NHL Picks: Capitals will clinch Presidents' Trophy against Blues – CBSSports.com
Welcome to the NHL Daily Picks where hockey writers Adam Gretz and Chris Peters make their selections for all of the day’s games.
Washington Capitals vs. St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m. ET
The calendar says that it is still March and that the NHL regular season still has a few weeks remaining in it. But if the Washington Capitals can get just a single point against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night, whether it’s a regulation win, an overtime win, or an overtime loss, they will guarantee themselves the best record in the NHL this season and clinch the Presidents’ Trophy. A point on Saturday will give them 112 (a win gives them 113) in the standings. If they don’t win another game the rest of the way no team in the league would have a chance to pass them.
(According to the NHL, the Capitals can also clinch the Presidents’ Trophy before their game even begins if the Dallas Stars lose to the San Jose Sharks or beat them in overtime. But we’re going to go with the approach that they will need to earn a point themselves.)
It’s been that type of season for the Capitals, who have already had the Metropolitan Division title clinched for more than a week. Their 53 wins are the fourth most in NHL history through the first 73 games of a season, while they are currently on pace for 124 points on the season, a mark that would top their franchise record of 121 during the 2009-10 season when they won their first Presidents’ Trophy.
No other team in the NHL right now is on pace for more than 105 points, meaning the Capitals are on track to end the season with around 19 points more than any other team in the league. That would be the largest gap between the best and second best team in the league since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings won it by a 27-point gap. Since then only three other teams won it by more than 10 points.
The Capitals were 1-0 overtime winners on Saturday thanks to a game-winning goal from John Carlson in his first game back in the lineup after returning from injury and goalie Braden Holtby‘s third shutout of the season. The Capitals had slowed down a little bit in recent weeks and weren’t looking quite as dominant as they were earlier in the season, but “slowing down” for this team is “only” going 8-4-1 over a stretch.
On Saturday they get a Blues team that has quietly climbed to the top of the Western Conference standings and enters the game tied for the top spot in the Central Division and the Conference with the Dallas Stars (97 points in 75 games). They are coming off of a shutout win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, their third shutout in a row.
They are 14-5 in their past 19 games.
That shutout streak is going to end on Saturday against a Capitals team that has a chance to wrap up the best record in the league in front of their home fans. Pick: Capitals 3, Blues 2
The rest of Saturday’s picks
Penguins 4, Red Wings 2
Sharks 4, Stars 3
Bruins 3, Maple Leafs 1
Islanders 4, Hurricanes 3
Predators 4, Blue Jackets 1
Blackhawks 3, Flames 2
The Washington Capitals are going for the Presidents’ Trophy on Saturday night.(USATSI)
