📸: DrKat from #crashers
The Washington Capitals did little to change the narrative on Saturday night, losing in the shootout to the New Jersey Devils.
The Caps kicked off the night with three consecutive penalties. Rookie Arseny Gritsyuk (7 out of 10 hockey name, very strong) beat Logan Thompson on the middle penalty. Luke Hughes, the last surviving Hughes brother, got a little fortunate to make it 2-0 Devils after one period. The second period was better but didn’t change the scoreboard.
One minute into the third period, Connor McMichael received a great pass from Ovechkin to score from up front. It was the man himself who tied the game with 11 minutes left. That earned the Caps one point, but overtime didn’t render a decision.
Shootout bullets!
- Strome put the biscuit in the basket!
- Cotter did not put the biscuit in the basket.
- Beauvillier did not put the biscuit in the basket.
- Bratt put the biscuit in the basket! (Nasty shot.)
- McMichael did not put the biscuit in the basket.
- Gritsyuk did not put the biscuit in the basket.
- Ovechkin did not put the biscuit in the basket.
- Nemec put the biscuit in the basket.
Caps lose.
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- A team struggling mightily with special teams committed three unanswered penalties in the first seven minutes. Maybe one of those was a dive. In any case, the Caps need to tighten up immediately.
- Jesper Bratt hooked Martin Fehervary (no call), causing the latter to crash into the boards and miss a few shifts. In reply, after the Hughes goal, Ovechkin said hello to Bratt.
- Caps legend Mike Green was at the game. I’ll quote DrKat, our friend, who also provided our recap photo above: “I feel bad for Mike Green. He’s had a ton of people bug him. But goddamn his hair is [effing] fantastic.”
- Spencer Carbery conducted an experiment, putting Justin Sourdif on the second line. It went like we all thought it would: real good if you don’t think about scoring goals. His line with Wilson and Protas was on attack a lot without much to show for it. Sourdif easily surpassed his season-high in ice time.
- Connor McMichael scored his first goal since October 24. He had just one assist in the nine games between then and this brilliant pass from Alex Ovechkin, who has still got it.
- No, I mean it. Alex Ovechkin scored goal 902 by working hard in the slot and out-maneuvering Luke Hughes. He was splayed on the ice just seconds earlier. I love everything about how and where he played that.
- I don’t think this is a thing, but according to whatever the RSSSF is, Cristiano Ronaldo has 956 career goals. So Ovi is just 54 behind. This is the New Chase. There will be a big promotion campaign, I’m sure.
- (14,586 behind Lebron.)
- Mark Rivera, saxophonist for Billy Joel, was also childhood pals with Ted Leonsis. Mark did Ted a solid by playing the anthem tonight. He was great, but this is just my excuse to say I don’t really like Billy Joel. You can get mad at me, but you’re more mad about the Caps. “Movin’ Out” is his best song.
- Just one power play for Washington. Small favors.
- That was a fun overtime. Lots of big plays and big saves at both ends of the ice. Sheldon Keefe detected that fans were having a good time. He called timeout and put a stop to it.
Need a dubya tonight #joebsuitofthenight
Comeback aside, this game changed nothing in my mind. The Caps are a very good, very flawed team. They need to climb the standings soon.
Next week the Caps will host their weird cousins from out west: the Kings and Oilers, one of whom is looking real good and the other one will invariably eliminate them in the first round.