Breaking down the Capitals season at halfway mark

We’re just past the halfway mark of the regular season. Let’s assess where the Washington Capitals are. They have a 24-17-6 record which is good for 54 points and fourth place in the Metropolitan Division as well as the first Wild Card spot.

They are three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and three points behind the New York Rangers for third place in the division. Caps would face the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs if the season ended today which just happens to be next month’s Stadium Series matchup.

The Caps started the season slow as injuries began to pile up. While there are still injury issues, the team has gotten a lot better.

Over the last 21 games, the Capitals have a record of 14-5-2. During that span which began on Dec. 5 at the Edmonton Oilers, the Capitals are tied for the second most points in the NHL with 30 and rank third in goals per game with 3.76 and fifth in goals against per game at 2.38.

The Caps also had some epic comebacks on the season including a 3-0 deficit on Monday night at the New York Islanders to win 4-3 in overtime. It marked the Caps largest comeback win of the season and the first time they overcame a three goal deficit to win the game which last came Jan. 28, 2021 against the Islanders.

Since Dec. 5, the Capitals have outscored opponents 39-20 on the road while posting a 8-1-0 record. That score was a franchise record. So we know they’re road warriors which is a good sign as they are on the road tonight.

The Caps take on the Coyotes in their 5,000 seat arena on the campus of Arizona State. It should be an entertaining and interesting game to stay up late for.

The game is at 9 p.m. eastern on NBC Sports Washington. Then they take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night.