Here is the new schedule for our upcoming season. I think it is reasonable and I hope to see you all at lots of games.
Tags: Hockey, NHL, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
Here is the new schedule for our upcoming season. I think it is reasonable and I hope to see you all at lots of games.
Tags: Hockey, NHL, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
The schedule sure looks a lot better than the one from last year with that 6 game trip scheduled in the last 3 weeks (of course, the Caps going 5-1-0 on the trip is what sealed the deal for the playoffs!).
When I look at the opening part of the schedule, where the team can really help themselves, they have an opportunity to play well. The first three games are against non-playoff teams, with the two toughest of those games being in DC. Then comes tough game #1, a trip to Pittsburgh. Hopefully the Caps won’t look past Vancouver at that game. For October, they should go out the gate with 7-8 points (I can’t say they’ll win in Pitt, a lot of teams don’t) then they have the Western swing against two good teams (Dallas and Calgary) and an improving team (Phoenix) before returing home to face Nashville, a team that is going in the wrong direction. Figure 4-5 points on the road trip, and after 9 games in October, the team could be 6-2-1 (Wins vs. Atl, Chi, Van, NJ, Phoenix, and Nashville, loss at Calgary, loss at Pitt, OT loss in Dallas).
The key to this team being really, really great in 2008-09 is getting out to a good start, getting a lead in the Southeast division and making the race not be a race. Ideally the Caps can have a 10+ point lead by New Years, and considering the quality of the other teams in the Southeast, it’s very possible. Of the other 4 teams, I can’t see any of them being better than the Caps (no matter what the new owners in Tampa say, you can’t win without quality defensemen…)