Washington at Edmonton Preview: Capitals Look to Keep Road Trip Momentum Going Thursday Against the Oilers

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Della Young
Screen Shot 2019-10-21 at 7.05.54 PM.pngPhoto: Perry Nelson- USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Capitals defeated the Calgary Flames in a 5-3 contest on Tuesday and continue their Canadian leg of their road trip with a set of back-to-back games, starting Thursday night against the Edmont Oilers at Rogers Place. Action from Edmonton begins at 9:00 P.M. ET on NBC Sports Washington.

Capitals

The Capitals now ride a four-game win streak and have improved to 7-2-2. Washington’s big win in Calgary moved them up to second place in the league and first in the Metropolitan Division with 16 points.

Last season, the Capitals fell 4-1 to the Oilers at Rogers Place on October 25, but won on November 5, by a score of 4-2 at Capital One Arena. Washington has a record of 39-30-1 against Edmonton, and have gone 5-1-0 on the road thus far.

John Carlson continues to lead Washington and the NHL in points (20) and in assists (15), extending his points streak to eight games. Captain Alex Ovechkin and right wing T.J. Oshie are tied for the team lead with seven goals each. Fourth-line forward Chandler Stephenson scored his first goal of the season in Tuesday’s victory and has picked up two points in nine games played.

Goaltender Braden Holtby has made a combined 99 saves and allowed eight goals in his last three games, and boasts a record of 4-1-2, a .884 Save Percentage, and 3.60 Goals-Against Average. Holtby’s 7-3-1 lifetime record against the Oilers includes two shutouts, a Save Percentage of .936 and Goals-Against Average of 1.89. Backup goaltender Ilya Samsonov has not started since the 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 16.

Washington rounds out the Top 10 in power play efficiency at 25%. On the penalty kill, the team is 84.6% efficient, which also places them 10 in the league. Oshie leads the team with four power play goals.

Capitals Game Notes

Oilers

Edmonton ended its 2018-19 season with 79 points, finishing eighth in the Pacific Division and 25th overall. This season, the Oilers sit in first in the Pacific and fourth in the league at with points.

The Oilers suffered a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday, putting their record at 7-2-1. Thursday’s matchup against the Capitals starts a short two-game homestand for the Oilers, who are 4-0-0 at Rogers Place. Edmonton has a 31-37-2 record against Washington.

Captain Connor McDavid leads the team in points (17) and in assists (12), while forward James Neal has picked up nine goals, including a natural hat trick plus one against the New York Islanders on October 8.

Mike Smith suffered a tough loss against the Wild. The goaltender made 27 saves, allowed three goals, and had a .900 save percentage, and holds a record of 3-2-1, a 9.25 Save Percentage and Goals-Against Average of 2.14. Smith has a 4-9-2 lifetime record against the Capitals.

Backup goaltender Mikko Koskinen has not made a start since October 18 in a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Koskinen has a Save Percentage of .934 and Goals-Against average of 2.20.

Edmonton has the second-best power play efficiency in the league at 35.7%, while their penalty kill rounds out the Top 5 at 88.2%. Neal has picked up six power play goals, while defenseman Ethan Bear leads the team with ten penalty minutes.

By Della Young

About Della Young

Della Young is an aspiring novelist and screenwriter who earned a BFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University in 2021. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Screenwriting from Regent University. Della comes from a family of big Capitals fans and became inspired to start writing for hockey in 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and working on both sides of the camera. Follow Della on Twitter: @dellayoung
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4 Responses to Washington at Edmonton Preview: Capitals Look to Keep Road Trip Momentum Going Thursday Against the Oilers

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