Dec. 16 vs. Dallas Stars at American Airlines Arena
Time: 8:00 p.m.
TV: MNMT
Radio: 106.7 THE FAN, Caps Radio 24/7
Washington Capitals (21-6-2)
Dallas Stars (18-11-0)
Carrying a four-game winning streak and an NHL season long nine-game point streak (8-0-1), the Capitals open up a set of road back-to-back games against the Stars in Dallas on Monday night. The brief Central Division tour concludes on Tuesday night in Chicago against the Blackhawks.
Washington is also carrying a franchise record road winning streak of 10 consecutive games; they are one of only a dozen teams in NHL history to reach that rarefied level. The Capitals are 12-2-0 on the road while Dallas is 12-3-0 at home. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary season, Washington has already surpassed its road win total for each of the first eight seasons of its NHL existence.
In their last three games of November, the Capitals made franchise history when they won three straight games in which they also surrendered four or more goals against in each. Since then, they’ve been on lockdown. For the first time in almost six years, the Caps have strung together five straight games with two or fewer goals against. They last achieved that feat from Dec. 19-29, 2018.
Celebrating their “Coming Of Age” Era (1982-97) on Saturday night at Capital One Arena against the Buffalo Sabres, the Caps managed to hand the Sabres their ninth straight setback (0-6-3) with a 4-2 victory fueled by strong special teams performances. Tom Wilson scored a pair of power-play goals, and Washington snuffed out both of Buffalo’s extra-man opportunities on the evening.
But it was Dylan Strome’s redirect from the slot of a John Carlson feed that won it for Washington. Strome’s goal – the only 5-on-5 goal the Caps scored in Saturday’s game – snapped a 2-2 tie midway through the third, lifting Washington to just its second win in its last seven at home (2-3-2).
“Throughout the game, we started getting away from funneling pucks to the net, and it gave them a little bit of momentum.” says Wilson. “And then later in the game, we just figure it out, and Johnny makes a heck of a play to Stromer to get that third one. There’s definitely some scouting that goes into it, and we knew it was going to be a back-and-forth game. We gave them probably a little bit too much of that tonight, but we find a way to get it done.”
In the Caps’ 2-1 overtime win over the Jackets in Columbus on Thursday, they also managed just one goal at 5-on-5. Over the course of their current nine-game point streak, the Caps have relied heavily on defense, goaltending and special teams. With just 16 goals at 5-on-5 in the nine games, they’re tied for 24th in the NHL over that span (dating back to Nov. 25).
The Caps’ power play unit is clicking at 33.3 percent over those nine games, fourth best in the League over that stretch. And Washington’s penalty killing outfit is tied for eighth with an 82.1 percent kill rate in those nine contests.
With three assists in Saturday’s game – his second three-assist game in three weeks – Caps defenseman John Carlson crept to within three points of the 700-point plateau for his NHL career. Carlson has three goals and 23 points in 29 games this season; he is tied for 10th in League scoring among defensemen, and his 20 assists are tied for eighth among blueliners.
A month shy of his 35th birthday, arguably the best of the many excellent defensemen who’ve worn a Caps’ sweater over the last half century is still going strong. Carlson is still playing in every situation, still leading the team and among NHL leaders in ice time, and still turning in consistently stellar performances on a nightly basis at both ends of the ice.
“That’s probably what one of the most disappointing parts of him not representing Team USA [at February’s Four Nations tournament],” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery. “I just feel like there is so much to John Carlson that goes unnoticed and flies under the radar. And unless you know him, or unless you are his teammate or his coach, or unless you’re seeing it, you just can’t truly understand the value of what he brings to the team on a daily basis.”
Carlson is now one point behind Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger (698) for 31st place on the NHL’s all-time scoring ledger for defensemen. Carlson would become the 31st blueliner to reach 700 points.
When the Caps and Stars met on Oct. 17 in Washington, the Caps eked out a 3-2 victory with a three-goal outburst in the middle period. Wilson, Strome and Taylor Raddysh scored for Washington while Charlie Lindgren fended off 22 of 24 Dallas shots on net to claim the win.
For Dallas, Monday’s game against the Capitals starts the back half of a six-game homestand, the Stars’ longest of the season. They opened the lengthy homestand with a 6-2 win over Calgary last Sunday, but they stumbled in a 4-1 loss to Nashville on Thursday, just their third home ice loss of the season.
Most recently, the Stars overcame an early St. Louis lead to take a 2-1 overtime decision over the Blues on Saturday night. Matt Duchene’s goal midway through the extra session put that game in the win column for Dallas.
