Top 3 impact Capitals to watch against Golden Knights
The Washington Capitals are currently on the ice for their morning skate as we are writing this one ahead of their game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Here’s how to watch and bet on the game. Read on to find out who the impact Caps players to watch will be tonight.
Per Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post, Charlie Lindgren was not on the ice due to “body maintenance”. Darcy Kuemper along with video coach Brett Leonhardt were the two goalies on the ice. Either Leonhardt backs up or there will be some type of emergency call up coming.
Here are the top 3 impact players to watch on the Caps tonight:
#3 Dylan Strome
Dylan Strome played in his 100th career game as a Washington Capital this past Wednesday at the Los Angeles Kings. Since joining the Capitals ahead of last season, Strome ranks first on the team in games played with 101 and second in goals with 31, assists with 44, and points with 75.
Strome is the team leader in goals this season with eight. In his career against Vegas, he has recorded 13 points in 16 games with five goals and eight assists. Strome centered the second line the other night in Anaheim against the Ducks with Connor McMichael to his left and Anthony Mantha to his right. He had a goal in the Capitals last game with the Golden Knights on Nov. 14 at Capital One Arena.
#2 Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin enters tonight’s game one point shy of 1,500 career points. He just needs either a goal or an assist to reach that mark. He had two assists in the Capitals win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. On his career he has 827 goals and 672 assists.
Ovechkin can become the 16th player in NHL history and the second active player to reach 1,500 points. The other active player is none other than Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should Ovechkin record a point tonight against Vegas, he will become the 12th fastest player to reach 1,500 points.
Ovechkin’s 1,499 career points thus far are the eighth most points by a. player with one franchise in the history of the NHL. The other seven are Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins, Crosby, Joe Sakic of Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers, Mario Lemieux of the Pens, and Steve Yzerman and Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings.
In addition, Ovechkin will have the most goals by a player at the time of their 1,500th career point. While his goal scoring has dipped, Ovechkin still leads the Capitals this season in points with 14 through 20 games played.
Including playoff goals, Ovechkin’s next goal will be the 900th of his career.
#1 Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson was the hero of the previous Caps game as he recorded his first career hat trick in his 700th career game. Per NHL Stats, Wilson became the second player in NHL history to record a hat trick in their 700th career game, joining Phil Goyette who did it in a 3-0 New York Rangers win over the Los Angeles Kings in 1968.
Two of Wilson’s three goals came on the power play which marked his first career game with multiple power play goals. It couldn’t have came at a better time as the Caps went over an hour in power play time without scoring on the man advantage.
Wilson now has seven goals this season which rank second on the Capitals, trailing only Dylan Strome by one. All of Wilson’s 700 career games have came while playing for the Capitals as he was taken in the first round at 16th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft.
Among players who made their debuts with the Capitals, Wilson became the fourth youngest player to reach the 700 career game mark. Tonight he’s back in Vegas where he lifted the Stanley Cup five years ago with his best friend Ryan Reaves watching from the press box as a healthy scratch.
light. Hot. Sit Alex Ovechkin vs Golden Knights in fantasy matchup
You can catch tonight’s game at 10 p.m. eastern on Monumental Sports Network.