FROM THE PRESS BOX
MIKE SAYS: If it feels like Alex Ovechkin always seems to score against the Jets, that’s because he pretty much always does. His 56 career goals against the franchise in 74 career games is the most against any single opponent. He also has 101 points against the 2.0 Jets/Atlanta Thrashers, which trails only the 105 he’s put up against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I mean, I’m glad he’s seven goals away. Let’s put it that way,” Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers said this morning. “I feel like every time we’ve played against Washington, there’s been some type of milestone that he’s hit. He’s obviously been a player that in this league has done unbelievable things and is about to do another incredible thing, which I believe he’s probably going to hit this year.”
Just not tonight, right?
“Knock on wood, he’s pretty fantastic goal-scorer, so hopefully that doesn’t happen,” joked Mark Scheifele. “It’s just really cool to see. He’s a phenomenal player, and the things that he’s done for this league, for the game of hockey, for everything. He’s done so much to pave the way for a guy like me and guys for years to come. Guys like him and Sid (Crosby), we’re lucky that they came into this league and came into the world to make the NHL where it is today.”
This could have been an even bigger “rockstar tour” in town had Ovechkin been within five goals of the record. Once he hits that point, a massive entourage will begin following him around including Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between the clubs. Back on Feb. 1 in D.C., the Jets stormed out to a big early lead, hung on for dear life as the Capitals rallied, then ultimately prevailed 5-4 in overtime.
During a matchup between the two teams last season, Winnipeg Jets centre Morgan Barron (36) skates with puck ahead of Washington Capitals left wing Ivan Miroshnichenko (63) on March 24, 2024 in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein / The Associated Press files)
“The one thing for Washington for me is that compared to last year they as an organization, as a team, individual players have really bought into defending first. And their numbers show that,” said Arniel.
“I don’t think there is a difference, road and home. I think that they really work to defend. It’s going to be a grind for us to gain offence against them and it’s the same thing on the other side. We’ve got to be good in our end. We’ve got to do the job against them. They like to get people, bodies, in that net front and we’re going to have to be just as good, just as diligent without the puck as they’re going to be.”
KEN SAYS: These two teams put on quite a show in the previous matchup, but things got a little looser than each of the head coaches would have liked. I’m definitely expecting a tighter checking game in this one, though it always has the potential to create fireworks like they did last month given the talent level on both squads.
It’s so interesting talking to players about the Ovechkin watch. Whether teammates or opponents, there is a great respect for what the Capitals captain is about to accomplish. Capitals centre Dylan Strome conceded on Tuesday morning that every player on the team has probably imagined what it would be like to set Ovechkin up for the record breaker. And while Strome wasn’t born yet when Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s goal-scoring record in 1994, he remembers watching the video of it and describe the celebration it in great detail on Tuesday after the morning skate.
This is a compelling matchup for many reasons, given the spot each club has in the standings, but it also features two of the top candidates for the Jack Adams Trophy for NHL coach of the year.
Arniel has done a tremendous job in his first season as the Jets bench boss, while Carberry has helped the Capitals elevate from a team that barely made the playoffs last season to battling for first overall. There are definitely some similarities in the way these two teams play, given the commitment to defensive structure, the depth and the offensive firepower.
It’s been an interesting stretch for Scheifele, who has gone eight games without finding the back of the net. He had several glorious opportunities in Sunday’s game against the Sabres, but his best chance was thwarted by the stick of defenceman Owen Power. Scheifele has six points in those eight games, so it’s not like his production has dropped off dramatically or anything like that. But with Vilardi now sidelined, there will be an adjustment for the top line — even though Scheifele and Connor have some familiarity skating with Iafallo in the past.
Also curious to see how things go with Adam Lowry and Ehlers reuniting after a brief time together prior to Lowry’s lower-body injury. They’ve shown some chemistry in the past and Ehlers’ explosiveness and finishing ability adds an interesting dimension to Lowry and Mason Appleton.
For the Capitals, Dubois is back to looking like the fully engaged, two-way player he was for a good chunk of his tenure with the Jets. He’s tough to handle in the offensive zone, given his puck protection skills and quick release, while he’s flourishing in a shutdown role. Carberry has helped unlock the part of Dubois’ game that was missing last season when he was a member of the Kings.
PROJECTED LINES
WINNIPEG JETS
FORWARDS:
- Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
- Ehlers-Lowry-Appleton
- Niederreiter-Namestnikov-Perfetti
- Barron-Kupari-Tanev
- DEFENCE:
- Morrissey-DeMelo
- Samberg-Schen
- Stanley-MillerGOAL:
- Hellebuyck
- Comrie
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D Fleury, D Heinola, C Gustafsson
INJURED: D Pionk (lower body), RW Vilardi (upper body)
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
FORWARDS:
- Ovechkin-Strome-Protas
- McMichael-Dubois-Wilson
- Mangiapane-Eller-Raddysh
- Duhaime-Dowd-Beauvillier
DEFENCE:
- Sandin-Carlson
- Chychrun-van Riemsdyk
- Fehervary-Roy
GOAL:
HEALTHY SCRATCHES: D McIlrath, D Alexeyev, C Frank
INJURED: C Backstrom (hip), RW Oshie (back), LW Milano (upper body)
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Nikolaj Ehlers on what he’s learned from watching Alex Ovechkin over the years:
“I don’t have nearly the same shot he does. But he also shoots from everywhere. And that’s how you score goals in this league. You’re not going to get the perfect opportunity every single time, but as long as you get the puck towards the net, there’s a chance it’s going in. And the way he does that is pretty impressive. That’s something that I’ve looked at doing sometimes. I maybe take some weird shots, but that’s how I kind of get going. As long as you get the puck towards the net there’s a chance of it going in and I think that’s something he’s doing pretty well.”
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
Mike has an early story coming on the Ovechkin show rolling into town, while Ken will handle the game analysis. Both pieces will be in Wednesday’s paper and online at winnipegfreepress.com. It’s also important to declare that the monthly mailbag is open, so please send your questions to Mike and Ken at your convenience (you can simply hit reply to this email).
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