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Washington Capitals Losing Stranglehold In President’s Trophy Race

By Alan Helimsky

Feb 25, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) talks with defenseman John Carlson (74) during the first period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) talks with defenseman John Carlson (74) during the first period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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For the majority of the 2016-17 NHL season, it was a foregone conclusion that the Washington Capitals would run away with the President’s Trophy for the second year in a row, and the third time in the team’s history. With only 11 games left, it is now a much, much tighter race for the best record in the NHL.

1. Capitals: 46-17-8 (100 points)

2. Blue Jackets: 47-18-6 (100 points)

3. Penguins: 45-17-9 (99 points)

If you are a Washington Capitals fan, what you see above may surprise you. These are the current standings for the top of the Metropolitan division, and the top of the league as of March 20th. As the calendar year flipped to 2017, the Caps were running away with the best record in the league, and there was little doubt that they would repeat as regular season champions. Thanks to consistent and strong hockey, the Blue Jackets and Penguins have put themselves in a position to steal the standings lead from the Caps.

In January, the Capitals won 9-straight games and made it look easy. They were fueled by a high-powered offense, a stout defense, and ever-elite goaltending from Braden Holtby and Phillip Grubauer. During that 9-game stretch, the Caps outscored their competition 39-11. They went on to extend their home winning streak to 15 games, which is now a new franchise record. The Caps’ strong goal-scoring depth and #1 defense was propelling them up the standings, and kept them ahead of the Jackets and Penguins.

The Washington Capitals have let other teams come close.

Capitals are now sitting tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets with 100 points, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are not far behind with 99. All three have played 71 games. According to TheScore, the Blue Jackets have won six out of their last seven games. The Penguins have stayed neck-and-neck with the Jackets for much of the season, despite their injuries. Even the Chicago Blackhawks (99 points) have a chance to surprise the league thanks to their surge to 4th place in the NHL.

Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals /

Washington Capitals

The Caps have two games remaining against the Blue Jackets. They will host them this Thursday at 7 p.m. and will finish the season series on April 2nd in Columbus. These two games are must-wins for the Capitals if they wish to repeat as President’s Trophy winners. While it is nice to assert dominance by winning the President’s Trophy, that is not the one the Caps are after. The last team to win the Stanley Cup after earning the President’s Trophy is the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks in the lockout-shortened season.

The Washington Capitals and their fans should still be confident in their team, even after their late season slide.

If a team wins all year, they will not know how to recover from tough losses. Last season, the Capitals did not lose double-digit regulation games until March. They did not face enough adversity to carry them past the second round. In the Playoffs, losses are as tough as can be. The Capitals will be better suited to bounce back in the postseason by learning to lose regular season games.

They also showed signs of returning to their elite form in their 5-3 win over the Lightning on Saturday night. T.J. Oshie (29G) tallied a hat trick, which gave him a lead in goals for the Caps over Alex Ovechkin (28G). There are only 11 games remaining and the team is healthy.

Next: Washington's Scoring Struggles Continue

Fans hope the Caps can regain the form they had for most of the regular season. They are not far off, but this last stretch is the time to turn up the heat.

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