For the Capitals, It's Home Sweet Home

by J.P. on Jan 30, 2010 11:38 AM EST

With a 4-1 win last night at Verizon Center - sold out for the 40th consecutive game - the Caps' pushed their home record to 20-3-3 (and 13-1-0 over the last 14 home dates). No team in the League has fewer home losses (regulation or otherwise), and the Caps have outscored opponents by an average score of 4.00 to 2.46 in front of their their sea of red.

A few more notable numbers on the Caps' home-ice advantage:

The Caps have the League's second-best home power play and fifth-best home penalty kill. The penalty kill has only surrendered five goals on VC ice since November 20 and has killed 91.2% of its 57 shorthanded opportunities since then.
The kid goalies have been unreal, with Michal Neuvirth going 6-1-0/1.72/.943 at home (and 6-0-0/1.50/.952 at Verizon since his first start of the season) and Semyon Varlamov posting a sparkling 7-0-0/1.49/.944 line. (Jose Theodore, on the other hand, has struggled at home, to the tune of 7-2-3/3.27/.895.)
Alex Ovechkin has 16 goals and 24 assists in just 22 home games, meaning that if he didn't play a single road game all season, he'd have enough tallies to lead or be tied for the lead in goals on five teams (Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Minnesota, and St. Louis). AO is also plus-26 at home.
The Caps have four players - Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble - who are already in double-digits for goals scored at home. The Rangers don't have four players in double-digits in goals overall.
Mike Green has 29 points at Verizon Center (six goals and 23 assists), which would rank in the top 20 in defenseman scoring on its own.
David Steckel has the League's best home faceoff winning percentage at 64.6%, which would be the best mark of any player since the lockout if it holds up.

The eye-popping stats go on and on, but with numbers like that, the Caps certainly seem to be well on their way... home sweet home.

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Rec’d for Crue.

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by Bald Pollack on Jan 30, 2010 11:40 AM EST reply actions

This post is 50% stat dump, 50% excuse to link to the Crüe.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Jan 30, 2010 11:43 AM EST up reply actions

But it can be related back to the Caps. They do rock the Crue on occasion.

by terpgrrl on Jan 30, 2010 11:46 AM EST up reply actions

We have ourselves a motley crew who have lots of goals.

Rocking the Red since 1975

by CapsFan75 on Jan 30, 2010 2:05 PM EST up reply actions

Farkin’ A.

"You're gonna eat that g**d**n Koho, three!"

by fat_daddyo on Jan 30, 2010 12:31 PM EST up reply actions

LMAO

You just couldn’t resist the urge to put up a post.

by wittcap79 on Jan 30, 2010 11:43 AM EST reply actions

I’m bored at work, so I may look into the opponents Theo has faced compared to Varly and Neuvy at home. Quality of opponent may factor into his home numbers.

by terpgrrl on Jan 30, 2010 11:47 AM EST reply actions

So I started looking at the opponents they faced, and Theo really has no excuse. The first four teams Neuvy faced at home were the Habs (L), Sabres (W), Devils (W) and Habs again (W). I just stopped after that. No excuses for Theo.

by terpgrrl on Jan 30, 2010 12:06 PM EST up reply actions

Not really. He’s simply had some very bad stretches this season. A shame he got hurt while playing so well. I hope it didn’t dent his momentum.

"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."

by gfcaps fan on Jan 30, 2010 1:16 PM EST up reply actions

Home Sweet Home

Tell it to the Vancouver equipment manager. Nucks TV made a video about packing for this 14-game, 30-plus-day road trip, which includes planning for games on both ends of the Olympic break and the trade deadline. Plus they better not forget anything – they will have no access to their own building until the ’Lympic caravan has moved on.

IS KEPTIN NOW

by EmilyB on Jan 30, 2010 11:52 AM EST reply actions

This will quell my bitching about getting bumped for the circus. Until the next time it happens, anyway. Fourteen game 30 day roadtrip sounds Dismal.

by redlineblue on Jan 30, 2010 5:52 PM EST up reply actions

All the more incentive to win the Presidents’ Trophy.

by sixsevenfiftysix on Jan 30, 2010 2:02 PM EST reply actions

The ’Nucks need to get on the stick big time to do that. Good luck catching up to San Jose when playing so many on the road.

Rocking the Red since 1975

by CapsFan75 on Jan 30, 2010 2:06 PM EST up reply actions

Uh, what? You know I’m not Missy, right?

by sixsevenfiftysix on Jan 30, 2010 6:34 PM EST up reply actions

Again, being late to the party means someone took the words right out of my mouth :)

These kind of numbers make me that much more excited for playoff time.

Every time Nicky scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.

by SeattleCapsFan on Jan 30, 2010 6:44 PM EST up reply actions

Amen.

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by winterion on Jan 30, 2010 8:00 PM EST up reply actions

I know this is about home ice advantage but Steckel’s overall numbers are even more impressive than his home faceoff numbers. 777 faceoffs, 61.1% of the time he gives the Caps control of the puck. The guy in front of him only has 600 faceoffs with a 61.3% winning percentage.

When it comes on the PK, he’s won 136 out of 239 for a 56.90376569037656903765690376569% winning percentage. He’s taken the most PK faceoffs in the league and just at a quick glance of anyone else that has won a decent number of shorthanded faceoffs, he’s in the lead by a WIDE margin.

For comparison, the top PP faceoff guy is Crosby who has won 172 of 291 for 59.106529209621993127147766323024% winning percentage.

Really does show how the Caps PK can be one of the most fearsome to go up against in the league. There’s not really much of a chance to convert when nearly 2/3rds of the time your PP will be cut short by 20-30 seconds due to a faceoff win and a clear. The more Irbe gets our goalies smothering the puck and working with our strengths the more I can see the Caps PK work steadily north of 80%.

also I’m at work doing some math so accuracy counts, hence the lack of sigfig.

by sydtron on Jan 30, 2010 2:32 PM EST reply actions

Y’all get a lot of the credit for the Caps’ success at home. In my life, I’ve still seen many more games at the Caps Centre than at MCI/Verizon, mainly because I moved away to California just after the lockout. The fans at the Caps Centre and the early years at Verizon were good, but nothing like what’s going on today. When you watch a game on TV, you can feel the DC crowd.

I’ve been to two Sharks games this year. The Sharks have great fans, but nothing like the Caps. The excitement level really comes through the TV on Caps home games. I can’t wait to get back to the DC area for a game or two, sometime.

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Jan 30, 2010 5:03 PM EST reply actions

It’s good to hear that from a sort-of objective observer. When people from the organization say we’re loud and supportive and it makes a big difference to them, I suspect them of bias.

Come back. I think we might be able to arrange a meetup if you do.

"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."

by CapitalCentre on Jan 30, 2010 5:10 PM EST up reply actions

Working on it… {grin}

One of my cases now is in the International Trade Commission. I’m hoping that one will draw me back for a deposition or a hearing, and I can meet up with folks then.

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Jan 30, 2010 5:39 PM EST up reply actions

Interesting. I did some work as a contractor last year for Import Administration, which allowed me to interact somewhat with ITC. I got all too familiar with AD/CVD.

by Cluster on Jan 30, 2010 6:22 PM EST up reply actions

When people from the organization say we’re loud and supportive and it makes a big difference to them, I suspect them of bias.

I have that same question. Driving home with my voice shot and my ears ringing I really want to believe we make a difference. But maybe it’s just sleeping in their own beds and being so flipping good that makes the Capitals roll at home.

by redlineblue on Jan 30, 2010 5:49 PM EST up reply actions

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