Weekend Preview: Capitols Kick off Three-Game Weekend at Home
Published on March 16, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release
Madison starts a new era of Capitols hockey on Friday night as Tom Gilbert takes the reins of the team as Interim Head Coach. Gilbert served as the team's Director of Player Development prior former Head Coach and General Manager Corey Leivermann and staff being relieved of their duties on Monday. For the former NHL player of ten-plus seasons, he gets thrown right into the thick of things with a three-game weekend against Cedar Rapids and Chicago.
Gilbert had the following to say this week about taking over the reins of the position:
"For us here in [the coaching] office, it's our job to change the culture because at the end of the day it just hasn't been good enough. We expect these guys to come in here and compete, develop as players, and end the year for us on the biggest of highs we possibly can. That's our goal coming into this. We're trying to get these players to understand that there are benefits to working hard. It's just not this year, but players have to find a way to push themselves because it doesn't get any easier as they get older. It's going to take a lot of effort, and that's non-negotiable."
The Caps will face off against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in a home-and-home series on Friday and Saturday night with the first of the set being played at home on Friday night. The St. Patrick's Day battle to kick off the three game weekend will be Madison's seventh $1 Beer Night of the season. Cedar Rapids comes into that game on Friday night riding a five-game winning streak. A lot of that is due to the fact that their goaltending duo of Sam Scopa and Bruno Bruveris have been red hot as of late. The pair has allowed a total of four goals over the five-game streak.
Familiar faces are something that will be repetitive this weekend as the Capitols are set to face off against former Caps forward Jack Musa for the first time since being traded in February. Musa led the Capitols in points at the time of his departure, but has struggled finding the score sheet as frequently with Cedar Rapids. Musa has recorded four points over eleven games with the RoughRiders.
Following the two-game set with Cedar Rapids, the team hits the road to Chicago to face off against the Chicago Steel. In what is the last game between the two teams this season, it also marks the return to Chicago for Jack Brandt. Brandt has been stellar since joining the Capitols and especially against his former team. Brandt has played in three games at Fox Valley Ice Arena, since joining Madison in the trade that sent Quinn Finley to Chicago, and has found the back of the net in two of those games.
Tickets for this Friday's game against Cedar Rapids can be found at tickets.madcapshockey.com. Coverage for the games this weekend can be found FloHockey along with live updates on the Capitols social media pages. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 pm on Friday night in Middleton and Saturday in Cedar Rapids and at 3:05 pm on Sunday afternoon in Chicago.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2023
- Hawks Claim Round One - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Weekend Preview: Capitols Kick off Three-Game Weekend at Home - Madison Capitols
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