Washington Capitals center Lars Eller knows how to win in the NHL. The veteran of over 1,100 games has lifted the Stanley Cup before, and he's looking forward to making another run at it this year with the Caps.
Of course, when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, Eller was a huge piece of the puzzle. An 18-goal regular season paired with 18 points in 24 postseason contests was the perfect complement to their championship run.
Seven years later, the Caps have a drastically different roster, with only a handful of players from the 2018 team remaining. Speaking with RG, Eller talked about how much the team has changed for the better since being traded away a few seasons ago, calling them "nuts" in the process.
"It’s a little different. I think this team is more nuts, not as much skill and high-scoring ability," he said. "Now we don’t have a Kuznetsov-type of player. We have different kinds of players that may be stronger defensively, but also a lot of the same with very physical guys like Ovi and Tom."
According to Eller, what remains is a championship expectation. In his evaluation, despite all the changes, Stanley Cup contention is what connects both of his tenures with the organization.
"But it’s still, I think, a team that has a chance and has all the assets to win playoff rounds and to win a Stanley Cup. So some things are the same and some things are new, but everything changes a little."
With less than 20 games remaining in the regular season, the Capitals have already clinched a spot in the postseason. They have a sizable lead in the Metropolitan Division and are in contention for the President's Trophy, given to the team with the best record at the end of the regular season. Above all of that, they are contenders once again.
Panthers look to get back on track vs. Capitals
Alex Ovechkin is seven goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal record as the Washington Capitals go into their game against the visiting Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Ovechkin got his 888th career goal and 35th of the season in Thursday night's 3-2 home win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzky scored 894 career goals.
Ovechkin's goal gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead with 5:35 left in the first period.
"I love to see it. Again, a big goal at a big time, gets us going there," said Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren, who made 27 saves. "The crowd gets into it ... We got more people now and more people come to our games and a bigger spotlight. Credit to Ovi: Another big goal and another goal off the mark."
The Capitals (46-15-8, 100 points), who lead the Eastern Conference, also clinched a playoff spot with the victory, having won three straight games and eight of their last nine.
"Our goal was to make the playoffs this year," Ovechkin said. "Every game, it's hard, especially at the end because every team is fighting. That's why in the beginning of the year and the middle of the year, it's very important to (be) collecting points and feel comfortable at the end. Last year it took us 82 games to clinch it and since 20 games left last year, it was playoffs for us already. We take it and move on."
The Panthers (42-24-3, 87 points) had lost two straight and three of their last four before a 1-0 overtime win over the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Aleksander Barkov's power-play goal 29 seconds into the OT period gave Florida the victory.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves in his fifth shutout of the season.
"It was a great game. It was a playoff-style game," Bobrovsky said. "Opponent played hard. Opponent played a good game, but we worked hard. We had great focus, great concentration. We were together. We were tight, and we just grinded (it) out. It's big points for us."
Despite the Panthers' recent struggles, coach Paul Maurice has been pleased by his team's performance.
"I like the fact that we've been able to play in tight games," he said. "I've been saying that for two months. I think even in the two we lost last week (3-2 to the Boston Bruins on the road on March 11 and a road loss to the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday), they're pretty tight in the third, so to come out with a win after losing two is important."
Barkov knows the Panthers will be playing desperate teams down the stretch.
"We talked about it before the game, that we're also in the battle," he said. "So, it's not over for us at all. We need to get there (to the playoffs) as well, and we need to change the mindset a little bit so that we need to win games as well and battle for the playoffs as well. So, I think it was we were desperate today, and we wanted to win, and we got the win."
