Winnipeg, Washington separated by 2 points in Presidents' Trophy race
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By Derek Van Diest
@DerekVanDiest NHL.com Staff Writer
Adam Lowry and the Winnipeg Jets have their eyes set on finishing first in the NHL standings.
Not only for the distinction of winning the Presidents' Trophy, but because of the key advantage that would provide them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“It would be a nice feather in the cap to be the top team, but we’re trying to get home-ice advantage for as long as we can. That’s the way we’re looking at it,” Lowry told NHL.com. “Our division is really loaded up, and regardless of who you play in the playoffs, you’re going to be playing against a good team. I think the higher seed you can get -- you can start at home, it’s a little bit less travel, you’re staying in your own bed and practicing in your own rink to start the series, at least -- I think that’s a huge advantage.”
The team currently standing in the Jets' way of the Presidents' Trophy is the Washington Capitals, who will visit Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TVAS, TSN3, MNMT) in what could be a preview of the Stanley Cup Final.
Washington (47-15-8), which has won four in a row and is 9-1-0 in its past 10 games, is two points ahead of Winnipeg (48-19-4), which is coming off a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. The Capitals also have one game in hand.
“We’re going in there and they’re coming off a loss, so we know they’re going to be fired up,” Capitals goalie Logan Thompson said. “They came in here and beat us last game, so I think we’re excited. I think we’re up for the challenge and it’s going to be a fun game. This is a four-point game in a lot of ways, so I think if we can come away with two points it will go a long way.”
This will be the second and final regular-season game between the two teams. In their first meeting on Feb. 1, the Jets came away with a 5-4 victory on an overtime goal from Josh Morrissey.
“It was an exciting game. Both teams pride themselves on their defensive game, and there was a lot of goals and offense in that one,” Morrissey said. “Who knows if we’ll see the fireworks again or more of a true to form matchup. I think that just goes to show why both teams are at the top of the standings, we can play multiple styles of games on offense, defense, goaltending and special teams. I’m excited to have another matchup with those guys.”
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The Jets got off to a fast start this season and have been able to carry that momentum throughout. They became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 15 wins, doing so in just 16 games (15-1-0), and they have played well against the top teams chasing them in the Central Division, going 2-1-0 against the Dallas Stars (45-21-4), who are second in the Central and third in the NHL, and 3-1-0 against the Colorado Avalanche (43-25-3), who are third in the Central and sixth in the NHL.
“I think consistency is a sign of a good team. We go into every game expecting to win, expecting to put our best foot forward,” Lowry said. “I think it comes from the top and [coach Scott Arniel] and the coaches, and days in between games and the messaging, constantly pushing us to improve.”
Winnipeg has also been fueled by the sting of an early Stanley Cup Playoff exit. Last season, the Jets finished fourth in the NHL standings with 110 points and were expected to go on a long postseason run, but instead they were eliminated by the Avalanche in five games in the Western Conference First Round.
“I think we have a great team,” Jets center Mark Scheifele said. “I think playoffs is a different animal, and you never know what to expect, but for our group, it’s focusing on the game at hand and when that’s done, just move on to the next one. That’s always our focus.”
Washington, meanwhile, has been driven by Alex Ovechkin and his chase of Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin, who has 35 goals in 54 games this season, is seven goals away from passing Gretzky (894) for the most in NHL history.
In the Capitals' loss to the Jets on Feb. 1, Ovechkin tied the game 4-4 at 12:21 of the third period on a slap shot just inside the blue line.
“I think that would be the good thing that’s pushing us right now,” Capitals forward Dylan Strome said. “I feel like that’s a pretty good reason to work hard and play hard and want to get goals and want to get leads, so the goalie gets pulled. We’re all working toward that goal. He’s worked his whole life for it, and we’re kind of just along for the ride in this part of it.”
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Morrissey acknowledged just how impactful Ovechkin's chase must be for the Capitals as a whole.
“I’m sure it’s a real point of energy for them,” he said. “He’s going to break the goal record, and how can that not be an exciting time to be a part of that team? I bet it’s not a distraction at all, I think it’s a point of energy for him. We’ll do our best not to let him get that record tomorrow, but they’re having a very impressive season, and Ovi as well is having an amazing year.”
Regardless of whether Ovechkin scores on Tuesday, though, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said the game will provide a number of lessons that can be applied in the playoffs, where Washington hasn't won a series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
“You’re going to have to be able to play well in these environments and situations, against a team like Winnipeg, in their building, on the road, not controlling matchups, dealing with adversity, dealing with fans booing you and all the sorts of stuff that go along with it,” Carbery said. “That’s going to be coming around the corner real quickly, so we’re going to have to be able to thrive in those environments and play really well. That’s what I’m looking to see, not necessarily a result or building the game up of Winnipeg being one of the top teams. I think it’s more about a good team, on the road, can we get to our game?”
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report
