A look at how the Caps are getting offense from the defense
59 – Number of points scored by Capitals’ defensemen this season, fourth-most in the NHL behind Florida (62), the Avalanche (63) and Minnesota (64).
Not surprisingly, that group is led by John Carlson, who is having another stellar offensive season with 22 points – tied for first among all blueliners. Perhaps more surprising, however, is that Dmitry Orlov is right behind him with 14 points (boosted by a recent hot streak that’s seen him collect seven points in his last five games).
Orlov also leads the league in five-on-five points with 13, and is tied with teammate Carlson (and a handful of others) for the most points by a defenseman at even strength overall.