For the fourth straight season, the Washington Capitals are your Southeast Division champs, thanks to Mike Knuble's shootout goal. The Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 (OT shootout), but even if they had faltered tonight, the Buffalo Sabres defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier in the evening had clinched the division for the Caps, also ending the late season playoff push of the Maple Leafs in the process. The Caps also have a chance to be the top seed in next week's Eastern Conference playoffs, trailing the Philadelphia Flyers by just one point in the standings with two games to play.
The Capitals tallies in regulation came from one likely source, Alex Ovechkin, and one very unlikely source, defenseman John Erskine. Washington outshot Toronto 41-21, but was unable to score more than twice due to the superb play of Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer. Reimer showed tonight why he has been one of the hottest goaltenders in the NHL since the first of the year, stopping 39 of 41 shots in regulation and overtime.
The Capitals finish the year with a home and home against the Florida Panthers ... and then it's playoff time folks. Rock that Red.