SaucyJack

Panarin looked ready to pull the trigger on the power play but perhaps bad MSG ice made it bounce off his stick?

Nice to see the shout-outs to Papa and Brother Lindgren in the stands.  With Charlie and Ryan opposing each other, their emotional dissonance must be difficult.  (But some pride to go with it.)

21 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Caps built on defense, will make it a series

 No doubt; must be low-scoring series for the Washingtonians…

…blue-liners Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen remain out.  Will need good work from young’un Vincent Iorio and journeyman Dylan McIlrath.

1 hour ago, Buffalo Rick said:

Bad luck early for Leafs in game one last night.  I know you hate the Leafs….etc….etc….yada yada yada

This is the Rangers-Caps bleedin’ thread. 

Save us, Saint Charlie

With the help of back-checking angels

The honor of bagging the final goal of the season goes to Adrian Kempe of the LA Kings, over Chicago in OT, capping a late comeback that forces a seemingly gargantuan first round playoff matchup between mighty Dallas and defending champs Vegas!

Toronto is surely grateful to be playing anyone other than the Lightning Bolts in round one.  (As they were reminded of, just last night )  

OK, does that add, or lessen, the pressure on and expectations of the Maple Leafs in this series vs the Bruins?

Call me a Scheduling Nerd (“You’re a bleedin’ schedule nerd!”) but I find it at least somewhat remarkable, here on the last night of the regular season, that there are three contests where a club is making their one and only appearance at their opponent’s rink:

- Kraken at Wild

- Canucks at Jets

- Oilers at Avalanche

In each case, the first two games of the season series were played at the other team’s arena.  
 

OK, yes…perhaps a full frontal nerdity warning should have been issued at the start of this post.   

On 4/17/2024 at 9:51 AM, Math said:

when they knew Washington won the game, the last Kane SO winner was like a funeral.

They were tremendous in April, but for one fatal night where they lost at home to Washington 2-1.  

I see I picked the most popular choice just now.  (I did not peek first, honest!)

Caps win game 3 on an Ovi power play goal in OT.

7 hours ago, Buffalo Rick said:

If Philly had won that game in OT would it have changed things?

 Not for Philly…but it would have eliminated Washington because Detroit won their game.  (Wings would have been one point above the Caps.)

2 hours ago, Buffalo Rick said:

My Sabres beat Washington two straight down the stretch.

Yes, both in Buffalo, but I thought that was telling, too.  Games were not close, Sabres totally outplayed the Caps.

All the more surprising how Washington did in their last 3, earning the full 6 points, to survive. 

Do not expect another #8 over #1 here, like Panthers over Bruins last year.

This year’s #8 in the East has had season-long difficulties in finishing an adequate % of good scoring chances.  Caps PxP man Joe Beninati even mentioned it late in the 2nd period on Monday night, in a 1-0 game where the Caps should have been 3-0 or better on Boston.

At least at the very end, Washington back-checked very well, limiting chances by their higher-skilled opponents, earning low-scoring victories.  That’s their one forté this season.  Their record in 1-goal games is something like 13-2.   It is so rare to see Washington blow anyone out, while they get blown out with some regularity.

Hence the worst team +/- of any playoff team since 1991, back when 16 of 21 qualified.  (Or so I heard said on TV today.)

Maybe Ovechkin can bag an OT winner for the first time.

Haven’t decided on the spread yet, but it would surprise to see the Rags lose this.  (President’s Trophy curse notwithstanding.)

4 hours ago, AndyInNH said:

Nice to see new blood so to speak

Yeah despite all the older guys, playoff experience for the youngsters (even if only one round against the Rangers) will be invaluable for McMichael, Lapierre, Protas, Alexeyev, Fehervary, Sandin, Iorio…and even the guys a bit older like Milano, Aube-Kubel, Malenstyn, and I’ll throw in Dylan Strome, too, who must come up large if we hope earn a first round upset.

10 minutes ago, mkscrewy said:

There's no way he didn't know that Detroit had scored to tie it... there's no way nobody relayed that message to the bench

Detroit and Pittsburgh are justifiably pissed off at that decision.  It was still 50/50 for the Flyers to spoil it all for Washington.

Spencer Carbery, over achieving in his first year with the Caps.

Well done, lads.

2 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

I hope they go and make the Rangers..last year's Bruins. Eliminate them.

Let’s keep that President’s Cup curse going.

Flyers looking like they could spoil things for the Capitals.  30 seconds to go.

Nope, didn’t happen.

Has a team ever earned a playoff spot by taking the lead on an empty netter?

(Did the Flyers know when pulling the goalie that Detroit had just tied their game with 3.3 seconds remaining?)

7 minutes ago, flyerrod said:

I am hoping the Caps start showing their age and the fact that they played last night.

That is the question.  Will Philly’s extra rest make the difference in the third?  

The Athletic says:

DET 46%
WSH 42%

PIT 10%
PHI 3%
 

Let the Game 82 round begin.

One last time…NYI clinched, so only one spot left.  Any Caps win, even via shootout, gets them in, so moneypuck thinks Philly has a 58.3% chance of winning that final game.  But also, that it very likely means the Flyers play spoiler for either Detroit or Pittsburgh rather than to advance themselves into the playoffs.  

So for three regulation wins to Philly, Montreal, and the Islanders, is only a 6.2% chance?  That’s what moneypuck says here.  

Same as two days ago, the slowpokes at The Athletic have still not updated their odds as of last night’s games.
 

Down to the wire…

3 hours ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

The bold part is not correct.  Game one vs the Caps, (OT win for the Flyers), would get thrown out so they would be tied in this category, too.

 

5. The greater number of points earned in games against each other among two or more tied clubs.
           For the purpose of determining standing for two or more Clubs that have not played an even number of games with one or more of the other tied Clubs, the first game played in the city that has the extra game (the 'odd game') shall not be included.

On to the 6th tiebreaker which the Flyers would win.  Flyers are -25, Caps are -38.

I stand corrected.  You are right, only each club winning one game (each) would apply for that tiebreaker.
 

Perhaps it will be more amazing for the Caps to advance than for Philly.  Their -38 is far worse than Detroit, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo, and worse than Ottawa’s or New Jersey’s.  Lots of bad blowout losses to go with close wins.  But a WSH win tonight gets them in.

Still, a Philly regulation win tonight is more likely to spoil the Capitals’ efforts and earn a spot for the Wings or Pens, but we’ll all know soon.