Four years into the eastern traveling hockey championship, four teams are within three games of the top in the all-time standings.
Some of our traveling championships are rather one-sided, which might be expected early. Some of the other traveling titles, though, are hotly contested.
The championship in the eastern half of pro hockey continues to brew a good all-time race, with the top thickening as never before through four seasons.
Ending 2018-19, the Washington Capitals held the all-time lead with 28 wins going back to the start of the 2015-16 season. But the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers were right with them at 27, and the Tampa Bay Lightning held 25.
The Lightning topped this group in 2018-19 with 11 games in two titles, just ahead of Pittsburgh and Washington, which won nine games of championship during the season. All three took turns with the championship during the last two months of the season.
Tampa Bay held the prize for eight games during a run that took almost all of February. Pittsburgh's three-game championship in March brought it to the top of the all-time standings with 27 wins, one ahead of Florida and two ahead of Washington.
But the Capitals took the championship with a 4-1 home win against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24, bringing their all-time total to 26. The Caps then tied Pittsburgh with a 3-2 win in the return match at Carolina two days later and went on top with their 28th win, 6-3 at Tampa Bay, on March 30.
On April 1, the Caps crossed state to Florida, where the Panthers notched their 27th win all-time, 5-3. But the Panthers were stopped in their bid to reach the pinnacle with Washington, for the New York Islanders came into their arena and beat them, 2-1, in a shootout.
The Islanders will take the championship into the 2019-20 season.
Some of our traveling championships are rather one-sided, which might be expected early. Some of the other traveling titles, though, are hotly contested.
The championship in the eastern half of pro hockey continues to brew a good all-time race, with the top thickening as never before through four seasons.
Ending 2018-19, the Washington Capitals held the all-time lead with 28 wins going back to the start of the 2015-16 season. But the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers were right with them at 27, and the Tampa Bay Lightning held 25.
The Lightning topped this group in 2018-19 with 11 games in two titles, just ahead of Pittsburgh and Washington, which won nine games of championship during the season. All three took turns with the championship during the last two months of the season.
Tampa Bay held the prize for eight games during a run that took almost all of February. Pittsburgh's three-game championship in March brought it to the top of the all-time standings with 27 wins, one ahead of Florida and two ahead of Washington.
But the Capitals took the championship with a 4-1 home win against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24, bringing their all-time total to 26. The Caps then tied Pittsburgh with a 3-2 win in the return match at Carolina two days later and went on top with their 28th win, 6-3 at Tampa Bay, on March 30.
On April 1, the Caps crossed state to Florida, where the Panthers notched their 27th win all-time, 5-3. But the Panthers were stopped in their bid to reach the pinnacle with Washington, for the New York Islanders came into their arena and beat them, 2-1, in a shootout.
The Islanders will take the championship into the 2019-20 season.
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