In a pivotal moment for the NHL playoff race, the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins secured crucial victories, while the Washington Capitals faced a setback, losing their fourth straight game. The Islanders defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2, with Noah Dobson scoring the go-ahead goal, moving into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They now tie with the Philadelphia Flyers in points but remain behind due to the tiebreaker on regulation wins, with both teams having 6 games left. The Penguins triumphed over the Capitals with a 4-1 victory, inching closer to the playoff chase and now just one point out of a wild card spot. This has intensified the competition for the playoff spots, with the Flyers, Islanders, Capitals, and Penguins all closely contending for positioning.
Here come the Penguins. They just rattled off six points in Manhattan, Newark and DC in the past 72 hours. Now they return home with a surging No. 1 goalie, a team filled with belief, young legs making a difference and stars hungry to pull this off: https://t.co/NdHXVFE2Op
New faces help Penguins beat Capitals 4-1 and move closer to a playoff spot https://t.co/QamU9TXZsb
Noah Dobson scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the #Isles stayed alive in their quest for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a win over the Blue Jackets on Thursday night. https://t.co/jLoAp2Vwk5
Islanders beat Jackets, leapfrog Capitals for wild-card spot. 👀 https://t.co/SU6MQPFROP https://t.co/jY09jKGTzh
Penguins inch closer to playoff spot with win over Capitals. 🐧 https://t.co/hHO1ZDbYCH https://t.co/01tr1NNoG1
Dobson scores go-ahead goal, Islanders beat Blue Jackets 4-2 to keep playoff hopes alive https://t.co/1jysz1EdQZ https://t.co/4CuYjk0SDR
Islanders and Penguins win, Capitals lose, Red Wings off. #Flyers still in 3rd in Metro with tiebreaker over Isles who have now played same number of games (76). Caps and Red Wings have played 75 and are one point back. With their win, Pens are two points back of Flyers/Isles. https://t.co/BzUkUSKk8E
Islanders get past Blue Jackets, move into wild card ⤵️ https://t.co/yCZfbdFrI1
It's Starting to Get Real for Penguins; They Beat Washington, 4-1 https://t.co/u0XdhAZyqq
Islanders move into playoff spot after third straight victory in roller-coaster run https://t.co/UPatpFnJRK https://t.co/zILJrzxAfQ
New faces help Penguins beat Capitals 4-1 and move closer to a playoff spot https://t.co/nxBloHMkpF
#Isles have scored PPGs in three straight games.
Penguins defeat Capitals, gain in Eastern wild card https://t.co/VAKIZeb4NZ
#Isles not only find themselves back in a wild-card spot but tie #LetsGoFlyers in points. Could have been in third place in Metro if not for allowing Philly to score with 9 seconds to play on Monday. PHI holds the tie-breaker (RW).
#Isles move into second wild-card spot after beating Blue Jackets | @AGrossNewsday https://t.co/32flpkhZPT
This win moves the Isles into playoff position. Meanwhile, the Canes lost and are stuck 5 points behind #NYR with 6 games to play for both teams. Lots of teams in the mix for the final few spots in the East playoffs, but a battle of New York is very much in the cards 👀 https://t.co/lyEvjaWFb8
Flyers remain in third place as WSH loses to PIT, NYI beats CBJ. Flyers have tiebreaker over NYI (regulation wins). Standings: 3. Flyers — 83 points, six games left 4. Isles — 83 points, six games left 5. Caps — 82 points, seven games left 6. Pens — 81 points, six games left
Caps lose 4-1 to visiting Pens so #Isles now hold Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot.
Islanders now tied with the Flyers with the same games played. Penguins are two points back with the same number of games played. Capitals remain one point back with one game in hand. In other words, it's still very tight -- but technically, the Flyers remain in a playoff spot.
#Pens 4, #Caps 1 #Isles 4, #CBJ 2 NYI-WSH-DET-PIT 83-82-82-81 #Sabres at 77. No excuse not to be in with this group. Friday: PHL-BUF, WSH-CAR, NYR-DET https://t.co/ch06Q9EKYu
The Penguins pick up a vital win over Washington in their playoff chase 👀 Updated Metro standings: Flyers — 83 PTS, 76 GP Islanders — 83 PTS, 76 GP Capitals — 82 PTS, 75 GP Penguins — 81 PTS, 76 GP All four teams are in play for the third spot in the Metro and the second… https://t.co/kXoi0uHheQ
Pens whip Caps, 4-1. Caps still a point behind #Flyers and have a game in hand. Penguins inch to within two points of Philly.
It's Starting to Get Real; Penguins Beat Washington, 4-1 https://t.co/nOD0MF9Vo0
So, NYI are in a playoff spot with a 4-2 victory over Columbus...and Penguins are two points out after beating Washington 4-1. Crosby making a late charge at the Hart Trophy.
In the biggest game of the year, things went south for the Capitals, and it was too much to overcome in a 4-1 loss to the Penguins. All the takeaways and what went wrong as D.C. drops its fourth straight game while the playoff picture gets blurrier: https://t.co/s0sDkq7Drd
#Isles beat #CBJ 4-2. #ALLCAPS lose 4-1 to #LetsGoPens. Peeps, NYI is back in a playoffs spot with six games to go @TheHockeyNews https://t.co/7a29pGeR5n
The Islanders leap frog the Caps into the 2nd WC spot. Pens 2 points away after beating Washington.
Isles beat CBJ, 4-2, and tie #Flyers with 83 points. Both have 6 games left. Flyers own tie-breaker (regulation wins)
Islanders defeat the Blue Jackets 4-2. They'll move one point ahead of the Capitals into the second wild card. Also tied with Flyers for third in Metro, but Flyers hold tiebreaker.
#Isles worked their butts off tonight, 4th win in 5 games. Caps loss puts #Isles back in a playoff spot for the moment, with DET and WSH playing tomorrow.
#Isles W! https://t.co/zjWmUfy4tm
Islanders empty net goal by Palmieri with 38 seconds left in the 3rd period. #CBJ trail 4-2.
The Caps looked awful against the Sabres on Tuesday and are flat again tonight. After 2 periods the Pens lead 3-0 and are 20 minutes away from being one point out of a wild card spot.
After 40, Capitals trail Penguins 3-0. Pittsburgh up 16-13 in SOG.
End of two in Columbus and it remains 2-2. #CBJ #Isles Islanders are dominating shots (32-15) and attempts (59-33) but Greaves continues to be sharp in relief of Tarasov, who was sharp prior to leaving with an injury in the first.
#Isles and #CBJ tied at 2-2 after 2 periods. NYI up 32-15 in shots. PIT up 3-0 over WSH. If NYI doesn't win the third period and PIT holds on, PIT jumps NYI. If NYI does win the third period, they jump WSH and sit in second wild-card spot tied with PHI in points.
2-2 game through 40 minutes at Nationwide Arena. Shots on goal are 32-15 Islanders. Greaves has been fantastic so far. #CBJ
Penguins have 3 goals on 12 shots and have a 3-0 lead on Caps late in second. #Flyers are a point ahead of Caps, and 4 points ahead of Pens.
#CBJ and the Islanders are tied, 2-2, after the opening period of play. Shots are 18-9, NYI.
End of one in Columbus and it's 2-2 ... great work by Tarasov (before he was injured) and Greaves in the #CBJ net are why the #Isles didn't score more on their 18 shots. Jackets netted two of their 10.
Well that was a wild period. 2-2 after 20, with #CBJ goals from Voronkov and Marchenko, who already has two points. Isles had 18 shots on goal in the first though on 36 shot attempts. Tarasov also had to leave the game.
Goalie change for #CBJ. Jet Greaves enters the game with 2:07 left in the 1st period. Daniil Tarasov exits with an injury having stopped 13-of-15 shots.
#CBJ and the Islanders tied at two as Marchenko scores his 21st goal of the season with 2:38 left in the 1st period. Assists to Werenski and Sillinger.
Islanders goal by Horvat with 6:12 left in the 1st period to give New York a 2-1 lead over #CBJ.
Islanders back on top with 6:12 left in the first. 2-1. Mat Barzal across the royal road to Bo Horvat for a one-timer past Tarasov. #CBJ
#CBJ pull even at 9:46 of the first. Voronkov redirects a Marchenko slap shot from the left circle, then buries the rebounds. That's 18 goals for the rookie. 1-1
The puck is dropped. Capitals' biggest game of the year against the Penguins is underway.
It's time. Tune in to @MonSportsNet 2 for our Alt-Cast. My guys @Tarik_ElBashir, Bruce Boudreau classing the studio up. Guests include: @Tress_Way @ryanellisracing @wyshynski. This should be fun! https://t.co/f600wbwyey
⚠️ WE'VE GOT A HUGE GAME IN D.C. ⚠️ The @penguins and @Capitals are only separated by three points in their hunt for the #StanleyCup Playoffs. Who pulls out the W tonight? https://t.co/InwFEjVlOU
'Biggest Game of the Year,' What Does Penguins vs. Capitals Mean? (It Greatly Affects #Flyers) https://t.co/o6u4ZSa7v8
Something new for the biggest game of the season tonight. Live coverage from me on @TheHockeyNews as the Capitals take on the Penguins in a key game with major playoff implications. Follow along with real-time updates, and I'll be here on X, too. https://t.co/vYd5qaUHbU
#Isles vs. #CBJ coming a tad after 7 PM. Other game to watch is #ALLCAPS vs. #LetsGoPens at 7 PM.
It’s the Capitals’ biggest game of the year — again — as they take on the Penguins in a crucial showdown. Here’s everything to know before puck drop, including lines, stats, players to watch, playoff implications and much more 📝: https://t.co/DPxMknnx9R
It’s the Capitals’ biggest game of the year — again — as they take o. The Penguins in a crucial showdown. Here’s everything to know before puck drop, including lines, stats, players to watch, playoff implications and much more 📝: https://t.co/DPxMknnx9R
Huge game for the #ALLCAPS tonight! Also pumped for the debut of the Capitals Alt-Cast w/ @granthpaulsen, Bruce Boudreau and me. We’ve got great guests. So stop by for analysis, banter and, of course, Bruce stories. Watch live on MNMT 2 and on the app: https://t.co/GHaG5TC63f https://t.co/4k48FdWTNl
“It’s our biggest game of the year." “The last week or so we’ve put a pretty good stretch together and we’re in the fight here." On another big game between the Capitals and Penguins (and Ovechkin and Crosby): https://t.co/zxOYslSNAS
#Pens at #Caps in a massive game tonight with all the challengers rooting for PIT in regulation. Also #Isles at #CBJ. #Sabres off tonight, host #Flyers on Friday while Caps are in Carolina and DET hosts #NYR https://t.co/GeznzyrFrU
Happy "if the Caps beat the Penguins in regulation, Pittsburgh's playoff chances are almost completely cooked" day to all who celebrate. Big one tonight. Gotta have it. https://t.co/m5LTt5lxXu
#Isles will be on the ice later this morning before battling #CBJ tonight at 7 PM. A win and a WSH regulation loss (playing PIT) would have NYI in second wild-card spot, tied with PHI in points but below them due to RW tie-breaker. Going to OT on Mon hurt NYI there.
Tonight’s the night. The Caps are playing the Penguins in the biggest game of their season and the Monumental Alt-Cast debuts. Tune in to MSN-2 and hang with me, Bruce Boudreau and @Tarik_ElBashir. https://t.co/ig3cdA9o4t
The Capitals played what was called the biggest game of the season last week against Detroit. Now, they have a second “biggest game of the year, this time against the rival Penguins. Here are the implications. Odds and how the #ALLCAPS are approaching it: https://t.co/xx3IaQHho3
Islanders need Ilya Sorokin to build off funk-snapping win with playoff hopes still alive https://t.co/1Zxo7PTD2v https://t.co/joWriJlDAu
Capitals to face Penguins in ‘our biggest game of the year,’ Carbery says https://t.co/zxOYslSNAS
Capitals to face Penguins in ‘our biggest game of the year,’ Carbery says ⤵️ https://t.co/PMaTfPZ4jj
#Caps Tangle with Pens — Thursday’s Caps-Pens game has playoff implications for both sides, Wilson ready to return: https://t.co/OVj8PCpgv7
The first ever MNMT Alt-Cast debuts TOMORROW 🚨 @granthpaulsen, Bruce Boudreau and @Tarik_ElBashir will be LIVE during #CapsPens on MNMT 2 for all your in-game analysis and coverage! More info 🔗: https://t.co/DxwuEwnyJH https://t.co/9Sm93uIwFM
The #ALLCAPS, 0-2-1 in their last 3 after last night’s lopsided loss at BUF, still occupy WC2 but 😬 with 8 to go—a homestretch that includes matchups w/ PIT, DET, TBL and PHI. The regular season, btw, concludes at PHI on 4/16 👀. Buckle up, folks! https://t.co/MyW2Ks83Wn