Ducks 2, Capitals 0
WASHINGTON -- Corey Perry and Nick Ritchie scored second-period goals, Frederik Andersen stopped 24 shots, and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Washington Capitals 2-0 Sunday night to capture the Pacific Division championship.
The Ducks (46-25-11) earned their fourth consecutive division title, slipping ahead of the Los Angeles Kings by one point after winning the NHL's final regular-season game. Anaheim will face the Nashville Predators in the opening round of the playoffs.
Andersen, back after missing five games with a concussion, picked up his third shutout of the season in a game that was originally slated for Jan. 22nd before being postponed due to a severe snowstorm.
The Ducks earned points in eight of their last 10 games, going 6-2-2 in that span, to pass the Kings. Since Dec. 26, Anaheim is 34-10-5, the best record in the NHL during that period.
Washington (56-18-8) is the No. 1 overall seed and will have home-ice advantage throughout its stay in the playoffs. The Capitals begin postseason play with a first-round matchup against the Metropolitan Division rival Philadelphia Flyers.
Capitals coach Barry Trotz rested several regulars, including 50-goal scorer Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.
Washington goalie Braden Holtby, who tied Martin Brodeur's NHL single-season mark with his 48th win Saturday in a 5-1 victory in St. Louis, also sat out the second game of the back-to-back contests.
Backup goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 19 shots for Washington, which dropped four its last five games (1-2-2).
After a scoreless first period, the Ducks took command in bang-bang fashion early in the second period.
First, Perry scored his 34th goal of the season when he capped a pretty give-and-go with Ryan Garbutt with a wraparound goal on Grubauer at 4:34.
Just 2:02 later, Mike Santorelli sent a puck on net from a tough angle in the right circle, and Ritchie deflected it past Grubauer for his second goal of the season.
NOTES: Washington RW Justin Williams played his 1,000th NHL game and was honored during a pregame ceremony. ... Capitals RW Jay Beagle, who sustained a lower-body injury Saturday night, did not play Sunday. He is day-to-day. Washington recalled F Zach Sill from Hershey of the AHL, and he was in the lineup. ... In addition to LW Alex Ovechkin and C Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals rested D Brooks Orpik and D John Carlson. ... Anaheim G John Gibson (lower body) and C Ryan Kesler (lower body) did not travel to Washington. ... LW Brandon Pirri (upper body), D Kevin Bieksa (upper body), C Rickard Rakell (appendectomy) and D Sami Vatanen (flu) were also among the Anaheim scratches. ... Washington became the first team since the 1976-77 Montreal Canadians to go through the regular season without consecutive regulation losses.