The Capitals have just two games left and are out of the playoff race, but that didn’t stop Dylan Strome from having his first multi-goal game of the season on Monday night, netting a pair in a 5-2 win over the Islanders that severely hurt the Isles’ playoff chances.
When Strome joined Brian Mitchell and Scott Jackson (in this week for JP Finlay) on Tuesday, he explained why it was a bittersweet moment.
“It felt good. It kind of sucks playing the role of spoiler sometimes, but we know if we were in the other position, teams would be trying to beat us too,” Strome said. “Nice to get a win and everyone feels a little better after a win.”
If anything, it was good for Strome and the Caps to give the fans at Capital One Arena a win in the penultimate home game of the season.
“It hasn’t been the best go of it the last couple weeks, but we’re trying to go out there and put on a good show for the crowd that puts their hard-earned money into watching us play,” Strome said. “They’re always loud and cheering for us. They’re smart hockey fans, and they appreciate how we’re still going out there and giving a max effort.”
Strome’s two goals gave him a career-high 23 so far on the year, surpassing the 22 he had a year ago in Chicago, and he’s already posted career bests with 40 assists and 63 points as well in his first campaign in DC. A true career season for the 26-year-old, who feels at home after six seasons with the Coyotes and Blackhawks.
“I think just being comfortable right when I got here a couple weeks before camp started, things just set up nicely. It’s a nice family neighborhood I’m in, and when that’s an easy transition, it makes it easier on the ice,” Strome said. “And on the ice, just getting a good opportunity to play in a good role and being trusted to produce points, that’s everything a player wants. When you get the opportunity, you have to try to run with it, and I’ve tried to do that this season.”
With two games left to go, Strome just wants to finish strong before enjoying some down time this summer before getting back to work on the 2023-24 campaign.
“You want to win and leave a good taste in your mouth leading into the offseason, and I’m looking forward to getting a few rounds of golf in before I head home (to Toronto),” Strome said. “I just had a pool put in, and I’m looking forward to getting to see my family and my brothers (Matthew and Ryan, the latter of whom plays for Anaheim) who I don’t get to see much during the season, so hopefully we’ll have some bragging rights there.”
Strome got a five-year, $25 million contract extension earlier this season that means he’ll be in DC for a long time to come, and he’s confident that after a season where an eight-year playoff drought was ended, the 2023-24 Capitals will start a new streak.
“The main thing is you look at who is coming back next year – we have a great goalie who has won us a lot of games, we have a very good No. 1 defenseman, and we have a lot of guys capable up the middle of holding down the fort to produce points and kill penalties,” he said. “If we’re healthy all year, we’ll be right in the mix for a great spot next year. There’s a lot to be optimistic every year.”
Of course, finishing strong will mean that on Tuesday night, they’ll have to face the Boston Bruins, who just set an NHL record for wins in a season…but as Strome notes, come next week, that means nothing.
“You look at what Tampa Bay did a couple years ago with 62 wins in the regular season, one of the best years in NHL history, and they got swept in the first round by Columbus,” Strome said. “As much as it is about having a great regular season, it’s more about just getting into the playoffs; that’s the mindset next year of just getting in, and I think this team has the experience to do something special.”
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