Updated 2x at 11:58 AM: Greiss starts for Detroit + comments from Mantha
The 3-2-and-1 Detroit Red Wings battle the unbeaten 4-0-and-2 Washington Capitals this evening (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit/NBC Sports Washington Plus/97.1 the Ticket).
The Capitals’ public relations team posted the following summary of tonight’s affair:
The Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings tonight at Capital One Arena. This marks Washington’s first game against Detroit since Nov. 30, 2019 – a 5-2 win at Little Caesars Arena – and the first time the Red Wings have visited Capital One Arena since Dec. 11, 2018.
The Capitals enter tonight’s game earning a point in 12 straight games against the Red Wings (10-0-2), dating back to Nov. 18, 2015. During that span, Alex Ovechkin leads the team with 10 goals in 12 games, while both Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov are tied for the team lead with 11 assists. The Capitals have three former Red Wings on their roster in Anthony Mantha, Nick Jensen and Dennis Cholowski. Mantha, who has recorded four points (2g, 2a) in six games this season, is scheduled to play in his first career game against Detroit. In each of his last five seasons, Mantha has scored at a pace of at least 20 goals each season, setting a career high of 25 goals in 2018-19 in just 67 games, a 30-goal pace.
The Red Wings website’s Brett McWethy also posted a game preview:
The Caps have yet to suffer a regulation loss and head into the game with a 4-0-2 record, tied atop the Metropolitan Division with 10 points on the season. Alex Ovechkin (7 goals, 5 assists) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (4 goals, 5 assists) both currently rank among the top 10 in the National Hockey League in points, while former Red Wing Anthony Mantha has tallied four points with two goals and a pair of assists. Much like Detroit, the Capitals’ Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov have operated as a goalie tandem, combining for 149 saves.
Detroit and Washington will meet for the first time in nearly two years. The last scheduled game between the clubs was March 12, 2020, the same day the NHL suspended the 2019-20 season due to the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Red Wings are 3-2-1 overall (7 points), and tied for third in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division alongside the Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit earned its first road win of the season Sunday night at Chicago.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill sees his team getting better. He feels like the second line featuring Pius Suter, Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina hasn’t necessarily received the puck luck it may deserve. And he pointed out on Tuesday that both the penalty kill, and the power play still have plenty of room for improvement.
Of particular note, Blashill – a former goalie himself – feels comfortable with Detroit’s tandem of Alex Nedeljkovic and Thomas Greiss, a duo he believes gives his team a chance to win games every night.
“I think that both of them have the opportunity to be good for us. I think they have an opportunity as a tandem to be real good for us,” Blashill said. “They’ve both shown moments where they’ve been on top of their game. I thought the one game we’ve been loose defensively for the entire game was the Montreal game where we gave up more chances, 5-on-5, than we have, probably if you combine multiple games. But I did think that game, when Ned went in, that he looked good. I thought the third period the other night (at Chicago) he looked real good. And Greisser’s had moments he looked real good. Again, the thing about this league is that you gotta show it every night. We got a chance to show it, whichever guy starts tomorrow night.”
As for the teams’ respective morning skates, the Capitals hit the ice at the Capital One Center around 10:20 AM, with injured center Nic Dowd skating early, per NBCS Washington’s J.J. Regan, and the AP’s Stephen Whyno:
Nic Dowd is on the ice a few minutes early for the morning skate. Looks like he’s testing a few things out.— JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) October 27, 2021
Nic Dowd is day to day (aren’t we all?) with a lower-body injury. Capitals host Red Wings tonight. https://t.co/zy8ncKsqns— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) October 27, 2021
The Athletic’s Tarik El Bashir posted the Caps’ morning skate lines…
#Caps a.m. skate lines ahead of tonight’s game vs. DET:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Mantha-McMichael-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Hathaway
Sheary-Lapierre-Sprong
Fehervary-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
TvR-Schultz
Vanecek
Samsonov
*Vanecek starts
*Dowd (LBI) looks to be out again— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 27, 2021
As did Regan…
#Caps lines:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Mantha-McMichael-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Hathaway
Sheary-Lapierre-Sprong
Fehervary-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
TVR-Schultz
Vanecek expected to start— JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) October 27, 2021
And the Washington Post’s Samantha J. Pell:
Capitals lines at AM skate ahead of game vs DET:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Mantha-McMichael-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Hathaway
Sheary-Lapierre-Sprong
Fehervary-Carlson
Orlov-Jensen
TvR-Schultz
*Vanecek expected to start in net
*Dowd (lower body, day to day) is skating but looks out— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) October 27, 2021
97.1 the Ticket’s Ken Kal also said, “Hello”…
Back at it again. Red Wings in Washington to face off against Ovechkin and the Caps.
Hear the game tonight 6:45pm @971theticketxyt pic.twitter.com/ooxnk9dXvP— Ken Kal (@KenKalDRW) October 27, 2021
Pell profiled Nick Jensen…
Sooo this Nick Jensen guy has been playing pretty well?
“That’s my main focus right now: Go as hard as I can each shift.” https://t.co/zqc2mcQJPF— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) October 27, 2021
Of note from Pell’s Washington Post article:
To start this season, Jensen has flashed his strengths. He had a rating of plus-2 in Monday’s back-and-forth affair [vs. Ottawa], and he is averaging 20:04 of ice time, up from 17:36 over the previous two seasons.
“In my mind, it doesn’t really feel like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m doing the same as I was at the end of the season.’ It was more just a mentality of making sure I’m coming into the season and having the highest amount of effort I possibly could each game,” Jensen said last week. “That’s my main focus right now: Go as hard as I can each shift.”
Jensen’s new running mate on defense is Dmitry Orlov. They have combined for seven points in six games; Jensen has those two goals and an assist, and Orlov scored at New Jersey on Thursday and has three assists.
Jensen pointed out that [Zdeno] Chara’s and Orlov’s playing styles are vastly different, but the latter’s ability to get the puck in the corner and use his strong skating to get it out of the defensive zone is one of his best assets. Both are physical, which often means the Capitals spend less time in the defensive zone and have more opportunities on the other end.
Regan also posted an article explaining the Capitals’ sticky cap situation as it applies to Nicklas Backstrom’s eventual return:
In Nicklas Backstrom’s absence, the Capitals have a center conundrum https://t.co/qWCHg2oGV9— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) October 27, 2021
The Red Wings took to the ice at the Capital One Center a little early for their morning skate, around 11:15 AM:
Red Wings are on the ice for their morning skate in DC. pic.twitter.com/57tZlciy1r— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) October 27, 2021
Morning skate in DC pic.twitter.com/Xb3X8DkX7r— Ken Kal (@KenKalDRW) October 27, 2021
Tyler Bertuzzi is Detroit’s leading scorer with 9 points in 6 games. pic.twitter.com/auVlZcUmgL— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) October 27, 2021
The Wings’ beat writers said, “Hello”…
Red Wings on for morning skate at Capital One Arena. Play Capitals tonight. pic.twitter.com/EVIs42ATuH— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) October 27, 2021
Morning skate begins in DC pic.twitter.com/ae2Ty30RoL— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) October 27, 2021
Kal dropped some knowledge…
Stat: Former Red Wing Nick Jensen is one of 3 players to lead the league with a plus 9 rating.— Ken Kal (@KenKalDRW) October 27, 2021
And if you missed it…
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin admits it ‘will be strange’ to face former teammate Anthony Mantha for the first time. pic.twitter.com/QSQcdFBBzJ— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 27, 2021
The Caps’ beat writers added an update…
UPDATE: Sprong is skating with the scratches. So…#Caps https://t.co/ul4oxDqQbT— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 27, 2021
Sprong is skating with the extras so not sure what that means for tonight https://t.co/jCxQg9OeTS— JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) October 27, 2021
If Sprong is out, Dowd would have to be in. No other forwards. Perhaps Dowd had a better skate than anticipated this morning.— JJ Regan (@JJReganNBCS) October 27, 2021
The Red Wings checked in…
Prep for the Caps.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/gqgr5SCIuj— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 27, 2021
So much for line rushes…
And we got some quips and quotes from the Red Wings’ coach…
Coach Blashill in D.C., recalling the last time the team was there in 2020 when the season was called off due to Covid-19. He ate at the same spot he was going to eat at last March, that was boarded up then.— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) October 27, 2021
While we’re doing multimedia…
Raymond and Seider are not the only reasons to be excited about the Red Wings’ future. @patcaputo98 https://t.co/iERmN2e9FK— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) October 27, 2021
Update:
Thomas Greiss starts in goal for Red Wings at Capitals, coach Jeff Blashill said. Filip Hronek in on defense and looked like Carter Rowney for Givani Smith at forward.— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) October 27, 2021
Thomas Greiss will start in net for the Red Wings tonight vs. the Capitals, coach Jeff Blashill confirms— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 27, 2021
Stupid Stat of the Day: The Red Wings are 43-48-6 all-time in games played in a national capital. pic.twitter.com/VbZkzJorno— DetroitHockey.Net (@detroithockey96) October 27, 2021
Mantha, who faces his former team tonight, said he had dinner last night with Larkin, Fabbri and Rasmussen. “It’s going to be fun; I’m excited. It’s going to be an experience, that’s for sure.” #Caps— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) October 27, 2021
Tonight, Anthony Mantha will be playing his former team (DET) for the first time since getting traded. He got dinner with some of his former teammates last night (Larkin, Fabbri, Rasmussen).— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) October 27, 2021
Team huddle after a morning skate in DC.#LGRW | @DetroitRedWings pic.twitter.com/vbLzd76lq7— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) October 27, 2021
Robby Fabbri on the team— “We’re a fiery and competitive group. We have shown a lot, but we still have a long ways to go.” #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) October 27, 2021
Red Wings are in DC for first time since March 12, 2020 — the day the NHL paused the season. Coach Jeff Blashill said he tried to go to the same restaurant he ate dinner at on March 11, 2020 and it was all boarded up. pic.twitter.com/SlB5Q5YHob— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) October 27, 2021
