Dec. 10 vs. Chicago Blackhawks at United Center
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: MNMT
Stream: MonSports.net/Stream
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
Washington Capitals (13-8-3)
Chicago Blackhawks (9-16-1)
Washington concludes a weekend set of back-to-backs on Sunday night against the Blackhawks in its lone visit to Chicago this season. The Caps started off the weekend with a convincing 4-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night at Capital One Arena.
Charlie Lindgren stopped all 31 shots he faced to help the Caps halt a three-game slide (0-2-1), while saddling the Blueshirts with their first set of consecutive regulation losses this season. Washington got goals from four different skaters – each from a different line – in Saturday’s victory over New York, which entered the game with the best record in the NHL.
Three of those 31 shots came from Rangers’ defenseman Ryan Lindgren, Charlie’s younger brother. Saturday’s game marked the first time the two brothers faced one another at the NHL level.
“Chucky’s an awesome guy, an awesome teammate,” says Caps’ winger Tom Wilson, who netted his ninth goal of the season in Saturday’s win over New York. “When he is in there, we want to get the win, and I think there was a little extra family rivalry tonight. So he’s pumped, we got his money, and we’ll keep it rolling.”
Opening up a stretch in which they will play 10 of their next 14 games – and 12 of their next 18 – against fellow denizens of the Metropolitan Division, the Caps improved to 6-2-0 against Metro foes with what was likely their most complete 60-minute effort on the season to date.
Sonny Milano gave Washington the lead on the first shift of the game, and the Caps got second-period goals from Anthony Mantha, Tom Wilson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel to cool the Rangers. New York’s potent top six group combined for 11 of the shots on Lindgren, but that group also missed the mark on 10 occasions, and it had five of its bids blocked.
“At the end of the day, they know and we know that the puck has to get to the interior to score,” says Caps’ coach Spencer Carbery. “They had some dangerous looks, and they had some point shots for some tip stuff, but I thought we did a really good job of managing those situations against two lines that are a real handful in this League.”
In its previous game against Dallas on Thursday, Washington let a two-goal lead slip away and it had to settle for a single point in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Stars. The Caps played a much better and smarter brand of hockey in Saturday’s win, much closer to the identity they envision for themselves when operating at their peak.
“I thought our puck play tonight was as good as it has been all year long,” says Carbery. “Coming through the neutral zone, we looked way quicker. Our execution, whether it was a bank pass, or whether we were beating a guy with speed or whether it was an area play, everything just seemed like it was way cleaner and connected. And that has been an issue for us at times.”
Sunday’s game against Chicago is one of four of the next 13 that come against non-divisional opponents for the Caps. Washington also faces Tampa Bay and takes on Nashville twice between now and the end of calendar 2023. The rest of the Caps’ slate between now and Jan. 5 is comprised exclusively of Metro foes.
Sunday’s game in Chicago starts a stretch of four straight games on the road, but the Caps will return to Washington following the game. They will take Monday off and will practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before departing for Philadelphia, where they get their first look at the Flyers on Thursday. That trip will finish with a weekend set of back-to-backs; the Caps will be in Nashville on Saturday and in Carolina next Sunday.
The Capitals get their first look at Hawks’ rookie phenom Connor Bedard. The 18-year-old leads the Blackhawks in goals (11), assists (10) and points (21), all while averaging 19:20 per night in ice time. Only one of Bedard’s 11 goals was scored on the power play.
For the Hawks, Sunday’s game is the finale of a four-game homestand. After dropping the opener to Nashville in a shootout this past Tuesday, the Hawks ended a four-game skid (0-3-1) with a 1-0 whitewash of Anaheim here on Thursday. Chicago then downed St. Louis on Saturday night by a 3-1 count, so the Hawks have yielded only four goals in their previous three games on the homestand as they enter Sunday’s game with Washington.
Mired in a rebuild that should be accelerated by the presence of Bedard, the Hawks are bringing up the rear of the NHL’s Central Division. With 19 points, they trail seventh-place Minnesota by three points in the Central, and they’re one point clear of San Jose, the last place club in the Western Conference.
