Top 3 keys to victory for the Capitals against Sharks
The Washington Capitals begin their five game road trip tonight in San Jose against the Sharks. Here’s how to watch, listen, and bet on the game here.
The Capitals held an optional morning skate at SAP Center ahead of tonight’s puck drop at 10:30 p.m. eastern on Monumental Sports Network. Per Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post, Darcy Kuemper was the first goalie off the ice and will get the start tonight.
Johnson also noted that it appears Anthony Mantha will draw in at the fourth line as Nicolas Aube-Kubel took the scratches skate. It also appears Martin Fehervary will draw back in.
Looks like Nicolas Aube-Kubel is taking the scratches skate with Alex Alexeyev and Lucas Johansen, so appears that he’ll be out tonight. Based on the line rushes yesterday, Anthony Mantha will take his spot on the fourth line
— Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) November 27, 2023
Here are the top 3 keys to a Capitals victory:
#3 Power play wake up
The Capitals are now ranked dead last in the NHL in power play percentage with just six percent. When you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it certainly has. They are now 3 for 50 in power play opportunities and have been 0 for 28 in their last 10 games.
Here are the units via Daily Face Off:
PP1: Tom Wilson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dylan Strome, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson
PP2: Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, Sonny Milano, Alex Ovechkin, Rasmus Sandin
Something needs to click on the man advantage and it needs to click fast.
#2 Defense wins games
The Capitals offense can be hit or miss depending if it’s even strength or the power play. But their defense has been excellent in their hot stretch.
Through games played Nov. 25, the Capitals rank ninth in the NHL in goals against per game with 2.82. Per Natural Stat Trick, Washington’s 90.77 team save percentage in all situations ranks eighth in the NHL.
The Capitals are one of three teams in the NHL to have three different goaltenders with two or more wins this season. Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren each have four wins while Hunter Shepard has two. Once again, Kuemper gets the nod tonight. The other two teams with three different goalies with two or more wins are the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens.
The Caps defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 on Nov. 14 at Capital One Arena which marked Washington’s first shutout of the season.
A few weeks ago against the New York Islanders on Nov. 11, the Capitals blocked a season high 32 shots in a game that saw them win 4-1. That is their highest single game total since Feb. 4, 2016 where they blocked 33 shots against the Islanders.
“I’m excited to get back on the road and just try to play my game.”
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 27, 2023
Martin Fehervary on his expected return to the lineup in tonight’s matchup with the San Jose Sharks.#CapsSharks | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/PfAOyUXY0n
The defense will also get Martin Fehervary back in their lineup. Yesterday’s practice saw him skate on the top pair with John Carlson.
#1 Shake off the last game
The Capitals came into Black Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers with a five game winning streak. That streak came to an end in the form of a 5-0 defeat on their home ice. Not the way you want to end what was an otherwise good homestand.
The Caps not only had a five game winning streak, they also came into Friday’s game with a seven game point streak going 6-0-1. Although they lost, the Caps have been on the rise. They are 9-2-1 in their last 12 games.
The Caps .792 point percentage since Oct. 25 is the third highest in the NHL. The New York Rangers have the highest point percentage with .885 while the Los Angeles Kings have the second highest at .846. The Caps will see the Kings on Wednesday night.
The Capitals are averaging 2.42 goals against per game during the 12 game stretch which ranks fourth in the NHL since Oct. 25 through games played Nov. 25. The Kings are at 1.85, the Pittsburgh Penguins have 2.29, while the Rangers have 2.38, those are the three teams ahead of the Caps.
The Caps have played the fewest games among Metropolitan Division teams with 17 games. The Caps sit fourth in the division going into tonight’s game with a 10-5-2 record and 22 points. They also sit third in the wild card. They’re just a point behind in both standings from going one spot up.
The Capitals boast the third highest point percentage in the Eastern Conference and the ninth highest point percentage in the NHL despite starting the season 1-3-1.
Must Read. Devante Smith-Pelly rejoins Capitals in broadcast booth this road trip. light
So shake off the loss of the last game, keep playing good defense and wake up the power play, and they can win. And they need to with a Cup hero in the radio booth over the next five games.