Top 3 impact Capitals to watch against Sabres
Caps see the Sabres again
#2 Dylan Strome
Dylan Strome scored in the loss at Buffalo but he also netted one for his 27th of the season on Tuesday at Detroit, marking his 300th career point. Strome has recorded 130 of his 300 career points with the Capitals. With the goal, Strome tied his single season career high in points which he set last season.
He is now on pace for 28 goals and 40 assists for 68 points this season after setting scoring career highs last year. Strome's 27 goals this season are a. single season career high which he bested last year by four.
More impotant than overall numbers is his recent numbers and Strome has stepped up. He has recorded 14 points with five goals and nine assists in his last 12 games and 37 points with 11 goals and 26 assists in his last 33 games.
In a loss to Carolina, Strome had his seventh multi assist game of the season with two assists. He has recorded 12 assists through his first 47 games of the season but has tallied 26 assists in his last 31 games. 29 of those 38 apples are primaries which accounts for 76.3 percent of his assists. That leads the Caps.
#1 Charlie Lindgren
We waited a bit before this game preview as we just heard from Bailey Jonson on X from The Washington Post who was present at morning skate that he was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate. He's been lights out and the MVP of the Capitals this whole season.
Lindgren stopped 42 of 43 shots faced on Tuesday at Detroit including all nine high danger shots at five on five, per Natural Stat Trick. Per Sportlogiq, Lindgren saved 1.67 goals vs. expectation in the 2-1 win. It marked Lindgren's second 40 plus save performance in his last six outings. The other time was that loss to Toronto that started the infamous losing streak that came to an end in Mo Town.
Since Jan. 13, Lindgren ranks second in the NHL in games played with 31 and saves with 802. Over his last 16 appearances, Lindgren has a record of 9-5-2 with a 2.62 goals against average, a .916 save percentage, and two shutouts.
During that same stretch, which began with a 39 save shutout at Pittsburgh on March 7, Lindgren has saved 5.50 goals vs expectation per Sportlogiq and ranks tied for first in the NHL in wins with nine.
Lindgren has been a beast and has seized the spotlight even if he's been starting more than even he himself expected to.