The Washington Capitals moved back atop the NHL’s standings after their 7-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon. Washington already had the best points percentage in the league coming into the game but took the overall points lead from the Winnipeg Jets after securing the win.
Winnipeg is currently the hottest team in the league, winning nine games in a row. They extended their streak to nine games with a 4-3 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. The Jets, with 83 standings points, are one point behind the Capitals (84), and both teams have now played 57 games.
With the win, Washington also extended their lead in the Metropolitan Division to a staggering 14 points. The Capitals entered the day 12 points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes after the Canes dropped a 6-3 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
“I think we feel really good about our group in general,” Sunday’s winning goaltender Charlie Lindgren said postgame. “We have a lot of fun with each other. We’re competitive. We work hard. Top to bottom, I think we have one of the best lineups in the league. I think we play hard; we play honest. And when we’re doing that, when we’re playing like we did tonight, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
Washington’s lead over the Eastern Conference is similar, jumping 13 points ahead of the Atlantic Division’s Florida Panthers.
The Capitals also extended their home point streak to 16 games (11-0-5), the second-best run in franchise history behind a 17-game streak during the 2009-10 campaign (16-0-1). Washington has not lost in regulation on home ice since a 3-2 defeat to the New Jersey Devils on November 23.
As things currently stand, the Capitals would play the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs. Ottawa is holding onto the second wild card playoff position in the East over the Columbus Blue Jackets based on having three more regulation wins.
The Capitals will now enter a very busy portion of their schedule, playing every other day until two days off on March 16 and 17. The club’s annual road trip to California is among those games, as they’ll play three in a row against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks from March 11 through March 15.
