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Washington Capitals: Three Keys to Major Success

By David Trice

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03: Alex Ovechkin #8, Nicklas Backstrom #19, and Brooks Orpik #44 of the Washington Capitals watch the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship banner rise to the rafters before playing against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on October 3, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03: Alex Ovechkin #8, Nicklas Backstrom #19, and Brooks Orpik #44 of the Washington Capitals watch the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship banner rise to the rafters before playing against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on October 3, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 18: Richard Panik #14 of the Washington Capitals skates with the puck against the St. Louis Blues during a preseason NHL game at Capital One Arena on September 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 18: Richard Panik #14 of the Washington Capitals skates with the puck against the St. Louis Blues during a preseason NHL game at Capital One Arena on September 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Zone Entry on Power Play

If you are a Capitals fan I know you have experienced the same frustration I have in the method the team decided to enter the zone while on the power play.  It’s especially unnerving given how successful the power play had been in years past.

Since the 2012-2013 season the Capitals ranked as high as 1st, which happened twice, and as low as 7th. However, last year they finished ranked 12th their lowest since 2011-2012 when they ranked 19th. There is always the possibility that the difference in personnel on the power play had a hand in the effectiveness. But the lineup taking most of the power play minutes have been fairly consistent over the last few seasons.

While it is hard to find a method to quantify the effectiveness of zone entries on a specific unit, it isn’t hard to recall the mostly typical outcome from the entry during the Capitals on the power play. They would slingshot into the zone, which in a two minute penalty span might be successful about two out of four tries with maybe one developing a single high danger scoring chance.

The effectiveness of the power play is critical to the Capitals chance at success given the percentage of offense the power play produces in recent history for the Capitals.

Provided the Capitals can move back to a power play effectiveness that would produce a percentage of PPG versus GF % of between 22-30% it would be a success in improving a critical aspect to the teams arsenal.

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