Image by Danny
Raise your hand if you expected Tuesday’s Capitals/Blue Jackets game– the first after the trade deadline– to be a grim, fin-headed mess of a hockey game. The good guys won in the end, but if it costs them Michael Latta for any length of time, I won’t look back on tonight as a victory.
The game started as so many of them do: with Alex Ovechkin opening up scoring, this time with a savvy deflection of Brooks Orpik’s shot. Eric Fehr waited at the doorstep to make it 2-0 before the first period was up, letting us think this would be a secure, uneventful win.
Dumb. The second period was a penalty-laden mess, and it played to Lumbus’ advantage. David Savard and Scott Hartnell each scored with a pair of darts– with Tom Wilson’s net-crash goal in between.
Ovi struck again in the third period because screw the Jackets. Scott Hartnell earned his second while Troy Brouwer was in the box and threatened to tie it on a suspicious late-game penalty, but Holtby was superior. Marcus Johansson got the empty netter and that was that.
Caps beat Jackets 5-3. Let’s get the hell out of here.
UPDATE: I feel like a creep from overlooking this. Joel Ward played in his 500th NHL game tonight. Since coming from Nashville a few years ago, Ward has been beloved in the locker room and reliable on the ice. Congratulations to Joel for the accomplishment, and best wishes for the 500 yet to come.
@davidasachs @russianmachine let's watch that hit again and then see if you want to start something with all the Boll brothers
— The Hudson Branch (@thehudsonbranch) March 4, 2015
@russianmachine @nhlplayersafety ooo well… I'm beginning to see your point!
— The Hudson Branch (@thehudsonbranch) March 4, 2015
Joe B suit of the night
Like I said: I didn’t have a big problem with the way these fights came about, but that doesn’t mean the tenor of this game worked in Washington’s favor. The less the Caps played their 5v5 game, the narrower the shot differential got.
I get “thick and proud,” and to a large extent I agree, but I like “play hockey and win games” even more.
A little good, a little bad. Two big standings points. Get well soon, Latta.
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