Tonight begins a stretch of games for the Caps against relatively weak competition. But there are no easy games in the NHL, and the Maple Leafs are better than their record shows, so it’s not as if there are any gimmes on the horizon for the club. Then again, tonight’s game is a perfect example of a game in which the Caps need to take advantage of the schedule. Seize the carpe, so to speak.
The Leafs are in town, fresh off an overtime loss last night to the Red Wings. Having played last night, and then travelling to DC after, Mike Babcock’s boys likely won’t be at their freshest tonight at the Verizon Center. Time to prey on the weak.
Check your local listings for channel, as the game is on CSN+ at 7 PM.
| Team | Record | Possession | PDO | Power Play | Penalty Kill |
| Washington Capitals | 9-3-0 | 55.3% | 100.6 | 22.9% | 86.1% |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-8-3 | 49.8% | 98.8 | 12.8% | 77.8% |
Projected Lineup
Per KB, the bottom six were rotating a bit at the morning skate, but this is probably what lineup you’ll see tonight:
Ovechkin – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Johansson – Backstrom – Burakovsky
Chimera – Beagle – Williams
Laich – Latta – Wilson
Orpik – Carlson
Alzner – Niskanen
Orlov – Schmidt
Holtby
Relevant Music!
It’s not summer, but “let this be my annual reminder that we can all be something bigger.” Carpe the seize, or something.
Storylines
- Some good quotes in this one from the Caps penalty killers on their early season success.
- Stan Galiev is down in Hershey for a conditioning assignment and scored a goal last night.
- An Islanders fan doesn’t think Tom Wilson sucks anymore.
- Justin Williams, who has been really good so far, thinks that he’s kinda sucked so far.
- Karl Alzner scoffs at your #fancystats. Give the man the hits. All of the hits.
- A recent roundtable over on SI heaped some praise upon the NHL hockey club from DC.
Homework
We’re all likely to be somewhat annoyed if the Caps don’t carpe the diem with the favorable schedule tonight. So, let’s practice what we preach. What are you going to do in the next week to carpe your own diem? Leave it in the comments. Your work will be checked at a later date.
