Opinion

Caps Still Have Room for Improvement

(Caps Outsider)

Despite the 5-3 come-from-behind win on Friday, the Caps did not play a full 60-minute game. It is a cliche, yes, but an important one nevertheless. The Caps did not wake up until they were down 3-0 and pulled Braden Holtby. Coach Barry Trotz on why he pulled Holtby,” I was tired of our team leaving out to dry.” Yet, what ever he said at the halfway point, got through to them.

Now turn your attention to this:chart

This chart shows Corsi, which is basically +/- for shots. This just shows how true Trotz’s comments are. The fact that the Caps are being outplayed – though still winning – is still scary. That just means the Caps are relying way too much on Holtby.

For other teams, it means the Caps can score at an insanely high rate at any given point like we saw Friday. My concern is that we are just like the Canadiens from last year. They relied on Carey Price, the NHL MVP, all the way to the second round. What happened? they were beaten by the Lightning. I feel, if the Caps can just play a full 60, they’ll be unstoppable come the postseason.

Brandon Alter

Brandon Alter covers all three teams in the Washington Capitals Organization. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in May of 2021.

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