Skip to content

By the numbers: How the Capitals became the fastest team to reach 40 wins

Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / Getty

Breaking: the 2015-16 Washington Capitals are very good.

So good, in fact, that with Thursday's win in Minnesota, they became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 40 wins.

At this rate, it would take a complete collapse for any team to catch the Capitals in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

Washington has straight up dominated the field this season, ranking at or near the top of the NHL in several important categories:

  • Wins - 1st (40)
  • Goals For - 2nd (175)
  • Goals Against - 1st (120)
  • Power Play - 1st (24.2%)
  • Penalty Kill - 4th (83.9%)
  • Save percentage - 3rd (.922)

And the thing is, the Capitals are no longer a two-man show, with a host of important pieces added to the mix and others stepping up to give head coach Barry Trotz a bevy of options up front.

Player Goals Assists Points
Evgeny Kuznetsov 15 39 54
Nicklas Backstrom 17 35 52
Alex Ovechkin 34 14 48
Justin Williams 17 20 37
T.J. Oshie 16 17 33
Marcus Johansson 14 19 33

In short, Washington is without question the team to beat, as they have their best shot at winning the Stanley Cup since the dawn of the Alex Ovechkin era.

After a series of playoff disappointments, the number one - as in the first championship season in team history - will be the only one that matters.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox