For the second night in a row, the Caps allowed 40 or more shots on goal in last night's 4-3 win at Atlanta. In just 12 games this season, Washington has now allowed 40 or more shots in three of them. The Caps are also 2-0-1 in those three games.

Over the 82-game 2008-09 regular season, Washington permitted as many as 40 shots only twice, including the final game of the regular season. The Caps were 0-1-1 in those two contests. During the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Caps permitted 40 or more shots three times in a span of four games during the second-round series against Pittsburgh. All three of those games were overtime contests; the Caps were 1-2 in those games.

That means the Caps have -- including the playoffs -- allowed 40 or more shots on goal in seven of their last 27 games. This, after having done so in just one of the team's previous 84 games, including playoffs.

Back in 2007-08, the Caps allowed 40 or more shots five times in the 61 games in which Bruce Boudreau was the team's coach. They surrendered 40 or more shots twice during the 21 games that Glen Hanlon coached at the beginning of that season. Those two games under Hanlon --Oct. 12 against the Rangers at MSG and Oct. 13 at Buffalo -- mark the last time the Caps surrendered 40 or more shots on goal in consecutive regular season games. 

The last time the Caps surrendered 40 or more shots in consecutive games and won both? It was on NoOv. 11-13, 2006. With Olie Kolzig in goal for both games, the Caps beat the Rangers, 3-1 and then defeated Florida by a 4-1 score. Those two games also mark the last time the Caps allowed 20 or more shots in the third period of consecutive games and still got away with a win. The Caps gave up 21 third-period shots to the Rangers and 20 to the Panthers in those two games. 

Kolzig allowed just one third-period goal in those two games in which Washington was outshot by a combined 41-13.