Over the last few weeks, the Washington Capitals have surged from having just an NHL .500 record back in mid-November to taking over the top spot in the Eastern Conference, going 9-1-2 over their last dozen games and finishing a 3-0-1 four-game road trip which included a game against the league’s three California teams in just four nights, as well as all four teams being in a playoff position when they played them.
The trip came to an end Friday at the Honda Center in Anaheim with a bit of a thud, as the Caps couldn’t quite seem to put together enough energy to grab two points in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Capitals ran out of gas
Washington was solid through the first 40 minutes, building three different leads, only to relinquish them to their hosts, and by the time the third period came around it seemed like the tank was hitting empty.
The Capitals only managed four shots on net in the last 25 minutes of regulation and overtime, and by the end seemed to hanging on for a standings point as the game progressed towards the shootout. The Ducks controlled most of play in the latter stages of play, and even when Washington had their chances they tended to overpass the puck and pass up chances to take a shot that could have given them a late lead.
But they did snag a point in their third game in four nights – including an unusual trip up and down the California coast instead of playing the Southern California neighbors back-to-back which is the more usual custom – and played well despite some wrinkles in the lineup due to injuries on the veteran lineup.
Before Friday’s game, backup goaltender Charlie Lindgren was injured in practice, and in the first period of Friday’s game against the Ducks, Ryan Leonard was hit by Jacob Trouba and knocked out of the contest with a hit behind the cage. Both Lindgren and Leonard played key roles in Wednesday’s 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, and were without John Carlson, who only took warm-ups in San Jose before missing the contest.
While Carlson’s injury was not expected to keep him out long, as he did take warm-ups Wednesday, the injuries to Lindgren and Leonard seemed a bit more ominous.
Productive trip overall
But overall, the trip was a success in the standings, as the Capitals outscored their opponents 17-6 in four games, with captain Alex Ovechkin netting three goals over the course of the trip and nearly adding another empty-netter in Los Angeles, and Tom Wilson, who is making his bid to be on Team Canada’s Olympic roster, had four of his own, including two at UBS Arena.
The injury to Leonard, who was terrific in the win over the Sharks, getting two goals and two assists in the win, adding to two other assists picked up at the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings before playing just 4:38 Friday before struggling to leave the ice after the hit.
Washington returns home Sunday to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, and after the contest, Washington coach Spencer Carbery indicated both Lindgren and Leonard may be out for a while, meaning that thrid-string goaltender Clay Stevenson likely will be recalled from the Hershey Bears, along with a forward, perhaps Ilya Protas, who has 19 points in 19 games (10 goals, 9 assists), Andrew Cristall (14 points in 19 games) or another young forward to take Leonard’s spot in the Top 6.
Leonard, who had struggled a bit to begin the season, had been playing with more confidence as of late, so the injury has unfortunate timing for the rookie as he had played a key role in the resurgence of the Capitals’ power play, which had been languishing near the bottom of the league.
Thompson, who has emerged as the team’s starter, was terrific, posting a .950 save percentage and allowing just five goals in three games as he continues his own bid to be on Team Canada, but now may be thrust into a heavier workload with Lindgren’s absence. The injury did allow Parker Milner, former South Carolina Stingrays goaltender and current food critic for the Charleston Post and Courier, to dress as the team’s emergency backup Friday and even got a rookie lap as part of the appearance.
While the team did rely heavily on goaltending, they also were much more efficient on special teams on the trip, with the power playing going 3 for 8 over the trip, with Wilson opening the scoring on Long Island and Los Angeles with the extra man in the first to games of the trip. The penalty kill was also very good, going 13 for 15, and even creating a shorthanded goal against the Sharks, and helping set up the eventual game-winning goal against the Kings just after a penalty expired.
While Friday’s setback and injuries over the back half of the trip put a damper on the end, Washington has shown flashes of what got them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings last season, as well as Wilson and Ovechkin showing off their goal-scoring talents.
Ovie, Capitals salute Kopitar in LA
The trip also featured a memorable scene of the Capitals lining up to shake Anze Kopitar’s hands in what likely will be the Kings’ captain’s last game against Washington, even with the unknown of Ovechkin’s future and if this his last visit to the Golden State. Ovechkin is on pace for 40 goals this season, and currently at a point-per-game pace on the season with some key assists against the Islanders where he faked out Ilya Sorokin for the game’s first goal Sunday and then Tuesday in Los Angeles where he popped out of the box to lead the rush on Anthony Beauvilier’s eventual game-winning tally in the third period.
The Capitals really put themselves in the playoff conversation with these results in what was a very daunting road trip with four games against talented teams in a span of six days, including some extra mileage going the unusual Los Angeles to San Jose to Anaheim route. While the injuries mounting at the end of the trip certainly raise some long-term concerns, the fact Washington played this well despite some adversity shows that they are back in the mix to try and finish atop the Eastern Conference standings again this season.
