Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Capitals special teams living up to its name

Adam Oates

The Washington Capitals have made a living off their power play since Adam Oates took over as coach. What you may have missed out on is how their penalty kill is also getting things done in a big way.

The great play of the Caps special teams was pointed out by Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post and the players are happy to have it be a strong point.

“I think if I was a coach, I’d rather have a dominant penalty kill,” Brooks Laich said. “I think if you don’t give up goals, it makes it really difficult for the other team.

“That being said,” he added, “I think if our power play gets a goal seven seconds in, that’s pretty lethal, too. We’re lucky to have both.”

Washington’s power play is tops in the league scoring at a 28.2 percent clip, nearly five percent better than second place Minnesota. The penalty kill is second-best in the league at 88.2 percent, trailing only Vancouver. The only thing their PK doesn’t have yet is a shorthanded goal.

Getting the 5-on-5 play squared away will help the Capitals take that next step, but for now they’ll take the special teams success and run with it.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT