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Capitals and Canes Back-to-Back: What We Learned

January 13, 2018, 11:47 AM ET [10 Comments]
James Tanner
Washington Capitals Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes just completed a back-to-back in which each team won. They also played each other last week (OT win, Caps) Given that the Metro is probably the best (or most average) and closest overall division in hockey, I thought it'd be interesting to see what these three games taught us, if anything.

The Metro is spreading out a bit, with the Capitals winning six of their last seven games. But between second place and last place, there is only a seven point spread.

The Hurricanes have 48 points and if it wasn't for bad luck, they'd have no luck at all.

This is the third time the two teams have met since New Years. The results are a win each and an overtime game.

In last weeks game (Jan.2) , the Hurricanes were by far the better team. They controlled almost 60% of the play and were unlucky to even have to go to overtime, let alone lose. The story, as it almost always is for Carolina: Their goaltending was awful.

In the second game, the Hurricanes were again superior and this time they won, 3-1, (empty net.) It was essentially a 2-1 game that Capitals were in because Braden Holtby is amazing.

In the third game, the best game the Capitals played out of the three, the Hurricanes still could have won. Only a heart-breaking last second goal prevented another overtime.

So, in the three games the Capitals and Hurricanes recently played:

- All three games could have gone to overtime (though only one did).

- The Hurricanes were the better team, arguably, in all three games.

- Braden Holtby is the main difference between the two teams. Goalies aside, the Hurricanes are faster, smarter, better coached, deeper, and overall, I'd say quite a bit better.

- Brooks Orpik is comically bad. Makes Roman Polak look like Erik Karlsson.



These games really sum up the Capitals season: Stay close, pray to Holtby and see what happens. Having watched all three games, I can say it's pretty crazy that the Capitals won two of them.

The Capitals are a team that has been elite for years. I wonder how many people who follow the NHL, but not specifically the Capitals, realize how bad they are. The results are what we've come to expect over the years, but the results are hiding a very bad team.

Washington has an 11 point lead on the Hurricanes, currently. But if you look into it, the Capitals have lose three OT games, the Hurricanes eight. That's five points, given out randomly.

Then take away the Capitals game in hand, and assume the coin flipped the right way last night (the game was tied until two seconds were left, and we know that OT is a total coin-flip) - what is an 11 point difference is now a two point difference.

And that is with one team having a top-three goalie in the NHL while the other has, at best, a replacement player in net.

What we learned from these three games is that the Capitals lead in the division is a little misleading. Three games against the Hurricanes suggest the Hurricanes are the better team.

The Capitals are a team that is potentially going to fall, and fall hard. Their record is a luck and goalie based mirage. They are an emperor with no clothes.
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