You.
You and I were not prepared for this game. We weren’t girded for the emotional tumult and unrelenting attack. We just weren’t ready. The Caps, though– they were ready. The Isles kept pressing– a ceaseless assault just like we saw in games one and three, but the Capitals had battened down the hatches and set the mainsail and whatever else.
Capitals captain and current Greatest Human Alex struck first, oviflecting a shot by Carlson after Backstrom’s o-zone faceoff win. Casey Cizikas knotted the score after a bad change a big rebound. The second period was packed with penalties, but the Capitals killed them all. The third period was a little more even, but neither team could hit the back of the net. And so, once again, we went to overtime on Long Island.
And then, Nicky Backstrom’s muffin gave the Capitals instant victory.
Caps beat Isles 2-1 in overtime. The series is new at two to two!
- Every Capitals game at Nassau has gone to overtime this season. Something about this franchise just loves these close games. No Bailamos, but victory nonetheless.
This will be the 21st of the last 25 Caps playoff games decided by one goal (via @_JakeRussell)
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) April 22, 2015
- Tom Wilson had a massive game, leveling hits in typical Willy fashion. Two of them– a kneeing and a charging–earned Wilson penalties. The latter of which, we’ve decided, was a clean but totally devastating hit on Lubomir Visnovsky. Viskovsky, that poor bastard, is getting chewed up by this series. He did not return.
- Also beat up: Brooks Orpik took a skate blade to the face in the first period, but hashbrown playoffs: he returned for the second period.
- That second period, bee tee dubs, was a penalty parade of punishing proportions. I was pretty much panicking as we hit two, three, and four penalties. The Caps killers were lethal as ever, and if you want to identify a narrative-driven tipping point to this game, that final kill on Mike Green‘s delay of game was it.
- Here’s when Cal Clutterbuck celebrated the time he hit the crossbar:
I think Clutterbuck celebrated that crossbar pic.twitter.com/bg0HABs0uS
— steph (@myregularface) April 22, 2015
- Alex Ovechkin once again is a playoff hero. He was all along, really– generating shots just like he always does. I love that his goal tonight was an uncharacteristic goal– a simple deflection off a deep shot.
- Tim Gleason was reduced to ashes by the Isles offense. We shouldn’t be surprised that his speed doesn’t match up well against the Islanders, but wow. Trotz stopped giving Glease a lot of ice in the third period. Schmidt later this week??
- Let’s not talk about the fourth line.
Joe B suit of the night
I don’t know. I don’t have the words. It was hockey and I want to throw up with joy. The series is new at two to two.
CAPITALS.
Full RMNB Coverage of Game Four
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