Bubble Boy Tom Wilson continues to be a force to be reckoned with for the Capitals.
Bubble Boy Tom Wilson continues to be a force to be reckoned with for the Capitals.
The Washington Capitals could have easily fallen into a trap against the struggling Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
Coming back home to the Capital One Arena, the Capitals, who have not had the best luck at home this far, were facing a Sabres team that was trying to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Thankfully, the Capitals came home and got the job done in a 4-2 win over Buffalo.
There are a lot of storylines to unpack from this one, so let's get into it!
Bubble Boy Tom Wilson Stays Hot
Tom Wilson has been written about a lot here lately and for good reason. He has absolutely put this team on his shoulders in the absence of team captain Alex Ovechkin.
Not one to let a silly broken sinus bone get in the way, Wilson added a pair of goals — both on the power play — as he buried his only two shots of the game en route to the win.
Besides that, there's plenty to say about Wilson, who has blossomed into the de facto leader of this team with captain Alex Ovechkin healing from a broken leg.
Wilson has seven goals in his last eight games, and seven of those performances have been multi-goal outings. Even with the bubble, he's getting the job done.
Over the course of his career, he has morphed into a true power forward, a type of player that seems to be slowly disappearing throughout the league.
"He does a lot of selfless things for this hockey team," Dylan Strome said of Wilson postgame.
Beyond providing offense, the 30-year-old plays a great 200-foot game, and bodies players, makes good hits, and uses his physicality, while also playing a more disciplined game and taking on key minutes at 5-on-5 and on the power play and penalty kill.
"He's not fun to play against," Strome also noted.
His career progression has been fun to watch, and the sky is the limit for him as he gets older and develops a greater leadership role with the Capitals.
Caps Power Play Finally Showing Consistent Signs of Life, Special Teams Solid
Since the beginning of November, the Capitals have managed to find some life on the power play, and though the last five games have seen spotty results on the man advantage, it's generating pressure and played a key role in the win over Buffalo.
Saturday's game saw Bubble Buddy Wilson tally twice on the power play, which went 2-for-3 on the night.
As of Nov. 15, Washington's power play has been operating at a 35 percent rate, good for second in the league behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's also no coincidence that during this span, the Capitals are 11-2 as they've also maintained a record-breaking win streak on the road.
On the other side of the puck, the penalty kill continues to get the job done and ranks fourth-best in the NHL.
Competent special teams units are crucial to success in this league, and showing improvement on the power play after starting off dead-last in the NHL and moving up to 13th overall is a testament not only to Spencer Carbery and the coaching staff, but the work ethic and drive of this year's Washington squad.
Let's all hope this trend continues upward. There is too much talent on this team to not be taking advantage of other team's penalties.
Offense Continues To Be A Team Effort
Speaking of offense, the Capitals' success on the forecheck has been a whole team effort for most of the season, and this includes the defensive corps as well.
Last night saw Jakob Chychrun get his ninth of the season, as well as adding an additional assist on Wilson's second goal of the game.
"Everybody chips in," Wilson said.
John Carlson was also directly responsible for both the first Wilson goal and the Dylan Strome tip-in that gave the lead to Washington in the third and finished the night with three primary helpers.
"He probably doesn't get the recognition that he deserves," Strome noted of Carlson.
It's been mentioned before, but this team's depth on offense cannot be understated. Washington, no matter the situation, finds ways to score, and it truly takes every member of the lineup.
Chychrun, Carlson, and the rest of the blue line continue to factor in big time as well.
And while Carlson earns praise, it also cannot be said enough how good of a pickup Chychrun has been for this team. The 26-year-old was always a solid and dynamic defenseman, but he has been able to show his true skillset on this Capitals team.
He's a big fan of D.C., and the team needs to get an extension done — and fast.
The Lindgren/Thompson Duo Is Paying Off
How lucky is Washington that it has managed to get arguably one of the best goaltending tandems in the league right now with Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren?
Lindgren has managed to shake off a sluggish start to his season with a solid start to December, he and Thompson have been lights out for this team.
Against Buffalo, Thompson stopped 19 of 21 shots (.905 save percentage), including two breakaways. Let's also not forget the four breakaways he stopped against Montreal.
Thompson now ranks fifth in goals saved above expected (9.6) and has lost in regulation just once, and Lindgren has a .952 save percentage to open the month of December and has a .914 save percentage in his last three starts.
The Road Ahead
Last night's game was a brief stop at home before returning to the road on Monday to take on the Dallas Stars, followed by a tilt with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Dallas is certainly a strong opponent and one that will make it difficult to extend that record-breaking road win streak.
The Stars can play stingy, low-scoring hockey, and they have a solid defensive corps to boot. Dallas has also allowed the fewest goals in the league at 74, and Jake Oettinger is boasting strong numbers himself.
On special teams, the Stars also have a solid penalty kill (83.1), though their power play needs work (17.6).
The Capitals will need to play smart hockey in this one in order to beat Dallas' defense and get chances on Oettinger. On the back end, Washington will need to be sharp, as the Stars are near the top of the league in shots per game, averaging 30.6.
However, with the way D.C. is clicking, there's no reason they can't leave Dallas with two points. It will just take some patient hockey to pull it off.