It's the Nate Schmidt revenge game tonight; there won't be any line-up changes from the Tampa Bay tilt. Both Luca Sbisa and William Carrier will sit, while Marc-Andre Fleury draws the start.
One similarity between the Capitals and the Lightning are how both love to emphasize the one-timer on the power play. I asked Gerard Gallant the subtle differences between Steven Stamkos and Alexander Ovechkin, but he wasn't giving much:
There's some differences. But there's not a whole lot of difference.
Penalty kills do the best they can against them.
You know where it's going to come from. If you overplay it, they've got other great players too. That's the thing. You just can't stand a guy with Stamkos or Ovechkin.
You take them away, cheat on them, they're going to make another play.
I also got some good stuff from James Neal about the art of finding the soft spots to score, and on the flip side, from Luca Sbisa about covering your man.
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James Neal
HockeyBuzz: You've made a career of finding the soft spots to score. Is that something you've learned more or is that more a gift?
James Neal: It's something you can learn. As a kid growing up, you just try to watch the best players in the game. You see what they do, watch them, try to find areas where to get shots off, shoot the puck quick.
It's trying to be a student of the game. Learning, watching yourself, watching video. Doing all the stuff that helps you get better.
A good friend of mine, Shawn Allard, runs Perfect Skating, he's a guy I've worked with in the past. We do a lot of video on my game, how to better my game, how to find areas like that to score.
HB: How did you develop your skill in finding the soft spots?
You game just becomes better overall as you grow and mature. I found that, if you want to score in this league, you have to have a great shot as well. For me, I never had a great shot. When I got to the NHL, I had to adjust things. When I went back to junior, I did everything I could to get a good shot.
I've told this story before, my first game skating in on Marty Turco in Dallas, there's no chance I could ever score on him unless I was inside the hashmarks. How am I supposed to score in the NHL if I can't score [outside] the hashmarks?
HB: How about in this locker room? Who has this gift?
It just comes with the hockey sense. Reilly Smith is a guy who has it. Marchessault has it. Perron has it. [Haula] has it. Guys who are going to score goals are guys who are able to find good spots.
Luca Sbisa
HockeyBuzz: Can you talk about the art of preventing scorers from finding the soft spots?
Luca Sbisa: Little details of the game that you appreciate more over time.
Just for example, the puck goes up to the [point]. Shoulder check so you know what's behind, instead of just being puck-focused. Like I want to block that shot, but there are two guys behind me. The odds of the puck going through me are pretty high.
You have to make it a habit to shoulder check.
HB: It's an underrated skill, underrated detail. Around the league or on your team, who do you watch to learn from?
LS: [My ex-Vancouver teammate Chris] Tanev is really good at it. He's a guy, doesn't play flashy at all, but plays a lot of attention to details. Tiny little things. Positioning, how to angle his stick so the guy can't come back. How to box the [forward] out, have that body position.
[Engelland and McNabb] do a good job. It's easy for guys who play a lot of PK. You're a guy short, so there's always an extra guy [to account for].
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