Last year’s surprise superstars, the Colorado Avalanche, are now fifth in the Central Division. I expect the Dallas Stars to pass them this month, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Minnesota Wild turn things around, so the Avs might be in the division basement by season’s end. Bummer.
That said, they’re on a 3-game winning streak right now and have a hot goalie. The Capitals have the opportunity to run the Avs down tonight at Verizon Center. This upcoming weekend on the road is looking tough, so it’d be good to get out ahead tonight.
Puck drops at 7 PM on CSN-DC.
| Team | Record | Possession | PDO | Power Play | Penalty Kill |
| Washington Capitals | 22-11-8 | 50.6% | 100.8 | 23.8% | 79.4% |
| Colorado Avalanche | 18-16-8 | 44.3% | 101.2 | 14.2% | 85.4% |
Projected Lineup
No changes, per Alex Prewitt.
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Burakovsky
Johansson – Kuznetsov – Brouwer
Laich– Fehr – Ward
Chimera – Beagle – Wilson
Orpik – Carlson
Alzner – Niskanen
Hillen – Green
Holtby
Best Thing on the Internet Today
Grand Budaprince Hotel.
Storylines
- Patrick Roy kinda/sorta knows what’s up with his team sucking this season:
Coach Roy: Last year, we had all the bounces, and this year is totally different.
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 5, 2015
- The Colorado goalie has been named the NHL’s second star of the week.
- Nick Backstrom: All-Star snub. The players might not like it, but you fans need to stop whining and know your role, jabroni.
- Nate Schmidt will miss 6-8 weeks with a [bullet interrupted by long jag of weeping and wailing] fracture to his shoulder blade. Per the Caps and via Alex Prewitt, Schmidt will be making an AHL salary for now, which is an 82.4 percent pay cut.
- I wrote like 2000 words on the Capitals with lots of pretty charts. Please read. I’m desperate.
- Joe Beninati was named DC Sportscaster of the Year. He deserves even more. World-class talent, imho.
- Get ready to back a dumptruck of cash up to Braden Holtby’s driveway.
Holtby vs Varly
From War on Ice, from the beginning of last season to now, using adjusted save percentage in 20-game moving averages. No commentary from me.
What You’re Missing on TV Tonight
In his entire life, do you think Donald Trump has ever said, “Well, that’s a complicated matter. There’s a lot of smart people on both sides of this issue”?
