The Stats So Far Aren't In The Capitals' Favor, But They're Racking Up Wins Anyway. Here's How

The Capitals aren't generating a lot on goal, and the advanced stats aren't exactly in their favor. Here's how they're racking up wins.

WASHINGTON — "We find a way," Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin explains as he sits in his stall at Capital One Arena following the team's fourth straight victory, a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Washington has gone 8-1-1 in the last 10 games, quietly rising up the ranks and sitting No. 2 in the Metropolitan Division after a 1-3-1 start had caused several to press the panic button. Not only that, but the team has won four straight games and has earned at least a point in five straight.

Looking at the stat line, though, the numbers don't exactly stack up all that well for Washington. The Capitals' 2.47 goals per game is the second-least in the NHL, their power play ranks dead last (7 percent) and 43 percent of their time at all strengths is spent in the defensive zone.

Alex Ovechkin also only has five goals on the season, and the team's leading scorer is John Carlson, who has nine points in 15 games (.6 points per game). All the while, they're shooting at just 4.27 percent, the fourth-lowest shooting percentage league-wide.

That said, where are the wins coming from for Washington, a team that's struggling to score and on paper, doesn't compare to some of its opponents?

It starts on the backend.

While the Capitals don't generate much, they're not really giving up much these days, either. Charlie Lindgren's rise is a testament to that, as the 29-year-old has gone 4-0-0 in his last four games with a .955 save percentage, while also boasting a 1.72 save percentage above expected on unblocked shots, per MoneyPuck.

"I got some really good momentum going right now, feeling good in practice, feeling good in games," Lindgren said. "The more I play, kind of the better I feel, and I think again it’s a testament to the product of what I’ve been doing in practice, honestly... making sure I’m coming to the rink every day with a purpose and with the mindset to try to get better. I think my practices really set me up for the games," Lindgren said.

However, it's not just his play; he's getting a lot from the players in front of him, too. Washington has blocked 300 total shots in all situations so far this season, good for 11th in the league, and the team as a whole is allowing just 2.67 goals per game (sixth-least).

"That's something we're gonna build into our identity as a group," Wilson declared to start the month. "That's how you win games, that's how you win championships is guys willing to lay it on the line."

Then, there's the penalty kill. With the help of youngsters Connor McMichael and Beck Malenstyn, contributions from ice-time leaders John Carlson and Evgeny Kuznetsov and more help from veterans Nic Dowd and, now, Joel Edmundson, Washington has killed off 23 straight penalties over the last 10 games.

Beyond that, the secondary scorers have also started to finally establish an identity. It starts on the powerhouse fourth line, where Nicolas Aube-Kubel's return to the NHL and a fully-healthy Nic Dowd have both helped bring that trio back to its previous dominance.

Then, there's the youth: McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, Sonny Milano and even Hendrix Lapierre are finding ways to contribute, making the veteran group and one of the NHL's older teams less predictable.

"It's huge for us," Ovechkin said. "They stepping up, set the tone and I think it's very important for us that you don't know what to expect from us."

At the end of the day, all of these factors have combined to take the Capitals, who have very well heard the critics asking if Ovechkin's still Ovechkin or if the window is officially closed on them being a contender, back to the top. The team has taken Spencer Carbery's systems and run with it, the young players are seizing their opportunities and Mitch Love's worked wonders with the defense.

To wrap it all up, it comes down to what Ovechkin said earlier on: finding a way, rather than zeroing in on analytics or rankings.

"I don't think we look at the standings right now. We just play the game as hard as we can, try to collect two points and game by game," Ovechkin added.