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The Washington Capitals are welcoming Barry Trotz and the Islanders to town for the first time since Trotz celebrated the Capitals’ first-ever Stanley Cup Championship with the team.
Trotz’s return will be commemorated by a video tribute before the puck drops at Capital One Arena at 7:30 and will certainly be an emotional start to a high stakes game.
The Islanders (27-15-4) and the Capitals (27-14-5) have a near identical record, and Trotz is already being considered for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year while the Caps are experiencing what seems to be a delayed Cup hangover, having lost three straight.
Islanders at Capitals
Friday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
How to watch: NBCSW, MyTeams
What to Watch For:
- Braden Holtby will start in net tonight for the first time since last week’s scary eye injury after taking a stick to the eye in the Caps’ 2-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets last Saturday. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back after missing two starts.
- Can the Caps get back in their groove? A 7-2 loss to the Nashville Predators Tuesday was an embarrassing display and led to a lot of conversations on whether or not the Capitals were experiencing a delayed Cup hangover. A visit from Barry Trotz is a golden opportunity for the Capitals to show their former coach that they can bounce back to their former strong start.
- Power play woes: The Caps’ power play has gotten better, but could still use a lot of work. Similarly, the Islanders could also use a lot of work. Their power play is ranked 24 out of 29 teams in the NHL while the Capitals are ranked ninth.
Quote of the day:
“For him it’ll be a pretty emotional night,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said to NBC Sports Washington. “We went through a lot, he was here for a long time, ups and downs, he was part of the community and I think he’s well respected by the community of D.C., so it will be a great moment for him and his family. He deserves it. He put in a lot of time and worked extremely hard to get this team to accomplish what we did last year. It will be good to see him again – and to take him down.”
Last time these teams met:
The Capitals beat the Islanders 4-1 on their home ice in November with Tom Wilson leading the win with two goals.
Stat to know:
Alex Ovechkin is still leading the league in goals with 33.
MORE CAPITALS NEWS:
- Caps-Islanders: How to watch
- Trotz’s Return: Trotz’s return expected to be an unprecedented moment in D.C. sports
- Mailbag: Digesting the Caps current skid