The Washington Capitals on April 16 clinched the second East Wild Card berth in the NHL playoffs by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. 

The win from the Capitals secured them the final spot in the playoffs and eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins from a chance at winning the 2024 Stanley Cup.  

The first goal of the game was scored by Capitals’ left winger Alex Ovechkin 18 minutes into the first period, making it his 31st goal of the regular season. The second goal of the game was scored by Flyers’ defenseman Erik Johnson 12 minutes into the second period.

The game remained tied until Capitals’ right winger T.J Oshie scored with an empty-net goal with three minutes left in the third period.

The Capitals have won 40 games and lost 31 this season in regulation. Overall, they have 91 points this season and, as of April 17, are ranked 17th in the league.

This season has been particularly stressful for fans of the Capitals here at Decatur.

“The Caps have had a rollercoaster of a season for sure,” said Hunter Simon, a senior. “A lot of pressure is on Ovechkin in terms of beating Wayne Gretzky’s record, along with the pressure of making it into the playoffs. It was very touch-and-go for a while, in regards to clinching a spot.” 

The Capitals will face the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. The Rangers hold the Metropolitan Division title, along with the 2024 Presidents’ Trophy. They won 55 games this season, which is a franchise record for the New York team. They also broke another franchise record with 114 points this season.

The games will be played at Madison Square Garden because of New York’s home-ice advantage.

“The Rangers are definitely a scary team,” Hunter Simon said, “but I believe that they have a good chance at winning against them. My hope is that we can bring it back to 2018, when we won the last Cup.” 

The playoffs start April 20, with the first Capitals game on April 21 at 3 p.m.