Westward Ho!: News From Capitals’ Monday Practice In Calgary, Alberta

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Jon Sorensen

The Washington Capitals winged their way west on Sunday in advance of their annual western Canada road swing, which begins on Tuesday against the Flames in Calgary. The Flames have been on a hot-streak as of late and currently have the second best record in the Western Division and the eighth-best record in the entire League.

The team held practice on Monday at Winsport Arena in Calgary.

Lines at Monday’s practice:

Capitals power play work:

The Capitals will have the advantage of facing a Flames team that will be playing the second game of a back-to back set on Tuesday night. The Flames host the Edmonton Oilers tonight in the latest edition of the “Battle of Alberta”.

Peter Laviolette

Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette met with media following the team’s practice on Monday. He spoke about the Flames and the challenges they will pose.

Conor Sheary

Conor Sheary has points in each of his last three games (3g, 2a) and two straight multi-point efforts (2g, 2a). With his two-goal game on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, Sheary simultaneously reached the 100-goal and 200-point milestones (100g, 100). He became the seventh active undrafted forward in the NHL to reach the mark. Sheary is fifth on the Capitals this season with 28 points (14g, 14a) and ranks fourth on the team with 14 goals.

Sheary is in the midst of his second-most productive season of his career with 0.60 points per game (averaged 0.87 points per game in 2016-17). Sheary additionally ranks second on the team this season with 2.04 points per 60 minutes of five-on-five play among players with at least 20 games played, only trailing Alex Ovechkin (2.68).

Surging Power Play

Since the return of Nicklas Backstrom full time on January 10th, (he had three intermittent test games in December) the Capitals power play has gone 15 for 65 for 23%, a cumulative improvement of 10% over the success rate prior to his return. The power play has been the 14th best in the league since January 10.

T.J. Oshie and the combination of him and Backstrom has brought an additional increase in success rates since his return on February 24. The Capitals power play has gone 6 for 18 in his first five games back for a 33% success rate. The Capitals have had the seventh best power play since both Backstrom and Oshie have returned.

8 Years Ago Today

Dustin Penner, a trade deadline acquisition in 2014, made his way to D.C. He would hit-up Twitter for a ride to get groceries in exchange for tickets to the next game.

The Capitals and Flames go at it Tuesday night. Puck drop is set for 9:00 PM ET.

By Jon Sorensen

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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