http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/players/viktor_kozlov/5137 Recent articles about Viktor Kozlov en-us #6 New York Rangers at #3 Washington Capitals (27-18-3) Location: Verizon Center Time: 7:30 PM TV:  Local: Comcast SportsNet, National: NBC Sports Network, Canada: TSN Radio: 1500AM & 820AM Previous Games: February 17 in New York:  1-2 Loss March 10 in Washington  1-4 Loss March 24 in New York  3-2 Shootout Win Familiar Faces of Former Capitals: D Roman Hamrlik (72 GP, 2011-13), D Steve Eminger (212 GP, 2002-08) Former Ranger:  RW Wojtek Wolski (46 GP, 2010-11), D Tom Poti (229 GP, 2002-06) Not those Rangers! Read on! The Southeast Division Champion Washington Capitals enter their fourth playoff series in the past five years against the New York Rangers.  With home ice advantage and a deep, healthy lineup at all positions, the Capitals are favored in this series and are well positioned to make a deep run into the postseason, not to mention avenge last season's second-round loss.  Their up-tempo, attacking style is a far cry from the defensi... Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/game_1_preview_rangers_at_capitals/13532900 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/game_1_preview_rangers_at_capitals/13532900 Game 1 Preview: Rangers at Capitals http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/game_1_preview_rangers_at_capitals/13532900 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png #6 New York Rangers at #3 Washington Capitals (27-18-3) Location: Verizon Center Time: 7:30 PM TV:  Local: Comcast SportsNet, National: NBC Sports Network, Canada: TSN Radio: 1500AM & 820AM Previous Games: February 17 in New York:  1-2 Loss March 10 in Washington  1-4 Loss March 24 in New York  3-2 Shootout Win Familiar Faces of Former Capitals: D Roman Hamrlik (72 GP, 2011-13), D Steve Eminger (212 GP, 2002-08) Former Ranger:  RW Wojtek Wolski (46 GP, 2010-11), D Tom Poti (229 GP, 2002-06) Not those Rangers! Read on! The Southeast Division Champion Washington Capitals enter their fourth playoff series in the past five years against the New York Rangers.  With home ice advantage and a deep, healthy lineup at all positions, the Capitals are favored in this series and are well positioned to make a deep run into the postseason, not to mention avenge last season's second-round loss.  Their up-tempo, attacking style is a far cry from the defensi... Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/game_1_preview_rangers_at_capitals/13532894 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/game_1_preview_rangers_at_capitals/13532894 Game 1 Preview: Rangers at Capitals http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/game_1_preview_rangers_at_capitals/13532894 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png On September 7th, 2011 a plane carrying the KHL hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed.  The entire team was killed.  As a result the team did not compete in the 2011/12 KHL season.  The team that is playing in the 2012/13 season that is currently underway is a brand new team full of brand new players.  It is logical to think that a brand new team of players would have to work their way back up to the top of the league over a few seasons but this is not the case.  Lokomotiv Yaroslavl is currently fourth place in the league with a record of 8 wins in regulation, 5 more wins in overtime or shootout and 4 regulation losses.  They are five points behind first place Dynamo Moscow who has one more game played than Lokomotiv (in the KHL a regulation win is worth three points). The KHL is a league with strong financial differences between their different teams.  Lokomotiv is one of the richest teams in the league and was willing to pay to rebuild.  They brought in several former NHL pl... Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:01:48 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rebuilding_lokomotiv/12021070 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rebuilding_lokomotiv/12021070 Rebuilding Lokomotiv http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/rebuilding_lokomotiv/12021070 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Capitals' Nation held its collective breath last night after watching Calgary Flames forward Rene Bourque deliver a flagrant elbow to the head of Capitals' #1 center Nicklas Backstrom.  In an environment where even the mention of the word concussion can keep a player out of a game, a blow to the head on a player with a history of migraines was enough to give us pause.  In that instant, the reality many in hockey circles have conveniently avoided became painfully clear:  Alexander Ovechkin may be the best athlete and goal scorer on the team, but Nicklas Backstrom is the one player the Capitals cannot afford to lose.  Losing him would change the landscape drastically and would end the team's chances of winning anything meaningful this season.  For a team that has been plagued by inconsistency this season and has undergone a complete systems overhaul since the coaching change last month, Backstrom has been the rock the team could depend on every night.  If Backstrom's w... Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:37:34 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/nicklas_backstrom_game_changer/9133009 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/nicklas_backstrom_game_changer/9133009 Nicklas Backstrom: Game Changer http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/nicklas_backstrom_game_changer/9133009 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/3/b31d9ce79846bb9d6938f3ee5c35f78384678a5b/mini/Washington_Capitals_v_880e.jpg   Today the NHL announced their ‘Three Stars’ of the week and if you watched any of these players in the past week, you’ll understand why these three stood above the rest of the pack.   The ‘Three Stars’ of the Week are:   First Star – F Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders Second Star – F Ryan O’Reilly of the Colorado Avalanche Third Star – G Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings   Moulson led all players in scoring last week with seven points (six goals, one assist) in three games, helping the Islanders complete a 3-0-1 road trip. Moulson scored in each game, extending his active goal streak to four games. He opened the scoring with a first-period power-play goal in a 2-1 win at Buffalo Nov. 29, followed by a one-goal, one-assist performance in a 5-4 shootout loss at Chicago Dec. 2. He finished the week by becoming the first NHL player this season to record four goals in a game, leading the Islanders to a 5-4 win at Dallas Dec. 3. Moulson scored twice in the first period and twice Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:09:14 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/moulson_oreilly_quick_named_the_nhls_three_stars_of_the_week/9629077 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/moulson_oreilly_quick_named_the_nhls_three_stars_of_the_week/9629077 Moulson, O’Reilly, & Quick Named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars of the Week’ http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/moulson_oreilly_quick_named_the_nhls_three_stars_of_the_week/9629077 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/3/a/3a7a2877a1e0a8b8dfd9eab842bdf1247f3c13c6/mini/New_York_Islanders_43df.jpg   Thanks to the number of days that were sandwiched between this past Sunday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks and tonight’s affair against Sidney Crosby and those other 22 stiffs that comprise the Pittsburgh Penguins, like Alex Burrows opening up the bench door in an attempt to embarrass or harm Jesse Winchester, I’m able to get away with things. In this case, I’m going break away from the norm and focus on writing something other than: the current state of the roster; potential trade scenarios; lineup combinations; player ice-times; Mikhail Grigorenko topping ISS’ 2012 draft rankings; Nikita Filatov putting up six points in his last two games in Bingo; or piecemealing together a post based loosely off tweets of Senators beat writers. So here it is, hopefully the first of a handful of posts that will bridge the Sens 20 motif and spur some discussion and debate. Here is my list of the 20 Biggest ‘What If’ Scenarios in Senators history… 20) What if that January 6th, 1994 t... Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:12:31 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/the_bizarro_world_senators_looking_at_20_seasons_worth_of_ottawa_senators_what_ifs/8321374 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/the_bizarro_world_senators_looking_at_20_seasons_worth_of_ottawa_senators_what_ifs/8321374 The Bizarro World Senators: Looking at 20 Seasons Worth of Ottawa Senators 'What Ifs...?" http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/the_bizarro_world_senators_looking_at_20_seasons_worth_of_ottawa_senators_what_ifs/8321374 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png It was four Thanksgivings ago that Bruce Boudreau got the call from Capitals General Manager George McPhee asking him to coach the Washington Capitals.  Since that day, he has had a mostly successful run, but with some glaring omissions.  We all thought Boudreau was on the hot seat last week with this latest losing slide, but Bruce seems to have averted his latest Selden crisis by re-connecting with his franchise player and the foundation of his success, Alexander Ovechkin.  Now is as good a time as any to reflect on Boudreau's tenure and relationship with Ovie so we can turn our attention back to how this team can be successful when the Spring rolls around.  Reflecting on Boudreau for a moment, one has to consider his roots when looking at his system and coaching style.  Boudreau was a naive, happy-go-lucky offensive phenom growing up.  He was never much into nutrition, defense, or making educated decisions, and he never really thought about how his actions would be perceived ... Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:15:32 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/forward_the_foundation/8295427 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/forward_the_foundation/8295427 Forward the Foundation http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/forward_the_foundation/8295427 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Today the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted four more players: Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour and Mark Howe. As always, the inductees are quickly praised before the hockey world debates who should have been inducted, but wasn’t. And for another year, the Pavel Bure argument has gained more momentum. The hall of fame is filled with a lot of players who don’t deserve to be there (look no further than Dick Duff and his 572 career points in 1030 games), but that’s not why I think Pavel Bure deserves to be in the hall. If we used Dick Duff’s numbers as the barometer to get in the hall of fame, Tony Tanti would be a slam dunk choice as well. No, Pavel Bure deserves to get into the hall of fame because he was one of the very best players in the game for a significant length of time. In my mind, that is the most important factor for gaining entry. At the moment, longevity gets way too much consideration for why a player should or should not gain entry to the hall. If a player has eigh... Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:43:52 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/pavel_bure_deserves_to_be_in_the_hall_of_fame/8101441 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/pavel_bure_deserves_to_be_in_the_hall_of_fame/8101441 Pavel Bure Deserves to be in the Hall of Fame http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/pavel_bure_deserves_to_be_in_the_hall_of_fame/8101441 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Today the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted four more players: Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour and Mark Howe. As always, the inductees are quickly praised before the hockey world debates who should have been inducted, but wasn’t. And for another year, the Pavel Bure argument has gained more momentum. The hall of fame is filled with a lot of players who don’t deserve to be there (look no further than Dick Duff and his 572 career points in 1030 games), but that’s not why I think Pavel Bure deserves to be in the hall. If we used Dick Duff’s numbers as the barometer to get in the hall of fame, Tony Tanti would be a slam dunk choice as well. No, Pavel Bure deserves to get into the hall of fame because he was one of the very best players in the game for a significant length of time. In my mind, that is the most important factor for gaining entry. At the moment, longevity gets way too much consideration for why a player should or should not gain entry to the hall. If a player has eigh... Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:43:52 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/pavel_bure_deserves_to_be_in_the_hall_of_fame/8101444 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/pavel_bure_deserves_to_be_in_the_hall_of_fame/8101444 Pavel Bure Deserves to be in the Hall of Fame http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/pavel_bure_deserves_to_be_in_the_hall_of_fame/8101444 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/7/e7ccb1e830e937eea729d960f408d214991622e8/mini/Florida_Panthers_v_077a.jpg Alexander Ovechkin is at a crossroads in his career. He is still the same happy-go-lucky Russian sniper who took the NHL by storm after the lockout, and therein lies the problem. When he was a 20-year old rookie, Ovie could fly down the left wing, turn a defenseman inside out, cut across the middle on his off-wing and bury a shot. Frankly, for his first couple of seasons, he had to because he was usually the best puck-handler on the ice. With the amount on talent on the Capitals now and Ovechkin getting older, Ovechkin no longer needs to be the lone gunman, nor is he capable of keeping it up into his 30s. Looking at Ovechkin's goals this season, one was a deflection, one was a rebound, and 5 were shots that came when he was in space without the puck, received a pass, and fired it quickly. This type of shooting should become Ovechkin's primary scoring method, as his cutting across the middle these days only results in him losing the puck. Ovechkin needs to adapt his... Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:01:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/why_ovechkin_should_be_like_brett/8099725 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/why_ovechkin_should_be_like_brett/8099725 Why Ovechkin Should Be Like Brett http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/why_ovechkin_should_be_like_brett/8099725 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/1/511e46331ba159dd88bcfe8ff09b9522e08faa95/mini/Blue_Jackets_v_d605.jpg