The Washington Capitals will take a much-needed break on Feb. 5 as the NHL pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Caps near the hiatus, hurting figuratively and literally. The team is wrapping up a 5-8-2 month that saw them slide out of the current playoff pack, while multiple players ranging from Connor McMichael to Matt Roy to Charlie Lindgren were placed on injured reserve this past weekend.
Thursday’s game against Nashville is their final chance to narrow the gap with the teams they are chasing. It also appears the Caps have found a groove for the first time since Dec. 3, by posting back-to-back wins.
Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win saw the club crawl out of a 3-0 crater against the Metropolitan Division leaders, as rookie Clay Stevenson held the Hurricanes scoreless for the final 45 minutes of regulation.
In a compressed pre-Olympic schedule where there are games every other night, midseason momentum can fade fast. So, can the Caps build on those victories or were they temporary?
And will the team return from the 20-day break rested or rusty?
Record: 27-22-7, which places them fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Washington has 61 points, tied with Columbus, although Columbus has played two fewer games. The Caps sit four points behind the third-place New York Islanders and six points behind Boston for the second wild card spot.
Washington begins February 11 points behind first-place Carolina, and 11 points ahead of the last-place New York Rangers.
Rankings: Entering February, the Caps rank 14th in scoring (3.18 goals per game) and 11th in goals allowed (2.95). The team is 26th on the power play (16.3%) and 21st on the penalty kill (78.5). Both special teams units made incremental improvement over January, even as scoring dropped and goals allowed rose.
Iceman of the Month: Justin Sourdif finished a seven-goal, seven-assist month, with his first career overtime goal Saturday night against Carolina. The offseason acquisition has fit well at center alongside Alex Ovechkin or any teammate put on his line.
Hot Sticks and Cold Pads: Dylan Strome tallied eight goals and six assists, while John Carlson’s one goal and 14 assists gave him a team-high 15 points for January. Connor McMichael posted three goals with seven assists before his injury. Nic Dowd scored his first career shootout goal against Detroit to close the team’s longest road trip of the season.
Logan Thompson finished January with a 3-6-1 record. His .902 save percentage and 2.81 goals-against average offered stability despite the results.
Ovi Odometer: Ovechkin’s seven goals in January tied Sourdif for second on the team behind Strome. Ovi’s 22 goals this season tie him with Tom Wilson for the team lead. Ovechkin led Washington in goals every year of his career except 2017, when he and T.J. Oshie each scored 33.
Ovechkin’s career total is now 919. At his current scoring pace, he would finish with 32 goals this season and 929 for his career.
Matchup of the Month: The Capitals begin the month Monday night by hosting the New York Islanders. Washington trails the Islanders by four points for a playoff berth, although the Caps are 2-1 against them this season.
Thompson has a 1.67 goals-against average against the Islanders this winter, but will he be healthy enough to return to the lineup?
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