right now, but for the player. If we can get him in or if we have something happen in terms of our roster, then he’ll go in. If not, you know, we’ll have to make that decision if he goes to Hershey, but he needs to play. He needs to keep growing his game. It’s great to be in the National Hockey League, but it doesn’t help you to not play.”
Walker has played just nine games — seven with Washington and two with Edmonton. The 2014 third-round pick made the team out of training camp, a feel-good story as he became the first Australian to play in the NHL. He scored a goal in his debut and even received a call from Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Walker’s fight to make it as a hockey player included leaving his family at just 13 years old to move to the Czech Republic and play there, so his NHL debut seemed to be a fairy-tale ending.
But it also marked the start of a typical NHL career for a fringe fourth-line forward. Walker struggled to get consistent playing time, appearing in back-to-back games just once as he was beaten out by other forwards. Even when injuries hit, Trotz preferred playing some recent call-ups over the speedy Walker, and Trotz said he wanted the 23-year-old to improve his wall play. The coach also pointed to Walker not killing penalties, though he often logged shorthanded time in the AHL. When the team needed to start clearing salary-cap space room because Andre Burakovsky was coming off injured reserve, Walker was placed on waivers.
“It was good to see a different side of the league, I guess,” Walker said. “It was a good experience. I’m always trying to grow, whether it’s on the ice or off the ice. There’s certain things you can take in and then take from there. But, yeah, just trying to take it all in and enjoy it, right?”
Said Trotz: “Obviously, we weren’t getting him in the lineup here and Edmonton got him in a couple games and he saw how other teams do things and where he maybe stacks up not only with our guys but other organizations’ guys. So, you know, we just talked real briefly, and we’ll have a longer discussion about where his game needs to go next. But I know for us that he has some of those great qualities as a young man. He comes to play, he’s very competitive, and he’s going to get better all the time. He’s got a great spirit about him that you can’t measure in stats and all that. I know when he flew in yesterday the guys were really happy he was back, and I know they were all cheering for him. Good to have him back, and hopefully we can give him some direction of where we want his game to go next.”
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Walker needs to put about 10 pounds of muscle on. It's rare for a little guy to have a long career but it has been done, and I hope he can do it
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I hope I can stay awake for this one. I was asleep by this time last night. It'll help if the Caps play as they have been lately.
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Finally i'm going to watch the whole Caps' game!
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Nice pipe from 20
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I see scouting the refs is on top of things tonight, again
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My feed is with something around 40 seconds delay.
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I see scouting the refs is on top of things tonight, again
Yeah, I missed the first 2-3 minutes of the game because of that. Fortunately, Joe B. announced the officials at the start. I had to rewind a few times to catch them all and post them here.
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My feed is with something around 40 seconds delay.
If you're watching on Comcast/Xfinity try changing the channel and then back again. I've had that happen before with as much as a few minutes delay even though the DVR shows "Live".
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At the viewing party with the Caps Road Crew, not particularly social yet but the night is young and i’m only on the second beer
(Sorry got a facetime before I finished that)
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My feed is with something around 40 seconds delay.
If you're watching on Comcast/Xfinity try changing the channel and then back again. I've had that happen before with as much as a few minutes delay even though the DVR shows "Live".
I have reloaded the streaming and now it is better!
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At the viewing party with the Caps Road Crew, not particularly social yet but the night is young and i’m only on the second beer
(Sorry got a facetime before I finished that)
Is that your group that Joe B and Locker were talking about at the Paris Hotel in LV?
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Hey everyone!!!
Let's go power play!!!
Rush
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Don't you just want to slap this PP squad for not shooting the damned puck? Weak! Very Weak!
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At the viewing party with the Caps Road Crew, not particularly social yet but the night is young and i’m only on the second beer
(Sorry got a facetime before I finished that)
Is that your group that Joe B and Locker were talking about at the Paris Hotel in LV?
. Hell yeah!!!
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Sleepy Caps so far
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Sleepy Caps so far
I'm getting sleepy watching this game.
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Yea, it hasn't been particularly exciting
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Yea, it hasn't been particularly exciting
No, but they’ve played solid (keep in mind i’m at a loud bar in Vegas cold as hell). Not many mistakes, not many stupid turnovers.
I’ll take this type of game anyday in April/May/June. (however this is Phoniex)
That being said, December in Vegas may be the one of the few times anyone will say “Im going INSIDE to smoke”
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Yea, it hasn't been particularly exciting
We have 2 shots on net. That's bad.
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Hey Rush, tell me how you like the Avatar i made for you.
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Oshie!!!!!
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How the heck was that offside against us?
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How the heck was that offside against us?
apprently, calling offisides correctly is now rocket science
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How the heck was that offside against us?
apprently, calling offisides correctly is now rocket science
That was so strange. We entered the zone cleanly, made a few passes and lost the puck on a turnover, then we got it right back with another turnover. The puck never left the zone and they called offside on us. These refs are stoned.
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I have never understood why, since the puck must cross blue ice to hit a pipe why it doesn't count as a SOG
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I have never understood why, since the puck must cross blue ice to hit a pipe why it doesn't count as a SOG
SOG is only a shot that would have scored had it not been blocked.
ETA
By a goalie, not a pipe.
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Walton is interviewing Schimtty during the intermission. If only I knew of a link
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Walton is interviewing Schimtty during the intermission. If only I knew of a link
We might be able to find it later online. I still wish we had decided to protect him.
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I have never understood why, since the puck must cross blue ice to hit a pipe why it doesn't count as a SOG
SOG is only a shot that would have scored had it not been blocked.
ETA
By a goalie, not a pipe.
Yea, but if a pipe hit was 1 inch over it would go in. But this why the SOG stat is way overblown, far too much weight put in it. How many goals are deflections? That would normally miss entirely but were deflected in? The stat is horse crap.
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Personally, I think if the puck crosses blue ice it should count as a SOG.
The faceoff stat is another that is horse crap. What is counted is who wins at the dot. How many times has the other team skated away with it? I think the winner should be whoever has control leaving the circle. But we have assholes.
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I'm enjoying this third frame. All cylinders firing at a fast pace.
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FUCK!
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I guess it will be another year for a regulation win in Phoenix
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puck a duck
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UGLY TERRIBLE DEFENSE IN OT! CRAP!
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Caps just love to lose to bottom of the barrel teams.
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UGLY TERRIBLE DEFENSE IN OT! CRAP!
Not sure if anyone noticed but that play started when Oshie got taken out by a Coyote player and lost his man. Never should have gone to overtime. This game was an embarrassment.
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Caps just love to lose to bottom of the barrel teams.
Yup we have lost to the 2 worst teams in the league.
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Couldn't of been out of gas, so the last 10 minutes and OT I'll just chalk up to lazy.. Should give back that 1 point, they acted like they didn't really want it.
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Couldn't of been out of gas, so the last 10 minutes and OT I'll just chalk up to lazy.. Should give back that 1 point, they acted like they didn't really want it.
We deserved to lose that game. It was disgusting.
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Couldn't of been out of gas, so the last 10 minutes and OT I'll just chalk up to lazy.. Should give back that 1 point, they acted like they didn't really want it.
You called it Mick!!
Eller was out hustled by Fisher for goal #2, and Carlson, was out hustled for the OT goal! LAZY, LAZY, LAZY!!
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BTW.
Props and thanks to AJ for my newly discovered avatar!
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yea, this was the front half of a back to back. So were the Caps just thinking about tomorrow? Cause as we just saw the desert dogs are not the push over they've been known for. and how much of this crap does Grubs put up with before requesting a trade?
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yea, this was the front half of a back to back. So were the Caps just thinking about tomorrow? Cause as we just saw the desert dogs are not the push over they've been known for. and how much of this crap does Grubs put up with before requesting a trade?
Agree 100%, Alta
Another being thrown under the bus for Gruby!
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yea, this was the front half of a back to back. So were the Caps just thinking about tomorrow? Cause as we just saw the desert dogs are not the push over they've been known for. and how much of this crap does Grubs put up with before requesting a trade?
Agree 100%, Alta
Another being thrown under the bus for Gruby!
Grubauer played decent but I wouldn't say he stood on his head. Grubauer didn't really get tested very much. He did make a couple very good saves. The 2 saves that come to mind were a left pad save in the first period and the breakaway in the 3rd. You expect your goaltender to make some saves. The team didn't have a good game offensively. Defensively we actually didn't play terrible. A couple mistakes ended up in our net. My point is that Grubauer played decent but he didn't make the save when the game was on the line.
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Yea, it's saying something when your teams losing goaltender is your #1 star.. Nobody had a good game, including him, imo.. But that last half of the 3rd and OT was just pathetic.. If the Coyotes had any fire power at all they'd of easily won that one in regulation.
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Couldn't of been out of gas, so the last 10 minutes and OT I'll just chalk up to lazy.. Should give back that 1 point, they acted like they didn't really want it.
You called it Mick!!
Eller was out hustled by Fisher for goal #2, and Carlson, was out hustled for the OT goal! LAZY, LAZY, LAZY!!
The OT goal happened because Oshie lost his man. It was Domi that made the play happen. Keller then beat Carlson to the front of the net and Grubauer put the rebound right back in Keller's stick. Grubauer doesn't have a clue his to control rebounds. I think Carlson should have intentionally taken a penalty to stop Keller. I know I definitely would have.