(Caps Outsider)
After a brief moment of panic during a two-game losing streak, the Washington Capitals have found their footing again. At 6-2-1 they have displayed, at different times, the ability to dominate all three facets of the game.
Braden Holtby and Philipp Grubauer have been excellent in net, while the blue liners have looked strong a majority of the time as well. As usual, there is an offensive standout for the Capitals, but it isn’t who most would’ve predicted.
Marcus Johansson, the 26-year-old Swede has not only been one of the hottest Capitals, but one of the league’s top performers in the opening weeks of the season. With six goals and five helpers, he is on pace to exceed the 50-goal mark. He has five of those tallies in the past three games.
While it is extremely unlikely that he actually hits 50 goals – he has never scored 50 points in his career – his start has helped keep the Capitals on top in some tight games. Of his six goals, two have been game winners, and almost all of them are resulting from him occupying the dirty areas in the offensive zone.
What have Marcus Johansson’s last five goals had in common?! They’ve all been within 17 feet of the net.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) November 2, 2016
There is a stigma among fans that Marcus Johansson is soft and unreliable, though the above information should immediately dispel that. He has proven to be a streaky player at times, yes, but 45-50 point wingers don’t grow on trees, and he has been just that for most of his tenure as a Capital since being drafted by them. However, the naysayers almost got their way mere months ago.
After two unpleasant summers in which Johansson was a restricted free agent, bringing with it arbitration hearings and plenty of back-and-forth between agent and general manager, he is finally locked up long term. While many were anticipating another one-year contract, he and the organization were able to break through for a three-year, $13.75 million extension. That Capitals are being rewarded for that now, and Johansson will get plenty of chances to continue his success moving forward.
Trailing Johansson are a few familiar faces. Alex Ovechkin has four goals and two assists in nine games, while Evgeny Kuznetsov quietly has one goal and five helpers himself.
Meanwhile, there are a few faces that need to find the scoresheet more often as they enter a tough month filled with a lot of home-cooking. Justin Williams and Lars Eller, two players that are extremely important to the Capitals’ success, only have one goal each in nine games. John Carlson, arguably the team’s top defenseman, has just two assists, and Andre Burakovsky only has two assists since opening the season with two goals in Pittsburgh.
Needless to say, the four or five goal outputs that many are used to from the Capitals will become more common if some of their slow starters can find their groove. The bottom line is that the Capitals are a top-five possession team in the NHL right now, and with the firepower they possess, it will be hard to contain them if their strong even-strength play continues.
