25.8 – The Capitals’ shots-against per game rate, which leads the NHL; they also have the best SA/60 rate of 25.35 (all strengths), and the best SA/60 at five on five with 24.33. If they maintain it across the whole season, it would be the fourth-best SA rate in franchise history, and the best since the 1995-96 squad.
The Caps have done an impressive job of limiting shots by their opponent in just about every game this season (and have done so largely without the crutch of blocking them, as their 14.09 blocked-shots-per-60 rate is only 13th overall). In all but three games they’ve been at or below 26 shots-against, and all but one game has been below 30.
The one blemish? A 37-shots-against performance by the Senators in that chaotic 7-5 victory for the Caps at the end of October.