Are Capitals pretenders or real contenders?

User9992

Registered User
Feb 27, 2016
1,408
850
Are Capitals pretenders or real contenders?

Of course they are having a good regular season, but are they a real cup contenders?
 
Are Capitals pretenders or real contenders?

Of course they are having a good regular season, but are they a real cup contenders?
I'd have to look deeper in their stats to look at tje prior two years and this year and looking at things like

1 % PP going up or getting more PP
2. One goal game record ( ignoring ENs)
3. Redbird in OT/SO
4. Ststs like record when scoring 2st or having lead in 4rd.

Congifrncr is a dangerous thing if you start a sesson well.

No matter the record ---- in playoffs it comes down to goaltending and PP/PK success
 
Obviously I'm biased but I'll say contender:

- They have a strong top six and fourth line. The third line is meh. There's no elite superstar, but I'd say all of Ovechkin, Strome, Wilson, Protas, McMichael, and Dubois are top-line players.

- They have very good defence from 1-6. I'd argue we've got 6 top 4 dman. But no elite #1 dman.

- We've got two good goalies, with Thompson playing great. Maybe the shared-net thing will doom us.

The Panthers are still the team to beat in the East. Tampa and Carolina have playoff success that is a factor. But the East is mostly wide open.
 
I'd have to look deeper in their stats to look at tje prior two years and this year and looking at things like

1 % PP going up or getting more PP
2. One goal game record ( ignoring ENs)
3. Redbird in OT/SO
4. Ststs like record when scoring 2st or having lead in 4rd.

Congifrncr is a dangerous thing if you start a sesson well.

No matter the record ---- in playoffs it comes down to goaltending and PP/PK success
Why? Those were wildly different teams.
 
I have no idea honestly. I think the Metro is relatively weak as is the entire East minus 2-3 teams. It's tough to see them standing up against Florida, Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado, or even Vegas but...we shall see. To me, a first round exit would be as shocking as a cup win.
 
Contenders .... for a second round exit

Love Ovi, strome, Pro, wilson, PLD but lack of true top end playmaker is an anchor

Best 6 D group in the league maybe

Best 3rd period team (i didnt look it up) so that does bode well for playing tight checking shut down D type games in playoffs

---------------------------

Neither contender for Cup or pretender imo

Really solid team from man 1 to man 23
 
On paper they look like a good group, their results are basically if everything goes your way, all your acquisitions play to-above their expectations, all your vets play to-above their expectations, all your young guys play to-above their expectations.

It could be a sign of a team overperforming or a really solid core coming together. Impossible to say.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Raccoon Jesus
I'm really just not sure. I haven't really seen them play enough to form a valid opinion. They'll most likely get to play whoever gets WC2, which is looking like it's going to be Montreal or the Islanders, but maybe the Blue Jackets, or perhaps even the Rangers or Red Wings (but I don't see either of these two teams getting it). Easily the favorite over any of those teams in the first round; if any of them gives them any trouble I'd say it's probably the Islanders, but they should still get past them. That'll lead to a second round against probably Carolina, who should be able to dispatch New Jersey without any real trouble (but you never know in the playoffs). I'd call the Capitals favorites over either of them regardless though.

Real test will be the conference finals, assuming they get there. That'll be the tough matchup, assuming that the Atlantic bracket doesn't get borked by upsets. Don't think they're the favorites there, nor against whoever comes out of the west if they manage to win the conference finals.

That was a very long-winded way of not actually really answering the question. :laugh:
 
Recently, a good rule of thumb has been that years of playoff disappointment precede ultimate success. The days of Pittsburgh, Chicago and L.A. going deep early in their windows are in the rearview.

The Caps have such an unusual build that maybe you throw that out the window. Tampa once went to Game 7 of the Conference Finals in the crossover period between the Stamkos/Hedman and St. Louis/Lecavalier eras.
 
Last edited:

Ad

Ad