Top 3 key Capitals to watch against Canadiens
Tonight the Washington Capitals take on the Montreal Canadiens in the first of five games left to close out the regular season including the second to last home game.
The Capitals have failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 season. It snaps an eight season playoff streak. Their eight year streak was tied for the second longest active playoff streak in the NHL with the Nashville Predators. The Pittsburgh Penguins lead with 16 currently but that could snap too.
From 2014-15 to 2021-22, the Capitals held a record of 374-176-67 with 815 points and a .660 points percentage.
#3 Rasmus Sandin
Rasmus Sandin has recorded 13 points in 14 games with the Capitals since making his debut on March 4 with the team after they traded for him by sending Erik Gustafsson to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Via NHL Stats, Sandin’s 11 assists in his first nine games with Washington marked the most by any Capitals player through their first 10 games with the club, surpassing Randy Burridge and Chris Valentine.
Sandin has recored a point in eight of his 14 games with the Capitals. Four of his 12 assists with the Caps have come on the power play. He required the fewest games for a defenseman to reach 10 points in franchise history with seven games played which bested the previous mark set by Kevin Shattenkirk in 2016-17 where it took him 13 games.
#2 John Carlson
John Carlson recorded two assists on Sunday against the New York Rangers, marking his seventh multi point game this season and the 141st of his career. Having Carlson back is great and had he stayed healthy I really think he could’ve had a career year.
Carlson’s 141 multi point games are the sixth most among active defenseman while his 87 career multi assist games are the seventh most among active blue liners.
Carlson has recorded five points in five games since returning to the Capitals lineup on March 23 with one goal and four assists. He ranks first on the Capitals in ice time per game at 23:26 and tied for first in points and second in shots with 14 during that five game stretch.
In addition, Carlson has posted a 51.8 shot attempt percentage at five on five which leads Capitals defenseman since March 23. He has recorded 26 points in 35 games this season with nine goals and 17 assists. That’s a 0.74 points per game. That is the third highest among Washington’s skaters this season. His 26 points rank tied for first among Capitals defensemen.
Carlson missed 36 straight games from Dec. 27 to March 21 due to injury. At the time of his injury, he led the Capitals in time on ice per game with 23:24 and ranked tied for fourth on the team in points.
#1 Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin as of Wednesday April 5 has spent half his life as a Washington Capital. Now it’s more than half his life. Wednesday marked 6,857 days since Ovechkin was selected first overall by the Capitals in the 2004 NHL Draft, the same number of days old Ovechkin was on his defat day on June 26, 2004. On this day 19 years ago, the Capitals won the draft lottery to select Ovechkin.
Ovechkin scored three goals in Washington’s last game against the Canadiens on New Years Eve which marked his 30th career hat trick and his third against the Habs. His three career hat tricks against the Canadiens are tied for the most he has recorded against a single opponent with three hat trick games against the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators.
In 54 career games versus Montreal, Ovechkin has recorded 63 points with 37 goals and 26 assists. His 37 goals and 63 points against the Canadiens are the most among active players. He scored his 42nd goal of the season on March 25 at Pittsburgh.
More. Capitals fantasy value picks vs Canadiens. light
Those are your top 3 players to watch tonight. You can catch the game at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington.