The Washington Capitals entered the 2024 NHL All-Star break on less than a stellar note, losing four consecutive games, with three of those four losses coming in regulation time. The Caps’ 22-18-7 record has them just one spot ahead of the last place Columbus Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Divison standings, and leave fans hoping a week off is just what’s needed to turn the ship around.
So, what’s next? Let’s look at where we currently stand and what is on the horizon for the Washington Capitals.
The first half of the season has seen both ends of the spectrum for first-year head coach Spencer Carbery. But a stretch of tough losses at the end of January has put pressure on February and March to be kinder to Washington regarding winning games. However, the current standings don’t paint an excellent picture for the Caps.
The Rangers and Hurricanes sit atop the Metro Divison throne with 63 and 61 points, respectively. Not far behind them, the Philidelphia Flyers sit in third place with 56 points.
A few points below Philly in the rankings is a log jam of teams all within one end of each other, and that is where you’ll find Washington.
The Islanders currently sit in 4th place with 52 points, while the Penguins, Devils, and Capitals are all tied with 51 points. The NHL structures the playoffs with 16 of 32 teams qualifying, with the top three teams in each division punching tickets to the dance. The last four spots are wild card teams, chosen from the best four teams from each conference, regardless of their division. The two Eastern Conference wild-card spots are still in play for the Caps, but Washington will have to start racking up some wins in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, their schedule won’t be doing them any favors.
The Capitals have to find a way to score more goals. It’s a plain and straightforward formula in any team sport, and Capitals fans have been waiting for consistent goal-scoring all season, and they simply aren’t getting it. To go along with it, the Capitals rarely score first and need help finding a way to keep the momentum train moving when they do find a way to score first.
It also isn’t helping that their 5-year, $25.26 million goalie acquisition from 2 years ago in Darcy Kuemper isn’t helping the cause. Kuemper has a current save percentage of .895 and a goals-against average of 3.13. That isn’t exactly what the Capitals hoped to get from the former Stanley Cup Champion in Colorado.
The Capitals must also find a way to play more physical hockey. With an average age of 29.7, the Caps entered the 2023-2024 season with the second oldest roster in the NHL, in front of only the Pittsburg Penguins. Washington’s roster isn’t fast, so grinding down opponents on the boards and out-hitting teams is imperative. StatPros.com says the Capitals have 760 hits at the All-Star break, ranking them 28th in the league. Finding a way to become more physical will undoubtedly become a point of emphasis in the weeks ahead.
While Tom Wilson partakes in the NHL All-Star festivities in Las Vegas, the rest of the team will continue their break until Tuesday, when the Capitals return to the ice against the Montreal Canadians, when the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs resumes.