Game #39
Caps (24-9-6, 54 points) at San Jose Sharks (24-8-7, 55 points)
Washington closes out 2009 with a game at HP Pavilion – better known as the Shark Tank. Caps probably could have played their last 11 games in San Jose in an actual shark tank and fared better than they have on the ice. How’s 0-for-11 sound? That streak dates to Oct. 30, 1993. Washington did handle the Sharks at Verizon Center on Oct. 15 – a 4-1 win that has to rank among its best efforts of the season. Rookie goalie Semyon Varlamov came on in relief of the injured Jose Theodore to earn the win. But can that translate on the road for the first time in 16 years? San Jose is hot again with five wins in a row. Caps are coming off that humbling 6-3 home loss to Carolina, the worst team in the Eastern Conference. These are the two two scoring teams in the NHL. Washington has the third-most points in the league besides New Jersey (55) and the Sharks.
Forward Jason Chimera makes his Caps debut after Monday’s trade sent captain Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Will be interesting to see how the 30-year-old left wing meshes with his new linemates – no matter where he plays. But doesn’t it seem like Chimera’s game fits Bruce Boudreau’s system to a “T”? He’s a big, fast skater on a team filled with those kind of players. You wonder if he can bump that production from about a 15-goal scorer most years to 20 or even higher. Not to get ahead of ourselves. He’s had all of one day to learn the system. But worth noting Chimera has scored twice against the Sharks already this season.
