Trending Up, Trending Down: Capital gains, suddenly sidelined stars
▲ A more humane form of Capital punishment
Amid the post-election fallout in D.C. and beyond, Washington's NHL club is quietly starting to hit its stride.
The Capitals dismantled the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1 on Wednesday night, hours after the Penguins' social media staff roasted that of the Capitals.
New banners this year for the Penguins and Capitals. 😏 pic.twitter.com/wf4juD9Hga
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 16, 2016
.@penguins Must have missed the one right next to it. pic.twitter.com/YfrtDHimNt
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 16, 2016
Pittsburgh won the Twitter exchange, but Washington got the last laugh and then some in the ensuing blowout.
The Capitals are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and their next four are at home.
▼ Healthy NHL talent
It wasn't quite the 23 minutes that shook the hockey world, but the NHL's stable of healthy superstars took a serious hit Wednesday with three significant injury announcements.
The Tampa Bay Lightning revealed captain Steven Stamkos suffered a torn meniscus that will reportedly keep him out for at least four months.
Calgary Flames phenom Johnny Gaudreau has a broken finger after being slashed repeatedly by the Minnesota Wild.
New Jersey Devils' leading scorer, Taylor Hall - who was part of the aforementioned flurry of activity over the summer - has a knee injury that could keep him out for a month.
It was a brutal Wednesday afternoon for the NHL and its crop of talent both young and old.
▲ Marner's magic
Auston Matthews' first career slump is getting most of the attention in Toronto, but Mitch Marner's steady production shouldn't be overlooked.
The latter 19-year-old posted another multi-point game Tuesday - his third in the last five contests - and now has 15 points in his first 16 games.
Marner has erased any doubt that he belongs in the league, and while his Maple Leafs still have plenty of work to do, they can at least take comfort knowing he's adjusted well to the NHL.
▼ The league's Olympic leverage
Ongoing negotiations regarding the NHL's potential participation in the 2018 Olympic Games are getting dicey, and the power now appears to be in the players' hands.
The NHL is reportedly offering the union an extension on the CBA in exchange for allowing the players to go to South Korea, but the NHL's most outspoken agent isn't buying it as a gesture of good faith.
Interesting. The NHL is attempting to leverage (or blackmail) the players strong desire to play in the Olympics into a CBA extension.
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) November 16, 2016
The NHL said it needed $10M in Transportation, insurance and hospitality costs. It got it. Now, the NHL demands CBA extension from players. https://t.co/Jd2aKgdOLR
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) November 17, 2016
Walsh's response to the offer was predictable, but as he also points out, several players - including Alex Ovechkin - have already stated they plan to go regardless of whether the league officially participates.
It wouldn't make much sense for players to accept an extension to the CBA in exchange for the right to do something they'll likely do anyway.