For the second season in a row, the Washington Capitals are the winners of the Presidents’ Trophy.
They clinched as much after cruising to a 2-0 win against the New York Rangers, with a typical goal from Alex Ovechkin’s “office” standing as the clincher. Evgeny Kuznetsov’s sweet insurance tally really locked it down, and stood as a neat reminder of Washington’s multitude of offensive options.
As of this writing, the Capitals would host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. While most of the league’s playoff spots are being cemented, that final berth is still up for grabs. (Caps fans might spend their free time debating which team would make for the easiest opponent.)
Actually ... Capitals fans might spend most of their time arguing with people who will make inevitable jokes about success in the regular season vs. disappointments in the playoffs. As you might guess, those insults started flying almost immediately.
Still, this is quite the accomplishment for Washington.
The @Capitals are just the 3rd team to win the Presidents’ Trophy at least 3 times since its inception in 1985-86 (also DET: 6 and NYR: 3).
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 6, 2017
Neither the Rangers nor the Capitals played with full lineups, and aside from butt-check or two, it seemed like a fairly pedestrian affair.
BUTT CHECK! 😂 #CapsNYR pic.twitter.com/PyzaJqdIjp
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 6, 2017