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Capitals lose Martin Fehervary, preseason game to Devils: Observations

By J.J. Regan

Caps lose Fehervary, preseason game in New Jersey: Observations originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Now four games into the preseason, the Capitals are still in search of their first win. Washington fell 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Monday in a game that also saw them lose defenseman Martin Fehervary in the second period.

Here are some observations from the loss.

Connor McMichael makes his presence felt

There may be an open spot at center to start the season with Nicklas Backstrom’s status a question mark, and it just so happens that the Caps’ top two prospects are centers. Thus far, Hendrix Lapierre has been the more visible of the two, but on Monday, McMichael took the spotlight with his best performance of the preseason.

McMichael was robbed in the second period on the doorstep after a great pass from Daniel Sprong. McMichael made up for it later in the second, scoring his first goal of the preseason to get Washington on the board.

McMichael and Sprong played well together and looked like the team’s top offensive threats on the night.

Goaltending is a question mark

Vitek Vanecek was brilliant when the game started, but he could not keep that level through the entire 60 minutes.

Vanecek initially looked very comfortable in net and finished with 22 saves out of 25 shots. His best saves came at the end of the second period as he robbed both Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt as they tried to catch the Caps defense sleeping and sneak in a late goal.

But it wasn’t all good, as shots from Michael McLeod and Pavel Zacha found the back of the net and looked like the kind of saves you need your goalie to make in games that count.

The lower-body injury to Samsonov makes it look like Vanecek is the front-runner to start the opener. On Monday, he was good, but not great.

Martin Fehervary leaves early

Fehervary took a shot off the hand in the second period. His last shift came with 6:54 left in the middle frame and he did not return. The Caps announced it was an upper-body injury.

Fehervary made a bad read on New Jersey’s first goal, as both he and Matt Irwin converged on Janne Kuokkanen, leaving a lane for Dawson Mercer to the side. As Fehervary tried to adjust, the young Mercer had a step and turned the corner on Fehervary to get to the front of the net, eventually leading to the Holtz goal.

Even so, I think Fehervary had the upper hand on Michal Kempny for a spot on the Caps’ blue line to start the season. He may still be adjusting to the system, but he certainly looks more ready than Kempny to this point.

Hopefully, whatever injury he may be dealing with is minor and he will be back quickly. Otherwise, it suddenly becomes even more important to get Kempny back up to speed as quickly as possible.

All about Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info

By NBC Sports Washington Staff
All about Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonEver since making his NHL debut in 2005, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has proven to be the greatest goalscorer the sport has ever seen.The 2004 No. 1 overall pick scored two goals in his first career game and hasn't stopped finding the back of the net at record pace, putting him within reach of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals mark. Ovechkin has compiled an impressive trophy case along the way, winning three Hart Memorial Trophy MVPs, a record nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the NHL's leading goal scorer, nine NHL First-Team selections, 12 all-star selections, the 2018-19 Stanley Cup title and the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of that year's playoffs.He is undoubtedly one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Alex Ovechkin's BioHeight: 6-foot-3Weight: 238 poundsBirthdate: Sept. 17, 1985 Birthplace: Moscow, RussiaNHL experience: 17 seasonsJersey No. 8Alex Ovechkin's Career StatsAfter showing no signs of slowing down with a 50-goal season in Year 17, Ovechkin has continued to put up mind-boggling stats deep into his 30s. Here are his complete career numbers to date (through Oct 11, 2022): 1,274 games played780 goals scored630 assists1,410 pointsStanley Cup Playoffs:141 games71 goals64 assists135 pointsAlex Ovechkin's Contract DetailsIt was always a matter of "when" and not "if" Alex Ovechkin would sign a contract extension with the Capitals this past offseason. The five-year, $47.5 million deal he signed at the end of July 2021 showed his desire to finish his career in the nation's capital with an eye towards breaking the all-time goals record as well. Ovechkin's deal ends following the 2025-26 season. Where does Alex Ovechkin rank on the all-time goals list? Ovechkin finished his 17th NHL season with a clean 50 goals, bringing his career total to 780. Here's where that ever-growing mark ranks on the all-time goals leaderboard: Wayne Gretzky: 894Gordie Howe: 801Alex Ovechkin: 780Jaromir Jagr: 766Brett Hull: 741Other Alex Ovechkin RecordsMuch has been made about Ovechkin's all-time goals chase, but he's also accumulated some other pretty impressive records along the way as well. Most recently, Ovi broke the all-time power play goals mark with his 275th score on New Year's Eve against the Red Wings. By a second, he narrowly beat the release of Detroit's man in the penalty box to secure the record. Here are some of the Great 8's other all-time NHL records: Most scoring titles: nineMost overtime goals: 24Most consecutive 30-goal seasons: 15 (tied with Jaromir Jagr and Mike Gartner)
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