The Washington Capitals have reached the All-Star break and their bye week. They hold a record of 22-18-7, which puts them at 12th in the Eastern Conference. They are six points behind the current second wildcard team but sit at seventh in the Metropolitan Division. Three teams in the division are tied with 51 standings points. The Capitals end January with a 5-7-1 record and -12 goal differential for the month. Overall, the Capitals have a -31 goal differential and the third-lowest average goals per game in the NHL. Here are the Washington Capitals weekly updates for January 21st to 27th.
Washington Capitals Weekly Recap: January 21-27
On-Ice Results
Washington ended a Midwest road trip in which they had to play back-to-back in Minnesota then Colorado. The road trip ended with overtime in Dallas. An opposing player scored multiple goals in each stop. The Capitals were outscored 16-9 in their three games this week and held a lead for less than two minutes of play. Neither of the Capitals goalkeepers had a single-game save percentage above .900. The road trip started on Saturday the 20th with a 3-0 shutout loss in St. Lous. This is the first time the Capitals have lost four consecutive games this season.
Tuesday in Minnesota, the Wild took a two-goal lead less than five minutes into the game. Former Capital Marcus Johansson extended the advantage to 3-0 before Anthony Mantha scored at the game’s halfway point. Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek pushed the Wild to a 5-1 advantage heading into the last five minutes of the game. T.J. Oshie had a power-play goal and Mantha added his second of the game but their efforts weren’t enough to avoid a 5-3 loss.
The Capitals immediately travelled to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. Washington allowed a shorthanded goal by Cale Makar late in the opening period. Nathan MacKinnon scored the next three goals, including two on the power play. Dylan Strome scored two goals in the last 20 minutes but MacKinnon ended the game with four goals in a 6-2 Avalanche victory. Strome was the only Capital to record more than one point. Washington had a two-day stay in Dallas before its afternoon matchup with the Stars.
Mantha scored the first goal of the game, which the Capitals had not managed since January 18th. Washington allowed Dallas to score two goals in only 1:35 after Mantha’s strike to end up down 2-1 at the first intermission. Rasmus Sandin tied the game with his first goal of the season, but Dallas regained the lead and held it until the last two minutes of play. The Capitals got a power play opportunity and pulled Charlie Lindgren for a two-man advantage. Alex Ovechkin scored to bring the score to 4-3. With Lindgren on the bench again, Dylan Strome tied the game in the final minute. The Stars won 5-4 on the first and only shot in overtime for either team. Thomas Harley, who had given Dallas the 2-1 lead earlier, had the game-winning goal.
Washington Capitals Updates: Injury Recap
The Capitals have lost 108 man-games due to injury this season, according to Monumental Sports Network. The majority of those have been forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Max Pacioretty. Backstrom has not played since October 29th and has no concrete timetable for his return, but he did travel with the team during the road trip. He did not take the ice during the trip. Pacioretty returned to the lineup at the beginning of the month and has played in every game since. He left during the third period in Dallas with a lower-body injury. Coach Spencer Carbery said postgame Pacioretty’s injury is not linked to his prior Achilles tendon tears.
Rasmus Sandin, who missed seven games, has been back in the lineup since Tuesday in Minnesota. Sonny Milano is still taking non-contact practices while recovering from an upper-body injury. The team will re-assess Milano after the All-Star break, according to Sammi Silber with The Hockey News.
Looking Ahead
According to multiple calculations, Washington has the toughest remaining schedule in the NHL. The Capitals will not play again until February 6. They will face four of their five strongest remaining opponents in their first week back on the ice. Washington will play the top two teams of both conferences in a single four-game stretch from the 8th to 13th of February. They will start in Florida, the second-best team in the East which has won four straight games. After that, they go to Boston, where the Bruins are 16-4-3 at home. They then host the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche. Washington will face nine conference opponents in February. All but one are ahead of Washington in the conference standings.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
