COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Washington Capitals were scheduled to practice at Nationwide Arena Wednesday afternoon — until the third period of Game 3 ended without a winner and loser.
The Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets both announced Wednesday would be a day off instead. For two teams that have played 47:24 of extra hockey in the first three games of their Stanley Cup Playoff series, the smarter thing to do was to stay off the ice for a change.
It was the second time this week the Capitals have scratched practice thanks to overtime. Every game in the series has gone into overtime, including Tuesday night’s Game 3 win in double overtime.
“When you’ve got guys playing high minutes, and you have them on both teams, I think it’s all about our rest and recovery,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said Wednesday. “Today’s about getting your body back to, I’d say, normal after a long night. Tomorrow we’ll refocus on our task at hand and try to get the next game.”
But physical readiness is only one aspect of this uniquely grueling series. The core of Washington’s roster has been part of 12 overtime games in the franchise’s last 22 playoff contests dating back to 2016, which could lend the Capitals an advantage in mental toughness.
It’s not that the Capitals are especially lucky in one-goal playoff games. They are 6-6 in their past 12 overtime playoff games, and in their last 10 first-round games — which were all decided by one goal, either in overtime or regulation — they’re now 6-4.
It’s more about the players’ overall development, Trotz said, “knowing you have to do that so many times, you have to learn through it, you have to fight through stuff and you have to be pushed.”
The playoffs are a “test of will” regardless of whether games go to overtime, Trotz said.
“What I think overtime makes you do is concentrate when you’re tired,” he said. “You have to stay in that moment. You can’t cut that corner. You can’t do that fly-by when you’re really tired. You can’t cheat, because those are the times when the puck ends up in back of the net.”
The Blue Jackets have veterans with playoff experience like Thomas Vanek, Brandon Dubinsky and captain Nick Foligno, but as a unit the team has not been through as much as Washington. The average age of Columbus’s roster is 26.2, the youngest playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
But the mental toughness must be matched with proper physical recovery. Capitals players spent Wednesday doing whatever they felt they needed — whether that was a session in a cold tub, an easy stretch or more of a regular workout.
“Everybody has their own routines to get their bodies feeling right,” Trotz said. “I think you’ll find that the older guys, they’ll want to do something today to keep the body moving a little bit. I think the younger guys probably are a little easier to get the body moving the next day.”
Sticking with Holts
Asked if he would stick with Braden Holtby in net for Game 4 after his strong performance in the Game 3 win, Trotz said, “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”
In his 60th career start and 30th win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 18 of Holtby’s 33 saves Tuesday came in the third period and overtimes.
Trotz reflected on having to tell Holtby that Philipp Grubauer would start Game 1 instead of him. The 28-year-old former Vezina Trophy winner put “team dynamic” ahead of ego, he said.
“The one thing that stands out to me is he said, ’If I get a chance to come back in the net, I’ll stop the puck. But I’m in. I understand and I’m ready if you need me.’ That said a lot about his character and a lot about him,” Trotz said.
Injury update
The Capitals are mostly healthy at the moment, with one exception. Top-six forward Andre Burakovsky suffered an upper-body injury in Game 2 and stayed behind in Washington this week, meaning he again will be unavailable for Thursday’s Game 4 in Columbus.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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