Oshie Empty-Net Goal Propels Capitals to Final Playoff Spot in Eastern Conference
Coming into action on Tuesday night, the race to claim the second and final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot was up for grabs as four teams (Capitals, Red Wings, Penguins, and Flyers) were all within three points with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. The team that had the easiest path to securing the Wild Card spot was the Washington Capitals, who only needed to win their final regular season game against the Philadelphia Flyers on the road. After an inconsistent season marked by ups and downs, Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals looked hopeless and unsustainable in late January, with just a 4.5% chance of qualifying for the postseason. However, the Caps were able to turn things around, and after defeating the Flyers 2-1, T.J. Oshie's empty-net goal sent them into the playoffs for the 15th time in the last 17 seasons.
In a game filled with a ton of suspense and drama, Joel Farabee's shot appeared to have gone in over Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren's shoulder, giving the Flyers hope that they had taken the lead midway through the first period. But after losing sight of the puck, the referee blew off play and waved the goal off the board. With two minutes remaining in the first period, Ovechkin scored his 31st goal of the year, deflecting in a Dylan Mcllrath one-time shot to give Washington a 1-0 lead against the Flyers. The Flyers would even the score at one in the second period when Erik Johnson altered Egor Zamula's shot that went past Lindgren and into the net. Flyers head coach John Tortorella decided to pull goaltender Samuel Ersson for the extra attacker with the nerve-wracking game tied at one heading into the closing minutes of the third period. Philadelphia needed to win in regulation to have a chance at the final Wild Card spot. Nevertheless, T.J. Oshie would dash the Flyers' chances of making the playoffs by scoring an empty-net goal to give the Capitals a 2-1 victory and advance Washington to the playoffs.
Goalie Charlie Lindgren, who was starting for the second consecutive game after leading the Capitals to a 2-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday night, finished the game with 27 saves on 28 attempts and secured his 25th victory in the net. Despite suffering a six-game losing streak this month that appeared to have ruined the team's prospects of qualifying for the postseason, the Capitals were able to escape missing out on the playoffs for a second consecutive season with their taking of the final playoff slot. After the game, Oshie spoke with the media on the significance of making it back to the playoffs with some of the team's key players from the 2018 Stanley Cup-winning squad remaining. "Once you win one time, the regular season just doesn’t have as much meaning as the playoff games, so to get back there is going to be super special, and definitely won’t take it for granted," Oshie continued, "The boys will be ready to rock." The Capitals will begin their first-round series with the President Trophy-winning New York Rangers on Saturday or Sunday.
