Coming Into Los Angeles – Washington brings its five-game winning streak into Los Angeles for a Thursday night date with the Kings, winners of three straight. Two nights after striking for seven goals in a 7-4 win over the Ducks, the Caps know that offense will be harder to come by tonight in LA.
Despite scoring two or three goals in each of their last five visits here – and totaling a dozen goals in those five trips to California – the Caps have had some excellent goaltending performances here as well, and they’ve won four of their last five games here (4-1-0).
Los Angeles allows the second lowest average of shots per game at just 25.7 per contest.
“I look at them, and I think there's a lot of similarities between us and them in the way that they play,” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery. “I think there's correlations in the way they check. They always have numbers back, they play the same [defensive] zone as us, and they’re really good at it. That’s the thing that I always look at.
“There are two or three [defensive] zones out there; to each his own. I think you can make a strong argument that they're all successful being done at a high level. And when I look at theirs, they do it at a really, really high level. They close hard. They've got numbers of support. They've got people that protect the inside. And they make it really, really difficult, on you.
“And then the other thing is, they don't shoot themselves in the foot. If you watch tonight, we probably maybe get two odd man rushes. A 2-on-1 would be huge, if we were able to get one 2-on-1 in the 60-minute game. You're going to have to earn your offense against them. You're going to have to be able to forecheck. You're going to have to be able to get to the inside. You're going to have to be able to beat someone 1-on-1, whether it's off a box out or whether it's a [defenseman] walk in the middle and getting a shot through a winger coming out in your lane. They do a lot of good things, checking wise, that make it difficult on you.”
Road Cases – In the midst of their last road trip of three or more games in duration this season, the Caps have also been riding high away from the District of late. Earlier this season, they rolled up a franchise record 10-game road winning streak from Nov. 9-Dec.12. Washington then dropped three straight road games in regulation in December, but since returning from the NHL’s three-day holiday break they’ve quietly put together another strong road run.
Beginning with a 5-2 victory over the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Dec. 28, the Caps are 10-2-2 in their last 14 road games, and they’ve outscored the opposition by a combined 51-32 in the process.
On the season to date, the Caps’ 22-7-2 road record is tops in the NHL this season (.742). Washington’s 22 road victories are tied with Minnesota for the most in the NHL this season, but the Wild has played 35 of its road games to just 31 thus far for the Caps.
Washington leads the NHL in average goals per game on the road (3.71) and it leads in fewest goals against allowed per game (2.45) on the road in 2024-25. The Caps’ 83.9 percent penalty kill success rate on the road is second best in the NHL, just a hair behind NHL-leading Pittsburgh (84.0).
“I think a few things going to it,” says Caps center Dylan Strome. “I think some teams change their game a little bit from home to road, and I feel like we're pretty consistent in the way we play at home and on the road.
“I think that we have a lot of fun on the road. Everyone enjoys being around each other and that’s a huge thing. Everyone's like, ‘We can't wait for the next road trip; we can't wait to go away with the guys together.' So, I think it stems from being close as a team, and it's a lot of fun to win the road. Everyone has better plane ride. Everyone has more fun the next day, usually a good day off, so there’s lots to play for.”
With 10 road games remaining on their schedule this season, the Caps have a realistic chance of matching or exceeding their franchise record of 27 road victories (27-10-4), established in 2016-17.
This One Goes to Eleven (Hundred) – Caps center Lars Eller skates in the 1,100th game of his NHL career tonight in Los Angeles, becoming the 232nd player to ascend to that plateau.
Eller debuted in St. Louis with the Blues on Nov. 3, 2009, scoring his first NHL goal – the Blues’ lone goal in a 2-1 loss – against Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff on a St. Louis power play. Last season with Pittsburgh, Eller skated in his 1,000th NHL game, scoring in a victory over Montreal on Jan. 27, 2024 to become just the ninth player in NHL history to score in both his first and his 1,000th game.
“You’re like a little kid at Christmas Eve,” says Eller, recalling the feeling of his debut some 15 and a half years ago. “One of the biggest milestones in my life, something you’ve been envisioning and training for for years. And then when the day comes, you’re beyond excited. To step into an NHL arena and put on an NHL sweater – no matter what team you represent – is truly a special day, special moments that I still remember very clearly today.”
Eller has played almost half of those games – 535 of them as of tonight – in a Capitals sweater. He has reached the double-digit goal level in each of the last 14 straight seasons, he is the all-time NHL games played leader among Danish-born players, and he is obviously a Stanley Cup champion, having scored a few major goals during Washington’s run to the title in the spring of 2018.
“I hope this season is going to be one of the ones that at the end, stands out more than anything. But I think every part of the journey along the way with every team – no matter of it’s been short or just a couple of years – there has been something special about this part of that journey.
“But the journey with the Caps, I’m incredibly grateful for all those moments and opportunity. And as I’ve said many times before, Capital One Arena is one of the best places to step on and play. It’s a great atmosphere, and it’s continued to be, the first time around and the second time around, on a regular night in November or February, it doesn’t matter. Our fans have been really, really great there and it really helps the whole experience as a player, to make it even better. But I’ve really enjoyed every single game as a Capital.”
In The Nets – Charlie Lindgren starts for the Caps tonight, seeking his 16th win of the season. He has won four of his last five starts, and he has yielded just two goals against in each of his last two starts, stopping 45 of 49 shots he faced in the process.
Lifetime against Los Angeles, Lindgren was a winner in his only start. That was here in LA, on Nov. 29, 2023 when he stopped 38 of 39 shots in a 2-1 Washington win.
Ex-Caps goalie Darcy Kuemper is the likely starter for Los Angeles. Kuemper was dealt to the Kings in exchange for P-L Dubois last June, and he has had a strong campaign in his first season back with the Kings. Three wins shy of 200 for his NHL career, Kuemper picked up his 20th victory of the season (20-8-7) with a 33-save effort in a 4-1 win over the Islanders.
Lifetime against Washington, Kuemper is 1-3-0 with a 3.07 GAA and .909 save pct. in four career appearances, all starts.
All Lined Up – Here’s how we believe the Capitals and the Kings might look on Thursday night in LA:
WASHINGTON
Forwards
8-Ovechkin 17-Strome, 43-Wilson
24-McMichael, 80-Dubois, 21-Protas
88-Mangiapane, 20-Eller, 16-Raddysh
22-Duhaime, 26-Dowd, 72-Beauvillier
Defensemen
38-Sandin, 74-Carlson
6-Chychrun, 57-van Riemsdyk
42-Fehervary, 3-Roy
Goaltenders
79-Lindgren
48-Thompson
Extras
27-Alexeyev
52-McIlrath
53-Frank
Out/Injured
15-Milano (upper body)
19-Backstrom (hip)
77-Oshie (back)
LOS ANGELES
Forwards
96-Kuzmenko, 11-Kopitar, 9-Kempe
37-Foegele, 24-Danault, 12-Moore
22-Fiala, 55-Byfield, 14-Laferriere
10-Jeannot, 79-Helenius, 15-Turcotte
Defensemen
44-Anderson, 8-Doughty
84-Gavrikov, 21-Spence
6-Edmundson, 92-Clarke
Goaltenders
35-Kuemper
31-Rittich
Extras
7-Burroughs
26-Thomas
43-Moverare
61-Lewis
Out/Injured
None
