#CapsFlyers Skate Shavings: Finishing Up Frenetic Stretch Against Philly

A week ago at this time, the Capitals were early into their bye week, and basking in the glow of a stretch in which they won six of seven games leading up to that five-day respite. But things change quickly in the NHL and in the Metropolitan Division. When the Caps host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, they'll be playing their third game in less than 72 hours since the conclusion of that bye week, and they'll go into that contest with just one win in their last four games (1-2-1).

Truth be told, the Caps seemed to be headed for a bit of a market correction for a while now, and they may be going through one at the moment. Even in rolling up an impressive 14-3-2 record from the start of December to the middle of this month, the cracks were beginning to show.

"I definitely think so," says Caps goalie Braden Holtby. "If we were going to continue to play the way we were, it was just a matter of time before things turned the other way. It wasn't that we were playing horrible; it was just that we were winning games that could have easily gone the other way.

"I think it's a good reality check at this point of the year for us. We've done a lot of good work this season coming up to this point, but there is still a lot more that we need to do in order to become the team we want to be."

Washington conducted a practice on Saturday morning, its first in 10 days, since before the bye week.

"I think we kind of had a self-evaluation day today where we realize that we've been pretty sloppy in a few areas," says Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen. "So we're not very happy today. I think everybody realizes that we're going to have to be a lot better if we're going to be a good team going forward."

The Metro Road - Coming into Sunday's slate of NHL activity, not one of the eight Metropolitan Division teams has won more than half of its road games. Most NHL teams perform better and get better results in front of their home crowds, but in the Metro - where all eight teams can still lay claim to extremely viable playoff possibilities - if a team can get hot on the road in the second half, it may be able to achieve some separation from its Metro brethren.

With their next two home games coming against Philadelphia, the Caps can mitigate the Flyers' ability to start a successful road run down the back half of the season.

"The teams in your division, if they're struggling on the road, it puts more importance on those games when you're playing them at home," says Caps defenseman Brooks Orpik. "That was something we struggled with the first couple of weeks of the season, and then once we got some traction at home, it seemed like we really developed a good confidence in our advantage on home ice. That will be crucial down the stretch here, but finding a way to win games or at least get a point on the road will allow us to get some separation from the pack here."

The Caps themselves have been heating up a bit on the road of late. They've pulled points in seven of their last eight road games (4-1-3) away from the District. Since Barry Trotz took the team's coaching reins at the outset of the 2014-15 season, the Caps have forged a combined 41-21-9 record on the road after turn of the calendar. Washington has won more than half of its road games in each of the last three seasons, and it will be attempting to do so for a fourth straight season for what would be the first time in franchise history.

Redemption - It's been more than three months since the Caps have seen the Flyers, and that game didn't go well for Washington. Philly put an 8-2 hurting on the Caps in the Flyers' home opener on Oct. 14.

"I remember it pretty well," says Orpik. "We played in Jersey the night before and bused down there. I think that was their home opener; they had been sitting there for a few days waiting for us, and they clearly took advantage of that, and that was combined with us not playing well and not being ready to play from the start. It got pretty ugly pretty quick.

"I think that was Madison [Bowey's] first game actually, so he probably has some awful, vivid memories of his first game. We didn't play too well around him, so that was unfortunate. It will be a good chance at a little redemption [on Sunday]. It's a little surprising that we haven't played them since then, especially with them being a division opponent."

It was indeed Bowey's first NHL game that night; he had been hastily summoned from AHL Hershey after Niskanen was lost to an injury in New Jersey the night before. He's looking forward to facing the Flyers again.

"Yeah, I am," says Bowey. "Obviously I'm not going to be too antsy or think about it too much, but it was a game that I'd like to have back. It was my first game, so I was proud about that, but it wasn't my best. I think I've grown a lot since that first game there, and I'm definitely excited to play them again now that I'm more familiar with the league and more familiar with their team as well."

The Flyers are coming in hot, too. Philly has won six of its last seven games, scoring at a torrid pace of four goals per game over that span.

"The outcomes we've had these past two games since the break is obviously not what we want," says Bowey. "But I think [Sunday] is going to be a great test for us. It's a great division rivalry against Philly, and I think we're definitely ready to go and definitely excited for that one."

Three in 72 - Down in the AHL, weekends of three games in three days/nights are common, with the first two played on Friday and Saturday nights and the third on Sunday afternoon. In the NHL, teams never play three games in three calendar days, but the Caps will have played three games in 72 hours once Sunday's game is in the books.

"Well, the travel is a little easier here; I'm not going to lie," says Orpik. "I think those Sunday three-in-threes in the American League, you're usually getting in at four or five in the morning and then playing again at like two in the afternoon, and your gear is soaking wet. Those are a real grind.

"There are no real excuses here with the way that we're treated and the travel that we're provided. Philly played Saturday afternoon, so if anything the playing field will be fairly even. I think when you lose a game and you don't play well like we did on Friday night, you always want to get back at it quickly, and guys are looking forward to that."

In The Nets - Holtby gets the net for Washington on Sunday, and he will carry a personal two-game losing streak (0-1-1) into a start for the first time since last March, which is the last time he was saddled with consecutive losses in regulation. In his most recent start, Holtby ran hot and cold in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils in New Jersey. Three of the goals against him came off breakaways, but Holtby believed he should have stopped two of the total of four.

Lifetime against the Flyers, Holtby is 8-7-4 in 20 career appearances, with a pair of shutouts, a 2.52 GAA and a .916 save pct. He will be seeking his 25th win of the season.

At the other end of the rink, we're expecting to see Brian Elliott in goal for Philadelphia. Elliott debuted in the NHL in 2007-08, and he started a career high 51 games in 2010-11, a season he split between Ottawa and Colorado. Elliott has started 35 of the Flyers' first 46 games this season, so he is on pace to easily shatter that career high for starts in a season, and he has seen action in 27 of the Flyers' last 31 games.

Elliott has a 17-11-7 record on the season to go along with a 2.84 GAA and a .906 save pct. Lifetime against the Capitals, he is 7-5-0 with a 3.21 GAA and an .890 save pct. in 14 appearances.

All Lined Up - Without benefit of a morning skate for either side prior to Sunday's matinee affair, we won't know for sure how the lineups look until pregame warm-ups. But here's how the Caps looked at their Saturday morning practice at Kettler and how the Flyers looked for their Saturday afternoon home game with the New Jersey Devils:

WASHINGTONForwards

8-Ovechkin, 92-Kuznetsov, 43-Wilson

65-Burakovsky, 19-Backstrom, 77-Oshie

18-Stephenson, 20-Eller, 10-Connolly

13-Vrana, 83-Beagle, 25-Smith-Pelly

Defensemen

29-Djoos, 74-Carlson

9-Orlov, 2-Niskanen

44-Orpik, 22-Bowey

Goaltenders

70-Holtby

31-Grubauer

Scratches

4-Chorney

39-Chiasson

Injured

None

PHILADELPHIAForwards

28-Giroux, 14-Couturier, 11-Konecny

12-Raffl, 51-Filppula, 93-Voracek

40-Weal, 19-Patrick, 17-Simmonds

15-Lehtera, 21-Laughton, 56-Goulbourne

Defensemen

9-Provorov, 53-Gostisbehere

8-Hagg, 47-McDonald

23-Manning, 3-Gudas

Goaltenders

37-Elliott

30-Neuvirth

Scratches

6-Sanheim

20-Leier

22-Weise

Injuries

None