Capitals overcoming early season struggles during recent hot streak

A month ago, it looked as if Father Time had finally caught up with the Washington Capitals.

Alex Ovechkin and company were one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference with a 7-10-3 record — closer to last place than a playoff spot. 

Injuries were mounting. The power play was dormant. And Ovechkin was on pace for his worst goal-scoring season since 2016-17. 

But the Capitals’ fortunes have shifted over the past month, thanks to their backup goaltender, elite play from the “Great 8” and an improved power play. Washington (16-13-4) is 9-3-1 over its past 13 games and now finds itself just four points back from third place in the Metropolitan Division and only one point out of the final wild card spot, as of Sunday afternoon. 

“It’s been a mountain,” Capitals coach Peter Laviolette told reporters after his team’s 5-2 win over Toronto on Saturday. “Your eyes are always looking up the mountain. Where can you get to next? It’s been a long journey, but it’s got to continue to push upward.”

Through the team’s first 20 games, the Capitals had a negative-12 goal differential. They were scoring just 2.75 goals per game and allowing 3.35. In the last 13 contests, a healthier Washington has a plus-16 goal differential — averaging 3.46 goals per game and allowing just 2.23. 

“We’re helping out each other in every zone we play,” said defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who scored a hat trick Saturday. “I think we’re feeling it a little bit now, and we just got to keep it rolling.”

What makes the recent improvement in goal prevention even more impressive is that it’s been done almost entirely without starting goalie Darcy Kuemper, who was injured Dec. 4 and has been out since with an upper-body injury. Since his departure, backup Charlie Lindgren has started all seven games, with all but one ending in a Capitals victory. 

“Especially as of late, we’re just answering the bell,” Lindgren told reporters Saturday. “All four lines, our [defensemen] are playing excellent.”

On the season, Lindgren hasn’t been much better — if at all — than Kuemper, a Stanley Cup champion who the Capitals signed to a five-year, $26.25 million contract in the offseason. Kuemper’s save percentage and goals against average are both slightly higher than Lindgren. 

But Lindgren, who Washington also signed in the offseason to a much smaller deal, has played the best hockey of his inexperienced career over the past two weeks — stopping 93.8% of shots his way and allowing just 1.86 goals per game. 

“We couldn’t ask for anything more from (Lindgren). He’s been rock solid,” Laviolette said. “Darcy was getting the majority of starts, and Charlie was working hard every day. It might be a little bit easier for him, too, when he gets a rhythm as opposed to playing once every four games. … There’s no question that he’s got a big hand in us starting to climb.”

Laviolette told reporters Saturday that he believes Kuemper is “close” to returning to game action. 

On the other side of the ice, the Capitals’ offense has gotten a major boost in recent weeks, and Ovechkin has a large hand in that. The 37-year-old was on pace for just 36 goals and 69 points through the first quarter of the season, but he’s caught fire over the past month — with the highlight, of course, being the hat trick to reach 800 career goals against Chicago last week. 

Ovechkin has scored 11 goals and assisted seven others in the last 13 games — a ridiculous pace of 69 goals and 113 points. The hot streak has now pushed his season-long pace to Ovechkin-esque numbers — just short of 50 goals and 37 assists. 

Two of his goals have come with the man advantage — an area the Capitals have struggled for most of the past two seasons. Washington ranked in the bottom 10 in the NHL in power play percentage through the first quarter of the season at 18.9%. During the recent surge, though, that number is up to an impressive 27.8%. 

The Capitals are back on the ice Monday versus Detroit. Ovechkin is one goal away from tying Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list.