Homework – Entering tonight’s game with Calgary, the Caps are carrying a pair of impressive point streaks. With a 16-game point streak at home (11-0-5), the Caps are a game shy of matching the longest home point streak in franchise history, a 17-game run (16-0-1) in the Presidents’ Trophy-winning season of 2016-17.
Washington also has an eight-game overall point streak (5-0-3) dating back to its only regulation loss in calendar 2025, a 2-1 setback at the hands of the Canucks in Vancouver on Jan. 25; that eight-game point streak started with a 3-1 win over the Flames in Calgary on Jan. 28, four weeks ago today.
The Capitals’ 18-4-6 home record is fourth-best in the NHL from a point percentage (.750) standpoint; the team’s road record of 20-7-2 (.724) is second-best in the circuit.
“I think we’ve been good overall, on the road too,” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery. “We’re playing well there; we take a lot of pride in playing on home ice. I think our fan base comes into play, the building, feeding off their energy. I think we've even come back in some of those games where we've been trailing at home. The Winnipeg game comes to mind, the Utah game comes to mind. I think overall, we have a lot of confidence, but also being able to play at home in front of our fans, our guys take a lot of pride in that.”
Over the life of their home point streak – which is closing in on 100 days now – the Caps have the second-best home record in the League. Los Angeles is 13-1-1 at home (.900) over the same stretch while the Caps are at .844.
With the hubbub around Alex Ovechkin’s ongoing chase for the NHL’s all-time goals record gradually ascending to fever pitch, the home crowds have risen to the occasion of late, both in volume and well, the other kind of volume. Both types of volume were evident at Sunday’s homestand opener against Edmonton, a 7-3 win that featured an Ovechkin hat trick.
“That adds another level,” says Carbery. “But I’ve even felt that our crowd, fans, even in that game -- like before [Ovechkin] scored – it was great energy in the building, and our players replicated that, but they feed off of that, so they can feel the intensity of the game. And even when we're trailing in that game 1-0, there's just a buzz in the crowd, and they're into every play, and guys feed off of that. And then [Ovechkin] scores, and now it just comes even that much more alive, and then the chants and all that.
“But yeah, it's fun to play at home right now for our guys, and we appreciate that energy from them. Because I do feel like Utah, that game we’re down 1-0, and you need something to go your way. And in a small, subtle way, the fans can drag us into the fight a little bit and get us back into those games by believing, ‘We can come back in this game.’ There's no panic here, and the Edmonton game was a good example of that.”
Baby Break It Down – Last season was Carbery’s first behind the Washington bench. And after a slow 1-3-1 start out of the gates, the Caps quickly found their footing and were actually in good shape (17-9-5) going into the holiday break; their .629 point percentage was 10th best in the NHL and they were holding down the first wild card slot at that juncture of the campaign.
But things went off the rails for the Caps “between the breaks” last season; they went just 5-9-2 coming out of that break and leading up to the NHL’s All-Star break in late January. Washington’s record was 27th in the circuit between the breaks, and they entered play after the All-Star break in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, seven points south of the Detroit Rd Wings for the second and final wild card playoff berth.
The Caps needed a remarkable late push and some otherworldly work in the net from Charlie Lindgren to eke their way into that last playoff berth in their last game of the season.
But what a difference a year makes.
First, the Caps went into the holiday break on better footing this season, with a 23-9-2 mark, third-best in the NHL. But Washington roared its way through the “between the breaks” segment of the 2024-25 season, rolling up a remarkable 13-2-6 record and heading into the Four Nations break with the best record in the League (36-11-8, .727).
And now they’ve won their first two games coming out of that break, too.
“It’s helped a lot,” says Caps forward Connor McMichael. “I think we’ve gained a lot of ground in the standings; we’ve been playing really well. I think the Four Nations break really helped us a lot. There were a lot of guys on our team that deserved to be there I would say. It was unfortunate they were not, but we’ll for sure take the rest.
“I think it showed in the first two games, that we’re well rested and re-energized mentally and physically. We are ready for the final stretch here, and I thought the last six weeks was a good indicator of the direction we’re heading, and how we want to keep winning hockey games.”
In The Nets – Calgary native Logan Thompson gets the net tonight for the Capitals. Four weeks ago tonight in Calgary, the day after his six-year contract extension was announced, Thompson helped the Caps to a 3-1 victory over the Flames with a sturdy 32-save performance.
Entering tonight’s game against the Flames, Thompson has helped the Caps earn a least a point in each of his last 17 appearances (13-0-3). He has a 2.02 GAA and a .930 save pct. with a pair of shutouts across that span.
Lifetime against the Flames, Thompson is 4-2-0 with a 2.39 GAA and a .932 save pct. in half a dozen appearances, all of them starts.
For Calgary, we are expecting to see Dan Vladar in the crease tonight. Serving as a backup to starter Dustin Wolf, Vladar has forged a 7-10-5 record on the season, along with a 3.07 GAA and an .888 save pct. He is making his first start since Feb. 2 – Calgary’s most recent road game – when he stopped 29 of 31 shots he faced to earn a 3-2 victory over the Kraken in Seattle.
Lifetime against Washington, Vladar is 2-2-0 in four appearances – all starts – with a 4.23 GAA and an .850 save pct.
All Lined Up – Here’s how we believe the Capitals and the Flames might look on Tuesday night in the District:
WASHINGTON
Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 17-Strome, 21-Protas
24-McMichael, 80-Dubois, 43-Wilson
88-Mangiapane, 20-Eller, 53-Frank
22-Duhaime, 26-Dowd, 16-Raddysh
Defensemen
38-Sandin, 74-Carlson
42-Fehervary, 3-Roy
6-Chychrun, 57-van Riemsdyk
Goaltenders
48-Thompson
79-Lindgren
Extras
13-Vrana
27-Alexeyev
52-McIlrath
Out/Injured
15-Milano (upper body)
19-Backstrom (hip)
77-Oshie (back)
CALGARY
Forwards
10-Huberdeau, 91-Kadri, 27-Coronato
47-Zary, 11-Backlund, 20-Coleman
86-Farabee, 16-Frost, 17-Sharangovich
70-Lomberg, 21-Rooney, 76-Pospisil
Defensemen
7-Bahl, 4-Andersson
44-Hanley, 52-Weegar
24-Bean, 94-Pachal
Goaltenders
32-Wolf
80-Vladar
Extras
42-Kapanen
51-Stecher
Out/Injured
91-Kane (lower body)
