The Washington Capitals will throw on their game sweaters for the first time in five days when they take the ice to play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Washington is riding a two-game winning streak after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens on back-to-back nights last weekend.
Over the past three weeks, the team has played seven road games and traveled throughout the United States and Canada. Head coach Spencer Carbery appreciates the four-days rest they’ve received this week but is wary of how it may affect his club when the puck drops against Columbus.
“I felt like we had been going pretty hard for a few weeks there, not just schedule-wise, but with some of the travel and that,” Carbery said pregame. “So to get the rest and recovery there for four days, to reset a little bit now, we get a couple practice days, but now it’s going to be important to get re-engaged very quickly.
“Because sometimes, with that much time off, it takes you a little bit to get going, and that’s what we’ll guard against tonight and making sure that our start is on time. And we’re ready not only with the physical part of it but just with the puck touches and making sure that we’re clean with the puck and we’re not fighting it early. So that’s what we have to be on guard for as a group.”
The Blue Jackets last played on Tuesday, falling 5-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers. Columbus is 12-13-3 this season and sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. However, Carbery warned against taking them lightly due to the teams they’ve been able to recently beat, which includes a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets last Sunday.
“I would say they’re a difficult opponent, no matter what you’re coming off of, whether it’s a back-to-back or four days off,” Carbery said. “They play well in this building, that’s number one, so they’re a good home team. Two, if you look at some of the opponents they’ve beaten this year, they can play with anybody in the National Hockey League. So if you’re just looking at their overall record and go, “Ah, what’s this team about?” Go take a look at some of the games and some of the teams that they’ve beaten and how they played in those games.
“They have a specific style where you have to be really good in transition against this team because they will make you pay, and they don’t need a lot of chances. You give them 12 chances, they’re probably scoring on, hopefully, knock on wood, we’re keeping them out, but they don’t need a lot of opportunities to capitalize.”
Over the past few days, Washington’s idleness has seen them fall from the top of the NHL standings, as both the Jets and Minnesota Wild won their last games. However, the Capitals are still first in the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division, holding a one-point lead and four games in hand over the New Jersey Devils in those races.
The Capitals and Blue Jackets have met once this season, with Washington securing a 7-2 win on home ice. The game was practically over after the first period, as the Caps scored five goals in an opening frame for the first time in over 16 years.
