RED ALERT: A terrific January it was

The Washington Capitals have managed to tie the franchise record for consecutive wins, downing Tampa Bay yesterday to record their tenth straight win.  Here is a quick look at a terrific month.

In January, the Washington Capitals posted an impressive 12-2 record.  They posted a 4-2 road record during the month while posting a perfect 9-0 record at home.  No team in the NHL has a better home record than Washington.  In the friendly confines of the Verizon Center, the Caps are an amazing 21-3-3 on the season.  On the road, the Caps have posted a solid 16-9-3 record.

The Caps have amassed an incredible 23 point lead in the Southeast Division and an impressive 8 point lead in the Eastern Conference.  At 80 points, the Caps sit just 1 point behind the Western Conference leader San Jose Sharks for the best record in the NHL.

The Caps have scored 210 goals on the season, 28 more than second place San Jose, solidifying themselves as the most offensively dominant team in the NHL.  That is an average of 3.77 goals per game.  They also lead the NHL with a 26.3 power play percentage.  The penalty kill unit is improving, at least breaking the Top 20 for now, tied for 17th in the NHL with a 80.5% success rate.

What's this all say?  To me at least, it says, this team is good, damn good.  So the looming question remains at the forefront of Caps minds, and I am sure in the minds of those in the front office.  Do the Caps need to make any moves to solidify the roster for the Playoff run?  What would a move do to team chemistry that appears to be amazingly balanced right now?  Who departs?  Who arrives?  What positions are a need?  The Olympic Break commences for the Caps on February 14th, their last game in the month.  I am pretty sure all of those questions will most certainly be answered by George McPhee and the Caps think tank during that period.  Put the rumors aside.  McPhee has a tendency to make surprising moves out of nowhere, such as the Cristobal Huet and Sergei Fedorov acquisitions.

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