With only six games remaining, the Washington Capitals have climbed into the driver's seat in the Southeast Division and appear poised to recapture the franchise's sixth section title in six seasons. Nonetheless it hasn't been easy. After beginning the season with just two wins in the team's first 11 games, the Caps came back from the dead and got hold of the cause in the battle for the Southeast crown, with the leader and franchise person leading the way. No, its status haven't been cemented by Washington as a Stanley Cup competitor, but assuming the Capitals hold on to a postseason cabin, there's no reason to count them out during this period. Heading in to the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, here is a look at the facets in play for the Capitals' postseason drive. Alex Ovechkin Greg Fiume/Getty Photographs For initially because the 2010 Olympics, Alex Ovechkin may be the game's most dangerous sniper, which often has got the Washington Capitals promising the NHL's best quick-strike offense. And that means that until Sidney Crosby returns to full strength, Ovechkin's Capitals can handle beating everyone in the Eastern Conference. Positive, the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Nyc Rangers are all still reliable challengers, but outside Pittsburgh, who is actually capable of containing Ovechkin for the total amount of a seven-game series? The right response has yet to be determined, but at least for enough time being, the Russian celebrity is producing at a level that he hasn't reached since losing out on the Rocket Richard Trophy on the ultimate day of the 2009-10 year, and there is no reason to doubt him now. Despite cool down somewhat since his five-goal week-end performance yesterday, Ovechkin has been doing enough to keep his lead in the race for the Rocket, and if that remains to be the case, there will not be a single group in the East that will want to experience the Caps in Round 1. Energy Participants Greg Fiume/Getty Photographs During the Bruce Boudreau era, the Capitals routinely boasted the NHL's most successful power play, and though it fought during the first stages of Adam Oates' stint behind the seat, Washington once more gets the league's most dangerous extra-man assault. In Oates has the team using the same thinking he did: Move the puck, remain active and search for the world-class sniper to get open essence, this is. That is what Oates did when he played alongside Brett Hull throughout the former St. Louis star's 86-goal campaign in 1990-91, and that's exactly what Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Mike Ribeiro have taken to heart in recent days in D.C., as Ovechkin has been carrying out a outstanding job of finding available snow on the power play. Given that Ovechkin leads the group with 14 power-play tallies, it's clear that the Caps will go in terms of their specific groups will bring them. On still another note, it was quite encouraging to see Troy Brouwer chip in a objective in each of the Caps' last two games, because it showed that even though opposing defenses critical on Ovechkin, you will find other offensive weapons capable of adding. Braden Holtby's Readiness Fran Auerbach/Getty Photos A year ago, Capitals supporters were questioning whether an untested 22-year-old was capable of backstopping a seventh-seeded team to an angry against the defending Stanley Cup winners lead by the ruling Conn Smythe and Vezina winner in Tim Thomas. Well, after learning that Braden Holtby was a lot more than able to do just that, Caps supporters must have little to fear, right? Not really, since though Holtby's enjoyed lights-out hockey down the stretch for Oates' Capitals, Washington is not out from the woods yet, while the group still needs to get at least four of its last six to secure home-ice advantage. Once we have seen in small 'tenders like Corey Crawford, Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Smith in recent years, regular-season achievement doesn't always change to postseason fortune, but given Holtby's efficiency in 2012-13, the Caps have a lot to feel confident about in the crease. Role People Paul Bereswill/Getty Photographs Beyond Ovechkin, Green, Backstrom, Ribeiro and Brouwer, the Capitals have obtained solid performances from the their secondary throw, especially then the team's top offensive weapons fought during the earlier periods of the growing season. Joel Ward, Eric Fehr and Mathieu Perreault have all loved powerful conditions, and though Jason Chimera and Matt Hendricks have dropped down offensively, Washington has been bolstered by constantly reliable trips from underneath six. And that is crucial, especially come playoff time. A year ago, once the Caps needed objectives against No. 2 seed Boston in the team's first-round battle from the Bruins, who showed up big? Oh, that is right, it was Hendricks and Ward who supplied the targets during Washington's Game 7 victory within the reigning champs. Start Slideshow Props (0) What's the copy article? How come this information offensive? Where's this information plagiarized from? 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