A shootout victory over Canada at the world championships captured gold for Sweden, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and his lesser-known twin brother, Joel.
Henrik, of course, is the mainstay between the pipes for the New York Rangers. But Joel doesn't have the same star power as the Broadway netminder.
Drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2000 - 137 selections before Henrik - Joel made his NHL debut in 2006. He spent part of three seasons with the Stars, totaling 26 points in 134 games, before returning to Sweden to play out his career.
While Joel's time in the NHL was short-lived, his success on the international stage has been much more decorated. Sunday's gold-medal win at the worlds was his third first-place finish, while he also has three bronze medals to his name from international competitions.
As for Henrik, the gold-medal victory ends his year on a high note, after his Rangers were bounced in the second round of the NHL playoffs. He later joined the Swedish squad as a late addition.
"There were five, six reasons why I came here, and it turned out (to be) an amazing time for me," Henrik told TSN. "To come and play with my brother, to win this, just a great group to be part of, I knew that coming here."
With the offseason underway for a number of teams, and the rest to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
2016-17 Grade: B
In the case of the Washington Capitals, this piece could be more fittingly titled, "Offseason Overhaul."
We've been here before with Alex Ovechkin and company. A regular season of dominant proportions that ends in a premature second-round exit. Still, this year felt different for Barry Trotz's men, as the Capitals were finally playing a defensive-minded, tight-checking style that had the club finish with a league-best goals-against average of 2.16 and an impressive 118 points.
Of course, a lot of that also had to do with the Vezina-level play of netminder Braden Holtby. The former fourth-round pick was a big reason for Washington's success and his regular-season numbers were downright nasty. Holtby led the league in shutouts (9) and finished tied for the league lead in wins (42) while also posting a sparkling 2.07 goals-against average.
However, that's the regular season. Sure, the group deserves some credit for putting together yet another impressive campaign, but in this era, Presidents' Trophies don't mean jack.
Success is defined by how many rings you're rocking.
Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Holtby, the list of elite-level talent is lengthy and impressive - but at the same time, also kind of staggering. How does an All-Star studded group like this not even advance to a Cup final?
More questions are sure to follow the Capitals, as it's set to be a very long and interesting summer in D.C. for owner Ted Leonsis and general manager Brian MacLellan.
Free Agents
The Capitals have a number of big-name free agents to deal with this offseason, and the outcome of the forthcoming negotiations and potential trades will have a big impact on what the next few seasons will look like in Washington.
The No.1 goaltending job is secure with Holtby, but the Caps will need to shore up their crease by re-signing backup Philipp Grubauer. The young German is coming off a solid season where he posted a 13-6 record to go along with a 2.04 goals-against average.
Goalie
2017-18 Status
Age
2016-17 Cap Hit
'16-17 SV%
Philipp Grubauer
RFA
25
$750000
.926
2017 Draft Picks
Another wrinkle in Washington's offseason plans is its lack of top-round draft picks - the Capitals do not have a selection until the fourth round this year. Expect MacLellan to be very active this summer, especially in the lead-up to June 23's entry draft.
Round
Picks
1
0
2
0
3
0
4
1
5
1
6
1
7
1
Summer Priorities
1. Find replacements for Oshie and Williams
The veteran forwards have both expressed interest in staying in Washington, but both will also have a number of teams expressing their own interests in two proven goal-scorers. There's also the cap crunch to consider.
Regardless, replacing their production won't be easy, but this could be the exact kind of opportunity that some of the younger Caps have been waiting for, a chance to prove themselves in a lineup that is usually dominated by veteran names.
He finished the regular season with his lowest point output in four years, ended the postseason playing on the third line, and failed to push his team through to the Conference Finals for the sixth time of his 12-year career.
At this point, trading Ovie would be a slip. But if he doesn't turn his game around quickly, that may be the route MacLellan is forced to take.
3. Trade for blue-line help
Potentially losing Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner would be two massive blows to the team's back end that will need immediate attention.
Moving one of their talented forwards for either an NHL-ready rearguard or a high-end defensive prospect would serve the Capitals well. After all, who does Washington have to count on moving forward other than Matt Niskanen and John Carlson?
Sorry Brooks Orpik, your age and injury liability don't instill a ton of confidence.
2017-18 Outlook
(Images courtesy: Getty)
By the time the puck drops on next season, Washington's roster could realistically be a shadow of its former self, making this section a lot more difficult to surmise.
With that being said, the Caps still have enough firepower to compete in the East, and Holtby is all world, so expect them to be in the mix for their third Presidents' Trophy since 2010.
Another trip to the postseason is obviously the floor for expectations in Washington, but a berth in the Conference Finals and beyond may be just out of reach for a group that will look a lot different come October.
Nick Bonino had some vehicle issues on the way to Sunday's Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators, leaving him temporarily stranded.
Until his wingman appeared, that is.
"All of a sudden the gas didn't work and the power steering went out in the middle of the highway," Bonino explained after the 7-0 win. "I was able to get it to the side. Great teammate Phil Kessel came and picked me up.
"I owe a lot to Phil tonight for being here, a great guy."
More proof that Kessel really is an uber-good teammate.
Guy Boucher has left no doubt that Craig Anderson is his starter.
The Ottawa Senators goalie allowed four goals on 14 shots in 18:32 of play Sunday during a lopsided Game 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the head coach won't entertain the thought of turning to Mike Condon for Game 6.
From the NHL's official postgame transcript:
Reporter: Will you go back to Craig for Game 6? Boucher: Oh, my God.
Reporter: Got to ask the question. Boucher: I know you do, but you should not.
For the second time during the playoffs, Erik Karlsson's game came to an early end.
The Ottawa Senators captain was pulled in the second period Sunday for precautionary reasons and did not return for the final frame of a blowout Game 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Karlsson has been playing on an injured foot, and the situation was similar to Game 4 of the second round against the New York Rangers, when he left the game with his team down by three goals.
"The score was not what we wanted, and not only me but we decided to shorten down minutes a bit and move on and get ready for the next game," Karlsson said, per Dan Rosen of NHL.com.
Derick Brassard and Cody Ceci also left the game, but head coach Guy Boucher later confirmed they could have come back if necessary and should be good for Game 6.
From the Ottawa Senators' perspective, calling Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Final versus the Pittsburgh Penguins a catastrophe would be an understatement.
Pittsburgh cruised to a 7-0 win, the worst shutout loss in Senators playoff history, and head coach Guy Boucher didn't mince his words when asked about his opponent's performance.
"We know they're a better team," Boucher told reporters following the loss. "Everybody knows that on the planet. They're the Stanley Cup champions. They're the best team in the league. That's no secret."
To be fair, the Penguins sure looked the part, dominating the Senators from start to finish.
Pittsburgh got goals from seven different players, and outshot Ottawa 36-25 to take a 3-2 series lead. What's more, the Penguins out-attempted the Senators 56-47 in all situations, and generated 27 even strength scoring chances to Ottawa's 17, per hockeystats.ca.
He also highlighted the tournament's All-Star team:
Forwards
Defense
Goalie
William Nylander
Colton Parako
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Artemi Panarin
Dennis Seidenberg
Nathan MacKinnon
In line with these selections, Panarin was named the tournament's best forward, Seidenberg earned best defenseman honors, and Vasilevskiy was deemed to be the top goalie.
The Nashville Predators confirmed Saturday's report that center Ryan Johansen was treated with surgery on his left thigh for acute compartment syndrome.
Predators general manager and president of hockey operations David Poile released the following statement on Sunday:
On Thursday, May 25, Ryan Johansen was treated for an acute compartment syndrome of the left thigh. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are critical to prevent complications. His symptoms developed shortly after the end of Game Four in Nashville, and as they progressed, he was diagnosed, transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and had surgery performed by head team physician Dr. Jed Kuhn within two hours of his diagnosis. As a result, he had no permanent injury to his muscle, nerves or blood vessels and we expect a full and complete recovery. The Predators would like to thank Vanderbilt Life Flight Paramedics, the VUMC Emergency Department, Operating Room Nurses, and Anesthesiologists for their expedient and excellent care.
Acute compartment syndrome occurs when excessive pressure builds up inside an enclosed muscle space in the body.
Johansen was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs following the surgery. His Predators currently lead the Ducks 3-2 in the Western Conference Final.
