Before tonight's Caps game in Anaheim, here's what you should know

Washington has ripped through this swing with wins over the Islanders, Kings and Sharks, stacking nine victories in its last ten games and looking every bit like a contender again.

Rookie Ryan Leonard keeps shoving the door open wider. The 20 year old, drafted eighth overall by Washington in 2023, is coming off a four point night in San Jose with two goals and two assists.

Alex Ovechkin, now sitting at 911 career goals after another two goal outing, still pulls gravity on every shift, which is wild to type in 2025.

His scoring touch forces Anaheim to shade coverage, opening soft spots for Leonard and the rest.

Honestly, this feels like the most confident Washington group we have seen on a California swing in years, and you can sense the fanbase starting to dream a little. The question now is whether they can finish the trip without a letup.

Logan Thompson has been the quiet engine of this run, posting a 12 6 1 record with a 2.02 goals against and .919 save percentage, including a four game personal win streak.

His recent stretch, five goals allowed on 101 shots, has calmed every mistake in front of him.

Across the ice, Anaheim is 15 9 1 and finally looks fun again, with Leo Carlsson driving a seven game point streak and the Ducks snapping some long droughts against teams like St. Louis.

Tactically, watch Washington's controlled entries on the right side, where Leonard loves to delay high in the zone and hit trailing defensemen, plus the aggressive Capitals forecheck that has pinned recent opponents into long shifts.

If that structure holds, Anaheim's young blue line could be under siege early.

If the Caps can bottle this version of themselves, finish the trip 4 0, and roll home healthy, Friday might feel like one of those nights we look back on in April.