Verhaeghe, Panthers eliminate Capitals in OT

Washington is one and executed.

The Washington Capitals had been despatched packing in Sport 6 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Florida Panthers on Friday, falling 4-3 in extra time.

Carter Verhaeghe had the game-winner for Florida, his sixth purpose of the postseason. The defeat made for 3 consecutive first-round exits for Washington, who have not superior within the playoffs since successful a Stanley Cup in 2018.

The Panthers hadn’t gained a playoff sequence since 1996, after they appeared in a Cup Remaining. Florida strikes on now to face the winner between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs within the second spherical. Sport 7 of that sequence is about for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

Washington was in a troublesome place coming into these playoffs, with the eight seed up in opposition to the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners. Florida dominated the league offensively from the get-go and topped out at a franchise-record 122 factors.

Nonetheless, the Capitals gave Florida all it might deal with, taking a 2-1 sequence lead after Sport 3.

The truth is, Washington gained Sport 1 and Sport 3 by a mixed rating of 10-3, pushing Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to the restrict and difficult Florida’s steady of high-octane forwards. In Sport 5, the Capitals held a 3-0 lead too, however they let it slip away to finish up with their very own backs in opposition to the wall.

That was an important swing for the Panthers. It not solely gave them again an higher hand within the sequence however quieted a few of Washington’s burgeoning confidence forward of what can be a decisive Sport 6 in their very own constructing.

However even in Sport 6, Washington scored late to pressure extra time and made the Panthers work for the sequence victory.

The Capitals had been on the board first too, when Nic Dowd beat Bobrovsky early within the second interval. However Ryan Lomberg responded shortly for Florida, making it 2-2 heading into the third interval.

The Capitals stored the strain on, and Nicklas Backstrom put them again on prime lower than two minutes into that ultimate body. Claude Giroux notched his third of the postseason for Florida to even issues up halfway although, and captain Aleksander Barkov scored the go-ahead purpose for the Panthers late within the third.

The Panthers transfer on now to the second spherical holding the inauspicious designation of the one playoff group to not have scored an influence play purpose. Florida went 0-for-19 in opposition to Washington with the additional man, after boasting the league’s fifth-best energy play (24.4%) within the common season.