The Washington Capitals left Montreal, Quebec for Denver, Colorado late Saturday night following their 8-4 win over the Canadiens. The team arrived in the Mile High City a little after 1:00 A.M. mountain time, making for a very long day for the Capitals. As a result, the team had the day off on Sunday.
🏒 Washington Capitals (@Capitals) #ALLCAPS
🆚 W @ Montreal Canadiens #GoHabsGo #WSHvsMTL
⏭️ Colorado Avalanche #GoAvsGo #WSHvsCOL
✈️ N652DL | DAL8954 | B752
🛫 YUL – 11:46 pm ET (Sat.)
🛬 DEN – 1:17 am MT
📡 Tracking: https://t.co/AmHLtnP7Aa pic.twitter.com/rmOiYpdex6— Sports + Aviation (@SportsAviation) April 17, 2022
The Capitals have won their past two visits and five of their past six to Denver. Action from Ball Arena can be seen on NBC Sports Washington locally or NHL Network nationally beginning at 9 PM ET. You can read more about tonight’s game in our complete game preview here.
Morning Skate
T.J. Oshie returned to the top line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin. Conor Sheary was dropped to the second line. The lines and pairs at morning skate:
Capitals lines at AM skate in Colorado:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Johansson-Backstrom-Sheary
Mantha-Eller-Wilson
Larsson-Dowd-HathawayFehervary-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
TvR-Schultz— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) April 18, 2022
Ilya Samsonov will get the start in goal tonight against the Avalanche. It looks like Connor McMichael, Matt Irwin, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Michal Kempny will once again be the scratches for tonight.
Samsonov will start tonight in COL, per Laviolette. #Caps
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) April 18, 2022
The Avalanche will be without several players tonight against the Capitals. Kadri, Toews, Cogliano and Erik Johnson won’t play. All dealing with minor injuries.
#Avs projected lines vs the #ALLCAPS
Burakovsky MacKinnon Rantanen
Lehkonen Compher Nichushkin
Newhook Sturm NAK
Helm Meyers LOCJack Johnson Makar
Girard Manson
Byram MacDermidKuemper (starting)
FrancouzEJ sits as well as Toews and Cogliano #GoAvsGo
— Avalanche Territory (Brennan Vogt) (@AvsTerritory) April 18, 2022
Rocky Mountain Way
The Capitals continue their season-long five-game road trip (1-1-0) tonight when they face the Colorado Avalanche for the second and final time this season.
#ALLCAPS at #GoAvsGo pregame stats: #Avs with the edge in most of the basic stats. #Capitals with the better penalty kill, and yes, the better faceoff winning percentage 😳 pic.twitter.com/BJZELJKKK0
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 18, 2022
The Capitals won the previous matchup, 6-3, on Oct. 19, 2021, at Capital One Arena behind three-point performances from Evgeny Kuznetsov (1g, 2a) and Tom Wilson (3a).
How Each Team Is Doing
Capitals: 5-1-0 in their past six and 14-5-1 since losing three straight in regulation from February 24-28
Avalanche: league-best 14-1-1 since losing four of five (1-3-1) in early March, have won nine straight and are 10-0-1 in their past 11.
#ALLCAPS at #GoAvsGo possession and shot metrics: #Avs possession stats are tops in the league.Avs performing better than expected in goals (Gf-xGF) and goals against (xGA-GA). pic.twitter.com/Jf6tO4xBlT
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 18, 2022
Playoffs Bound
With Toronto’s 4-2 win over the New York Islanders Sunday, the Capitals clinched their eighth consecutive playoff berth and the 32nd in franchise history. Washington’s run of eight consecutive playoff appearances is the second-longest in franchise history, behind a stretch of 14 straight from 1983 to 1996, and is the second-longest active streak in the NHL (Pittsburgh Penguins: 16, 2007–2022).
The eighth and final berth in the Eastern Conference belongs to the @Capitals. #StanleyCup 🦅
With two weeks left, will Washington have leapfrogged Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division?#NHLStats Pack: Team Clinching Notes ➡️ https://t.co/qYoc82Gvf0 pic.twitter.com/vY6GJl5E3g
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 18, 2022
In total, 13 players on Washington’s roster are Stanley Cup Champions, including nine who won with them in 2018: Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Lars Eller, Michal Kempny, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, T.J. Oshie, Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.
Getting altitude acquainted #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/QYGezS1XBc
— x – Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 18, 2022
By Jon Sorensen
Oshie back on top line and sheary on second line is probably the best way to go.
Capitals/Laviolette still hoping/trying for Samsonov in number one spot.
True. Not sure why, though.
First round pick, theoretically with higher “upside”.
I love that Mantha-Eller-Wilson line. When they have been together it is a lot of beef and they move the puck well. 4th line is really gelling with Larsson as well. And Backstrom needs speed on his wings so Sheary is a great fit with him. Can’t wait to have Snively on that left wing instead of MoJo though!
Will it be snively next year with Eller in the center, McMichael or Backstrom manning the 3rd line?? And if yes on Backy, then they likely sign a #2 center because I don’t think CM or Eller are 2nd line center next year.