The Capitals, after some slight early struggles, have stormed out of the gates and regained their position at the top of the Eastern Conference almost 20 games into this young 2010-11 season. One major factor behind the Capitals' continued success is the play of their freshman defenseman John Carlson and rookie goaltenders Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby.
Each came into the season with different expectations regarding how much they were each expected to contribute in Washington, and all three members of the Capitals' rookie trio have played key roles in the team's success thus far.
Carlson entered training camp as one of the most highly regarded defensemen in this year's rookie class, and a potential favorite for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. His play has been, although somewhat uneven at times, very good for a first year blueliner. He leads all rookie defensemen in points, assists and plus-minus, which are signs of good things to come for the Capitals' prized rookie.
Michael Neuvirth's status as the team's starting goaltender was far from a certainty at the beginning of the season, as Semyon Va ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Ryan Davenport
Washington Capitals, Young Guns: Assessing Their Rookies’ Play Thus Far
November 16th, 2010 by Ryan Davenport Leave a reply »
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