steven stamkos

Surprise, surprise, all four division champions lost in the first round for the first time in major four North American pro sports history, the teams that played in last year's Cup Final are out and the team that finished 21 points ahead of the rest of the NHL got swept.

No league is as unintentionally cruel to its top seed as the NHL. In the 32 years that the Presidents' Trophy has been awarded, just eight teams that claimed it have gone on to win the Stanley Cup.

The Washington Capitals score 28 seconds into the game then pull away from the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals with two goals late in the second period.

Nicklas Backstrom's hat trick helps the Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time in five nights.