Author: Kassie Coulson

Comeback: Hagelin sets Caps into overdrive, Ovechkin completes 2nd hat-trick in two games, Washington wins 6-4

Washington Capitals (33-11-5) vs New York Islanders (28-15-4)

TLDR; Capitals allow four unanswered, come-back to tally five to defeat the Islanders 6-4, Ovechkin scores 2nd hat-trick in two games to tie, pass Lemieux, ties Yzerman for 9th on All-Time List.

First Period:

Today’s Marquee Matinee was Washington’s final game before the All-Star Break, and if Todd Reirdens’ squad wanted to come away with a redemption win over the Islanders, it was imperative for them to forget about the impending bye week. Veteran goaltender Braden Holtby earned his first start since allowing four goals by the New Jersey Devils back on January 11th. Heading into this afternoon, Braden had just two wins in his last eight games. However, he is 16-6-3 all-time against the Islanders. Nick Jensen, who has been less than great, forced Holtby to make an impressive save early on, and Washington definitely fed off that. The Capitals received the first power play of the game as Jordan Eberle went off for tripping, but the man-advantage was short-lived as another questionable penalty came shortly thereafter, this time against Alex Ovechkin (hooking). Washington kept the Isles’ power play stagnant, and just about halfway through the first frame Alex Ovechkin tallied his 32nd goal of the season, 690th of his career, and officially tied Mario Lemieux on the all-time list. Nicklas Backstrom marked his 250th career assist on the goal. Brock Nelson, at the 13:11 mark, potted his 19th of the season, but the Capitals decided to challenge the goal for off-sides. Washingtons’ video review team has been perfect all season, but unfortunately, the Caps lost this coaches’ challenge. As a result, they received a two-minute penalty for delay of game, and Ovechkin served the penalty. Moments later, Carl Hagelin, the Capitals best penalty-killer, was called for interference. The Islanders were gifted a two-man advantage for 1:37, and they remained in the Caps defensive zone for that entire time. Washington has killed off 16 straight penalties, but moments after the successful PK, Casey Cizikas broke the tie, giving New York the lead heading into the first intermission. Although Jonas Siegenthaler snapped his stick, rendering him useless, it doesn’t matter if you successfully kill of a penalty when you allow a goal against immediately after.  

Second Period:

The Capitals failed to convert on an additonal three power play opportunities in the middle frame. Right off the opening face-off, play remained in the Caps’ defensive zone for the majority of the period. Every time Washington cleared the zone, the puck ended right back up on their side of the ice. Early on, Radko Gudas and Matt Martin exchanged some pleasantries, and received matching roughing penalties. Martin was assessed an additional two minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, and therefore the Caps played with the man-advantage, but did not score. After the Isles successfully killed off the Martin penalty, Brendan Leipsic took a bad roughing penalty. One minute and four seconds into the Isles power play, Jordan Eberle scored the first power play goal Washington has allowed in 16 shorthanded situations, giving New York a 3-1 lead. Leo Komarov went off for boarding at the 11:11 mark, and as that penalty expired, Nick Leddy was called for slashing. The Capitals had opportunities to get back into this one, but they simply didn’t play like they wanted this win. With just under three minutes left in the period, Devon Toews improved the Isles lead to a score of 4-1. Under Barry Trotz, the Islanders are 62-4-4 when scoring four or more goals. The odds were certainly stacked against Washington.

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Third Period:

In hopes of salvaging their afternoon, the Capitals elected to pull Holtby and start the third period with Ilya Samsonov in net. Evgeny Kuznetsov was demoted to the third line center position, and Eller promoted up. A timely save early in the period shifted momentum in favor of the Capitals. At the 2:33 mark of the third, Carl Hagelin scored his 2nd goal in two games, cutting the Isles lead in half. Less than three minutes later, Alex Ovechkin tallied his 2nd goal of the game, passing Lemieux on the all-time list. Ovechkin now has seven goals in three games, and sits in the top 10 all-time. Five minutes left and Washington within one goal of tying the game, Tom Wilson did just that. His 14th of the season was the game-tying goal. After allowing four unanswered goals, Jakub Vrana all but completed another Caps comeback with his 22nd of the season. Vrana’s goal would eventually be the game-winner. With 56 seconds left, Alex Ovechkin scored his 3rd of the game, an empty-net goal, and completed his 2nd hat-trick in two games, tying 9th Steve Yzerman on the all-time list. Another thrilling, though unlikely, comeback from the Washington Capitals led to yet another defeat over the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. Ilya Samsonov didn’t allow a single goal on seven ­high-danger shots by New York, and this win marked his 15th of the season.

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Line Combinations:

Washington Capitals

Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson

Vrana – Kuznetsov – Oshie

Hagelin – Eller – Panik

Leipsic – Dowd – Hathaway

Kempny – Carlson

Orlov – Jensen

Siegenthaler – Gudas

Holtby/Samsonov (in relief)

New York Islanders

Lee – Barzal – Eberle

Beauvillier – Nelson  -Bailey

Johnston – Brassard – Kuhnhackl

Martin – Cizikas – Komarov

Leddy – Pulock

Toews – Mayfield

Dobson – Boychuk

Varlamov

TXHT’s Three Takeaways of the Game

  1.  Capitals power play needs retooling; not just swapping out one player for another.
  2.  Killing off a penalty doesn’t mean anything, when you allow a goal immediately after.
  3.  Ilya Samsonov needs to be starting more games, rather than just coming in for relief.

Capitals Road Ahead

2020 NHL All-Star Weekend; The Capitals are once again, well-represented. Braden Holtby, John Carlson, and TJ Oshie will play for the Metropolitan Division, and for the 2nd consecutive year, Caps head coach Todd Reirden will coach the Metropolitan Team at the All-Star Game.

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, as punishment for electing to skip the All-Star events, will serve his one-game suspension against the Montreal Canadiens on January 27th.

Getting Lucky on Long Island: Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders

Washington Capitals (32-11-5) vs New York Islanders (28-14-4)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby18-9-53.02 / .899 / 0
New York IslandersSemyon Varlamov15-6-42.48 / .919 / 0
Goaltender matchup

The Washington Capitals are set to take on the New York Islanders for another Saturday Matinee, this time at Nassau Coliseum. Back on Thursday, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 25th career hat-trick and is just one goal away from tying Mario Lemieux on the all-time goal scoring list. The Islanders defeated the Caps 4-3 back on New Years Eve, but New York is just 5-4-1 in their last 10.

On Thursday, the Washington Capitals defeated the New Jersey Devils, by a score of 5-2, less than seven days since the last time these two teams met. An early goal from Carl Hagelin, who had just one goal heading into tonight, was eventually called back for being off-sides. Luckily, Washington did not allow the Devils to score despite the momentum gained from the overturned goal. The Devils received the first power play of the night, but did not convert (Wilson, interference). Washington received back-to-back power plays, and it was the second of the period that ended up initiating a Caps’ lead. It took just seconds for Alex Ovechkin to strike, marking his 29th goal of the season. With less than 60 seconds remaining, Ovechkin tallied his 2nd of the night, and 30th of the season. That 2nd goal came at the 19:08 mark, and the primary assist came from none other than Nicklas Backstrom. With his 30th goal, Ovechkin marked his 15th straight season with 30+ goals. Louis Domingue, who had started for the Devils, did not return for the second period after suffering an injury in the first. Cory Schneider would be called upon to finish the match for the Devils. 16 seconds into the second period, Carl Hagelin scored his 2nd of the season, and this time it counted. However, just 52 seconds later, Wayne Simmonds got the Devils on the board, spoiling Ilya Samsonov’s shutout hopes. Late in the second, the Capitals were gifted with an abbreviated four-minute power play, but were unable to make it count (Vantanen, high-sticking). The third period saw the 5th short-handed goal Washington has allowed in the last 11 games. With Will Butcher in the penalty box, Blake Coleman brought the Devils within one. Just about three minutes later, Jakub Vrana, on the follow-up, marked his 21st goal of the season. The Capitals were challenged with killing off another Devils power play. Good for Washington, the Caps’ penalty killers were successful. Shortly thereafter, the Capitals were close to being called for high-sticking again, but upon review, the puck, not Michal Kempny’s stick, had actually hit Nikita Gusev in the face. On the 14th anniversary of his impossible, yet successful goal against the Phoenix Coyotes, Alex Ovechkin completed his 25th career hat-trick, and his 140th multi-goal game, with his 31st goal at the 15:42 mark of the third. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82oUXP6Hng

Ilya Samsonov won his 9th straight start, and ended the night with an impressive .941 save percentage, after making 32 saves on 34 shots. Although Braden Holtby is slated to start versus the Islanders, it is not completely out of the question to see Samsonov between the pipes for a third consecutive start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5nc_6rxuS4

The New York Islanders lost to the New York Rangers, 3-2, also on Thursday. Though Josh Bailey got the Islanders on the board first, a power play goal from Mika Zibanejad in the second, and another from Tony DeAngelo in the third gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead. The Rangers’ 17th ranked penalty kill kept the Islanders from converting on even one of their four power plays throughout the duration of the game. Anthony Beauvillier tied the game at two goals each at the 12:40 mark of the final frame. Derick Brassard was called for cross-checking with less than 60 seconds remaining in the game. Chris Kreider potted the puck past goaltender Semyon Varlamov for his 16th of the season, and eventual game-winning goal for the Rangers. Despite a spectacular showing last season, the Islanders have struggled to find common ground this year. Back in October, Barry Trotz’s team set off on a 16-game point streak, in which they won 14 of 16 games. The two losses during that span came in overtime. Since, they have been able to string together three consecutive wins, once (12/9 – 12/14). They now rank among the bottom 16 teams for all offensive stats. They do, however, allow the fifth fewest goals against (2.62). Varlamov is expected to start versus the Capitals.

The Islanders are still without Cal Clutterbuck (wrist), and Adam Pelech (achilles). Washington is playing with a fully healthy roster. As punishment for electing to skip the All-Star Game to preserve his health, Alex Ovechkin will serve his one-game suspension against the Montreal Canadiens.

Coverage of the game begins at 12:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 12:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 1:00pm.

References:

HockeyReference. (2020). Alex Ovechkin Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/o/ovechal01.html.

TheScore. (2020). New York Islanders News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/7.

TheScore. (2020). Washington Capitals News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15.

Radical Redemption: Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils

Washington Capitals (31-11-5) vs New Jersey Devils (17-22-7)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov13-2-12.11 / .925 / 1
New Jersey DevilsLouis Domingue3-5-03.55 / .884 / 0
Goaltender matchup

After ending a two-game losing streak for the second time in the month of January, the Washington Capitals are looking ahead as they take on the New Jersey Devils for the second time in five days. Last Saturday, the Devils stomped the Caps by a score of 5-1.

On Monday night, the Washington Capitals shutout the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 to split their season series two wins apiece. It was of upmost importance for Todd Reirden’s club to come back and exhibit a good showing after what was the Caps’ worst game of the season versus the Devils. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, with his 27th and 28th goals of the season, surpassed Teemu Selanne and now sits at 11th all-time. It was Ovechkins’ 129th career multi-goal game. Just short of the 12-minute mark, Alex Ovechkin potted his first of the game. The first period saw four Washington power plays, and it was the fourth opportunity on the man-advantage that would end with the puck behind Petr Mrazek. Ovechkin scored his 2nd of the game on the power play with just under three minutes left in the opening frame. Carolina received three consecutive power plays in the second period, but Washingtons’ 2nd ranked penalty kill kept the Canes off the board. Washington was gifted two more power play chances in the third but did not convert. Most notably, was the extraordinary goaltending of young Ilya Samsonov. The young Russian goaltender marked his first career shutout, and tallied the Capitals’ first shutout of the season. With the win, Samsonov has won his last eight starts. Ilya Samsonov will make his second consecutive start for the Capitals, as he will start against the Devils.

On Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils played the Toronto Maple Leafs, where they lost by a score of 7-4. Heading into Tuesday’s game, the Devils had previously won their last two games, where they outscored their opponent 8-2, including their defeat over the Capitals. Early in the first period John Tavares scored his 18th of the season, giving the Leafs an early lead. Not even five minutes later, Frederik Gauthier improved that lead to 2-0. PK Subban was called for interference with about two minutes left in the first. With just four seconds before the expiration of the period, Zach Hyman potted his 12th of the season, on the power play. The second period saw the Devils’ first goal of the game, off of Coleman’s stick, sandwiched by two more Toronto goals. William Nylander and Auston Matthews added to the Leafs’ already-hefty lead. Matthews’ 32nd of the year also came on the Toronto power play (Coleman, high-sticking). Auston Matthews tallied his second of the game just three minutes and 58 seconds into the third period. New Jersey elected to pull Louis Domingue in favor of finishing the game with Cory Schneider, who hasn’t played since November 8th. Blake Coleman would go on to score two more goals in the third, marking his first career hat trick. His second of the game was scored at at the 12-minute mark, and his third three minutes and 35 seconds later. Coleman has 7 goals in his last 8 games. With two minutes left in the game, Martin Marincin was called for hooking, and PK Subban would end up scoring for the Devils on the power play, marking the score, 6-4. The Devils elected to pull Schneider for the extra skater in hopes of bringing them within one of the Leafs, but Auston Matthews would go on to score his own hat-trick, with his third goal of the game coming as an empty-net goal. Louis Domingue, who tallied just his second win of the season over the Capitals a few days ago, is expected to start for the Devils.

The New Jersey Devils are still without Ben Street (DL, upper body). Both Kyle Palmieri (lower body), and goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood are listed as day-to-day.

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.

References:

TheScore. (2020). New Jersey Devils News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/6.

TheScore. (2020). Washington Capitals News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15.

Storm Chasers: Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (30-11-5) vs Carolina Hurricanes (27-16-2)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov12-2-12.25 / .921 / 0
Carolina HurricanesPetr Mrazek17-10-22.64 / .905 / 3

The second of a three-game homestand will see the Washington Capitals facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2nd time in 10 days, and the third time in three weeks. This will be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams, this regular season. The Capitals defeated the Hurricanes in a close 4-3 victory back on January 3rd. Power forward Tom Wilson will also be playing his 500th career NHL game as the Caps take on the Hurricanes. 

The Washington Capitals suffered an ugly defeat on Saturday night, as they lost to the New Jersey Devils, 5-1. Washington donned their alternates, which may or may not be bad luck. Retooled power play units were the only ones to tally a goal, and weakness up and down the lineup continue to expose themselves. Goaltending continues to suffer, and the Caps’ special teams are not where they need to be. Once again, the Capitals gave up the first goal of the game to Nico Hischier, as he scored his 11th of the season. The only goal of the first period, as Washington was unable to convert on the first power play of the game. The middle frame saw four goals. The Capitals successfully kept the Devils off the scoreboard during their singular power play. Unfortunately, it is not enough to simply kill off a penalty. It only took a few seconds for Nikita Gusev to score upon the expiration of that power play. On the Capitals second power play, Blake Coleman scored shorthanded, improving New Jerseys’ lead to 3-0. Jakub Vrana, newly added to the Capitals’ power play, was able to spoil goaltender Louis Domingue’s shutout hopes, with his 20th of the season. The power play goal marked his first PPG of the season. Four minutes later, Hischier scored his second of the game, renewing the Devils’ three-goal lead. Many speculated if the Capitals would elect to swap out Braden Holtby, who allowed four goals on eight shots in the second, and start the third period with Ilya Samsonov in net. That, however, did not occur. The third period was uneventful, and head coach Todd Reirden elected to pull Braden Holtby with just about five minutes remaining in the game. Miles Wood sealed the win with an empty-net goal shortly thereafter. The Capitals out-shot the Devils 32 to 26, but Louis Domingue, who had just one win heading into Saturdays game, was just a little too good for the Caps. Braden Holtby ended the night with a .810 save percentage. His last .900 performance was back on December 21st versus Tampa Bay. Since then, Holtby has just one win. Ilya Samsonov will likely get the start for the Capitals.

Conversely, the Carolina Hurricanes won their last game, a 2-0 shutout over the LA Kings. Just short of the five-minute mark of the first period, Nino Neiderreiter scored his sixth of the season, giving Carolina an early lead. Carolina’s 10th ranked penalty kill kept the Kings from converting on either of their two power plays. Although they were shutout, the Kings did not allow the Hurricanes power play to convert on their man-advantage, either. Tuevo Teravainen potted an empty-net goal with just four seconds remaining in the game to seal Carolina’s 27th win of the season. On the road, Carolina is 12-8-2, and is just 4-8-1 versus the Metropolitan division. With the All-Star break looming, it is worth noting that defenseman Dougie Hamilton will be representing the Hurricanes and the Metro division at the All-Star Game this year. Hamilton leads the Hurricanes with 26 assists, and ranks 3rd among all defensemen in the league for points (40). Only Roman Josi and Washington’s John Carlson has more (46 and 54, respectively). James Reimer tallied his fourth shutout of the season with his stunning 41-save performance, though Petr Mrazek is expected to start versus the Capitals.

For Washington, Richard Panik received 20 stitches to repair a facial injury, which was the result of a high-stick to the face versus the Devils. He is expected to play. The Carolina Hurricanes are currently playing with a completely healthy roster.

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.

References:

ESPN. (2020). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team?stat=special-teams&sort=powerPlayGoalsAgainst&split=33.

NHL.com (2020). Dougie Hamilton News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/dougie-hamilton-8476462.

TheScore. (2020). Carolina Hurricanes News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/12.

TheScore. (2020). Washington Capitals News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15.

Good Omens, Better Luck: Washington Capitals vs New Jersey Devils

Washington Capitals (30-10-5) vs New Jersey Devils (15-21-7)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby18-8-42.99 / .901 / 0
New Jersey DevilsMacKenzie Blackwood14-12-62.86 / .907 / 1
Goaltender Matchup

After dropping the second game of their back-to-back to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, the Washington Capitals are back in DC to take on the New Jersey Devils. It certainly helps that the Capitals are 13-4-4 at home, and the Devils are just 9-11-0 on the road, but Washington’s power play is among the worst in the league since the start of December. The Capitals did however defeat New Jersey back on December 20th, 6-3 at Prudential Center.

The Washington Capitals lost to the Philadelphia Flyers back on Wednesday by a score of 3-2. Arguably the Caps’ worst showing of the season thus far, the power play was 0 for 5, and the Flyers ended up scoring shorthanded to break a 2-2 tie. The goal from Kevin Hayes ended up being the game-winning goal for Philadelphia, ending a four-game losing streak. Just three minutes and 24 seconds into the first period, Travis Konecny, the Flyers leading goal-scorer and point-getter, gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. Nicklas Backstrom, known more for his play-making rather than his goal-scoring, scored his 9th of the season, tying the game at one goal each shortly after the seven-minute mark. The Flyers were gifted one power play in the first period, but luckily Washington kept them off the board. Richard Panik was also assessed a 10-minute misconduct, a penalty that many of us still don’t understand. Jakub Vrana on the delayed penalty gave Washington their first lead of the night, with his 19th of the season. After ending a 10-game scoreless drought, Vrana is on a four-game point streak, and has four goals in three of those four games. TJ Oshie, who was actually attempting to block a shot, prevented Holtby from tracking Robert Hagg’s long-distance slapper. The puck thus ended up behind Holtby as Hagg tallied his first goal of the year late in the first period, once again tying the game, 2-2. The Caps received three power plays in the second period, but only Kevin Hayes would end up scoring. Just short of the 18-minute mark, Kevin Hayes would, on the Capitals power play, score short-handed to give the Flyers back their lead. Washington would be gifted two additional opportunities in the third, but the Flyers were successful in preventing the Caps’ power play units from even setting up in the offensive zone. Since December 1st, Washington’s power play is 30th of 31 teams, and is operating at just 13.7%. Although the loss should not be blamed solely on Capitals netminder Braden Holtby, the veteran has just five wins in his last 11 showings, and has allowed a whopping 33 goals against in those 11 games.

We also need to talk about defenseman Nick Jensen. Both teams allowed way too many turnovers back on Wednesday, but one especially bad turnover by Jensen ended up in the back of Washingtons’ net. The defenseman, who was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for Madison Bowey and a 2019 5th round pick, has just two assists and posts a -5 through 45 games. Jensen leaves much to be desired, especially after signing a four-year, $10 million contract extension immediately upon being acquired (Lingebach). For comparisons sake, Bowey has two goals and 11 assists, but has played just 33 games, and actually was placed on waivers after posting (-) ratings in three straight games, including a -4 night versus the Leafs. Bowey ultimately cleared waivers, and was then recalled from the AHL due to injuries among the Red Wings defensemen. Capitals general manager Brian Maclellan rarely gets it wrong as far as acquisitions go, but this one leaves many scratching their heads.

Braden Holtby will start for the Capitals tonight.

The New Jersey Devils last played on Thursday, where they lost to the New York Rangers, 6-3. Since the team fired head-coach John Hynes back on December 2nd, the Devils are 6-7-3, and have been outscored 51 to 43. The first period saw five goals, and one overturned goal against the Rangers. Artemi Panarin scored his 24th of the season before the game was six minutes old, giving New York an early lead. On the Rangers power play, Kevin Rooney scored shorthanded for the Devils, tying the game at one goal each (Subban, interference). Defenseman Tony DeAngelo, just under two minutes later, re-established the Rangers lead, and two and a half minutes after DeAngelo’s goal, Chris Kreider on another Rangers power play tallied his 14th of the season, giving New York a 3-1 lead. A late Devils goal from Blake Coleman brought New Jersey within one, heading into the second period. Blake Coleman’s second goal of the game, the game-tying goal, was challenged, but was upheld as a good goal as Jacob Trouba pushed him into the net, dislodging the net from its moorings. Tony DeAngelo scored his second of the game minutes later. The Devils were then called for too-many-men, giving the Rangers another power play. Just short of New Jersey killing off that penalty, they were called for high-sticking. DeAngelo scored his 3rd of the night, marking his first career hat trick on the power play. The Devils elected to pull Blackwood for Louis Domingue, who hadn’t played since December 13th. Play resumed as 4-on-4 after Wayne Simmonds and Trouba were called for matching penalties. With just over seven minutes left in the game, Jesper Fast doubled down on the Devils, scoring the Rangers’ six goal of the night. Kyle Palmieri leads the team with 16 goals and 30 points, with half of his goals coming on the power play. Louis Domingue, who is just 1-4-0, is expected to start for the Devils.

New Jersey will be without MacKenzie Blackwood (OUT, upper body), Ben Street (DL, upper body), and Jack Hughes (OUT, upper body). Hughes, the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, is a -10 and has six goals and 10 assists through 36 games (TheScore). Earlier today, the Washington Capitals reassigned defenseman Christian Djoos to the Hershey Bears.

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.

References:

HockeyDB. (2020). Madison Bowey Hockey Stats and Profile. Retrieved from http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=134163.

HockeyReference. (2020). Nick Jensen Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/j/jenseni02.html.

Lingebach, C. (2019). Capitals immediately ink Nick Jensen to four-year extension. Retrieved from https://thefandc.radio.com/capitals-immediately-ink-nick-jensen-to-contract-extension.

TheScore. (2020). New Jersey Devils News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/6.

TheScore. (2020). Washington Capitals News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15.

Wednesday Night Lights: Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers

Washington Capitals (30-9-5) vs Philadelphia Flyers (22-15-6)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby18-7-42.99 / .902 / 0
Philadelphia FlyersCarter Hart13-10-32.61 / .905 / 1
Goaltender Matchup

For this second half of a back-to-back, the Washington Capitals swooped up to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers. Both teams played last night, and the Capitals last defeated the Flyers 2-1, back in November.

Last night, the Washington Capitals dominated the Ottawa Senators, 6-1. It was definitely nice to have an easy, smooth-sailing game after the types of the games the Capitals have played lately. Although Artem Anisimov scored first, giving Ottawa the lead, both TJ Oshie and Alex Ovechkin would score two goal apiece to hand the Senators their fifth straight loss. Only a single penalty was called throughout all 60 minutes, a two-minute minor penalty against Carl Hagelin (hooking). The Capitals’ penalty kill, even without Hagelin, kept the Senators off the board. TJ Oshie scored his 17th of the season just one minute and 19 seconds into the second period. Just over seven minutes later, Radko Gudas would give the Caps a 2-1 lead with his 2nd of the season. At the 17:15 mark of the middle period, Alex Ovechkin scored his 25th of the season, marking his first goal on home ice since December 9th versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Just 41 seconds into the third period, TJ Oshie scored his 2nd of the night, helping Washington pull ahead of Ottawa, 4-1. Oshie’s 18th goal on the year marked his 3rd goal in two games. Eight seconds past the two-minute mark of the third period, Lars Eller potted his 11th of the season, and at the 16:19 mark, Ovechkin would score his 26th of the season, and his 2nd of the night. With Ovechkin’s two goals, the Capitals captain has tied Teemu Selanne for 11th place on the all-time list. The Capitals outshot the Senators 41 to 27, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov allowed just one goal on 27 shots, ending his night with a .963 save percentage. Samsonov has just one loss in his last eight starts, which came against Boston, where he replaced Braden Holtby after allowing four goals on seven shots. Braden Holtby will start against the Flyers.

The Philadelphia Flyers also played last night, but lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime, 5-4. Marking their fourth straight loss, the Flyers are just 5-4-1 in their last 10. Travis Konecny and Michael Raffl scored 37 seconds into the first period, and then again at the 8:57 mark to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead. Konecny leads the Flyers with 36 points, but the entire lineup is contributing in the goal-scoring department. Every player has at least one point (minimum 9GP), and six have goals in the double-digits. Ivan Provorov leads the team with six power play goals. However, Lucas Wallmark would score not even 60 seconds after Raffl to get the Hurricanes on the board. Warren Foegele scored his 9th of the season to tie the game with just under five minutes left in the first period. Interestingly enough, the Flyers and the Capitals are tied for 10th for most goals against allowed, at 2.95. The Flyers would receive their first power play late in the first, as Erik Haula was called for tripping. Despite having ‘two periods’ to convert on the man-advantage, Philadelphia’s 15th ranked power play would fail to do so (TheScore). The Flyers, however, do boast the best face-off percentage in the league, for the second season in a row, as they win 54.6% of face-offs taken. Jake Gardiner gave the Canes the go-ahead goal at the 3:12 mark of the second, and 90 seconds later, Joel Edmundson would improve their lead, 4-2. Nicolas Aube-Kubel, at the 14:27 mark, would cut into Carolina’s lead. Tyler Pitlick was called for delay of game with a little over four minutes remaining in the second, but Carolina would not convert. Travis Sanheim would score the only goal of the third period, tying the game 4-4, with his 5th of the season. The Flyers second and final power play would not convert in the third (Svechnikov, slashing). Dougie Hamilton would score the game-winning goal just short of the two-minute mark of the overtime period. Brian Elliott ended the night with 28 saves on 33 shots. Carter Hart will start against the Capitals.

Philadelphia will be without the services of Justin Braun (OUT, groin), Samuel Morin (DL, knee), and Nolan Patrick (IR-NR, head). Oskar Lindblom is currently undergoing treatment for Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. The Capitals, its fans, and the entire NHL are behind Lindblom, and are in full support of him, his family, and the Flyers organization.

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.

References:

TheScore. (2020). Philadelphia Flyers @ Carolina Hurricanes. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22394.

TheScore. (2020). Philadelphia Flyers News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/9.

Building Momentum: Washington Capitals vs Ottawa Senators

Washington Capitals (29-9-5) vs Ottawa Senators (16-21-5)

  Predicted Goaltender Record GAA / SV% / # SO
Washington Capitals Ilya Samsonov 11-2-1 2.33 / .918 / 0
Ottawa Senators Craig Anderson 6-10-1 3.12 / .900 / 0
Goaltender Match-up

The Washington Capitals will host the Ottawa Senators on the first half of yet another back-to-back. A thrilling comeback and eventual overtime win on Sunday has team morale high, and fans are expecting another good game versus the struggling Senators. The Capitals have defeated the Senators 13 times in 15 meetings, with six straight wins dating back to October 2017.

Washington completed another characteristically Caps comeback on Sunday where they defeated the San Jose Sharks, 5-4, with the overtime winner coming from Lars Eller. This comeback, however, was very different than those of games past, as the Capitals scored two goals in 60 seconds to erase a two-goal deficit late in the third period.

The first period was scoreless, and lacked even a single power play, but each team registered over 10 shots on goal. The second period saw the two teams trade power plays, with the Sharks receiving two, and converting on both (Panik, high-sticking)(Gudas, slashing). Evander Kane scored his 16th, 17th, and 18th goal of the season, two of which came on Sharks’ power plays (6:25, 10:06, 16:49 of the second). The hat trick marked the 3rd of his career, the last coming versus Carolina back in October. The last time the Caps and Sharks played one another at Capital One Arena saw a hat trick from both Alex Ovechkin and Tomas Hertl. Coming just over 60 second after Kane’s first goal, came the equalizer from Nic Dowd. With a minute and a half remaining in the second period, Jakub Vrana tallied his 17th goal of the season, bringing the Caps within one. The third period had two more Sharks power plays, but the Capitals were able to kill off both without incident (Dowd, delay of game)(Carlson, delay of game). Washington was unable to convert on either of their power plays, as San Jose’s top ranked penalty kill proved to be overwhelmingly successful (Kane, slashing)(Kane, interference). Despite excellent chances to tie the game in the third, Martin Jones was just extremely good in net for the Sharks. Caps bench boss Todd Reirden, who was recently named as the Metropolitan division head coach for the All-Star Game for a second consecutive year, elected to pull Braden Holtby for the extra attacker late in the third. Logan Couture would pot his 14th of the year, an empty-net goal, all but guaranteeing another Sharks win at Capital One Arena. Then, momentum shifted, and the Capitals accomplished something no previous Caps team has accomplished before. With just 60 seconds left, one minute, Reirden would again pull Holtby for the extra attacker, and 13 seconds after Couture’s goal, Jakub Vrana scored his 18th of the season and 2nd of the game, pulling Washington within one. With 15 seconds left in the game, TJ Oshie would score the game-tying goal, his 16th of the season. A goal that would, like a magnet, pull Caps fans who were already filing out the door, back to their seats. With overtime looming, the Capitals were guaranteed at least one point. The Braden Holtby we know and love became a brick wall in the overtime period, stopping two-on-two’s and breakaways. Two minutes into the overtime period, a pass from Holtby to John Carlson provided a perfect set up for Lars Eller who would snap the puck right past Jones to win it for Washington. Holtby made 25 stops on 28 shots to earn his 18th win of the season. Ilya Samsonov will get the start tonight for the Capitals.

The Senators are 5-14-3 on the road and are currently riding a four-game losing streak. Their most recent loss came as a 5-3 defeat by the Tampa Bay Lightning back on Saturday. The first period was scoreless, saw four power plays and a fight. Neither Ottawa nor Tampa Bay were able to score on their respective man-advantages in the opening frame. Chris Tierney gave the Senators a lead as he scored a short-handed goal just 46 seconds into the second period, the remainder of a late Bolts power play from the first period. The Ottawa Senators are tied for 3rd most short-handed goals scored on the road (3) (ESPN). Carter Verhaeghe tied the game at the 2:40 mark of the second, and Kevin Shattenkirk added to that 65 seconds later. John-Gabriel Pageau tied the game with two goals each on the Senators power play at the 11:40 mark of the middle frame (Kucherov, tripping). The Senators power play ranks last in the league, operating at 11.4% efficiency, and their penalty kill ranks 17th (81%) (TheScore). With 9 seconds left in the period, Mark Borowiecki made it 3-2. Three unanswered goals from Tampa Bay sealed Ottawa’s fourth consecutive loss. Brayden Point at the 8:37 mark, Tyler Johnson at the 18:30 mark, and an empty-net goal from Alex Killorn with seven seconds left helped the Bolts improve their rank in the standings, but hurt the Senators. Ottawa allows the 3rd most goals against, averaging 3.36 per game. Craig Anderson ended the night with a .852 save percentage and is expected to start versus the Capitals.

The Ottawa Senators are in a rough spot with injuries mounting up. See below for a full list of missing players:

  • LW- Clarke MacArthur (IR-NR, neck)
  • RW- Ryan Callahan (IR-NR, back)
  • RW- Marian Gaborik (IR-NR, back)
  • RW- Anthony Duclair (day-to-day, undisclosed)
  • D- Dylan DeMelo (DL, finger)
  • D- Christian Wolanin (IR-NR, shoulder)
  • D- Ron Hainsey (DL, undisclosed)
  • G- Anders Nilsson (DL, concussion)

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.

References:

ESPN. (2020). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team?stat=special-teams&sort=shortHandedGoals&split=34.

mcubed. (2020). NHL: Series record: Washington Capitals against Ottawa Senators. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/otw.shtml.

TheScore. (2020). Ottawa Senators News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/4.

Sunday Showdown: Washington Capitals vs San Jose Sharks

Washington Capitals (28-9-5) vs San Jose Sharks (18-21-3)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby17-7-42.99 / .902 / 0
San Jose SharksMartin Jones13-15-13.13 / .893 / 0
Goaltender Matchup

The Capitals started 2020 with a huge win in Raleigh, North Carolina against the Hurricanes, and now are back in DC to take on the San Jose Sharks. San Jose won just two of 13 games last month, and the Capitals drowned the Sharks 5-2 back on December 3rd.

On Friday night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-3, for the first time in three meetings this season. Washington has dropped three consecutive games just once this season heading into tonight’s game. Ilya Samsonov was the difference maker in the first period, as the Hurricanes bombarded him with nearly 20 shots just in the first 20 minutes. The Capitals were challenged with killing off three Carolina man advantages, including a 5-on-3 stint in which the Canes did not convert (Siegenthaler, delay of game)(Samsonov, embellishment, served by Vrana)(Eller, interference). At the expiration of the first period, a scrum ensued just after the whistle, and new-dad Nic Dowd was assessed a 10-minute game misconduct for tossing the stick of Evgeny Svechnikov into the stands. The second frame was extraordinary for the Capitals. Just short of the three-minute mark, Richard Panik ‘scored’ his 5th goal of the season, but the puck ultimately deflected off of Carolina’s Brett Pesce past Petr Mrazek. Just about two minutes later, on the power play, Evgeny Kuznetsov improved Washington’s lead to two goals to none (Aho, interference). Alex Ovechkin was called for slashing at the 8:12 mark, but the Caps penalty killers kept Carolina off the scoreboard. Aho would be called again for interference with about five minutes remaining in the period, but the Capitals wouldn’t convert this time. The Capitals killed off another Hurricanes power play to round out the second period (Wilson, slashing). Washington held Carolina to just eight shots on goal this period, and registered 14 of their own, but still struggled with faceoffs. The third and final frame saw an early Carolina goal from Jordan Staal that brought the Canes within one, and back-to-back goals from Capitals to make the score 4-1. Just 39 seconds in, Staal scored his 6th goal of the season. Shortly thereafter, Erik Haula went off for slashing, and Lars Eller potted the puck past Mrazek, and ended up 2 for 3 on the power play. At the 4:51 mark, Jakub Vrana scored his first goal in 10 games, and 16th of the season. Carl Hagelin went off for hooking, and seven seconds into the Carolina power play, Tuevo Teravainen cut the Capitals lead in half once again. TJ Oshie was then called for cross-checking, and with over seven minutes remaining, Ryan Dzingel would bring Carolina within one. Undisciplined play would take a comfy Washington lead and destroy it once again. A heart-pounding final five minutes would eventually end up with a power play for the Capitals. Samsonov and the Caps defense was tested by an onslaught of shots from the Hurricanes. Dougie Hamilton went off for roughing with 2:44 remaining, but the Capitals would sneak out of Raleigh with a win. Ilya Samsonov made 38 saves on 41 shots, ending his night with a .927 save percentage. With the win, Samsonov extended his win streak to eight consecutive games on the road. Braden Holtby is expected to start versus the Sharks.

Yesterday, the San Jose Sharks won 3-2 over the Columbus Blue Jackets. An early Sharks power play was unable to register even a shot on goal (Foligno, tripping). Shortly thereafter, Joel Kellman scored his 2nd goal, giving San Jose a 1-0 lead, but Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella challenged for offsides. Ultimately, the goal was called back. Much of the first period was played without incident, but Evander Kane was called for tripping with just over six minutes remaining. San Jose’s top ranked penalty kill kept the Blue Jackets off the board during the man-advantage. The Sharks are lucky to have such a successful penalty kill, given that they are the 3rd most penalized team in the league (11.3 penalty minutes/game) (TheScore, San Jose). Comparatively, Washington is the 4th most penalized team, with an average of 10.7 penalty minutes/game (TheScore, Washington). Although both the Sharks and the Blue Jackets registered over 10 shots on goal in the first, neither teams’ shots ended up on the scoreboard. Just about five minutes into the second, Barclay Goodrow was assessed a two-minute penalty for slashing. San Jose would ultimately kill off that penalty, and Goodrow, thanks to a bad turnover from behind the Columbus goal, would put the Sharks up 1-0. This time, the goal would stand. Less than two minutes later, defensive breakdowns in front of Aaron Dell led to Zach Werenski tying the game at one goal each. Evander Kane broke the tie with just over five minutes left in the middle frame. Both Kane and Tomas Hertl are tied for most goals on the Sharks roster at 15 goals apiece. Logan Couture leads with 34 points, but six other skaters have 20 or more points on the year. Erik Karlsson would make it 3-1 with just over three minutes left in the match. Moments later, with Dell dancing around the outskirts of the goal crease, Werenski scored his 2nd of the game and 13th of the season, bringing Columbus within one. The Blue Jackets elected to pull goaltender Elvis Merzlikins for the extra attacker, but San Jose would end Columbus’ 12-game point streak. With San Jose having started Aaron Dell yesterday, Martin Jones is expected to start versus the Capitals. Jones is 5-4-0 versus Washington in nine starts and has lost three of his last four games against the Caps.

The Sharks will be without the services of Dalton Prout, who is out with an upper body injury. Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov was out with an illness and did not practice.

Coverage of the game begins at 11:30am with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 12:00pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 12:30pm.

References:

TheScore. (2020). San Jose Sharks News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/25.

TheScore. (2019). Washington Capitals News & Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/15.

Hindsight is 20/20: Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes

Washington Capitals (27-9-5) vs Carolina Hurricanes (24-14-2)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsIlya Samsonov10-2-12.28 / .918 / 0
Carolina HurricanesPetr Mrazek16-8-22.67 / .903 / 2
Goaltender Matchup

The Washington Capitals have themselves a little rematch with the Carolina Hurricanes to kick off 2020. The Capitals are just 5-5-0 in their last 10, and have dropped three of their last four. Will hindsight serve them well, and help to earn them their first win of the decade?

For a New Year’s Eve matinee, the Capitals lost 4-3, after allowing two early goals by Barry Trotz’s Islanders. Caps penalty killers were tested early on, as Dmitry Orlov was called for hooking at the 4:43 mark of the first. Washington kept the Isles off the board, but Casey Cizikas gave New York a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the period. A weird deflection that Holtby, even with Lasik, was unable to track. Brock Nelson would add to that lead with his 14th of the season, three minutes later. Nelson’s shot was taken from beyond the face off circles, and lightly screened. However, for a veteran goaltender, it should have been a routine save. Fourteen seconds later, Evgeny Kuznetsov cut the Islanders lead in half with his 14th of the year. A gnarly tip-in from Tom Wilson would tie the goal at the 14:17 mark of the first, giving Caps fans hope that their team would be able to make a successful comeback. That hope grew as Kuznetsov scored his 2nd of the game, 44 seconds into the second period. Unfortunately, Cizikas would also score his second of the game just short of the five-minute mark of the middle frame, once again tying the game, 3-3. Similar to Nelson’s goal, Cizikas’s second came from beyond the faceoff circles. Tom Kuhnhackl scored the ultimate game-winner at the 12:34 mark, and despite a power play shortly thereafter, and a second with just 60 seconds left in the game, Washington would ultimately concede, 4-3. For just the second time this season, the Capitals lost two consecutive games in regulation, thus failing to secure even one point. Poor puck handling, too many turnovers, and failed clearing attempts ultimately led to the New Year’s Eve loss. Although Washingtons’ penalty kill continues to shine, having killed off both Islanders power plays, veteran goaltender Braden Holtby has allowed far too many loose and easy goals lately. 17 in his last three starts, to be exact (NHL). As predicted, Ilya Samsonov will get the start for the Capitals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARe-5wYctK8

The Carolina Hurricanes, just two games removed from their last meeting with Washington, defeated the Montreal Canadiens, also on New Year’s Eve. The Canes won eight of 13 games in the month of December, and currently sit 4th in the Metro division. Less than two minutes into the match, Sebastian Aho tallied his 23rd goal of the season on the Canes power play (Lehkonen, tripping). Not even two minutes later, Max Domi would tie the game, 1-1. Carolina was called for ‘too many men’ short of the 18-minute mark, but Montreals’ power play would not convert. Seven and a half minutes into the second period, Erik Haula scored the eventual game-winner, with his 11th of the season. Haula boasts six points in his last four games, including an assist versus the Capitals just six days ago (HockeyReference). Jordan Martinook went off for slashing midway through the second period, and the Habs would receive another power play late in the third (Dzingel, high-sticking). Carolina’s 11th ranked penalty kill has allowed just 12 power play goals in 61 chances on home ice (ESPN). The Hurricanes power play however, has 15 goals on home ice, and Washington has allowed as many power play goals against, on the road. Teuvo Teravainen is playing at a-point-per-game with 40 points in as many games, and has tallied points in nine of his last 11 games. Montreal elected to pull goaltender Charlie Lindgren, for the extra attacker, but Ryan Dzingel would pot an empty-netter, sealing a 3-1 win for the Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek is expected to start against Washington.

Christian Djoos is still listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. His status is to be determined.

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.

References:

ESPN. (2020). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders. Retrieved from http://proxy.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team?stat=special-teams&sort=powerPlayGoalsAgainst&split=33.

HockeyReference. (2020). Erik Haula Stats. Retrieved from https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/h/haulaer01.html.

NHL.com. (2020). Braden Holtby Stats and News. Retrieved from https://www.nhl.com/player/braden-holtby-8474651.

TheScore. (2020). Carolina Hurricanes News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/12.

Resolution: Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders

Washington Capitals (27-8-5) vs New York Islanders (24-10-3)

 Predicted GoaltenderRecordGAA / SV% / # SO
Washington CapitalsBraden Holtby17-6-42.95 / .904 / 0
New York IslandersSemyon Varlamov13-3-32.40 / .920 / 1
Goaltender Matchup

There’s no better way to round out the year with some matinee hockey, eh? The Washington Capitals are slated to take on former head coach Barry Trotz and the New York Islanders for one last game before we ring in 2020. The Capitals defeated the Islanders by a score of 2-1 back on October 4th, and are 11-6-1 in their last 18 meetings, dating back to 2016.

The Washington Capitals lost to the Carolina Hurricanes back on Saturday, in a 6-4 defeat that included an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, and a less-than-healthy lineup. Washington played without power forward Tom Wilson, and defenseman Michal Kempny for a second straight game. Per head coach Todd Reirden, they were not the only two players fighting off illness and injury. Washington was called for back-to-back penalties, giving the Canes an abbreviated 5-on-3 opportunity (Boyd, holding the stick)(Jensen, tripping). Lucas Wallmark started the scoring with his 8th goal of the season on the Canes power play, at the 10:38 mark of the first period. The Capitals received their first power play just before the game was 12 minutes old, as Tuevo Teravainen went off for hooking, but they did not convert. Christian Djoos, who had been recalled from the Hershey Bears to ust eight seconds into the second period, Warren Foegele improved the Canes lead to 2-0, but Nic Dowd cut their lead in half with his 4th goal of the season. Petr Mrazek, who historically hasn’t been great against Washington, was awfully good this time. Dougie Hamilton re-established Carolina’s lead not even two minutes later. With Jordan Staal in the penalty box for kneeing, Alex Ovechkin tallied his 24th goal of the season, passing Teemu Selanne in all-time power play goals (256). Washington received a second consecutive power play, as former St. Louis Blue Joel Edmundson was called for tripping, but Warren Foegele would ultimately score short-handed, giving the Canes a 4-2 lead. Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Capitals hope with his 13th goal of the season, a power play goal, just two minutes into the final frame, but 1:20 later, Martin Necas would wipe any sense of optimism right off the board. Washington elected to pull goaltender Braden Holtby with just under five minutes remaining in the game, but Andrei Svechnikov would seal Carolina’s win with an empty-net goal. Richard Panik, with his 4th of the year, would reduce the damage by one, giving the Caps four goals on the board prior to the expiration of the match. In his worst appearance this season, Braden Holtby allowed five goals on 28 shots, not including the Canes final empty-net goal. Holtby is expected to start for the Capitals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFblMB6CODE

On Sunday, the New York Islanders defeated the Minnesota Wild, 3-1. The Islanders are 5-4-1 in their last 10, and have actually dropped four of their last six matches. Ryan Donato scored the only goal of the first and second period, 15 minutes and 43 seconds into the first period, giving Minnesota a one-goal lead. However, three goals from the Isles in the third gave them their 24th win of the season. Neither the Islanders nor the Wild converted on their respective power plays. Interestingly, the Islanders allow with 12th most power play goals against on home ice, in the entire league (11 PPGA, T-12). Compared to Washington’s power play, which scores the 3rd most goals when on the road, if the Capitals receive a power play, they need to deliver (16 PPG, T-3rd)(ESPN). Better off than the Caps, but still among the top offenders, the Islanders rank 9th in most penalty minutes per game, and seven players on the roster have 20 or more penalty minutes. At the 4:24 mark of the third period, Ryan Pulock scored his 6th of the season, tying the Isles and Wild with one goal each. Just beyond the six-minute mark, did Matt Martin score the ultimate game-winner, and his 3rd of the season. Tom Kuhnhackl sealed the win with his first goal of the season with just over two and a half minutes remaining. Mat Barzal leads his team with 16 goals and 16 assists (32 points), though Brock Nelson isn’t very far behind (13G, 15A, 28 points). Former Avalanche/Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov ended his night with a .962 save percentage, having allowed just one goal on 26 shots. Varlamov is expected to get the start for the Islanders.

The Islanders will be without the services of Cal Clutterbuck, who suffered a wrist injury in practice a few days ago. Tom Wilson, Michal Kempny, and Christian Djoos are still listed as day-to-day, and we will update as we learn more from the team.

Coverage of the game begins at 12:00pm with Caps Faceoff Live, followed by Caps Pregame Live at 12:30pm, all on NBCSN/NBCSWA, with puck drop shortly after 1:00pm.

References:

ESPN. (2019). 2019-20 NHL Hockey Stats and League Leaders- Special Teams. Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/nhl/statistics/team/_/stat/special-teams/sort/powerPlayGoals/split/34.

Mcubed. (2019). NHL: Series records: Washington Capitals against New York Islanders. Retrieved from http://mcubed.net/nhl/wsh/nyi.shtml.

TheScore. (2019). New York Islanders at Minnesota Wild. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/22331.

TheScore. (2019). New York Islanders News and Stats. Retrieved from https://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/7.