Capitals and Jets Face Off in Saturday Night Showdown Between NHL’s Top Teams
On Saturday night, the NHL’s top two teams, the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets, are set to square off in a must-watch matchup. This will be the first meeting between the Capitals and Jets this season, with their next matchup scheduled for March in Winnipeg. The Capitals are returning home after a grueling five-game road trip, which included four games north of the border, where they posted a solid 3-1-1 record. Meanwhile, the Jets, who lead the Capitals by one point for the league’s best record with 75 points compared to Washington’s 74, are riding a five-game win streak, including their latest victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. This star-studded matchup between two of the league’s powerhouse teams brings much intrigue, as both clubs are vying for the Presidents’ Trophy by the end of the regular season.
The goalie matchup between the Capitals' Logan Thompson and the Jets' Connor Hellebuyck is expected to be a highlight of the game. In his first season with Washington after being traded from the Vegas Golden Knights, the 27-year-old Thompson is enjoying the best season of his NHL career in his fifth season overall. Thompson has played 28 games with the Capitals, posting a 23-2-3 record, a career-best 2.05 goals-against average, an impressive .927 save percentage, and tying his career-high in shutouts with two, both of which came in January. As a result of his stellar performance, Thompson secured a six-year contract extension this week. For Winnipeg, Hellebuyck, in his 10th season, is playing even better than during his second Vezina Trophy-winning campaign last year. The 31-year-old currently leads the league in nearly all major statistical categories, including the best win-loss record, goals-against average, most shutouts, and is tied for the highest save percentage. With both goalies playing crucial roles in their teams’ success this season, the netminder who can best limit the opposing offense will likely be the key to leading their team to victory on Saturday.
Heading into the game, there are several key matchups to watch beyond the starting goaltenders. The Winnipeg Jets’ potent offense is led by two of the league’s top goal scorers, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, who rank second and third in goals scored this season, both with at least 30. This will be a big challenge for the Capitals, who boast a stingy defense, particularly on the penalty kill. They have the third-best penalty kill unit in the league at 83.9% and will look to shut down the Jets' offense, including their league-leading power play, which converts 33.1% of the time. The Capitals’ offense, second only to Winnipeg in goals scored, is led by captain Alex Ovechkin, who is now 19 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal-scoring record. He is supported by a talented cast, including Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Dylan Strome, who have all contributed to the Capitals’ improved offensive depth compared to last season. With the Capitals' dominance at home, holding a 16-4-4 record at Capital One Arena, and the Jets having one of the best road records at 16-9-0, this matchup is set to be a highly entertaining tilt on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EST on NHL Network.
