The Washington Capitals are unlike any other team in the NHL standings. For one, you don’t get too concerned when they drop the first two games out of their bye week break, like they did over the weekend, mostly because they’ve built a big enough cushion to afford for the occasional slip up. Plus, the schedule-maker did them no favors, sending the Capitals on the road for a pair of matinee games following a week off, eliminating two possible morning skates to get timing back.
That has a way of slowing down a powerhouse.
“You just feel like you want to do more with your hands, you forget how to handle the puck or shoot the puck,” explained Alex Ovechkin of the impact.