March 18 vs. Ottawa Senators at Capital One Arena
Time: 7:30 p.m.
TV: MNMT
Radio: 106.7 THE FAN/Caps Radio Network
Ottawa Senators (34-23-9)
Washington Capitals (33-27-8)
Following their second three-day break between games this month, the Caps will power back up on Wednesday night when they continue a four-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators. The Caps opened the homestand with a 3-2 shootout setback at the hands of the Boston Bruins; the postgame skills competition went nine rounds in Saturday afternoon’s homestand opener.
The Caps conducted a Sunday morning practice, and after signing Boston University blueliner Cole Hutson to his entry-level NHL contract on Sunday afternoon and an off day on Monday, the Caps reconvened on Tuesday morning for Hutson’s first practice session with his new teammates.
“Pretty crazy,” says Hutson of the whirlwind since the end of his college career on Saturday and his ascent to the NHL. “I got in two nights ago, so I just got in the good off day to relax and be where my feet are. I hung out with [Ryan Leonard Monday] and just got a little more comfortable.”
Hutson acquitted himself well at his first NHL practice. He wasn’t star struck, he looks like he is where he belongs, and he worked with Washington’s second power-play unit during Tuesday’s session.
“It was fun,” says Hutson. “Obviously, the guys are much bigger than college hockey. Definitely, it feels a bit weird, but it was a blast.”
Whether Hutson makes his NHL debut on Wednesday or not remains to be seen; Caps coach Spencer Carbery hasn’t committed to a lineup for Wednesday’s game with the Senators. But at his first NHL practice on Tuesday, the 19-year-old Hutson was paired with veteran righty Matt Roy, who played in his 500th NHL game just over a week ago.
“We were talking like the whole practice,” says Hutson of Roy. “Obviously, it’s all different systems than how we played at BU, so I hope I didn’t really annoy him at all. But I was talking his ear off the whole skate, trying to dial all the little things in.”
In the aftermath of the March 6 trade that sent John Carlson to Anaheim, Roy and Dylan Strome were designated alternate captains, replacing Carlson in that role. Roy will wear the “A” on the road, and Strome sports it at home.
“I’m just trying to be a steady presence out there,” says Roy. “I’m just teaching him what I can and helping him, allow him to play his game; he is obviously here for a reason. So, if he can be comfortable doing his thing, I think it will help our team.”
“I think it's just a good right shot partner for him, just to start with,” says Carbery of the decision to pair him with Roy. “We'll see where it goes. I'm sure we'll move some things around, but I think he's veteran presence, a right shot, can help Cole through games on the bench, in between periods, on the ice, in shifts. A good veteran leader to start your career with.”
Coming off an off day on Monday, the Caps had some noticeable pep in their collective step as they get set to host the Senators. With three games left on the homestand and facing the most uphill of climbs in their pursuit of a playoff berth, the Caps have been stuck in neutral and in need of a spark.
Since returning from the Olympic break late last month, the Caps are 4-4-1. That pace won’t get them close to where they likely will need to be to sneak into the Stanley Cup playoffs, but their goaltending and defense have both played well enough to give the Caps a chance to be better than they’ve been across those last nine games. Washington has allowed just 2.78 goals against per game, the ninth best rate in the NHL since the break.
Offensively though, the Caps have struggled. They’ve averaged just 2.56 goals per game since the break, ranking 27th in the circuit. Hutson isn’t expected to be the savior, and he may or may not be in the lineup on Wednesday. But he is an offensively gifted player whose exploits in two seasons at BU and a couple of stellar showings at the two most recent World Junior Championships have everyone excited to see how he will handle the hurdle.
“You could feel it a little bit today,” says Carbery. “Guys are excited. There’s been a lot of hype and anticipation to Cole coming here, what he has accomplished. These guys are smart guys, and they read things and they watch things, and they’ve seen all the different clips. They get excited about it, too; they want to watch what you guys want to watch and what we want to watch, to see his skill set on display and see what he is capable of doing. You could feel it definitely gave us a bit of added juice today at practice.”
It’s been a wild few days for the 19-year-old, but he’s got Leonard to lean on and a pair of older brothers who’ve already played in the NHL. Most notable is Montreal’s Lane Hutson, last season’s Calder Trophy winner as the League’s top rookie. Lane also left BU after his sophomore season, and he got a late-season taste of the NHL the season before, getting into two games.
Older brother Quinn is the only forward of the four hockey-playing Hutson brothers; he signed with Edmonton as a free agent and currently shares the AHL rookie scoring lead with Hershey’s Ilya Protas, brother of Caps forward Aliaksei.
In addition to hanging out with Leonard on Monday, Cole Hutson spent a good chunk of the day on the line with Lane.
“Yeah, it’s awesome,” he says. “I probably was on the phone with Lane for three hours [Monday], just talking about how I’ve got to play and just what to do and what not to do. And Leno obviously having gone through it last year, I’m at a head start with the advice from him for sure.”
In addition to all the advice, Hutson seems to have a good head on his shoulders, aside from the hockey IQ wizardry. He vows to finish his BU degree, and true to his word, he’s staying where his quick feet are.
“Honestly, I’m just trying to stay in the moment,” says Hutson. “I’m still shocked; I can’t really believe that I’m in this locker room right now. I’m just hoping to play and play well.”
That’s exactly what the Ottawa Senators have been up to of late. With a 6-1-2 mark coming out of the Olympic break, the Sens (.778) boast the third-best points percentage in the League across that span, trailing only Buffalo and Dallas.
The Sens have surged past the Caps, leading Washington by three points going into Wednesday’s contest. Ottawa holds two games in hand on the Caps as well. The Senators drubbed the Caps 7-1 here on Oct. 25 in the first meeting of the season between the two teams, and Ottawa also prevailed in the lone game played there this season, 4-3 on New Year’s Day.
