The Washington Capitals are as close as a hockey team can get. Seriously. Ask Jason Chimera.

The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent was asked about his future by CSN Mid-Atlantic's Chuck Gormley, and Chimera was unequivocal: After seven seasons in the U.S. capital, Washington is where he wants to be next season and beyond.

"I've been here a long time and I wouldn't expect to be anywhere else next year, too," Chimera said. "You want to win with these guys right now and whatever happens next year, happens next year."

At this point during the interview, Chimera was kissed on his bald head by Evgeny Kuznetsov, Gormley writes. We told you the Capitals were close.

"Guys love each other in here. Kisses all over the place. Usually it's on the lips," he added with a laugh. "You don't get on too many teams where you really do enjoy everybody's company. Everyone enjoys coming to the rink and it's a fun place to work and when you get that going for you good things happen."

While the Capitals have a good time as a team, it's going to be all business heading into another elimination contest, with Game 6 on tap Tuesday night.

"It's do or die. Urgency should be pretty high. I think guys are ready for it," Chimera said. "Guys were ready last game and guys are pretty excited again."

Chimera said it was Alex Ovechkin who led the way before Game 5.

"Guys want to win for each other. We've been through a lot together this year. Our captain (Ovechkin) led the way in that meeting. He said some things and really backed it (up). You don't want it to end. If we play our best we're a pretty tough team to beat."

Smooches aside, the Capitals will have to be at their very best to move on, needing to beat the Penguins two more times in a row. No easy task.

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It's one of the most iconic photographs in sports history, taken after one of the most iconic goals in hockey history.

Bobby Orr took to the sky 46 years ago Tuesday, after scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Boston Bruins in the 1970 finals. There's a Vine, because we live in marvellous times, and you should watch it:

For more context, here's a seven-minute video on the goal, the series, and Orr's wizardry:

Also be sure to read this Deadspin piece, "The Story Behind Hockey's Most Famous Photo." An excerpt:

But one image looms above the rest: Ray Lussier’s photograph of Bobby Orr immediately after he scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the 1970 Finals. The black-and-white image shows Orr in mid-air, hovering above the ice, as all of Boston Garden - all of New England - erupts.

At the time, Lussier was a staff photographer for the Boston Record American newspaper. That he was in the right place at the right time to snap the photo, he later said, combined a lot of hustle, no small amount of luck, and a lifelong passion for hockey.

"You have to know and love a sport to get peak action shots," Lussier once said. “My (love) is ice hockey."

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The Dallas Stars weren't ready to call it a season. They like each other too much.

That was the message from center Jason Spezza after his club's big win in St. Louis on Monday, forcing a Game 7 showdown in Dallas against the Blues on Wednesday.

"We really like our group," Spezza said, writes Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "We have fun, we've had a great year together. We have great chemistry in this room and we want to keep playing together. This team genuinely likes being around each other. We didn't want to go home (Monday night)."

The Stars were going home - Spezza simply wanted the plane ride to be an enjoyable one.

A Game 7 isn't surprising considering these were two of the regular season's best teams, as Spector notes. One game, winner takes all and goes on. Yes, please.

While goaltending has been an issue for the Stars, it was St. Louis that had to go to its backup - Jake Allen - on Monday. It'll be Brian Elliott versus Kari Lehtonen on Wednesday, though, after the latter turned in an inspiring performance, especially as the Blues pushed for the tying goal late.

"We're having a blast in here," said Dallas defenseman Alex Goligoski. "Just a bunch of guys digging deep for each other. It doesn't get any better than this."

He's right about that last part.

The Blues have a Game 7 win on their record this spring, against the Chicago Blackhawks, and will be looking to make it two in a row after being unable to close out opponents twice in Game 6.

Faceoff is Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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The wound of a five-game elimination at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning is still fresh for the New York Islanders, but the NHL offseason moves fast, and the Islanders front office has some decisions to make.

Perhaps the biggest decision for general manager Garth Snow is the status of forward Kyle Okposo - an unrestricted free agent as of July 1 if both sides can't strike a deal. Neither side has discussed the contract situation all season long, according to Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.

Okposo has spent his entire career with New York, and registered 64 points in 79 games this season.

The 28-year-old is uncertain what will happen and didn't reveal what he'd prefer to do, but did say "all good things come to an end," if he leaves Brooklyn.

Okposo is at the end of five-year deal with a cap hit of $2.8 million, but is likely due for a raise after three consecutive seasons of 50-plus points.

The Islanders have some cap flexibility, but on top of Okposo, they have decisions to make on UFA's Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin, along with restricted free agents Casey Cizikas and Ryan Strome.

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The San Jose Sharks were hoping to head home with a series win, but due to the resiliency of the Nashville Predators, the Sharks are returning to the SAP Center for Game 7.

San Jose wasted two separate leads in Monday's Game 6 loss, and the team has no choice but to bounce back if it wants to continue playing.

"They were stronger than us, that was the issue," forward Logan Couture said postgame, according to Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News. "They were winning more puck battles down low at their end, at the blue lines. They pinched, and we weren't strong enough on the boards to get it out."

The Sharks were outshot 32-18 in the contest, but appeared bound for the Western Conference finals when Couture scored with 9:56 left in regulation.

Their effort wasn't enough, though, so now the pressure has shifted on the Sharks to seal the deal on home ice.

"We had some chances, we could have won the game," head coach Peter DeBoer said. "They did a little bit more than us tonight, but we have a Game 7 at home, which is what we play for all season."

The Predators, who erased a 3-2 deficit and won Game 7 on the road in the first round over the Anaheim Ducks, will have a chance to do the same Thursday night in San Jose.

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Regardless of the outcome of their second-round series against the San Jose Sharks, the Nashville Predators have already achieved their greatest success in the playoffs to date.

In order to even force a Game 7, the Predators had to make team history by overcoming a multi-goal deficit to win a playoff game for the first time ever.

Nashville fell into an early 2-0 hole in Game 6, only to force overtime and push the series to the limit thanks to Viktor Arvidsson's overtime goal.

The Predators, of course, aren't even halfway to the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, but it's an important step for the relatively young franchise, with even greater success still within their grasp.

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(Courtesy: NHL.com)

The Nashville Predators refused to be preyed upon in Game 6.

Facing elimination on home ice, Viktor Arvidsson went backhand shelf on Martin Jones to record the game-winner at the 2:03 mark of overtime, sending the series back to San Jose for a deciding Game 7 against the Sharks.

The Predators went down 2-0 and 3-2 in Game 6, but forced overtime thanks to Colin Wilson's third-period strike.

The goal was Arvidsson's first-career postseason tally, and one that will certainly be hard to top.

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