The Washington Capitals ended their regular season in dramatic fashion thanks to Michael Raffl. Raffl got the puck from Justin Schultz, skated down low towards the goal and ripped in a sharp angle shot with 1.8 seconds left. The official time was three seconds left but it beat the buzzer and won the game nonetheless.
Raffl shot it just under the top bar of the goal from an impossible angle. It gave the Caps two points to end the season with Game 1 looming on Saturday night.
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If the Caps were looking to end the season on a high note they did so by getting winning Raffl tickets. The Caps finish the season with a 36-15-5 record with 77 points in second place in the MassMutual East Division. Raffl’s shot went over the shoulder of Bruins goaltender Jeremey Swayman for his first goal as a Capital and his fourth of the season.
Raffl told the media via Sammi Silber of Japers’ Rink that his goal was “the right play at the right time.”:
"“It always feels nice to score goals. Ovi would know.”"
The Caps were trailing 1-0 in the second until Carl Hagelin’s clean up goal tied the game. With overtime looming, Raffl was indeed with the puck at the right place at the right time.
Raffl wasn’t expected to play much when the Caps acquired him at the trade deadline. But with the injuries that were mounting it presented an opportunity to get him in the lineup. He skated in 10 games this season for the Capitals and had a goal and two assists.
What a first goal in red for Raffl🚁! pic.twitter.com/x5ModpcKCt
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 12, 2021
Raffl skated on the second line with Lars Eller and Conor Sheary last night. He leads the Caps in Corsi For percentage despite the small sample size with a CF of 63.56 percent. The second line as a whole when they skate together has a Corsi For percentage of 64.62 percent (via Natural Stat Trick).
The Caps will take on the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday night.