2. Washington Capitals (+4)
Alexander Ovechkin keeps scoring and the Washington Capitals keep winning. Ovechkin again leads the league in goals, with 45 total. As the Capitals look to finally make it out of the second round of the playoffs they will need to overcome a goaltending controversy. Braden Holtby has been inconsistent this year and not on the top of his game. He has signs of his former self and will play well but at other times he is showing his struggles. Philipp Grubauer has stepped in a performed very well while Holtby has tried to find his game. As the playoffs start, head coach Barry Trotz will have an extremely challenging decision to make on which goalie to start.
The Washington Capitals have won five straight and have created some breathing room at the top of the Metropolitan Division. If the season ended right now, the Capitals would start their playoffs against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a very tough team to beat. Before we can get to the playoffs the Capitals still have some business to take care of in the regular season. They have five games remaining on their schedule. They will kick off the final stretch against the Carolina Hurricanes before heading to Pittsburgh for a showdown with the Penguins. After Pittsburgh, the Capitals will head straight to St. Louis to play the Blues the next day. Finally, the Capitals return home to play the Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils to end their season.