Rookie goaltender? No problem. Road game? Not an issue. Reigning Stanley Cup Champion? Please.

The Washington Capitals advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals last night, knocking off the reigning champion Boston Bruins in a 2-1 overtime victory. The series will ultimately be remembered as the closest in NHL playoff history. Every game in the series was decided by one goal. Never before has that occurred.

The winning goal came from Joel Ward, perhaps the last guy anyone would pick, on either roster, to end a playoff series with an overtime game winner.  The hero, though, of the game and the series was Capitals rookie goaltender Braden Holtby, who matched Tim Thomas shot-for-shot.

The Capitals second round opponent will be decided tonight. See below for details.

The primetime spectacle that is the NFL Draft gets underway tonight in New York City (8 p.m./NFL Network and ESPN). The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins hold the first two picks and there’s little intrigue as to who each team will select. The Colts have announced their intention to draft Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck and the Washington Redskins traded everything they owned to move into the second slot to draft Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin III. 

The intrigue comes with the third pick, which could be traded or used by its current owner, the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota has a number of holes (defensive secondary, offensive line) to fill and there are a few players who can fill them. But the third slot is also a place that teams could trade into to draft a (potential) franchise quarterback like Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill or Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

Even if you don’t like football, there’s a reason to watch the NFL draft: suits. The suits are always a conversation starter. Cross your fingers for at least one gaudy, bright, pinstriped king of a suit.

The New York Yankees are likely asking the Seattle Mariners for a mulligan on their major offseason trade today.  Prior to the start of the season, the Yankees and Mariners swapped high-quality young players. The Yankees sent “catcher” Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to Seattle for All-Star 23-year old pitcher Michael Pineda.  The Yankees will have to wait a while to see any gain on their move, as yesterday, they shut Pineda down for the season with a shoulder injury.

Early on in Spring Training, it became apparent that something was wrong with Pineda. His velocity on his fastball was down considerably from the previous season. The Yankees told him to rest, crossed their fingers, and hoped for the best.  That hope was dashed yesterday. Pineda’s velocity is not back.  Next week, he’ll undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. Recovery from this surgery, in a perfect world, is typically 12 full months. Pineda’s absence leaves a giant hole in the Yankees rotation.

The wins keep on coming. The scoreless streak by starting pitchers may have ended yesterday, but the winning ways of the Nationals kept moving. Behind a strong start from Jordan Zimmermann and a late inning offensive surge, the Nationals took the second game of their series with the Padres by a 7-2 score.

The Nationals will take a 14-4 record (the best start in Washington baseball history) into the series finale with San Diego tonight. Edwin Jackson will oppose Padres starter Edinson Volquez. Game time is 10:05 p.m.

Two NHL Game 7s tonight. The Ottawa Senators will try to become the second 8-seed this season to win a playoff series when they travel to Midtown Manhattan to face the New York Rangers (7:00 p.m./NBC Sports Network). Meanwhile, down the coast, the New Jersey Senators and Florida Panthers will play their Game 7 in Sunrise, Florida (8:30/NHL Network). 

And because I write this email for a DC crowd, here’s how these games will affect Washington’s next opponent:

Rangers win: Caps play Rangers.

Senators and Panthers win: Caps play Flyers

Senators and Devils win: Caps play Devils