Fueled by Alex Ovechkin's record-breaking season, the Washington Capitals are on the brink of making the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Serenaded again with chants of "M-V-P!" from the sellout home crowd, Ovechkin scored his 64th and 65th goals Thursday night, breaking Luc Robitaille's single-season NHL mark for left wings and leading the Capitals to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"He really turns it up when the game's on the line," Washington center Brooks Laich said.

The win put the Capitals into the top eight in the Eastern Conference, although they have only one game left to play while Boston and Philadelphia still have two to go.

Washington likely needs to beat Florida at home in Saturday's regular-season finale to reach the postseason for the first time since 2003 — and for the first time in Ovechkin's young career.

"It's a good time for us right now," Ovechkin said. "We have a chance, and we have to keep it going."

With just a few more days left in the NHL season, the postseason picture is clearing up.

Detroit beat Columbus 3-2 to earn the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

The New York Rangers clinched a playoff spot in the East with a 3-0 victory over the Islanders. Montreal won the Northeast Division and knocked Buffalo from playoff contention with a 3-1 victory.

Minnesota won the Northwest with a 3-1 victory over Calgary, though the Flames and Nashville secured Western Conference playoff spots when Vancouver lost 2-1 to Edmonton.

Dallas beat Phoenix 4-2, meaning the Stars will be seeded no lower than fifth in the West.

Ottawa beat Toronto 8-2, moving the Senators within a point of a playoff spot in the East.

In the one game with no bearing on the playoff race, it was Los Angeles 4, San Jose 2.

In Washington, the 22-year-old Ovechkin tied the game — and passed Robitaille — in the first period after the Lightning stunned the crowd with a goal in the first minute. The score remained an all-too-antsy 1-1 until Ovechkin's power-play drive from the top of the left circle with 12:10 left in the game.

It was Ovechkin's 22nd power-play goal of the season, tying Peter Bondra's team record.

The Capitals have won six in a row — their longest winning streak since Jan. 8-19, 2000 — and 10 of 11. They also notched their 17th comeback victory under Washington coach Bruce Boudreau, who took over a last-place team when Glen Hanlon was fired in November.

Boyd Gordon and Tom Poti added insurance goals late in the third period, and Cristobal Huet made 18 saves for his eighth straight win, the longest streak for a Capitals goalie since Pete Peeters won nine in a row from Jan. 28 to March 3, 1987. Huet is 10-2 since he was acquired from Montreal at the trade deadline.