Focus stays on Oilers before matchup with Canucks It has seemed like a trap game from the start.
The Capitals played the Philadelphia Flyers last week and two days later had a showdown with the Detroit Red Wings. And the entire NHL is looking forward to their game Saturday at the Vancouver Canucks, last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners and Stanley Cup finalists. But while fans and media can play the look-ahead game, players can’t afford that bit of luxury.
“We’re not worried about Vancouver,” Washington forward Brooks Laich said. “There’s a good team in Edmonton that’s waiting for us. We’re not worried about Vancouver yet.”
| Up next |
| Capitals at Oilers |
| When » Thursday, 9:30 p.m. |
| Where » Rexall Place, |
| Edmonton, Alberta |
| TV » CSN |
That’s a smart move in anticipation of Thursday’s game in Edmonton because these aren’t last year’s Oilers, who finished with an NHL-worst 62 standings points. But the rebuilding club — Edmonton hasn’t made the playoffs since a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 — has used these down seasons to acquire top, young talent.
Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Magnus Paajarvi and Sam Gagner are all skilled forwards ranging in age from 18 to 22 and represent Edmonton’s future. Hall and Nugent-Hopkins are the NHL’s two most recent No. 1 draft picks, and some solid veterans surround them. But while a return to the playoffs would be a giant leap, the Oilers’ future is brightening either way.
“Every year is different. They’re second in the league in [preventing] goals,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “The one thing about the Oilers from the [1980s] to now is they can skate. And they’re filled with enthusiasm and they’re filled with hope … and they’re going to be gunning for us.”
That’s because Washington enters its two-game trip to western Canada with a 7-0-0 record — the last unbeaten team in the NHL after a 7-1 win over Detroit on Saturday. But things always seem tougher out west. The buildings are almost always full. The ice is usually pristine and plays faster. If there is any talent at all on the other side in a given year, winning games in Calgary or Edmonton or Vancouver is a coup for Eastern Conference teams. Before beating the Oilers 4-2 on Dec. ?19, 2009, the Caps hadn’t won in Rexall Place since Feb. 7, 1996.
Edmonton (4-2-2, 10 points) still struggles to score goals, ranking last out of 30 teams with 1.88 goals per game. But it is 4-1-1 at Rexall Place, and the Oilers allow just 1.50 goals per game, tied for fewest in the NHL. Veteran goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, 38, is 3-0 with a 0.97 goals-against average and .963 save percentage.
“I tend to watch them a little more when they’re on TV than any other team because they’re my hometown team that I grew up watching,” Caps forward Jason Chimera said. “They’ve got a lot of young guys that are playing well and playing hard. They’re a fast team. They’ve got a lot of small forwards that can really move. Their defense is playing good right now, and Khabibulin is as good as any goalie out there.”
