The Washington Capitals entered the second half of the NHL season with some work to do to make the playoffs for the first time since realignment. No longer able to feast on lesser teams in the old Southeast Division, the Capitals find themselves with the opportunity to either contend for the Metropolitan Division crown, or fall back into the mire of teams that will fight it out for the two wild card spots.
A week before the All Star break, it looked as though the former would be the case. With a three game losing streak to enter the break, however, the Capitals made sure both opportunities would be on the table.
The All Star break came as a welcome respite from those three losses, as the team looked tired and unable to execute. Braden Holtby, the young goalkeeper who has become coach Barry Trotz’s workhorse, especially looked to need the rest after playing in more games than any goalie other than Corey Schneider in New Jersey. Holtby gave up four goals in both of the losses in which he played.
Backup Justin Peters took the loss in the other game, giving up five goals. This begs the question of what the Capitals intend to do in net for the rest of the season. Holtby has played well enough to earn the huge number of starts he’s been given, but the fear is that he will wear down with the same amount of work down the stretch. Peters has not played well enough to warrant more playing time, currently sporting a 3.51 goals against average and a save percentage of only .864.
Young goalies Pheonix Copley and Philipp Grubauer are call up options, but their presence on the roster could interfere with Holtby’s mindset and cause his numbers to drop. Conversely, if they call up one of the goalies and continue to play Holtby at the current pace, their development could be stunted by lack of playing time. If backup goalie is the Capitals biggest problem down the stretch, however, they will be in good shape.
Another player who should benefit from the All Star break is center Nicklas Backstrom. Scoring about a point per game his year, the Swede was a borderline All Star, appearing on many lists of biggest snubs for the mid-season showcase. The rest of a four-day break for a player who logs a lot of tough minutes should prove more beneficial than the accolade of being selected as an all star. After a tough loss in Columbus to open the second half, Backstrom helped the Capitals to a big 4-0 win over the Penguins, assisting on two goals and leading the way in the faceoff circle as the Caps outdrew Pittsburgh 39-24.
While the Pittsburgh game did turn physical, the Capitals played one of their more complete games of the year. Holtby notched a shutout with 27 saves and Alex Ovechkin, the team’s only All Star, scored two early goals to lead the way.
The win was a necessary one, ending the four game skid interrupted by the break. It was also the second game of a seven game in 11 day stretch which features one more back to back, as well as visits from Western Conference powers St. Louis, Los Angeles and the Bruce Boudreau-led Anaheim Ducks.
While this stretch is not necessarily make or break for Washington, it should give some clarity to their position in the standings for the playoff run. While they seem to be in control for a playoff spot, home ice advantage and a match-up with a lesser team in the first round is not out of their reach.
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