The Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals series is all tied up at 2-2 and is back at the Verizon Center for Friday night’s Game Five.
I’m not an NHL coach, but a key strategy to the game could be for the Capitals to take an early lead and this time actually hold on to it. But who knows. The Maple Leafs and the Capitals have both scored 14 goals and both have won two games. The slate is wiped clean. Now is the time for the Capitals to take charge.
Puck drop is a touch past 7 PM on CSN. As usual, Pete will have your recap.
The series is tied 2-2.
| Team | Record | SA% | PDO | Power Play | Penalty Kill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | 55-19-8 | 53.2% | 103.0 | 23.1% (4th) | 83.8% (7th) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 40-27-15 | 50.9% | 98.6 | 23.8% (2nd) | 82.5% (10th) |
Projected Lines
No changes in the lineup, but Chandler Stephenson has been called up from Hershey (just in case) and Karl Alzner is back taking the morning skate with his team. Alzner has been out with a super secret upper-body injury.
The good boys:
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Oshie
Johansson – Kuznetsov – Williams
Burakovsky – Eller – Wilson
Winnik – Beagle – Connolly
Schmidt – Carlson
Orlov – Niskanen
Orpik – Shattenkirk
Holtby
No changes for the bad boys:
Hyman – Matthews – Nylander
Komarov – Kadri – Brown
JVR – Bozak – Marner
Martin – Boyle – Kapanen
Hunwick – Rielly
Gardiner – Zaitsev
Marincin – Carrick
Andersen
Storylines
- RMNB’s Amanda Bowen posted a 30 second teaser of her senior thesis and it is WILD.
- Golden boy and RMNB darling, Nate Schmidt is killin’ it in the first round.
- There is going to be a pretty important visitor at the game this evening!
- Everyone loves a good meme (especially RMNB’s @seancaps) and we are proud that sliding Braden Holtby has become one.
- The Leafs are keeping their eye on a very important player that rhymes with Alex Schm-ovechkin.
- Last night, after the Preds swept the Blackhawks, Preds fans flipped the Blackhawks “smash” car like adults!
#Smashville gettin smashed and smashing things. pic.twitter.com/FCYQKg4JMB
— #StandWithUs (@NashvilleJack97) April 21, 2017
- Another concern for the Maple Leafs? Tom Wilson.
- Whoever wins this Caps-Leafs series will move on to play the Pittsburgh Penguins who, of course, look very good.
- Andre Burakovsky chopped off his luscious locks and is trying to grow something on his face, we think.
- R.I.P to the beloved Blue Jackets Twitter account since they were knocked out of the playoffs last night. We will miss you, we love you, hop on the Caps wagon pls.
- Braden Holtby continues to make us proud. He was announced as the recipient of the DC Pride Ally Award for his work in LGBTQ visibility in hockey.
- Make sure you catch up and glance over Nathan’s morning after numbers from Game Four.
- D.C. got a sports hat trick the other night after the Capitals won Game Four, the Wizards won Game Two, and the Nats obliterated the Braves (seriously, why is there not a mercy rule in baseball).
- An interesting stat about our Game Five history:
Washington is 13-22 all time in Game 5s, 9-13 at home, 5-9 when tied.
— Ted Starkey (@TedStarkey) April 21, 2017
The Chicago Blackhawks
They are done. The trash has been taken out. The floor has been swept clean. The tweets and memes were in full force.
Fun fact: The Blackhawks have three of the NHL’s top 100 players ever and none of them finished in the top 100 of playoff scoring this year.
— Dumb Bozo (@davelozo) April 21, 2017
NHL Media: The Chicago Blackhawks are unstoppable.
P.K. Subban: pic.twitter.com/X4nAX0fTAC— Hockey Wilderness (@hockeywildernes) April 21, 2017
The Blackhawks played a playoff series and their lone even-strength goal came from Dennis Rasmussen.
Definitely saw that coming!
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 21, 2017
HOCKEY TWITTER WHEN THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS GET SWEPT IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2017 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/S6nlpfCnX1
— Lornaaa (@lornasture) April 21, 2017
I know flags fly forever but the Blackhawks should be stripped of at least one of their titles for getting their asses whooped this badly.
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) April 21, 2017
the blackhawks have literally lost every playoff game I’ve seen them play. 😂😂
Game 7 last year and a sweep this year. you’re welcome nhl. pic.twitter.com/3IadL0UeHd— Tony X. (@soIoucity) April 21, 2017
Hawks just got swept in round 1 💀😂 pic.twitter.com/4QJUbLyuW1
— NHL Chirps (@nhlchirpz) April 21, 2017
Looks like Chicago should have went with a different slogan this postseason. pic.twitter.com/r7FhVDPkeD
— collin mehalick (@collin) April 21, 2017
Full Coverage of Caps vs Maple Leafs
Headline photo: NHL
