Editor’s Note: Cap Tip has moved to a Thursday release going forward in order to allow for more production time for Wiz Biz and Cap Tip individually.
The Big Picture
Well, that week was peaks and valleys. Washington started the week (at least, the tuesday-thursday week we are using this week at Cap Tip) with a great win on Wednesday Night Rivalry (the de facto NBC game of the week) against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They then lost a tight contest to the Columbus Blue Jackets, followed by a blowout via league punching bag Arizona Coyotes, they beat the surprise powerhouse Minnesota Wild on tuesday, and finally got smacked again by the Winnipeg Jets. What a week.
Despite the mixed bag of results the Caps earned, they did put together the best defensive week of the season. Currently Washington is averaging 3.33 goals against per game, the 7th worst in the league, however in the last week they only averaged 2.4 goals against, a massive step in the right direction. Unfortunately the Caps scoring average also plummeted to 2 goals per game over the last week, dropping them from first in the league in goals per game to seventh with 3.28. I suppose this is the law of averages week for the Capitals.
The Last Week
W vs Pit 2-1 (11/7)
I was HYPED for this game. Caps vs Pens is always must see TV for me, and this installment did not disappoint. No, this game was not particularly pretty, but it featured Ovi and Crosby goals and some high level drama thanks to TJ Oshie getting the crap beaten out of him. First it was a high stick to the eye from Pens defenseman Olli Maatta, Oshie would leave for a while and then come back. However once he was back he was railed on a illegal hit to the head by Evgeni Malkin (excuse me for a moment here) HOW ON EARTH DID THIS NOT A SUSPENSION FROM PLAYER SAFETY?!?! Anyway, Osh would come all the way back and end up scoring the game winner with only 1:14 left in the game.
Even though the Capitals beat the Penguins, they were flat out outplayed in this one. The Caps let up a mind blowing 42 shots to only 22 of their own, and a lot of these qualify as “high danger chances” according to NHL stat tracking, yikes. Holtby deserves player of the game for this one (and he got it). All in all though, Washington beat Pittsburgh in an incredibly frustrating game for Pens fans, good enough for me.
L vs COL 2-1 (11/9)
This may have been the Caps most Jekyll and Hyde performance of the season. Washington dominated the first period, but didn’t have a goal to show for it, however Columbus’ Oliver Bjorkstrand managed to add one for the Jackets. In the second period the Capitals play severely declined, but they finally managed to score off a Matt Niskanen rifle. In the 3rd period the play was more balanced for both sides, but the bad guys came out on top thanks to a goal by Anthony Duclair. What an oddball game.
The weak power play by Washington again came back as they had five power plays but only converted one of those chances. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t juxtaposed with Columbus going 2/3 on their own power plays. Considering that, for so many years the power play was a huge strength for this team, the drop off is really concerning for me. At the very least Breadon Holtby’s play was humming, it’s a shame that couldn’t last.
L vs ARI 4-1 (11/11)
You know how I called the Coyotes a league punching bag in the “Big Picture”. That’s not entirely the case. While it is true that the ‘yotes are tied for 2nd to last in the loaded Pacific division, they also have the same amount of points as the Pittsburgh Penguins, who most readers will agree are a good team. So is Arizona a good team? That’s kind of up for debate.
Anyway, enough stage setting, this game featured the return of the Ovi-Backy-Oshie line. After weeks on end of the Kuzy-Ovi pairing sputtering, Todd Reirden decided it was time for the return of the classic pairing of Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin. What a shame it didn’t work. Well, maybe it did work? The Caps out shot Arizona 39-22, they were dynamic on even strength, but that’s not what this game was about, this game was about special teams.
The Capitals committed a horrible six penalties and allowed two PP goals by Arizona. They also failed to convert on the two power play chances that they did have. These special teams issues are the type of thing that makes hockey fans want to rip their hair out, special teams are important in hockey and the Caps are lagging behind in these key categories. It’s getting old.
W @ MIN 5-2 (11/13)
FREE WILLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #43 IS BACK!!!!!!! In a shocking development it was announced that Tom Wilson would come back six games early a little before the Blue Jackets match up. This meant that he would make the trip up my way to Minneapolis and Winnipeg. The trip to the upper midwest start off with a bang.
Bruce Boudreau’s Minnesota Wild looked overwhelmed from the puck drop as the Capitals applied constant pressure and rained in the goals. While the renewed first line of Ovi-Kuzy-Wilson looked pretty good as Willy knocked in a goal, the undercards stole the show as Andre Burakovsky and TJ Oshie both added goals of their own. Lars Eller also chipped in with two assists, however the player of the game hands down was the Russian defenseman Dmitry Orlov who led the charge with two goals and an assist.
Meanwhile Phoenix Copley continued his strong backup play, only allowing two goals on 28 shots from Minnesota. This game was closer than the score said, but was still a much needed win for the Caps.
L @ WIN 1-3 (11/14)
This game was more notable about who didn’t play than the actual result. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Breadon Holtby,TJ Oshie, and Michel Kempney all sat out with various hampering conditions.
Kuzy took what looked like a headshot in the first period. He sat out the rest of the game, we will see if plays tomorrow at Colorado. Holts has an unnamed “upper body injury” Coach Reirden said not to worry, which to me is worrying. Oshie was head slammed by Josh Morrissey of the Jets (resulting in a fine, but not a suspension) he will likely play tomorrow. Finally Michel Kempney was sick.
Given the circumstances the Caps played well against one of the better teams in the league. Jakub Varna scored Washington’s first and only goal in the first period off a fast break. In 2nd period the Jets’ Mark Scheifele added a power play goal (courtesy of the league’s worst PK), late in the 3rd Winnipeg scored the go ahead and then added the game winner.