The Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Tuesday to snatch the NHL's final playoff spot.

The Capitals' win eliminated the Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins from postseason contention.

Washington will play the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in Round 1.

T.J. Oshie scored the game-winner on an empty net late in the third period. The Flyers pulled the goalie with the contest tied because they would've been eliminated if it went to overtime.

But little did the Flyers know they'd already been eliminated moments earlier when the Red Wings secured a point against the Montreal Canadiens with David Perron's late equalizer.

Flyers head coach John Tortorella explained how the situation unfolded from his end.

"I get info on the Detroit game right after (Capitals) scored their empty-netter," Tortorella told reporters postgame. "I think it happened pretty close together. But I'm pulling him. That was the right time to pull him. I didn't know anything was going on with Detroit at the time, but immediately after that, our video guys told us that Detroit just went to overtime."

Alex Ovechkin was pleased with the result.

"Detroit get a point, and they still pull the goalie," the Capitals captain said postgame, per The Associated Press. "They didn't know that. But we'll take it. Thanks, Philly."

Detroit ended up beating Montreal in a shootout, but its postseason drought still extended to eight years - the NHL's second-worst active skid - because the club has fewer regulation wins than the Capitals. If the Flyers had won the game in any fashion, the Red Wings would've been postseason-bound.

The Penguins are missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in Sidney Crosby's 19-year career. Pittsburgh didn't earn a postseason spot in Crosby's rookie campaign and didn't miss again until 2022-23.

The Flyers will be without playoff hockey for the fourth straight year.

The Capitals have made the playoffs in 15 of Ovechkin's 19 seasons. Their minus-37 goal differential is the worst by a playoff team since the Hartford Whalers (minus-38) and Vancouver Canucks (minus-72) in 1990-91.

Washington's matchup with the Rangers means the Caps will face their former coach, Peter Laviolette. The veteran bench boss coached the Capitals for the last three years before New York hired him this past offseason.

The Rangers and Capitals haven't met in the playoffs since 2015.

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The New York Rangers are taking home the 2023-24 Presidents' Trophy after securing the most points in the NHL following Monday's 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

New York's 114 points are the most in franchise history, surpassing the 2014-15 club. The Rangers' 55 wins are also a club record.

It's the fourth time the Rangers have won the Presidents' Trophy since the NHL began handing out the award during the 1985-86 campaign.

The Rangers' Round 1 opponent has yet to be determined. It could still be any one of the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, or Washington Capitals.

The 2013 Chicago Blackhawks are the last team to win the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. That feat has been accomplished on eight occasions, including by the 1994 Rangers.

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The New York Islanders clinched a postseason berth for the fifth time in six years by defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Monday.

The victory also guarantees the Islanders third place in the Metropolitan Division and facing the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 1. The two teams met in the first round last year, with the Canes winning in six games.

There's now just one playoff spot remaining in the NHL, with the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals left to duke it out. The Wings, Pens, and Caps all won Monday while the Flyers were idle. Each team has one game remaining.

RW = Regulation wins, the NHL's first standings tiebreaker.

The Capitals control their own destiny and will earn the last postseason spot with a win Tuesday in Philadelphia. Washington can also clinch with an overtime or shootout loss and Detroit and Pittsburgh losses in any form.

The Red Wings can snap their seven-year playoff drought with any form of win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and any form of loss by the Capitals. Detroit could also get in with an overtime or shootout loss, a Capitals regulation loss, and a Penguins loss in any form.

The Penguins can return to the playoffs by winning Wednesday against the Islanders. But before that, they need the Capitals and Red Wings to gain no more than one point each Tuesday. Pittsburgh can also get in with an OT or shootout loss and regulation losses by Washington and Detroit.

The Flyers still have a chance, but it's slim. They'll need to beat the Capitals in regulation and have the Red Wings and Penguins both lose in regulation. Philadelphia would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Washington if it wins in regulation.

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The Vancouver Canucks are getting a big boost between the pipes ahead of the playoffs.

Goaltender Thatcher Demko will return Tuesday against the Calgary Flames for Vancouver's penultimate game of the season, head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed, per Sportsnet's Brendan Batchelor. The Canucks finish off their season Thursday in Winnipeg.

Demko hasn't played since suffering a knee injury March 9 against the Jets. He was originally supposed to be out just two-to-three weeks but ended up missing 14 games. Backup Casey DeSmith handled the bulk of the workload in his absence with mixed results, as his save percentage was just .888 while Demko was out.

Demko was enjoying the best season of his career before the injury, posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average in 49 games. He still ranks fourth in Evolving-Hockey's goals saved above expected metric despite the missed time and will likely garner some Vezina Trophy consideration.

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Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is inching closer to a return.

Stone was cleared to practice Friday in a non-contact jersey for the first time since suffering a lacerated spleen Feb. 20, the team announced.

The club ruled out Stone for the remainder of the regular season but listed him as questionable for the playoffs.

The two-time Selke Trophy finalist recorded 16 goals and 37 assists in 56 games this season. He tallied 24 points in 22 playoff contests during Vegas' 2023 Stanley Cup run.

Having Stone's $9.5-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve helped the Golden Knights load up at the trade deadline by adding Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha. There's no salary cap in the postseason.

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Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will serve as Canada's general manager for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Hockey Canada announced Friday.

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill will serve as Sweeney's associate GM.

Additionally, Sweeney and Nill were both named assistant GMs for Canada's 2026 Olympics team under GM Doug Armstrong.

Armstrong, the St. Louis Blues executive, was tasked with picking Canada's GMs for the Four Nations Face-Off and the 2024 World Championship. Rick Nash is serving as the latter.

The 4 Nations Face-Off is a new NHL-sanctioned international hockey tournament set for February 2025 featuring teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland.

Sweeney has worked in Boston's front office since 2006, serving as GM since 2015. The Bruins have been a model of consistency for the better part of two decades, missing the playoffs just four times in the salary-cap era. They won the Stanley Cup in 2011 while Sweeney was assistant GM, and they posted an NHL-record 135 points in 2022-23.

The 57-year-old hasn't worked as an executive for Canada in any international events, but he did don the maple leaf at the 1997 World Championship as a player, winning gold.

Nill is the NHL's reigning GM of the Year. He's been in the position with the Stars since 2013, leading Dallas to a Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and the Western Conference Final in 2023. The 66-year-old held the role for Canada at the 2004 and 2015 World Championships, winning gold in both years.

Canada has been victorious at the last three best-on-best international hockey tournaments: the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde isn't taking anything for granted heading into Thursday's crucial clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"We may not be here next year," Lalonde said Wednesday, per NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.

The Red Wings, who have been rebuilding for much of the past five-plus years, are in the thick of a race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as they look to snap a seven-year playoff drought.

"I don't foresee New Jersey not flirting with 100 points (next season)," Lalonde said. "You don't get these opportunities (all the time), and we're in one. So, we had an opportunity (Tuesday); we came up short. We have an opportunity (Thursday) against Pittsburgh; we would like to seize that opportunity."

Detroit enters Thursday with 84 points, one back of the Washington Capitals for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh also has 84 points. Both teams would hold tiebreakers over the Red Wings by virtue of regulation wins. Detroit's playoff odds thus sit at just 24.3%, per MoneyPuck.

The Red Wings have one of the NHL's best farm systems, and 22-year-old Lucas Raymond and 23-year-old Moritz Seider are among the team's best players. However, Detroit also has several aging veterans who could move on this summer as free agents, such as Patrick Kane, David Perron, and Shayne Gostisbehere.

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde isn't taking anything for granted heading into Thursday's crucial clash with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"We may not be here next year," Lalonde said Wednesday, per NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika.

The Red Wings, who have been rebuilding for much of the past five-plus years, are in the thick of a race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as they look to snap a seven-year playoff drought.

"I don't foresee New Jersey not flirting with 100 points (next season)," Lalonde said. "You don't get these opportunities (all the time), and we're in one. So, we had an opportunity (Tuesday); we came up short. We have an opportunity (Thursday) against Pittsburgh; we would like to seize that opportunity."

Detroit enters Thursday with 84 points, one back of the Washington Capitals for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh also has 84 points. Both teams would hold tiebreakers over the Red Wings by virtue of regulation wins. Detroit's playoff odds thus sit at just 24.3%, per MoneyPuck.

The Red Wings have one of the NHL's best farm systems, and 22-year-old Lucas Raymond and 23-year-old Moritz Seider are among the team's best players. However, Detroit also has several aging veterans who could move on this summer as free agents, such as Patrick Kane, David Perron, and Shayne Gostisbehere.

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The Arizona Coyotes have a Utah-sized elephant in the room, and head coach Andre Tourigny isn't shy about addressing it.

News Wednesday indicated the Coyotes could move to Salt Lake City for next season, and an announcement about the relocation could come as early as April 18.

Ahead of Arizona's contest Wednesday, Tourigny said he believes the rumors about the franchise's possible move proved to be a major distraction when the club first heard the speculation several months ago.

"The first time that (relocation) rumor came, it was Jan. 24, and that's the day we started a 14-game losing streak, so we cannot pretend it did not affect our team," Tourigny said, per Hockey Daily 365. "Unfortunately, that had a huge impact on our season. We did not deal with it the right way at the time."

Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz, noted on Jan. 24 that he could immediately bring an NHL franchise to Salt Lake City and formally requested the league to initiate the expansion process.

The Coyotes were two points out of a playoff spot prior to Smith's announcement, but their 14-game losing streak ultimately put a dagger in their season.

Arizona had a chance at redemption Wednesday on the road against the Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks and pulled off a 4-3 overtime win.

"We did not manage the distraction really well the first time," Tourigny said postgame. "Not everybody (gets) a second chance, but we had a chance to do better this time, and I really like the attitude."

Rookie forward Logan Cooley played the role of hero by scoring the OT winner.

"It's always tough when media's going around saying we're gonna be here, we're gonna be there. We just need to stick together as a group and that's what we did," Cooley said postgame. "There's no quit in our team all year, whether that was when we were going through that losing streak (or) the arena news. It's a pretty special group we have in there."

The Coyotes have two more games on their current road trip before finishing their season at home against the Edmonton Oilers on April 17, potentially the franchise's last game in Arizona.

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Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli won't play in Columbus' final three games of the season, the club confirmed to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.

Fantilli suffered a calf laceration from a skate blade Jan. 28 and was projected to miss eight weeks, meaning there was a chance he could've returned in April.

The 2023 No. 3 pick finishes his rookie campaign with 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.

The Blue Jackets project to have another high selection in the 2024 draft, as they currently sit 29th in league standings.

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