Photo: @Capitals
And then there was one. Just one more regular season game until the chase for the Stanley Cup begins. The Washington Capitals will take on the New Jersey Devils Saturday night at Capital One Arena. It could be a preview of the first round of the playoffs. Or it might not be. The Capitals held one last regular season morning skate at Kettler Capitals Iceplex before the game. Here are the news and notes direct from the rink.
NEWS
T.J. Oshie and Travis Boyd weren’t on the ice for morning skate due to maintenance issues. After the skate, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said that Boyd is ill and that Oshie just needed more maintenance.
Jay Beagle wasn’t on the ice either as he was still nursing an upper body injury. He mentioned on Friday that he wasn’t going to skate until Monday. He has missed the last two games with his third game missed coming tonight. Trotz said that he expects Beagle to be ready for the playoffs.
Alex Chiasson will be in the lineup for the third straight game on the fourth line. Devante Smith-Pelly will skate on the third line for the fifth straight game. Jakub Vrana is back in the lineup over on the third line. Shane Gersich will play in his third Capitals game tonight.
Braden Holtby will get the start in goal tonight against the Devils. Holtby has won two of his last three starts with a 2.35 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. According to the game notes, Holtby has stopped 94.4 percent of the shots he faced on the penalty kill during that three-game stretch (17 of 18). Holtby is 14-3-3 lifetime against New Jersey with a 1.93 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
CAPITALS LINES
Forwards
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Burakovsky-Backstrom-Connolly
Vrana-Eller-DSP
Gersich-Stephenson-Chiasson
Defense
Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-Jerabek
Starting goalie: Braden Holtby
Out: T.J. Oshie (maintenance), Jay Beagle (upper-body), Travis Boyd (maintenance), Brian Pinho, Christian Djoos, and Madison Bowey
PRACTICE VIDEO
Taking the Kettler ice for the last time this regular season.
Last morning skate of the regular season has begun… pic.twitter.com/5bKQCWQJbi
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨🎙🏒 (@TarikNBCS) April 7, 2018
Dump n’ chase.
Final #Caps morning skate of the regular season. #CapsDevils tonight #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/QWCluJqiqX
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
The Holtbeast getting warmed up for tonight.
Braden Holtby gets the start for #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/ExlDx0npA6
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
Tiger cam (Lars Eller).
🐯cam #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/5qfbrSMSZw
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
The forwards working on their passing and shooting.
Give n go’s from the forwards pic.twitter.com/Xuz7eIj3rB
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
Tom Wilson vs. Chandler Stephenson in a face-off battle
Tom Wilson vs. Chandler Stephenson in face-offs #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/BClYNt2IM7
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
Holtby stretching before leaving the ice.
The #Holtbeast stretching before leaving the ice #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/XjqPm1NjWX
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey taking part in the scratch’s skate.
Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey are the only defensemen still on the ice. Taking the scratches skate #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/XPalTtxZSY
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
Brian Pinho getting some extra work in.
Brian Pinho getting some extra work #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/z5O5CyS3Kl
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2018
SHAVINGS
- The Capitals are 107-74-13-15 all-time against the Devils.
- Sitting at 47 goals this season, Alex Ovechkin needs a hat trick tonight for his eighth 50-goal season of his career. He would join the likes of Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky as the only two players in NHL history to reach the 50-goal mark in at least eight seasons.
- This season, the Capitals have converted on 22.7 percent of their power play opportunities (55 out of 242), ranking seventh in the NHL.
- Over the last four seasons, the Capitals 204-89-34 record gives them the most wins and the most points (442) in the NHL, 28 more points than the Anaheim Ducks, who rank second over that span.
- Over the last four seasons, Braden Holtby’s 93 wins at home rank first in the NHL, his 2.06 goals-against average ranks first and his .926 save percentage is tied for second among goaltenders with at last 100 home starts over the last four seasons.
- The Capitals have earned a point in 10 consecutive games against the Devils (8-0-2) and have won three of their last five games by a score of 5-2.
- Holtby has four shutouts against the Devils, the most shutouts he’s had against a single opponent.
- Alex Ovechkin has earned 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 48 career games against the Devils and has tallied 13 points in his last 11 games against New Jersey (5 goals, 8 assists).
GAME NOTES
GAME NOTES: Washington concludes their 2017-18 regular season with a divisional matchup with the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night. https://t.co/WkPCnJC7CN pic.twitter.com/V8Zmh4KaFT
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 6, 2018
CAPS TODAY
CAPS TODAY: Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals (47) with one game remaining on the season. At 32, he may become the second player since the 1967-68 expansion era to lead the NHL in goals at the age of 32 or older. https://t.co/3mg8oex2VV pic.twitter.com/u3mlgBwYBQ
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 7, 2018
INTERVIEWS
Chandler Stephenson, a Saskatchewan native who grew up 45 minutes from Humboldt, says he’s crossed paths at various summer skates with three of the Broncos who were involved in the horrible bus accident. “Kinda at a loss for words,” he said. #Caps pic.twitter.com/lOAuaVZM2X
— Tarik El-Bashir⌨🎙🏒 (@TarikNBCS) April 7, 2018
Barry Trotz offers his thoughts to the @HumboldtBroncos and all those affected by this terrible tragedy. #PrayersForHumboldthttps://t.co/2zcW0q0c1H pic.twitter.com/KtjCesAwE0
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2018
#Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen talks before the final game of the regular season as Washington looks for a final tune up against a potential playoff opponent. #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/qtB9Weofiw
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2018
Coach Trotz with lineup news and more from today’s morning skate as Washington wraps up the 2017-18 regular season. #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/xKDPNh8hNd
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2018
Rinkside Update | @orlov_09 talks about the final tuneup contest of the season before playoffs after playing in all 82 games for the third straight year. #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/2vq7HYSKuQ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2018
CAPS RED LINE
To celebrate #CapsFanWeek, @CourtneyNBCS and some fans reflect on their favorite moments from this past @Capitals season before the #CapsDevils regular-season finale.
Check out #CapsRedLine and watch game 82 on @NBCSWashington at 7 p.m. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/57JL2CESt1
— MonumentalSportsNet (@MonSportsNet) April 7, 2018
CAPITALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
.@CStephenson22 leads the stretch for Coach Trotz. #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/JnRfKH1JTk
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2018
Maybe some foreshadowing in the @BenRaby31 Today In #Caps History:
4/7/85: Mike Gartner had 2 goals to reach first career 50-goal season in 7-3 win vs Pittsburgh in regular season finale.. Ovi needs 3 goals in today’s finale for 8th 50-goal season.. Anyone think he can do it?? pic.twitter.com/In0PL5VEze
— Rob Carlin (@RobCarlinNBCS) April 7, 2018
Braden Holtby will get the net tonight for Washington. #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/aeHqLsuYZp
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 7, 2018
By Michael Marzzacco
Follow @marswaggo
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