It was assumed that the Capitals, who were swept out of the first round by the New York Rangers, would fall back down the standings this season. Instead, they have been the NHL’s biggest surprise. Washington entered the holiday break with the third-best points percentage in the league (.706).
Let’s look under the hood to find out what has inspired the Capitals’ unexpected success and which elements are sustainable:
Ovechkin’s pursuit of history
Alex Ovechkin burst out of the gate with 15 goals in his first 18 games, closing to within 26 goals of Wayne Gretzky’s record. A fractured left fibula, however, forced Ovechkin to hit pause on the chase last month. Ovechkin will return Saturday against the Toronto Maple…