Hard to believe the last time I wrote my blog was basically a week ago and the Capitals had just dispatched the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in regulation. Since then the Caps have won three more games beating Boston 3-2 in OT here in DC on Monday, the Penguins 6-3 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, and Atlanta 5-2 here in DC last night; I also travelled to Edmonton for Business on Tuesday, had an allergic reaction to something I ate at a business dinner on Tuesday evening, had a miserable trip home on Wednesday, went to the DR on Thursday morning, then spent the rest of Thursday and Friday getting caught up with things. Today has actually been the first time since last Sunday, I've had time to collect my thoughts. Also, I have to admit I didn't really see any of the Caps - Penguins game but the Calgary game on Tuesday was well covered in Edmonton, if you'd like to discuss that.I did see all of both the Boston game on Tuesday and the Atlanta game last night - both on television. So how about those Caps - all they do is just win, not bad for a team that...what was the quote, oh yeah, "plays the wrong way." Seriously, let's start with the great numbers after last night's two point night against Atlanta:
1) 120/54 - as in 120 points and 54 wins; only one other team has amassed 120 points since the lockout - the 2005 - 2006 Detroit Red Wings who ended the regular season with 58 wins and 124 points, before that - the advent of the "three point game" the last team to amass 120 or more points was the 1995-1996 Detroit Red Wings who finished the season with an amazing record 62 wins, 13 losses and 7 ties for a whopping 131 points. That let's you know just how good a season we've all been watching this Caps team have. Is this the best Caps team ever - well it's the best regular season record by at least 12 points if that's any measure.
2) 311/3.83 - as in goals for and goals/game. The Caps are the first team to have over 300 goals for in a season since the 2005 - 2006 Ottawa Senators had 312 (3.80 goals/game) and the 2005 - 2006 Detroit Red Wings had 301 goals for (3.67 goals/game).
3) 109/101 - as in Ovechkin and Backstrom's point totals so far with one game to play. The Caps are the only team in the league with two 100 point scorers since Lecavalier and St. Louis had 108/102 respectively in Tampa Bay in the 2006-2007 season.
4) 50/4 - as in 50 or more goals in four (4) of his first five (5) seasons in the NHL for Alexander Ovechkin. A feat matched only by: Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy - that's some pretty impressive company to be in.
5) 30/19-0-2/.0.923/2.54 - as in Jose Theodore's numbers that matter: 30 wins, 19-0-2; .923 SV% and 2.54 GAA since January 1, 2010. On the season, Theo's SV% is .911 and his GAA is 2.81; those are the best numbers Theodore has had since the 2001-2002 season. If that season sounds familiar it's because it's the one when Jose won both the Hart and the Vezina Trophies.
6) 7 maybe 8 and 12 - as in Capitals players with 20 and 10 or more goals this season.
7) 6 of 10 -as in 6 of the top 10 players in the NHL on the +/- leader list.
8) +86/23 - as in the Capitals current GF/GA differential (+86) and delta they lead the next closest team in the league, the Chicago Blackhawks who have a +63.
9) 19.2/19.0 - as in Mike Knuble and Tomas Fleischmann's shooting percentages - now that's making them count. Flash has 23 goals, of which 4 are game winners; Knuble has 28 goals, of which 5 are game winners.
Yeah, I think those are 9 reasons why this is probably the best Capitals Team ever. That's something I'm pretty sure a lot of folks will agree with me on. Now if I could get more folks to agree with me and Alan May that the easy pick for starting netminder for the Capitals in this year's playoffs is Jose Theodore. Why Jose isn't getting more love is truly beyond me.
Next up, the playoff bound Boston Bruins tomorrow in the regular season finale at Verizon Center.
Here's rooting for 122/55, Ross & Richard, 40 for #22 and 30 for #22.
LETS GO CAPS!!!!!
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