“So you’re telling me there’s a chance?” A well-known quote from the 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber sums up the Washington Capitals‘ playoff quest in the final days of the 2025-26 season. Over 30 years ago, Lloyd Christmas uttered those famous words on the big screen that became synonymous with an unbelievable opportunity. Yes, there is a chance at postseason hockey for Capitals fans.
On Friday night, Washington dispatched the Buffalo Sabres with a 6-2 win at Capital One Arena, giving the Capitals a chance to return to the playoffs in two weeks. The victory gives Washington a 39-29-9 record for 87 standings points, a single point out of a tightly packed Eastern Conference postseason picture with five games to play. The Capitals could potentially hop into a playoff position with a win over the New York Rangers on Sunday night.
Capitals Pound Sabres on Friday Night
Most hockey fans won’t fault the Buffalo for coming out flat against Washington on Friday night. After the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings in regulation on Saturday afternoon, Buffalo officially ended the longest-running postseason drought in American sports after 14 seasons. Washington seized the opportunity to land an early right cross by scoring three goals in the opening six minutes to claim a lead they did not relinquish.
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Six different Capitals lit the lamp in the victory over Buffalo, including Tom Wilson’s team-leading 29th goal of this season. Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, and Connor McMichael netted those first-period goals. Aliaksei Protas scored the only marker of the second frame. Ryan Leonard and Wilson (empty net) sealed up the win with goals in the third period for the red, white, and blue on Friday night.
Logan Thompson did an excellent job preserving the victory after Buffalo sliced the Washington lead to 3-2 midway through the first period. As he has done since arriving from the Vegas Golden Knights, the 29-year-old netminder slammed the door shut over the remaining 40 minutes to help secure a very important two standings points for the Beltway’s favorite team.
Thompson has backstopped the Capitals to a 28-21-6 record with a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%). Those numbers mirror his incredibly successful first campaign in Washington (36-6-6 record, 2.49 GAA, and .910 SV%), an encouraging sign given the Capitals’ up-and-down regular season.
Washington’s Playoff Odds Have Risen
According to MoneyPuck, the Capitals’ playoff odds have surged up to 23% following the results of Friday night’s action around the NHL. Washington will still need some help with three teams ahead of them, but they are getting it, as Detroit, the New York Islanders, and the Columbus Blue Jackets have all squandered perfectly good playoff positions. The first order of business for Washington is to win its remaining games, starting with tonight’s matchup against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
The Capitals have a handful of contests remaining to make a true run over the next nine days. Washington has two non-playoff clubs up next, with tonight’s tilt against the Rangers before traveling to Canada to visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. That home-and-home series against the Pittsburgh Penguins looms as a crucial pair of contests, but Washington must continue to stack wins until April 11 to set up a potential postseason preview against Pittsburgh.
The Eastern Conference Playoff Scene
Three teams have clinched their entry into the 2026 playoffs: the Carolina Hurricanes (104 points), the Tampa Bay Lightning (102), and Buffalo (100). The Montreal Canadiens (100) can secure their postseason ticket with a home win over the New Jersey Devils tonight. The Boston Bruins (94) are on the outside looking in at the Atlantic Division’s guaranteed slots, but they are firmly positioned in the first wild card slot in the East. The Ottawa Senators (88) currently cling to the second wild card spot.
Carolina owns a 10-point lead over Pittsburgh (94) in the race for the Metropolitan Division crown. The third position in the Metropolitan Division is wide open with four teams in contention. The Islanders (89) lead the way, but Columbus (88), the Philadelphia Flyers (88), and the Capitals (87) are in hot pursuit.
Two of the teams are surging: Washington is 6-2-2 over its last 10 games, while Philly is 7-3-0. The remaining two squads are showing signs of cracking under the postseason pressure: New York is 3-7-0 in its last 10 contests, while Columbus is marginally better at 3-6-1. Both the Islanders (four games) and the Blue Jackets (six) carry extended losing streaks after losing on Saturday.
Washington could end the day in postseason position if things break right around the league on a seven-game schedule. The primary task is taking care of business against the Rangers tonight in Midtown Manhattan. The Capitals will have two days to rest up for the final playoff push, with four games in six days, beginning in Toronto on April 8.
