Capitals @ Leafs - Apr. 4th, 7:30pm - TSN4, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

@

52-18-8, 112 points | 39-24-15, 93 points

Projected Lines

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie Johansson-Kuznetsov-Williams Connolly-Eller-Burakovsky Winnik-Beagle-Wilson Alzner-Carlson Orlov-Niskanen Orpik-Shattenkirk Holtby ​

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander Komarov-Kadri-Brown JVR-Bozak-Marner Martin-Boyle-Kapanen Gardiner-Zaitsev Rielly-Carrick Hunwick-Polak McElhinney​

Scratches

Paul Carey Nate Schmidt Taylor Chorney ​

Martin Marincin Alexey Marchenko Ben Smith Josh Leivo Nikita Soshnikov​

Game Notes

WSH
?Braden Holtby (41-12-6, 2.11 GAA, .924 Sv%) will likely start for the Capitals
?With the Caps hosting the Rangers tomorrow night though it's possible we see backup Philipp Grubauer instead
?Washington doesn't have the top spot in the East (and the Presidents trophy) locked up quite yet, but with a 5-point lead over the 2nd place team and just 4 games remaining it's essentialy their's to lose at this point
?The Caps are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, same record as Toronto in that stretch
?Trade deadline acquisition Kevin Shattenkirk has 0 goals and 12 assists in 15 games with the team

TOR
?McElhinney (7-6-2, 2.57 GAA, .921 Sv%) will start for the Leafs
?The Leafs can clinch a playoff berth tonight if a) they beat the Capitals and b) Boston beats Tampa in regulation

Injuries

​

?Nathan Horton - Back - Out indefinitely ?Joffrey Lupul - ?\_(?)_/? - Out indefinitely ?Stephane Robidas - Old - Out indefinitely ?Eric Fehr - Hand - Out indefinitely ?Nikita Soshnikov - Undisclosed - Day to day ?Josh Leivo - Undisclosed - Day to day​

Stream Options

https://www.reddit.com/r/NHLstreams
​

 

[Kin]

I wonder what the lowest number of wins for a Presidents Trophy winner is in the 82 game season era.

 

[bustaheims]

I wonder what the lowest number of wins for a Presidents Trophy winner is in the 82 game season era.

Based on my 'extensive' research, looks like it's 48 by the 03-04 Wings.

 

[Kin]

I wonder what the lowest number of wins for a Presidents Trophy winner is in the 82 game season era.

Based on my 'extensive' research, looks like it's 48 by the 03-04 Wings.

Fair enough. I know parity is king and everything but the contrast there between the NHL and NBA is still occasionally jarring.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I wonder what the lowest number of wins for a Presidents Trophy winner is in the 82 game season era.

Based on my 'extensive' research, looks like it's 48 by the 03-04 Wings.

You would be correct: http://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/presidents.html. Lowest points goes to the 96-97 Avs with 107.

 

[herman]

I don't want to jinx things, but I also don't believe in jinxes, or small sample size coincidences, but since I changed my profile picture to William Nylander on March 17, the Leafs have been 7-1-1 and William Nylander has been 4-6-10.

He hasn't gone more than 3 games without points, and no more than two games without registering a shot on goal.

 

[Arn]

I'd take a point in this one

 

[disco]

I don't want to jinx things, but I also don't believe in jinxes, or small sample size coincidences, but since I changed my profile picture to William Nylander on March 17, the Leafs have been 7-1-1 and William Nylander has been 4-6-10.

He hasn't gone more than 3 games without points, and no more than two games without registering a shot on goal.

The power of botany.

 

[Can8899]

I'd take a point in this one

Agreed.  Thursday is the big game so I'm already focused on that.  Hopefully the Leafs aren't like-minded.

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

should be a loss but hard to count toronto out..also i feel like washington is pretty close to clinching ..they might not be as sharp.

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/849289287027888129

Diggin' for quotes from the nineteen-year-old professional

 

[herman]

Philipp Grubauer will be Washington's starter tonight. Not having to face Holtby is good but Grubauer's stats this season have also been fantastic (11-6-2, 2.14 GAA, .924 Sv%).

McElhinney also confirmed for this battle of the backups.

So glad we gave up more shots last night so that Babcock wouldn't be tempted to play Andersen again.

 

[Bill_Berg]

I doubt we'll go 4-0 to close the season off, but really at this point there's no team we can't beat on any given night. Best of 7s may prove different, but I feel as good about this game as I did last night's.

 

[Kaberle15]

Go McBackup Go!

Go Leafs Go, Go Bruins Go / Go away Bolts Go! (Just give up and use some netflix and chill, would you?)

Let's secure a spot tonight!

 

[cujo4ever]

Even though it's not likely, the fact that the Leafs have a chance to clinch tonight is incredible. What a season!

GO LEAFS GO!

 

[ZBBM]

I don't want to jinx things, but I also don't believe in jinxes, or small sample size coincidences, but since I changed my profile picture to William Nylander on March 17, the Leafs have been 7-1-1 and William Nylander has been 4-6-10.

He hasn't gone more than 3 games without points, and no more than two games without registering a shot on goal.

The power of botany.

I thought that was a herman selfie.

 

[Zee]

Get 40 & 41 tonight Auston. Let's get a win !

 

[Redleaf]

A win tonight against the best team in the league using our back up goalie would have fans unrealistically dreaming about the Stanley Cup this year. Probably not a healthy thing but it would still be a wonderful win.

 

[disco]

To have a shot at two points this time of year, the intensity level has to be borderline playoff level. Playing at that pace twice in 24-hours with travel is tough, not to mention against the current President's Trophy leader. But a lot can happen in sixty minutes. We'll see what kind of legs they have.

 

[herman]

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/04/04/toronto-maple-leafs-vs-washington-capitals-game-79-preview-projected-lines/

He?s just a generational player. He?s big, he?s deceptively fast, he has the ability to see and do things at a high rate of speed but I know in his mind everything is slow. He?s able to see everything in slow motion, but he does it very quickly. To me, he?s a generational player. He?s big, strong, it looks like he?s got a real good drive train, a high hockey IQ and a high skill level. He?s just going to get better. I know the staff there is very, very detailed. He?ll keep growing as a player, and that?s pretty dangerous for the rest of the league.
You look at the young talents in the league ? McDavid, Auston, Laine ? those are pretty generational players we?re starting to see. It?s a good time to be a hockey fan.

Barry Trotz on Matthews, today.

We could quibble about the 'generational player' tag that Trotz is overusing. All I know is, he's not really paying enough attention to William Nylander.

Turns out it may have been Winnik that sold the Leafs on Andersen too (one more thing to thank Winnik for).