The Washington Capitals cannot put out the same lineup for two games in a row and it’s killing them right now. Another meh, not-so-good performance against the Devils, and this time it cost them 4-3 in overtime.
Not the greatest way to start 2022.
- Let’s start out by looking on the bright side. The Capitals did not deserve anything from this game and yet were still able to steal a point. Should that have to happen against a team like the Devils while on home ice? No, but it’s better than nothing. The Caps were out-chanced in every period by New Jersey and ended the game with a minus-nine differential there. Nothing was clicking offensively and their neutral zone play felt slow and plodding. It basically felt like the Caps were on the power play for the whole game. Ha…hahaha…get it?
- When the first line struggles to create anything at five-on-five as they did in this game it really shows you just how hard they have been carrying this team’s offense with the ever-evolving and shifting lineup around them. Evgeny Kuznetsov didn’t have a single individual scoring chance and when he isn’t clicking that line tends to struggle. The line was on the ice at five-on-five for the most high danger chances against with four and only created one of their own.
- If you wanted to know who is probably taking a seat once Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie are healthy again just take a look at the total ice time counts. Brett Leason played 5:42 and Connor McMichael played 6:03. I actually thought both Leason and McMichael had strong shifts to begin the game but alas. Maybe McMichael gets saved by his ability to play wing and Michael Sgabrossa will head back to the practice squad. He still would play six minutes a night and have his confidence ruined further though so maybe it’s time to just let him be the number one center in Hershey again. I hate how they’ve handled him this season. Hate it.
With a goal against New Jersey, John Carlson has tied Bengt Gustafsson (554) for the seventh-most points in franchise history.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) January 2, 2022
- Really fine night from the fourth, third, or second line? I don’t know what they are, but I think by that confusing start to this bullet you know exactly of which three players I speak of. Carl Hagelin, Nic Dowd, and Garnet Hathaway looked good and created an important goal to spark the comeback. They were the only line to see a positive high danger chance differential (plus-one).
- The Caps are now 0-7 in overtime this season. That isn’t an unlucky oopsie anymore. It’s a trend and a problem.
- I don’t have much else from this game other than I think John Carlson has been very good recently so I’m just going to say I guess enjoy your snow day. I’m writing this at 7 PM the day of the game so if it didn’t snow at all where you live it’s probably my fault. There’s a Harry Potter cast reunion on HBO Max right now that is worth watching. Very nostalgic, very fun.
Numbers thanks to Hockey-reference.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.
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