Tonight, the Capitals return to Verizon Center to take on the Edmonton Oilers, who have been surprisingly hot lately. After some touch-and-go, the Caps got their groove back Wednesday night to crush the Flyers, 4-1. On the flip side, the Oilers have a 4-1 record in their last five games.
It’s been 13 days since the Caps last took to their home ice. Despite the recent rash of injuries, their recent dominance in DC suggests a good chance of two points tonight.
Puck drop at 7 PM on CSN-DC.
| Team | Record | SA% | PDO | Power Play | Penalty Kill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | 40-12-7 | 52.7% | 104.1 | 22.1% | 84.5% |
| Edmonton Oilers | 33-20-8 | 50.4% | 100.6 | 20.6% | 80.9% |
Projected Lines
To be determined, but we know Niskanen is out and Orpik is probably out. Aaron Ness and Riley Barber might get a sweater.
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Oshie
Johansson – Kuznetsov – Williams
Connolly – Eller – Sanford
Winnik – Beagle – Wilson
Alzner – Carlson
Orlov – ???
??? – Chorney
Holtby
Congrats, Lars Eller!
#500 pic.twitter.com/QLSFvPpC1x
— Lars Eller (@lellerofficial) February 24, 2017
Storylines
- Hear, hear: Braden Holtby believes “you should be judged on your personality, your moral ground, not anything else.”
- Andre Burakovsky is on IR, while Riley Barber and Aaron Ness are coming on up.
- It seems the Caps are in the market for a number-three goalie.
- They also want to re-sign TJ Oshie.
- The 2018 Winter Olympic host, South Korea, is not exactly a hotbed of hockey. How did they fill their rosters?
- Michal Neuvirth is going to be a dad, and hoo boy you’ll never guess how Radko Gudas is involved.
- With the trade deadline looming, should the Caps be concerned about their defensive depth?
The Easiest, Best Chocolate Souffle
Is there ever a bad time to make this? The answer, friends, is no.
