Florida had such a strong season that even the Caps fans before the playoffs did not much believe in the success of their team in the series with the winner of the regular season. In fact, the Panthers stalled in the first round against the team from the eighth line of the Eastern Conference.

Washington succeeded in reminding Florida that the playoffs are a separate tournament and regular season achievements are not important here. The Panthers learned their lesson, but still didn’t leave everything in the regular season, taking their amazing ability to recoup with them to the Stanley Cup. And in the fifth match of the series, Florida again demonstrated it.

Washington, on the other hand, loses its advantage for the second game in a row, and even captain Alexander Ovechkin does not save the Capitals. The leader of the Caps had a weak fifth match of the series and left the site not only without goals, but also with a negative indicator of utility.

Photo: © REUTERS/Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Hockey players “Caps” still remembered the offensive defeat in the fourth match. Washington was one step away from leading the series 3-1, but two minutes before the end of the meeting, Florida equalized, and then snatched the victory in overtime. And in the fifth match, immediately after the starting throw-in, the capital club ran to restore justice.

The Caps crushed the opponent with a powerful start and forced Florida to retire in the middle of the first period. In the minority, the Panthers played selflessly and almost survived, but eight seconds before the appearance of the fifth player, Sergei Bobrovsky, to the applause of the fans of the Capitals, pulled the puck out of the gate. Led the Caps ahead of T.J. Oshie with assists from Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson.

After an abandoned puck, the Capitals stopped playing as if their advantage was not minimal, but several goals. Florida, on the other hand, took advantage of the moment and carried out dangerous attacks over and over again.

And at the end of the period, the Panthers got two majority in a row and did not let the opponent out of the zone at all. The Caps survived thanks to the selfless game of Ilya Samsonov, who had 15 deflected shots in the first period.

Having survived the onslaught of the winner of the regular season, “Washington” regained strength during the break and gave the perfect start to the second 20-minute. First, Justin Schultz pushed the puck into the goal from Ovechkin’s pass, being the most agile on the penny. And a minute later, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Osha ran out 2 in 1 – the Russian made a masterful throw through the stick of the Florida defender, and the American closed the transfer with one touch.

John Carlson (left) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (right) / Photo: © REUTERS / Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sport

Three unanswered goals knocked “Washington” confusing. “Capital” already at the beginning of the second period thought that the job was done, and success in the fifth match was guaranteed. However, apparently, Ovechkin and the company forgot that Florida most often in the regular season played back during the matches and won strong-willed victories.

And already in the middle of the second period, the strongest regular season team set to work. In eight minutes, Florida hit Samsonov’s gate three times with the full connivance of the opponent’s players. Fans of the Caps seem to have experienced a sense of deja vu – their favorite club was again hard to earn an advantage and lost everything in a short game period. At the same time, at the end of the second period, the “capital” still had a chance to lead again in the long run.

Russian Finn Alexander Barkov swept past Samsonov and hit the keeper on the head with a club. From an unexpected blow, the Russian fell on the ice, even the doctor had to run out to the site to provide assistance. Fortunately, everything worked out, and the judges sent Barkov to the bad guys bench. It seemed that for “Washington” this is the perfect moment – the “capitals” should avenge the goalkeeper in sports, but they failed to break through Bobrovsky in two minutes of the game in unequal lineups.

It is not known what Washington head coach Pitter Laviolette said to his team during the second break, but it didn’t work either way. Instead of entering the final period with a fighting spirit, the Caps hockey players were still in the locker room in their thoughts. And at the start of the third 20-minute period, Florida forward Carter Verhage led the Panthers ahead.

After the missed puck, Washington woke up and ran to win back, the Capitals even managed to lock the opponent in the zone. However, unlike the Caps, the Florida hockey players managed to endure and withstand the assault of their opponents. Helped the “panthers” and Bobrovsky, who had a phenomenal final period.

Anton Lundell, Sergey Bobrovsky and Sam Rinehart / Photo: © REUTERS/Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Washington really lacked at that moment abandoned goals from Ovechkin. But the leader of the “Caps” in this match could not distinguish himself. At the same time, the captain of the “capital” did not have a single dangerous moment. And, although Ovechkin gave an assist, he finished the match with a utility indicator of “-1”.

The final verdict for “Washington” was written by veteran Claude Giroud from the transfer of the same Verhague, who scored five points in the match.

In the remaining time, Washington tried with all its might to return to the game, and two minutes before the end of the final period, Laviolette removed the goaltender. But the situation of the sixth field did not change. And the brightest moment in the end was the fight between Florida defender Aaron Ekblad and Washington forward Anthony Manta, whose nerves could not stand it because of another lost victory.

“Florida” is now one step away from the second round, having won a strong-willed victory over “Washington” – 5:3. The captain of the “capital” Ovechkin practically could not help the team in such an important match. And the Caps hockey players themselves are stepping on the same rake, quitting to play after they took the lead.

Now “Washington” will not be able to afford to relax, the capital club no longer has the right to make a mistake. And Ovechkin, in the all-important sixth match of the series, must again show leadership qualities, otherwise Laviolette’s team will go on vacation. Surely the Caps fans now have only one question: “Alexander, are we going to score?”