Sat Dec. 30 New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: NBC Sports Washington, MSG+
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
New Jersey Devils 50-22-9-6 Last Game: Lost 4-3 against Sabers
Washington Capitals 49-23-13-3 Last Game: Won 4-3 against Bruins
8-Ovechkin 19-Bäckström 25-Smith-Pelly
13-Vrana 92-Kuznetsov 77-Oshie
10-Connolly 20-Eller 43-Wilson
18-Stephenson 83-Beagle 39-Chaisson
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
29-Djoos 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 4-Chorney
31-Grubauer
70-Holtby (starter)
-- SCRATCH --
65-Burakovsky
22-Bowey
-- INJURED --
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
77-Oshie 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
39-Chaisson 20-Eller 13-Vrana
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Tom Chmielewski (#18) Wes McCauley (#4)
Linesmen: Brad Kovachik (#71), Lonnie Cameron (#74)
By Isabelle Khurshudyan December 30 at 12:39 PM
Washington Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky (65) won’t be in the lineup on Saturday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)As the
Washington Capitals host the New Jersey Devils in a game with
first place in the Metropolitan Division at stake, skilled forward Andre Burakovsky will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
“I think like anything it’s an earned right,” Trotz said. “We need Andre to get his game to the next level, put some urgency. There’s nothing that puts more urgency into a player than not being in the lineup. We’ve seen that in the past with guys we’ve sat out.”
This is a frustrating chapter in what’s been a frustrating season for Burakovsky, whom the team had high expectations for this year. After the Capitals parted with top-six forwards Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams, Washington tabbed Burakovsky, 22, as a player who could increase his production to replace some of the lost goal-scoring from Johansson and Williams.
But Burakovsky struggled to start the season, broke his left thumb in October, and aside from one two-goal performance in Dallas, Burakovsky has been largely ineffective. He has three goals and five assists through 19 games, and Burakovsky has now been a healthy scratch in each of his first four seasons in the NHL. Perhaps the Capitals had hoped the 2013 first-round pick would be past the point where that’s necessary by now. He’s known for being streaky, regularly going through long slumps without a goal.
“I think with every player you hope that,” Trotz said. “All the details, all the consistency, you shouldn’t go 20 games without a point or a goal or whatever. There’s times when we played him and he probably shouldn’t be in the lineup. So I think we’re past that a little bit. We’ve got to force him to get to the next level, and sometimes it’s a little bit of tough love, sometimes it’s getting the player to realize how much being on the ice means to him. There’s no entitlement. He’s a veteran player now. He’s a young veteran player that we expect to be real good.”
[Caps don’t take many shots, but they’re trying to make them count] Rookie defenseman Madison Bowey will also be a healthy scratch on Saturday night. “He can be a little bit better in some areas,” Trotz said. Defenseman Taylor Chorney will be in the lineup instead.
With Burakovsky out, forward Tom Wilson will take his place on the third line with center Lars Eller and winger Brett Connolly. In a lineup shake-up, Trotz promoted forward Devante Smith-Pelly to the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Jakub Vrana will take Burakovsky’s spot on the second power-play unit.
The Devils have played two fewer games than the Capitals, and they have one more point (50) than Washington (49) in a Metropolitan Division that’s separated by just 10 points from top to bottom. As December games go, Saturday’s is a significant one.
“I think we just know that whoever wins is in first place at the end of the night,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “I think that’s more of what we’re looking at and trying to get some separation from all of the teams. It kind of seems that whenever we win, every other team wins in the Metro. It’s a little frustrating that way, and I don’t think it’s going to change much as we go. I think it’s going to be like that the whole year. Maybe that’ll be good because it’ll kind of push us to the end of the season.”
Said Trotz: “I don’t think anybody expected them to be where they are, but they’ve earned that right. They’ve outplayed people and they’ve won more games than most teams in the league. They’ve got a really good team game. Systematically, they’ve bought into structure. They’ve got a high work ethic, they’ve got a high skill level and speed, and they’ve got a buy-in. They’re bought in. They’re all buying in on their decision-making. They’re all buying in on their work ethic. They’re all buying in on all that stuff. They got off to a great start and it’s sort of built their confidence and their nerve and they’re a good hockey team.”
