Caps Finish Western Canada Trip on Saturday in Calgary

Oct. 27 vs. Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome
Time: 4:00 p.m.
TV: NBCSW
Radio:Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7
Washington Capitals 4-3-2
Calgary Flames 5-5-0

Two teams looking to rebound from losses at the hands of each other's fiercest rivals will tangle on Saturday afternoon in Calgary when the Capitals make their lone visit of the season to the Stampede City to take on the Flames. While the Caps were absorbing a 4-1 setback at the hands of the Oilers in Edmonton on Thursday, the Flames were on the business end of a 9-1 home ice beatdown from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Saturday's game concludes the Western Canada portion of the Capitals' four-game road tour of Canadian cities, a journey that will come to an end on Thursday night in Montreal. Washington began its trip on a high note, taking a 5-2 win from the Canucks in Vancouver on Monday night before falling in Edmonton.
Washington hits the 10-game mark for the season with Saturday's matinee against the Flames. The Caps have collected points in six of their first nine, and they're off to a slightly better start than they were at the same point last season. But they also know they can play better, and they're still looking to find their level and to settle into the season.
"I think it's just finding that consistency," says Caps winger Chandler Stephenson. "Just like last game [in Vancouver], [we need] just a big hit or something to get us going. But we'll find it. We're not panicking in here or pressing the panic button. It's just a matter of time and we'll be right where we want to be."
The Caps didn't roar out of the gates last season, either. As they will do on Saturday, the Caps concluded the October portion of their schedule last season against the Flames in Calgary, falling 2-1. That left them with a 5-6-1 mark, ending a string of 24 straight months in which the Caps earned at least half of the points available to them. October of 2017 still stands as Washington's worst month of hockey - from strictly a points percentage standpoint - since Jan. 2014 when they went 4-7-4 with Adam Oates behind their bench.

"I think we're still searching for it," says Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen of the elusive level of consistency his team is seeking. "So we'll keep a positive attitude and keep working. But I'd like to see us string a few together here with some better efforts. The good thing about our group is we've kind of developed over the last couple of years, is that we rebound pretty well. We have responses, so we'll look for that in Calgary. But I think we all know we can play better."
On the bright side of Thursday's loss was a second straight strong outing from Washington winger Andre Burakovsky, who also scored his team's lone goal in the game. Burakovsky started Thursday's game on the Caps' fourth line, but was skating on the top unit alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov in the game's latter stages. Burakovsky also saw some penalty killing duty alongside Kuznetsov in the third period when Washington was down a goal or two and was trying to get back into the game.
"Last year when I was struggling a little bit," says Burakovsky, "I didn't feel comfortable at all about my game. I think this year when I haven't had the success that I really wanted to, I think I've still been making plays and feeling comfortable about my game. [Thursday's game] didn't turn out as we wanted to, and that's something we've got to build on as a team and get back at it against Calgary."

The Flames' loss to the Pens was their second in succession; they also lost a road game by a 3-2 count in Montreal on Tuesday. That loss to the Canadiens is one of only two one-goal games for the Flames thus far this season - four of Calgary's five wins have come by a three-goal margin.
For Calgary, Thursday's thumping was the team's worst loss in nearly seven years, since a 9-0 beating at the hands of the Bruins in Boston on Jan. 5, 2012. It was the Flames' worst loss on home ice in more than two decades, since a 10-1 loss to Edmonton here on Nov. 29, 1996.
Mike Smith started in goal for the Flames on Thursday, giving up six goals on 21 shots in just under 30 minutes of work. He is likely to get the nod again on Saturday against the Caps. Calgary backup David Rittich has just 27 games on his NHL résumé, with five of those coming this season. Rittich is 2-1 in his three starts this season, and the 26-year-old Czech has come in to relieve Smith in two of the latter's seven starts as well.