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Washington Capitals: Chandler Stephenson Back in the Lineup will Help

ByMichael Marzzacco|
ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Washington Capitals center Chandler Stephenson (18) and center Lars Eller (20) watch from the bench during a game against the Anaheim Ducks played on February 17, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Washington Capitals center Chandler Stephenson (18) and center Lars Eller (20) watch from the bench during a game against the Anaheim Ducks played on February 17, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Chandler Stephenson has not seen game action in the past eight Washington Capitals games. With their seven-game winning streak over, Stephenson is back in the lineup.

The Washington Capitals season-tying best seven-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the team using the same skaters and lineups during the winning streak, the team knew a change had to be made. It came in the fourth line during Wednesday’s practice and Thursday’s morning skate at Wells Fargo Center. Chandler Stephenson is now in for Nic Dowd at the center position on the fourth line next to Andre Burakovsky and Travis Boyd. The Capitals take on the Flyers tonight at 7 p.m.

Dowd has six goals and 12 assists (18 points) on the season. He was brought in over the summer to fill the void left by fourth-line center Jay Beagle. Dowd has gone seven games without scoring, his last goal coming against the New York Rangers at the very beginning of the seven-game winning streak.

Dowd has been good on the face-off dot but not Beagle-level but that’s not a surprise considering Beagle is one of the best in the NHL in face-offs. Dowd has a 50.6 face-off percentage while Beagle’s is 54.4. Last season, Beagle’s face-off success percentage was a whopping 58.5 percent.

Dowd has recorded two assists in his last five games but none of his 12 assists were as cool as the one he had in Sunday night’s 3-1 Capitals victory over the Winnipeg Jets. After killing a penalty, new guy Carl Hagelin came out of the penalty box and was wide open up the ice. Dowd flipped the puck over to him backhand style and Hagelin finished the breakaway to bring the house down.

Enter Stephenson. He hasn’t played since the Capitals last loss prior to the seven-game winning streak beginning. That took place on Feb. 23 in Buffalo that saw the Sabres win 5-2. Stephenson’s numbers have been lower than last year simply because he’s had a lack of playing time this seaosn. Last year, Stephenson appeared in 67 games. Stephenson will play in his 56th game tonight.

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Giving Stephenson more playing time will be beneficial to him. Stephenson has 10 points (five goals, five assists) but he’s just eight points from tying his season-high from last year, just a goal and seven assists. Not only that but it’ll show Capitals coach Todd Reirden how he should utilize his bottom six forward group come playoff time.

Stephenson played much more frequently during the first half of the season and even saw some time on the first line during Tom Wilson‘s suspension to begin the season.

Andre Burakovsky seems to have been the most productive on the fourth line but moving him up to the third line would disrupt the chemistry between Carl Hagelin, Lars Eller, and Brett Connolly. The top six is all but cemented so that leaves Travis Boyd, Dmitrij Jaskin, Dowd and Stephenson to fiddle around with.

Stephenson needed some time on the bench after he had a slump of 19 games without a goal. He had a great December with five points (4 goals, 1 assist) after going on coincidentally a 19-game goal-less drought.

It’s that kind of a roller coaster of a season for Stephenson. With this point in time being critical, it’s time for the ride to reach it’s climax.

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