Games against Flyers, Red Wings, Canucks will be tests Off to a strong start with five wins in their first five games, the Capitals end the week with a step up in competition.
Washington begins a challenging stretch to finish October with a game at the rival Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday before returning home to face the Detroit Red Wings at Verizon Center on Saturday. Those two teams have a combined record of 8-0-1. The Red Wings are the only other team besides the Caps (5-0-0) without a loss.
“You want to see where you’re at at different stages of the season,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. “The next two games we’re playing teams that are 8-0-1 this year. And then the next week you’re playing the team that won the Presidents’ Trophy. So three out of the next four games are against the elite in the league. We’ll know whether we’ve got a lot, lot more work to do or whether we’re on the right track.”
That game against Presidents’ Trophy winner — and Stanley Cup runner-up — Vancouver is Oct. 29. It’s the back end of a quick two-game road trip to western Canada and includes a game at Edmonton, which finished with the worst record in the league last season but is already 2-1 at home with wins over 2010-11 playoff teams Pittsburgh and Nashville.
“We’ll look at first Philly and see what happens,” Caps defenseman Roman Hamrlik said. “But both teams are going to be big tests for us.”
The Flyers (4-0-1) haven’t suffered after trading their top two scorers from last season over the summer — center Mike Richards and winger Jeff Carter. But they spent the money saved on a star goalie — something Philadelphia has lacked for more than 20 years. Ilya Bryzgalov signed as a free agent from Phoenix. He finished with a .921 save percentage last season, leaving him tied for 10th in the NHL. So far with his new team, Bryzgalov is 3-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and one shutout.
The Caps, meanwhile, were without star left wing Alex Ovechkin at practice Wednesday. He’s suffering from “bumps and bruises,” according to Boudreau, and was given the day off. Boudreau said that vague soreness was unrelated to separate slashes to Ovechkin’s right hand suffered in games against Carolina on Oct. ?8 and Tampa Bay on Oct. 10.
In other injury news, Washington defenseman John Erskine said he was not cleared by team doctors after a meeting Tuesday. He hopes to try again this weekend. Erskine is working his way back from May shoulder surgery. Boudreau said “he’s obviously very close.” The Caps are playing with six defensemen on the roster instead of the usual seven.
Forward Jay Beagle again didn’t practice. He was punched in the face twice last Thursday during a fight in a game at Pittsburgh. Goalie Michal Neuvirth did skate in full pads on his bruised right foot but left early and didn’t take any shots. There’s no timeline for his or Beagle’s return.
