The Anaheim Ducks (9-13-0, 6th in the Pacific Division) are looking to break their free fall tonight (Nov. 30) against the Washington Capitals (10-6-2, 4th in the Metropolitan Division). The Ducks’ loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night (Nov. 28) was their seventh-consecutive and ninth in their last 11 games.
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The Capitals will be playing the second leg of a road back-to-back after a gutsy 2-1 win last night against the Los Angeles Kings. They’re an older team, and the Kings made them play the entire 60 minutes last night, so the Ducks should have an advantage as the game goes on.
Ducks Offensive Woes Continue
After an impressive October had them looking like the NHL’s next upstart team, the Ducks have fallen back to earth in November. The team’s last game against the Canucks had more of the same offensive woes they have been dealing with during their seven-game losing streak. Ryan Strome scored the lone goal for the Ducks, who have scored a mere 12 goals during this losing streak (1.7 goals per game).
Help is on the horizon as Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale have been spotted at practice. After missing most of training camp, it’ll be expected that both players are eased back into playing shape.
Scouting the Capitals
The Capitals have been a perennial playoff contender for the better part of two decades. Last season was the first time in eight years they failed to qualify for the postseason, and this iteration of the team is probably past their competitive window. Change is inevitable for the club: Nicklas Backstrom has stepped away after returning from hip resurfacing, the same surgery that forced Ryan Kesler to wind down his NHL career on the Long-Term Injured Reserve. The franchise does have one major goal moving forward — making sure Alexander Ovechkin ends his NHL career with at least 895 goals.
The Capitals have shaken off a 1-4-0 start and have won 10 of their last 14 games. Surprisingly, this streak isn’t a result of Ovechkin (five goals this season) going on a scoring tear, but some stellar performances in net from unlikely sources. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren stole two points in Los Angeles last night, and that has been their formula for success. He and fellow backup Hunter Shepard have been in net for seven of the team’s 11 wins and have a combined save percentage of .930. Primary netminder, and tonight’s starter, Darcy Kuemper hasn’t been as sharp with a 4-4 record and a sub-.900 save percentage.
Key to Victory: Stay Out of the Box
Everything about this game indicates it will be low scoring and the Ducks would be well-served to not to give the Capitals a handful of man advantages. The Ducks are third in the league with more than 13 penalty minutes served per game. Washington’s power play has been beyond terrible this season with a 5.66 per cent conversion rate, but Ovechkin has spent most of his career being the league’s most dangerous player with the extra man (from, “Capitals Begin Road Trip with Changes to Struggling Power Play, The Washington Post, Nov. 27, 2023).
The Capitals are going to break their power play slump eventually, and it’ll be in the Ducks’ best interest to not give them a bunch of opportunities to do so. Ovechkin has 12 goals and 28 points in 24 games against the Ducks.
Player to Watch: Troy Terry
It’s been 12 games since Troy Terry’s hat trick against the Arizona Coyotes, which also happens to be the last time he’s scored a goal. Terry only has five goals on the season, and he’s now on pace to finish with less than 20 for the entire campaign.
Terry regressed from 37 goals two seasons ago to only 23 last season. This was reasonable — he was unlikely to maintain a nearly 20 per cent shooting percentage, and the team around him was much worse last year. Terry’s linemates have been inconsistent to start the year as he’s seen time with the now-injured Zegras, the previously-injured Alex Killorn, and Leo Carlsson, who has been intentionally held out of games as part of his development. Regardless, you’d like to see more consistency out of a player that just signed a $49 million contract in the offseason.
Tonight’s game is slated to start at 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and be available locally on Bally’s Sports West.