Poll a panel of experts, and the Central Division would more than likely emerge as the NHL’s toughest.
Inhabited by current stalwarts such as Winnipeg and Nashville, as well as past powers such as Chicago (three Stanley Cups since 2009-10) and St. Louis (398 regular-season regulation wins since then, ranking fourth), the Central is certainly no slouch.
But among the many things that Washington winning its first-ever Cup five days ago day did — erasing those many playoff foibles, cementing Alex Ovechkin’s legacy — was settling a divisional debate.
The toughest place to place isn’t the Central.