The Washington Capitals remain the top team in the NHL standings after losing a tough game in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings. The Capitals are the only team with over 100 points this season, and they are looking like the favorites to make a Stanley Cup run out of the Eastern Conference.
Braden Holtby and Alexander Ovechkin are both having very strong seasons, and the team is in great position to get home ice advantage in the playoffs. The Capitals have 103 points to lead the overall NHL standings over the Chicago Blackhawks, and the team is leading the New York Rangers by 19 points in the Metropolitan Division standings.
The Capitals are on a West Coast trip, facing off against teams that they could end up playing in the postseason. They won over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday in a shootout, and the team played a thrilling game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. The Caps rallied back from a three-goal deficit in the third period against the Kings, but ended up losing in overtime.
Washington scored three goals in the third period before falling 4-3 in the extra frame on Thursday night. The matchup between the two teams in Los Angeles could be an early preview of the playoffs. The Capitals are the top team in the NHL, while the Kings are one of the favorites to make a Stanley Cup run in the Western Conference. If the matchup ends up happening, the game on Thursday will be a nice prelude to the series.
"If we want to win the Cup, there's a good chance we'll have to go through them," Kings center Jeff Carter said.
The Kings went up 3-0 in the game in the first period with goals from Vincent Lecavalier, Jake Muzzin and Milan Lucic, but the Capitals battled back late. They scored three goals in the third period on scores from T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom and Dmitry Orlov to send the game into overtime. Carter had the game-winning goal in the extra period, putting a shot by Holtby, who has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season.
"It's a good experience for us because we bounced back against a good team," Ovechkin said.
Holtby had 26 saves in the game, while Jonathan Quick made 29 saves for the Kings in the victory. The Kings have now lost just twice in the past nine games, and they have regained first place in the Pacific Division standings. The Capitals remain in first place in the Metropolitan division by a wide margin over New York.