Caps Start Long Trip in Toronto
Caps take four-game winning streak on the road as they embark upon a five-game trip through three time zones
Washington opens its longest road trip in just over three years on Thursday night in Toronto, making its first visit to that city in nearly two and a half years. Thursday's game against the Maple Leafs is the opener of a five game-road trip that will span 11 days and three time zones.
The Caps will take to the road on a high note. Washington put a 9-2 hurting on the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday in the District, notching its fourth consecutive victory and its third straight at home. The winning streak matches the Capitals' longest winning run of the season, achieved twice previously from Nov. 8-14 and from March 11-18.
Washington's first four goals of the game came from four different forward lines, eight different players lit the red light, and 16 of the team's 18 skaters recorded a point in the game. Tuesday's game marked the fifth time in franchise history the Caps have had as many as 16 different players record a point in a game, and the first time since doing so in an 8-1 win over the Thrashers in Atlanta on Jan. 9, 2010. Both Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom were among the point-getters on Tuesday, and they were involved as well on that night in Atlanta more than a dozen years ago.
"It's always tough playing three games in four nights," says Caps defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk. "And especially that third one after the back-to-back, it's always tough no matter who you're playing. But we've got a veteran group that knows that at this time of year especially, you've got to take care of business and keep the momentum while you have it. I thought we did a great job with our start, and pretty much the whole way."
Now the Caps move on from that victory, and they take their act out onto the road where they've had their greatest success this season. Washington's 22-7-5 road mark is tops in the NHL from a points percentage (.721) standpoint, and with seven road games remaining on their schedule, the Caps have an opportunity to match or exceed the franchise record for road victories (27), achieved in 2015-16.
On Thursday in Toronto, the Caps will have a chance to stretch their winning streak to five, and they'll also have an opportunity to match a franchise record that was established nearly four decades ago and matched only once since. Carrying a five-game road winning streak into their five-game road trip, the Caps can match the franchise mark for longest road winning streak with a win over the Leafs in the trip opener.
Washington has scored four or more goals in four straight games, and it has also yielded two or fewer goals in consecutive games for the first time in over a month. The Caps are also starting to display some chemistry with some of their more recently cobbled lines, especially the Anthony Mantha-Lars Eller-Tom Wilson trio, which has contributed multiple goals in each of its two games together.
"To get the forwards as healthy as we've been in a while and to be able to sit on those lines, I thought it was really good," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette. "It seemed like we got good [offensive] zone time from all the lines; they seemed to be a good click and they had chemistry, too."
Blueliner - and new papa - Matt Irwin and forward Johan Larsson each scored their first goals as members of the Capitals in Tuesday's win. Irwin's goal was his first since Dec. 6, 2018 and Larsson's was the only power-play goal of the game for Washington.
"All of our lines were going," says van Riemsdyk. "I think that's one of our biggest strengths is that we have four lines that are reliable and that you can count on, that you can count on in your own end, and that you can match up against other top lines, and it's awesome to see all four lines get rewarded.
"Guys were going hard to the net, and a lot of guys had big nights. I'm really happy for Matty Irwin, he deserved it. I'm sure it's something he will always remember with a new baby and now his first Caps goal. It's pretty sweet."
Toronto won the only previous meeting between the two teams this season, taking a 5-3 win over the Capitals in Washington on Feb. 28. The Leafs scored three first-period goals against the Caps in that game, including two in the final 71 seconds of the frame. Toronto native Tom Wilson had a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal for the Capitals in that contest.
Like the Caps, the Leafs are hot right now, though they were cooled a bit in a 5-2 home ice loss to Buffalo on Tuesday. Even with that setback, the Maple Leafs are 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
For Toronto, Thursday's game is the finale - and rubber match - of a three-game homestand. The Leafs opened the homestand with a 3-2 win over Montreal on Saturday before bowing to Buffalo three nights later.
