(Caps Outsider)

With three games in four nights, and the back-to-backs being against two of the top five teams in the league, the Caps could have easily imploded, leaving them sixth in the Metropolitan division and out of a playoff spot.

Instead, they won all three games and currently sit fourth in the division, three points behind the New Jersey Devils, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and three points ahead of the New York Rangers.

Captain Alex Ovechkin has been on fire, scoring goals in all three games, including a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Also, rookie forward Jakub Vrana seems to have found his rhythm with three goals in that span.

This win streak was sparked by head coach Barry Trotz shuffling the forwards, including reuniting Ovechkin with center Nicklas Backstrom, and putting Tom Wilson on the right wing.

In Friday’s matinee matchup against then league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning, the Caps surrendered an early power play goal with backup goalie Phillip Grubauer in net. Grubauer had been winless prior to the game. Instead of having the “here we go again” mindset, the Caps went on to dominate the rest of the first period, limiting the Lightning to seven shots on goal in the first period while having 16 of their own. Through the first two periods, they had 57 percent of the total shot attempts, according to hockeystats.ca.

The Caps, however, still have things to work out. In both of their back-to-backs, the Caps “turtled,” only trying to protect the lead they had. It almost backfired on Saturday as the Leafs trimmed the Capitals’ three-goal lead down to one with six minutes to play.

While the Caps have shown how good they can be in this three-game streak, they have been inconsistent all season long. Hopefully, they can use this run to turn things around for good. They have showed their potential to be a team that can make the playoffs and win some rounds.