The Washington Capitals have been one of the best teams in the Metropolitan Division in recent years. Under Alex Ovechkin’s captaincy, the Capitals again remained at the top of their division last year, with Ovechkin leading from the front.
But with ‘Ovi’ in the final year of his current deal and the Capitals showing a lack of intent in the playoffs, critics believe the upcoming season will be tough for them. And a recent poll by an insider shows just how little faith the Capitals’ fanbase has in the franchise.
Recent Poll Shows Lack of Faith In The Capitals
While the Capitals have remained consistent in recent years, they have made it past round one of the playoffs only once since their 2018 Stanley Cup victory. When they finally made it to round two this past season, they were demolished by the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in Game 5.
With the upcoming season just five weeks away, most critics don’t think the Capitals will enjoy a deep playoff run. A recent poll by The Athletic’s James Mirtle showed that a large section of fans agrees with this sentiment.
Mirtle asked NHL fans which teams in the Eastern Conference they thought would take the biggest step back in the upcoming season. The Capitals finished first in the poll, securing 30 percent of the votes.
Washington was followed by the Maple Leafs (24 percent), the Bruins (10 percent), the Penguins (7 percent), and the Lightning (5 percent).
Mirtle mentioned, “The Capitals surprised most of the hockey world by winning the East and piling up 111 points before a disappointing showing in the playoffs in Round 2, so I’m not surprised they received the most votes here.”
Despite having a good top six led by Ovechkin and Dylan Strome, the Capitals still crashed out in round two. But Mirtle believes the Capitals won’t be the only team taking a fall next season.
He continued, “Many are down on the Leafs after they lost Mitch Marner and failed to find another top-line winger to replace him.” He mentioned, “We’ll see if their by-committee approach, or an in-season addition, can get them close to last season’s 108 points.”
Compared to the Maple Leafs, the Capitals still have a strong core with a young front line consisting of Aliaksei Protas, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Tom Wilson, each getting more than 60 points. But if Ovechkin leaves next season, things will get real rough real quick.
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Not to mention, despite having a good offense, the Capitals’ series against the Hurricanes exposed their defensive gaps, clearly something to work on this season.
Meanwhile, the Penguins don’t fare much better. Mirtle mentioned, “The Penguins could definitely be in the running for far more pain, though, if they continue their selloff and end up in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.”
