Last year, the Washington Capitals were a surprise Eastern Conference NHL future odds playoff team but were dispatched in the first round. Since their 2018 Stanley Cup championship, the Capitals have never gotten past the first round of the postseason. Thus, their start to the current season is a surprise. Washington is the top team in the Eastern Conference and is showing the balance of a serious championship contender. But the question is if the Capitals can sustain their success when the rubber meets the road in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Washington Capitals Team Overview
Just past the midway point of the 2024-25 NHL season, the Washington Capitals were 32-10-5 straight up and 19-25 over/under the sportsbook total. Also, Washington was first in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, seven points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Washington had NHL rankings of 2nd for goals scored and 11th for power play efficiency. In comparison, on defense, the Capitals had NHL rankings of 2nd for goals against and 4th for penalty killing.
Washington Capitals Key Players, Goaltending, and Coach
Namely, Alex Ovechkin will go down as the NHL odds savior of the Washington franchise. The Great Eight is its most iconic player, not to mention a future Hall of Famer. However, Ovechkin is nearly 40 and showing his age and the wear and tear from his career of carrying the Caps franchise. The Great Eight was the first overall pick of the 2004 NHL Draft and began his career with the Caps in 2005-06.
In sum, Ovechkin is a 13-time NHL All-Star, nine-time Rocket Richard winner as the top goal scorer of a season, three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as NHL MVP, and 2018 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoff MVP. On January 23, 2025, The Great Eight has 874 career goals, chasing Wayne Gretzky (894). So far this season, Ovechkin has 21 goals, 12 assists, 33 points and a +15.
Meanwhile, C Dylan Strome leads Washington with 12 goals, 34 assists, 46 points, and a +10. C Alexei Protas has 19 goals, 20 assists, 39 points and a +26. D Jakob Chychrun has 13 goals, 18 assists, 31 points and a +19.
Number one goaltender Charlie Lindgren had a 25-16-7 record and a 2.67 goals-against average last year. This year, Lindgren has a 2.65 goals-against average and a save percentage of .900. In sum, His record is 10-8-2.
Additionally, this year, Logan Thompson has a 2.09 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. His record is 22-2-3 with two shutouts.
Head coach Spencer Carbery was a career minor league player and coach. Previously, he coached the Hershey Bears, Washington’s top farm club. He is in his second season on the job.
Washington Capitals History
At the onset, the Caps were founded as an expansion franchise with the Kansas City Scouts in 1974. They have long had a reputation for being playoff chokers before finally exercising those demons in 2018 with their only Stanley Cup championship. The Capitals were languishing in half-empty buildings with no real passion from fans until the arrival of Alex Ovechkin. Indeed, The Great Eight has proven to be one of the most transformative athletes in sports history. In Washington, he did what seemed impossible; he made the Capitals cool.