Mike Richards didn’t know last fall where he’d be when the calendar turned to April. As it turned out, he’s back where he expected.
Richards, in his 11th season in the NHL, will be making a ninth appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday when the Washington Capitals open their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
It’s a familiar spot for Richards, who is one of only a handful of players who played in the teams’ previous playoff series in 2008. Richards, then playing for the Flyers, helped knock the Capitals out of the postseason with a victory in Game 7 of the best-of-seven series.