February has been unkind to the Capitals of Washington, with just four wins in eleven games. As the Metro tightens up, every point matters, and that’s why it is by the grace of God that the Caps play host to the Buffalo Sabres tonight at Capital One Arena.
It’s two points. Guaranteed. Take it to the bank. This is not a jinx.
Game’s at 7 PM on NBCSWA or whatever it’s called. Chris from the Comments is on recap duty.
 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Record | 18-32-11 | 34-20-7 |
| Shot Attempt % | 46.3% | 48.2% |
| PDO | 98.2 | 101.8 |
| Power Play | 17.4% | 21.3% |
| Penalty Kill | 79.2% | 79.8% |
Projected Lines
Madison Bowey and Jakub Jerabek will sit out, as will Braden Holtby and Jakub Vrana. According to Tarik:
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson
Connolly – Kuznetsov – Oshie
Stephenson – Eller – Burakovsky
Chiasson – Beagle – DSP
Orlov – Niskanen
Djoos – Carlson
Orpik – Kempny
Grubauer
Pace
So that means PIT is on a 100.5-point pace, WSH is on a 100.8-point pace, and PHI is on a 99.4-point pace. The Pens and Flyers have won 8 of their last 10. The Caps have won four. So, um, it’s getting tight.
Storylines
- Jakub Vrana will be a healthy scratch. His fourth in 13 games.
- Braden Holtby is also taking a seat. Peter, who is me, has an in-depth read about Holtby’s struggles and the reasons why.
- No Auston Matthews for the outdoor game.
- WaPo’s inimitable Isabelle sat down with Jakub Jerabek.
- The Penguins got better and George McPhee is trifling.
- The Sabres practiced at the Caps practice facility yesterday. I have no idea who these players are.
- I think you should read Pat’s last game recap because I think it was very good.
- Two stupid tweets from me:
Good vibes for tonight. Take Dre to the bank. pic.twitter.com/XNRdueXXEI
— Peter Hassett (@peterhassett) February 24, 2018
Caps should get
— Peter Hassett (@peterhassett) February 24, 2018
For a Good Cause
I sometimes have doubts about a society that relies on private charity to do public good at scale. But my ice-cold heart is warmed when I see Alex Ovechkin lending his name to a fundraiser for Parkland, Chicago fans making things right by raising money for Fort Dupont, and my fellow RMNBers making a snazzy shirt with $5 per going towards SMYAL.
Our friends at @russianmachine have new, limited edition pride shirts for #HockeyIsForEveryone month! $5 from each order will be donated to @SMYALDMV! These are only available until Thursday so don't wait! 🏳️🌈 #Caps #ALLCAPS #LGBTQ #Bi #BiPride #Transhttps://t.co/mqnu51vUM0 pic.twitter.com/V4T6hAfFYc
— queer #FancyStats 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️⚾ (@queerfancystats) February 24, 2018
Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Sabres
Headline photo: Dave Reginek
