The NHL season is coming to a close and the race for the playoffs is not the only thing getting exciting in the final couple of games remaining. As multiple teams jockey to clinch the final remaining playoff spots, there are a few players looking to lock up season honors. A few weeks ago, the MVP race seemed all but won by Sidney Crosby. However, a broken jaw has forced the captain to miss the end of the season and now Alex Ovechkin is looking to claim the award. As the Washington Capitals clinched the Southeast Division, Ovechkin may have just clinched the Hart Trophy.
Ovechkin currently leads the race for MVP. Crosby was sitting at the top for 90 percent of the season, but in his absence, he lost his grip on the award. Ovechkin currently has 31 goals in 46 games with 53 points total. That puts him as the top overall skater. Crosby is still the overall points leader with 56, but he only has 15 goals through 36 games. At this point, Ovechkin will likely take home the trophy at the end of the season since there is no one in reach that can catch up. He has earned 29 points in his past 17 games, combining for three goals and five points in the team's most recent back-to-back wins.
Ovechkin's late season surge has pushed the Washington Capitals to clinch their division and a playoff spot. The Capitals defeated the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday 5-3 to earn their seventh Southeast title. This is the last time the Capitals will compete against their usual division rivals. The new NHL realignment will split the Southeast up. The Capitals have the most Southeast division banners since it was created in 1998.
"I think I will miss it. It's been pretty good to us over the years. It's too bad they had to change it up on us," Eric Fehr said.
Washington started their season off with two wins in their first 13 games. In mid-March, they were in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, seven points from clinching a playoff spot. Now, they have the No. 3 seed, seven points behind the conference leader. The team is 14-2-1 in their past 17 games, topping off their late-season push to make it into the postseason. If Washington can keep up the momentum, they will be a strong favorite to come out on top of the East.
