April 9 vs. Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
Washington Capitals (36-30-11)
Detroit Red Wings (38-31-8)
The Caps open up a two-game road trip on Tuesday night in Detroit against the Red Wings. For the better part of the last two months, the Caps have been playing a string of crucial games during the late season stretch drive to the playoffs. But on Tuesday in Detroit, they’ll play their biggest game of the season to date against the Red Wings.
Tuesday’s game is the first of five remaining on Washington’s schedule; the season ends next Tuesday in Philadelphia. A couple of weeks ago, the Caps were firmly in control of their playoff destiny, but an ill-timed six-game slide (0-4-2) – matching their longest of the season – has altered that calculus considerably.
Even so, two months ago, few would have given the Caps a chance to be in a position to secure a playoff berth with five games to go. Two months ago – on Feb. 9 – the Caps woke up in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings, and they trailed Detroit by seven points for the second wild card playoff berth.
One month ago, a day after the trade deadline, Washington was 10th in the Eastern Conference, three points in arrears of the Red Wings for the second wild card berth. As they head into Tuesday’s game, the Caps are only a point behind the Wings. With a win on Tuesday, they could push past Detroit. Given where they were a month ago, two months ago, and a year ago at this same time, the Caps are in a position they’d be pleased to be in at any of those aforementioned junctures. Now, it’s about seizing the opportunity while it’s still there.
Starting with Tuesday’s trip to Detroit, the Caps have five games in eight nights to make one good, strong final push.
“On a positive side,” says Caps’ center Nic Dowd, “at the beginning of the season, no one gave us the opportunity to be where we are right now. As a hockey team, that’s something that you work for all year, whether you’re trying to win the Presidents’ Trophy, or if you have the ability to get into the playoffs if you win some hockey games.
“The game-by-game cliché is probably the best way to do it, because as a big picture thing, it can be a little daunting.”
Washington has put together two lengthy stretches of consistently solid play this season, one of them early, and one of them late in the season. But mixed in between have been a few patchy stretches that are typically characterized by a dramatic drop in offensive production. The Caps are trying to play their way out of one of those stretches now; they’ve scored a total of 10 goals over the life of their six-game skid, and it’s extremely difficult to win in this League with that kind of paucity in scoring.
During their 14-6-2 run from Feb. 10-March 26, the Caps averaged 3.55 goals per game, eighth best in the NHL over that span. Their output over the last six games (1.67 goals per game) is less than half of that rate.
“There’s lots of things,” says Caps’ center Dylan Strome of what it will take to rekindle the offense. “It felt like [Sunday] we had more than 21 shots; I think we finished with 21. But it felt like – in the third at least – that we had lots of chances and lots of shots, but I think the shot volume is probably the biggest thing.
“Carolina wasn’t great, and the games previous, we were limited to not that many shots. We had a plan in the third to fire more pucks on net [on Sunday], and it seemed to be working not bad; we had some more chances. And when the power play scores, it helps everything, and we haven’t scored in the last little while. The power play needs to get going – I think both special teams – and I think that’ll kickstart our offense. It’s obviously easier to play with a lead too, so get out to a lead, and hopefully we can do that [Tuesday], and get one on the power play, and we’ll be in good shape.”
Several other teams around the League have already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and the Caps have a chance to play meaningful and important hockey right up to the end of the season.
“Guys have to understand that it’s going to be hard,” says Dowd. “Playing in this League, it’s really, really hard to play here, to stay here, to be successful here. And I think guys going into it have to know that every single night we play a team, it’s going to be a [expletive] hard game.
“Most of these teams we’re playing are in playoff spots or battling for playoff spots, so they’re thinking the same way. I think the teams that can do the little things, and that can maintain calm, I think they’re going to be successful because there’s going to be some big-time moments in these games.”
With defenseman Rasmus Sandin (upper body) out of the lineup for at least the next two games – he didn’t travel with the team – the Caps will be spreading his minutes and responsibilities around to the rest of the defense corps over these next two games, and possibly longer.
“Second unit [power play], [Trevor van Riemsdyk] will fill in there,” says Caps’ coach Spencer Carbery, of Sandin’s absence. “And [Sandin] logs a ton of 5-on-5 minutes for us, as everybody knows. Vinny Iorio will step up and go into the lineup, and Al [Alexeyev] will play a little bit more minutes. Marty [Fehervary], obviously [John Carlson], but Riemer and [Nick Jensen] will be relied on a little bit more heavily, Reimer moving to the left side. A different look, but some more opportunity for some young guys to step in and step up in a big moment for our team.”
On Tuesday, the Caps announced the recall of defenseman Lucas Johansen from AHL Hershey, bringing the total of 2023 Calder Cup champions on the Washington roster to seven. It is not ideal to be missing an important piece such as Sandin at such a critical time of year, but it offers opportunity for others to step up and assert themselves as they’re trying to launch their careers at this level.
“No question,” says Carbery. “These are the most difficult circumstances of the year, playing in the most intense [games]. The stakes are high. But I look at it the other way. These are the opportunities that these guys have craved the entire season, and wanted and thought about in the summer, and thought about in training camp. And when they sat in the stands or they played in Hershey, they wanted these opportunities, to play in the NHL in meaningful games, and to prove that they can excel and be serviceable in these spots.
“So, it’s a great opportunity for them to step up in a big moment. We’re not asking them to save the world, we just need serviceable minutes. Just do the things that they need to do from an individual standpoint of moving pucks well, making sure that their decisions are good – especially exiting our zone – and defending really, really well. And if they do that at a high level, that’s how you get your career rolling in the right direction. You step up in these moments, and go, ‘Wow, this guy can do it,’ and then do it again, and then be consistent with it. And all of a sudden, you’re an NHL player, and you play 10 years in the League.”
On the positive side of the injury coin, the Caps also hope to have 16-year veteran T.J. Oshie back soon, ideally as soon as Tuesday in Detroit.
“Good day of work today, so we’ll see how he responds tomorrow,” says Carbery of Oshie. “But he’s traveling with us to Detroit and on the road trip, so we’ll see how it looks [Tuesday].”
“I feel good,” says Oshie. “I wish I would have been able to come back a little sooner. Sitting out sucks, but when the team is winning, it makes it a little bit easier. When you’re not getting the two points, it’s a lonely seat, watching from up top or on TV. But I feel good. In my situation we’re going to go day-to-day, but I’m hopeful that I feel good [Tuesday] morning.”
Finishing up a three-game homestand on Tuesday against Washington, Detroit is coming off a 3-1 win over Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. The Wings scored three goals in the first eight minutes of that game, then limited Buffalo the rest of the way.
Since ending a seven-game regulation losing streak in mid-March, the Wings are 5-4-2, and that’s been enough for them to climb back into contention for the second wild card berth.
