Oilers Must Step Up In Huge Game

"Sucks for him, good for us."

Those were Alex Ovechkin's thoughts on facing the Edmonton Oilers without the recently suspended Connor McDavid. The Capitals captain is right to be grateful: his opposite number has torched Washington over his career, scoring 24 points in 14 games against the Capitals, including seven in two games last season.

McDavid's three-game suspension comes at a tough time for the Oilers, because the Capitals they'll face tonight are not the same team they beat 7-2 and 5-0 last season. Washington has been one of the league's best stories this year, rebounding from aimless mediocrity to first place in the league.

While Ovechkin has been a big part of that, turning back the clock with 21 goals in 30 games as he chases down Wayne Gretzky's goals record, the Caps are far from a one-man show. In fact, Washington went 10-5-1 when Ovechkin was out with a broken fibula, not missing a beat without their captain.

In his second year at the helm, head coach Spencer Carbery has transformed the Capitals into a monster. They rank first in goals against (2.43) and second in goals (3.57) per game and boast top-ten special teams on both sides of the puck.

They have almost no weaknesses. Though they do have the highest shooting percentage in the league, they come by it honestly, with the eighth-highest expected goals total according to MoneyPuck.

Between Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, Connor McMichael, and breakout star Aliaksei Protas, the Caps can outgun just about anyone in the league. Toss in John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, and Rasmus Sandin on the back end, and you've got a juggernaut.

Things don't get any easier at the other end of the ice, where goalie Logan Thompson owns the second-highest save percentage among all goalies with at least 20 starts this season.

Even without McDavid in the Oilers' lineup, tonight should be a matchup of two of the league's best teams. This three-game stretch will be huge for Leon Draisaitl, who gets another opportunity to build his already robust Hart Trophy case as the undisputed guy in Edmonton.

As for the rest of the lineup, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will slide over to centre next to Zach Hyman, while Jeff Skinner will get the first crack on their left wing. A big week from Skinner could finally get him out of roster purgatory and win him some top-six minutes again.

It's never easy playing without your captain, especially when he's the best player in the world. But the Oilers have proven over the past two months that they're one of the best teams in the league. A win tonight over the league-leading Capitals would only strengthen that case.

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The puck drops between the Oilers and Capitals at 7:00 PM.

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