Milestones to Watch for in Caps Final Games of Season 21

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Milestones to Watch for in Caps Final Games of Season 21

Washington, DC – Professional athletes may never admit to caring, or even taking notice of, their personal milestones and accolades during a given season, but the experience of watching your favourite player or team achieve new heights is much different from a fan perspective. In fact, as the season winds down and the playoff picture comes into focus, the races for performance milestones and accolades are sometimes the only things that keep fans watching the games.

For the fans of the Washington Capitals, that is certainly the case in Season 21. The Caps were the first team to clinch a playoff spot, the first team to reach 100 points in the standings, the first team to lock up their division title, and they have also locked-in home ice advantage in round one of the playoffs. It would be easy for fans to tune out of the final games in Washington’s schedule, but here are some of the top reasons that we suggest fans tune in:


- Capitals looking to lock down their first President’s Trophy in franchise history, and they can accomplish that honor with a single win in their final four games (or a single Buffalo loss). This would be the ultimate cherry on top of what has been a remarkable season for the Caps.

- Darcy Kuemper currently leads all goaltenders with 40 wins on the season. With a strong finish, Kuemper is in a good position to make himself a favourite for the Vezina Trophy in Season 21.

- Mitch Marner has 38-goals and a team leading 83-points. He could reach the 40-goal plateau and will look to hold onto his team scoring lead as the season comes to an end.

- The only player that can challenge Marner for the team scoring lead this season is breakout-star Clayton Keller who currently has 36-goals and 77 points on the year. The emergence of Keller provides the Caps with multiple elite scoring threats – the likes of which they did not have during their last trip to the playoffs. It will be a long shot, but Keller could hit 40-goals.

- Nick Schmaltz currently has a career high 28-goals is looking to hit 30-goal plateau for the first time. He already hit the 60-point plateau this season for the first time, and has established himself as a legitimate scoring threat in the Eastern Conference.

- Veterans Jeff Skinner & Jamie Benn are both looking rejuvenated this season, and with 25 goals each, they could both hit the 30-goal plateau with a few statement games down the stretch.

- Logan Couture had a slow start to the year, but he has rounded back into form, and looks superb as the number three centre in Washington. With 19 goals currently on the year, Couture will be the 6th Capital player to register 20 goals or more this season if he can find the back of the net once more.

- Bowen Byram is showing that his nomination to be Washington’s representative at the All-Star game was no fluke. With one more point, Byram will reach the 60-point plateau for the first time in his career. He is very much part of the rising youth-core in Washington.

- 20-goals is possible for both Alex Wennberg and Pierre-Luc Dubois (PLD) who have 16 goals each, but it’s a long shot. Still, these are the sorts of reasons that we recommend tuning into the games. For his part, PLD has found stability in Washington since being acquired by the Caps mid-season. His presence on the team’s second line has provided both grit and secondary offense. With 47 points currently, it would also be nice to see PLD reach the 50-point mark.




Well, there you have it, hockey fans, our definitive list of the top reasons to watch the final games of Season 21 in Washington. One thing is for sure, the Washington Capitals players will tell you that they didn’t even notice.


Richard Thingyi, Senior Hockey Insider
DC Leaks Sports Media & Entertainment

[ALL CAPS]

Capitals Inaugurated with *Regular Season's Top Honor 


Washington, DC - The Washington Capitals claimed the President's Trophy for the first time in franchise history on Monday night with a dominant 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Heading into the game, the Capitals needed just a single win (or a single Buffalo loss) in the final four games to claim the trophy. The Caps decided to get the job done as quickly as possible, powered to victory by a 13-point performance from the second line trio of Dubois-Schmaltz-Skinner.

"It’s nice to have an effort like that for this locker room, and get that one behind us," said Nick Schmaltz following his 5-point performance in the game, which also included a hat trick. The 28-year-old forward is enjoying a career year with 31 goals (67 points). He signed a 4-year contract extension with the Capitals in March. "It’s been nice to put in the work and see the results this season, and I think you can credit some of that to the chemistry that (Dubois) & (Skinner) have developed, for sure."

Next up, the Capitals will head to St. Louis to face the Blues on Thursday night in a game with little implications, before returning to Washington to close out their season on a two-game home stand. The Capitals will hold a post-game ceremony after their season finale against Detroit on Tuesday (April 23) where the team will receive the President's Trophy.

You won't get a lot from the players about how much this honor means to them. Instead, you'll get the usual sound bites about staying focused and avoiding distractions heading into the playoffs. However, with a couple of days off before their next game, the team was rewarded with a trip to Las Vegas at the direction of GM Willis for team bonding.

Regardless, make no mistake about it, claiming the President’s Trophy is one of the highest honors that a team can possibly earn outside winning the Stanley Cup itself. Further, the honor itself ensures that the Capitals will have home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, which is the strongest advantage that any team could possibly have.

Meanwhile, Washington’s AsHL affiliate team up the road in Baltimore has also secured home ice advantage for round one of the playoffs. One has to wonder if the Capitals will recall some of their top up and coming players for experience in the big show during its final three games.

Here is a list of players that our sources indicate could see some action with the Capitals at some point between now and seasons end:

- Jordan Spence (D): has looked good in limited action (7 games) with the Caps this season already. The Diminutive and talented 23-year year old defenseman 11 goals (44 points) in the AsHL this season. He expected to join the Capitals full-time next season.

- Denis Gurianov (W): Gurianov is a bit of an enigma as a player. On record, the Caps sent him to Baltimore this season to work on play away from the puck, which is problematic at best. Initially, Gurianov looked disengaged with the assignment, and it appeared that his end was nigh. However, Gurianov has been an entirely different player during the second half of the season. He currently leads the Patriots in scoring and seems to have a newfound commitment to defense.

- Scott Wedgewood (G): The journeyman goaltender signed on with the Capitals this past off-season. He has been dominant with the Patriots (AsHL) and has struggled so far in limited action with the Caps this season. Long term, he provides the Capitals with viable, veteran depth.

- Mackenzie Entwistle (C/W): The 24-year power forward has emerged as one of the top players for the Patriots this season, providing valuable secondary offense while also hitting anything that moves. All signs point to him being a quality bottom six forward with the Capitals, and his call could be coming sooner rather than later.

- Marcus Bjork (D): Another player that signed with the Caps this past offseason, Bjork has been the top performing defenseman for the Patriots this season. His two-way abilities and physical prowess make his long-term potential intriguing.

more.

Richard Thingyi, Senior Hockey Insider

DC Leaks Sports Media & Entertainment