The Capitals could further stake their claim for a playoff spot with two points over the Red Wings on Tuesday.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — For Nic Dowd, playoff hockey is already underway for the Washington Capitals, and Tuesday's tilt with the Detroit Red Wings is analogous to a do-or-die Game 7.
Washington can do a lot with two points. Not only would it help the Capitals establish a three-point claim over the second Wild Card spot in the East, but if the Philadelphia Flyers fall in regulation, a win could boost D.C. to third in the Metro.
"I think this game has probably been circled on the schedule for a while for boh teams," Dowd said matter-of-factly.
With pressure mounting and Washington still sore about an 8-3 loss suffered at the hands of Detroit a month ago, the question remains: how will the Capitals respond to the pressure? They're embracing it.
"Towards the end of the year, you want to be playing meaningful hockey every single game, and I think teams historically that have been playing meaningful hockey going into the playoffs are more tested when they get there. I think guys in the NHL, their whole lives, have worked hard to get to this point to play with that pressure and use it as an advantage," Dowd said.
"I think those are the best players, the guys that can remain calm and in tough situations and continue to push forward. The benefit of our team is we've got a great mix of older guys and younger guys that have been in these situations all year... everybody in this room has already played in situations and getting ready for games like this and games down the stretch," he added.
It's worth noting that the team has played a lot better when it knows there's a lot at stake. In the last 10 games, Washington has gone 7-3, with Alex Ovechkin, Charlie Lindgren and more players up and down the lineup stepping up to lead the team to a win.
"We have guys when the higher the pressure is turned up, the better they play," defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk explained. "So I don't know if it's something you really want to run from; I think it's something you embrace. It's a big game, and I think we got a lot of guys in this room that'll just bring out better from them."
Lindgren, who will make his 12th start in the last 14 games, is aware of the circumstances and is ready to play with urgency but is mostly trying to stay even-keeled.
"I don't think I'm putting any extra pressure to be honest. I don't really look at the magnitude," Lindgren said. "Obviously, you're not delusional to that fact. But no, just looking forward to getting out there and playing another really meaningful competitive hockey game against a real good hockey team that we kind of owe them for what they did to us in Detroit a month ago. Excited for the opportunity and ready for the challenge."
Ultimately, going into Tuesday's contest, the veterans are trying to pave the way for the younger players in the room, and it starts with a direct message from the leadership group: stick to the game plan, and everything else will work itself out.
"It should feel like a playoff atmosphere. It'll be a great test for us. I'm mostly interested to see there's gonna probably be some different shifts in momentum and a game like this. Always is, and I'm looking forward to see how well that we're able mentally to just stay focused on our game," T.J. Oshie said. "Not be screaming too much about the refs or frustrated because maybe they're playing a hard game. Because that's how it's gonna be, I think both teams are gonna play super hard defensively, and it's going to come down to who sticks with their game the longest.
"It's just making sure guys know that even though there's maybe a heightened importance on the opponent tonight that you can be super intense, and you can also be calm at the same time. Energy and excitement and all that is very good. When that turns to maybe over-pressuring yourself or frustration, then I think that's when it can maybe make a net negative effect on the whole team. So it'll be important for the older guys to make sure that younger guys know that even though we have 12 games left, however many there are, this one is super important. Itll be a good tune-up to see if we're ready for a playoff atmosphere."