The Washington Capitals appear to be back on track after over a month of limited success. After a run of just two wins in nine games, the team has emerged victorious in three consecutive games. While these wins weren’t necessarily ‘pretty’, an ugly, chaotic win is still a win and earns some much-needed points in the extremely tight Metropolitan Division. Where does the recent success come from?
Unexpected players appear
The Capitals wouldn’t have won their past three games without the help of a few names that might not be heard as often. Nic Dowd, Declan Chisholm and Hendrix Lapierre are a handful of unexpected players who have contributed to the team’s victories.
Related: How can the Washington Capitals compete for the playoffs?
Longtime fourth-liner Dowd has contributed two goals, an assist and a shootout winner to the streak. He has only four goals depending on the season, which means half of them came in the last week. His goal against the New York Islanders was the insurance marker and the third unanswered goal for the Capitals. He is often sent to confront a reliable level of success; he has won almost 50% of his battles from the spot this season.
Chisholm, a defender, has had limited playing time this season. However, the recent absences of Matt Roy and Rasmus Sandin have given him the opportunity to step into the lineup. He scored his first goal of the season in this winning streak, helping his team to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Young forward Lapierre also scored a goal in the recent match against the Carolina Hurricanes, only his second of the season. Until recently, however, he had a target drought dating back to 2024. Should he be able to maintain some momentum with his offense, he could continue to help the team secure critical points for a playoff run.
Clay Stevenson shows NHL readiness
When the Capitals lost not just one, but both goaltenders, fans felt like all hope of winning was lost. Starring both Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren out with injurieswho would intervene? Enter Clay Stevenson, drafted by the Hershey Bears.
He is in his fourth season with the Bears and has played 24 games, achieving a record of 11-8-4 and a savings rate of 0.912 (SV%). He was solid at the American Hockey League level, but could he perform against tough NHL opponents? The short answer: absolutely.
Stevenson recorded his first NHL win against the Hurricanes, where he made 19 saves and helped the team rally in overtime. He started again against the Islanders, making 29 saves and bringing his season SV% to .923. When the Capitals lose their favorite goaltenders, it’s good to know they have a reliable backup who might even be ready to join the NHL soon.
Skaters are healthy
Besides their goaltending tandem, the Capitals are a (mostly) healthy team again. Connor McMichael was placed on injured reserve on January 31, but otherwise the team is intact. That’s a huge relief, as they struggled without Sandin and Roy, as well as a laundry list of other injured players moving in and out of the lineup.
When they are healthy and whole, they really click. While the team’s lines see turmoil in many games, the chemistry is present in virtually every combination. Despite the team’s recent slump, a playoff battle cannot be ruled out. Most everyone (with the exception of Olympians Tom Wilson, Thompson and Martin Fehervary) will get a long break to rest, recover and reset for the final part of the season and the real playoff push.
They now sit in third place in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, but could edge the Islanders by just a handful of points and move back into a spot in the Metropolitan playoffs. It will likely come down to the last few games of the season – as is standard for the conference – but if the team can keep pushing and continue to have the success they have had in their current run, they will find their way to the postseason once again.
They’ll be hoping for a win against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight and the Nashville Predators on Thursday before heading into halftime.
#Capital #letters #3game #winning #streak #works #Hockey #Writers #Washington #Capitals #Latest #news #analysis