It’s been more than a week since the new-look Capitals (3-2) opened the season with a resounding win over Hurricanes. The four games since have been … somewhat choppier. Here’s what this group has shown so far.
This group has a far higher ceiling than last season …
These opening games have offered quite a bit for Caps fans to enjoy. The Alex Tuch–Pierre-Luc Dubois–Tom Wilson line has been a 200-foot marvel. Boone Jenner has made for a delightfully competent veteran presence on the fourth line. Vincent Desharnais has packed a punch on D. With these acquisitions, Washington added meaningful size, depth and speed, and that’s been clear from the jump.
“We all want to find our role right away, and I think we’ve done that,” said Jenner, who came to Washington in free agency this summer after playing 13 seasons in Columbus. “This room, the character that we have, I think everybody’s pulling the same way, and it makes it easy coming in.”
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There have certainly been some real areas of frustration (read on for those), but at its best, this group has played like a legitimate contender, even if that has come only in fits and starts.
… but they still have plenty to clean up.
This much was obvious for anyone who caught a few minutes of Sunday’s third period against the Kraken. The loss ended up being a display of this group at its most uncoordinated — clumsy and inefficient, frequently giving away the puck, consistently playing from behind. “We’re just making too many mistakes,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said afterward. “A lot of mistakes with the puck. Poor decisions. We’ve just got to work on being a smarter team.” This was just one game. (Albeit one that proved exceptionally rough to watch.) But it did hint at some larger frustrations here.
The Capitals have been scoring above league average to begin the season. (Their shooting percentage is above the NHL average, too.) But they’ve done that despite struggling to get the puck in the offensive zone and keep it there: Washington ranks 30th in time spent in the o-zone.
“We’ll get it fixed,” Carbery said. “But it’s going to take some time, and guys have to learn.”
This defense needs Matt Roy (or Rasmus Sandin).
Washington has spent much of the season without its top defenseman: Matt Roy played the first two games of the season but has been sidelined since with a lower body injury — the Capitals placed him on injured reserve on Monday. That has proven to be a problem.
The defense has been shaky and uneven without him. Dylan McIlrath has not exactly inspired confidence as his replacement. (The penalty-prone veteran got scarcely five minutes of ice time in the loss against the Kraken on Sunday.) By moving Roy to the IR on Monday, the organization was able to recall a replacement from Hershey in Justin Holl, who could see the ice this week. But it’s hard to cover the absence of Roy, who remains day-to-day, though he’s been skating in a non-contact jersey.
Another defenseman this group is missing? Rasmus Sandin. He’s continuing to make his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in April. (Though it’s worth noting that he’s been skating for weeks and is said to be progressing well: “It’s very positive, how he looks right now,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said during training camp.) For all the Capitals’ depth at forward, they have precious little on their defense, and that’s been frustratingly clear this season.
Alex Tuch has made himself right at home.
None of the Capitals’ additions has looked quite so comfortable as quickly as Alex Tuch. “He’s an extremely intelligent player, and he has a great stick,” Carbery said. “Because of his instincts, he can read what’s about to happen.” He’s been an early scoring threat, leading the Capitals in goals with three, and has been a key contributor to both the power play and the penalty kill. He’s shown a knack for controlling play and positioning himself well. No forward on the roster has produced more expected goals.
“He puts himself in the right spots to create offense,” said linemate Tom Wilson.
Tuch was among the splashiest acquisitions of the offseason, coming to Washington from Buffalo in a sign-and-trade with an eight-year, $84 million deal back in June. So far, he’s backed it up.
The power play is a work in progress.
Certainly, there have been flashes of a cleaner, more fluid power play. But that hasn’t yielded much in the way of consistent results: The Capitals have started the season 2-for-17 on the man advantage. So far, they haven’t gotten anything from their most reliable threat here, Alex Ovechkin, who leads the roster in power play minutes as usual, even as his ice time has decreased at even strength.
These units are the responsibility of a new coach: Washington added power play specialist Ray Bennett to the staff this offseason.
“I’ve liked what Ray’s doing, and what he’s trying to implement,” Carbery said after Washington scored its first power play goal of the season last week. “Now, this is at the base level of building this thing, so we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. But we have seen baby steps.”
Like any baby steps, however, those have come with some face-plants.
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