Capitals have had brilliant regular season and are prepared for more
This has been a remarkable season for the Washington Capitals. At the start of the year, most observers thought the Capitals would battle the Pittsburgh Penguins for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. The Capitals had finished in the No. 8 spot in last year's playoff structure and they were drummed out of the playoffs in 4 straight games by the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers. They didn't seem to be much better as they prepared for the current season.
That observation turned out to be both lazy and wrong. The Capitals had put together a fast, hard-working team. They had the game's greatest goal scorer who was motivated to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history. Alex Ovechkin was important, but he has not had to carry the team on his shoulders. Head coach Spencer Carbery has a deep and talented team that is at the top of the standings in the Metropolitan Division and the league as a whole.
The Capitals became the first team in the NHL to reach the 100-point mark with their 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night. Ovechkin opened the scoring with the 888th goal of his career, meaning he is just six goals shy of Gretzky's career mark of 894 markers.
The Ovechkin chase towards the top of the goal-scoring mountain should be the main story throughout the final weeks of the regular season. However, once Game No. 82 is in the books, the Capitals will have an excellent chance to make a run at their second Stanley Cup in team history.
Sharp acquisitions have helped the Capitals climb the ladder
Washington used the offseason to acquire several players that have become mainstays for the team. Start with Pierre-Luc Dubois, and add in Jakob Chychrun, Andrew Mangiapane as well as goalie Logan Thompson.
Dubois had been a stunning disappointment throughout his career before he came to the Capitals. In addition to being an underperfomer, he seemed to drag his team down at crucial moments.
He was the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft, yet he struggled to find his place with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Winnipeg Jets or the Los Angeles Kings. He had decent years at the start of his career with the Blue Jackets — 20 and 28 goals — but then came several years in the hockey desert.
Dubois seemed to find some footing in his last two years with the Jets when he scored 28 and 27 goals, respectively, but that didn't keep Winnipeg from trading him to the Kings.
He lasted one year in Los Angeles before he was traded to the Capitals. Dubois has suddenly become a 200-foot player. He has 18 goals and 42 assists for 60 points in his first 68 games, and he also has an eye-catching plus-31 rating.
He is playing center between Ovechkin and Aliaksai Protas, who is perhaps the most surprising player in the league. Protas has scored 29 goals and 33 assists with a remarkable plus-43 rating.
Protas is a huge man at 6-6 and 225 pounds, and he certainly looks the part of a power forward. However, prior to this season, he had scored 13 goals in 3 seasons.
Supporting cast also does the job for the Caps
No. 2 center Dylan Strome had been something of a role player throughout his career, but he has become a star this season. He leads the Caps in scoring with 22 goals and 45 assists for 67 points.
The Caps knew what they had in Tom Wilson. However, instead of marauding up and down the ice, he has become a legitimate goal scorer with 30 markers. He still delivers big hits when the Caps need physical play and Wilson has become a fixture as the right wing next to Strome, while Connor McMichael mans the left wing spot.
McMichael has contributed 24 goals and 28 assists, and it's clear that the Capitals have two lines that can take over in any game.
Chychrun has become a huge factor on the blue line with 18 goals and 25 assists. He always had excellent instincts, but now he is flashing his dominance. Fellow blueliners John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin are also solid contributors.
Caps added Anthony Beauvillier at trade deadline
The Caps have been on a roll all season, and general manager Chris Patrick did not have to do much at the trade deadline. He traded a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for 4th-line winger Anthony Beauvillier.
The 9-year veteran is not a special offensive talent, but he can go to the front of the net and sacrifice his body to make plays. He has scored 1 goal in his first 5 games with the Caps.
Beauvillier scored 9 goals and 5 assists for the Islanders in their 22-game postseason run in the 2020 playoffs. That indicates he has a chance to be a contributor in the most important games of the season.
The Caps have talent, depth, momentum and toughness. They have every reason for confidence and hope once the playoffs get underway.
