Caps finish January with four of final five at home

By Bud L. Ellis

It couldn’t set up more perfectly for the Washington Capitals.

Already sitting atop the Eastern Conference and running away with the Southeast Division, the Caps play host to Phoenix on Saturday, opening up a stretch where Washington plays four of their final five games in January on home ice.

And home has been a very comforting place so far in 2009-10 for the Caps. Washington, which led New Jersey and Buffalo by three points each for first place in the East entering Friday, is 17-3-3 at home so far this season. Only Chicago (21), Vancouver (20), Phoenix (19) and Ottawa (18) have won more games at home to this point of the season.

Washington will play 18 of its final 32 games this season at home. Barring a total collapse, the Caps will win the Southeast Division and figure to be in the hunt for the top seed out of the East heading into the playoffs.

Winning at home is a big part of the equation, but the Caps have been winning everywhere of late. Washington comes into Saturday’s contest on a five-game winning streak and has won seven of its last 10. Thursday, the Caps pulled away in the final 30 minutes for a big 6-3 road win at Pittsburgh.

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Friday, January 22, 2010 at 9:27 pm by bud

Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, National Hockey League, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals