Caps Rink Report with Tarik El-Bashir

Matt Niskanen is back which means some tough decisions are on the horizon. How will the Caps stay under the salary cap? Could the recently scratched Jakub Vrana be on the bubble to return to Hershey? JJ Regan and Tarik El-Bashir talk about it all and even throw in a little Star Wars.

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Philipp Grubauer is 0-4-1 after five starts and he let it be known how much he hates losing. What can the Caps do to help out their backup netminder? Also, Nicklas Backstrom is not generating much in the way of offense, so why isn't Barry Trotz concerned? Hear it from the coach himself. JJ Regan, Tarik El-Bashir and Rob Carlin look at the factors contributing to the struggles of Grubauer and Backstrom, plus special guest Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post makes an appearance.

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The Capitals are a team in need of an identity...but what does that mean? JJ Regan and Tarik El-Bashir talk about what it means for a team to have an identity, why the Caps are in need of a new one and how far along they are in that process. Plus, they look at some of the most surprising teams from the first month of the season.

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It's the long awaited and promised mailbag edition of the podcast! JJ Regan and Tarik El-Bashir answer fan questions on everything Caps related including prospects, the defense, player development and possible trades.

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Andre Burakovsky is struggling and so are the Caps. Can a move to the third line spark some depth scoring? JJ Regan and Tarik El-Bashir talk about whether the move will help Burakovsky and just how the team can fix its scuffling defense.

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Christian Djoos made a very successful debut with the Capitals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Have the Caps finally found a player they can rely on for the third pair? Also, Tom Wilson's four-game suspension is up. What can fans expect in his return? JJ Regan and Tarik El-Bashir discuss, plus they give their take on Sidney Crosby's hit on Braden Holtby. Dirty or not?

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Rob Carlin, Alan May and Ryan Billie recap Washington's loss to bitter rival Pittsburgh. What went right and what went wrong? Plus more on Christian Djoos' debut.

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Philipp Grubauer was fantastic in net, but his team was not as the Capitals suffered their first loss of the season, a 4-3 overtime defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Rob Carlin, Alan May and Tarik El-Bashir break down what went wrong for the Caps.

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We finally have some hockey to talk about! The Capitals played their first game of the season Thursday night against the Senators, and it was a doozy. Rob Carlin, Alan May and Tarik El-Bashir break down the exciting debut.

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The NHL's deadline for teams to cut their roster to 23 players brought little clarity to the Capitals situation so allow JJ Regan and Tarik El-Bashir to explain it. Plus, they talk about Tom Wilson's four-game suspension and open up the mailbag to answer your questions.

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