The Washington Capitals were officially eliminated from the 2020 playoffs by the New York Islanders on Thursday.
After the game, the two teams continued the greatest tradition in sports, the handshake line, and Capitals players were especially warm towards their former head coach, Barry Trotz.
The New York Rangers are officially the first team out of the playoffs (and the bubble). The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Rangers 4-1 in Game Three Tuesday night to sweep the Qualifying Round series three games to none.
After the game, the teams continued one of the greatest traditions in sports: the handshake line. Except this year, the players went a safer route due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Monday night after winning Game Six in overtime 2-1, the Washington Capitals shook hands with the Pittsburgh Penguins and participated in the greatest tradition in sports.
Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, two hockey superstars forever linked, met in the handshake line for the fourth time after the conclusion of an NHL playoffs series. The Game Six win marked the first time Ovechkin had beaten Crosby in the postseason. Ovi was previously 0 for 3, including second-round losses in consecutive seasons.
Monday night at Nationwide Arena, the Washington Capitals eliminated the Columbus Blue Jackets from the 2018 postseason in six games.
As the clock struck zero and the final horn sounded, the Caps and Jackets congratulated their goaltenders and then regrouped at center ice. It was there that the two teams engaged in one of the greatest traditions in sports: the handshake line.
The most notable interaction happened between goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and Dmitry Orlov.
On Sunday after the Caps closed out the Flyers, Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth had a moment in the handshake line. Shaking his head in admiration, Holtby gave a big high-five and a pat on the shoulder to his former long-time teammate and rival. Neuvirth finished the series with a .981 save percentage, giving up only two goals in three games.
Caps defenseman John Carlson also had a moment with Neuvirth in the handshake line, though he had to do a lot of jersey tugging to get his attention. Carlson and Neuvirth grew up together in the AHL before both landing in the NHL.
Braden Holtby was mind-blowingly sensational against the Flyers, giving up only five goals in six first-round games (more on that later). But after the Caps won the series, all Holtby could do was praise Michal Neuvirth.
When talking to NBCSN’s Joe Micheletti, Holtby was asked if anything in this series surprised him.
“No, not really,” Holtby said before naming some things that surprised him. “We were probably a little surprised to be up 3-0. [The Flyers] were playing some pretty good hockey too. We know they’re a very good hockey team. It was a testament when Neuvy came in and played as good as you could conceivably play. We still stuck with it and found a way to win.”
Neuvirth stopped 103 of 105 shots in Games Four through Six after serving as Steve Mason’s back-up in the first three games.
