Week 11 gets off to a late start for the Washington Capitals, but it will be a three-game week nonetheless. The Caps continue their run through New York state/New York City area opponents, teams in the lower half of the East Division standings against which they need to bank points.
The Opponents
New Jersey Devils (Thursday 7:00pm/Friday 7:00pm)
Back in mid-February, the New Jersey Devils won three in a row to go 6-3-2, their .626 points percentage ranking 11th in the league. Things took a turn, though. Since then, New Jersey is 5-11-2, their .333 points percentage ranking 29th in the league, and they are 10 points behind the Boston Bruins for the last playoff spot in the East Division. Playoff dreams will have to wait until next season for the Devils.
There is no complicated explanation for their slump. They could not score (2.22 goals per game/30th in scoring offense over that stretch) and they cannot keep opponents from scoring (3.28 goals allowed per game/24rd in the league). Only twice in those 18 games have they scored more than three goals, while they allowed more than three goals seven times.
Drill down, and special teams have done them no favors. Their 14.0 percent power play over their last 18 games ranks 29th in the league, and their 75.5 percent penalty kill ranks 22nd over that span.
New Jersey has shown an inability to dominate teams; they are one of two teams in the league without a win by three of more goals since February 19th (Anaheim is the other). Not that close games have been a source of success, either. Their 5-5-2 record (.417 in percentage) ranks 22nd since February 19th. In a league where scoring first is among the best indicators of success, New Jersey is 3-5-0 when scoring first over their last 18 games, their .375 win percentage ranking 30th. Their 2-6-2 record when trailing first ranks 20th over that span in win percentage (.200). New Jersey lost all four previous games this season to the Caps, outscored by a 17-11 margin.
New York Rangers (Sunday 12:00pm)
It is unfortunate for the Rangers that the Caps have not been on the schedule more frequently than the four games played against Washington to date. The Rangers have beaten no opponent more frequently than the Caps going into the new week (three times), and they have been stingiest in allowing goals against the Caps (1.50 goals allowed per game). The Caps are the only opponent New York has faced against which they have a perfect penalty killing record (13-for-13).
With the Caps hosting the Rangers in the last game of the week, it is worthwhile to note that New York has been more successful than most teams against the Caps at Capital One Arena. In three games played in Washington so far, the Rangers are 2-1-0 and have outscored the Caps, 8-4. That stinginess on defense on the road has not been limited to the Caps. Going into Week 11, the Rangers have the fifth-best scoring defense in the league in road games (2.53 goals allowed per game). A good portion of that is the result of penalty killing that ranks sixth on the road this season (85.4 percent), including a perfect 9-for-9 against the Caps at Capital One Arena.
The Rangers have found their defensive stride on the road in recent games. After a three-game stretch in which they allowed four or more goals in each game (13 overall), they allowed a total of three goals over their last three road games, shutting out Boston, 4-0, and allowing three goals to Washington in the two-game set they played last Friday and Saturday. When the Rangers come to town to close the week, they will be looking to win consecutive games in Washington for the first time in the same season since they won two in a row in March and April 2015.
Hot Caps:
Cold Caps:
Weird Facts:
Potential Milestones to Reach This Week:
Nicklas Backstrom:
Alex Ovechkin:
Evgeny Kuznetsov:
John Carlson:
Garnet Hathaway:
Brenden Dillon:
Zdeno Chara:
Ilya Samsonov: