Toward the end of November and the beginning of December, Washington’s scorers weren’t scoring, the penalty kill wasn’t killing and murmurs were swirling the 2016-17 Capitals just didn’t have last season’s killer instinct, when the team sprinted away from the rest of the NHL en route to a President Trophy-winning 120-point campaign.
The last seven games have quieted the skeptics. Since Dec. 5, Washington has gone 6-1 and is now on pace for a scorching 113-point season.
Forward T.J. Oshie said the Capitals are more effective when they’re choosing their shots instead of over-relying on puck skills to crash the offensive zone, skate to the net as quickly as possible and take on the opposition one-on-one.