Courtesy: Zimbio.com
The Washington Capitals are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak as they have a quick turnaround in Toronto as they face the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre.
This will be a tough one for Washington as they expounded a lot of energy in their loss last night at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. While Washington was dominated like they were Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal pushed the pace of the hockey game and put the Capitals behind the eight ball early.
Montreal controlled Washington in the neutral zone and forced the action in the Capitals’ zone for most of the night. The last 40 minutes were much better for the Capitals, but a lot of silly turnovers and errant passes kept Washington on their heels. The young defenseman Nate Schmidt, Alexander Urbom and an inexperienced Tyson Strachan all had poor nights last night and made some mistakes that were characteristic of guys who are still developing in the AHL. Mistakes like cross-ice passes, giveaways in their own zone or failing to backcheck with max effort to a 50-50 puck is what has killed the Capitals and killed them last night.
It’s also no secret that the second line has been abysmal for Washington and some changes need to be made. While Troy Brouwer was able to grab an assist last night, the move to try and spur some excitement and productivity from this line failed to bring about anything new for the Capitals offensively. Not much difference was seen between Martin Erat at center as opposed to Brooks Laich, but it was clear that Laich may not be the right guy for the left wing spot. Brooks doesn’t have the burst and overall speed to get to open-ice pucks where breakaways and scoring chances can be created. The usually strict lineup manager Adam Oates decided that changes must be made and there will be a difference in this line tonight. Erat will be subbed out for Eric Fehr as he has been a healthy scratch as of late. It remains to be seen what Fehr can offer, but you have to wonder what this means for the third line as well.
The bottom line for the Capitals in this game is they must start off better than they did yesterday. Given their travel arrangements and the fact that they had to play a hockey game less than 24 hours ago, don’t expect a hot start, but they can’t get behind the eight ball too early. Michal Neuvirth and the defensive effort in the first period were equally dreadful, so Braden Holtby must step up as he looks to bounce back from four goals allowed against the Penguins Wednesday night.
It will be interesting to see how the veterans respond tonight as Oates expressed his disappointment in his experienced players in his post-game presser Friday. What he said to his guys at the morning skate and what he will say to them before the game tonight could provide an extra burst that the Capitals showed in the second and third period Friday against the Canadiens.
In dealing with the Leafs, it comes down to stopping their 4th-ranked power play (23.6%), Phi Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul. Kessel likes to play in front of the net and will undoubtedly have his way with penetrating the Washington zone.
If Washington can limit their own mistakes and fail to beat themselves, they will limit the opportunities of Toronto. Puck possession doesn’t just mean holding the puck, it also means passing the puck responsibly and not setting up others for disaster. It will be interesting to see just how much fatigue comes into play for the Capitals tonight, but if they can leave Toronto with at least a point, consider that a victory.
