The Winnipeg Jets entered January, a month that typically starts a stretch of disappointment and despair for the team, in first place in the NHL with 55 points through 39 games.

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin continues to shatter records on his way to Wayne Gretzky's all-time regular season ...

Cruising to the top of the NHL standings by winning 36 of their first 54 games and losing just 11 in regulation, the ...

The Washington Capitals are the top team in the NHL more than halfway through the season. Yet they’re also one of just two teams not represented at the 4 Nations ...

At the moment, the Washington Capitals are relying on one of the good goalies in the league, Logan Thompson. The club is ...

Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster both came agonizingly close to scoring, with Brink narrowly missing a wraparound attempt and ...

Gretzky scored 51 goals that season -- the first of his nine 50-goal seasons, an NHL record he shares with Ovechkin and Mike ...

The specialty jersey, designed by The Museum DC, debuted concurrently with the Celebrating Black Hockey – Pathways to Hockey ...

Ovechkin scored with 53 seconds remaining in the first period, taking a centering pass from Martin Fehervary and flicking it ...

Matvei Michkov put on a show, scoring two goals for the Flyers. Washington's Alex Ovechkin scored Thursday night and is now ...