Caps win tight series over Leafs to set up rematch with Pens

For the Capitals, who have lost eight of nine series in their playoff “rivalry” against the Penguins - including two in the Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby era - getting out of the second round for the first time in 19 years will require slaying a historical nemesis.

Things seemed to work out just fine, as the Atlantic Division club made their second playoff appearance since 2004 and pushed the Washington Capitals in a tough six-game series.

Babcock said. “It was an unbelievably positive year for us, we made the playoffs, but we finished eighth and we’re out”.

“I think we definitely turned a lot of heads from where we were to where we are now”, Matthews said.

“We have places that we want to go”. We’re climbing, though. We’re on our way up, the future is bright for us. If you look at Tampa and the quality organization they are, and they still nearly got into the playoffs with the injuries they had. He was probably referring Martin Marincin, the sometime Leaf defenceman who was playing only because Roman Polak went down, happened to be on the ice for both of Washington’s goals by Marcus Johansson.

And of course, then there was Frederik Andersen, whom Toronto acquired from Anaheim last summer to serve as their No. 1 netminder. He had the first goal of the series, two more in Game 3 and two last night. Fellow rookie winger William Nylander also amassed 61 points (including 22 goals) and was twice named National Hockey League rookie-of-the-month (Marner and Matthews also received rookie-of-the-month nods once this season).

Auston Matthews, putting an exclamation mark on a great year that surely will net him the Calder Trophy, scored for the fourth consecutive game, giving the Leafs a 1-0 lead at 7:45 of the third period.

Kadri wore his emotions on his sleeves in the six-game loss to the Capitals. He tied the game 1-1 at 12:51 of the third when his shot deflected off Andersen and in.

Washington goaltender Braden Holtby acknowledged the push the Maple Leafs gave his team in the opening round. It was part of a good game for the top line in putting pressure on the Leafs.

Rallying from a deficit in the third period was a bit of role reversal for the Caps, who too often in this series got out to leads and did not hold them. We have to get ready to be even better. Did you learn anything that will help prepare you for next year?

“That’s exactly what I want to be, someone the younger guys can learn from his example”, he said.

Babcock did make one cryptic comment in his post-game commentary, maybe unintentional, maybe not.

Marner averaged close to 17 minutes per game in the regular season, but was on the ice for less than 14 minutes in Game 4 and despite going to overtime in Game 5 logged just 14 minutes and 29 seconds. But when Auston Matthews stuffed his insane bounce in the top corner over Braden Holtby, I have never seen a more insane scene. “He’s played great all year”.

The Leafs surprised many in the hockey world, making the playoffs after finishing dead-last in 2015-16. “They knocked us out a year ago, so we get a chance to go back at them again”. The days of futility are over. Along with veterans, such as Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk buying into Babcock systems but it might Babcock that has bought fully into his team.

No one knew exactly how good Matthews would be, but now that the year is wrapped up, it’s safe to say that he was far better than anyone expected. Every one of us is proud of each other. “And that’s what our group is trying to do here, and I think we’re going in the right direction”. The Maple Leafs had their own flurry of chances that was answered by Holtby.