For the first four months of the NHL season, the Washington Capitals skated by, reaching the 40-win mark faster than any other team in the league and amassing a goal differential head-and-shoulders above their peers.
Dealing with a sudden slew of injuries and a tricky schedule, however, the Capitals have gone 2-2-1 in their first five games following their league-mandated bye week. They failed to pick up where they left off — having entered the six-day break on a 17-2-1 run — and most recently lost Saturday in Nashville less than 24 hours after playing at home the night before.