Throughout the season, we’ll check in on the Washington Capitals to see which players, positions, and/or systems are hot and who is, well, not. Today we’ll be assessing the team based on their games from January 27 – February 1.
[Editor’s Note: Friendly reminder that this is merely meant as a look at the last week in isolation, and is not a commentary on a player or system’s overall success this season – although you can certainly see trends emerge if you read these on a weekly basis.]
Opponents: Flames (W 3-1); Senators (OTL 5-4); Jets (OTL 5-4)
Hot Front
Dylan Strome. He’s back, baby. When Strome snapped his ten-game goalless streak (six-game pointless streak) with the game-winner against the Flames, you could practically feel his relief. Since then? A team-best four points.
The Top Six. Strome certainly led the way, but everyone on the team’s top two lines was lighting up the scoresheet over the past week, with every player putting up at least two points. As a group, they combined for 10 goals and 19 points in the team’s three games. That includes a 2-2-4 performance for the captain, who still doesn’t quite look the same as he did pre-injury (and in fact had the second-lowest SCF% at even strength on the team last week) – but we’ll take it.
Power Play. This one is a little tricky, because technically, yes, the power play was hot this week. The Caps scored three times on 11 power-play opportunities for a very tidy 27.3% effectiveness rate. However, they also gave up two shorthanded goals…in the same game…on the same power play. So uh, let’s categorize this one as lukewarm and just be glad they had those three power play goals to balance things out.
Cold Snap
Penalty Kill. After going a perfect 12-for-12 on the penalty kill, the Caps had their streak snapped when they ceded a goal to the Flames (Calgary’s only tally of the night)…then gave up two more in Ottawa, and one more against the Jets. And the special teams pendulum swings back the other way.
Jakob Chychrun. He picked up an assist on Strome’s GWG in Calgary, but otherwise a quiet week offensively for big #6; not really his best week on the other side of the rink, either, continuing what has been a bit of a rough stretch overall. Only John Carlson was on the ice for more offensive-zone faceoffs at even strength among Caps’ blueliners this week than Chychrun, yet he had a 33.3% HDCF% and was a big part of the miscue that led to the Sens’ overtime game-winner in Ottawa. Of course, if the Caps were waiting for a chance to buy low on re-upping Chychrun…