Washington Capitals Make Last-Minute Emergency Roster Move

The Washington Capitals are right in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, and now they've made an intriguing roster move.

After a rough 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Washington Capitals now find themselves three points out of the Eastern Conference Wild Card race as they are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. Ahead of that critical showdown, they've made an intriguing move, recalling forward Matthew Phillips from the Hershey Bears.

The 25-year old came over to Washington in the summer after starring for the Calgary Flames AHL team a season ago, netting his first NHL goal against his former team early in the year.

Standing at just 5-foot-8 and weighing 160 pounds, Phillips has always been up against becoming a star in the NHL, with just five points in his first 27 games with the teams. Matthew Phillips struggles became so evident that the Washington Capitals waived him early this season, and after a short stint in Pittsburgh, he returned to the team via waivers as they look to continue their playoff push.

The Capitals find themselves three points behind the Red Wings in the Wild Card race and just four behind the Islanders in the Metropolitan Division race, so this and every game going forward will be must-win for the veteran team.

After a solid three points in four games with the Bears, Phillips looks to rejoin a lineup that's been rolling as of late led by Alex Ovechkin, and with so many must-win games down the stretch, they're hoping he can help that push. It's unclear where he will play in the lineup, but with so much talent and production at the AHL level behind him, now is his chance to solidify himself as an NHL regular in Washington.

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