I’m also of the view that yesterday’s game was played with the intensity sufficient to springboard the Capitals into a winning streak.   A real turning point game. 

But the match provided, I think, one of the greatest indictments to date of the shootout format.  After 65 minutes of 3-3 hockey, featuring a breathtaking coast-to-coast play by the home team to tie the score, and Joe B. on the broadcast exclaiming, in reference to the passion and volume of the fans assembled, “Welcome to the Stanley Cup playoffs!”, an extra point was awarded to one team on the basis of that odious skills competition.

From Capitals Insider:

“I think we play better in third period but the results in shootout it’s like lottery,” Ovechkin said.

Exactly. 

Yesterday was a scintillating display, great fun to watch, and a hard-fought tie.  Ended with a “lottery.”