Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Caps open rough stretch with game vs. Maple Leafs
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Capitals have won three in a row to significantly improve their playoff chances with 15 games remaining, but the next half-dozen will go a long way toward determining their fate.

The Capitals host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night to begin a stretch of six straight games against teams currently holding postseason positions.

Washington (33-25-9, 75 points) moved into a playoff spot for the first time since Jan. 2 with a 5-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday. However, the Capitals were bounced right back out 24 hours later when the Detroit Red Wings scored with 13 seconds left in regulation to tie the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday before winning 4-3 in overtime.

Detroit now holds the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot by one point over the Capitals and three over the New York Islanders.

Third place in the Metropolitan Division is also within reach for Washington, but the Philadelphia Flyers held off the Maple Leafs 4-3 on Tuesday to extend their lead to three points over the Capitals.

After the Capitals play the Maple Leafs, they host the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets and the Red Wings before heading to Toronto and then hosting the Boston Bruins on March 30.

"We keep fighting, keep playing and we go game by game," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said. "We all understand we still can do it. We're still in the battle. Every point counts. Of course, we all knew we're going to play against teams who are fighting for a playoff spot as well, and it's going to be playoffs mode, playoffs atmosphere."

Ovechkin is one of the reasons the Capitals have been surging.

He has three goals in the past two games, including two against the Flames, to give him 21 on the season. Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to put up 20-plus goals in each of his first 19 seasons.

After totaling eight goals through the opening 43 games this season, Ovechkin has scored 13 in the past 21 games to pull within 51 of Wayne Gretzky for the all-time NHL record.

Washington forward Dylan Strome continues to enjoy arguably the best season of his eight-year NHL career. He had a goal and an assist against Calgary to tie his career high with 23 goals.

"We're just coming together at the right time as a team," Strome said.

Toronto (38-20-9, 85 points) has lost two in a row for the first time since mid-January but still sits comfortably in third place in the Atlantic Division, seven points ahead of the fourth-place Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Maple Leafs trailed 3-0 entering the third period against the Flyers on Tuesday. Toronto then made things interesting by scoring the first two goals of the period and another with 2:10 left to pull within a goal, but the comeback was stopped there.

"Just didn't play well enough on our half of the ice with or without the puck," Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Just weren't sharp. Weren't sharp mentally. Couldn't pass the puck, couldn't handle the puck, didn't defend, didn't compete, so not a lot to like."

Mitch Marner, who ranks third on the Maple Leafs with 76 points, will miss his fifth straight game with an ankle injury.

Toronto forward Ryan Reaves left the game against the Flyers shortly after a fight with Nicolas Deslauriers in the first period, and he did not return.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Fans React to Potential 8-Year Deal for $50M Oilers Defenseman
NHL

Fans React to Potential 8-Year Deal for $50M Oilers Defenseman

As the Edmonton Oilers map out their long-term roster under GM Stan Bowman, a critical decision looms on the blue line: Should they sign defenseman Jake Walman to an eight-year extension? Walman, acquired earlier this offseason, is coming off a strong campaign and is currently playing on a $3.4 million deal. With free agency already a few weeks in, the defenseman eligible for a new deal, and his stock rising, now may be the Oilers’ best—and most cost-effective—window to lock him in before the bidding war begins. In a recent Oilers Nation piece, Tyler Yaremchuk highlighted the logic behind acting now. Because Edmonton holds his rights, they’re the only team that can offer Walman an eight-year deal under the current CBA. If everyone waits until the end of the season to sign an extension, a new CBA kicks in, maxing out his extension at seven years with the Oilers and six years with another team. That extra term could be key in securing a discount on average annual value. A deal in the $6-8 million range, perhaps eight years at $56 million, would give Walman financial security into his late 30s—especially appealing given his career earnings total around $12 million to date. From the Oilers’ perspective, it could be a shrewd move to secure a top-four defender at below-market value. The question about committing to an eight-year term is a valid one, however. Reaction to the Idea of a Long-Term Deal for Walman So what do fans think? Reactions to the idea have been mixed, though many see the upside. “Yup, would love for the Oilers to lock him up long-term,” one fan wrote, clearly seeing Walman as a stabilizing force on the left side of the defense. Another agreed: “This makes sense. He is probably our top 4 LD for the foreseeable future.” Others, however, voiced concern about term and age. “I’d be leary signing a 30-year D for 8 years @ $6M per year,” one commenter warned. “Yeah, other teams might be willing to do it but it still doesn’t make it a good deal. I like Walman, but in 5 years, this contract could look like an albatross.” That push and pull—between locking in a valuable piece now or risking future regret—is one Bowman and the Oilers must weigh carefully. If Walman continues to perform at a top-four level and the salary cap keeps climbing as expected, a $6 million extension could quickly look like a bargain. This, even if Walman isn’t effective for all eight seasons. But if his play declines into his early-30s, the back half of that deal could make the Oilers regret taking the gamble.

The Phillies need to replace this struggling bat at the deadline
MLB

The Phillies need to replace this struggling bat at the deadline

Another year, another shot at a championship. Since their last World Series appearance in 2022, a match in which they lost, the Philadelphia Phillies have slid backwards, falling in the NLCS in 2023 and the NLDS in 2024. This year, the Phillies are back on top of the NL East, holding a slim half-game lead over the New York Mets entering Tuesday. Still, their season has been far from spotless. The Phillies have gone through immeasurable difficulties from the bullpen without Jeff Hoffman (signed with Blue Jays), Carlos Estevez (signed with Royals) or Jose Alvarado (PED suspension), especially with Jordan Romano’s descent into the dumpster fire. But with new free-agent signing David Robertson in tow, we can expect some degree of stability from the relief corps going forward — though, not to insinuate that team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is done adding bullpen arms. Another sore spot that received plenty of attention the past few months is in the outfield, left field in particular. Among all qualifying left fielders, Max Kepler maintains the second lowest OPS. Much has been made about potentially replacing him, but as bad as he’s been, there is one Philadelphia infielder that has done even worse. Once a promising bat, second baseman Bryson Stott seems to be reaching rock bottom. Below, you can his stats in comparison to that of Kepler’s: (wRC+: weighted runs created plus represents the culmination of a hitter’s offensive achievements where a value of 100 is MLB’s average) Stott has been more proficient than Kepler at recording hits, but Kepler’s power and higher walk rate gives him the edge in overall offensive stats. It was only in 2023, his second year of MLB action, when Stott hit .280/.329/.414 with 15 home runs. Unfortunately, Stott’s productivity began to slide last season. This year, his slump halted in April when he hit .314 on the month, but it quickly resumed in May (.216), worsened in June (.202) and has reached a fever-pitch in July (.132). If the Phillies are going to claw their way back to the Fall Classic, it may be better if Stott’s bat isn’t in the lineup.

WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture
WNBA

WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture

WNBA players sent a message to the league with T-shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday night, but the ratings for the game did not exactly strengthen their stance. Prior to the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark and other players warmed up in shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us” across the front. The message had to do with the current state of collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and WNBA Player’s Association. Unfortunately for the players, the television ratings for the game were not very good. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that the WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, which was down roughly 36% from a year ago. Last year’s game featured the WNBA All-Stars against the Team USA squad that was preparing to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. The dip in ratings is likely another example of the type of impact Clark has had on the WNBA. Although she was a team captain for this year’s All-Star Game, Clark did not play due to a groin injury. Clark played in last year’s game for the All-Star side, as she did not make the Team USA Olympic roster. Many fans were outraged that she was snubbed from the Olympic team, which added an element of intrigue to the All-Star Game. There is no way of knowing for certain whether more fans would have watched the All-Star Game on Saturday night had Clark played. It is a safe guess, however, especially when you look at some recent trends for the league.

Hall of Famer believes this AFC QB will win Super Bowl first
NFL

Hall of Famer believes this AFC QB will win Super Bowl first

Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon just made headlines during a recent appearance on "Up Adams," where he gave his take on one of the NFL’s most debated questions. When asked which star quarterback will win a Super Bowl first, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, Moon without any hesitation went with Jackson. “We have Josh Allen, MVP, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, they wrecked the league last year… Which one of those three do you think has the best shot to get one this year?” Kay Adams asked. Moon responded, “I think Lamar.” Moon’s reasoning for this take was not due to stats or accolades, because both have great numbers and awards, rather Moon was focused on the surrounding cast around Jackson. While he was complimentary of Allen and the team around him, he emphasized that the Ravens had a strong secondary, incredible running back and solid wideouts that could allow them to be a serious threat to win it all. It is easy to see why Moon made his opinion clear and without hesitation. Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with four Pro Bowl nods, three All-Pro selections and two MVP awards. He is the best dual-threat quarterback in the world, and now with an incredible roster around him, Jackson has become much scarier. However, pressure is mounting on the superstar QB, and Moon did make the case for Allen to also potentially win first. “Josh Allen, they’ll be right there too. I think it depends on who plays who in the playoffs … You have to go through playing both Kansas City and Baltimore if you’re Buffalo, and same thing if you’re the Ravens, you gotta play both of those to get to the Super Bowl … But if you only have to play one of them, that would be great.” Allen is also regarded as one of the league’s best QBs too, and Moon's argument has a lot of merit to it. Both Buffalo and Baltimore are flooded with talented pieces that are hungry to make that Super Bowl run. It could come down to matchups come playoff time. If one squad has an easier route to the AFC Championship game, then it might be the one who ultimately comes out on top. As for Burrow, Moon did not mention him in the conversation, but clearly it was not meant to be a slight on him as a player. Rather, for obvious reasons, it seems that Moon might have Baltimore and Buffalo as overall rosters in a higher tier from Cincinnati. Ultimately however, time will tell who breaks first. But if Moon is correct, Jackson might finally be able to silence his critics, and make his mark on NFL history.