Washington Capitals coasted to a 2-0 loss against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night that had more to do with preparing for the playoffs than winning the regular-season finale.
The Capitals rested several regulars, including T.J. Oshie, Matt Niskanen and Justin Williams, and sat injured defenseman John Carlson for a fourth consecutive game to get ready for the postseason. They learned during the game that they'll face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, the first playoff meeting between the two franchises.
"They have lots of young guys, lots of speed," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. "I think it's gonna be a good series. We just have to play our way and don't give them obviously freedom and be patient."
The Leafs' regulation loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday set up the showdown with the Capitals, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the most points in the NHL and finished the season 11-2-1. Washington largely went through the motions during its meaningless Game 82 as goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 14 of 15 shots in two periods before giving way to backup Philipp Grubauer.
Captain Derek MacKenzie and Denis Malgin scored for Florida, which got a 38-save shutout from James Reimer in Tom Rowe's final game as coach. Rowe will not return behind the bench after replacing Gerard Gallant in November.
"It's not a good feeling, especially with the expectations being as high as they were," Rowe said. "A very disappointing season, obviously, but just talking to the coaches ... to a guy they're going to be better for it next year. Sometimes you've got to take a step backwards."
The Capitals took another step forward, earning into their ninth playoff appearance in 10 years, most notably with their strong play down the stretch after a four-game skid that Daniel Winnik called a "blessing in disguise."
"I think that's what made us play as well as we did down the stretch knowing we had to win games to get the Metro, to get the Presidents' Trophy," said Winnik, who was traded from the Maple Leafs at the 2016 trade deadline. "I think going forward in the playoffs this year we're much more well-prepared for playoff-style hockey."
Playoff-style hockey against Calder Trophy front-runner Auston Matthews and the rookie-laden Maple Leafs could mean up-and-down games with plenty of chances. Washington won two of the teams' three meetings this season, one of them in overtime, most recently winning in Toronto on Tuesday when Holtby said the Capitals figured out they could match the Maple Leafs' speed and skill.
"They're an improving team," coach Barry Trotz said. "They've got a generational player in Matthews and they've got some young guys and they play hard every night and they've got speed. ... They're the young, up-and-coming team and they've played very, very well and deserve to be in the playoffs."
Game 1 is expected to be Thursday night in Washington with Game 2 Saturday before the series shifts to Toronto, which Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner expects to present a "bonkers" atmosphere. The Maple Leafs are in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and face a major challenge against the deep, experienced Capitals.
"They're big, they're strong, they're fast," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "They've been beat a number of times in the playoffs, so they're battle-tested to say the least. And they're as hungry as any team in the National Hockey League and playing as good."
Game notes
The Capitals called up 2009 sixth-round pick Garrett Mitchell to make his NHL debut and also recalled F Chandler Stephenson to play. ... Because of injuries, the Panthers dressed eight defensemen and 10 forwards. ... Rowe said it will be up to president of hockey operations Dale Tallon to decide if Jaromir Jagr is back next season.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Offseason
Capitals: Open the playoffs Thursday at home against Toronto.
J. Reimer (Panthers - G): Saves: 38, Save Pct.: 1.000

D. MacKenzie (Panthers - C): Goals: 1, Assists: 0


G. Mitchell (Capitals - LW): Goals: 0, Assists: 0
* - A player receives a "plus" if he is on the ice when his Club scores an even-strength or shorthand goal. He receives a "minus" if he is on the ice for an even-strength or shorthand goal scored by the opposing Club. The difference in these numbers is considered the player's plus-minus statistic.
WASHINGTON -- Getting out-of-town score updates during intermission, the The Capitals rested several regulars, including T.J. Oshie, Matt Niskanen and Justin Williams, and sat injured defenseman John Carlson for a fourth consecutive game to get ready for the postseason. They learned during the game that they'll face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, the first playoff meeting between the two franchises.
"They have lots of young guys, lots of speed," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. "I think it's gonna be a good series. We just have to play our way and don't give them obviously freedom and be patient."
The Leafs' regulation loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday set up the showdown with the Capitals, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the most points in the NHL and finished the season 11-2-1. Washington largely went through the motions during its meaningless Game 82 as goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 14 of 15 shots in two periods before giving way to backup Philipp Grubauer.
Captain Derek MacKenzie and Denis Malgin scored for Florida, which got a 38-save shutout from James Reimer in Tom Rowe's final game as coach. Rowe will not return behind the bench after replacing Gerard Gallant in November.
"It's not a good feeling, especially with the expectations being as high as they were," Rowe said. "A very disappointing season, obviously, but just talking to the coaches ... to a guy they're going to be better for it next year. Sometimes you've got to take a step backwards."
The Capitals took another step forward, earning into their ninth playoff appearance in 10 years, most notably with their strong play down the stretch after a four-game skid that Daniel Winnik called a "blessing in disguise."
"I think that's what made us play as well as we did down the stretch knowing we had to win games to get the Metro, to get the Presidents' Trophy," said Winnik, who was traded from the Maple Leafs at the 2016 trade deadline. "I think going forward in the playoffs this year we're much more well-prepared for playoff-style hockey."
Playoff-style hockey against Calder Trophy front-runner Auston Matthews and the rookie-laden Maple Leafs could mean up-and-down games with plenty of chances. Washington won two of the teams' three meetings this season, one of them in overtime, most recently winning in Toronto on Tuesday when Holtby said the Capitals figured out they could match the Maple Leafs' speed and skill.
"They're an improving team," coach Barry Trotz said. "They've got a generational player in Matthews and they've got some young guys and they play hard every night and they've got speed. ... They're the young, up-and-coming team and they've played very, very well and deserve to be in the playoffs."
Game 1 is expected to be Thursday night in Washington with Game 2 Saturday before the series shifts to Toronto, which Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner expects to present a "bonkers" atmosphere. The Maple Leafs are in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and face a major challenge against the deep, experienced Capitals.
"They're big, they're strong, they're fast," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. "They've been beat a number of times in the playoffs, so they're battle-tested to say the least. And they're as hungry as any team in the National Hockey League and playing as good."
Game notes
The Capitals called up 2009 sixth-round pick Garrett Mitchell to make his NHL debut and also recalled F Chandler Stephenson to play. ... Because of injuries, the Panthers dressed eight defensemen and 10 forwards. ... Rowe said it will be up to president of hockey operations Dale Tallon to decide if Jaromir Jagr is back next season.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Offseason
Capitals: Open the playoffs Thursday at home against Toronto.
7:00PM,EDT,April 9,2017
Verizon Center, Washington,District of Columbia
Verizon Center, Washington,District of Columbia
Play-by-play data may not reflect changes made after the game has ended.
1st Period Summary | ||
Time | Team | Detail |
---|---|---|
0:00 | Start of 1st period | |
0:00 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in neutral zone |
1:32 | Washington | Shot missed by Daniel Winnik |
2:13 | Washington | Shot on goal by Brooks Orpik saved by James Reimer |
2:14 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
2:14 | Florida | Derek MacKenzie won faceoff in defensive zone |
2:43 | Stoppage - Offside (Caused by Panthers) | |
2:43 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in neutral zone |
2:49 | Florida | Shot on goal by Jaromir Jagr saved by Braden Holtby |
2:50 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Braden Holtby) | |
2:50 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in offensive zone |
2:54 | Florida | Shot on goal by Alexander Petrovic saved by Braden Holtby |
3:00 | Florida | Shot on goal by Michael Matheson saved by Braden Holtby |
3:02 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Braden Holtby) | |
3:02 | Washington | Evgeny Kuznetsov won faceoff in defensive zone |
4:06 | Florida | Shot missed by Nick Bjugstad |
4:12 | Florida | Shot on goal by Thomas Vanek saved by Braden Holtby |
4:15 | Florida | Shot missed by Keith Yandle |
4:31 | Washington | Shot on goal by Paul Carey saved by James Reimer |
4:43 | Washington | Paul Carey shot blocked by MacKenzie Weegar |
4:52 | Washington | Shot missed by Brooks Orpik |
5:54 | Washington | Shot missed by Jay Beagle |
6:28 | Florida | Shot on goal by Denis Malgin saved by Braden Holtby |
6:49 | Washington | Shot on goal by Nate Schmidt saved by James Reimer |
7:27 | Washington | Shot on goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov saved by James Reimer |
7:28 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
7:28 | TV timeout | |
7:28 | Washington | Lars Eller won faceoff in offensive zone |
8:13 | Washington | Andre Burakovsky shot blocked |
8:41 | Florida | Shot on goal by Michael Matheson saved by Braden Holtby |
8:43 | Florida | Shot missed by Vincent Trocheck |
8:44 | Stoppage - Puck in Netting (Caused by Vincent Trocheck) | |
8:44 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in defensive zone |
8:51 | Stoppage - Icing (Caused by Capitals) | |
8:51 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in defensive zone |
9:32 | Washington | Shot on goal by Nicklas Backstrom saved by James Reimer |
9:42 | Florida | Shot on goal by Denis Malgin saved by Braden Holtby |
9:44 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Braden Holtby) | |
9:44 | Florida | Nick Bjugstad won faceoff in offensive zone |
11:06 | Washington | Shot on goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov saved by James Reimer |
11:21 | Stoppage - Offside (Caused by Capitals) | |
11:21 | TV timeout | |
11:21 | Florida | Denis Malgin won faceoff in neutral zone |
12:03 | Washington | Shot on goal by Lars Eller saved by James Reimer |
12:05 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
12:05 | Washington | Jay Beagle won faceoff in offensive zone |
12:09 | Washington | Shot on goal by Taylor Chorney saved by James Reimer |
12:11 | Washington | Shot missed by Jay Beagle |
12:23 | Washington | Shot on goal by Alex Ovechkin saved by James Reimer |
12:25 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
12:25 | Washington | Evgeny Kuznetsov won faceoff in offensive zone |
12:46 | Washington | Shot missed by Tom Wilson |
13:35 | Washington | Shot on goal by Karl Alzner saved by James Reimer |
14:27 | Florida | Keith Yandle shot blocked by Brooks Orpik |
15:12 | Washington | Shot missed by Alex Ovechkin |
15:21 | Florida | Shot on goal by Thomas Vanek saved by Braden Holtby |
15:55 | Washington | Shot on goal by Karl Alzner saved by James Reimer |
16:37 | Florida | Shot missed by Jaromir Jagr |
16:46 | Washington | Shot on goal by Marcus Johansson saved by James Reimer |
17:15 | Washington | Evgeny Kuznetsov credited with hit on Vincent Trocheck in defensive zone |
17:35 | Stoppage - Icing (Caused by Capitals) | |
17:35 | Florida | Washington Capitals won faceoff in offensive zone |
17:39 | Florida | Shot on goal by Florida Panthers saved by Braden Holtby |
17:40 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Braden Holtby) | |
17:40 | TV timeout | |
17:40 | Florida | Jonathan Marchessault won faceoff in offensive zone |
18:26 | Florida | Shot on goal by Thomas Vanek saved by Braden Holtby |
18:30 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Braden Holtby) | |
18:30 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in defensive zone |
19:14 | Washington | Shot on goal by Alex Ovechkin saved by James Reimer |
19:28 | Florida | Shot on goal by Jonathan Huberdeau saved by Braden Holtby |
19:29 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Braden Holtby) | |
19:29 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in offensive zone |
19:59 | Florida | Shot on goal by Mark Pysyk saved by Braden Holtby |
20:00 | End of 1st period | |
2nd Period Summary | ||
Time | Team | Detail |
0:00 | Start of 2nd period | |
0:00 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in neutral zone |
1:40 | Florida | Shot missed by Colton Sceviour |
1:54 | Florida | Shot on goal by Thomas Vanek saved by Braden Holtby |
3:07 | Washington | Shot on goal by Kevin Shattenkirk saved by James Reimer |
3:35 | Florida | Shot on goal by Jonathan Huberdeau saved by Braden Holtby |
3:47 | Florida | Shot on goal by Vincent Trocheck saved by Braden Holtby |
3:47 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped | |
3:47 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in defensive zone |
4:11 | Washington | Shot on goal by Jay Beagle saved by James Reimer |
4:22 | Washington | Dmitry Orlov shot blocked by MacKenzie Weegar |
4:25 | Florida | Penalty to MacKenzie Weegar 2 minutes for Tripping Alex Ovechkin |
4:25 | Florida | Shorthanded - Derek MacKenzie won faceoff in defensive zone |
5:26 | Washington | Power play - Shot missed by Alex Ovechkin |
5:57 | Florida | Shorthanded - Shot missed by Vincent Trocheck |
6:24 | Washington | Power play - Shot missed by Alex Ovechkin |
6:56 | Florida | Jonathan Huberdeau shot blocked by Brooks Orpik |
7:38 | Florida | Shot missed by Nick Bjugstad |
7:51 | Washington | Andre Burakovsky shot blocked by Ian McCoshen |
8:31 | Florida | Shot missed by MacKenzie Weegar |
9:40 | Washington | Evgeny Kuznetsov shot blocked by Alexander Petrovic |
9:45 | Washington | Shot on goal by Brooks Orpik saved by James Reimer |
10:07 | Stoppage - Puck out of Play | |
10:07 | TV timeout | |
10:07 | Washington | Jay Beagle won faceoff in neutral zone |
10:21 | Stoppage - Offside (Caused by Panthers) | |
10:21 | Florida | Derek MacKenzie won faceoff in neutral zone |
10:26 | Stoppage - Puck in Netting (Caused by Panthers) | |
10:26 | Florida | Derek MacKenzie won faceoff in neutral zone |
11:06 | Washington | Shot on goal by Alex Ovechkin saved by James Reimer |
11:26 | Florida | Shorthanded - Thomas Vanek shot blocked by Taylor Chorney |
12:22 | Washington | Shot on goal by Nate Schmidt saved by James Reimer |
12:23 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
12:23 | TV timeout | |
12:23 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in defensive zone |
13:05 | Florida | Jonathan Huberdeau shot blocked by Nate Schmidt |
13:30 | Washington | Shot missed by Paul Carey |
14:10 | Florida | Colton Sceviour shot blocked by Brooks Orpik |
14:33 | Florida | Penalty to Reilly Smith 2 minutes for Interference - Goalkeeper Braden Holtby |
14:33 | TV timeout | |
14:33 | Florida | Shorthanded - Derek MacKenzie won faceoff in defensive zone |
15:15 | Washington | Power play - Kevin Shattenkirk shot blocked by Keith Yandle |
15:26 | Florida | Shorthanded - Shot missed by Jonathan Huberdeau |
15:47 | Florida | Shorthanded Goal Scored by Derek MacKenzie assisted by Colton Sceviour |
15:47 | Washington | Power play - Evgeny Kuznetsov won faceoff in neutral zone |
16:30 | Washington | Power play - Shot on goal by Andre Burakovsky saved by James Reimer |
16:54 | Washington | Shot on goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov saved by James Reimer |
16:55 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
16:55 | Florida | Nick Bjugstad won faceoff in defensive zone |
17:08 | Stoppage - Puck out of Play (Caused by Thomas Vanek) | |
17:08 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in neutral zone |
18:22 | Washington | Shot on goal by Dmitry Orlov saved by James Reimer |
18:23 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
18:23 | Florida | Derek MacKenzie won faceoff in defensive zone |
19:45 | Washington | Shot on goal by Alex Ovechkin saved by James Reimer |
19:45 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
19:45 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in defensive zone |
20:00 | End of 2nd period | |
3rd Period Summary | ||
Time | Team | Detail |
0:00 | Start of 3rd period | |
0:00 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in neutral zone |
0:40 | Stoppage - Icing (Caused by Panthers) | |
0:40 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in defensive zone |
1:10 | Washington | Shot missed by Dmitry Orlov |
1:30 | Washington | Shot on goal by Marcus Johansson saved by James Reimer |
2:05 | Stoppage - Icing (Caused by Capitals) | |
2:05 | Florida | Nick Bjugstad won faceoff in offensive zone |
2:08 | Florida | Shot missed by Ian McCoshen |
3:15 | Washington | Garrett Mitchell credited with hit on Alexander Petrovic in offensive zone |
3:48 | Washington | Shot on goal by Alex Ovechkin saved by James Reimer |
4:02 | Florida | Shot missed by Vincent Trocheck |
5:52 | Washington | Shot missed by Brooks Orpik |
6:23 | Florida | Shot on goal by Vincent Trocheck saved by Philipp Grubauer |
6:25 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by Philipp Grubauer) | |
6:25 | TV timeout | |
6:25 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in defensive zone |
6:38 | Washington | Shot on goal by Taylor Chorney saved by James Reimer |
6:41 | Washington | Shot missed by Andre Burakovsky |
7:28 | Washington | Shot on goal by Marcus Johansson saved by James Reimer |
8:16 | Washington | Penalty to Tom Wilson 2 minutes for Interference Colton Sceviour |
8:16 | Florida | Power play - Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in offensive zone |
8:31 | Florida | Power play - Shot on goal by Keith Yandle saved by Philipp Grubauer |
8:54 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
8:54 | Florida | Penalty to Jonathan Marchessault 2 minutes for Roughing Lars Eller |
8:54 | Washington | Penalty to Lars Eller 2 minutes for Roughing Jonathan Marchessault |
8:54 | Washington | Shorthanded - Chandler Stephenson won faceoff in neutral zone |
9:12 | Stoppage - Offside (Caused by Panthers) | |
9:12 | Florida | Power play - Nick Bjugstad won faceoff in neutral zone |
9:47 | Florida | Power Play Goal Scored by Denis Malgin assisted by Reilly Smith and Nick Bjugstad |
9:47 | Washington | Nicklas Backstrom won faceoff in neutral zone |
9:55 | Florida | Alexander Petrovic credited with hit on Andre Burakovsky in defensive zone |
10:30 | Washington | Shot on goal by Kevin Shattenkirk saved by James Reimer |
10:43 | Florida | Shot on goal by Jaromir Jagr saved by Philipp Grubauer |
10:44 | Florida | Shot on goal by Jaromir Jagr saved by Philipp Grubauer |
11:29 | Washington | Shot missed by Marcus Johansson |
12:45 | Washington | Shot missed by Nate Schmidt |
12:52 | Washington | Shot on goal by Tom Wilson saved by James Reimer |
12:53 | Stoppage - Goalie Stopped (Caused by James Reimer) | |
12:53 | TV timeout | |
12:53 | Florida | Vincent Trocheck won faceoff in defensive zone |
13:48 | Washington | Shot on goal by Brooks Orpik saved by James Reimer |
14:03 | Washington | Andre Burakovsky shot blocked by Michael Matheson |
14:20 | Washington | Shot missed by Andre Burakovsky |
14:27 | Stoppage - Icing (Caused by Panthers) | |
14:27 | Panthers timeout | |
14:27 | Florida | Denis Malgin won faceoff in defensive zone |
15:58 | Washington | Shot on goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov saved by James Reimer |
16:52 | Washington | Shot missed by Andre Burakovsky |
18:02 | Washington | Shot on goal by Daniel Winnik saved by James Reimer |
18:02 | Washington | Shot on goal by Daniel Winnik saved by James Reimer |
18:11 | Florida | Shot on goal by Jonathan Marchessault saved by Philipp Grubauer |
18:22 | Florida | Jonathan Marchessault shot blocked by Nate Schmidt |
19:22 | Washington | Shot missed by Kevin Shattenkirk |
19:51 | Florida | Shot missed by Derek MacKenzie |
19:59 | Washington | Shot on goal by Lars Eller saved by James Reimer |
20:00 | End of 3rd period | |
20:00 | End of Game |
Player Summary
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Goaltending Summary
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* - A player receives a "plus" if he is on the ice when his Club scores an even-strength or shorthand goal. He receives a "minus" if he is on the ice for an even-strength or shorthand goal scored by the opposing Club. The difference in these numbers is considered the player's plus-minus statistic.
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