After an expensive makeover during the offseason, the Washington Capitals have shown flashes of what they could be, and also look like a work in progress at times.So what has gone well so far, and what hasn’t clicked yet? The new additions to the lineup definitely have been a boost to the offense.
If you look at the goal scoring so far, just two of the top 6 were with the Capitals at last year’s trade deadline, with Alex Tuch leading with five goals, Boone Jenner with three, and Jordan Kyrou and Justin Holl with two apiece.
Tuch has fit in well since the trade from the Buffalo Sabres, scoring a pair of two-goal games this season. Jenner had a 3-game goal-scoring streak, while Holl currently is on a 2-game streak. While Kyrou has been a bit more hit-and-miss so far, he has shown flashes of why the Capitals brought him in from the St. Louis Blues.
The flip side is the team’s core has been relatively quiet, as Tom Wilson, Alex Ovechkin and Jakob Chychrun don’t combine with more goals than Tuch, and while Pierre-Luc Dubois looked solid to start the year, he has been sidelined with an illness which has had a noticeable impact on the offense.
The Capitals were designed to roll four lines and ride the ebbs and flows of the offense, but they will need to pick up the pace should the newcomers cool off.
Defensively, Matt Roy’s injury has had a ripple effect on the lineup, as the defensive anchor’s absence for all but two games has had a noticeable impact on Cole Hutson. Hutson plays a high-risk game that requires a solid defensive partner, and without him, Washington has had to restrain his offensive push a bit as some of the pairings have not been great.
Turnovers and blown coverage have been evident the last few games, as skaters are out of position or chasing behind the goal line to disastrous results. Holl’s call-up and sitting Dylan McIlrath injected some offense into the blueliners, who combined have 5 goals so far this year – 2 by Holl, who played just the last two games after being recalled from Hershey.
Despite the spotty defense, the goaltending has been able to keep the Capitals in games. Even with a 4-3-0 mark, Washington hasn’t trailed by more than a single goal with 3 minutes remaining in any game this season, and has only trailed by 2 overall in the first 57 minutes once this season.
Logan Thompson is 3-2-0 with a .904 save percentage and a 2.84 goals-against average, with his only real blemish being the 5-3 loss to Seattle Sunday. Charlie Lindgren, who wasn’t assured of the starting role when the season began, has played well in the backup role with some stellar saves. Posting an .897 save percentage and a 1-1-0 mark.
Penalties have been a problem so far, as the Capitals are 6th in penalties taken this year, and some of them are the unnecessary sort. While the penalty kill has largely been good, ranking 12th so far, the volume has caught up to them at times, such as Tuesday’s loss in Carolina, where the penalty parade caught up to them with a late game-winning goal.
Washington needs to play smarter, and that was a talking point from coach Spencer Carbery this past week, even benching Ryan Leonard for a third-period slashing penalty he said: “can’t happen.”
Certainly, the Capitals have shown their potential so far this season, and the key for them to clean up the mistakes, avoid the unnecessary penalties, and try to get healthy. So far, fans have seen a glimpse of what they could be, but they need to deliver it more often.
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