By virtue of Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Canadiens, the Washington Capitals clinched their fourth-straight Metropolitan Division title.
With the win, the Capitals ensured home ice through at least the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, set to begin next Wednesday. But first, the New York Islanders will travel to D.C. still with enough to play for. Expect a considerable effort from Barry Trotz’s squad. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. and you can catch the game on NBC Sports Washington.
The Islanders enter at 47-27-7 and 101 points and in second in the Metro. The Capitals enter at 48-25-8 with 104 points — and little to play for. A point of any kind will guarantee home ice for the Islanders in the first round, which will be crucial, especially if that matchup is against the Penguins.
The Islanders are 6-4-0 in their last 10, including a 4-1-0 stretch in their last five games. They’re coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Panthers. The Capitals are 6-3-1 with a loss in Florida and a win at home over the aforementioned Canadiens this week.
For the Capitals it’s been expected that Jonas Siegenthaler and Dmitrij Jaskin will crack the lineup for the first time in recent memory to give rest to some veterans for the upcoming playoff run.
With the Caps clinching the Metro last night, expect to see Jaskin, Siegenthaler and co. get in the lineup vs. Islanders tomorrow. Curious if Ovechkin will get the night off, or if he’ll want to play that game with Draisaitl just two goals behind him in the Rocket race.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 5, 2019
The Capitals lines for Saturday night will be interesting to monitor because, as Isabelle mentioned, Alex Ovechkin is atop the NHL’s goal-scoring mark (51) by just two goals over Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton. The Oilers face the Flames at 10 p.m. EST on Saturday night, so Ovechkin and the team will have to make the decision without knowing what he’ll need to win his eighth Rocket Richard Trophy. If the two parties decide it’s not worth it to try and ensure the goal scoring title, Ovechkin could be first to be given the night off.
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On the playoff picture, the Habs, with the loss to the Capitals, have been virtually eliminated from playoff contention (94 points, 41 ROW) with just one game to play. And due to the Capitals win, the Hurricanes clinched a playoff birth with a win of their own.
As things stand now, the Capitals will face either the Hurricanes, Blue Jackets or the Penguins. The Blue Jackets play on Friday night against the Rangers, so things could be slightly cleared up by tonight. They’ll face the Senators on Saturday night. The Hurricanes will head to Philadelphia and the Penguins will host the Rangers. All games are scheduled for a 7p.m. puck drop.
Carolina has 97 points and 43 ROW. Columbus has 94 points and 44 ROW, with two games still yet to play. Pittsburgh, in the third wild card spot, has 99 points and 42 ROW. Washington’s first round playoff matchup scenarios are as follows:
Washington will face Carolina if: Pittsburgh earns a point, and Carolina finishes with more points than Columbus. Carolina can do this with a win on Saturday, or a combination of games where the point differential over the next two days is only two.
Washington will face Columbus if: Carolina loses its final game in any fashion and the Blue Jackets beat the Rangers and Senators. Should it come to this, Columbus would own the tiebreaker over Carolina.
Washington will face Pittsburgh if: Pittsburgh loses to New York in regulation and Carolina beats Philadelphia in any fashion.
There’s still a ton left to be decided, including home ice advantage for the Islanders first round series, against either the Penguins or Hurricanes. With a point (or Penguins loss), the Islanders can guarantee to start at home in the first round.
All of that is to say that there are still a multitude of options for the Capitals as the second season begins. And at this point, it’s safe to assume the Capitals won’t be icing their roster at full strength tomorrow night.