On the night Alex Ovechkin became the first player ever to play in 1,000 game in a Washington Capitals uniform, the Capitals downed their hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-1 to clinch their third straight Metropolitan Division title.
The Capitals cross the 100-point mark for the seventh time since 2008-09. It’s a testament to the Capitals consistency to winning. They were supposed to take a step back this season after losing key pieces to free agency thanks to salary cap restraints.
However, they still have the greatest goal scorer this generation has seen. Ovechkin deposited 45 goals thus far, which leads the NHL. Braden Holtby has been a mainstay at the net. And Phillip Grubauer has developed into one of the better backup goalies in the league.
The Capitals have 32 wins over Eastern Conference — tied for the most of any team. That includes 16 over the Metropolitan division.
Washington will head into the postseason looking to overcome their past postseason failures. They have not reached a Conference Finals since 1998.
They have lost in the second round of the playoffs each of the past three seasons, including losing to the Penguins in each of the past two. With the spotlight off, the Capitals have been consistently good this season in hopes of this year being the year they get over the hump and finally reach a destiny that is long overdue.
Winning the Metro division is a start.
