It would be hard to blame anyone for asserting that the Capitals simply do not seem like the same group that dominated the National Hockey League last year. In a lot of ways, they aren’t.
After averaging 3.02 goals per game during last season’s Presidents’ Trophy run, the Capitals are now sitting in an unusual, middle-of-the-pack position in terms of scoring, with 2.67 GPG.
Given that the overall team scoring is down, looking at the individual player statistics isn’t particularly pretty. Beyond the usual superstars, namely Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie and a surprising Marcus Johansson, the lineup is filled with underachievers through the first quarter and change of the season.