Capitals Look to Rebound Against Wild After Shutout Loss
The Washington Capitals are setting their sights on a rebound performance when they face off against the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul this Tuesday night. The Capitals, still reeling from a 3-0 shutout defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues last Saturday, are looking to turn the tide and improve upon their recent offensive struggles.
This season has been particularly challenging for Washington's offense, with the team being held scoreless five times—a number not seen since the 2018-19 campaign. Moreover, the Capitals have found themselves scoring one or fewer goals in 16 of their 44 games thus far, highlighting an area of concern as they approach the midpoint of the season.
In their recent matchup against the Blues, Washington managed only 18 shots on goal, experiencing periods within the game without registering a single shot on net. Despite previously containing the Blues to just 12 shots at 5-on-5, the Capitals' offensive efforts were stifled, leaving them searching for answers as they prepare for their next challenge.
The Capitals took advantage of an off day in Minneapolis on Sunday to regroup and followed up with a focused practice session on Monday, aiming to refine their game plan ahead of the upcoming contest against the Wild.
Despite their efforts, the Capitals are considered underdogs heading into the match with Minnesota. The Wild boast impressive individual performances this season, with Kirill Kaprizov leading their team with 42 points, followed by Joel Eriksson Ek with 36 points, and Mats Zuccarello adding 35 points to the mix.
Capitals' Key Player Performances
Washington's own roster features several noteworthy contributors despite the team's offensive woes. Alexander Ovechkin and Dylan Strome have each tallied 28 points this season, while John Carlson is close behind with 26 points. Between the pipes, goaltender Darcy Kuemper has appeared in 23 games, maintaining a .895 save percentage.
However, the Capitals are dealing with significant injury setbacks. Rasmus Sandin and Nicklas Bäckström remain sidelined due to injuries, and Sonny Milano is contending with an upper-body injury that affects the team's depth and scoring potential.
Injury Woes for Both Teams
On the opposing side, the Wild are also navigating through their share of injury concerns. Jared Spurgeon's season has come to a premature end due to hip and back issues, while Sam Hentges is out with an undisclosed injury. Additionally, Frederick Gaudreau and Marc-Andre Fleury are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries, and both Connor Dewar and Vinni Lettieri are hampered by lower-body injuries.
Despite these challenges, Minnesota's netminder Filip Gustavsson has put up a comparable performance to his Washington counterpart, posting a .896 save percentage this season.
Capitals' Coach Carbery Addresses Concerns
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery expressed determination to address the team's offensive shortcomings. "We're going to get to work," he stated emphatically. Carbery acknowledged the deficiencies displayed in the game against St. Louis, emphasizing the need for a significantly improved offensive effort.
"There’s a lot of things that we failed to do in that St. Louis game that we need to do a way better job of offensively," Carbery admitted. He further noted that the team has discussed these issues and is hopeful that the adjustments made will be evident in their play. "And so we addressed those, we talked about them, and hopefully we’ll implement those and see those come to life," he concluded.
As the Capitals gear up for their confrontation with the Wild, the team is undoubtedly eager to demonstrate that their hard work in practice can translate into success on the ice. With both teams facing their own set of adversities, Tuesday night's game promises to be a compelling battle as each seeks to secure a much-needed victory.