Four-Game Win Streak not out of Question for Capitals

Courtesy: Zimbio.com

When the Washington Capitals take on the Calgary Flames tonight, they will be looking to improve to 6-5-0 and above the .500 mark for the first time during the 2013-14 NHL season.

The Caps are coming off of one of their most impressive performances of the season as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night 4-1. Four guys had two-point performances including the captain Alexander Ovechkin netting his NHL-leading 10th goal of the season. It seems as if Washington has been taking advantage of their opportunities against Canadian teams as they are now 4-0-0 against the boys up north.

One of the most encouraging signs for Washington has been their ability to spread points around outside of just the first line. Forwards Jason Chimera and Joel Ward have become more active offensively and their up-tempo energy has been contagious with their mates. The main problem these guys and others on the Capitals besides Ovechkin have had up to this point has been finishing scoring chances. However, it seems like the bounces have become more fortuitous as of late as the Capitals have scored four goals in three-straight games.

They face off against the Calgary Flames Saturday night beginning at 10 PM EST and if it is anything like the first meeting, it should be a great night of hockey. The one thing the Capitals have to improve on, based on their first matchup against the Flames where Washington won 5-4 in shootout fashion, is the way they begin the game in the first period.

The last time these two teams squared off, the Flames jumped out to three unanswered goals in the first period, chasing goalie Braden Holtby from the net after just 16 minutes between the pipes. The young Flames used their youth and speed to outskate the Capitals virtually the entire game and seemed to be Washington to every 50-50 puck.

The good news from that game? The Capitals never counted themselves out. While head coach Adam Oates said it was one of the most disappointing games they’ve played all season, he had to be impressed with the way the team cashed in on their chances. Taking the 4-4-2 Flames to a shootout isn’t something Washington should be all too happy about, but a win is worth two points in the NHL and that is better than one.

The bright spots for the Capitals still remain the special teams as they are second in the NHL in both their power play success rate — 29.7 % — and their penalty kill — 88.2%.  If they hope to keep this win streak alive, they have to expect not only the young Flames to make silly penalties, but they’ll also try to bait the Capitals into giving into their silly antics at times as well. Penalties will happen and it just so happens that Washington is one of the best at dealing with them both offensively and defensively.

A fourth-consecutive win would be huge for this club, but I hate to play devil’s advocate here — The Capitals’ five wins have come against teams with a combined record of  16-22-5. They haven’t been beating the best, but sometimes, it just comes down to finishing off games.