Comments on: Capitals Schedule http://www.tedstake.com/2008/07/18/capitals-schedule/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:26:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike L. http://www.tedstake.com/2008/07/18/capitals-schedule/#comment-11464 Mike L. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:08:43 +0000 http://www.tedstake.com/?p=2534#comment-11464 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...) 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…)

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