PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a fight to the end, a remarkable 10-game point streak while looking to become the first NHL to come back from nine points down with 11 games to go to make the playoffs. They nearly did, but a win by Washington in an odd game-winner ended the Pens playoff hopes Tuesday night.
An empty net goal by TJ Oshie in a 1-1 game in the third period was the difference. The Flyers had to win the game in regulation for a shot at the playoffs and the Caps get a game-winner with no goalie to end the Pens playoff hopes. Alexander Ovechkin scored the other goal.
Pens would have missed out even if Philly won, Detroit ended a remarkable two days against Montreal with another comeback win. Former Penguin David Perron scored on a six-on-five with four seconds left to take it to overtime and the Wings won it in a shootout.
Caps win the tiebreaker over Detroit and will be the eighth and final Eastern Conference team in the playoffs.
Pens will play one more game this season, Wednesday at the Islanders and the game won’t change New York’s playoff status as they are locked in as the third team in the Metropolitan Division
“This team is amazing,” said Pens forward Evgeni Malkin after home finale on Monday. “If we could play like this whole year, probably we clinch playoffs.”
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“Fun to play with these guys the last three weeks, after trade deadline. We trade Guentz, probably everybody say we have zero chance, and we have like, a one percent chance three weeks ago.”
In the end they didn’t do it, but it was mostly three weeks of fun hockey again after mostly six months of a rollercoaster.