After dropping Saturday’s match up against the Devils, the Washington Capitals schedule doesn’t get any easier, as they will host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. And like the Devils, the Kings are no slouch, as they are one of the NHL’s hottest teams at the moment, sitting atop the Pacific division with a four-game winning streak and 7-2-1 record in their last 10.
At first glance, the Capitals and Kings are analytically very similar- both squad’s special teams aren’t exactly lighting the league on fire currently, both teams are very good at 5 on 5, and both have been very good at keeping the puck out of the net.
Let’s dive into what it will take for the Capitals to topple the Kings. Charlie Lindgren starts, and John Carlson’s back after missing last game with an upper-body injury.
Lines:
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Connor McMichael
Aliasksei Protas-Justin Sourdif-Tom Wilson
Anthony Beauvillier-Nic Dowd-Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime-Hendrix Lapierre-Ethen Frank
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun-Matt Roy
Rasmus Sandin-Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Charlie Lindgren
Logan Thompson
It’s amazing how similar of a season these two teams are having when you don’t factor in their respective place in the standings.
Both of these groups are excellent at 5 on 5, and not so excellent on special teams.
LA’s defense-first style has bode well for them so far this season, as they are only slightly behind Washington in goals against/per game, and both are sitting in the top-10 in the league. Likewise, both are nearly even at goals-for at 5 on 5, with the Kings scoring 34 goals to the Capitals’ 38.
One way to circumvent this would be for the Capitals to made good use of their power play chances. Yes, you could say that in literally every game, but when the Kings are almost equal to the Caps at even strength, it will mean that the Capitals’ power play becomes all that much more important to their offensive success. Even if the Kings are one of the least-penalized teams in the league.
On the penalty kill, LA’s power play unit is only marginally better than Washington’s, meaning it is also not great. This is a golden opportunity for the Capitals’ PK unit to get back on track as well.
In either case, both special teams units could be a key to a win tonight for the Caps.
LA’s defensively-minded game has done well for them so far this season, and they are no stranger to close games, as they have numerous one-goal wins so far (including their recent 1-0 win over Ottawa).
However, with news of stalwart Kings’ defenseman Drew Doughty being sidelined for Monday’s game with a lower-body injury from blocking a shot, this leaves a big hole on LA’s blueline that Washington needs to take advantage of.
This is still a capable defense corps for the Kings, and the team as a whole is great at limiting scoring chances for their opposition.
But Washington has done much better than LA this season at generating scoring chances. If the Caps are able to finish those chances, they should come away with the W.
I’ve mentioned a few times now how analytically similar these two teams are so far. Which makes it a bit more frustrating that the Capitals have struggled so greatly where the Kings have succeeded.
Monday’s game will quite likely be a close one, decided by a single goal. Maybe two. And the goaltending could be a difference maker as well.
I’m not going to say “trust the process” again, because I’m tired of saying it. But despite dropping the match to the Devils in the shootout, there was still some good takeaways from that loss…especially from Washington’s second and third period performances.
If they can put in that kind of game for a solid 60 minutes, AND finish their chances, this is a perfect opportunity for the Capitals to get back on track and in the win column.
Monday is the last visit to D.C. for long-time King Anze Kopitar, as he continues his farewell tour of sorts. Kopitar previously announced that this season would be his final one in the NHL.
Kopitar has been one of the most underrated players in the league for a long time. He was instrumental in the Kings’ two Stanley Cups (2012 and 2014).
Drafted in 2005 at 11th overall, the Slovenian forward has been known for some time as one of the better two-way forwards in the league, winning the Selke trophy as the league’s top defensive forward twice (2016 and 2018). His style of play tends to fly under the radar for most casual fans, as he is generally a pass-first kind of player. Even though he’s not one of the league’s best goal scorers, he still manages to be nearly a point-per-game player for the Kings.
Anze Kopitar has long been one of my favorite players to watch, and it’s truly a shame to see him retire. I guess we all get old someday.
