The Washington Capitals clinched the Metropolitan Division on Tuesday.
Washington (49-19-9), which was idle, won the division following the Carolina Hurricanes’ 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
It's the Capitals’ first division title since they won the Metropolitan for the last of five consecutive seasons in 2019-20.
Washington, which became the first NHL team this season to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, has five regular-season games remaining. The Capitals are nine points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the best record in the Eastern Conference, and three points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the best record in the NHL.
Washington will host either the first or second wild-card team in the Eastern Conference First Round.
The Capitals have been led by forward Alex Ovechkin, who is fourth in the NHL with 42 goals this season and passed Wayne Gretzky for the League record by scoring his 895th career goal against the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Forward Dylan Strome leads the team with an NHL career-high 76 points (25 goals, 51 assists) in 77 games, and Ovechkin is second with 69 points in 61 games. Aliaksei Protas is third in both goals (30) and points (66), each of which is a career high.
Goalie Logan Thompson is 31-6-6 with a 2.49 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts in 43 games (42 starts), and Charlie Lindgren is 18-13-3 with a 2.71 GAA, .896 save percentage and one shutout in 36 games (35 starts).
Washington was swept by the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs last season.
