You know the NHL wants to see superstar Alex Ovechkin in the playoffs, but the Washington Capitals have some work to do to make that a reality.
Washington enters tonight's game against Tampa Bay one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot (currently held by the Flyers) in the East but also just two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the Southeast Division lead. Winning the division would be worth the No. 3 spot in the East playoffs.
However, the Caps must win out to win the division and hope Carolina loses its finale. The Hurricanes would win a points tiebreaker by virtue of having more wins.
The good news for the Caps, who are huge -310 money line favorites tonight on WagerWeb.com (over/under: 5 goals) is they are playing their best hockey of the year, thanks mainly to goalie Cristobal Huet (and, of course, Ovechkin).
Huet split time with fellow netminder Olaf Kolzig when Huet first arrived in a trade from Montreal, but he is now the undisputed No. 1 as he 9-2 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage - Vezina Trophy-caliber numbers over the course of a full season - since joining the Caps.
"I didn't know what to expect really," Huet said. "From Day 1, for me it was a fresh start. It was like a mini-season for me. Olie [Kolzig] played well even before the trade, and I just wanted to play well when asked to."
Huet has won seven straight starts, part of the Caps' run of nine victories in 10 contests. The Caps have won five in a row, their first five-game winning streak since March 3-11, 2001.
"We have two more games that are going to be tough to win. Not everything is in our hands, yet," Huet said. "We just have to do our job and continue playing the way we did the last two weeks."Ovechkin, meanwhile, has a league-leading 63 goals and 110 points. He was named the NHL's top star for March. He led all scorers with 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) and recorded a plus-17 rating in 14 games last month.
Ovechkin's 63 goals tie the NHL record for most goals by a left wing in a single season, established by Luc Robitaille with Los Angeles in 1992-93.
Washington and Tampa Bay played just a week ago, A week Washington prevailing 4-3 on Tomas Fleischmann's overtime goal. The Caps have taken each of their last four meetings with the Lightning, each by a single goal. They are 5-2-0 overall this year against Tampa.
The Lightning are a league-worst 11-22-6 record on the road and have been outscored 21-10 during a four-game skid. They are 1-8-2 in their last 11 away from home. The Capitals have won four straight games at Verizon Center, outscoring the opposition by a combined total of 12-5.
Ovechkin has three goals and three assists in seven games this season against the Lightning, but hasn't scored a goal in any of the last four meetings.
Betting trends: Lightning are 38-42 overall ATS. ... TB is 3-12 in their last 15 vs. Southeast Division foes. ... TB is 2-6 in its last 8 vs. Eastern Conference. ... TB is 2-6 in its last 8 overall. ... Capitals are 46-34 ATS overall. ... Under is 16-5 in Caps' last 21 games following a win. ... Under is 13-5 in Caps' last 18 overall. ... Caps are 11-28 in their last 39 Thursday games. ... Over is 11-4 in the last 15 Lightning-Capitals meetings.
The last word: The Bolts have mailed it in, and the Caps need this. Seems too easy. The goals line is 1.5, and I'd give that in a heartbeat.
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