The Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals will hope to have a short memory Tuesday as they conclude a stretch of two road games in as many nights.
Washington enters a visit to the Chicago Blackhawks on the heels of a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday, a result that ended the Capitals’ franchise-record 10-game road winning streak.
Washington had outscored opponents 13-6 over a four-game winning streak before Monday. Although the Capitals were limited to one goal at Dallas, that tally came about in familiar fashion, as Dylan Strome scored when he tipped in Jakob Chychrun’s point shot in the first period.
“Try to get a high tip because it’s tough for the goalie to pick it up, you know,” Strome said. “We talk a lot about getting to the net. It’s kind of a give-and-take, if you can get to the net to screen the goalie or try to get a high tip. All of our ‘D’ gets their shots through, and that’s been a huge reason why we’ve scored this year.”
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery appreciates players’ commitment, especially as the team has been without star forward Alex Ovechkin (fractured left fibula) for a month.
“We need to continue to find ways to score on the interior,” Carbery said. “… We’ve got to continue to work because those are hard goals to score, but they’re imperative goals to score. Imperative to score in this league, especially against good teams.”
Chicago has won two of four as it seeks its second two-game winning streak of the season.
While the Blackhawks have yielded eight third-period goals in the past three games, they prevented the most recent tally against them from being a back-breaker.
The New York Islanders’ Noah Dobson scored 47 seconds into the third period on Sunday in Chicago to tie the game at 3 apiece. Connor Bedard tallied the game-winner with 54 seconds to go, and the Blackhawks added an empty-netter for a 5-3 victory.
Blackhawks interim coach Anders Sorensen hailed the team’s resilience as an encouraging sign.
“We did bend a little bit, and we were teetering a little bit, but give the guys a lot of credit,” Sorensen said. “The composure on the bench was really good. A lot of young players kept their composure and kept making plays when the game was on the line.”
Count Bedard among them. He had a goal and assist, giving him seven points (two goals, five assists) in the past five games.
Bedard credits Sorensen’s new system as well as his work ethic for the turnaround.
“I feel like he’s been really good with me kind of one-on-one, helping me out,” Bedard said. “And I think we’re playing a little more aggressive, which obviously benefits the offensive side. But, you know, obviously I like to think I can make plays and produce, and that’s what I want to do. But he’s helped me out a bit, for sure.”
Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno missed the Islanders game with an illness. Washington’s Andrew Mangiapane was out Monday for the same reason.
–Field Level Media
