Columbus Blue Jackets (49-20-8) vs. Washington Capitals (51-18-8)
SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017, 6 p.m. (NATIONWIDE ARENA)
Look at the numbers and it might be easy to conclude it was just one of those nights Friday for the Metropolitan Division- and NHL-leading Washington Capitals.
In the third game of a five-game road trip, the Caps were tripped up 6-3 by the Arizona Coyotes but seemingly controlled the action. Washington outshout the home team 48-25 and forced Arizona to block 21 more shots. Add in a 57-43 percentage edge in faceoffs and you might think it wasn't that bad a showing for Washington, which saw a six-game win streak come to an end.
But hear the quotes from the Washington locker room after the game and a different picture arises.
"We weren't good at the end of the game in Minnesota (a 5-4 overtime win Tuesday), and we weren't good in Colorado (a 5-3 win Wednesday), and then tonight was an eye-opener," Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said.
Head coach Barry Trotz was more direct, and left fuming after the Caps fell into a 3-0 hole in the first period of play.
"It might have been our worst period since I've been here," Trotz said of that opening frame. "They had 11 scoring chances, and I thought they had eight that were Grade A. Some games, you don't even see that.
"We were junk. We have to start from scratch."
Scratch will be today's game in Columbus against the Jackets, and it remains a big one. With five games to play, the Caps hold a four-point lead on Columbus for the trip spot in the division, conference and NHL, with the Jackets' only realistic hopes of catching Washington hinging on a regulation win in Nationwide.
You Oughta Know: Braden Holtby
His last outing wasn't a great one, as he allowed six goals on 25 shots in the loss to Arizona. But before that, the 2016 Vezina Trophy winner looked firmly planted as Sergei Bobrovsky's closest competitor for the top goalie prize. Holtby entered that game vs. the Coyotes on a 25-3-3 record in his last 33 games with five shutouts, a 2.02 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. The Caps' goalie also leads the league in shutouts with eight. Since 2012-13, Holtby leads the NHL in wins (175) and shutouts (28). In addition, he has posted 40 wins in three consecutive seasons, joining Martin Brodeur (2005-08) and Evgeni Nabokov (2007-10) as the only goaltenders in NHL history to do so.
[Fire Emoji] Right Now
- Nicklas Backstrom leads the NHL in points since Jan. 1 with 53, including a goal in the loss to Arizona. Since March 14, he has four games with at least three points including a four-assist night March 18 vs. Tampa Bay.
- Alex Ovechkin recorded four points, including a hat trick, on Tuesday at Minnesota, marking his 21st career four-point game. The Russian forward has earned 36 points in his last 38 games.
- Marcus Johansson has nine assists in the last five games.
Five Fast Facts
- 31-6-2 at home this year, Washington is 20-12-6 away from the nation's capital.
- The Capitals have scored 35 power-play goals in their last 38 games, posting a 31.5-percent power-play success rate during that span. Alexander Ovechkin's 17 power-play goals lead the league.
- Washington earned win No. 50 of the season on Tuesday at Minnesota, marking the second consecutive season and fifth time in franchise history the Capitals have reached that plateau. Washington earned its 50th win in its 75th game this season, marking the second-fastest it has reached 50 wins in franchise history (2015-16: 69 GP).
- Injury report: None. The Captials have lost just 42 man games to injury this season
- Former Blue Jackets: None.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: Nov. 15: CBJ 2, WAS 1 (OT)
Nov. 20: CBJ 3, WAS 2
Jan. 5: WAS 5, CBJ 0
March 23: WAS 2, CBJ 1 (SO)
ALL TIME SERIES: CBJ trails 11-13-6
Keys to the Game
Defend the Realm: Washington was on the forward foot when these teams played about a week ago in DC, forcing Sergei Bobrovsky into a season high in saves. Columbus needs to reply with the Capitals in the midst of a five-game win streak and much on the line.
Handle Ovechkin: The Caps' power play is one of the hottest in the NHL and it runs through the one-timers of Ovechkin in the left circle. Columbus has often done well at limiting that threat, but one slip-up is all it takes to be picking the puck out of the net.
Stay Patient (If Need Be): Of course it would be nice to see the offensive explosion the Jackets have been looking for. But in a matchup of the goalies having the best statistical seasons in the league, the Jackets can't lose their game if this one stays low-scoring.
Capitals Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Alexander Ovechkin | 77 GP, 33-33-66 | 19 | Niklas Backstrom | 77 GP, 23-60-83 | 77 | T.J. Oshie | 64 GP, 23-32-55 |
| 90 | Marcus Johansson | 77 GP, 23-33-56 | 92 | Evgeni Kuznetsov | 77 GP, 18-38-56 | 14 | Justin Williams | 76 GP, 22-21-43 |
| 26 | Daniel Winnik | 67 GP, 12-12-24 | 83 | Jay Beagle | 76 GP, 13-16-29 | 43 | Tom Wilson | 77 GP, 6-12-18 |
| 65 | Andre Burakovsky | 59 GP, 11-21-32 | 20 | Lars Eller | 76 GP, 11-12-23 | 10 | Brett Connolly | 63 GP, 15-6-21 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Kevin Shattenkirk | 75 GP, 11-42-53, -8 | 44 | Brooks Orpik | 74 GP, 0-14-14, +32 |
| 2 | Matt Niskanen | 74 GP, 4-34-38, +19 | 9 | Dmitry Orlov | 77 GP, 6-27-33, +29 |
| 74 | John Carlson | 71 GP, 9-28-37, +8 | 27 | Karl Alzner | 77 GP, 3-10-13, +19 |
| # | Player | GP | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Braden Holtby | 60 | 40-12-6 | 2.11 | .923 | 8 |
| 31 | Philipp Grubauer | 21 | 11-6-2 | 2.13 | .924 | 3 |
10 Stats to Know
Impress your friends and enemies alike with these 10 key Capitals stats.
| Last 10 | Standings | PP% | PK% | CF60 (5x5) | CA60 (5x5 | PDO | OT (SHO) | FO% | 5x5 GF-GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-2-1 | 1st, Metro | 23.6 (3) | 84.0 (7) | 57.14 | 53.12 | 102.88 (1) | 10-8 (2-5) | 49.9 (14) | 169-110 |
