The Washington Capitals will look to get back into the win column when they take on the red-hot Los Angeles Kings. The Caps got off to a disappointing start to their California road trip, falling 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks back on Monday. 

 Here are the projected lines:

Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson
Connor McMichael – Dylan Strome – Matthew Phillips
Sonny Milano – Hendrix Lapierre – Aliaksei Protas
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Anthony Mantha

Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin – Nick Jensen
Joel Edmundson – Trevor van Riemsdyk

Charlie Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper

Scratched: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Lucas Johansen, Alex Alexeyev

No Way, Jose

The Capitals outshot San Jose 34-23 and had 13 high-danger scoring opportunities. They played well enough to win the game, but the bounces did not go their way and Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was outstanding. 

“There were a lot of good things from a breakout standpoint, from o-zone possession, getting pucks up top, winning 50/50 situations. There were a lot of good things inside of our structure and you would hope that you get rewarded in those games and the result would reflect the process,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said following Tuesday’s practice. 

Outside of Dylan Strome, Washington’s top-six has struggled offensively. Alex Ovechkin has not registered a point in his last three games. He had five shots on goal against the Sharks, including a one timer from his office that hit the post. 

“It’s really, really difficult to score in this league. That’s why players get paid a lot of money to score goals,” Carbery said. “For whatever reason… Our guys have been really really snakebitten. Other than [Strome], there’s no one really that’s clipping at a real high level… From a production standpoint and a finishing standpoint, which makes it difficult. It’s just tough to win when you’re not scoring.”

The lone goal in Monday’s affair was from Evgeny Kuznetsov. However, Carbery considers that tally a “fourth line goal,” as the Caps were in the middle of a line change during a lengthy offensive zone cycle. 

Washington’s blue line was fully healthy for the first time all year. Martin Fehervary returned to action on Monday after missing the last five games due to a lower-body injury. Carbery said that the pairings against the Sharks were what the team had envisioned heading into the campaign, particularly with Fehervary being paired with John Carlson. 

Carlson had been paired with Rasmus Sandin prior to Joel Edmundson’s return to the lineup. 

“We know [Sandin] and [Carlson] can play together at any point in the game where we feel like we really need an offensive zone shift,” Carbery said. “But I think that the stability of [Fehervary] and [Carlson] and then, where Jensen and [Trevor van Riemsdyk] fit, we’re sort of toggling through that as [Edmundson] comes back.”

The Capitals penalty kill has allowed goals in three straight games. Washington’s short-handed unit was a big reason why it was on an upward trend. It killed off 23 straight power plays over the course of 10 games. The PK unit was 2-for-3 against the Sharks. 

Scouting LA

The Kings (13-3-3) have won five straight games, most recently defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Los Angeles is 8-1-1 in its last 10 contests and are third in the Pacific Division with 29 points.

L.A. has the best offense in the NHL statistics wise, clicking at a rate of four goals per game. Meanwhile, they have given up 2.37 goals per game which is the least in the league. 

Furthermore, the Kings boast the best penalty kill in the league operating at 89.4%. That does not bode in the Capitals’ favor as they have the worst power play in the league. 

Forwards Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala hold the team lead with 20 points, with Fiala leading the charge with 14 assists. 

Goaltender Cam Talbot is expected to get the nod for Todd McLellan’s squad. Talbot has had a terrific season so far in his first season in Hollywood. He is third in the NHL with a 2.02 goals-against average and second in the league with a .931 save percentage. 

Player To Watch

Forward Trevor Moore has six points (four goals, two assists) in his last three games. The undrafted winger has 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 19 games. 

Puck drop is slated for 10:30 p.m. EST at Crypto.com Arena. The game can be streamed on Monumental Sports Network. 

By Jacob Cheris