Washington handled its business against Pittsburgh to remain in the playoff hunt, yet the night soured somewhat because, of the trio of Metro rivals chasing the same goal, two also picked up wins.
The Flyers rolled past Winnipeg by a 7-1 count.
Columbus likewise pummeled Montreal, 5-2.
A 3-0 shutout defeat for New York's Islanders carried its own significance for the Caps, eliminating Washington from any shot at the Eastern Conference's second wild card. Ottawa wrapped up the eighth seed in the process.
So what does the landscape look like with a pair of games still on the docket?
Image courtesy of the league's official standings page
Sitting in third on 94 points, the Flyers stay ahead of Columbus (92), then Washington and the Islanders, who each sit at 91 — and all three of those clubs remain mathematically alive.
Philadelphia closes at home versus Carolina, a club already locked into the Metro's top seed, and against Montreal, which is chasing the Atlantic title. Just a couple of points — whether a victory in either matchup or a pair of overtime/shootout setbacks — would finish off Washington's chances. For the Caps to survive, they must claim both of the contests still ahead, against Pittsburgh then Columbus, while Philadelphia manages nothing better than a 0-1-1 result.
Even a Washington loss to Pittsburgh or Columbus via overtime or the shootout leaves a path technically open. Under that scenario, the Caps would have to win either of the pair, watch Philadelphia drop both of its remaining contests within regulation time, and see Columbus add 2 points at most over its closing pair of outings.
Here's the upside: should Washington finish level with any Metro rival for the division's third position, the Caps go through, having already secured the regulation-wins tiebreaker.
MoneyPuck pegs Washington's odds at 8 percent entering the final pair of games — which, frankly, feels like a promising sign.
As MoneyPuck noted, the playoff field was nearly locked after Saturday's slate, an update the site posted on April 12, 2026.