Metropolitan opinion: will Ovechkin's club reach the NHL playoffs

Washington defeated Pittsburgh in the final home match of the NHL regular season — 3:0. Alexander Ovechkin scored an assist and was recognized as the first star of the evening. This victory allowed the Capitals to maintain their chances of making the playoffs. However, not everything depends on Ovechkin and Co.

Without saying goodbye

The Capitals and Penguins each played a match in their respective arenas in two days. Both evenings were a kind of dedication to the 21-year-old confrontation between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby amid uncertainty about the future career of the Russian. Before the games, the hockey players took a memorable photo on the ice. Two more Pittsburgh legends, Evgeni Malkin and Chris Letang, joined the two captains for a separate shot. The three Penguins hockey players, who are three-time Stanley Cup winners, have been playing together for two decades, and the continuation of this story largely depends on the decision of the club's general manager Kyle Dubas on Malkin's new contract.

The fans at the Capital One Arena reacted emotionally to the events of the game and gave their captain a standing ovation. The hum accompanied the Great Eight's throws, defensive block shots, and more. At the end of the first period, Ovechkin was left without an assist after canceling Justin Surdif's puck due to offside when entering the zone of Ilya Protas (when implementing the majority after removing Crosby). Alexander recorded an effective action in the end and assisted on Connor McMichael's double with an empty opponent's goal. Logan Thompson, the goalkeeper of the capital's club, received a much heavier load from the defense in the second game in two days, scored several important saves and "dried up" the guests.

The last minutes of the final home match were spent chanting "One more year!" — it is clear that the call was addressed to Ovechkin. Posters with similar phrases were on the stands in Washington, and the day before they flashed in Pittsburgh.

After the final siren, the Penguins did not go to the locker room, but remained on the court with the clear intention of inviting Ovechkin to shake hands. The Capitals captain himself did the same for other league legends with the announced farewell tour — Marc-Andre Fleury and Ange Kopitar. However, Alexander asked Crosby and the company several times to do without such a farewell on the ice and got his way. But backstage, the Russian was happy to exchange clubs and a jersey for his collection with the Canadian.

Ovechkin also appeared at a special briefing with his sons Sergey and Ilya. Alexander again reminded that he would make a decision on signing a new contract or ending his North American career after the end of the season.

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Complex layouts

The discussion of Alexander Ovechkin's final home game in his career for Washington has put the playoff game in the background. Even if we assume that the great sniper is spending his last season in the NHL, in theory he can still play at the now-native Capital One Arena. To do this, the Capitals only need to get into the playoff zone. And after the victory over Pittsburgh, the chances of reaching the top eight increased.

In the "East", only one cup ticket is played a few matches before the finish of the regular season. It will be determined by the participants of the Metropolitan Division — Philadelphia, Washington and Columbus. Boston and Ottawa have already officially entered the playoffs through the wild card, and none of the competitors will be able to move them. All showdowns will take place within the division.

The latest results favored Stolichny. Columbus and the Islanders lost their matches. The Islanders have now completely lost their chances, and the Blue Jackets have complicated their task by losing points in the game against the Bruins. They have a face-to-face match with Washington ahead, and on their own court. His result directly determines who will remain in the race for the playoffs.

But even a victory in this meeting will not give one hundred percent guarantee — the situation is still controlled by Philadelphia. Right now, it is the Flyers who hold the third place in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of Washington by one point, and Columbus by two. At the same time, Rick Tokket's team has a match in reserve. On April 14, she will play a motivated Carolina, which is fighting for first place in the conference, and on April 15, she will play Montreal, which retains its chances of leadership in the Atlantic Division.

In case of a tie, the team with the most wins in regular time will be higher. Washington currently has the advantage: 36 wins against Philadelphia's 26 and Columbus' 28.

First of all, it all depends on the Flyers. They don't need the misfires of their competitors to get into the playoffs. It is enough to win one of the two remaining matches, and Washington and Columbus will not be able to catch up with them. If the Flyers lose both, everything will be decided in a face-to-face meeting between the Capitals and the Blue Jackets. In this case, it will be enough for Ovechkin's team to score one point — the advantage in wins in regular time will remain.

Columbus only needs to win in regular time. It will allow us to overtake Washington and match Philadelphia in points, but due to the additional indicator, the Jackets will be higher and take eighth place. However, this scenario is possible only with two defeats of the Flyers in regular time.

It remains to fix the key dates: April 14 — the match between Philadelphia and Carolina, April 15 — the duel between Columbus and Washington, as well as the second game in a row for the Flyers — already with Montreal.