Washington Capitals: Can they Surprise the Eastern Conference?
Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals Look Poised to Find Success During the NHL Playoffs
The NHL playoffs will be quite exciting this season and the Washington Capitals will be a big part of it. They have solidified their goaltending behind Braden Holtby and have responded well to new head coach Barry Trotz in his first full season.
For the Capitals, defense was always the question and Trotz has a proven track record in bolstering the back-end. They have benefited greatly from his system and the players are now meshing at the perfect time. The Capitals are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, including a shutout against the Boston Bruins two nights ago, and will conclude the season against the New York Rangers tomorrow.
On top of the improved coaching, the Capitals have one of the best defensive groups in franchise history. Brooks Orpik, John Carlsson, Karl Alzner, Matt Niskanen, Tim Gleason and Mike Green could be an absolute force during the playoffs, and that will be the biggest postseason improvement for the Capitals. They have lacked a good corps of defensemen in the past, but should greatly benefit from such a such strong group in their own zone.
In addition to their defense, there are two more important components for the Capitals’ postseason success. As pointed out by Ben Eisenberg of Stars and Sticks, secondary scoring and the powerplay need to play major roles throughout the playoffs. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will have a tough time carrying the load, and it will be upto young players like Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson to make a difference. Not to mention, the deadline addition of Curtis Glencross will surely prove to be a great snag. Nevertheless, Trotz will continue to give top line minutes to Kuznetsov and Johansson, and it will be on them to seize the moment and help carry this team to the next level.
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The Capitals will also rely heavily on their power play. They are currently ranked first in the NHL with a 25% power play percentage and will need use that as a weapon against other teams. If the power play fades away during the playoffs, the Capitals chance of moving on to the next round are slim to none. 24 of Ovechkin’s 80 points have come on the man advantage and he will need to continue finding the back of the net to help his team continue their strong season.
Even thought the Capitals have clinched a playoff spot, they will have to wait find out their opponent. The New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins will play tonight with one game left in the regular season. Based on the outcome of their respective finales, the Caps will take on the winner as the fourth seed. Playing on home ice will be a major advantage, but scoring on the power play and playing disciplined in their own zone will be the key to the Capitals’ success.