The Capitals have been eliminated from contention for the playoffs

If last night was the last time Alex Ovechkin will leave the ice after a win at Capital One Arena, he did so with the fans chanting his name and the spotlight on his back. On a maybe-goodbye, Ovechkin's impact and threading the needle of uncertainty: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

Dylan Strome gets himself thrown out of the opening faceoff so that Ovechkin takes it against Sid. Sid, of course, won it clean

Ilya Protas will make his NHL debut for the Caps tomorrow night in Toronto, centering a line between his brother Aliaksei and Tom Wilson. Spencer Carbery said they had a talk this morning and decided that Aliaksei will be "Big Pro" and Ilya will be "Pro"

Aliaksei Protas will return for the Caps tonight against the Sabres after missing the last two games with an injury. Logan Thompson starts in goal

2-0 Capitals. A 30-goal season for 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin. Just unreal

1-0 Capitals. In his 900th career game, Tom Wilson scores

Didn’t see this coming, but I’m back at the Post to cover the final stretch of the Caps’ season. It’s been a really weird couple of months, but I’m grateful to have the work and be back doing what I love for the time being

New Cannon Balls podcast up at Spotify will hit Apple Podcasts soon. Guest is @baileyannej.bsky.social NHL Capitals beat writer for the Washington Post, laid off in the purge Wednesday. We talk journalistic upheaval and a bit of #CBJ and a touch of #Crew96. open.spotify.com/episode/73UV...

I was among the layoffs at The Washington Post today. It has been an absolute dream to be a small part of this incredible team. Covering the Caps has been an honor; being a beat writer is an all-consuming thing that I love deeply. I hope I’ll get to continue that in whatever is next

Dad strength! Martin Fehervary makes it 1-1 in his first game back after his daughter, Anna, was born Saturday

Logan Thompson (upper body) won't play tonight or tomorrow but the plan is that he'll play Thursday. Matt Roy (lower body) is questionable for tonight. If Roy is able to play, Thompson would be put on IR to clear a roster spot, but it changes nothing about the plan for him.

Very, very optional practice for the Caps today — players had the option of even coming to the rink at all — but Matt Roy (lower body, day to day) is skating, which is a good sign

Connor McMichael is week to week with an upper body injury, Spencer Carbery says.

Lindgren is in the net, but Stevenson just did some stretches before the shootout began

Charlie Lindgren looks shaken up. Clay Stevenson is gathering his gear

1-0 Capitals. What a shift for Nic Dowd, who laid a big hit on Axel Sandin-Pellikka, briefly tangled with Ben Chiarot, and then scored to put the Caps up in this one

Whoops sorry guys, got my French Canadian wires crossed. That should be Lapierre on the fourth line

Lines for the Caps in warmups in Detroit: Ovechkin-Strome-Beauvillier Protas-Sourdif-Wilson McMichael-Dowd-Leonard Duhaime-Beauvillier-Frank Fehervary-Carlson Chychrun-TvR Sandin-Chisholm

Rasmus Sandin is on the ice for the Caps in warmups here in Detroit. Matt Roy is not

Logan Thompson is day to day with an upper body injury, Spencer Carbery says. He was hit in the mask with a shot during the game against Seattle on Wednesday

As Heated Rivalry has exploded in popularity, with teams across the NHL leaning in and more LGBTQ+ fans attending games, those new fans have questions about inclusion in the sport. "Is this just another way of pandering to people, or do we actually care?" wapo.st/4k9Vzk3

A lot of people just lost their hats here in Seattle. McCann's hat trick goal gets washed out by a penalty before the goal, which took a long review to figure out

Lines for the Caps here in Seattle, without Sandin and Roy (both lower body, day to day) McMichael-Strome-Leonard Protas-Sourdif-Wilson Ovechkin-Dowd-Frank Duhaime-Lapierre-Beauvillier Chychrun-Carlson Fehervary-TvR Chisholm-McIlrath Thompson

My favorite part of hockey is when a guy is trying desperately to prove that they're bleeding. Rubbing at their face and holding out their hand like "Look! See! Blood!"

Sandin didn't take a shift, stood at the end of the bench looking like he was trying to stretch out and shake it off. Has gone back down the tunnel at the first TV timeout

This is now one of the weirdest 2-2 hockey games I've ever seen

Sandin was slow to come back from the room but just emerged from the tunnel and took his spot on the bench.

Rasmus Sandin did not return for the start of the second after blocking a shot at the end of the first and leaving the ice in obvious pain

This is the weirdest possible 1-1 hockey game I've maybe ever seen

2-1 Capitals. Aliaksei Protas caps off a great sequence with his linemates, and the Caps finally get the go-ahead goal after dominating since the second period started

Jakob Chychrun just tried a lacrosse goal

Hendrix Lapierre has ended his nearly two-year long goalless streak. The way his teammates just celebrated with him on the ice? That was special to see

This the first time in 15 games that the Canucks have scored more than 3 goals. Last time was a 5-4 shootout win vs. the Bruins on Dec 20.

The Canucks beat the Caps to end their 11-game losing streak. This, on paper, was the most winnable game of the trip for the Caps and they still couldn’t get it done. Their losing streak stands at four

4-2 Canucks. Filip Hronek on a two-on-one. Lot of game left, but the Caps are nowhere to be found right now. In danger of losing, maybe even getting blown out by, the worst team in the NHL

And now the Caps will be down 5v3, with 1:14 left on Carlson's penalty. Connor McMichael heading off for holding

John Carlson did NOT like that penalty call. Yelled so loud I could hear him from the press box, which is *way* up there here in Vancouver

Deflects in off Matt Roy's skate. Unlucky play, but also was coming by how the Canucks had come to life

2-2. Caps have majorly let off the gas since their early two goals, and the Canucks get it tied. Ugly

2-1. Brock Boeser after David Kampf beat Rasmus Sandin on the puck in the corner

2-0 Capitals. The hometown kid Justin Sourdif with a power play goal on what was left of Marcus Pettersson's high sticking call. A start to this one that the Caps desperately needed

1-0 Capitals. Dylan Strome scores at the net front on a five-on-three

Lines for the Caps here in Vancouver: McMichael-Strome-Leonard Protas-Sourdif-Wilson Ovechkin-Dowd-Frank Duhaime-Lapierre-Beauvillier Chychrun-Carlson Fehervary-Roy Sandin-TvR Thompson

It certainly appears Tom Wilson could return to the Capitals' lineup tonight. Our @baileyannej.bsky.social has more from Vancouver:

Artturi Lehkonen makes it 4-2, for real this time. The Avs are just so good

The Caps got the challenge right. No goal. 3-2 with 8:55 left. Game back on, if they can get a spark from that

Caps are challenging for goaltender interference. Martin Necas knocked Lindgren's stick out of his hand before he pushed across to try to make the save, but is that enough?

4-2 Colorado. Cale Makar with a ridiculous shot, and that will probably do it for the Caps' hopes here

Four seconds left in the second period, offensive zone draw for the Caps, and Spencer Carbery looked to signal to Charlie Lindgren that he wanted to pull him to go six-on-five. He then changed his mind