Though Justin Williams stole his goal, Alex Ovechkin still achieved a pretty big feat on Wednesday when the Capitals clinched the NHL Presidents’ Trophy for the league’s best regular season team. The 2-0 win gave the Caps their third such trophy since since 2010 and their second in a row.
The captain for all of those trophy wins? Ovechkin. He is just the second NHL captain to win it three times since its inception in 1985. The other captain is Hall-of-Fame center, Steve Yzerman, who did it five times with the Detroit Red Wings from 1994 to 2006.
Some believe that winning the Presidents’ Trophy is a curse, but Stevie Y’s teams made it to at least the Conference Finals in three of those five years. They won the Cup once.
The Capitals have the unique distinction of winning the Trophy in back-to-back years, the seventh time that has been done. Of the six teams who’ve won the trophy back-to-back, five reached the finals and three won the Stanley Cup in those years.
Washington is the 7th team to win back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies. First time Eastern teams have won award four years in a row.
— Ted Starkey (@TedStarkey) April 6, 2017
The Capitals are also just the third team since to win the Trophy three times, joining the Red Wings, who won it six times, and the Rangers, who won it three times.
.@Capitals The @Capitals are just the 3rd team to win the Presidents’ Trophy at least 3 times since its inception in 1985-86 (also DET: 6 and NYR: 3).
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 6, 2017
8 of 28 teams to win Presidents' Trophy won the Stanley Cup in the same year. Last one to do so was 2013 Blackhawks.
— Ted Starkey (@TedStarkey) April 6, 2017
Some may think the Trophy is a curse and that these precedents are silly for comparison, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Caps are in the best spot possible right now.
The #Capitals can clinch their third Presidents' Trophy tonight. Here's how past winners have fared in the playoffs. https://t.co/NS0cj7bDKd pic.twitter.com/AKg5nQNO7F
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 4, 2017
Photo: Getty Images
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