Capitals Clinch Playoff Berth

Thanks to a rather unreal collapse by the Florida Panthers in Buffalo, the Capitals guarantee their second straight trip to the postseason.

Holding a 3-1 lead entering the third period against the Sabres, the Panthers came unglued and perhaps saw an end to their playoff hopes, as they allowed three Buffalo goals in just 2:07 to drop a 5-3 decision. It's just the fifth time in 28 tries that Buffalo rallied from a third-period deficit, and costs Florida a chance to move into an eighth-place tie with Montreal.

The loss means while the Panthers could tie the Capitals' current mark of 97 points if they run the table down the stretch, they have 10 fewer wins with only eight to play, meaning the Capitals would win the potential tiebreaker.

The team still is five points away from clinching the Southeast, as Carolina tied a franchise record with a 2-1 win over Ottawa, meaning the Hurricanes move eight back of Washington in the standings.

Still, with seven games to play for Washington, they now can focus on clinching the Southeast and perhaps passing the Devils for second seed in the East. The Caps will get a chance to cut the number to three points Friday against Tampa Bay, as the 'Canes are idle until Saturday night.

The Caps will be in the playoffs in back-to-back years since 1999-2000 and 2000-01, and now can look to see who their first-round opponent could be.