Last Thursday, the Caps visited the New York Islanders. Ovi had two goals, one from Kuzya and the other from Backstrom; the Caps would finish the game in overtime, on a Justin Williams goal with a final score of 3-2, for Braden Holtby's 36th win.
On Saturday night, the Caps came back home to face the New Jersey Devils. Another day, another goal, another Caps WIN, this time 4-3 in regulation time. The game would be the HoltBeast's 37th win of the season, bringing the Caps' record to an unbelievable 43-10-4 (90 points) and extending their lead over the Chicago Blackhawks (81 points) and Dallas Stars (80 points). The four goals came from Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, TJ Oshie, and Brooks Orpik, who scored his very first game-winning goal, ever, in his 798-game career. Go Brooksie! Orpik now has one more goal on the season than Brooks Laich (1).
#OviWatch
With three more goals to add to his total, Alex Ovechkin continues to lead the league, with 38 goals on the season, bringing his career total to 513 in 815 games played. This ties him with Jeremy Roenick - only Ovi did it in 479 fewer games played! One more goal will put him in sole possession of 37th all-time, two more ties him with Pierre Turgeon, and three more moves him up again.
33 - Brian Trottier - 524 G, 1279 GP
34 - Pat Verbeek - 522 G, 1424 GP
35 - Dale Hawerchuk - 518 G, 1188 GP
36 - Pierre Turgeon - 515 G, 1294 GP
37 - Alex Ovechkin - 513 G, 815 GP
38 - Jeremy Roenick - 513 G, 1363 GP
39 - Gilbert Perreault - 512 G, 1191 GP
40 - Jean Béliveau - 507 G, 1125 GP
41 - Peter Bondra - 503 G, 1081 GP
42 - Joe Mullen - 502 G, 1062 GP
43 - Lanny McDonald - 500 G, 1111 GP
44 - Glenn Anderson - 498 G, 1129 GP
#HoltBEASTWatch
This weekend's games take the HoltBEAST's win total to 37. More about this after the break!
Since the Washington Capitals entered the NHL in their horrific 1974-75 season (a record of 8-67-5 with the 5 being ties), they have had 46 men suit up in the goalie pads. Braden Holtby is in sole possession of the #2 record with 138 wins in 225 games played for the Caps. #1 Olie Kolzig had 301 wins in his 711 games played. Since Holts can't get to that record (yet), we'll watch the single season records. Stick-tap to NHL.com for the numbers, which they have dating back to the 1917-18 series for goalies (holy WOW!)
For #HoltBEASTWatch, I only went back to the Caps' first season here. With his next win, Holts joins Tim Cheveldae, Roberto Luongo, Patrick Roy, Donald Edwards, and Marty Brodeur at the 38 wins in a season mark (10th place since 1974-75). Luongo achieved his 38 wins in 60 games played, the fastest player since the Caps came into being to reach that number.
01 - 2006-07: Martin Brodeur (48W in 78GP) V*
02 - 2007-08: Evgeni Nabokov (46W in 77GP) V*
03 - 2008-09: Mikka Kiprusoff (45W in 65GP)
2009-10: Martin Brodeur (45W in 77GP) J*
04 - 2014-15: Carey Price (44W in 66GP) J* V*
1974-75: Bernie Parent (44W in 68GP) V*
05 - 1999-2000: Martin Brodeur (43W in 62GP)
1992-93: Tom Barrasso (43W in 63GP)
1997-98: Martin Brodeur (43W in 70GP) J*
2011-12: Pekka Rinne (43W in 73GP)
2005-06: Martin Brodeur (43W in 73GP)
2002-03: Martin Brodeur (43W in 73GP) J* V*
1990-91: Ed Belfour (43W in 74GP) V*
06 - 1975-76: Kenneth Dryden (42W in 62GP) V**
1993-94: Mike Richter (42W in 68GP)
07 - 2000-01: Martin Brodeur (41W in 72GP)
1976-77: Kenneth Dryden (41W in 56GP) V**
2001-02: Dominik Hasek (41W in 65GP)
2013-14: Semyon Varlamov (41W in 63GP)
08 - 1982-83: Pete Peeters (40W in 62GP) V*
1984-85: Pelle Lindbergh (40W in 65GP) V*
1987-88: Grant Fuhr (40W in 75GP) V*
09 - 1995-96: Chris Osgood (39W in 50GP) J*
1998-99: Martin Brodeur (39W in 70GP)
10 - 2010-11: Roberto Luongo (38W in 60GP) J*
1996-97: Patrick Roy (38W in 62GP)
1991-92: Tim Cheveldae (38W in 72GP)
1977-78: Donald Edwards (38W in 72GP)
2003-04: Martin Brodeur (38W in 75GP) J* V*
11 - 2015-16: Braden Holtby (37W in 47GP)
1988-89: Michael Vernon (37W in 52GP)
1986-87: Ron Hextall (37W in 66GP) V*
12 - 1980-81: Mario Lessard (35W in 64GP)
13 - 1981-82: Billy Smith (32W in 46GP) V*
1979-80: Michael Liut (32W in 64GP)
1978-79: Daniel Bouchard (32W in 64GP)
14 - 1989-90: Daren Puppa (31W in 56GP)
1985-86: John Vanbiesbrouck (31W in 61GP) V*
15 - 1983-84: Grant Fuhr (30W in 45GP)
16 - 1994-95: Ken Wregget (25W in 38GP)
17 - 2012-13: Henrik Lundqvist (24W in 43GP)
J* - William M. Jennings Trophy (created for the 1981-82 season) for the team that allowed the fewest goals against that year; shared among goalies playing in 25 or more games for that team.
V*- Vezina Trophy winner from 1981-82 forward. The current criteria is the most outstanding goaltender, as voted by the NHL General Managers.
V** - Vezina Trophy winner pre-1981-82, post-1946 for the team with the fewest goals against in the season. The trophy was shared between 1965 and 1981 among any goalies for the team with the lowest goals-against average who played in 25 games or more.
Capitals who have won these two prestigious awards:
1983-84: Al Jensen and Pat Riggin won the Jennings Trophy, allowing only 226 goals that season.
1995-96: Jim Carey won the Vezina Trophy.
1999-2000: Olie Kolzig won the Vezina Trophy.
None of these guys appear on the list above for most wins in a regular season...
#KuzyaWatchin'
With two more primary assists, Evgeny Kuznetsov now has 35 primary assists on the season. He is now tied with Daniel Sedin, who got his 35 primary assists over the course of a full season. My source for the numbers, stats.hockeyanalysis.com, only goes back to 2007-08 for this statistic. With his next primary assist, #KuzyaSneaky joins Joe Thornton, who also got his 36 primary assists over a full 82 game season. The list below is now in order from high to low.
01 - 2008-09: Sid Crosby (51 in 77 GP)
02 - 2009-10: Henrik Sedin (46 in 82 GP)
2010-11: Martin St. Louis (46 in 82 GP)
2011-12: Evgeni Malkin (46 in 75 GP)
03 - 2007-08: Pavel Datsyuk (44 in 82 GP)
04 - 2013-14: Joe Thornton (36 in 82 GP)
05 - 2015-16: Evgeny Kuznetsov (35 in 57 GP)
2014-15: Daniel Sedin (35 in 82 GP)
06 - 2012-13: Sid Crosby (29 in 36 GP - season shortened by lockout)
#TrendWatch
In the last several games, the Caps have had to come from behind for a win. I haven't had a free Egg McMuffin since Ovi scored a hat trick against the Minnesota Wild back on February 11th. That's a span of four games the Caps have had to come from behind in. While their record is 3-1 in those four games (one of those wins in overtime), it's still a disturbing trend. The Caps really need to come out harder in the first frame and get themselves on the board, and not solely so that I can have breakfast!
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