3. Shot speed
The Capitals ranked third in the NHL in 90-plus mile per hour shot attempts (105) last season, trailing the Edmonton Oilers (136) and Lightning (115). Washington had two of the top 10 players in that category in defenseman John Carlson (40; tied for fifth) and Ovechkin (29; 10th). Ovechkin was second among forwards behind the Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson at 53.
The Capitals also had the second-highest average shot speed (62.69 mph) as a team, trailing only the Seattle Kraken (63.36 mph). This can include goals, shots that were saved, shots that missed the net (including posts and crossbars), and shots that were blocked. Washington led the NHL in shooting percentage (12.6) and ranked highly in both snap shot goals (96; third) and slap shot goals (24; tied for 10th) last season.
Ovechkin (44) led a group of seven Capitals players to score at least 20 goals last season, the most in the NHL. It was the third time since Ovechkin’s rookie season (2005-06) that Washington had at least seven 20-goal scorers (seven in 2018-19; seven in 2009-10). The goal-scoring prowess that now surrounds Ovechkin, who has scored at least 24 goals in all 20 of his NHL seasons, can keep Washington’s Stanley Cup window wide open.
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