Capitals top Jackets, clinch Presidents' Trophy
Even though they still have seven games remaining, the Washington Capitals officially have nothing else to play for in the regular season.
After already wrapping up the Metropolitan Division title and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference earlier this month, the Capitals secured the best record in the NHL for the 2015-16 season on Monday when they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1. The win gives Washington 113 points and clinched the second Presidents’ Trophy (awarded to the team with the best regular-season record) in franchise history.
They also won it during the 2009-10 season when they finished with 121 points. The Capitals are on pace to finish this season with 123 points.
What is so impressive about this one is just how far ahead they are of every other team in the NHL.
After their win Monday they sit 14 points ahead of the second-best team. Dallas and St. Louis are tied for the second-best record with 99 points. If all three teams continue on their current pace, the Capitals would end up finishing 17 points ahead of the second-best team, which is just a pretty ridiculous gap between such great teams. That would be the largest gap since Detroit won the Presidents’ Trophy by 26 points during the 1995-96 season.
Only three teams have won it by more than 10 points since then.
Their 113 points match the total the New York Rangers won it with a year ago. And, again: The Capitals still have seven games to play.
The Capitals’ win Monday was their 54th of the season and makes them one of just seven teams in league history to have collected that many wins through the first 75 games of the season. Four of the previous six teams went on to win the Stanley Cup.
When it comes to the Presidents’ Trophy, eight of the 28 teams that won it went on the win the Cup, with the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks being the most recent team to do it. If any Capitals team in recent history is going to reach that level, this just might be the one to do it.
Whether the season ends with a championship, being the best team in the league through 82 games is still an impressive accomplishment and worthy of celebration. Especially when the team is as far ahead of everybody else the way the Capitals currently are.
The Washington Capitals have the best record in the NHL this season. (USATSI)
