Caps' Road Trip Continues on Thursday in Edmonton

Oct. 25 vs. Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place
Time: 9:00 p.m.
TV:NBCSW
Radio:Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7
Washington Capitals 4-2-2
Edmonton Oilers 3-3-1

Having won four of their first eight games of the season, the Caps will try for the fourth time to string together consecutive wins on Thursday night against the Oilers in Edmonton. The game is the middle match of a three-game tour through Western Canada, a journey that began with a 5-2 win over the Canucks in Vancouver on Monday.
With a day off on Tuesday, the Caps' traveling crew bused up to Whistler, B.C. and spent the day engaged in various team-building activities. T.J. Oshie's team bested three others in an axe-throwing competition, and the team spent the remainder of the day and evening enjoying one another's company, some unique games of chance and other fun diversions, and many laughs at a local establishment.

"It's a great thing, especially with just how our season has started and for our first real road trip, coming out west here," says Caps coach Todd Reirden. "It's something I thought about in the summer and talked to some of the leadership group about, was going to Whistler. It was a great spot that not many of them had been to. I had been years ago when I was a player, with the NHLPA for a convention. But it was something I thought they would enjoy.
"I thought it was something that given this time of season, there wouldn't be a whole lot of people up there, and in thought that we could do our own thing and fly under the radar. That, to me, is tough to find in today's game, those areas where you can do that sort of stuff and cut loose a little bit and get to know guys. We do have some new players, and it wasn't just players - it was staff members and that's what it is all about, is building our bond and making it even stronger because at the end of the day, everyone has talent. It's how much you care about that guy that's next to you."
On Wednesday morning, the Caps departed the greater Vancouver area for Edmonton, and they got in a late afternoon practice at Rogers Place, too.
Monday's win in Vancouver showcased the Caps' star power. Nicklas Backstrom had three assists to reach the 600-helper milestone for his NHL career, Alex Ovechkin had two goals and four points, John Carlson recorded his fifth multi-point game in eight contests on the season to date, Evgeny Kuznetsov scored on the power play to maintain his league-leading status in that department, and Braden Holtby made 22 saves for his fourth win of the season.
Perhaps most encouraging was the Caps' performance in their own end of the ice. Washington effectively bottled up the Canucks' attack, limiting Vancouver to a total of 35 shot attempts in the game, and just 30 at even strength. Entering Monday's game, the Caps had permitted a total of 19 goals in their previous four games. Getting the victory in Vancouver to start the trip is something the Caps will now look to build upon.
"It's always good when you get that first one," says Caps winger T.J. Oshie. "When you get it for the most part playing the right away and everyone being involved, it sets you up to possibly have a nice road trip and to collect as many points as you can."
The Oilers started their season in Sweden against then New Jersey Devils, then they had a lengthy break before playing their second game of the season in Boston. Edmonton dropped both of those games, but won its next three contests, including two in overtime. Thursday's game against Washington concludes a four-game homestand for the Oilers, who are 1-1-1 in the first three games.

Most recently, the Oilers dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. Edmonton had a couple of leads in that game, but it trailed 4-3 heading into the third. The Oilers got power-play goals from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl early in the third to take a 5-4 lead, but had to settle for a single point at night's end. Ex-Caps winger Alex Chiasson had a pair of goals in the game, his first two tallies of the season.
Like every other Oilers opponent, the Caps will be looking to keep McDavid in check on Thursday, knowing that gives them their best chance of getting out of town with two points.
"It's going to be important that we try to limit his time and his space," says Oshie. "With just his talent level and work ethic, he is going to find ways to get chances. But we've got to try to limit those as best as we can and it's got to be a next man up type of thing. Whoever has got the match-up, you've got a job to do and you've got to do it well if we're going to try to limit his time and his scoring chances."