Late-season surge has underdog Capitals eager to face Rangers in first-round series

The Capitals have a postseason date with their former coach Peter Laviolette and his New York Rangers this weekend.

The series will begin Saturday or Sunday at Madison Square Garden, though the full schedule won’t be finalized until the NHL regular season concludes on Thursday.

The Rangers, led by Laviolette in his first season with the team, racked up 114 points and won their first Presidents’ Trophy since 2015. 

Though he failed to find playoff success in Washington, Laviolette and New York are poised for a playoff run after a dominant regular season.

“Significant challenge,” first-year Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said of the first-round matchup. “Best team in the NHL, so we know we have our hands full.”

Just making the playoffs proved to be a significant challenge for Washington. 

The Capitals’ -37 goal differential is the worst of any playoff team since 1991. 

Washington bounced around the bottom of the playoff standings near the end of the season, opening April with a six-game losing streak before winning four of their final five games to earn the last wild-card berth.

Washington returns to the postseason for the ninth time in 10 seasons. 

The team, which includes just five players from the 2018 squad that hoisted the Stanley Cup, is determined to taste playoff hockey again after failing to qualify in 2023.

“It means a lot,” said T.J. Oshie, who scored the game-winning goal in the regular season finale. “Once you win one time, the regular season just doesn’t have as much meaning as the playoff games, so to get back there is going to be super special and definitely won’t take it for granted. The boys will be ready to rock.”

The Capitals were playoff long shots at multiple points this season. 

On March 1, Washington sat in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the final wild-card spot. The team’s playoff odds seesawed throughout the season’s final six weeks — their playoff chances dropped to just 24% after a six-game skid at the start of April.

“We fight through lots of stuff … but I think the belief inside the locker room was tremendous,” Alex Ovechkin said. “We enjoyed that process. It’s … that type of atmosphere you want to be in, and we beat pretty good teams to be able to make it.”

A late scoring surge from the 38-year-old Russian helped keep Washington’s playoff hopes alive. 

Like the rest of the team, he struggled to start the season, recording just eight goals in the first 43 games — it seemed like Father Time had finally caught up to the three-time MVP.

Since then, Ovechkin has been on a tear, scoring 23 goals in the last 36 games. Only four players in the league have scored more goals than the Capitals’ winger since Jan. 27.

While the 12-time All-Star boosted the offense, goalie Charlie Lindgren kept the team in games with stout defense. The 30-year-old started in goal on back-to-back nights to end the season, saving 27 shots in the finale.

“There’s certainly been bumps in the road, there’s been adversity, but this team has answered the bell every single time,” Lindgren said Tuesday. “We’ve got guys out there competing as hard as they can … it’s been an incredible journey.”

The next step on that journey will see Lindgren share the ice with his brother, Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren.

“I’m really excited,” Charlie Lindgren said. “It’s going to be a fun family affair, obviously. I know my brother’s looking forward to it. My parents, I’m sure their stress levels are going to be high, but obviously so excited that our journey as a team, we’re not done yet.”

Inconsistent play from the Capitals caused the front office to pivot midseason, rocking the foundation of the once-stable roster. They traded away long-time players like Evgeny Kuznetsov and regularly welcomed players from their farm system. 

The Capitals have not won a playoff series since the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, earning first-round exits in their last four appearances.

Washington and the Rangers split their four-game regular season series with both teams winning their two home games.

This year’s postseason series, which begins with two games in New York, marks the sixth time since 2009 that the two teams will square off in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers won each of the last three postseason series against the Capitals.