Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images
The Washington Capitals host the Calgary Flames for the first of two meetings this season, which both come in a span of eight days, on Friday afternoon. The teams split two games last season, including a 5-4 Washington win at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 8.
Washington came away with three of a possible four points and is 5-0-1 against Calgary since 2018. Action from Capital One Arena can be seen on NBC Sports Washington in-market or ESPN+ out-of-market starting at 2 PM ET.
SCHEDULE
Calgary: continues a six-game Eastern Conference road trip (2-1-1) and start a set of back-to-backs with them set to visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon
Washington: close out a three-game homestand (split first two games) before starting a season-long six-game road trip at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night
RECORDS
Calgary: 9-7-3/.553 points percentage (3-3-2 on road) – fourth in Pacific Division, seventh in Western Conference
Washington: 8-10-3/.452 points percentage (6-4-1 at home) – seventh in Metropolitan Division, tied for 12th in Eastern Conference in points but rank 13th in points percentage
HOW EACH TEAM IS DOING
Calgary: 4-1-1 since ending seven-game losing-streak
Washington: 4-7-3 since winning back-to-back games for the second time this season on October 22 and 24
TEAM LEADERS
Calgary
- C Nazem Kadri (eight goals)
- D Rasmus Andersson (12 assists, 24:37 TOI/game)
- C Elias Lindholm (16 points)
Notes: Kadri, 32, has been held without a point in three straight games; Andersson, 26, has one assist in his past four; RW Tyler Toffoli is on a four-game scoring drought; C Mikael Backlund has one assist in his last five; LW Jonathan Huberdeau has two goals and four points in his last 10; C Blake Coleman has two goals and five points in his last five; C Adam Ruzicka has four goals and seven points in his last six; LW Andrew Mangiapane has three goals and seven points in 19 games after a 35-goal campaign last season; D Noah Hanifin has six assists and seven points in his last 10; C Dillon Dube has goals in back-to-back games
Washington
- LW Alex Ovechkin (10 goals, 19 points)
- C Evgeny Kuznetsov (13 assists)
- D John Carlson (23:19 TOI/game)
Notes: Ovechkin, 37, has two goals and five points in his last three; Kuznetsov, 30, has two goals and eight points in his last eight; Carlson, 32, has three goals and four points in his last four; C Dylan Strome has a goal and four points in his last four; LW Anthony Mantha has gone scoreless in three straight games
KEY TEAM STATS
Goals-per-game: CGY – 3.05 (T-16th) WSH – 2.76 (26th)
Goals-against per game: CGY – 3.21 (18th) WSH – 3.19 (15th)
Power Play: CGY – 19.7% (23rd) WSH – 19.5% (24th)
Penalty Kill: CGY – 81.7% (9th) WSH – 79.7% (T-15th)
Shots-per-game: CGY – 35.7 (3rd) WSH – 30 (22nd)
Shots-against per game: CGY – 28.5 (5th) WSH – 31 (11th)
Faceoff-winning %: CGY – 49.4% (T-19th) WSH – 47.2% (24th)
5v5 Corsi-for %: CGY –5 4.8% (4th) WSH – 51.18% (11th)
5v5 x Goals-For %: CGY – 53.3% (9th) WSH – 48.24% (22nd)
5v5 SCF %: CGY – 51.94% (T-11th) WSH – 50.38% (16th)
5v5 Shooting %: CGY – 7.65% (23rd) WSH – 7.81% (18th)
5v5 Save %: CGY – .9033 (28th) WSH – .915 (18th)
5v5 PDO: CGY – .98 (31st) WSH – .993 (19th)
EXPECTED STARTING GOALTENDERS
Calgary: Dan Vladar, 25 — 1-3-1, .907 save percentage, 2.77 goals-against average in five games; 1-2-0, .821 save percentage, 4.97 save percentage in three career games vs. Washington
Washington: Charlie Lindgren, 28, 2-1-2, .905 save percentage, 3.13 goals-against average in six games; first career start vs. Calgary
INJURIES/ILLNESSES
Calgary
- RW Brett Ritchie (undisclosed, will miss third straight game, out day-to-day)
- D Michael Stone (undisclosed, 10th, indefinite)
- D Oliver Kylington (personal, 20th, indefinite)
Washington
- RW Connor Brown (lower-body, 18th, indefinite)
- D Dmitry Orlov (lower-body, ninth, day-to-day)
- LW Carl Hagelin (hip, 22nd, indefinite)
- RW Tom Wilson (ACL, 22nd, indefinite)
- C Nicklas Backstrom (hip, 22nd, indefinite)
- LW Beck Malenstyn (finger, 11th, week-to-week)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Calgary
Ruzicka — Lindholm — Toffoli
Dube — Kadri — Mangiapane
Huberdeau — Backlund — Coleman
Milan Lucic — Kevin Rooney — Trevor Lewis
Hanifin — Andersson
Nikita Zadorov — MacKenzie Weegar
Dennis Gilbert — Chris Tanev
Vladar
Jacob Markstrom
Scratched: D Connor Mackey
Washington
Ovechkin — Strome — Conor Sheary
Sonny Milano — Kuznetsov — T.J. Oshie
Marcus Johansson — Lars Eller — Anthony Mantha
Nicolas Aube-Kubel — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway
Erik Gustafsson — John Carlson
Martin Fehervary — Nick Jensen
Matt Irwin — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: LW Joe Snively, D Alexander Alexeyev, C Aliaksei Protas
By Harrison Brown
“I feel like we’re capable of winning when we get some guys back,” Laviolette said.
That to me sums up Lavi’s strategy — just try not to lose too many with the inferior subs and wait for the real professionals to come back from injury. I think that this strategy has dug a very big hole. And I’m not sure that all the injured professionals can come back, can stay back, and can perform at the level he expects to get the Caps out of that hole.
I’ve lost all faith in Laviolette. I don’t like how the Caps play now.