The Washington Capitals got a big win over the Islanders and now sit at fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Here is how the top eight teams in the conference stack up.
- Philadelphia - 86 pts.
- Tampa Bay - 81 pts.
- Boston - 81 pts.
- Pittsburgh - 80 pts.
- Washington - 78 pts.
- Montreal - 75 pts.
- NY Rangers - 70 pts.
- Carolina - 69 pts.
Te first thing you notice is that the team that currently sits one place above the Capitals are the hated Pittsburgh Penguins. They probably won't be bale to hang on to that fourth spot for very long without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The fourth spot is very important, of course, because it means getting home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
If they get up to fourth, or any higher than that, it could be a big help for them. I would expect them to get at least that high before the season is over. We'll be keeping track of where the Capitals stand in the Eastern Conference, and in the NHL as a whole, in this StoryStream.