The Washington Capitals will look to stay hot at home when they host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.
The Capitals have won six straight home games after opening the season with a home loss to the New Jersey Devils. They’ve scored at least four goals in all but one of those wins, including 18 tallies over their past three home games.
Of their 46 goals this season, 34 have come at Capital One Arena for an average of 4.86 per game, both ranking second in the NHL entering Tuesday’s schedule. On the road, where the Capitals have played four games, they’ve managed just 12 goals, half of which came in one game (a 6-5 overtime win against the Devils on Oct. 19).
Alex Ovechkin has been a key factor in that offensive pace at home. The Washington captain has put up 12 of his 14 points in his rink, on five goals and seven assists.
“Obviously it’s going well for (Ovechkin), you’ve got to find a way to get him the puck when he’s open,” said Dylan Strome, who centers the top line between Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas. “We have lots of chances in the game, whether it’s off faceoffs or in the (offensive) zone or on the power play.
“He’s making great plays, too. That’s the thing, it’s not just his goals. I think his assists are up, too, and he’s making really good passes, and we’re finding ways to connect. … So we’re just trying to find ways to contribute and help the team.”
The Capitals had won three in a row before that streak was snapped Sunday in a 4-2 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Along with Ovechkin, who was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after scoring five goals in four games, Strome and Protas helped fuel that three-game winning streak. Each had three straight multi-point efforts during that stretch as the trio combined for 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists).
Things haven’t been as rosy for the Predators, who had higher expectations after the high-profile offseason additions of forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei. They’re 4-7-1 after a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday and are last in the Central Division, albeit just four points out fourth place.
“Frustration’s everywhere, you can feel it through our bench,” Predators center Ryan O’Reilly said. Everyone feels it. We have to dig deeper to find a way out of it.”
Nashville, which opened the season with a five-game losing streak, has dropped three of its past four games after a three-game winning streak. The team has eight goals in those four outings, with five of those coming in their lone win.
The Predators entered Tuesday’s schedule 29th in the league in goals for (29) and goals per game (2.42).
“Seems like we’re a little flat,” defenseman Luke Schenn said. “… My opinion, pretty perimeter. We’ve been talking about it, and you’re not going to score goals unless you get to the inside. … It’s just not good enough.”
While Marchessault is tied for third on the team with seven points (two goals, five assists), Stamkos is seventh with just two goals and five points through 12 games, including one goal in his past seven games.
