Apr 6, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring in the during the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Ovechkin scored the 895th goal of his career, breaking the NHL all-time career goals record previously held by Wayne Gretzky at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Capitals Clinch Metropolitan Division Title

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 9:34 PM ET

The Washington Capitals have added another impressive accomplishment to their season. Just a few days after the Capitals' captain Alex Ovechkin set the new NHL goal-scoring record, the Caps have also captured the Metropolitan Division title.

Following the Carolina Hurricanes' regulation loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Capitals are once again division champions. Through 77 games, Washington has put together a championship-worthy regular season, with a 49-19-9 record for 107 points. It's led them to their first Metropolitan Division title since 2019-2020.

️ METROOOOOOOO#ALLCAPS | @Copilot pic.twitter.com/ofEzuPuvqO
— y - Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 9, 2025

As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Caps will meet the second Wild Card in the opening round. That honor currently belongs to the Montreal Canadiens. The scrappy Habs squad will be eager to upset the Caps, arguably the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year.

One x-factor for the division winners is rookie Ryan Leonard. Following two straight 30-goal seasons with Boston College in the NCAA, the Caps signed their 2023 first-round pick to his entry-level contract and immediately thrown him into the fire. He's averaged 14:20 minutes of ice time through his first four games and recorded one goal. He's also shown a knack for throwing his body around and his physicality seems perfectly suited for the postseason. If he can continue finding his stride for the Caps, they will have another dangerous scoring option to rely on.

The big question heading into the postseason is the health of goalie Logan Thompson. The starting netminder has been absolutely fantastic in his first season with the Capitals, but a recent injury has put that in question. The team has turned to veteran Charlie Lindgren in the meantime, but the team desperately needs the elite play of Thompson back for a lengthy playoff run.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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