BOSTON | Alex Ovechkin had a very simple and direct answer when asked what Thursday night’s 3-2 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins means.
“We’re back on track,” the Washington Capitals captain said, adding that this put pressure on the Buffalo Sabres.
Sure, there’s pressure on Buffalo, the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers not to stumble. The Caps remain in ninth officially and still need help to get in.
But beating the Bruins was a good start to making this all look a heck of a lot less daunting.
It certainly didn’t hurt that the Panthers allowed a tying goal with 30.4 seconds left at the Minnesota Wild and lost in overtime, though Florida still has a game in hand. If it can’t pick up two points Friday at the worst-in-the-NHL Columbus Blue Jackets, the Southeast Division race could come down to next week’s game at Verizon Center.
As for just getting in, the Caps become big Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers fans over the next couple days. The Penguins visit Buffalo on Friday, while the Senators visit Philadelphia on Saturday. Washington fans might need a shower after those two days, but they wind up helping the Caps get into the playoffs, it won’t feel so dirty.
Here’s a look at the race, including number of regulation and overtime wins, which is the first tiebreaker once the season is complete:
Capitals (86 points, 36 ROW)
4 games left
Vs. Canadiens
At Lightning
Vs. Panthers
At Rangers
Panthers (90 points, 31 ROW)
5 games left
At Blue Jackets
At Red Wings
Vs. Jets
At Capitals
Vs. Hurricanes
Senators (88 points, 34 ROW)
5 games left
At Flyers
At Islanders
Vs. Hurricanes
Vs. Bruins
At Devils
Sabres (86 points, 31 ROW)
5 games left
Vs. Penguins
At Maple Leafs
Vs. Maple Leafs
At Flyers
At Bruins
