Caps Finish Trip vs. Canucks
Caps conclude three-game tour of Western Canada on Friday in Vancouver
The Caps conclude a three-game Western Canada road trip on Friday night in Vancouver when they finish off their season's series with the Canucks at Rogers Arena. Washington is in the midst of a road-heavy patch of scheduling in which it plays five of six on the road, and the Capitals are now 6-2-1 in their last nine games away from the District.
Washington won the opener of the trip on Tuesday, downing the Flames by a 5-4 count in Calgary. A night later in Edmonton, they fell 4-3 in overtime, claiming a point when T.J. Oshie scored with 1.8 seconds left in the third, forcing the extra session. Including their last two home games, the Caps have claimed at least a point in four straight games (3-0-1) for the first time since authoring a 6-0-1 run from Nov. 8-20.
Getting Anthony Mantha back in the lineup has lifted the Caps of late; he has played well after returning from a four-month absence following shoulder surgery. Mantha has a goal and an assist in the two games on this trip.
"We've got guys healthy," says Oshie. "We're missing and thinking about [injured left wing Carl Hagelin], but we've got some guys back from injuries. We've got some lineup spots that we've been able to hold those and build some chemistry on the lines.
"It's a lot more fun when you win, and we've been learning from our success lately and kind of building on that momentum. I don't know if [Wednesday's OT loss] was a step backwards or maybe just a little pause in that momentum, but we are starting to feel more sure about our game and more confident, and making plays with the puck and finding the back of the net. We'll take the point here [in Edmonton] and look to build on that momentum in Vancouver."
The current trip has been replete with milestones in the first two games. Alex Ovechkin scored two goals in Calgary to catch Jaromir Jagr (766) for third place on the all-time goals list. With his next goal, the Caps' captain will become the League's all-time leading European-born goal scorer. Ovechkin caught up to Jagr on the same night that he and Nicklas Backstrom played in their 1,000th game as teammates together, becoming just the ninth duo in League history to do so.
On Wednesday in Edmonton, Backstrom had a goal and an assist to join Ovechkin as one of only two players to record 1,000 points in a Washington sweater, and just the 40th player ever to reach 1,000 points with a single franchise.
Washington's 17-7-5 road record this season is tied for fourth best in the League, from a points percentage (.672) standpoint.
"We've been pretty good on the road," says Caps winger Tom Wilson. "This is a tough road trip; these teams have been playing some good hockey out here right now, and it was nice to get a couple out of the way at home. I think we've started to play with a little bit of the brand that we want, that identity that when people are coming into Washington, it's going to be a tough night and creating a winning mentality there. We've got to carry that momentum onto what's going to be a tough road trip and just be ready for it."
Once Friday's game with the Canucks is in the books, the Caps will only have one game remaining to be played against a Pacific Division opponent this season. Washington's April 20 visit to Vegas will conclude its Pacific Division slate for the season. Thus far in 2021-22, the Caps are 5-6-3 against Pacific foes, including 3-1-2 on the road.
The Canucks find themselves in the midst of a heated stretch run skirmish for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Conference-leading Colorado has a dozen more points than Calgary - its nearest pursuer - and only a dozen points separates the Flames (75 points) from 11th-place Anaheim (63). With 64 points, the 10th-place Canucks are three points out of the eighth slot, the final playoff berth in the West.
Vancouver has won three straight, six of its last seven, and nine of its last dozen games. The Caps are in town to provide the opposition in what is the second game of a seven-game homestand for the Canucks.
Since ex-Caps bench boss Bruce Boudreau took over the Canucks' coaching reins on Dec. 5, Vancouver is 21-8-4. The Canucks were an 8-15-2 team when Boudreau took over. On Jan. 16 in Washington, the Canucks took a 4-2 win over the Caps in the first meeting between the two teams this season.
