Photo: @Capitals
The Washington Capitals begin a back-to-back set and play the middle game of a three-game Western Conference road swing against the Arizona Coyotes Friday night. The game can be seen on NBC Sports Washington+. Here are all of the news and notes for tonight’s cross-conference tilt from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Capitals’ Lines vs. Coyotes
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Tom Wilson
Jakub Vrana-Evgeny Kuznetsov-T.J. Oshie
Andre Burakovsky-Lars Eller-Brett Connolly
Chandler Stephenson-Jay Beagle-Alex Chiasson
Scratched: Devante Smith-Pelly, Nathan Walker
Defensemen
Dmitry Orlov-Matt Niskanen
Christian Djoos-John Carlson
Brooks Orpik-Madison Bowey
Scratched: Taylor Chorney
Goaltenders
Philipp Grubauer (starter)
Braden Holtby
News
Philipp Grubauer will start for the Capitals tonight against Arizona. That means Braden Holtby will get the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow night at T-Mobile Arena.
Grubauer is in the starter’s net at Gila River Arena for morning skate. He’s your starter tonight, meaning Braden Holtby plays in Vegas tomorrow.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 22, 2017
Philipp Grubauer will start tonight in Arizona, per @ikhurshudyan. Here are some stats on Grubi from the #Caps game notes: pic.twitter.com/4MSuHAyCCx
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨️🎙🏒🥅 (@TarikNBCS) December 22, 2017
Taylor Chorney will return to the lineup this evening after being a healthy scratch for the last 10 games. Chorney hasn’t played since Christian Djoos returned from an upper-body injury on November 30 against the Los Angeles Kings. Chorney has a goal, three points, and a +8 rating through 20 games played. Chorney’s +8 rating is tied with Alex Ovechkin for the third best on the team. Madison Bowey will be a healthy scratch against Arizona.
Taylor Chorney appears to be in for Bowey tonight.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 22, 2017
With a win tonight, Barry Trotz can tie Lindy Ruff for fifth place on the all-time coaching wins list with 736 wins.
With a win in Arizona tonight, #Caps Coach Barry Trotz will tie Lindy Ruff for 5th all time. #Caps can also move into 3rd in the league standings. pic.twitter.com/oaGa2fTCsl
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨️🎙🏒🥅 (@TarikNBCS) December 22, 2017
Shavings:
-The Capitals have not won at Gila River Arena in regulation since January 16, 2006. The Capitals have gone 1-4-1 in that span with their lone win coming in overtime on November 18, 2014.
-Coyote Killers: Alex Ovechkin has 7 goals and 16 points in 15 career games against Arizona; T.J. Oshie has 5 goals and 17 points in 24 career games against Arizona
–John Carlson enters Friday night’s contest against Arizona tied third in the NHL in points by defensemen (26) and second in assists (23). Carlson has recorded at least a point in 20 out of 35 games this season (1 goal, 1 assist on 11/6 vs. Arizona)
–Philipp Grubauer has a .933 save percentage and a 2.04 goals against average in his last seven games, stopping 159 out of 171 shots against.
-The Capitals’ defensemen have tallied 69 points this season, 54 of which have come in the past 25 games.
–Andre Burakovsky scored his first career overtime game-winning goal Tuesday against the Stars. He had two goals and an assist in the win.
Game Notes:
GAME NOTES: The Washington Capitals continue their road trip with their second and final matchup against the Arizona Coyotes this season. https://t.co/pU8jbP5cVypic.twitter.com/xLt5wnciqh
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 21, 2017
Capitals Today:
CAPS TODAY: Barry Trotz is one win away from fifth all-time in the NHL coaches wins list. He and the Caps take on the Coyotes tonight in Glendale. https://t.co/ANX5YqzfYw pic.twitter.com/1oVMtJmhRd
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 22, 2017
Interviews:
Head Coach Barry Trotz on tonight’s #CapsYotes tilt #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/PZsZs8ctPH
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 22, 2017
Capitals on Social Media:
Break down the Arizona Coyotes AND @orlov_09‘s Goal of the Year candidate in #CapsYotes #CapsRedLine!
It’s a late one for the @Capitals tonight – puck drops at 9:00 pm on @NBCSWashington.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/RJBBdneVe3
— MonumentalSportsNet (@MonSportsNet) December 22, 2017
Casino Night is Jan. 4, featuring gaming, a silent auction and a live auction with unique experiences with #Caps players, including @JVranaa and @m_bows4. Watch them practice their gaming with @ABC7John and learn about the event on @ABC7News Friday morninghttps://t.co/Kvp4VTb685 pic.twitter.com/xCMCnkPHJ5
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 21, 2017
We’ve all seen the tweets, but what does @GoldenKnights GM George McPhee think of the team’s twitter game? 🤔@RobCarlinNBCS and @TarikNBCS found out when the former #Caps GM joined them on a special edition of the Caps Extra podcast: https://t.co/YkHIGPF5cc pic.twitter.com/V5WYFxuXaa
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) December 22, 2017
By Harrison Brown
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