Outing vs. Devils showcases Caps’ 4th line dominance originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
It’s typical for an NHL team’s fourth line to be the least offensively gifted bunch of players on the squad. They often provide physicality and a much-needed rest and energy boost to the bell cows on the top two lines.
For the Washington Capitals, the fourth line does all of the above, and then some.
Monday night’s 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils showcased the sheer dominance Washington’s fourth line has demonstrated thus far this season. The trio of Beck Malenstyn (a 24-year-old winger who was making his season debut), Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway put up a grand total of four points in the victory.
Monday’s performance was nothing new for that line. In whatever combination of players Peter Laviolette has grouped on that unit, the Caps’ fourth line has put up six goals across the team’s seven games in 2022-23. When asked about that efficiency, Hathaway was quick to note what still must improve.
“I mean, I think we’re still giving up too many goals against,” Hathaway said postgame. “I think that’s one thing we’re gonna focus on. It’s nice to contribute, but I think we need to clean up in our own zone and then we’ll keep getting our chances. But once we lock up our own zone we’ll be more effective.”
Perhaps the biggest testimony as to how fluid the fourth line has been this season was the integration of Malenstyn on Monday in New Jersey. He got his first taste of action all season for the Caps after appearing in just 12 games last year.
It was Malenstyn who first catalyzed Washington’s offense against the Devils. Picking up a loose puck that had been driven into the zone by Hathaway, Malenstyn laced a one-touch pass to Nic Dowd from behind the net for the Capitals’ first goal on the night.
“It was just great speed by Hath all around,” Malenstyn said of the goal during intermission. “He gets that puck in the neutral zone, gets it in deep, and he does the work from there. Puck was just sitting there and Dowder was in the right spot. Just a nice little tap, and glad he was able to bury it.”
Malenstyn has been the fourth plug-in player alongside Dowd and Hathaway (the mainstays) on that fourth unit this season. Joe Snively, Aliaksei Protas and Conor Sheary have all lined up in that left wing spot and have all meshed effortlessly with their counterparts. It’s a testament to how good Dowd and Hathaway are, but also a good spotlight on Washington’s depth and the chemistry they’ve accrued.
Don’t take anything away from Malenstyn, though. After Hathaway said the young forward “drove our line” against the Devils, Laviolette also made a point to highlight his talent and dynamism.
“Really good. His speed, his physicality—their line had a great game today,” Laviolette said postgame. “It’s almost like that role is built for him. That’s his game. He’s a checker, he’s a defender and he can chip in offensively. He did everything that we asked him to do.”
Dowd is a faceoff specialist with a knack for facilitating the attack. Hathaway is a physical presence to stabilize the quickness alongside him. And that third guy on the fourth line—whoever that may be any given night—has always been effective enough in a variety of areas to keep the unit productive. Washington’s next test will be Thursday night against the Dallas Stars.
