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!

Follow us past the jump to feast your eyes on all 82 games along with our knee-jerk reactions.

Washington Capitals 2010-11 Regular Season Schedule

Thoughts:

• The Capitals will open the season at home against the Hurricanes on October 8, a Saturday. Sounds good enough — except for our Jewish friends as the game falls on Yom Kippur, which Ben Raby points out. Bettman!
• Washington will take on the Penguins, their favorite dance parters, on October 13 in the ‘Burgh, December 1 and January 11 in DC before finishing back up on the road on January 22.
• The longest road trip of the season will be five games, taking place from March 13-22 and featuring the Islanders, Winnipeg, Blackhawks, Red Wings and Flyers.
• The Caps will host two four game home stands, their longest of the year. The first is from January 11-17 (Pens, Bolts, ‘Canes, Isles) with the second from March 2-8 (Devils, Flyers, ‘Canes, Bolts).
• Washington will match up against the Stanley Cup Final campion Bruins on January 24 and February 5 at home with dates on March 10 and 29 in Beantown. The Caps face-off with Boston’s Final foes one time, on October 29 in Vancouver.
• The Caps finish up the schedule with three match-ups in April: the 2nd at Tampa Bay, the 5th vs. Florida and the 7th in New York City against the Rangers on Sunday afternoon.
• Only one home-and-home for the Capitals, coming against the Devils on November 11-12. There will be 13 back-to-backs.
• Washington will play on Columbus Day (October 10 vs. Lightning), the day before and after Thanksgiving (November 23 vs. Winnipeg, 25th vs. Rangers) and Super Bowl Sunday (February 5 vs. Boston).
• What about Winnipeg? The Caps visit Manitoba on November 17, December 15 and March 16.

Pardon the buzzword, but let’s crowdsource this bad boy. What do you see in the schedule? What road trips or home stands stick out to you? Share your thoughts down yonder.

Additional reporting by Peter Hassett and Ian Oland.