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Capitals vs Senators: Potential overlook candidate

By David Trice

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Ottawa Senators left wing Brian Gibbons (17) sets up in front of Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) during the Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals NHL game February 26, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Ottawa Senators left wing Brian Gibbons (17) sets up in front of Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) during the Ottawa Senators vs. Washington Capitals NHL game February 26, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Washington Capitals proved they were capable of anything after overcoming a two goal deficit with less than a minute left in the game against the Sharks. Can they move past an incredible moment and focus on the next task?

The Washington Capitals carried a 3-2 score from the second period all the way down to the final minute of the game, when with an empty net the Sharks created a two goal lead.

That’s when the perseverance and determination of the Capitals showed up.

The first came only 15 seconds later with Vrana putting it away to bring the game back to within a goal. Then with only about 15 seconds left in the game Kuznetsov found Oshie in the slot to the right of Martin Jones, this would send the game into overtime. The final nail was driven when Carlson feed Eller across ice with two minutes gone in the extra period.

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In years past when the Capitals got down by two or more goals late in the game it was believed that it would inevitably end in a loss. But this season seems different like anything can happen.

The biggest surprise out of this is the contributions that come from all over the lineup. The bottom six continue to produce with Nic Dowd and Lars Eller getting goals against the Sharks.

The growth of secondary scoring continues with the two goal performance from Jakub Vrana, again both occurring with 5 on 5.  However, they aren’t in the production alone as roster stalwarts Oshie, Kuznetsov, Carlson, Backstom and Holtby made key plays when it mattered most.

The Washington Capitals are now on a two game win streak with statement wins against long time foes, Hurricanes and Sharks. Even with this win the Capitals have a losing record overall against the Sharks, with a win percentage of 0.355.

Both of these wins need to be celebrated and enjoyed, but the dangerous thing is to overlook an opponent that should be considered easy pickings after big wins. With that in mind the Capitals need to now turn their focus over to the Ottawa Senators who come to town for their first match up of the season.

The Senators are riding a four game losing streak, with the only close score coming against the Devils. If not for the bad season by the Red Wings the Senators would be the bottom feeders of the Atlantic Division. So they are the epitome of an easy team to overlook and expect an easy win.

Although it’s not overly surprising as the Senators currently have the worst PP unit and sit just above the league average for PK% with a 18th ranked unit at 80.82% versus the league average of 80.01%. They also hold one of the easiest teams to score on as they are tied for fourth in the league in goals allowed with 141, and have a combined SV% for their goaltenders of 0.901.

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The Washington Capitals will need to bring their 3rd best offense and 10th best PP unit to seal the win as we expect.  With this being the first of a back to back schedule, the Capitals will most likely lean on the rookie Samsonov in goal to give Holtby the tougher contest against the Philadelphia Flyers.  This will be a good game to cement his confidence with the worst offensive producing team in the league.

Here is how to follow the action:

Date: Jan. 7th
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Where: Capital One Arena
TV Broadcast: NBC Sports Washington
Radio: WJFK 106.7 The Fan, Caps Radio 24/7
Streaming: ESPN+ has a free 7-day trial that includes live streaming for this game on all your smart devices! Besides NHL games, ESPN+ features a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, Serie A, FA Cup, and EFL. Get in on the action with Live UFC Fight Nights, 30+ Top Rank Boxing cards, Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open.

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