The 4-2-2 Washington Capitals continue their trip through Western Canada with a stop at Rogers Place tonight at 9 EST in Edmonton to take on a 3-3-1 Oilers team still trying to find its identity with only one regulation win thus far. Connor McDavid with 5 goals and 13 points leads the Oilers who are struggling to score. With only 18 goals on the year they are ahead of only LA and Arizona currently. Contrast that with the Caps 34 goals and you see the difference in fire power.
Alex Ovechkin and Connor Mcdavid have played 5 times previously and the Caps have taken four of five while the two players hold identical 1 G and 6 points vs each other respectively. John Carlson continues his strong play with 3 G’s and 4 A’s in his last three games while averaging over 27 mins a game. He now has 5 multi point games in the 8 played so far. Playing in all situations expect to see a lot of Carlson against the McDavid line.
The Capitals PP is currently at 38.7% as they continue to give opposition PK teams the fits. They will look to take advantage of an Edmonton PK that finished last in the NHL last season and currently sits at 76.2% good for 20th in the league. Evgeny Kuznetsov has scored all five of his goals on the PP so far this season. With Carlson and Ovechkin switching sides on the go more often now the opposition special teams can’t just focus on Ovechkin one timer. Kuznetsov scored on a one-timer last game from the opposite circle on a PP to give them another optional setup. It’s one of the best PP’s I have seen in a long time.
Braden Holtby gets the start for Washington and former Ranger Cam Talbot for Edmonton. Talbot has struggled at times and the Oilers have a history over the last season of giving up early goals. They were scored against on the first shot over 10 times last year so the Capitals can try to take the home crowd out early.
Former Capital Alex Chiasson scored twice for Edmonton vs Pittsburgh on Tuesday night as he looks to find a home. He received his Stanley Cup ring from the Caps as did Jay Beagle in Vancouver last Monday.
Also today Gary Bettman upheld Tom Wilson’s 20 game suspension for his pre-season hit. The NHLPA had argued that he shouldn’t have gotten any games as Rule 48 wasn’t violated. Had he violated that rule in their eyes then it should have only been eight games. Alas, the Commissioner did not see it that way. The suspension can now only be appealed by the NHLPA on Wilson’s behalf to the Neutral Discipline Arbitrator within 7 days of Bettman’s decision. Wilson has 11 games remaining on his suspension.