Screen: @myregularface
The Washington Capitals came in like a wrecking ball to Amelie Arena, beating the beast of the east Tampa Bay Lightning in convincing fashion for the team’s third straight win.
Alex Ovechkin scored 40 seconds in, tapping in a pass from Tom Wilson. Brian Boyle, who must love playing against the Caps, tied it up later that period, but Matt Niskanen’s power-play marker restored the Cap lead before the intermission.
Steven Stamkos scored a tricky one from the slot to knot it up in the second, but Brooks Laich’s hardscrabble effort put the Caps up again before the third period.
The Bolts looked fierce in the third, but Troy Brouwer put ’em in a two-goal hole with an even-strength wrister midway through. The Lightning got a goal in garbage time, but then Ovi also got one in garbage time and I give up.
Caps beat Bolts 5-3! Flawless road trip! Let’s dance.
I’m going with the other music video tonight– the one not from the Wild Wild West soundtrack.
- Woo baby, I love it. The Capitals’ pace was wonderfully high, led off by Alex Ovechkin‘s first-shift goal. The Caps kept that pace up until the third period, when they went in the Trotz shcll. The Caps got a ton of offense and kept the speed high. Again: I love it.
- Tom Wilson was in the middle of everything. He was involved in all but two of the penalties through forty minutes. He got the apple on Ovi’s goal. He was on the ice for both Tampa goals in the first two periods. He got hit hard enough to miss some shifts at the end of the first and to look iffy in the third. He got screwed out of a 4v4 when Tampa plug J.T. Brown got away with a couple cheap shots. The life of a physical top liner, I suppose.
- That was Alex Ovechkin‘s first goal in four games– three of which have been way too quiet from the big guy. He had two shots on goal tonight more than he had in the three before put together. Your boy John Walton called Ovi’s first goal very well in my opinion, and I consider myself an authority on the matter.
- Jason Chimera‘s nasty turnover was the worst part of the first period, and even it wasn’t enough to sour me on that period thanks to the shutdown effort from Niskanen, Alzner, and Holtby. The fourth line got smoked like a salmon all night.
- How great has the Brooks Laich line been? With Ward and Fehr on that third (2b) line, they’ve been outperforming expectations. Every time Laich gets in the paint he seems to outwork everyone near him. I keep clutching my pearls and begging for Brooks to stay healthy, and he keeps on staying healthy. Yey.
- The Caps were forced to kill three straight penalties in the second period, not all of them justly. The good news is that the Caps PK is looking better. The bad news is that special teams time does not appear to be apportioned appropriately so far this season.
- The CSN broadcast informed us earlier of the passing of five-year-old Julian O’Neal, a member of the CSN-DC broadcast team. Julian’s parents are raising money for a memorial. I consider that crew part of our extended hockey family, so let’s help them out a bit, cool? If you can spare the change, of course.
Joe B suit of the night, assuming the night was in 1961.
Three wins in a row! The Capitals are actually playing up to their potential! That game was fun to watch and well executed (mostly)! I am clearly abusing the exclamation point, but I want you to understand that I liked this hockey game!
A perfect end to a perfect road trip, and a Caps team that might finally be getting its act together. Have a good night, Caps fans.
