The Washington Capitals, with the exception of three that are representing their countries at the Winter Olympics in Milan, are getting some needed time away from the rink.
Washington found itself in the throes of a rigorous schedule to open the season, playing 59 games and a league-leading number of back-to-backs in a condensed period ahead of the Olympic break. Now, they’ll spend the next week and change on vacation with family and friends, using this time to rest, recuperate and prepare for a vital second half.
“It’s been a grind,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “”Just with the way the season’s gone, with the injuries, with us kind of just trying to find it each and every night and it coming and going a little bit, it’s been a grind. So for me personally, it’s going to be some much-needed time with the family and to get away from the game. “Then, it’ll get to a point where… it’s going to take a pretty big push.”
The Capitals sit four points out of a Wild Card spot and tie for third in the Metropolitan Division, and with 23 games to go, they’ll have to pick up wins any way that they can, whether it’s eking them out or getting back to the high level of play that carried them to the top of the East last season.
That said, they should be in better shape; Pierre-Luc Dubois is skating over the course of the break and made his long-awaited return, and with that, Washington immediately got a big piece of its identity and scoring prowess back.
The team is still dealing with some ailments over the break; Connor McMichael is week-to-week with an upper-body injury he suffered in Detroit, and Charlie Lindgren is also recovering from a lower-body ailment that happened at the end of that same game.
Both are expected to make strides over the course of the break, though, and should be close to getting back to full strength as play resumes, marking the first time in early months the team has a fully healthy lineup.
That said, here are some thoughts as the Capitals take some time away, while Tom Wilson, Logan Thompson and Martin Fehervary represent their respective countries in Milan Cortina.
Washington will have off through Feb. 17, when players can first return for an optional practice. From there, the Capitals will have a “mini training camp” to ramp up for the final stretch, and it’ll be a big opportunity for several players to take advantage of.
Tom Wilson is already making his presence known at the Olympics, skating on the top line with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini, but it’s his demeanor that’s impressed his teammates and coaching staff the most, as Jon Cooper told reporters in Milan:
“Well, first of all, have you met him?” Cooper told reporters about Wilson, via TSN. “He’s full of life. He’s unbelievable this guy. He just lights up the room when he comes in. He’s extremely positive. He’s really driven. I see why he’s adored in Washington. What a teammate. So pretty fired up to have him. We all know what he can do on the ice, but he may even be better off the ice.”
The goaltending competition for Canada still appears to be wide open, but I have a hard time imagining that Logan Thompson won’t get a look at the No. 1 role. His numbers have been stellar, and he played one of his best games of the year in the finale right before heading overseas.
That said, he’s not focused too much on his role; he said he’s willing to do pretty much anything, even if it means handing out water bottles. He’s just excited to be representing his country, with his mom and dad watching from the stands.
Martin Fehervary was named an alternate captain for Slovakia, and I think they’re one of the more interesting countries to watch in this tournament. Fehervary himself has gone under the radar as a physical, shutdown defenseman who can bring a lot to a top pair, and I think they make things harder on their opponetns all tournament long.
Alex Ovechkin, meanwhile, is vacationing in Dubai with Russia not playing in the upcoming Games. He received a cake for his “road to a thousand goals” — he’s at 996 combined goals between regular season and playoffs. A pastry is no indicator of the future, by the way, so there’s no reading into it. Seriously.