Can the Capitals Keep the Momentum Going? Analyzing Their Hot Start to the 2024-25 Season
The 2024-25 NHL regular season is in full swing, and several teams have gotten off to scorching hot starts. Among them are the Washington Capitals, led by captain Alex Ovechkin. Coming into the season, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding how the Capitals would perform, especially with long-term injuries to veteran winger T.J. Oshie, who is in the final year of his contract and was placed on long-term injured reserve due to chronic back problems that have limited his availability in recent years. Additionally, the team had a busy offseason, signing seven new players to bolster the roster around Ovechkin, who is entering the final stage of his legendary career in the nation’s capital. Despite the massive changes to the roster, the Capitals haven’t wavered at the start of the season. They've gotten off to a hot start in their first six games, leaving fans wondering if they can sustain this early success and surprise pundits with how far they can go this season.
After dropping their season opener at home against the New Jersey Devils on October 12th, the Capitals have ridden a hot streak, winning their last five games, which has already tied their longest streak from last season. The victories have come against high-quality opponents, including the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, and Devils, along with back-to-back wins against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers. In their latest win on Wednesday night, Ovechkin scored an empty-netter, his second goal of the season, moving him 40 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky's all-time career goals record. A major factor that has helped propel the Capitals to an excellent start this season is the significant increase in scoring production compared to last season, even though it's only a six-game sample size.
Last season, the Capitals struggled mightily to find reliable scoring, ranking 29th in the league with an average of 2.75 goals per game. However, after offseason roster changes, including the acquisition of former Kings winger Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has had past offensive success, the Capitals were hoping for him to regain that form this season. Now, in the early stages of the season, the Capitals’ moves appear to be paying off, as the team has seen a dramatic jump in scoring, entering Thursday tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third-best goals-per-game average at 4.33. The Capitals have received scoring from across the lineup, with Tom Wilson leading the team, having recorded five goals this season, and Dubois seamlessly fitting in with Wilson and Connor McMichael on the second line. Looking ahead to the rest of the regular season, if the Capitals can continue to get offensive contributions from a variety of players and improve their power play, which currently ranks 29th in the league at 9.5%, they will put themselves in a prime position to contend for a top spot in the Eastern Conference and possibly emerge as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
