The Washington Capitals have won three straight games, including a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, keeping their Eastern Conference playoff chances alive at 15.6 percent. Facing the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the team relies on strong performances from goaltender Logan Thompson and captain Alex Ovechkin. With seven games remaining, Washington eyes a late push before the regular season ends on April 14.
Washington's playoff odds appeared dim after a shutout loss to St. Louis on March 24, but the Capitals responded with victories over the Utah Mammoth, Vegas Golden Knights, and Flyers. According to MoneyPuck, they enter Thursday's game against the Devils, who are eliminated from contention, with the lowest remaining odds for an Eastern Conference spot at 15.6 percent. A home matchup against Buffalo follows on April 4, then road games at the New York Rangers on April 5 and Toronto Maple Leafs on April 8. Head coach Spencer Carbery has started Logan Thompson in eight straight games and 14 of the last 16 since the Olympic break, yielding an 8-4-2 record. Thompson ranks third league-wide with 53 games played, second in save percentage at .912, and fifth in goals-against average at 2.46. Alex Ovechkin scored five goals over his last three games, including a hat trick against Utah on March 26 and two against Philadelphia, reaching 30 goals for the 20th time in his career. At age 40 or older, he joins Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk, and Teemu Selanne as the only players to achieve this mark. Forward Justin Sourdif, acquired from the Florida Panthers in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, has tallied 15 goals and 32 points in 71 games. His ice time has risen from about 10 minutes per game early in the season to an average of 15:26 in March, peaking at 19:16 against Philadelphia.