Top 3 ways Capitals can beat Devils
The Washington Capitals have 17 games remaining in the regular season. If they want to keep playing this spring time, each of these 17 games are important in determining the direction of this team. Tonight they host the New Jersey Devils who are second in the Metropolitan Division.
So one team is having a good season while the other is barley fighting to stay alive. How can the Caps solve the Devils and deliver a win to get back on track?
We’ll look at where both teams stand from top to bottom and come up with three ways the Capitals can deliver a win tonight over the Devils.
#3 Treat this game like a playoff game
Sounds cliche but true. The Caps probably won’t see these guys in the playoffs if they miraculously make it unless by some miracle they get far. The Devils will likely be pitted against the New York Rangers which should be a classic Hudson River war.
The Caps are 10-6-1 against Metropolitan Division opponents this season which comes out to a .618 point percentage. Including tonight’s game, Washington has nine games remaining against Metropolitan Division rivals over their final 17 regular season games. Treat each of those like a playoff game and climb up the standings.
#2 Win the special teams battle
The Caps are currently in the middle of the pack when it comes to power play success ranking 16th in the NHL with a success rate of 21.1 percent. The Devils aren’t much better on the power play even though they are a very good team. Their success rate of 21.7 percent puts them 14th in the league.
Over on the penalty kill side of things the Caps are actually better than the Devils. The Caps are ranked eighth with a kill rate of 82.7 percent while the Devils are ranked 10th with a kill rate of 81.5 percent.
The Caps have scored a power play goal in six of their last seven games and have scored eight power play goals on their last 28 opportunities over their last nine games dating back to Feb. 16. That’s a success are of 28.6 percent.
Six different players have scored on the power play during the seven game stretch (T.J. Oshie: 3 power play goals, Alex Ovechkin, Sonny Milano, Tom Wilson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Nicklas Backstrom each with one PPG.
Backstrom (one goal, three assists) and Oshie (three goals, one assist) have factored in on four of Washington’s eight power play goals in that span.
#1 If you get a lead, protect it
Sounds easy but not when you’re this year’s version of the Capitals. But if they kill their penalties they’ll have a good chance at winning. The Caps have killed off 44 of 50 opposing power plays over their last 20 games dating back to Jan. 16. That’s 88 percent.
The Capitals’ 82.7 penalty kill percentage this season ranks seventh in the NHL through games played March 7. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Capitals have allowed the sixth fewest shots on goal (262) while shorthanded this season.
The Caps are sixth in the NHL when it comes to losses when leading by at least a goal with five. One time it happened in overtime. Two times the Caps lost when they led by two goals. Three times the Caps lost a two goal lead in overtime.
While those aren’t tops in the NHL they aren’t good either and these are all games that the Caps should have won. Had they won those games we could be talking about tonight’s game as a battle for first or second in the Metropolitan Division.
Rasmus Sandin will be player to watch against Devils. light. Trending
Instead we’re talking about this game as a win or go home for one team and win and get in good position for the other. For info on how to watch and bet on the game click here.