Sept. 21 vs. Philadelphia Flyers at Giant Center
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: MNMT2
Radio: NHL app, Caps Radio Network
Philadelphia Flyers (0-0-0)
Washington Capitals (0-0-1)
A night after opening their four-game preseason slate with a 3-2 shootout loss at the hands of the Bruins in Boston, the Caps are right back at it at Giant Center in Hershey, where they will host the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
Monday’s game marks the second straight preseason in which Washington has played an exhibition game against the Flyers at Hershey’s Giant Center. On Sept. 25 of last year, the Caps prevailed 5-1 over the Philly in the Chocolatetown exhibition.
In Sunday’s preseason opener, the Caps dressed a representative lineup replete with several veterans, including half of their likely top dozen forwards and four of their top six defensemen. Most of the remaining regulars figure to suit up on Monday against the Flyers.
Washington’s power play and its penalty kill were among the best aspects of its game Sunday; the team’s 5-on-5 play was not as sharp. The Caps traveled a bigger lineup, and that showed up on the scoresheet with 36 hits from 14 different players on the night, paced by nine from Matt Roy.
During Sunday’s opener, the Caps got their fill of situational hockey. They had a full, two-minute, two-man advantage in the first period, and they successfully faced down a Boston two-man advantage of 51 seconds in duration in the third period. They played just under five minutes of 4-on-4 hockey, they yielded the tying goal in a 5-on-6 situation in the penultimate minute of regulation, and they had two stretches of 4-on-3 power play time in overtime. They also had a shootout, and obviously not one of those gratuitous ones that irk us reporter types so much at this time of the year.
While those situations are good to have from a video and learning standpoint, they’re not as useful early in the preseason because the lineup doesn’t look like it will two weeks from now when the regular season is underway.
“Honestly, though, it's not [as useful] because those probably aren't going to be the guys that are out there, all of them together,” says Carbery. “You ideally score, and they feel good about it, and create some confidence. But as we know that when our whole group's together, when the games start counting for real, that 5-on-3 will look different.
“But we get a few reps on the power play, on the kill, some film to look at, and potentially teach off of. So, that's what we use it for.”
For the second straight preseason, Logan Thompson asked for the net in the preseason opener – both times on the road in Boston – and for the second straight September, he got out of the exhibition starting gate with a sterling performance.
“He played the same game last year,” says Carbery of last year’s preseason opener, in the same building 364 days earlier. “He wanted to play the opening game, and that's kind of his MO. He wants to get right into the net as early as he possibly can in camp or whenever your earliest scheduled exhibition game is, and tonight was an example of that. And I thought he was fantastic, especially in the second period under siege there for a while, and he made a number of huge saves to keep us up in that game or tied. He was really, really sharp tonight.”
Although the Caps’ power play was strong in the areas of offensive zone time, shot volume, puck movement and retrievals, the unit’s collective marksmanship was understandably a bit off after a long summer away from game action. But the power play was instrumental in both Washington goals; both were scored exactly four seconds after the expiration of a Caps man advantage.
Half (16 of 32) of Washington’s total shots on goal came from its extra-man group, and the crew accounted for nearly half (20 of 43) of the Caps’ errant shots; 10 missed the net and 10 were blocked.
Two of the bubble forwards who are seeking to crack the team’s opening night roster accounted for Washington’s offense. From the left circle, Jonny Brodzinski converted a stellar Ivan Miroshnichenko pass, blasting a one-timer into a yawning cage to stake the Caps to a 1-0 lead in the first period.
“Yeah, it was a good game,” says Brodzinski. “I thought our line [with Miroshnichenko and Josh Dunne] was going the whole night. I felt like we did a pretty good job on the power play, just keeping it simple and just working harder than the PK. So, I think we played a pretty simple game, but I think we were good.”
During the first three days of camp practices, Miroshnichenko skated on a line with Brodzinski and Ethen Frank. Against the Bruins, Josh Dunne pivoted for Miroshnichenko and Brodzinski, who slid to the right side.
“I think we all play a pretty fast style of game,” says Brodzinski. “We can all shoot the puck really well, so we’re just feeding off each other, me, Miro and Frankie. I think especially when Frankie gets his wheels going, he’s fun to play with.”
After setting up the first Washington goal, Miroshnichenko scored the second off a massive goalmouth scramble early in the third, again delivering exactly four seconds after the Caps power ended.
Miroshnichenko finished the night with six shots on net and 11 attempts, both team highs. He also laid three hits while logging 13:52 in ice time, with 4:54 coming on the power play.
“I thought he was solid,” says Carbery of Miroshnichenko’s game. “I liked his physicality; obviously, the huge hit down in our corner. Sets up [Brodzinski], looked good, okay on the power play at times, made a few plays. So, I thought he was solid and we'll see what the film tells us.”
Monday’s game is the first of the preseason for the Flyers, who will be playing the front end of a set of back-to-backs. Philadelphia travels to Boston for a Tuesday night tilt against the Bruins. The Caps and Flyers will both conclude their preseason on Saturday in Philly.
