Week 4 was an entirely forgettable week for the Washington Capitals, who managed a grand total of two standings points in four games, both earned in extra time games, both of which they went on to lose.
Record (0-2-2)
The 0-2-2 week was the worst for the Caps since they 2ent 0-3-1 in the last week of the regular season last year. Only six teams in the league recorded fewer standings points than the Caps and all of them played in one fewer game. The Caps lost both games on home ice for the week (one in overtime) to end a three-game winning streak at Capital One Arena. They lost both games on the road (one in a Gimmick) to end a 2-1-0 run on the road. It was a gruesome week that left the Caps in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, which is fitting, since they rank sixth in both home and road record in the division for the season through four weeks.
Offense: 1.75/game (season: 2.69 / 28th)
The absences to injury are starting to bite. The Caps had an anemic week, finishing 28th in the league in scoring offense. They have now scored two or fewer goals in five of their last six game and scored three in the other contest. That six-game stretch (1.67 goals per game) is a significant departure from the start to the season that saw them average 3.57 goals per game in their first seven contests.
The Caps got goals from five skaters in Week 4, three of them by Alex Ovechkin, who broke a tie with Gordie Howe as the most prolific goal scorer for a single franchise league history with his 787th career goal against the Arizona Coyotes to end the week. Dylan Strome, Trevoe van Riemsdy, Anthony Mantha, and Marcus Johansson were the other goal scorers. Noteworthy for his absence from that last was Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is still looking for his first goal of the season 13 games and 25 shots on goal into the season. He is now one of five forwards in the league with at least 25 shots on goal and no goals to show for it. He might take some solace in that the list includes a couple of other highly thought of offensive players. Mathew Barzal, Teuvo Teravainen, Erik Haula, and Sam Reinhart are the others on the list. Ovechkin led the team with four points, one of nine Capitals (of 20 to play in Week 4) to record at least one point.
Defense: 2.75/game (season: 2.85 / 11th)
The Caps did not have a bad week on scoring defense overall, the operative word there being “overall,” but we will get to that issue below in “goals by period.” Their 2.75 goals allowed per game was tied for 12th-best overall in Week 4. It was a bit of a waste, though, with the Caps allowing 29.5 shots per game, ninth-fewest in the league, and the seventh-fewest shot attempts allowed at 5-on-5 (39.75). Beck Malenstyn, who dressed for two games in Week 4, was not on ice for an even strength goal against, the only Capital to do so. Conor Sheary was the only Capital to have a positive goal differential at even strength for the week at plus-1. Alex Ovechkin was on ice for the most even strength goals against with four.
Goaltending: 2.51 / .915 (season: 2.56 / .919 / 1 shutout)
By the usual standards, it was a pretty good week for the goaltenders. Darcy Kuemper got the call in three of the four games and stopped 79 of 86 shots, a .919 save percentage. Charlie Lindrgren gave the Caps solid minutes and stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The problem, to the extent there was one, was that save percentages dropped by period -- .951 in the first periods of games (39 saves on 41 shots), .931 in the second periods (27 saves on 29 shots), but then a .881 save percentage in the third periods of games (37 saves on 42 shots). Not all of that is on the goalies, and it was not really a game-to-game thing (Kuemper was charged with three goals against on ten shots in the 3-2 loss to Arizona to end the week). The Caps looked to be playing a prevent defense far too much when holding leads, and it burned them consistently, the goaltenders’ numbers suffering as a result.
Power Play: 3-for-13 / 23.1 percent (season: 20.9 percent / 15th)
In the context of league-wide performance, Week 4 was an average week overall for the power play. The Caps were 15th overall in power play efficiency and tied for 17th in power play chances per game (3.25). Alex Ovechkin had a pair of power play goals, including that 787th career goal. Marcus Johansson had the other power play tally. Ovechkin had three power play points to end the week with a hand in all three man advantage scores for the Caps. Six other Caps had one point apiece. On 13 power plays, the Caps managed 15 shots on goal, five of them by Ovechkin and four by the snakebit Evgeny Kuznetsov. What was odd about the power play was who recorded points among the defensemen. Not John Carlson, out with an injury, and not Dmitry Orlov, who did get 5:20 in total power play ice time. The point-getters, each with an assist, were Trevor van Riemdsdyk and Erik Gustafsson, the latter logging 16:58 on power plays, most among defensemen and second most among all skaters.
Penalty Killing 11-for-14 / 78.6 percent (season: 80.5 percent / 14th)
This was the second consecutive week in which the Caps faced double digit shorthanded situations, a bit of disturbing turn, even if they were recorded over four games. The Caps took six penalties in the third periods and overtime of the four games, which is a bit more disturbing. It might have been a signal of fatigue for a team that has more than a few older players and that played six games in ten days, four of them on the road. On the other hand, the Caps did not allow a third period or overtime power play goal
Faceoffs: 128-for-230 / 55.7 percent (45.4 percent / 29th)
On the good side, the Caps’ 55.7 winning percentage on faceoffs
was second best in the league in Week 4 (Montreal: 59.5 percent). On the other hand, the Caps did not win a
game. An instance where it just did not
matter much in the larger scheme of things that the Caps were efficient in the
circle. It was a bit deceptive, though,
in that while the Caps won a lot more than they lost at even strength
(106-for-181/58.6 percent), they were marginally under 50 percent on power
plays (11-for-23/47.8 percent) and on penalty kills (11-for-26/42.3
percent). All four Caps taking at least
ten draws for the week finished over 50 percent, led by Dylan Strome at 58.9
percent. In fact, those four players –
Strome, Kuznetsov, Nic Dowd, and Lars Eller – were 50 percent or better
individually in each of the three zones for the week with the exception of
Dowd, who was 0-for-3 in the offensive zone.
Goals by Period
Six third period goals allowed? Compare that to the five goals combined that they allowed in the first and second periods, and overtime. Worse, four of them were scored in the last half of the third period, two of those in the last minute, resulting in the two regulation losses for the week, against Detroit and Arizona. And still worse, the Caps managed only one third period goal of their own for the week, an Anthony Mantha strike in the fourth minute of the third period of the 3-2 loss to Arizona. It made for a brutal week in that the Caps did not trail in any game going into the third period and led in two of them, yet they could not close out the deal in any of them
Year-over-Year
The Caps are slipping behind last year’s performance after a comparable number of games, another indicator that the injuries are starting to bite harder. The nine goals by which they trail last year’s club at the 13-game mark are a reflection of as many forwards out as there are. They are also allowing five more shots on goal per game, putting increased pressure on goalies, and this might be a reflection of the absences of scoring forwards as well, the Caps putting less pressure (three fewer shots on goal per game than last year at this point). The Caps are also playing a somewhat less disciplined game at this point, averaging roughly an additional half penalty per game being called on them and a bit more than a minute per game more than last season.
In the end…
The Caps had, by NHL standards, a manageable week on the schedule in Week 4. They had Vegas – a very good defensive team to be sure – at home, and they had a weak Arizona team that has allowed a lot of goals on home ice. And yet they dropped both games. The three points they left on the table is the difference between sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, where they reside after four weeks, and third place. And that does not include the point (or two) they left on the table in Detroit by giving up three unanswered goals (one into an empty net) in a 3-1 loss. It could be a week to regret come spring.
Three Stars
- First Star: Alex Ovechkin (3-1-4, minus-2, two power play goals, scored 787th career goal to take over first place all-time in goals scored for one franchise, 13 shots on goal, 36 shot attempts, 19:48 in ice time)
- Second Star: Dylan Strome (1-2-3, even, nine shots on goal, 16 shot attempts, 58.9 percent on faceoffs)
- Third Star: Trevor van Riemsdyk (1-1-2, even, four shots on goal, eight shot attempts, 2:32 in shorthanded ice time per game)
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