WASHINGTON CAPITALS NOTES:
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Activated defenseman Martin Fehervary from IR; placed forward T.J. Oshie on IR, 11/27
INJURIES/ILLNESSES
T.J. Oshie: 11/27 (1 game)
Martin Fehervary: 11/11-11/24 (5 games)
Nicklas Backstrom: 11/2-11/27 (10 games)
Max Pacioretty: 10/13-11/27 (18 games)
Evgeny Kuznetsov: 11/18-11/22 (2 games)
Anthony Mantha: 11/10-11/14 (3 games)
Darcy Kuemper: 11/10-11/11 (2 games)
Trevor van Riemsdyk: 11/8-11/14 (4 games)
Sonny Milano: 10/29 (1 game)
Nic Dowd: 10/18-11/8 (9 games)
Charlie Lindgren: 10/16-10/27 (6 games)
Joel Edmundson: 10/13-11/14 (14 games)
Man Games Lost: 75
TONIGHT’S GAME
The Capitals visit the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena for the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Washington is 6-2-0 in their last eight games against the Kings dating back to the 2018-19 season and have won three out of their last four games (3-1-0) at Crypto.com Arena. The Capitals have a record of 10-6-2 through 18 games and have accumulated 22 standings points (.611 point percentage). Nearly a quarter into the season, the Capitals are on pace for 100 points, which would mark a 20-point improvement from last season (2022-23: 80 points).
TOP CAPS FACTS
Road Warriors
– The Capitals continue their five-game road trip on Wednesday when they visit the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. – The Capitals’ five game Western Conference road trip, during which they’ll play San Jose, the Los Angeles Kings (Nov. 29), the Anaheim Ducks (Nov. 30), the Vegas Golden Knights (Dec. 2) and the Arizona Coyotes (Dec. 4), is tied for their longest stretch of games away from Capital One Arena this season (also March 11-18). – Washington has a 3-2-1 road record this season and have earned at least one point in four of their last five road games (3-1-1). – Since the start of the 2020-21 season, the Capitals’ .603 road point percentage ranks ninth in the NHL.
Collecting Points
– The Capitals fell to the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Monday, marking the first time Washington has dropped consecutive games in regulation this season. – Prior to the start of Monday’s game, the Capitals were one of three teams in the NHL without back-to-back regulation losses, along with the New York Rangers and Wednesday’s opponent, the Los Angeles Kings. – The Capitals are 9-3-1 in their last 13 games. – Washington’s .731 point percentage since Oct. 25 is the third-highest in the NHL (Los Angeles Kings: .846; New York Rangers: .821). – The Capitals are averaging 2.38 goals against per game during the 13-game stretch, which ranks third in the NHL since Oct. 25 (Los Angeles: 1.85 GA/GP; Pittsburgh: 2.29 GA/GP) (through games played Nov. 27). – Through games played Nov. 27, the Capitals sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 10-6-2 (22 pts., .611 P%). The Capitals (18 GP) have played the fewest games among Metropolitan Division teams. – Washington boasts the second-highest point percentage in the Metropolitan Division, the fifth-highest point percentage in the Eastern Conference and the 11th-highest point percentage in the NHL, despite starting 1-3-1.
LOS ANGELE S KINGS NOTES:
WARM-UPS
1) Phillip Danault has 12 points (3-9=12) in 13 career games against the Capitals.
2) Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov scored his first goal as an LA King against the Washington Capitals last season on March 6, 2023.
3) Pheonix Copley stopped all 18 shots faced for his first shutout of the season and third of his career last Saturday vs. Montreal. In doing so, he is the first Kings netminder to have the Kings record at least one point during each of his first five decisions in a season since Darcy Kuemper (5-0-3) and Jonathan Quick (5-0-1) in 2017-18.
4) Adrian Kempe scored his 30th goal of the 2022-23 campaign against Washington on March 6, 2023, becoming the first Kings skater to record back-to-back 30 goal seasons since Ziggy Palffy (2001-03).
5) The Kings are 11-0-1 when scoring first this season.
vs. WASHINGTON ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 62-41-13-2
Home: 36-17-6-1
Away: 26-24-7-1 OT: 4-2 (6 ties)
Shootout: 2-0 2022-23: 1-1-0
LAST MEETING vs. WASHINGTON: Mar. 6, 2023 – LAK 4 vs. WSH 2
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
LAK Goals: Gavrikov (4), Danault (16), Anderson (3), Kempe (30)
WSH Goals: Sandin (5), Ovechkin (36)
Goalies: LAK: Copley (W; 20 saves, 22 shots) WSH: Kuemper (L, 37 saves, 40 shots)
PP: 0-5
PK: 4-5
INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Status (Consecutive Games Missed, Total Games Missed, Dates)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 19 games, Oct. 11 – Pres.
F Blake Lizotte, 3 games, Nov. 20 – Pres.
D Tobias Bjornfot, 2 game, Nov. 24 – Pres.
2023-24 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 24
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
The Kings have scored four or more goals in each of their last four contests, dating back to Nov. 18 vs. St. Louis, and have done so in 12 of their 19 games so far this season. The last Kings team to have as many four-plus goal outings within their first 19 games of a season was in 1992-93 (13 GP). Across their 19 outings, there have been 76 goals scored for the fourth-most this season behind Vancouver (91), Tampa Bay (80) and Colorado (79). It is the first time since the 1992-93 season (92G) that the Kings have scored at least 76 goals through their first 19 games to start a season. Of the 76 goals, 42 have been scored within their first nine road games this season, a feat previously accomplished twice in franchise history (44G in 1988-89) and (43G in 1992-93). Only five other teams in the league have scored as many goals in their first nine road games of a season in the last 30 years:
