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Washington Capitals clinch spot in Stanley Cup Playoffs

By Dave Stevenson

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: Nicklas Backstrom #19 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: Nicklas Backstrom #19 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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With Thursday’s win over the Carolina Hurricanes, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals have secured a spot in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals had a heck of a celebration after winning their first title in franchise history last year. Their quest to winning back-to-back titles is still alive, as the Caps have become the third Eastern Conference team and first Metropolitan Division team to secure a place in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They join the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins.

It hasn’t been easy for the Capitals. They’ve had to deal with various bumps in the road. From the moment the puck dropped on Opening Night, the Capitals have had a target on their back as the defending champs.

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Head coach Todd Reirden has done a good job keeping them motivated through the long and strenuous regular season. The Capitals at one point lost eight out of nine games in January. However, they were able to bounce back with a seven-game winning streak from late February to early March.

Their two trade deadline acquisitions, Carl Hagelin and Nick Jensen, have proven to be the missing pieces to their puzzle. The former has nine points in 15 games with his new team after posting just eight points split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings before being traded to the Capitals.

Meanwhile, Jensen has been helped stabilize their defense. His presence has been made even more important thanks to a recent injury to defenseman Michal Kempny, who could miss the rest of the season and postseason.

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The Capitals have been led by their usual suspects. Alex Ovechkin continues to defy Father Time, as he has 49 goals and is all but ensured of his eighth season with at least 50 goals. Only Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy have more (nine).

He currently leads the NHL in goals. Should Ovechkin lead the league in goals, he’ll do so for the eighth time. Since the Rocket Richard Award was first awarded in 1998-99 to honor the league’s goal-scoring leader, no other player has won it more than twice.

Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov have formed an impressive duo down the middle. In a combined 149 games, they have combined for 39 goals and 140 points. Furthermore, Tom Wilson is having a career season, having already set career highs in goals (22) and points (39) despite missing significant time early due to a suspension.

Jakub Vrana has emerged as a serious goal-scoring threat, setting career highs in goals (23), assists (23), and points (46). T.J. Oshie, despite missing 12 games due to injury and sickness, has 23 goals and 49 points.

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Brett Connolly is having a career season with 21 goals, 23 assists, and 44 points. Each of those marks is a career-high for him. Defenseman John Carlson has built on his very strong performance during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting 67 points in 76 games.

The Capitals are well on their way to following in the footsteps of the Pittsburgh Penguins and winning back-to-back Stanley Cups.

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