The East playoffs feature Ovechkin’s second Cup chase

NHL

Washington Capitals’ Dylan Strome, right, and Alex Ovechkin, left, celebrate with teammates after Strome scored a goal on Tuesday in Elmont, N.Y. FRANK FRANKLIN II — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By John Wawrow

The Associated Press

Alex Ovechkin has a new chase to focus on in trading his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record for a second Stanley Cup title as he and the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Washington Capitals await their first-round playoff opponent.

The defending champion Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are set for their latest all-Florida faceoff. Toronto and Ottawa are rekindling their provincial playoff rivalry. And then there’s the matter of the Carolina Hurricanes seeking to overcome their string of playoff shortfalls, with the New Jersey Devils first up.

All that’s missing in the East — aside from a New York team for just the second time since the league’s expansion era began in 1967 — is an eighth seed with the race between Montreal and Columbus going down to the wire.

Of more concern in D.C., perhaps, is the Capitals regaining their groove after limping down the stretch with a skid of losses.

“We obviously can score goals but we need to be sharper in our D-zone,” defenseman Martin Fehervary said of the Capitals, who are 4-6-1 in their past 11, including a 7-0 loss at Columbus. “Those details are really important and need to be sharper.”

Teams to beat

The Capitals are favored no matter who they face following their sixth season with 50 or more wins while no longer having to deal with the hype involving Ovechkin.

“Him getting the goals record is incredible to say the least,” goalie Charlie Lindgren said. “What we do in the playoffs is what matters. That’s the most important thing.”

Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs are surging into the postseason, appearing ready and eager to put behind their decade-long past of early playoff exits. Toronto won eight of nine and outscored its opponents by a combined 28-12 in clinching its first Atlantic Division title.

“Obviously, we can’t change what’s happened in the past. I think you wear that,” Matthews said of a team that’s advanced beyond the first round just once in its past nine playoff appearances.

“I feel really confident in this group,” he added. “Earning our division here is a big step for us. But we just want to push forward.”

Bolstering the Leafs’ confidence is adopting a more responsible defensive style under first-year coach Craig Berube, who led St. Louis to the Cup in 2019.