Capitals get empty-net goal to clinch berth in playoffs
T.J. Oshie scored into an empty net in the rare situation of a team pulling its goaltender in a tie game, and the Washington Capitals are in the playoffs after beating the host Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Flyers coach John Tortorella pulled goalie Samuel Ersson for an extra attacker because his team needed to win in regulation to keep its hopes alive. The result allowed the Capitals to clinch the Eastern Conference's final berth — dashing the postseason hopes of the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings — in improbable fashion with Oshie's goal with 3 minutes left.
The surreal scene played out after the Flyers and Capitals slogged out much of the third period 5 on 5 — and perhaps a minute after Detroit went to overtime in Montreal, eliminating Philadelphia. Tortorella may not have known his team had no chance of winning when he sent Ersson to the bench and opened the net for Oshie.
Washington will face the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the first round beginning this weekend, returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence ended their eight-year streak.
Alex Ovechkin provided the earlier offense, scoring his 31st goal of the season and 853rd of his career in the first to move 42 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky's record.
Defenseman Erik Johnson scored for Philadelphia. RED WINGS 5, CANADIENS 4 (SO) >> Patrick Kane scored the shootout winner in a Detroit win over host Montreal in a regular-season finale, but the Red Wings were eliminated from playoff contention.
The Red Wings entered the night tied with Washington for the East's second wild-card spot with 89 points. The Capitals, however, held the tiebreaker over Detroit with more regulations wins and clinched the final playoff spot with a win over Philadelphia.
PANTHERS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2 >> Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored 10 seconds apart midway through the second period and host Florida beat Toronto.
With the victory and Boston's 3-1 loss to Ottawa, Florida clinched the Atlantic Division title by one point. The Panthers (52-24-6) finished with the season with a fourgame win streak to make up a five-point deficit in the standings.
SABRES FIRE GRANATO >> The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Don Granato on Tuesday, making him the seventh coach to be ousted during what's grown into an NHL-record 13-season playoff drought.
The move was announced by the team a day after the Sabres closed their season with a 4-2 win at Tampa Bay. They finished with a 39-27-6 record and had been eliminated from playoff contention last week.
Granato completed his third full season in Buffalo after taking over on an interim basis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2021 season after Ralph Krueger was fired. And the move comes with the 56-year-old Granato still having two seasons left on his contract, which featured an extension that kicked in to start next season.
He finishes with a record of 122-125-27 in Buffalo.