The Washington Capitals won game 82 against the Philidelphia Flyers in the last few minutes on an empty net goal. Philly had pulled their goalie in order to try to win the game and secure their spot in the NHL playoffs. This move ultimately backfired on them and allowed Washington to win. Washington also tried to sign their 8th overall pick Ryan Leonard to his contract to have him for the playoffs.
The Capitals were looking into bringing in Ryan Leonard for the playoffs, however he ultimately decided to go back to school for his sophomore season. This is a good decision on his part as it will help to develop him for the majors. Letting him stay in college and develop will also not mess with the cohesiveness of the team.
Charlie Lindgren started the year as backup goaltender to Darcy Kuemper. Due to inconsistent play by Kuemper, Lindgren became the starter. Lindgren has been playing really well down the stretch, which was a huge reason the Capitals got into the playoffs. The series against the Rangers will feature a brother against brother storyline as well, because Charlie’s brother plays forward for the Rangers.
The Capitals since trading Evgeny Kuznetsov, have looked more alive, and gelled on the offensive front. While it is always sad to see a player who helped bring a championship to Washington, it has given the team the spark they needed in order to make the playoffs.
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