What the rest of January looks like for the Capitals

The Washington Capitals got off to a slow start but have heated up at the right time. Now they’ll get Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson back into the lineup and things are looking up.

Let’s break down the rest of the January schedule. On Sunday evening at 5 p.m. they’ll host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then they’re off for two days before taking on the Philadelphia Flyers on the road.

Those two teams meet again at Capital One Arena on Saturday the 14th. On the 16th and 17th the Caps will play a back to back. First up is the New York Islanders on the road and then a home game the next day against the Minnesota Wild.

Then the Caps will head out west for three games. On the 19th they’re at the Arizona Coyotes. On the 21st they’ll play the Vegas Golden Knights. On the 24th they’ll end the trip against the Colorado Avalanche.

On the 26th they play their final home game of the month against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’ll end the month with two road games at the Toronto Maple Leafs on the 29th and the Blue Jackets on the 31st.

The Caps are 22-14-6 for 50 points. That’s good for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re also fourth in the Metropolitan Division. They’re a point behind the New York Rangers, three points behind the New Jersey Devils and six points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

What seemed like a lost season earlier in the year now seems like a possibility for something special. It’ll be good to see Backstrom and Wilson back. Hope John Carlson gets well soon but they’ll have to adjust without him.

It seems like every time the Caps get someone new back, someone else goes down but Wilson and Backstrom returning was a long time coming.