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Washington Capitals: Analyzing the Remaining Schedule

By Barry Leonard Jr.

Jan 19, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) is congratulated by defenseman Brooks Orpik (44) left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and right wing T.J. Oshie (77) after scoring against St. Louis Blues goalie Carter Hutton (not pictured) during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Capitals won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 19, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (92) is congratulated by defenseman Brooks Orpik (44) left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and right wing T.J. Oshie (77) after scoring against St. Louis Blues goalie Carter Hutton (not pictured) during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Capitals won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Capitals have some interesting games coming up after the All-Star break. 

After entering the All-Star break exactly where they want to be — at the top of the Eastern Conference and with the most points in the NHL — the Washington Capitals will look to finish the year strong before heading into the postseason. With 49 games down and 33 remaining, there’s still plenty of hockey to be played.

Of the games left, 16 will be played at Verizon Center, while 17 will be on the road. So far, the caps are 19-5-1 at home and 14-5-5 on the road.

Washington still has a tough test ahead, with 12 games coming against teams currently in the top-10 in points.

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The Caps still have two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, including a road game in the final week of the season that could determine the winner of the Metropolitan division. Three matchups, including two on the road, still remain against the division foe Rangers.

Outside of not facing Pittsburgh any more, the Caps have a tough Eastern Conference schedule with games against current playoff teams like Montreal, Philadelphia, Boston, and Toronto — a team currently one spot out of the playoffs.

Luckily, the tough conference games are mixed with some of the teams at the bottom. Games against the likes of Detroit, Florida, Tampa Bay, New Jersey, and Carolina should bring some relief to an otherwise tough difficult schedule to end the year.

15 games against the Western Conference still await, including six teams currently in the playoffs. Washington will get a tough test with two games against Minnesota, the team currently three points behind the Caps for the top spot in the league.

Next: Washington Capitals: Three Players Providing Surprising Numbers on Offense

The season is far from over and the Capitals have some very good challenges coming up in the next few months that should help them prepare for the type of competition they’ll face in the postseason.

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