With the season tightening, every game feels like a playoff tilt. Washington regarded this as their personal playoff moment, aware that the rivals just ahead in the standings made the clash even larger. After the game against Detroit, Washington center Nic Dowd shared his assessment of the situation and the stakes surrounding their progress.
The matchup in Washington was pivotal in the race to the postseason, a battle for second place in the conference wild-card zone. Detroit pressed hard to secure the final East Cup spot, and Spencer Carbery’s squad had shown exceptional form, sweeping past the Red Wings a few days earlier.
Alexander Ovechkin and his teammates had won five of the previous six, with a single loss to Toronto in their latest contest. The game against Detroit was hot from the start, remaining even through the opening period as chances remained limited. Detroit clearly wanted to reinsert themselves into playoff contention and began to push the tempo as the first frame wore on.
In the second, Washington’s offense found a seam. A well-executed positional sequence culminated in a mid-range drive from Nic Dowd after a pass from Nick Jensen. Detroit goalie Alex Lyon was partially screened, unable to pick up the shot as traffic obscured his view.
Detroit answered with renewed energy, slamming 20 shots on goal as they searched for the equalizer. Alex DeBrincat scored to level the game, and in the final minute of the period, David Perron earned a penalty on Belarusian forward Alexei Protas for high-sticking, shifting momentum again in Detroit’s favor.
Washington had struggled in regulation this season, trailing in several games and sitting behind in the standings. Carbery’s Capitals found themselves with a tough road, sporting a record of five wins against 23 defeats and several overtime or shootout losses.
That narrative shifted early in the decisive period. Just 35 seconds in, Connor McMichael buried a rebound at the far post, giving Washington the lead. Four minutes later, Dylan Strome, Washington’s top shooter, converted a feed from the defenseman John Carlson, extending control in the visiting zone after a shot from the blue line found the net in an awkward finish.
The Caps were unable to hold the advantage as regulation wore on. With five minutes left, Patrick Kane slipped between faceoffs and redirected a DeBrincat pass past the goalie, pulling Detroit even once more.
Overtime produced a dramatic finish as Carlson and Strome connected again. A deliberate pass redirected to Strome by Carlson found the forward’s stick, and he slipped the puck past a sprawling goalie for his 25th goal of the season, sealing the win for Washington.
Strome extended his points streak to five games, totaling nine points in that span (3 goals, 6 assists). Ovechkin, who had found the net in the five preceding games, was held off the scoresheet here, registering four shots on goal and two notable chances in a fourth consecutive strong stretch. At 22:28 of the night, the captain logged four shots and earned a plus-one rating.
Patrick Kane reached a milestone with his 468th career goal, moving him into sixth place on the all-time list for U.S. forwards in the regular season, surpassing Pat LaFontaine. Washington moved two points ahead of Detroit, having played one fewer game, while the Devils and Islanders trailed by five and six points, respectively, with the Islanders playing the same number of games as Washington in this stretch of the schedule.
New York Rangers – Philadelphia Flyers – 6:5
The Rangers staged a dramatic comeback in a game laden with momentum shifts. After trailing 0-2, New York surged ahead and then found themselves tied as regulation ended. The team finally sealed the win in overtime, turning a defensive struggle into a high-stakes finish.
The victory marked Peter Laviolette’s 800th coaching win, achieved across 1,502 regular-season games. It represented the fourth-quickest milestone for a coach in the league, with seven mentors reaching this point in the history of the sport.
Alongside the late-season push, the Rangers, who had led the league in the standings throughout the campaign, secured an official berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the season.
Artemi Panarin, contributing with three assists, crossed the 100-point plateau for the first time in his career, reaching 102 points (43 goals, 59 assists) with a plus-16 rating. Panarin joined an elite group as the seventh player in Rangers history to post a 100-point season, a mark last achieved by Jaromir Jagr with 123 points in 2005-06.
Other matches
Florida Panthers – Boston Bruins – 3:4
Pittsburgh Penguins – Carolina Hurricanes – 4:1
Toronto Maple Leafs – New Jersey Devils – 3:6
Nashville Predators – Vegas Golden Knights – 5:4 OT
Winnipeg Jets – Edmonton Oilers – 3:4 OT
Chicago Blackhawks – Calgary Flames – 3:1
Colorado Avalanche – Montreal Canadiens – 1:2
Arizona Coyotes – Columbus Blue Jackets – 6:2
Seattle Kraken – Anaheim Ducks – 4:0
San Jose Sharks – Dallas Stars – 3:6