Washington Capitals: A look at the final four games of April

Capitals vs. Islanders

The Caps and Islanders will meet for the next three games. Right now they have identical records and points and these games will be a battle for first place in the MassMutual East Division. The Caps entered the month of April with a 3-0 record against Barry Trotz’s Islanders. Since then, however, the Caps have lost two straight to the Islanders.

The first game was an 8-4 loss where they were simply bullied. The next game was a 1-0 squeaker. Both occurred in New York. The Caps have played the Islanders tough this season as they look for revenge after getting eliminated in the first round in the bubble.

The Caps have outscored the Islanders 16-15 in the previous five meetings. The Caps have converted on six of their 12 power play opportunities for 50 percent which is tied for the highest power play percentage against a single team this season.

John Carlson leads the Caps with seven points with four goals and three assists while Nicklas Backstrom leads the way with five assists.

In addition, the Caps are averaging 54.30 shot attempts at five on five per game, the third highest rate the Isles have allowed this season. Washington’s .600 point percentage this season is the third highest point percentage against the Islanders this season.

The Caps will see the Islanders in New York tonight and Saturday before the teams conclude the series at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.