The jump isn’t astronomical, but it is significant. And it was evident in the Capitals’ 2-1 overtime win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
Just look at the numbers during the regular season. In four games, the Rangers blocked 73 of the Capitals’ shots while the Caps only blocked 32. On Wednesday, the Caps blocked 32 to the Rangers’ 28. Defensemen Karl Alzner and Mike Green combined to block 14. John Carlson is good in this area, too.
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During the regular season, the Caps ranked seventh in blocked shots, a five-spot improvement over the previous year. And in the playoffs, this style becomes even more important.
“Shot-blocking has become part of hockey,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “And if you don’t do it, you’re not going to be successful. It gets ramped up in the playoffs more where every team sacrifices even more.”
The Caps have improved their defensive positioning when it comes to the blocked shots. They’re not always throwing their bodies in the way because their sticks are in the right spots. They need to continue making it hard for opponents to get easy chances.
“It’s nice to see frustration on other team’s faces. When I play against a very strong defensive team you get mad by the end of the night. You’re frustrated,” Brooks Laich said. “Somebody’s in your face, poking the puck off you, finishing a check on you, and you feel like you haven’t done anything.
“I still think we can frustrate teams when we have the puck. Now we’ve got another asset in being able to defend pretty strong.”
