The match that will decide everything.
This is how the meeting between Washington and Philadelphia was valued, the last for each team in the current regular season. And to be honest, there hasn’t been this much tension before any game in a long time!
It was there where, with 99% probability, the fate of the last playoff berth was decided. Washington, which suffered a series of losses at the end of the season, won heroic victories over Tampa and Boston and returned to the playoff zone. “Philadelphia completely failed at the end of the regular season, but it still had a chance to continue the season and, in any case, I wanted to close the door bright and loud at the end. In “Detroit” and “Pittsburgh” everyone was probably glued to the screens too.
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The match started actively. Already in the twelfth minute the barbell rang in the sand: TJ Oshie almost scored.
“Stolychnye” as a whole quickly took the initiative. Philadelphia only had its first shot on goal in the seventh minute. And in the ninth he scored! After the shot, the puck flew into the air and Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren, like the rest of the players on the court, lost sight of it. The referees whistled and then she fell to the ice and through the goal. The referees consulted, watched the replay and decided not to count the goal.
VIDEO.
But in the end the crowd still saw legitimate pucks before the end of the first half. Or rather, only one, but which one! Towards the end of the game, in the 19th minute, Dylan McIlrath threw it at the goal and Alexander Ovechkin was waiting for the puck, skillfully placing his stick. The Washington captain’s 853rd career goal! And at such an important moment.
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can watch the video on the official NHL website.
Ovi reduced the gap with Wayne Gretzky to just 41 goals. He also scored his 1,550th career point, becoming the 13th player in history to do so.
The second half started cautiously. The teams tried not to take risks. And the first truly dangerous moment came in the 28th minute. Ovechkin received the pass in front of the goal and launched it from an acute angle into the empty corner – the post! Bad moment.
And in the 31st minute Philadelphia recovered. Owen Tippett, receiving a pass towards the goal, released the puck and shot from under his feet. It was a bold move, but Lindgren pulled it off.
But two minutes later the Flyers tied it. Egor Zamula took the pass over the blue line, moved toward the center and fired a wrist shot. In the midst of the confusion, Eric Johnson was able to change his stick and the puck flew into the goal!
Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP. You can watch the video on the official NHL website.
The Flyers tasted blood and pressed hard. A few minutes later, Lindgren saved Washington again. The Philadelphia forward was already shooting into an empty goal, but the goalkeeper managed to lower his pad in time. Super savings!
The third half also started with crazy pressure from the “pilots”. At the second break, Detroit lost to Montreal in a side game, meaning the hosts still had a mathematical chance of making the playoffs.
However, there was little success in converting the lead into goals. It was going to the point that Philadelphia would simply have to take out the goalie. Only a win in regulation (and a loss in regulation for Detroit) would leave them with a chance to make the playoffs. It was enough for Stolichny to win in any format. Everyone thought that John Tortorella could (and would surely do) this play with a substitute goalkeeper in case of a tie.
And so it happened. In the 57th minute, the “pilots” took off the goalkeeper. But TJ Oshie successfully grabbed a missed rebound from a Flyers player, he ran into the empty net and scored!
Philadelphia, however, did not give up and continued playing with an empty goal. However, the fans did not see any more goals.
As a result, Washington was still able to put pressure on Philadelphia and earn a much-needed victory. The Capitals have officially made the playoffs! The season continues for Ovechkin. Next, Washington faces a series with the Rangers led by Artemi Panarin. It’s going to be exciting!
