Washington Capitals keep playoff spot with 5-3 win over Detroit Red Wings -NHL Update
Washington was going into the matchup against a tough team, Detroit, just hoping to keep their last playoff spot secure and luckily did manage to as the Capitals stormed in quickly to score defeating Red Wings, 5-3, Monday night, March 19, 2012, at the sold-out
Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Capitals managed to hold on to number eight in the Eastern Conference, keeping Buffalo Sabres at bay with 80 points.
Detroit attempted to make a comeback in the final 20 minutes of regulation but failed to add the deciding goals near the end.
"In the end we got a push, but we came up short," Red Wings’ coach, Mike Babcock, said. "With the line-up we have, we can't out race anybody to four or five. We have to win 3-2 or 2-1. We have to give up as little as we possibly can. I think we had lots
of effort. No problem with that, but we can't get behind and especially to a good team. We dug ourselves a hole."
Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the opening period alone, both on power plays and bringing up his total to 32 in the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season and his third and two matchups.
Mike Knuble also contributed for three goals in the first, getting a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the second period.
Kyle Quincey added Detroit’s first of the night 5:15 into the second on an added man advantage of their own, but Washington was right behind them as Keith Aucoin followed up with less than three minutes remaining.
Todd Bertuzzi and Danny Cleary brought the score down to a one point match to level it all but failing to score in the final minutes cost them as Jason Chimera secured it at 19:39 with the extra skater on board.
Detroit is currently in a major slump having lost five games now. They will definitely not have it any easier as they meet up with New York Rangers on Wednesday.
"We can't sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. We're not going anywhere that way," Red Wings’ defenseman, Niklas Kronwall, said. "We have to find a way to come together as a group and move forward, still try to think positive, see things positive."
Washington is also feeling a little intimidated as they have the next against Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
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