Photo: Al Bello
The Washington Capitals tolerated one period of boring New Jersey Devils-style hockey before they unleashed the fury. Lifted by goals from the Young Guns– Green, Backstrom, and Ovi– the less-boring team won this won soundly.
The Capitals struck twice in the second period, first with a furious slapper from Mike Green and then by Nick Backstrom’s patient wrister set up by Jay Beagle.
Alex Ovechkin scored a career-highlight goal seven minutes into the third period, executing the Ovi Move on two Devils defenders before backhanding the puck over Cory Schneider. Nick Backstrom added an empty netter in garbage time.
Caps beat Devils 4-0! Bailamos!
Yeah, you know what’s coming. Turn it up.
- But man, that first period was boring. Devils hockey is the warm milk of hockey.
- Braden Holtby earned his second shutout of the season– his first since game two in Boston. 19 saves on 19 shots. He rules.
- Alex Ovechkin struck iron twice in the first two periods. Maybe those pings were an invocation for the unadulterated glory of Ovi’s goal in the third period. What a privilege it is to watch that guy work. He climbs the all-time goal-scoring record with that, but more on that later tonight.
- More on Ovi, specifically the Duality of the Ovi Thing. Alex Ovechkin had a brutal giveaway in the first period, but he also got celebrated for a solid backcheck (and a cross-check) in the second period. We just cling to anecdotes, don’t we? I’d just prefer we cling to the anecdote of what was basically The Goal, Part II. What a piece of work.
- Mike Green keeps cruising along, adding actual goal-scoring to the possession dominance he’s brought to his team forever– much to the chagrin of RMNB Facebook commenters. Great screen from Troy Brouwer on that one. Here’s how your boy John Walton called it.
- Tom Wilson took just two shifts in the second period, leading to a whole lot of line shifting, including the top-line Beagle scenario that gave Backstrom the goal. Wilson returned to normal duty, more or less, in the third period. No, I have no idea what happened.
- And why didn’t Nate Schmidt play? He got his first scratch of the season on Saturday, despite real good play throughout the year. Jack Hillen did pretty darn well in his spot. Maybe this one goal from Columbus was a factor? I dunno. BLY has this thought:
Schmidt loses waiver exemption after he plays in 9 more games. Prolonging that flexibility wouldn't be a reason to sit him, would it?
— BrooksLaichyear (@brookslaichyear) December 21, 2014
- There was a fight. No one cares.
- I’d applaud Nick Backstrom‘s restraint after scoring the empty-netter, but I’m so completely unsurprised by it. He was probably a cool cat even when his baby was born. (Bjorn?)
Joe B suit of the night
Again, the Devils are notorious for trampling offense in both directions and slowing the game to the pace of pitch, but the Caps dodged the wildebeest herd, generating genuine offense in the game’s back half. Those heroes– Green, Backstrom, and Ovechkin– are exactly the guys you depend on to defy probability and do something great. Tonight, at the Rock, they delivered.
Great hockey game! Thanks, boys!
