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After a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at Bell Centre on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens clinched the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and will play the Washington Capitals, the top seed in the conference, in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Washington, who is currently 51-21-9 (.685 points percentage) and finish the regular season at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (7 PM ET, ESPN), went 2-0-1 in three games against Montreal during the regular season, including a 6-3 win at Capital One Arena on October 31 and 4-2 victory at Bell Centre on December 7 despite trailing in each game.

East is now officially set:

Toronto vs Ottawa
Tampa Bay vs Florida

Washington vs Montreal
Carolina vs New Jersey

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— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) April 17, 2025

The team finished first in the East a year after qualifying for the postseason as the second wild-card via the second tie breaker (32 regulation wins to 27) despite tying the Detroit Red Wings with 91 points.

Left-wing Alex Ovechkin’s 43 goals and 1.13 points-per-game (72 in 64) lead Washington despite the fact that he missed 16 games in November and December with a broken leg. Center Dylan Strome leads the team with career-highs in assists (52) and points (81) in 81 contests.

Goaltender Logan Thompson went 31-6-6 with a .910 save percentage, 2.49 goals-against average, and two shutouts this season, including going 1-0-1 with an .889 save percentage in two games against the Canadiens.

The Capitals may start the series without Thompson (upper-body injury; has not played since April 2) and Aliaksei Protas (lower-body; April 4).

Montreal, who will qualify for the postseason for the first time since losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, has won eight of their last 11 games with one more to go in the regular season and a 40-31-11 record (.555 points percentage). They are 29-15-8 (.635) since starting 11-16-3.

Center Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 89 points, at least 18 more than any other Canadien, in 82 outings. Suzuki and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson co-lead the team with 60 assists. Right-wing Cole Caufield has a team-leading 37 goals.

Goaltender Sam Montembeault entered Wednesday 30-24-7 with a .901 save percentage, 2.83 goals-against average, and four shutouts in 61 games this season. He gave up four goals on 35 shots (.886) in Montreal’s 4-2 loss to Washington on December 7, the only appearance he made against the Capitals this season.

Montreal beat Washington in seven games during the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eighth seed in the East in their only prior postseason meeting despite trailing the series 3-1. Washington won the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s best regular-season record that season.

The NHL has yet to release the series schedule.

All eight series for the first round are locked. The others are the:

• second-seeded Carolina Hurricanes against the third-seeded New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division
• Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs against the first wild-card Ottawa Senators
• second-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the third-seeded Florida Panthers in the Atlantic
• First-seeded Winnipeg Jets vs. second wild-card St. Louis Blues in the Central
• second-seeded Dallas Stars vs. third-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the Central
• First-seeded Vegas Golden Knights vs. first wild-card Minnesota Wild in the Pacific
• second-seeded Los Angeles Kings and third-seeded Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific

By Harrison Brown

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski

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WASHINGTON (AP) — In the U.S. capital, hundreds of Ethiopians dressed in traditional white shawls chant in the ancient liturgical language of one of the oldest branches of Christianity.

During hourslong worship services, the Ge’ez language reverberates throughout DSK Mariam Church. Congregants prostrate themselves in reverence to God and bow when a priest walks among them swinging a censer burning incense.

Formally known as Re’ese Adbarat Debre Selam Kidist Mariam Church, it was founded in Washington in 1987. It now has more than 1,500 registered members, and church leaders say more than 4,000 people attend services each week.

DSK Mariam is part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches — one of the oldest Christian faiths in Africa. There’s keen interest in preserving Ge’ez, and other traditions of the faith, for future generations in the bustling District of Columbia region — home to the largest Ethiopian diaspora community in the United States.

“Our tradition is full of values that are relevant for today, for the modern age. So, these kids, if they learn the tradition, the language, and also the faith — they can balance,” Abraham Habte-Sellassie, a “kesis” or priest, said ahead of a recent Lent service that started at midnight and ended at midday.

“Life here is very hectic, and it’s geared toward material profit.”

Ethiopian diaspora in the US has grown over 50 years

Many Ethiopian families have come to the U.S. over the past 50 years, having left their home country after the 1974 overthrow of the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, who is worshipped by most members of the Rastafari faith.

Estimates range widely on the number of Ethiopians in the U.S, from more than 250,000 to unofficial estimates by diaspora leaders that it’s closer to 1 million. By far the largest Ethiopian community is in the D.C. metro area — notably the Maryland and Virginia counties close to Washington.

They contribute significantly to the area’s economic well-being and cultural vitality, said Tsehaye Teferra, founder and president of a D.C.-based refugee resettlement agency, Ethiopian Community Development Council.

To reach young people and new converts, DSK Mariam also offers services in Amharic and English. Congregants can follow the prayers on large plasma TVs that hang from church columns decorated with the green, yellow and red colors of the Ethiopian flag.

“It really feels like home,” said Kannazegelila Mezgebu, a 21-year-old born in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

“The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has so many beautiful rituals and services. … Every day has its own meaning and a very deep one,” said Mezgebu, a senior at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Sometimes, she said, it can be a struggle to keep up with traditions amid so many distractions in the city. But it’s worth it, she said, for the church to encourage other young Ethiopian Americans to find a fulfilling spiritual path and reconnect with their roots.

“Everything is so beautiful and so interesting to learn,” she said. “That’s what makes me really love this church.”

Symbolism is woven throughout their faith practice

“There’s so many deep, rooted meanings behind every tradition,” said Beza Bililigne, a youth ministry leader.

He pointed out examples: Congregants take off their shoes before they enter the church as a sign of respect.

The “netela,” the white scarf-like cotton cloth worn by worshippers, signifies modesty and purity and symbolizes the cloth they believe Jesus was wrapped in at birth and crucifixion, Bililigne said. The incense from the censer, he said, represents the Virgin Mary, and the coal that burns it, the divinity of Jesus.

Worship is intergenerational and incorporates the senses. During the recent service, children’s laughter mixed with the priests’ chants as deacons held an umbrella, a symbolic covering of their holy liturgy.

When bells tolled for Communion, congregants lined up to receive it, waiting their turn for a priest to break bread and place a piece into their mouths.

Some worshippers lit candles and asked for heavenly intercession to safeguard relatives back home. Ethiopia faces recurring conflict in several of its regions; millions of people are in need of food aid and health care.

“People who are here in our congregation, some have some relatives imprisoned or killed back home,” said Habte-Sellassie. “They come here and pour out their soul before the Lord so that God can bring peace to the country.”

At the end of the service, church members recorded a video of an elder chanting a liturgy passed on from his ancestors. The footage is posted on the church’s YouTube channel to preserve it for future generations in hopes they maintain the tradition.

“A lot of our traditions, a lot of our prayers are asked for us to know by memory,” Bililigne said. “As long as the person is alive, the traditions will stay alive.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

The Washington Commanders can breathe a little easier going into this year’s NFL Draft knowing that they have their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels.

Speaking from a place of experience, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane offered his take on the Commanders and advised them for their directions going into this year’s draft.

READ MORE: Commanders urged to make trade for $12 million Bills’ pass rusher

Bills GM offers advice to Commanders

“Ultimately make sure he is protected,” Beane said via ESPN insider John Keim. “How does he play as many games as possible? [Daniels is] an elusive runner as well, so having those conversations with him as well of being smart. We had to have a lot of those with Josh and sometimes still do. He can be a knucklehead sometimes.

“It’s just showing him on film, ‘Hey, you had an opportunity to get out of bounds. You had an opportunity to get down.’ Having those discussions about when do you need to put your body on the line, and when do you not? You can’t put him in bubble wrap, but [it’s about] protecting him with the line and then him protecting himself.”

The Commanders will look to protect Daniels further with some players during the 2025 NFL Draft, which takes place from April 24-26.

READ MORE: Commanders fans should keep an eye on this sneaky draft fit

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

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