The Washington Capitals are in first place in the Metropolitan Division, holding a 10-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes. Heading into the second half of the season, the Caps will resume play, having gone pointless in just one of their past 19 games. Thanks to the team’s mix of emerging and veteran stars, the Caps rolled in the first half of the season. Alexander Ovechkin is a mere 15 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record, continuing to defy the expectations set for him as an unconventionally older athlete. Meanwhile, younger forwards, including Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas, have complemented Ovechkin’s play. The biggest question for the season’s second half, though, is whether the Caps can channel another Stanley Cup after their last win in 2018.
How have they gotten off to such a good start?
After making various trades and offseason signings, the Caps have given themselves a strong roster. Arguably, their most consequential trade was the acquisition of goaltender Logan Thompson from the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Thompson, a 27-year-old goalie with an up-and-down career, has emerged as one of the league’s best goalies. He ranks third in save percentage and fifth in goals against per game. Thompson recently signed a six-year extension to remain with the team through 2031 after getting off to a 24–2–5 start through the first half of the season. As a result of his performance this season, Thompson currently sits second in odds for the Vezna, the NHL’s annual award for the best goalie.
Among other signings and trades, the Cap’s acquisition of Pierre-Luc-Dubois has worked out great. Under a hefty contract, Dubois has seen a recent resurgence in his career, ranking second on the team in assists and fourth in plus-minus. Meanwhile, Jacob Chycrun, one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the league, will be a crucial player for the Caps to sign long-term. The Caps’ highest-paid signing of the offseason, defenseman Matt Roy, may not look like one of the most valuable players on the stat sheet, but he has consistently been one of the best defensive players on the team.
Arguably, the Cap’s emerging young athletes have been the most critical contributor to the team’s early success this season. The under-25 cast’s play is a big part of why the Caps’ are destined for success not just this season but in the future as well. Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael have taken significant leaps this season in goal scoring. Protas is second on the team with 22 goals after having a career-high six goals in 78 games last season. Meanwhile, McMichael established a new career-high with 19 goals after getting off to a scorching hot start to the season. Both are crucial parts of the Caps’ future and are young stars in the making.
Keys to their second-half success
The continued dominance of the Caps goalie tandem will be vital to postseason success. Not only has Thompson been brilliant, but backup Charlie Lindgren has had a great season, too. Lindgren and Thompson have split time in goal for most of the season, aside from Lingren’s injured stint, which allowed Thompson to play seven straight games. Though Thompson has outperformed Lindgren, both have played hefty amounts this season because of the importance of rest for goaltenders. For the Caps to be successful in the playoffs, they need to be able to rely on both players to continue to perform at the level that they have.
The veterans on the team have also produced at an elite level throughout the start of the season. Tom Wilson posted a career-high in goals, and Alex Ovechkin continues to threaten the goal-scoring record. Defenseman John Carlson also hit a career milestone, reaching 700 career points, and has a season total of 35 points, leading all the Caps defensemen. These players were on the 2018 Stanley Cup championship team and will need to be leaders again as the Caps pursue another championship with a younger, less experienced team.
To win championships in hockey, coaching adjustments throughout games and series are key to the team’s success. Caps’ Head Coach Spencer Carbery has been masterful this year, with the best odds to win Coach of the Year. Carbery has gotten the most out of this team offensively, as he did last year, and is expected to be a big part of the second half of the season. Carbery led the Caps to a surprise playoff appearance with a far worse roster last year, giving him experience heading into the playoffs this year.
End of season projections – 114 points, 1st in Eastern Conference, 2nd in the NHL
The Caps may lose some of the momentum they’ve built so far, considering they have lost two regulation games in a row just once thus far this season. Keeping up their current pace will be challenging, but the team has put themselves in a good enough position to win the Metropolitan Division even with a mediocre second half of the season. With a current point pace of 119, the Caps will probably hit a losing streak at some point, but throughout the season, this team has shown strong responses to adversity and looks to be on its way to winning their division.
Getting the number one seed in the Eastern Conference will be essential to ensure the Caps have a home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Winning the Presidents Cup — the award for the team with the most points in the NHL — will be tough, considering how well the Winnipeg Jets have played. The Jets have played one more game and lead the Caps by a single point in the standings. However, the Caps may not want to win that award, considering the “Presidents Cup Curse” in NHL history. Just eight out of 37 teams that have won the Presidents Cup have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. The Caps won this award in 2010, 2016 and 2017 but failed to win the Stanley Cup in all three years. They eventually won in 2018, when they had a worse regular season. Winning the Presidents Cup isn’t necessary, but the Caps need to stay healthy to continue having the same levels of success they’ve experienced so far.
