Capitals expecting a big response from Nylander, Leafs
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The Washington Capitals held an optional skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs will hold a media availability at 5:15 pm at Capital One Arena.
The Washington Capitals are bracing for a big response from William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
"I told our staff this morning, 'Look for Willy Nylander to be very, very on display tonight,'" said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery, who served as an assistant in Toronto from 2021 to 2023. "He will be very motivated in tonight's game."
Nylander committed a turnover that led to an Ottawa Senators’ goal on his first shift in Tuesday's 3-0 loss. Later in the game, he got an earful from Leafs coach Craig Berube at the bench for some lackadaisical defensive-zone coverage.
"I think it's great," Nylander said of Berube's barking. "Sometimes it's called for and the team needs a little bit of a wake-up call."
In the past, Nylander has said he actually likes being pushed by his coaches. Historically, he responds.
"I know him very well," said Capitals defenceman Rasmus Sandin, who played for the Leafs from 2019 to 2023. "Obviously he's going to be very fired up. I know he doesn't want to lose to me [smile] but also, I mean, he hates losing games with the Leafs."
With Auston Matthews expected to miss a fifth straight game due to a nagging upper-body injury, the Leafs are looking for to Nylander to provide offence. Toronto has mustered just one 5-on-5 goal in the last five games.
"We got to be more connected," said Nylander, who leads the Leafs with 11 goals. "Sometimes we get one shot and we're done, the puck is out of the zone. I mean, win those secondary pucks back, and then keep the pressure rolling. I think right now we're very much one and done."
The Leafs certainly didn't have the puck much during Tuesday's game against Ottawa.
"There wasn't much good to talk about with the game overall," Berube said. "We got out-skated. They wanted it more than us. That is the bottom line."
Toronto had won its three previous games against the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens without allowing a goal in 5-on-5 play.
"We should be disappointed," said centre John Tavares, who is second on the team with eight goals. "The way we've been playing over the past week, [we had] a good chance to carry it over after a couple of days [off] ... Good for us that we get to get right back at it and can get our game back on track, because obviously it was disappointing."
The schedule favours the Capitals, who lead the NHL in 5-on-5 goals. Washington has not played since an 8-1 win in St. Louis on Saturday night. But Carbery is quick to highlight a similar situation from last week, which didn't work out well for his team. The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 before travelling to Washington and beating the rested Capitals.
"Hopefully we've learned from the experience of playing against desperate teams or teams that, I shouldn't say 'desperate,' but are looking for a response," said Carbery. "I promise you Toronto is going to come out with a ton of energy and enthusiasm and looking to respond from last night's game."
Logan Thompson, who is 7-0-0 on the season, gets the call in net for the Capitals. It's the first time this season that a goalie will make consecutive starts for the team. Thompson and Charlie Lindgren had been rotating. Thompson has been particularly good in his last three starts (.948 save percentage).
After Anthony Stolarz played on Tuesday, Joseph Woll is expected to get the start for the Leafs. He is 3-0-0 with a .940 save percentage against the Capitals.
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Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin scored twice in Saturday's win and is now up to 10 goals in 14 games this season.
"Oh man, it's unbelievable," gushed longtime teammate Tom Wilson. "He just keeps carrying everybody on an extremely exciting hockey journey, and no one can take it for granted because I don't think there will ever be one like him ever again. He just keeps pushing forward. He's the hungriest guy I've ever met when it comes to being great. It's pretty cool to have a front-row seat to that."
Ovechkin is now just 32 goals away from breaking the all-time goals record (894) held by Wayne Gretzky.
"What he's doing right now is unreal," said winger Connor McMichael. "He's turning back the clock. He's kind of in that rhythm where every time he shoots the puck it's got a great chance of going in. It's really fun to watch."
Linemate Dylan Strome, who has assisted on all of Ovechkin's goals this season, points out that only two of the tallies have come on the power play.
"He's getting to good areas," Strome said. "He's getting his shot off ... He's getting open and finding shot lanes and he's got a nose for the net, obviously.
Ovechkin is also tied for third on the team at plus-9. The 39-year-old Capitals captain finished last season minus-22. He was minus-16 the year before that.
"I don't even know what to say," said Sandin. "He keeps scoring goals. He puts up points. He's producing and he's also working really hard off the puck. There's some clips going around of the back checks and stuff, when he was trying to help me out on a 2-on-1. I don't know if it was because of me being the one defenceman back (smile), but he's working very hard and being a great leader as well."
The Leafs swept all three games from the Capitals last season while outscoring Washington 16-5. Ovechkin still managed to score three goals in those games. He's potted 44 in 59 regular season games against Toronto. Ovechkin's 0.75 goals-per-game mark against the Leafs is tied for the third-highest rate he has recorded against a single franchise and is his highest rate against an Eastern Conference opponent.
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McMichael is tied with Ovechkin for the team lead with 10 goals.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep up with him," the 23-year-old said. "It's pretty hard."
After scoring 18 goals in 80 games last season, McMichael appears set to take a big step forward.
"I've come out with confidence," he said. "That's been the biggest thing so far. It's playing with confidence and knowing I can make plays and knowing I can play with the big boys of the NHL."
Playing beside a pair of veterans in Wilson and new centre Pierre-Luc Dubois is also helpful.
Strome points out that moving from centre to wing this season has allowed McMichael, a first-round pick in 2019, to bring more offence to the table.
"He's been our most consistent player," Strome said. "Penalty kills, power plays, he does so many different things well. A nose for the net. He has 10 goals and probably six or seven are right around the net. It's been a great step from last year, even though he had a good year last year too."
McMichael, a native of Ajax, Ont., is preparing to face his hometown team for the fifth time.
"I would watch all 82 Leafs games growing up," he said with a smile. "Even when I was early in my teens, still playing minor hockey, I was watching guys like Mitch [Marner] and Auston, those guys, so it's pretty cool to be on the ice with them and play against my childhood team."
Facing Marner, who is also a London Knights alumnus, is particularly meaningful. It's also a big challenge.
"It's a little stressful," McMichael said. "He's always got his feet moving. You always gotta keep your eye on him. He's one of the best players in the National League ... I can't say enough good things about him. He's unbelievable on the ice and a tough test every time you're against him."
McMichael has scored one goal in four games against the Leafs. He'd like nothing more than spoil the party for some of his pals back home on Wednesday night.
"Some of them are die-hard Leafs fans still," he said with a grin. "They can't give it up. But there's a few of them that want the Caps to win tonight."
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The Leafs activated Jani Hakanpää from the long-term injured reserve on Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 defenceman is expected to make his Toronto debut on Wednesday night. The 32-year-old Finn has not played in the NHL since being sidelined by a knee injury in March while with the Dallas Stars.
Hakanpää recently suited up in two games with the Toronto Marlies as part of an American Hockey League conditioning loan.
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Lars Eller is not expected to play for the Capitals after being acquired in a trade on Tuesday night. The Danish centre was not at the morning skate.
Projected Capitals lineup for Wednesday's game:
Ovechkin - Strome - Protas
McMichael - Dubois - Wilson
Mangiapane - Lapierre - Vrana
Duhaime - Dowd - Raddysh
Chychrun - Carlson
Sandin - Roy
Fehervary - van Riemsdyk
Thompson starts
Lindgren