March 26 vs. Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: MNMT
Stream: MonSports.net/Stream
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
Detroit Red Wings (36-29-6)
Washington Capitals (34-26-9)
The Caps conclude their last extended homestand of the 2023-24 season on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. It’s the first of two remaining games between the Caps and Wings, games that could go a long way in determining the outcome of the final Stanley Cup playoff berth – or two – in the Eastern Conference standings. The Caps face the Red Wings in Detroit on April 9.
Washington last faced Detroit a month ago in the Motor City, on Feb. 27. The game was the second of back-to-backs for the Caps, and the Wings were flying at peak velocity. Detroit trounced Washington 8-3 that night, extending its winning streak to a season-high six games. That lopsided loss left the Caps nine points behind the Wings in the Eastern Conference standings at the time.
The two teams’ fortunes have turned in the opposite direction since. Paced by a vintage scoring surge from captain Alex Ovechkin – and augmented by a wide range of nightly contributions from the rest of the lineup – Washington is 8-4-0 in March, a record it would be pleased if it could replicate over the dozen games remaining in the campaign. After the Caps departed Detroit a month ago, the Wings went south; they’ve gone 3-9-0 in their last dozen games.
Entering Tuesday’s game in the District, the Caps hold a one-point advantage for the second Eastern Conference wild card berth. Washington also holds a game in hand on Detroit. The Caps have engineered a 10-point swing in the standings to claw their way into a playoff slot in the standings, and Tuesday’s game with the Wings is essentially a playoff game to protect the position they’ve established.
For the last month plus, the Caps have been playing games of standings significance, of postseason magnitude. And they’ve played themselves right into the thick of the chase, going 13-6-2 in their last 21 games, a 109-point pace over the equivalent of a quarter of the season. With a dozen games to go, the Caps have given themselves a great opportunity. If they’re able to replicate that pace over the remainder of the season, they’ll have an excellent chance of playing beyond their April 16 regular season finale against the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Since the team returned from its bye week early last month, Caps hockey has been a wild thrill ride of ups and downs, with the former outnumbering the latter. In a 23-game span (13-8-2), the Caps have had seven games in which they’ve scored five of more goals, a feat they achieved twice over the season’s first 42 games.
Washington has also had seven games in which it has yielded five or more goals against. Critically, the Caps have also had enough clutch goaltending and timely special team contributions to get them over the top on many nights, and Sunday’s 3-0 win over Winnipeg was the latest example.
Charlie Lindgren stopped all 27 shots he faced, making most of his big saves when the game was still 0-0, which it was until early in the third. Along with Lindgren, the penalty killing unit came large in the second to keep the game scoreless. In the third, the power play – and specifically John Carlson’s center-point drive – provided the game’s first goal.
The Caps’ assertive third period was able to overcome an ordinary first and a lackluster second, giving Washington its second win of the weekend.
“A lot more intention on our entire game as a whole,” says Caps’ right wing T.J. Oshie, who was honored before Sunday’s game, for recently playing his 1,000th NHL game. “We weren’t terrible in the first two periods, but we weren’t as sharp and up to the standard that I think lately we have set for ourselves. And [Caps’ coach Spencer Carbery] came in and gave a direct message to us, the boys responded, and like always, Chucky was there to save the day.
“But the third period is our standard. And if we’re going to make a run here, that standard has got to start at the beginning of the game, from here on out.”
Ovechkin provided the last two goals, his sixth and seventh goals in the last four games. The second goal was vintage Ovechkin; he turned back the clock and turned on the jets, beating Jets’ goalie Connor Hellebuyck off the rush. The scoring play was constructed a passing clinic that involved all five Washington skaters combining to beautifully weave the puck nearly the full 200 feet to Ovechkin for the finish, symbolically doing so in a span of eight seconds.
“Unbelievable,” says Carbery. “What great finish … the finish on the entry is phenomenal. And that’s what he’s been doing, and he’s made so many big plays for us, finishing wise, that we’ve needed since day one of the season. And now he’s just delivering in such a big way.
“For him, at the point he’s at in his career, when it’s the most important games of the year, our season’s on the line almost – it feels like – every night, he’s just delivering in a big way. He deserves a lot of credit for finishing; these are big moments, and he’s scoring huge goals for our team, to keep us in this thing.”
Monday was a much needed off day for the Caps, but Ovechkin was named the NHL’s No. 1 star for the week ending March 24. He has had four straight multi-point games, including a trio of two-goal nights. He has climbed to 26 goals on the season and 848 for his 19-season career.
Ovechkin’s offensive surge started about two months ago. Beginning with a Jan. 27 goal against the Stars in Dallas, Ovechkin has totaled 18 goals and 29 points in 24 games. Only Edmonton’s Zach Hyman (21) and Toronto’s Auston Matthews (19) have more goals than Ovechkin over that span.
Detroit dropped seven straight games after the Caps left Motown last month, but the Wings won three of their next four, and got injured captain Dylan Larkin back in their lineup for a season-long five-game road trip.
That journey started on Saturday in Nashville with a 1-0 loss to the Preds, the NHL’s hottest team. Nashville’s Filip Forsberg scored with 5:14 remaining to spoil an otherwise perfect performance in goal from Detroit’s Alex Lyon, who made 31 saves in a losing effort.
After Tuesday’s game in D.C., the Red Wings move on to Carolina, Florida and Tampa to finish their trip.
