MINSK, 17 April (BelTA) – The Washington Capitals, where Belarusian forward Aliaksei Protas plays, have clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, BelTA has learned.
T.J.Oshie put the Capitals ahead 2-1 with an empty-net goal at 17:00 of the third.
The Washington Capitals landed eighth in the NHL Eastern Conference. The Capitals finished the regular season tied for points (91) with the Red Wings, but owned the tiebreaker based on regulation wins.
In the Stanley Cup opener, the Capitals will play the New York Rangers, the best team in the regular season. The playoffs which kick off on 20 April will be a new experience for Aliaksei Protas in his NHL career.
Yegor Sharangovich, Belarus’ record holder for points in a season, did not score more points in the Calgary Flames’ match against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Ilya Solovyov of Belarus earned an assist in the Flames’ only goal that night. The Calgary Flames lost 1-4 and are expected to close out the 2023-24 season on home ice, when they welcome the Sharks on 19 April.
