The Washington Capitals played three games to start their post-Olympic push to the playoffs and finish out February, facing the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Montreal Canadiens and ending the week with a 2-1-0 record. Where were the team’s successes, and where were their deficits? How can they build on the momentum brought from a win to finish out the last quarter of the season strong?
High: Olympians Played Well
The team’s three Olympians performed well, despite not having the same amount of time to recover and rest as their teammates. Goaltender Logan Thompson looked the best out of the three. He returned from winning a silver medal with Team Canada and looked as if he had never stepped off NHL ice.
In his first game back, per MoneyPuck, he saved 1.65 more goals than expected, making 23 saves on 24 shots against the Flyers. He also started against the Golden Knights, saving 24 of 26 shots.
Related: Reviewing Capitals Performances at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Martin Fehervary also came back strong, holding down the team’s defense with the same consistency and power he brings each game. Through three games, he registered 10 blocks and laid 11 hits on his opponents.
Unfortunately for Tom Wilson, he contracted an illness sometime between the gold-medal game and last night, and did not play in the team’s first game. He did, however, play in the subsequent games, averaging 20:37 on ice but registering no points.
Low: A 6-2 Loss to a Conference Rival
Unfortunately, the team could not carry on their winning streak as they visited the Canadiens and were overpowered 6-2 in Montreal. The absence of Thompson was notable, and perhaps Charlie Lindgren had not yet shaken off the dust from his long break. He made 19 saves on 23 shots, allowing 1.19 more goals than expected, per MoneyPuck. While he made some difficult saves, he let in shots that should have been guaranteed stops. He was inconsistent and disappointing.
Despite 29 shots, the team had just two goals. No one could solve the puzzle of Jakub Dobes, and they began to look more and more defeated as the game went on. There were too many defensive breakdowns in critical moments, a horrible showing by the power-play units, and a devastating lack of offense. While some losses are inevitable, the team needs to show up with skill and consistency every single game in this last stretch of the season.
High: Defensemen Stepped Up
Once again, Washington’s blue line stepped up offensively. Rasmus Sandin scored the team’s first goal after the Olympic break, his third of the season. He also spent just over 20 minutes on the ice and took two shots. Later that game, Trevor van Riemsdyk scored thee game game winner, just his second tally of the season. Defensively, van Riemsdyk had two blocked shots and one takeaway.
Jakob Chychrun and Declan Chisholm registered points on those goals, as well. Van Riemsdyk noted that the team knows “it’s going to take contributions all over the ice this time of year”. They certainly proved that knowledge through this stretch of games. Chychrun scored in the game against the Golden Knights, with Sandin registering two assists. Chisholm had a point against the Canadiens, too.
Eight overall points from the defenseman add to the growing list of reasons why the Capitals’ blue line is so valuable. Not only do they support Thompson and Lindgren, but they also contribute to the team’s offense more games than not. 43 goals have come off Capitals defenders’ sticks this season.
Low: The Power Play
Once again, the Capitals struggle on the power play. While they have had a hard time with a man-advantage all season long, they did seem to have slightly better performances through the middle of the season. However, in this three-game stretch, they went 0-9 with the man advantage.
The absolutely abysmal lack of power-play offense could very well be the reason the team loses games and does not get a playoff bid. They sit 31st in the league for power play percentage (15.5%), ahead of only the Colorado Avalanche (14.8%).
Head coach Spencer Carbery was visibly frustrated by the 0-5 power play performance after the Golden Knights game. saying postgame, “I’m not being disrespectful; I just do not feel like getting into the power play right now. It was not good. It wasn’t even the structure part. It was just poor…But we should have more insulation back in that spot. We just did a very poor job of handling that scenario, that power play.”
High: Protas, Dubois, and Ovechkin Had Multi-Point Games
Forwards Aliaksei Protas, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Alex Ovechkin each posted a multi-point game in this post-Olympic stretch. Protas is officially a 20-goal scorer, scoring an empty-netter during the penalty kill at the tail end of the Flyers game. He also had an assist on van Riemsdyk’s goal, giving him assist number 20 on the season and an even 40 points. Capitals PR noted he is the fourth player to score at least 20 goals, joining Ovechkin (24), Wilson (23), and Chychrun (22). They are the only team in the league with four or more players who have reached this milestone.
Dubois, who has just recently returned from a long stretch on injured reserve, had a two-goal showing against the Golden Knights. He also tallied an assist on Chychrun’s goal, totaling three points in the team’s 3-2 victory. Ovechkin scored the team’s only two goals in their loss to the Canadiens.
Above all, the team secured four points to aid in their playoff chase. They are now five points out of either a wild-card spot or third place in the division. It is critical to stack as many points as possible in the waning season. Improving the power play, producing from all over the ice, and showing up consistently each game will be keys to success. They have a packed schedule through March, with 13 games, and next face the Utah Mammoth at home on Tuesday.
