Montreal Canadiens (10-5-3 23pts) v. Washington Capitals (14-2-4 32pts)
Game Recap:
The Washington Capitals prepare for a weekend back to back against Original Six foes, and they start it on a Friday night at home against the Montreal Canadiens. After a scoreless back and forth first period, the Canadiens would take over in the second period. Phillip Danault, Shea Weber, Jordan Weal, and Nick Suzuki would score four straight goals for the Canadiens to take a demanding 4-0 lead into the second intermission. The Capitals would respond with an Alex Ovechkin powerplay goal and an Evgeny Kuznetsov breakaway goal to get them back into the game, but the Canadiens would get an empty net goal from Tomas Tatar to secure the 5-2 victory.
Lineups:
Montreal Canadiens:
Jonathan Drouin — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher
Paul Byron — Max Domi — Joel Armia
Tomas Tatar — Nick Suzuki — Artturi Lehkonen
Nick Cousins — Nate Thompson — Jordan Weal
Victor Mete — Shea Weber
Ben Chiarot — Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak — Cale Fleury
Carey Price
Keith Kinkaid
Scratched: Mike Reilly, Christian Folin
Injured: Jesperi Kotkaniemi (groin)
La formation projetée du match de ce soir face aux Capitals.
Washington Capitals (14-2-4) vs Montreal Canadiens (10-5-4)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Ilya Samsonov
5-1-1
2.45 / .915% / 0
Montreal Canadiens
Carey Price
9-4-2
2.65 / .916% / 1
Coming off a thrilling shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night, the Washington Capitals are fired up to face-off against the Montreal Canadiens tonight back in DC. In the past, the first night of a back-to-back has treated Washington well. For some context, Washington played 12 back-to-backs last season. Eight of the ‘first-night’ games resulted in wins, and on three occasions, the Caps were able to win both games (HockeyReference). During the 2018-19 season, the Capitals defeated the Habs in 2 of 3 meetings, once at home, and once on the road. The last time these two teams played, Washington beat Montreal 2-1, with the first goal of the night coming from former-Canadien Lars Eller. That win also guaranteed another Metropolitan Division title for the Capitals.
The Washington Capitals, who lead the league in points, goal-scoring, wins, and goal-differential, have scored at least two goals in every game, and that streak also continued tonight (NHL.com). Wednesday nights’ smack-down with the Flyers definitely wasn’t their best performance of the season, but the Capitals still managed to snag two points with a 2-1 shootout win. Caps’ defenseman Radko Gudas expressed his desire to ‘stick it’ to his former team, and he did just that. Gudas committed five hits of his own, tied for the most in one game with captain Alex Ovechkin. Just past the six-minute mark of the first period, Brendan Leipsic scored his 2nd goal of the season, giving the Capitals a lead that would hold as the only goal of the game, for 48 minutes (NHL.com, Washington Capitals). John Carlson was credited with the primary assist, and improved his record to points in 16 of 20 games. Washington held the Flyers to just five shots on goal in the first period, whereas the Caps more than tripled up theirs. Claude Giroux, who I reported only had four goals through 17 games, finally got the Flyers on the board, six minutes and 38 seconds into the final frame. The goal came on the Flyers’ 4th power play of the game, after Nic Dowd went off for tripping. Jakub Vrana served the minor penalty, as Dowd suffered a hand injury prior to committing the penalty. Sometimes, the best player on the ice will be your goalie, and that was certainly the case last night. In the second, Philadelphia doubled up 12 shots to the Caps’ six. At the end of regulation, Braden Holtby had allowed just one goal on 27 shots faced, his best showing of the season thus far. Tied at one goal apiece, the Capitals and Flyers would head to overtime for what felt like the 100th time in 20 games. Although both teams had a handful of prime opportunities, both Braden Holtby for the Capitals and Carter Hart for the Flyers were simply unbeatable in the overtime period. Sudden death 3-on-3 overtime concluded without a winner, so for the third straight game for Philadelphia, a shootout would decide who will steal an extra point with the win. The Washington Capitals have gone to overtime or a shootout five times in their last eight games, and the Philadelphia Flyers, five in their last six. Jakub Voracek would shoot first, but Braden Holtby successfully stopped his attempt. Versus the Coyotes, TJ Oshie missed his attempt, but this time, he snuck the puck past Carter Hart, giving the Capitals a one-nil advantage. Claude Giroux, who scored the single Flyers’ goal, tricked Holtby with his questionable stop-on-a-dime deke. Luckily for the Capitals’, Evgeny Kuznetsov would beat Hart, and Holtby would stop Philadelphias’ third shot attempt, securing Washingtons’ 14th win. The win would assure that a 12-game point streak was extended to 13. Ilya Samsonov, who still has just one regulation loss (a game in which he was calling in to relieve Holtby), is expect to start tonight for the Capitals.
The Montreal Canadiens were last active on Tuesday night, where they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, also in a shootout. Montreal currently ranks 6th in goals for, scoring an average of 3.44 goals per game, as compared to Washingtons’ 1st place 3.85 goals for. The Habs rank 9th in shots on goal at 33.5%. but are 10th in shooting percentage, which is good for the Capitals and their goalies. Montreals’ special teams aren’t spectacular, with their power play operating at 20.7% efficiency, good enough for 14th overall, and their abysmal penalty kill, at 73.7% (28th place) (TheScore, Montreal Canadiens). Only the Los Angeles Kings (31st in standings), Winnipeg Jets (13th in standings), and Detroit Red Wings (29th in standings) have worse penalty kill percentages (NHL.com, NHL Hockey Standings). Joel Armia leads the team with three power play goals, and Tomas Tatar, Shea Weber, and Jeff Petry each have two. Impressively enough, the Canadiens have eight players with 10 or more points, and all but four players on their roster have at least one goal. Brendan Gallagher leads with eight goals, closely followed by Jonathan Drouin (7G). In their meeting with Columbus, Eric Robinson for the Blue Jackets would start the scoring, tallying his first NHL career goal. The entire second period was fairly uneventful, though the Canadiens successfully killed off two Columbus power plays. At the 3:27 mark of the third period, Brendan Gallagher would score for Montreal, tying the game 1-1. With just under two minutes remaining, Zach Werenski broke the tie, giving Columbus a one-goal lead. However, Tomas Tatar, in scoring his 6th goal of the season, re-established a tie-game, nearly guaranteeing at least a single point for Montreal. The 3-on-3 overtime period was scoreless, though Columbus registered three shots on goal to Montreals’ zero (TheScore, CBJ @ MTL). In the shootout, both Cam Atkinson and Paul Byron missed their shots, and Gustav Nyquist missed in the second round. Jonathan Drouin successfully scooped the puck past Blue Jackets’ back-up goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. With both third round shooters failing their attempts, the Montreal Canadiens would be the winner of this match, 3-2. Veteran goaltender Carey Price ended the night with a .943 save percentage, having stopped 33 of 35 shots faced, and is expected to start tonight (TheScore, Carey Price).
Nic Dowd and Carl Hagelin are both listed as day-to-day with upper body injuries. Earlier today, we reported that Dowd skated solo this morning, and Hagelin was first on the ice for the Capitals’ optional practice. Neither Nic nor Carl are slated for tonights’ lineup. As of 3:00pm this afternoon, the Washington Capitals have called up defenseman Tyler Lewington from the Hershey Bears. This post will continue to be updated as we obtain more thorough information regarding the status of Dowd and Hagelin. The Montreal Canadiens are without Jesperi Kotkaniemi (DL-Groin).
Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.
The Washington Capitals have played their first 20 games of the 2019-20 season and it is time for their first TXHT Report Card of the season. TXHT will be doing report cards for the Capitals every 20 to 21 games during the regular season, and comparing how they do each quarter of the season to the previous quarters.
Key Stats
Record: 14-2-4
Points: 32
Goals Forward: 79
Goals Against: 60
Powerplay: 22.9% (9th)
Penalty Kill: 84.9% (8th)
First 10 Games
In the first ten games of the season the Capitals kicked off things off against the defending Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues on the road where they would win 3-2 in overtime, then would follow up with another road victory against the New York Islanders. The Capitals would then come home to face the Carolina Hurricanes, but this would be the start of the Capitals small slide as they would fall to the Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime. The Capitals would also proceed to lose to the Dallas Stars at home 4-3 in overtime, and to the Nashville Predators on the road 6-5. The Capitals would bounce back in Dallas with a 4-1 victory over the Stars, but would be embarrassed by the Colorado Avalanche at home with a 6-3 defeat. However, the Capitals would end the last three games of their first ten games of the season with victories over Toronto (4-3), the New York Rangers (5-2), and Chicago (5-3).
The Capitals would go 6-2-2 for 14 points. Despite the positive record the Capitals had a lot of issues, especially in the first five games, with keeping the lead as the Capitals would blow three consecutive leads which resulted in them being dealt with the loss in all three. The Capitals would also come out flat against the Avalanche to suffer their worse loss of the young season. However, on the plus side the Capitals would not be shut out in any game, and would score 3 or more goals in each game except for one.
Next 10 Games
In the next ten games the Capitals would continue their winning ways as they would continue their five game road trip with a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames, but would then fall to the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime. The Capitals would end their road trip on a winning note as they would defeat Vancouver 6-5 in the shootout, and Toronto 4-3 in overtime. Back at home the Capitals would trounce the Buffalo Sabres 6-1, and with the new World Series Champion Washington Nationals in the house, the Capitals would put out the Flames 4-2. The Capitals would then gut out an overtime victory against the Florida Panthers on the road, then back at home the Capitals would route the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. In a Veteran’s Day matchup with the Arizona Coyotes the Capitals would fall in the shootout 4-3. Then to finish the second half of their first twenty games the Capitals would defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in the shootout.
The Capitals would go 8-0-2 for 18 points. The Capitals on their road trip would experience some turbulence in Edmonton and Vancouver as the Capitals would blow another lead in the third period as the Oilers would defeat them in overtime. While in Vancouver the Capitals would mount the comeback as they would erase a four goal deficit to defeat the Canucks in the eventual shootout. Against Arizona the Capitals would comeback from a three goal deficit against the Coyotes, but would eventually fall in the shootout. The great resolve the Capitals showed after going down three goals showed, and even almost had the game won until TJ Oshie’s assumed second of the game was waived off due to the play being offsides. The loss to the Coyotes, and the close matchup with the Flyers were both great tests for the Capitals as they have been coasting these first twenty games with some turbulence, but not enough adversity to challenge this team going down the stretch.
Top Players
John Carlson – 8g, 22a, 30p
Alex Ovechkin – 13g, 10a, 23p
Both Carlson and Ovechkin leads the team with goals (Ovechkin), assists and points (both Carlson) to lead the charge for the Capitals. Carlson, an early candidate for the Norris Trophy, was the first star for the month of October in the NHL for his historic month.While with Ovechkin he continues to produce as an all around player for the team and has not slowed down as a goal scorer.
Players on the Bubble
Jakub Vrana – 9g, 8a, 17p
Tom Wilson – 8g, 8a, 16p
Both Vrana and Wilson are on the bubble for me, as both are producing very well on the second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov (8g, 10a, 18p) as their center. Vrana I’d like to see cut down on the penalties and clean up his overall play as he’s been sloppy with the puck, and has also seemed lost out on the ice too. For Wilson he needs to finish a bit more. In the game against Philadelphia he had great opportunities, but couldn’t finish. I wouldn’t be surprised if both Vrana and Wilson hit 30 goals this season, and is very likely they both can.
Needs Improvement
Richard Panik – 0g, 0a, 0p
I know many find me picking on Panik, but you can’t deny the fact that he just hasn’t produced in the ten games he has played so far this season, and is the only member of the team to not have a point yet this season. Panik has had a few great opportunities but couldn’t seal the deal for himself or the Capitals. Panik would miss ten games due to injury, and would have one semi breakaway opportunity in his return game against Philadelphia, but was very unnoticeable the remainder of the game. The biggest thing Panik can do is score a goal or get an assist to boost his confidence. Once he can get a goal or an assist that will help him relax more and allow him to focus on the game with some more clarity.
Overall the Capitals are off to a great start, but there is not enough adversity to challenge the team. A few losses will be good for the Capitals, and some tougher matchups will help prepare this team for the long run.
Washington Capitals (13-2-4 30pts) v. Philadelphia Flyers (10-5-2 22pts)
Game Recap:
Coming to Philadelphia to visit an old friend, the Washington Capitals would take on Matt Niskanen and the Flyers for a Metropolitan Division matchup. In the first seven minutes of the game the Capitals would swarm the Flyers in all three zones and it would pay off as the Capitals would not only out shoot the Flyers 7-1, but would also strike first off of a hard hustle from the Capitals grind line of Garnet Hathaway, Nic Dowd, and Brendan Leipsic as they would get the puck to John Carlson for a point shot and Leipsic would crash the net to cash in on the rebound to take the 1-0 lead. The Capitals and Flyers would both trade powerplay opportunities, but neither team would be able to capitalize on them. Especially the Capitals who looked very sloppy with their first powerplay. the Capitals would draw another penalty in the final minute of the period to give them an abbreviated powerplay to start the second period.
In the second period the Capitals would waste away the powerplay opportunity to start the period and would then be outplayed for the first half of the period, including a powerplay opportunity for the Flyers that they would not capitalize on themselves. The Capitals would get another powerplay opportunity in the second half of the period, and would waste their opportunity once again. The Capitals powerplay so far through three chances has looked horrible. Passes aren’t connecting and are trying to force it too much. However, the Capitals penalty kill has been spectacular killing off all three chances the Flyers have had. The Flyers would out shoot the Capitals 12 to 6 in the second period, but Braden Holtby would stand tall for the Capitals to keep the 1-0 lead.
In the third period the Capitals would play with a very lackluster play as the Flyers would once again be buzzing on the Capitals, and on a Nic Dowd tripping call it would be Claude Giroux tying up the game while on the man advantage. In the final five minutes of regulation the Capitals would start to pick up the play and Tom Wilson in particular would get golden opportunity after golden opportunity only to be denied by Carter Hart on three to four high quality scoring chances. Then in overtime the Flyers would take advantage of the long change as they would be able to do three line changes while Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Dmitry Orlov were trapped on the ice for over two minutes, but to their credit were able to keep the Flyers to the outside and kept the shot quality as low as possible. Then in the shootout the Capitals would get goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov and TJ Oshie to clinch the 2-1 victory over the Flyers.
Washington Capitals (13-2-4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (10-5-2)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Braden Holtby
8-1-3
3.25 / .898% / 0
Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Hart
6-3-1
2.71 / .893% / 1
The Washington Capitals made the short drive up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to take on the Flyers before heading right back to DC to face the Canadiens on Friday. Despite dropping their last game versus the Arizona Coyotes, the Capitals have not lost in regulation since mid-October, and are riding a 12-game point streak, of which they’ve picked up at least one point (TheScore, Washington Capitals). The last time the Capitals played the Flyers was back in March, where they defeated Philadelphia 3-1 at Wells Fargo Center.
The Washington Capitals lost 4-3 in the shootout to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night. With just two wins in their last six games, Arizona played desperate. Clayton Keller of the Coyotes started off the scoring at the 14:15 mark of the first period, establishing a 1-0 lead. Each team received a power play in the first period, but neither the Caps nor the Coyotes converted. To start the second, Christian Fisher scored his first goal of the season, a goal that, much to the surprise of fans in attendance, would be reviewed, and ultimately ruled as a good goal. Just 30 seconds later, on what seemed to be the Coyotes 100th breakaway of the game thus far (hyperbole), Michael Grabner scored, adding to Arizona’s already-cushy lead. Just by looking at the score, it would be easy to assume that rookie goal-tender Ilya Samsonov was exclusively at fault for the three goals by the Coyotes, but fatal defensive breakdowns and falling behind plays directly led to each goal. Swallowed whistles by the referees allowed Arizona to take advantage of missed calls, and the Capitals suffered. Evgeny Kuznetsov would score the Capitals’ first goal of the game at the 8:47 mark of the second, re-instilling some of the hope that Caps’ fans had seemed to lose. The Capitals would receive a late second period power play, but did not score in the last 30 seconds of the period, or the first 1:30 of the final frame. Kuznetsov would score his second of the game two minutes and 23 seconds into the third period, bringing the game within reach for the first time of the night. Washington held the Coyotes to just 6 shots on goal in the third, and Samsonov stopped all six. With under a minute and a half remaining, and the Caps’ down by one, TJ Oshie would score the game-tying goal, his 9th of the season. Capital One Arena exploded, and the fans broke out into chants of ‘TJ OSHIE! *clap clap clap*’, as it seemed that Washington truly could complete another monumental comeback. For the 5th time in 8 games, extra time would be required. Just over halfway through the overtime period, TJ Oshie scored his second of the night, a goal that fans and teammates alike believed to be the overtime game winning goal. Exuberant joy that was, after what seemed like an eternity, fleeting. Officials determined that the preceding play was off-sides, and thus the goal was overturned. The remainder of the overtime period expired, and now an individual skills competition would be what decided the winner and the loser. At that moment, the Capitals’ fate was all but sealed. Although the Capitals had won their last shootout, Arizona had too, and backup goaltender Antti Raanta stopped nearly every shot he faced. Shootout hero TJ Oshie missed his shot, and Nick Schmaltz made his. Evgeny Kuznetsov missed, and Conor Garland was then the one to win it for Arizona. Ilya Samsonov stopped 32 of 35 shots faced, excluding shootout attempts, ending the night with a .914 save percentage (TheScore, ARI @ WSH). The Capitals are hoping to come back from the loss tonight, and Braden Holtby is expected to start.
The Philadelphia Flyers are riding a four-game win streak, after defeating the Boston Bruins on Sunday. Their second consecutive shootout win came on the second night of a back-to-back, where the night prior they had defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout. This was Philadelphia’s third consecutive game requiring extra time. Interestingly enough, each of those three wins came from 3-2 victories. This is the first time that Washington will play against former defenseman Matt Niskanen after trading him for Radko Gudas in the off-season. Niskanen, the only Stanley Cup champion on the Flyers’ roster, has established himself as a difference-maker for Philadelphia, scoring two goals of his own, and tallying six assists through 17 games (NHL.com). The Flyers are 6-1-1 at home, and boast the second-best face-off percentage (yes, again) at 54% of all face-offs taken (TheScore, Philadelphia Flyers). In their game versus the Bruins, Philadelphia actually established a two-goal lead in the first period that would hold until the six-minute mark of the third period. Travis Konecny scored his 8th of the season just short of the 14-minute mark of the first and Phillipe Myers, his 3rd at the 17:56 mark. Konecny leads the team with 19 points, and is tied with Oskar Lindblom for most goals with eight (TheScore, Philadelphia Flyers). Three of Lindbloms’ goals and two of Konecnys’ have come on Philadelphia power plays. Flyers’ veterans Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier have just 9 goals between the two of them. Only three penalties were called in all of regulation, and neither team converted on their respective power plays. Danton Heinen would score Bostons’ first goal of the night six minutes into the final frame, and everyone’s favorite Brad Marchand scored the game-tying goal, his 11th of the season, at the 12:22 mark of the third. The overtime period saw a power play for the Flyers, but would expire with 2 shots on goal by Philadelphia, and one by Boston. Flyers rookie Joel Farabee, in his 2nd shootout appearance, would ultimately win the game in the shootout for Philadelphia. Both teams were held to less than 30 shots throughout the entire game, and Carter Hart tallied his 6th win of the season, stopping 26 of 28 shots faced, excluding the shootout (TheScore, PHI @ BOS). Hart is expected to start versus the Capitals tonight.
Carl Hagelin did not practice yesterday, and did not travel with the team to Philadelphia. He is still listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury, but speculation is mounting regarding if and when he will return to the lineup. Philadelphia will be without Scott Laughton (DL-finger), Samuel Morin (OUT-knee), and Nolan Patrick (IR-NR-head).
Coverage of the game begins at 6:30pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 7:00pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:30pm.
NHL News and Notes from Monday, November 11th, 2019
News:
The St. Louis Blues have signed forwards Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn to Professional Tryouts. Both players will only be allowed to practice with the team for 10 days, and will not be allowed to play in a regular season game while under the tryout.
The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno has been suspended for three games for elbowing Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on Saturday, November 9th.
Columbus’ Nick Foligno has been suspended for three games for Elbowing Colorado’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. https://t.co/hvxyOshaXf
Under the terms of the CBA, and based on his average annual salary, Foligno will forfeit $88,709.67.
Game Recaps:
Arizona Coyotes v. Washington Capitals – 7p EST Start Time
The Washington Capitals come back from a 3 goal deficit, but fall to the Arizona Coyotes in the shootout to end their 6 game winning streak. TXHT Recap
Ottawa Senators v. Carolina Hurricanes – 7p EST Start Time
In Carolina the Hurricanes would unleash the storm on the Ottawa Senators. In the first period Warren Foegele and Martin Necas (PPG) to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the second period Sebastian Aho (SHG), Hayden Fleury, and Dougie Hamilton would score to make it 5-0, but before the second period could end Colin White would score for the Senators. Then in the third period Brady Tkachuk would score for the Senators, but the Hurricanes would get three more goals from Aho (second of the game), Ryan Dzingel, and Joel Edmundson to win the game 8-2.
Arizona Coyotes (9-6-2 20pts) v. Washington Capitals (13-2-9 29pts)
Game Recap:
The Washington Capitals break out the retro reds as they play host to the Arizona Coyotes. In the first period both teams would start the period with some very close chances but both Antti Raanta and Ilya Samsonov would be up to the task. Then much later in the period the Capitals would take the first penalty, but the Coyotes would not strike until after the powerplay had concluded as Vinnie Hinostroza would throw the puck on net and Clayton Keller would knock in the rebound to take the 1-0 lead. The Capitals would get a powerplay opportunity, but they would not be able to capitalize on the opportunity.
In the second period the Coyotes would strike twice in 45 seconds as Christian Fischer would score his first of the season, after an officials review, 12 seconds into the game, and then 33 seconds later Michael Grabner would take advantage of a TJ Oshie turnover to go on the breakway and put it five hole on Samsonov for the 3-0 lead. However, the Capitals would finally respond as Evgeny Kuznetsov would break past the Coyotes to score and cut the deficit to two. With 29 seconds left the Capitals would draw a powerplay, and would start the third period with the extra man.
In the third period the Capitals would not capitalize on the powerplay opportunity to start the period, but after a bad icing call for the Coyotes, Kuznetsov would score his second of the game to cut the Coyotes lead to one. The Capitals would get another powerplay opportunity, but the Capitals would once again waste another powerplay. Then late in the third with Ilya Samsonov pulled the Capitals would tie this one up as TJ Oshie would knock in the loose puck to tie the game at three.
In overtime the Capitals thought they would have it won on a TJ Oshie marker, but the Coyotes would challenge for offsides on the play, and the Coyotes would win the challenge forcing the game to continue. Then in the shootout the Coyotes would get goals from Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland to win the game 4-3.
Lineups:
Arizona Coyotes:
Christian Dvorak — Nick Schmaltz — Phil Kessel
Clayton Keller — Derek Stepan — Vinnie Hinostroza
Lawson Crouse — Carl Soderberg — Conor Garland
Michael Grabner — Brad Richardson — Christian Fischer
Washington Capitals (13-2-3) vs Arizona Coyotes (9-6-2)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Ilya Samsonov
5-1-0
2.38 / .915% / 0
Arizona Coyotes
Antti Raanta
2-1-2
3.12 / .912% / 0
The Washington Capitals are the team to beat. Leading the league in wins, points, goal-scoring, goal differential, shot percentage, and riding a six-game win streak, Washington has set franchise records and established themselves once again as a dominating powerhouse in just a month and a half’s’ time. Tonight, the Capitals will face the Arizona Coyotes, who are 9-6-2 and just a smidgen over .500 on the season. The last time Washington faced the desert dogs was in December 2018, where the Caps won 4-2.
On Saturday night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 at Capital One Arena. Many speculated there would be some fist-throwing between Tom Wilson and the infamous Ryan Reaves, and during the Caps’ pregame skate, the two exchanged pleasantries. Although the two did not drop the gloves, there was plenty of beef between the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions and the 2018 Stanley Cup Losers. Less than 60 seconds past puck drop, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his 6th goal of the season, giving the Capitals an early 1-0 lead. Four minutes later, Tom Wilson scored his third goal in two games, thus adding to the Caps lead, and extending his three-game point streak to four. With all of the first period scoring coming within the first 10 minutes, Max Pacioretty scored his 5th of the season, cutting the Caps’ lead in half. Washington received two power plays in the first period, but were unable to convert on either. Radko Gudas was called for interference with just seconds remaining in the period, and therefore, Vegas would start the second on the power play. Fortunately, the Capitals were able to kill off the remainder of the Gudas penalty. 15 minutes into the second period, Jonas Siegenthaler, on the anniversary of his NHL debut, scored his first NHL goal, re-establishing the Capitals’ 2-goal lead. Siegenthaler leads the team in blocked shots (39) and has been absolutely pivotal in the retooling of the penalty kill (NHL.com, Jonas Siegenthaler). Shortly thereafter, Garnet Hathaway would be called for elbowing, and the Golden Knights would receive their second power play, but this time, Riley Smith would sneak the puck past Braden Holtby, once again cutting into Washingtons’ lead. After the horn signaling the end of the second period, both the Capitals and Golden Knights got into it, and Vegas again, would start the subsequent period on a power play. The Capitals again successfully killed off the two-minute roughing minor, and kept Vegas off the board for the remainder of the game, holding them to just two goals. At the 11:30 mark, Nicklas Backstrom would score the Capitals singular power play goal of the night, doubling up 4-2 over the Golden Knights. Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant would elect to pull Marc-Andre Fleury with two minutes remaining in the game, and after about 10 shot attempts, Nicklas Backstrom would score his second of the game, an empty-net goal, sealing the Caps’ 6th consecutive win. Braden Holtby ended the night with a .938 save percentage, allowing just two goals on 32 shots. Ilya Samsonov, who has not lost a single game of those he has started, is expected to play tonight versus the Arizona Coyotes.
The Arizona Coyotes, having also played on Saturday, lost to the struggling Minnesota Wild after blowing a three-goal lead in the second period. The Coyotes haven’t been awful to start off the season, though they have lost their last three, won just two of their last six, and are 5-4-1 in their last 10. Michael Grabner and Jakob Chychrun gave Arizona a two-nil lead heading into the first intermission. However, the Minnesota Wild, who have been bad thus far, rallied together, scored three in the 2nd, and a fourth in the final frame, to defeat the Coyotes, 4-3. A power play goal from Mikko Koivu brought the game back within reach for the Wild, and although Vinnie Hinestroza scored the Coyotes’ third goal five minutes later, that would be the last goal scored by Arizona. Kevin Fiala and Matt Dumba both scored before the second period expired, tying the game at three goals each. Ryan Hartman would score the eventual game-winning goal less than five minutes into the final frame. Last season, Arizona boasted one of the best power play and penalty kill units in the league, but just a year later, both are ranked 20th and 22nd respectively (TheScore, Arizona Coyotes). The Coyotes, however, are tied for second fewest goals allowed at 2.41, compared to the Capitals’ 3.06, good enough for T-18th (TheScore, Arizona)(TheScore, Washington). Nick Schmaltz, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last November in exchange for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini, leads Arizona in points and assists with 15 and 11, respectively. Conor Garland, in his second season in the NHL, leads the Coyotes with 7 goals. Former Hershey Bears defenseman Aaron Ness was acquired by Arizona, and in 7 games, has just one point, courtesy of a single assist. Darcy Kuemper, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, is 7-5-0 in 12 games played, but back-up goaltender Antti Raanta is expected to start for Arizona tonight.
Yesterday, the Washington Capitals placed defenseman Tyler Lewington on waivers, with the intent to send him back down to Hershey. Roster space was needed, as Richard Panik, who has been on injured reserve, is expected to play tonight. Panik last played October 16th, versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he suffered an upper body injury. Carl Hagelin and Travis Boyd were not present for today’s morning skate. The Arizona Coyotes will be without the services of Niklas Hjalmarsson (DL- lower leg), and Marian Hossa (IR-NR, illness). Jason Demers, who is listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury, is undetermined.
Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.
Washington Capitals (12-2-3) vs Vegas Golden Knights (9-5-3)
Predicted Goaltender
Record
GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals
Braden Holtby
7-1-3
3.36 / .895% / 0
Vegas Golden Knights
Marc-Andre Fleury
9-3-1
2.40 / .924% / 1
After an abbreviated one-game road trip, the Washington Capitals are back in D.C. to take on the Vegas Golden Knights as they try to extend their win-streak to six games. Through 17 games played, 10 have been on the road, and the Capitals have only failed to snag a point just once. The Capitals last played the Golden Knights almost a full year ago, in Vegas, where they ultimately lost 3-5. Fans will never forget the game, as it was during that game when infamous goon and press-box regular Ryan Reaves targeted Capitals’ winger Tom Wilson, committing a blind-sided headshot that knocked Wilson out of commission. Following that game, it had been rumored that Reaves had agreed to sign photos of Tom Wilson laid out on the ice after the hit, where I then personally contacted the memorabilia shop in Las Vegas to confirm the allegations. But tonight, the Capitals will be out to avenge the Knights, and re-establish themselves as the better of the two teams. Besides, one of these teams are Stanley Cup Champions, and the other allowed four goals on a five-minute power play.
The Washington Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers for just the second time in eight meetings on Thursday night. Many anticipated that, like in games past, this would be a high-scoring affair, despite decent goaltending on both sides. Thursday’s match was the first time Washington would face former winger Brett Connolly, since the Panthers signed him to a 4-year/$14 million dollar contact as a free agent in Summer 2019. It was also the Caps’ first opportunity to face goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky since having signed with Florida as well. Characterized by early and late goals, this game was arguably the fastest, most physically demanding game yet for the Capitals. Defenseman John Carlson tallied his 8th goal of the season just 25 seconds into the first period, establishing an early Washington lead. But before the game was two minutes old, Frank Vatrano had tied the game. But that was just the start. Brett Connolly would ultimately add to Florida’s lead, as he scored his 6th goal of the season, with just over five minutes remaining in the first period. The second period was extremely penalty-heavy, but the Capitals improved penalty kill was able to hold the Panthers to just one power play goal on five opportunities. Aleksander Barkov established a two-goal lead 27 seconds into the second. Alex Ovechkin brought the Capitals within one on the power play, and six minutes later, he would score his 13th of the season, and second of the game, tying the game at 3-3. A late goal by Evgenii Dadonov re-established Florida’s lead, but that lead was short lived. Tom Wilson scored the game-tying, and singular, goal of the third period, with his 6th goal coming just 44 seconds after puck drop. The Capitals would hold off the Panthers for the remaining 19 minutes, and yet again, this match would require overtime. After a game-changing stop by Braden Holtby in the Caps’ defensive end, John Carlson gained possession and skated back towards Bobrovsky, with the eventual-game-tying goal scorer Tom Wilson. A perfect pass drew Florida’s goaltender out and allowed Tom Wilson to lift the puck over Bobrovsky, winning it for Washington. Braden Holtby’s 32 save performance improved his record to 7-1-3, and he is expected to start for the Capitals tonight versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas last played on Thursday as well, where they lost 1-2 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Watching this game was like watching paint dry. The Golden Knights are 5-2-3 in their last 10 and have dropped four of their last six. Toronto received two power plays in the first, and two in the second, but were unable to score, even on Vegas’ backup Malcolm Subban. The Golden Knights received one power play in each period, but likewise, were unable to score. It took 44 minutes for either team to score the first goal of the game. Max Pacioretty scored in the fourth minute of the final frame to put the Golden Knights on the board, but four minutes later, Auston Matthews finally scored on a Leafs power play, re-establishing a tie, but this time, with actual goals. Like the Capitals, this game as well would need overtime, and it was John Tavares who scored the game-winner at the 2:33 mark of the 3-on-3 period. Mark Stone, who proved to be a worthy mid-season acquisition for the Golden Knights last year, leads the team with 18 points, and Riley Smith leads with 9 goals. The Vegas penalty kill, at 89.2%, is 2nd in the league, but the Golden Knights also accumulate the 3rd most penalty minutes, averaging 10.7 per game (TheScore, Vegas).
UPDATED: Carl Hagelin will not play tonight, as he is currently day-to-day with an upper body injury. Nic Dowd is expected to play tonight, which would be his first game since October 29th, where he suffered a lower body injury and did not finish the game. Richard Panik, who has been on the injured reserve list since the middle of October, is eligible to play versus the Arizona Coyotes on Monday (TheScore, Washington). Vegas forward Valentin Zykov is in the middle of serving a 20-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs, a fate that Nate Schmidt faced last season. Alex Tuch is out (again) with an upper body injury that he suffered versus Winnipeg on November 2nd (NHL.com, Alex Tuch). His first injury of the 2019-20 season came on September 19th versus the LA Kings, an injury that sidelined him until Halloween.
Coverage of the game begins at 6:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 7:00pm.
Washington Capitals (11-2-3 25pts) v. Florida Panthers (7-3-4 18pts)
Game Recap:
In Florida the Washington Capitals look to extend their winning streak to five against the Panthers, and the Capitals would strike quickly as John Carlson would strike to make it 1-0 for the Capitals, but the Panthers would respond a little over a minute later as Frank Vatrano would score his fourth of the season to tie the game at one. The Capitals would get a powerplay opportunity, but would fail to convert. Then the Panthers would strike late in the first as Brett Connolly would score his sixth of the season against his former team to take the 2-1 lead.
Then in the second period the Panthers would strike again as Aleksander Barkov would score 27 seconds into the period to grow their lead to two. However, Brian Boyle would get called for slashing sending the Capitals to another powerplay, and this time the Capitals would strike as Alex Ovechkin would score his 12th of the season to cut the Panthers lead to one. Then six minutes later after killing back to back penalties, Ovechkin would strike again to tie the game at three. The Capitals would get a powerplay opportunity, but were unable to strike on the powerplay, and then would get into penalty trouble themselves as on their second penalty Evgenii Dadonov would strike to retake the lead for the Panthers heading into the second intermission.
Then in the third period it would be Tom Wilson getting the Capitals back on the board as he would tip an Evgeny Kuznetsov shot to tie the game at four 44 seconds into the period. Both teams would trade powerplay opportunities, but neither would be able to capitalize thus sending the game to overtime. Then in overtime Braden Holtby would make a huge save and the Capitals would turn it around as Tom Wilson would score his second of the game to win the game 5-4 11 seconds into overtime.
