The Washington Capitals officially clinched the best record in the NHL with a 2-0 win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. That victory encompassed their season in a lot of ways. The Capitals own the second-best goals per game in the NHL. However, in a key game against a division rival, Washington leaned on the strength of its two-way play and shut down the Rangers. The Capitals lead the NHL with an average of just 2.2 goals allowed per game this season. Washington has always been a dangerous scoring team but the fact that is can play a two-way game at such a high level is a big reason why they are true Stanley Cup contenders this season. Here is a look at the NHL top five power rankings for this week.
1. Washington Capitals (54-18-8)
Last Week: 1
Stanley Cup Odds: +500
With a Metropolitan division trophy and a Presidents trophy in check, the Capitals are set to embark on a playoff run towards their ultimate goal this season. Washington is on track to play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round but could just as likely play the Boston Bruins or Ottawa Senators. The Capitals need to take care of business in the first round in order to boost their confidence heading in to the second round. Braden Holtby is 42-12-6 with a 2.08 goals against average and a .925 save percentage this season and will need to be at his best. However, Washington also needs its offense to continue to produce and all eyes will be on the top guns. Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie are tied for the team-lead with 33 goals this season. Both of those top scorers will need to continue to produce at a high level in the playoffs in order for the Capitals to make a Stanley Cup run.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (50-22-8)
Last Week: 2
Stanley Cup Odds: +550
The Blackhawks won back-to-back games over two teams on this list in the Penguins and Blue Jackets last week, outscoring them by a combined 8-2 score. Chicago then dropped back-to-back games against the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche. However, with the top seed in the Western Conference locked up and no shot at catching Washington in the Presidents trophy race it makes sense that there would be a bit of a letdown from the Blackhawks. Chicago will wrap up its season with back-to-back games in Anaheim and Los Angeles and the biggest key will be avoiding injuries. The Blackhawks are set to play either the Nashville Predators or Calgary Flames in the opening round of the playoffs, after they went a combined 6-1-1 against those two teams this season.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (50-19-11)
Last Week: 4
Stanley Cup Odds: +650
Pittsburgh has followed up a four-game slide with three wins in a row. However, the Penguins won’t catch Washington for the best record in the Eastern Conference and their first round playoff matchup has already been decided. Pittsburgh will play the Columbus Blue Jackets and that will mean a physical series. Sidney Crosby and Brandon Dubinsky have established a bitter rivalry that will once again be in the spotlight come playoff time. The Penguins received some disappointing news with Kris Letang set to miss the postseason after having surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck. However, Pittsburgh should have Evgeni Malkin back in time for round one.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets (49-23-8)
Last Week: 3
Stanley Cup Odds: +700
The Blue Jackets have hit a wall heading in to the postseason. Columbus has dropped four in a row including three against the teams ahead of them on this list in Washington, Chicago and Pittsburgh. Scoring has been a major issue as the Blue Jackets have been held to one goal in five of their last seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky has played at a Vezina trophy level but he simply needs more help in front of him. Dubinsky versus Crosby in the playoffs will be fun to watch. However, hockey fans in Columbus might not feel that way unless their club starts scoring goals again. The Blue Jackets still rank sixth in the NHL with an average of 3.0 goals per game this season so the potential is thee for them to bounce back offensively down this final stretch of the regular season.
5. Anaheim Ducks (44-23-13)
Last Week: 5
Stanley Cup Odds: +1600
Anaheim has been absolutely on fire since March 7th, posting an 11-1-3 record over its last 14 games. The Ducks offense has picked up over that span as they have scored three goals or more in 10 of those 15 games. Rickard Rackell has led the way with 32 goals while Corey Perry is up to 18 on the season after picking up his pace in the month of March. Anaheim is loaded with veteran players that boast plenty of playoff experience so it’s impossible to overlook them as potential Stanley Cup contenders. The key will be carrying over the momentum from this late season surge and finding ways to continue to score goals once the checking gets a lot tighter come playoff time.
Want to bet on any of the the NHL games tonight? Click here to get the latest lines from BetDSI, including moneylines, totals, props and futures!
