At the end of the 2013-14 Season, all hope in the Capitals’ future was lost. Adam Oates,
a first-time coach in the NHL, led the Caps not to the playoffs, but to a record of 38–30–14.
Even though captain and all-star Alex Ovechkin led the league with 51 goals, the rest of the
usually productive squad failed to meet expectations. Though last year was a disappointment,
this year has started off with a bang, as we have earned at least one point in each of the first
five games.
Though Capitals coach Barry Trotz has kept the lineup under control with his stern
disciplinary tactics, one problem has plagued the Caps over the first few weeks of the season:
losing in shootouts. We started the season with a loss to the Montreal Canadians in the
shootout, followed by a 6-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks also in the shootout two games later, a
game in which defense was nearly nonexistent. The Sharks game did have a silver lining though,
as the Caps were able to close two different 3-goal deficits.
Every Stanley cup winner needs to have a virtual brick wall between the pipes.
Unfortunately for the Caps, starting goalie Braden Holtby is inconsistent at best and back-up
Justin Peters has not been able to showcase the talent he exhibited in Carolina; talents that
were able to impress the Caps’ front office into signing him to a two-year, $1.9 million contract.
All in all the Caps should be a decent team this year. With our new coach and the top
scorer in the league, hopefully the Caps will be able meet high expectations and become
Stanley Cup Champions for the first time.