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| Capitals’ latest fourth line is tops with Coach Barry Trotz | Capitals’ latest fourth line is tops with Coach Barry Trotz |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Calling the Washington Capitals’ newest forward trio a “fourth line” almost seems unfair. Asked about that grouping, again, Coach Barry Trotz smiled because it had been that good, again. | Calling the Washington Capitals’ newest forward trio a “fourth line” almost seems unfair. Asked about that grouping, again, Coach Barry Trotz smiled because it had been that good, again. |
| “I don’t know what to call that line,” Trotz said with a laugh. | “I don’t know what to call that line,” Trotz said with a laugh. |
| Mike Richards, Jay Beagle and Daniel Winnik have been together for just four games, but it already seems like a perfect fit. They’ve formed a line of three defensive, penalty-killing forwards who can’t seem to stop spending time in the opposition’s zone. The three play a grinding, defensive style that wears down the other team, and they’ve also produced more offensive chances than Washington’s skilled lines, albeit in a small sample size. | Mike Richards, Jay Beagle and Daniel Winnik have been together for just four games, but it already seems like a perfect fit. They’ve formed a line of three defensive, penalty-killing forwards who can’t seem to stop spending time in the opposition’s zone. The three play a grinding, defensive style that wears down the other team, and they’ve also produced more offensive chances than Washington’s skilled lines, albeit in a small sample size. |
| [Daniel Winnik was ‘shocked’ by trade to the Capitals] | |
| After a fourth line that was a revolving door for most of the season, this trio has quickly developed an identity and given the Capitals even more balance. | After a fourth line that was a revolving door for most of the season, this trio has quickly developed an identity and given the Capitals even more balance. |
| “Just trying to be that line that can chip in offensively, but also that momentum-shift line, where we can kind of go after a team and play in their zone,” Beagle said. “It’s a fun line to be a part of. It’s fun to play with them.” | “Just trying to be that line that can chip in offensively, but also that momentum-shift line, where we can kind of go after a team and play in their zone,” Beagle said. “It’s a fun line to be a part of. It’s fun to play with them.” |
| “When you got three guys who like to play the same way, usually chemistry is pretty quick,” Winnik said. | “When you got three guys who like to play the same way, usually chemistry is pretty quick,” Winnik said. |
| They ended up together after Beagle broke his left hand in December, Richards signed with Washington about a week later and then Winnik arrived through a recent trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Beagle coming back after missing 24 games, Trotz would consider all three midseason additions. | They ended up together after Beagle broke his left hand in December, Richards signed with Washington about a week later and then Winnik arrived through a recent trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Beagle coming back after missing 24 games, Trotz would consider all three midseason additions. |
| At times this season, the fourth line acted as a depository for forwards Trotz couldn’t fit elsewhere. He put young, skilled winger Andre Burakovsky there for a stretch because the top two lines were too crowded and he wasn’t suited for a checking third line. When Stanislav Galiev got in the lineup, it was mostly on the fourth line, though he too was better suited for a skilled line. | At times this season, the fourth line acted as a depository for forwards Trotz couldn’t fit elsewhere. He put young, skilled winger Andre Burakovsky there for a stretch because the top two lines were too crowded and he wasn’t suited for a checking third line. When Stanislav Galiev got in the lineup, it was mostly on the fourth line, though he too was better suited for a skilled line. |
| It was Beagle’s injury that enabled the current formation. He was the third-line center until he broke his hand, and when he went out of the lineup, Trotz got creative, moving Marcus Johansson to center the third line, which made room for Burakovsky on the second line. Johansson’s speed and offensive skill gave the Capitals a scoring top-nine forwards corps. | It was Beagle’s injury that enabled the current formation. He was the third-line center until he broke his hand, and when he went out of the lineup, Trotz got creative, moving Marcus Johansson to center the third line, which made room for Burakovsky on the second line. Johansson’s speed and offensive skill gave the Capitals a scoring top-nine forwards corps. |
| The fourth line was still an inconsistent work in progress. When the Capitals added Richards a few days later, he became the team’s fourth center, which then slotted Beagle on the wing when he returned last week. Add Winnik, and the Capitals now have a line that’s playing above its title. | The fourth line was still an inconsistent work in progress. When the Capitals added Richards a few days later, he became the team’s fourth center, which then slotted Beagle on the wing when he returned last week. Add Winnik, and the Capitals now have a line that’s playing above its title. |
| “We have kind of similar styles with not doing anything fancy, just getting the puck in deep,” Richards said. “Both of those two guys are so good at getting to the pucks and turning it over that you just try to be in good position for them.” | “We have kind of similar styles with not doing anything fancy, just getting the puck in deep,” Richards said. “Both of those two guys are so good at getting to the pucks and turning it over that you just try to be in good position for them.” |
| In a small sample of 28 minutes 45 seconds over four games, Richards, Beagle and Winnik have generated an absurdly high 79.1 Corsi percentage, which measures the percent of shot attempts that go in the Capitals’ favor when those three are on the ice together. It helps that Richards and Beagle are the team’s best at taking faceoffs, and they can alternate based on what dot they’re in; Richards is a left-handed draw while Beagle’s strong side is the right. | In a small sample of 28 minutes 45 seconds over four games, Richards, Beagle and Winnik have generated an absurdly high 79.1 Corsi percentage, which measures the percent of shot attempts that go in the Capitals’ favor when those three are on the ice together. It helps that Richards and Beagle are the team’s best at taking faceoffs, and they can alternate based on what dot they’re in; Richards is a left-handed draw while Beagle’s strong side is the right. |
| [Winnik is getting comfortable with Capitals] | [Winnik is getting comfortable with Capitals] |
| Trotz trusts that line defensively, which earns it a considerable amount of even strength ice time for a fourth line. In a 2-1 shootout win against the Ducks on Monday, every member played at least 14:58, with Winnik and Beagle playing more than 16 minutes each, and that’s with all three not seeing the ice in overtime. They only generated three shots on goal, but their strong offensive zone time wears down the opposition, which is why Trotz is unafraid to play the trio against another team’s top line. | Trotz trusts that line defensively, which earns it a considerable amount of even strength ice time for a fourth line. In a 2-1 shootout win against the Ducks on Monday, every member played at least 14:58, with Winnik and Beagle playing more than 16 minutes each, and that’s with all three not seeing the ice in overtime. They only generated three shots on goal, but their strong offensive zone time wears down the opposition, which is why Trotz is unafraid to play the trio against another team’s top line. |
| In Winnik’s first game with the Capitals on Wednesday night against the Maple Leafs, Winnik’s old team, Trotz had Winnik, Beagle and Richards on the ice in the final minute-plus of the game, when Toronto had pulled its goalie. He had the most faith in those three to preserve the lead. | In Winnik’s first game with the Capitals on Wednesday night against the Maple Leafs, Winnik’s old team, Trotz had Winnik, Beagle and Richards on the ice in the final minute-plus of the game, when Toronto had pulled its goalie. He had the most faith in those three to preserve the lead. |
| “They come hard,” Trotz said. “I think they’ve taken on the personalities of their centerman. It’s a credit to Beags being sort of that missing element and then Daniel has fit in and is playing really well on the line. He’s making plays and is doing a really good job on the penalty kill. | “They come hard,” Trotz said. “I think they’ve taken on the personalities of their centerman. It’s a credit to Beags being sort of that missing element and then Daniel has fit in and is playing really well on the line. He’s making plays and is doing a really good job on the penalty kill. |
| “That line, you can throw them out there against anybody. They’re hard to play against.” | “That line, you can throw them out there against anybody. They’re hard to play against.” |