Photo: Alex Trautwig
On Tuesday night, some of the Washington Capitals must have put on their kerchiefs and others their caps to settle in for a long winter’s nap. That would have been fine, but there was an NHL game scheduled against Metropolitan rivals, the New York Rangers. The Caps were not good for forty minutes and desperate for the remainder.
Rick Nash got a goal on the rush in the first period, and Martin St. Louis made it 2-0 with a wide-open, wide-angle shot on a second-period power play. Rick Nash scored a back-breaker in the third period, but Kuznetsov tied a rope around the Caps and hung them from a prison ceiling and then they were fine in time for the final act. Alex Ovechkin put an Ovi shot from the Ovi spot in the net to make it a one-goal game with less than ten minutes remaining.
Dumb penalties from Backstrom and Chimera neutered the Caps’ comeback attempt. Martin St. Louis converted a late-game power-play for the Rags. Sad trombone.
Rangers beat Caps 4-2. RIP Points Streak.
- I don’t really know what to say. The Caps were dominated at 5v5– particularly in the second period. The Rangers got some favorable whistles to boot, which they didn’t even need considering how weak the Washington PP had been– apart from Ovi’s thing.
- Two goals for Rick Nash and two for tiny little Marty St Louis. Sing the song, boys.
- Tom Wilson got scratched for the first time ever. They call it a “healthy scratch;” I doubt it.
- The Capitals offense seemed deflated but for Alex Ovechkin, who seems to put 3+ shots no goal no matter what. Ovi leads, no matter what. That might been the spark that led the Capitals to that better effort in the third.
- I’m furious about Joe Fortunato saying this about Rick Nash (2 goals) in the PuckBuddys pregame and then getting vindicated.
Well, typically I’d say the Capitals have the best non-goalie on the ice in Alex Ovechkin, but Rick Nash is in beast mode this year which makes the two pretty even.
- Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s goal to restore the two-goal hole was sneaky and subtle– so much so that most people missed it. Seems to me that Kuzya likes to risk shooting wide unlike Brooks Laich, who almost always is on target. That “second” line was the best all game, and this was the best game of Kuznetsov’s career.
Best game of his career on the day his koozy got shipped. Coincidence? pic.twitter.com/YoN9sZScpR
— RMNB (@rmnb) December 24, 2014
- They can’t all be masterpieces from Braden Holtby. Trade the bum!
- Nick Backstrom had a very bad night. Preoccupied by thoughts of sugar plums, I dunno. And what’s the deal with Caps player committing high-sticking penalties when games are on the line against the Rangers?
Joe B suit of the night
Interesting game, if not a good one. Bad play, bad zebras, a stirring comeback attempt and a deflating end.
So ends the Capitals 20-day lossless streak in regulation. It’s been fun, but it’s also been driven by unsustainable percentages. But that’s a matter for another day.
For now: Merry Christmas, Caps fans. Enjoy your shirts (please, for the sake of everything holy, wash them first) and have a good one.
When you’re ready, hop on over to the Epix thread and watch some TV with us.
