The Washington Capitals scored an impressive 3-1 road victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night (Dec. 6) for a franchise record ninth consecutive road win. In a battle between two elite teams, the Capitals limited Toronto’s offense to 21 shots as Charlie Lindgren picked up his eighth win in 2024-25.
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The game’s key moment occurred midway into the final regulation period of a 1-1 tie. Toronto center Auston Matthews attempted to clear the puck behind the net, but the frozen disc hit the official’s skate before bouncing in front of Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz, who stopped 23 shots from the Capitals, could not make the save on Connor McMichael’s 15th goal of the season. Lindgren made several clutch late saves with Washington clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the third period, while Aliaksei Protas finished the scoring on the empty net for a 3-1 final score.
With the win, Washington improved to 18-6-2, while Toronto fell to 16-8-2. Both teams are right back in action tonight (Dec. 7). The Capitals are visiting the Montreal Canadiens, and the Maple Leafs are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins for Saturday night contests.
Franchise Record-Setting Eighth Road Win for Washington
Washington continues to be a force to reckon with on the road in the Eastern Conference this season. The win in Toronto represented their eighth straight road win dating back to an 8-1 dismantling of the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 9. Washington improved their record away from D.C. to 10-2-0 this season.
The Capitals’ road domination this season bodes well for them. The franchise record for most road wins in a season is 27 in the 2015-16 regular season. The Capitals finished first in the conference en route to a Presidents’ Trophy as the team with the best record in the NHL during the regular season. Unfortunately for Washington, they were on the wrong side of a Game 7 overtime goal as the New York Rangers’ Derek Stepan advanced them to the Eastern Conference Final.
Connor McMichael Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
Capitals center Connor McMichael, 23, continues to enjoy a breakout season in 2024-25. The first-round pick from the 2019 Draft has scored 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points over the first 26 games. This puts McMichael at a 47-goal, 79-point pace in a full 82-game season.
McMichael’s longest stretch without a goal this season is three games, which has occurred on two different occasions, Nov. 17 to Nov. 21 and Nov. 25 to Nov. 29. Otherwise, the young forward has been a primary cog in Washington’s offense, averaging an NHL-high 4.04 goals per game. Washington is leading the NHL in generating goals from all over the lineup this season.
CAPS TODAY: Nic Dowd (8g), Connor McMichael (15g) & Aliaksei Protas (9g) scored in Washington's 3-1 at Toronto on Friday. Dowd became the 7th Capital with 8 or more goals this season. The Caps are the only team in the NHL with 7 players with 8-plus goals: https://t.co/EwA0dwZwZb pic.twitter.com/lzqqjzwsSh
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 7, 2024
Last season, McMichael set a career-high in goals (18), assists (15), and points (33). In about a quarter of the games in 2024-25, the young center has almost reached those totals with the majority of the season to play. If he remains healthy, the sky is the limit regarding how high the six-foot forward can soar this season.
Capitals Thriving Without Alex Ovechkin
Washinton’s captain, Alex Ovechkin, is back to skating in a non-contact jersey following his November injury; however, it is still expected that it will be a bit of time before he returns to the lineup. Despite losing the NHL-leading scorer at the time of the injury, Washington has continued to find wins against some of the best teams in the East. After losing their first two games without their longtime superstar, Washington has rallied for wins in five of their last six contests. Even the loss over that time required overtime hockey, allowing Washington to grab a critical standings point.
Washington continues its three-game road trip without Ovechkin’s help in the lineup tonight. They are looking for their ninth straight road win in Montreal. If successful, Washington will have the opportunity for their 10th straight visiting win next Thursday night (Dec. 12) against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The NHL record for most consecutive road victories in NHL history is 12, a tie between the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings and the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild.
