Author Archives: Justin Trudel

About Justin Trudel

Justin is a lifelong Caps fan, with some of his first memories of the sport watching the team in the USAir Arena and the 1998 Stanley Cup appearance. Now a resident of St. Augustine, FL, Justin watches the Caps from afar. Justin graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Political Science from Towson University, and a Master's of Science in Applied Information Technology from Towson University. Justin is currently a product manager at a non-profit in Jacksonville, FL. Justin enjoys geeking out over roster construction and cap management.

Quantity Over Quality? Are The Capitals Generating More Shots On Goal Than Last Season?

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Justin Trudel

One of the key facets of Coach Peter Laviolette’s offensive strategy is generating a large quantity of shots on goal, rather than focusing on the quality of chances. This concept is opposite of what previous head coaches Barry Trotz and … Continue reading →

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Optimization: A Look At The Capitals’ Defensemen And Optimizing The Pairings

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Over the past few weeks, Capitals’ Head Coach Peter Laviolette has been tinkering with the defensive pairings by swapping Dmitry Orlov and Brenden Dillon in their top four roles. The Caps had largely rolled with the same pairings over the … Continue reading →

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A Look At The Capitals’ Struggles Over The Last Eight Games

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports After flying through the first 26 days of March with a 10-2-0 record, the Capitals’ level of play and overall production has regressed significantly. Since March 28th, the Capitals have gone 4-4-0, giving up 30 … Continue reading →

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Defensive Dip: Examining The Capitals Defensemen’s Performance Over The Past 5 Games

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images Prior to yesterday’s 2-1 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils, the Capitals were struggling defensively, giving up 17 goals against over three games, a concerning 5.66 goals against per game average.

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Who Should Be The Capitals’ Starting Netminder?

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Photo: @Capitals After Capitals’ General Manager signed veteran goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on October 9, the Capitals seemed set on running with a goaltending tandem led by Lundqvist and supported by Ilya Samsonov. As we know, those plans were thrown to … Continue reading →

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A Look At Dmitry Orlov’s Level Of Play Halfway Through The 2020-21 Season

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Dmitry Orlov has been a mainstay on the Capitals’ blue line since the 2015-16 season. Orlov is one of the more, true, two-way puck moving defensemen in the league, and is known for his penchant for open ice hits.

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Nicklas Backstrom’s Offensive Production Through 21 Games Compared To First 21 Games In Previous Seasons

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Justin Trudel

The Capitals’ stalwart center, Nicklas Backstrom, has been off to a blazing hot offensive start to the 2021 NHL regular season, posting 10 goals and 15 assists through 21 games, good for a 1.19 points per game average. At that … Continue reading →

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A Look At The Capitals’ Slow Starts And Third Period Goal Deficits

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images The Capitals have struggled with slow starts to games over the five games spanning from February 16th to the 23rd. In fact, the Capitals recorded zero even-strength goals in the last five games, prior to Thursday’s … Continue reading →

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Why Are The Capitals Winless Against The Penguins?

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Justin Trudel

Photo: AP After Sunday’s disappointing 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals’ record versus their divisional rival worsened to 0-1-2. That being said, the interesting insight around this matchup is that the Capitals aren’t playing any worse than they … Continue reading →

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Examining The Difference In The Capitals Play In First Six Games Versus Last Six Games

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Justin Trudel

After the Capitals roared out to a nine game points streak and a 6-0-3 record, the team has fallen in regulation the last three games. Through the first 12 games played so far this season, the Capitals now sit in … Continue reading →

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