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The Washington Capitals are the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs this year. The team has won 50 of their 69 games and have 105 points. Their overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes puts them in the first playoff spot in the Metropolian Division which guarantees they will play a wild card team in the first round of playoffs. This is an amazing feat considering there is a month of hockey left to be played in the regular season.
The first period of the game was scoreless on both sides. The first goal of the game came in the second period by Washington’s Justin Williams at 1:30, assisted by Jason Chimera. Nine minutes later, Carolina alternate captain Jordan Staal tied it up unassisted. The third period went by with yet again no goals scored by either team, forcing overtime. In the first minute and a half of the overtime period, Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin scored and locked up the playoff berth for the Capitals for the seventh time in eight years.
Ovechkin leads the team to the playoffs yet again this year with his 42nd goal of the season. Unfortunately, the team has not made it past the second round, the conference semifinals, since the late 90s. They lost the conference semifinals to the Tampa Bay Lightning and most recently the New York Rangers in the last three playoffs they have qualified for. However, maybe this is their year to make it past the second round and get another shot at winning their first Stanley Cup.
Since the playoff race is tight, especially for the wild card spots, it is unclear who will be taking on the Capitals in the first round of playoffs just yet. It will be exciting to see which teams will clinch playoff berth next, and for the playoffs to start up very soon!
