If coffee is for closers, the Washington Capitals may be the most over-caffeinated team in the League.
The Caps have posted a very solid 22-1-1 record when leading after two periods, and are second on the circuit with a .316 win percentage when trailing after 40 minutes via a 5-7-4 record (which has them as the only club in the League to secure points in more than half of the games in which they entered the final stanza of regulation with a deficit).
Washington has outscored opponents 70-33 in the third period, good for fourth in goals-for and first in goals-against… by 11. By contrast (and because it’s fun), the Pittsburgh Penguins have surrendered a League-high 72 third-period tallies.
The Caps’ stats are impressive on their own, but over the last 20 games (i.e. a quarter of an NHL campaign), the numbers are downright silly. While going 13-2-5 in those 20 games, the Capitals have outscored opponents 30-8 in the third period since Christmas, and – here’s the kicker – have not been outscored in any of those 20 third periods.
That’s a remarkable run, over which they’re 8-0-0 when leading after two periods and have snagged a point or two in five of seven (1-2-4) when trailing at that point, and during which they’ve scored as many empty net goals (8) as they have allowed overall. Of particular note, their goalies have saved a ridiculous 95.3 percent of the shots they’ve faced, led by not Logan Thompson (a monstrous .948) but Chuckie Lindgren (.963, including .977 at 5v5).
The Caps haven’t necessarily been in top form over the past month and change, but, as Spencer Carbery noted, they did what they needed to do:
“Without our best tonight, to be able to grind through that game and dig in the third period, that just once again speaks to the character of the group. … Not rolling over and trying to get things together and support one another and help each other to try to find some positive momentum in the third period, and that’s what we did.”
via The Washington Post
It has become a familiar pattern, and is certainly not the best habit to get into. But playing good defense, not quitting on games, and getting stellar goaltending is a pretty decent recipe overall. And if they can sort out the first 40 minutes of games while continuing to dominate the last 20? Well, there will be a lot of closing ahead…