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.
.@washcaps (40-9-4, 84 pts) are the fastest team (GP) in NHL history to reach the 40-win milestone (53 GP). pic.twitter.com/2BOXcKv2Gu
— NHL (@NHL) February 12, 2016
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.
