Yes, they finally released it!

The players ratified the CBA, and so here we are. 48 games, 48 chances.

I recommend you download the schedule to your calendar using the Capitals’ convenient downloady thing.

The schedule and our impressions are below.

• 24 home games and 24 away games. It’s like they planned it that way or something.
• The Caps open the season this Saturday in Tampa Bay. Don’t get any ideas, Ovi.
• The Capitals home opener is on Tuesday, January 22nd against the Winnipeg Jets. Imagine how loud that UNLEASH THE FURY is going to be.
• Speaking of Winnipeg, the Caps have 2 Trips to MTS Centre and are the only NHL team that will play 3 games up there: March 2nd, March 21st, and March 22nd.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins make their only visit to D.C. on February 3rd: Super Bowl Sunday. Woot! Ravens and Caps/Pens on the same day!
• Alex Semin returns to Washington February 26th. Boy, is that going to be awkwaaaarrddd.
• The Capitals have 16 games in March. That’s kinda brutal.
• Per Vogs, from March 9th through April 7th, Washington will play 17 games in 30 days, a span that includes five sets of back-to-backs and 11 road games.
• The Capitals will play eight sets of games on back-to-back nights.
• The longest homestand is three games, which happens four times. The longest road trip is four games (March 19-24).
• The trade deadline is April 3rd.
• As reported earlier, the Caps will play no Western Conference teams this year. Try to ignore the fact Winnipeg’s due north of Los Angeles.
• Basically, from now until the end of April we will have Caps hockey every other night.

Anyway here it is:

January
Sat., Jan. 19        at Tampa Bay        7 p.m.
Tue., Jan. 22        Winnipeg            7 p.m.
Thu., Jan. 24        Montreal            7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 25        at New Jersey       7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 27        Buffalo             3 p.m.
Tue., Jan. 29        at Ottawa           7:30 p.m.
Thu., Jan. 31        at Toronto          7 p.m.

February
Fri., Feb. 1         Philadelphia        7 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 3         Pittsburgh          12:30 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 5         Toronto             7 p.m.
Thu., Feb. 7         at Pittsburgh       7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 9         Florida             7 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 12        at Florida          7:30 p.m.
Thu., Feb. 14        at Tampa Bay        7:30 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 17        at N.Y. Rangers     6 p.m.
Thu., Feb. 21        New Jersey          7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 23        New Jersey          12 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 26        Carolina            7 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 27        at Philadelphia     7:30 p.m.

March
Sat., March 2        at Winnipeg         3 p.m.
Tue., March 5        Boston              7 p.m.
Thu., March 7        Florida             7 p.m.
Sat., March 9        at N.Y. Islanders   1 p.m.
Sun., March 10       N.Y. Rangers        12:30 p.m.
Tue., March 12       Carolina            7 p.m.
Thu., March 14       at Carolina         7 p.m.
Sat., March 16       at Boston           1 p.m.
Sun., March 17       Buffalo             7 p.m.
Tue., March 19       at Pittsburgh       7:30 p.m.
Thu., March 21       at Winnipeg         8 p.m.
Fri., March 22       at Winnipeg         7 p.m.
Sun., March 24       at N.Y. Rangers     7 p.m.
Tue., March 26       N.Y. Islanders      7 p.m.
Sat., March 30       at Buffalo          7 p.m.
Sun., March 31       at Philadelphia     7:30 p.m.

April
Tue., April 2        at Carolina         7 p.m.
Thu., April 4        N.Y. Islanders      7 p.m.
Sat., April 6        at Florida          7:30 p.m.
Sun., April 7        Tampa Bay           7 p.m.
Tue., April 9        at Montreal         7:30 p.m.
Thu., April 11       Carolina            7 p.m.
Sat., April 13       Tampa Bay           7 p.m.
Tue., April 16       Toronto             7 p.m.
Thu., April 18       at Ottawa           7:30 p.m.
Sat., April 20       at Montreal         7 p.m.
Tue., April 23       Winnipeg            7 p.m.
Thu., April 25       Ottawa              7 p.m.
Sat., April 27       Boston              7 p.m.

All Times Eastern

GAME ON!