Through coaching changes, system changes, and personnel changes (two notable exceptions aside), the Capitals’ power play has been the best in the league, on the whole, since 2007. It has finished six seasons ranked in the top 10 league-wide, five in the top two, and four first overall (including the past three years).
With such an impressive track record, there would have been little reason to bet against the group again finishing first (or at least coming close). But the team has nonetheless been adding some new wrinkles to the power play toward the end of last season and the start of the current one.