Washington is 3-1-2 in its last six games
Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau jokingly told reporters last week that he would not consider his team’s recent slide over until it won 10 games in a row.
That would be a tall order, of course — the second-longest run in franchise history, to be precise. But while it isn’t in the midst of an extended winning streak right now, Boudreau will still take his team’s performance of late. After Sunday night’s 3-2 win at Carolina, Washington is 3-1-2 in its last six games, earning eight standings points in the process and pushing its record to 21-12-5 with 47 points. They sit in second place in the Southeast Division with two more games played than first place Tampa Bay (21-10-5, 47 points).
Two of those victories have come on the road, and the Caps felt they could have earned two points in both a shootout loss to Pittsburgh last Thursday and a regulation loss to Boston on Dec. 18 in which they outshot the Bruins 26-2 in the third period.
| Caps notes |
| » Washington defenseman Tom Poti did not participate in Monday’s practice. He missed Sunday’s game with a head injury and is doubtful for Tuesday’s game vs. Montreal. |
| » Eight of the Caps’ last 12 games have been decided by one goal. They are 2-3-3 during that stretch. |
| » With a goal and an assist on Sunday night, Alex Ovechkin recorded his first multi-point game since Nov. 26 when he had two assists against Tampa Bay. |
On Tuesday, Washington will see an old nemesis for the first time this season when it meets the Montreal Canadiens in a 7 p.m. game at Verizon Center. The Caps need no reminder that it was the Canadiens who unceremoniously bounced them from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round last spring. That seven-game series, which Washington led 3-1 before collapsing, is still haunting.
The Caps remain behind last year’s record-setting pace. Through 38 games in 2009-10 they were 24-8-6 with 54 standings points. A large part of that success was a stellar record in one-goal games. A single tally decided half of Washington’s 81 games in 2009-10, and it went 20-8-13 in those contests. But while they couldn’t buy a win during a recent eight-game losing streak, the Caps record in tight games this season is almost identical: 10-4-6 through 38 games.
Washington forward Mathieu Perreault did not practice on Monday after having his nose broken on a hit by Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason during the first period of Sunday’s game. Gleason was hit with a five-minute charging penalty and a game misconduct but will face no further discipline from the NHL.
“[Perreault’s] got a sore nose,” Boudreau told reporters at Kettler Iceplex after Monday’s practice. “I’ve had two nose operations from that stuff, and it’s not pretty. One little touch and it’s ‘Ouch.’?”
