The first fifth of Capitals’ season leaves the club with a 10-3-4 record, 24 points, and first-place place tie for the the conference lead with the archrival Penguins. But is the Capitals position in the standings reflective of an authentic Cup-contending team? At the moment, Washington is the streakiest team in the league and has been incredibly inconsistent through 17 games. After two wins to start the season, DC lost four in a row, then won six consecutively, followed by three straight losses.
Here are some trends, stats, and pros and cons for each position:
Goalies
Washington has alternated goalies very regularly throughout the season, but I would argue that if Theodore did not sustain a back injury, he would have played in more than just nine games. He has been the better goalie, but the Capitals seem to play better – and more importantly – get wins in front of 21-year old Semyon Varlamov. Theodore’s play was outstanding during a four-game losing streak, except for two shaky...
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