"As per usual, Chris is right. After a brief moment atop the conference, the Caps now sit seventh in the east and dropping. A team that has ranked in the league's top three in five-on-five play has now fallen to 15th in the month of December. They need a change. They need several changes. Recoveries from injury, recoveries from illness, a trade or two, power-play personel patch-up, no more mock turtlenecks from Joe and Craig, etc., etc."
"If you are feeling frustration from the community, it's because we can all see that the Capitals at their core can be a very good hockey team. Had you said that three years ago, you'd be called heretic. But they've nearly executed a high-difficulty on-the-fly rebuild, and in the final year of Alex Ovechkin's contract they may yet still - and in spite of all expectations - make a run at the Cup. Except that's not the trajectory they're on right now."
The Capitals fell from an early conference lead to seventh in the East after a December decline, slipping to 15th in five-on-five play for the month. The roster currently lacks productive centers and underuses a specific line, leaving a 20-year-old winger as the primary difference-maker. Injuries and illnesses have depleted personnel, and the team requires trades, power-play adjustments, and roster shake-ups to stabilize performance. Recovery timelines for injured players and targeted transactions will determine whether the team can recover and pursue a playoff run in Alex Ovechkin's final contract year. A statistical snapshot focuses on five-on-five skater metrics.
Read at RMNB
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