Washington Capitals Playoffs: Top 5 reasons they will win the Stanley Cup
#1 Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom want another ring
The number one reason the Caps will win the Stanley Cup is because of the heart and drive that Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have to want to win another Cup and ring. Ovechkin and Backstrom, who between them own the Capitals records for career playoff goals, assists, points, and games played, are expected to extend their shared franchise benchmark for most years in the postseason to 14.
Ovechkin and Backstrom are two of 14 active players with at least 100 career playoff points and one of four sets of current teammates in the playoffs. Ovechkin has 71 career playoff goals in 141 games, the most among active players and one back of tying Esa Tikkanen and Patrick Marleau for 14th place in NHL history.
Ovechkin is also tied for ninth place in the Stanley Cup playoffs record books with 27 power play goals, trailing only Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins by one. Meanwhile, Backstrom sits at 72 career playoff assists in 133 games, five shy of cracking the NHL’s top 50 in career playoff assists.
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It was emotional when Ovechkin and Backstrom skated with the Stanley Cup in 2018 and we can only hope for them to work hard enough and get a little bit of puck luck to do it again in 2022. They can do it.