Going into this season, there was not much to look forward to when it came to the Washington Capitals.
The team came into this season on the heels of being swept by the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and the only thing that they could look forward to was Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. Both the fans and the team also knew that competing in a very tight Eastern Conference would also make getting to the playoffs a tough task, much like it was last season.
Do not look now, but the Capitals might just be the league’s best story up to this point in the season. As of this writing (Thursday, January 9), the team is first in the Metropolitan Division, first in the Eastern Conference, and second in the NHL with a 27-10-4 record for 58 points.
There are several reasons why this team is playing so well. For starters, Ovechkin has turned back the clock a bit and is putting the puck in the net with ease.
Ovechkin currently (As of Thursday, January 9) has 19 goals in just 25 games. Had he not been injured with a broken leg for a month, he would probably be over the 30-goal mark already.
What is great about Ovechkin scoring a lot of goals is that he is now just 23 goals away from breaking Gretzky’s record of 894. Ovechkin is currently (As of Thursday, January 9) at 872 and with the way he is putting the puck in the net this season, has a good chance of breaking it this year.
Speaking of offense, the Capitals have shown that they have more than just Ovechkin who can produce. Players like Dylan Strome (45 points on 12 goals and 33 assists), Aliaksei Protas (36 points on 18 goals and 18 assists), Pierre-Luc Dubois (33 points on seven goals and 26 assists), Tom Wilson (32 points on 18 goals and 14 assists), and Connor McMichael (32 points on 17 goals and 15 assists) have all supplied the team with a lot of offense this season and helped keep the team rolling while Ovechkin was out.
As a whole, the team’s offense has been one of the best in the league. As of this writing (Thursday, January 9), the Capitals are second in the league in goals scored as they have scored 150 goals in 41 games, which means they are averaging close (3.66) to four goals per game.
Another reason why the Capitals are one of the league’s best teams this season is because of their goaltending. Both Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren have been terrific for their team this season.
Thompson is currently 17-2-0-2 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage, while Lindgren is currently 10-8-0-2 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. Whether it is Thompson or Lindgren between the pipes, the team knows it is going to get reliable goaltending.
Lastly, a lot of credit needs to be given to the Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery. Carbery is a good motivator who helps push his team forward, play relaxed, play responsibly, and gets the best out of them each and every night.
There is a lot to like about this Capitals hockey club. It will be interesting to see what kind of story they write come playoff time.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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