Washington Capitals: Sittin' at the end of the bar...

It’s a little known fact…

-- Among the 85 players named a star of the game by NHL.com through Tuesday’s games, all 30 teams are represented, except one.  The New Jersey Devils.  Geez, even Buffalo has a star (three in fact: Jhonas Enroth, Matt Moulson, and Ryan Miller).

-- The Caps have four stars of their own: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mikhail Grabovski, and Joel Ward.  Who has the most?  No, not Pittsburgh (3).  Nope, not Colorado (3).  Not San Jose (5).  It’s Phoenix (7).  And if you tell me you knew Rob Klinkhammer was one of them, I’ll slap you.

-- Marcus Johansson leads the Caps in even strength assists.  If you’re comparing that to former Caps, it is the same number Dennis Wideman has, and Mathieu Perreault has eight.

-- If you are thinking Mike Green’s 15-game streak without a goal is a career high…not even close.  He had a 28-game drought spanning the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons.

-- Alex Ovechkin has 12 goals in 13 games played so far this season.  By way of comparison he had five goals in his first 13 games last season.  It is not his fastest 13-game start.  He had 14 in 13 games to start the 2009-2010 season (he finished with 50 in 72 games).  In 2007-2008, when he finished the year with 65 goals in 82 games, he started with nine in his first 13 games.

-- Mikhail Grabovski is tied for third on the team in goals (5), tied for third in assists (9), third in points (14), leads the club in plus/minus (plus-4), is fourth in power play goals (2), tied for fourth in power play assists, tied for third in power play points, is second in overall shooting percentage (25.0 percent), leads the team in faceoff winning percentage (52.6 percent; minimum 50 draws taken), and is 2-for-3 with a game-deciding trick shot in the freestyle competition.  Think he’s earning his pay?

-- Jason Chimera is on a pace for a 27-goal season.  Maybe it’s an alternating season thing.  Joel Ward is doing him one better… well, six better, actually. He is on a pace for a 33-goal season.  For both it would be career bests by wide margins.

-- Tom Wilson is on a pace for 230 penalty minutes.  In the last 20 years only two rookies had more than 230 penalty minutes for a season – Chris Neil (231 in 2001-2002) and Zac Rinaldo (232 in 2011-2012).  And, while he has only two points this season, he has only been on ice for three goals against.

-- Marcus Johansson is on a pace to record 60 assists.  Since the 2004-2005 lockout only five players age 23 or younger have accomplished the feat: Sidney Crosby (three times), Nicklas Backstrom (twice), Jason Spezza, Ryan Getzlaf, and Evgeni Malkin.

--  Alex Ovechkin has recorded more missed shots (32) than 20 of the 23 skaters dressing for the Caps this season have shots on goal.