Capitals Gain Playoff Ground With 2-1 Victory Over Kraken: McMichael’s Breakaway Goal Seals the Deal

Friday, March 15th, 2024

In Seattle, a decisive moment came from Connor McMichael during a breakaway, leading the Washington Capitals to a slender 2-1 triumph against the Seattle Kraken with only 8:24 left on the clock. This victory was crucial for the Capitals, edging them closer to a playoff position as they now find themselves just one point behind both the New York Islanders and Detroit in the race for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card position.

T.J. Oshie marked his 999th game in the NHL by contributing to the Capitals' scoring efforts, while their goaltender, Charlie Lindgren, successfully blocked 23 shots. For the Kraken, Oliver Bjorkstrand managed to net a goal, but the team still trails the Vegas team by nine points for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The game's balance was tipped in the Capitals' favor when McMichael capitalized on a mistake by Bjorkstrand to net his 14th goal of the year.

Both teams' coaches, Spencer Carbery of the Capitals and Dave Hakstol of the Kraken, pointed out the pivotal role that individual errors played in determining the game's outcome. Oshie had previously helped Washington to gain an early advantage in the second period through a goal that resulted from a fortunate deflection off of Seattle's goaltender, Joey Daccord. However, Bjorkstrand managed to level the score for the Kraken with a third-period power-play goal, aided by Yanni Gourde.

The Capitals are set to continue their journey on the western road, facing Vancouver next on Saturday night, while the Kraken will be hosting Nashville in their upcoming game.

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