Capitals Report Card: Caps Score Seven on Oilers

The Washington Capitals seem to have really broken out of their slump. On Wednesday night, they put up seven goals to beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-4 at home.

This victory marks the first time the Capitals have won consecutive games since Oct. 21-24.

The Capitals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Aliaksei Protas scored for the first time in seven games, while Alex Ovechkin recorded career goal No. 904.

Then, Ryan Leonard had himself one of his best games. He scored the next two Capitals goals for his first career multi-goal game.

With the Capitals leading 4-2 heading into the third period, both teams traded goals with the score 5-4. However, Tom Wilson added two empty-netters to seal it.

With back-to-back wins, the Capitals hit the road to face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

Capitals Analysis

The Capitals seem to be back on track after a slump where they lost eight of 10 games. The team just beat Los Angeles 2-1 at home on Monday night.

Protas broke out of a seven-game goal drought as he crashed the crease and tapped in a rebound to put the Capitals up 1-0 in the first period. He now has points in back-to-back games as he seems to be matching the highs from early in the season.

Ovechkin also looks to have found his groove again, as he’s played well his last few games. The 40-year-old tipped in a point drive from Jakob Chychrun past Stuart Skinner. It’s Ovechkin’s 904th career tally as he now has goals in three straight and four of his last five games.

Leonard hadn’t scored in 12 games, but here he recorded two goals for his first career multi-goal game.

Leonard’s first tally came in the opening frame when he waited and sniped one past Skinner. But his second goal was a highlight one, as he out-muscled Evan Bouchard to stick with the puck in front and sneak it past Skinner.

The “Strovillier” line also came through once again. In the third period, Anthony Beauvillier and Dylan Strome went on a 2-on-1, as Beauvillier shot one home to make it 5-3.

Amazingly, the Capitals were able to keep up with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl throughout the game. Justin Sourdif hasn’t scored a lot this season, but he kept up with both McDavid and Draisaitl and was very smart with the puck.

As for the special teams, it was a mixed bag. The Capitals’ first two penalty kills were strong, but on the third kill, they gave up a Draisaitl one-timer to make it a one-goal game.

However, the Capitals were able to seal it late as Wilson, who had been very physical throughout the night, recorded two empty-net goals. Wilson led all skaters in ice time and now leads the team with 10 tallies.

Capitals Report Card

Team: A-

This was one of the strongest performances for the Capitals as they scored seven goals, the most in any game this season.

Ryan Leonard: A+

Leonard hadn’t scored in 12 games, but he recorded the first multi-goal game of his career. He scored the second tally while out-muscling Bouchard.

Tom Wilson: A+

Wilson was physical throughout the game as he laid out Matthew Savoie at one point. He also recorded two empty-netters to seal it.

Alex Ovechkin: A

After a rough start to the season, Ovechkin seems to have really found his mojo as he now has four goals in his last five games.

Connor McMichael: A

McMichael stepped up in Dowd’s absence, as he recorded three assists on the night.

Capitals Special Teams: C

The special teams could still use some work. The Capitals looked strong on the first two penalty kills, but gave up a Draisaitl one-timer in the third. The team’s first power play came in the same period.

More must-reads:

• Insider Addresses Elephant in Room for Maple Leafs
• Capitals vs. Oilers: Lines, Notes, & How to Watch
• LA Kings’ Trade Needs: 3 Biggest Targets to Watch