The Washington Capitals won the Southeast Division title on Tuesday in a very fitting way: by greatly inhibiting the hopes of the only other team in their division that has a chance to make the playoffs.
That came with a 5-3 win against the Winnipeg Jets, a scrappy squad that was hoping to win the Southeast with a late rush.
Much like the Vancouver Canucks with the Northwest Division, some Capitals fans might feel a little wistful tonight. This is the last year that they’ll be able to take advantage of the “Southleast/Southeasy” after winning the crown in five of their last six seasons.
It was a group effort for Washington, as usual suspects Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom (one-goal, one-assist performances apiece) combined with lesser-known threats Jason Chimera and Mathieu Perreault (also two-point nights for both).
We’ll see how the rest of tonight’s games affect the Jets’ outlook.