Post by ALL CAPS on Jan 22, 2024 17:46:26 GMT -5
Above: Jordan Spence celebrates a goal with Team Canada during the 2020-21 World Junior Championship. Canada would go on to claim Silver.
Washington, DC --
The Washington Capitals will square off tonight against their under-performing rivals the Columbus Blue Jackets at home from Capital One Arena in DC. Despite a recent OT loss to the Flyers, the Caps (20-7-5) continue to be within striking distance of top spot in the Eastern Conference now with just 50 games remaining in the regular season.
Speaking of their loss to the Flyers - the Capitals remained tight lipped in their locker room about what events transpired that led to Torey Krug's ejection from that game (and eventual 2-game suspension) after being penalized for abuse of an official.
While the circumstances of what exactly took place on the ice that day remains unclear, and details haven't been made any easier to obtain from the Flyers, Capitals or the league, we do know that the incident took place during the second period against the Flyers (19-JAN) between whistles following a defensive zone faceoff for the Capitals. The incident wasn't caught on camera or mic. Krug has been enjoying a fairly successful season with the Capitals in a top 4-role where he is trending toward another 40+ point season from the blue line.
Meanwhile, the Capitals called up young defenseman Jordan Spence in a supplementary move on Saturday for their game against the Penguins. Spence (age: 22) is widely considered to be a player who will factor into Washington's defensive stable of the future. He is seemingly breaking barriers as a professional hockey player as a Japanese-Canadian that was raised in Australia. Spence who was just a toddler when his family moved from Japan to Australia, and 13 years old when his family moved to Prince Edward Island, identifies as Japanese-Canadian. He is a diminutive and talented offensive defenseman with plenty of upside who is also well liked in the locker room.
Spence would go on to give a preview of his potential on Saturday night against the Penguins when he scored the game winning goal in overtime.
“(For sure) getting the third star and with all the fans cheering it was a cool moment for me.” Spence said following the game. “My parents also came too, so that was pretty cool."
“We’re getting quality minutes out of him,” Capitals coach David Quinn said. “He’s a heady player, he sees the ice well and has a booming shot. ‘Spenny’ has improved in the AsHL, I think, nightly, and he looks more confident out there.”
Asked for his comment on the Krug situation, Quinn offered the following:
"Spenny has earned this next game, and we'll look forward to having (Krug) back with the team when he is available."
Caps fans, stay tuned for more updates and information on your favorite team in the Red, White and Blue.
Includes information and modified quotes from the following sources:
everythinggp.com/2023/09/22/taking-it-to-the-streets-nhl-tries-to-grow-its-game-with-an-ice-hockey-push-down-under/
www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/across-the-pacific-jordan-spences-journey-to-the-nhl