The Caps did not close out the series on the road, but you knew that already.
For the millionth time, the Islanders got onto the scoreboard first. Brooks Orpik lost the play after going for a hit, so John Carlson was overwhelmed in covering John Tavares and company: 1-0 Isles. Late in the period, that same Carlson gave the Caps power play a shot in the arm with a big goal. The second period was wild but scoreless.
Wild Butt Scoreless is the name of my Poison cover band.
Midway through the third period, everything happened in a single play. A rumble along the bench went unwhistled, so Ovechkin creamed Tavares into the glass, and then somehow Kulemin was all alone to beat Braden Holtby. Beagle hit the crossbar, and then Clutterbuck got the empty netter.
Islanders beat Caps 3-1. The series is tied 3-3. Gay sev on Monday.
- I was kvetching over the missed penalties in the first period, and then, all of a sudden, they started getting called. The Caps earned three power plays in the first period, wasting two before John Carlson converted. The Caps are two for 13 on the power play this series.
- What did you make the first goal? Once again, it was against the Caps. This time, Brooks Orpik went for an ill-advised hit on Strome near the blue line, allowing an odd-man rush for John Tavares. John Carlson’s coverage wasn’t good, but he surely had the deck stacked against him, no?
- Another trend that continued is the Islanders going down to five defensemen. Matt Donovan got baited into a 10-minute misconduct in the second period after Jason Chimera and Matt Niskanen goaded him.
- The focus of much ire, Tom Wilson, got the short end of the Barry’s bench– just 5 shifts through two periods. Laich and Latta hardly saw the ice. What gives? Were they that bad?
- Probably not, but Tim Gleason was. Under 25-percent possession as of halfway through the third. Poor guy hardly sees the offensive zone– he’s just getting bombarded all the time.
- Braden Holtby was solid again, but man it didn’t have to be that way. A glut of shots in the second period took wild bounces on their way to Braden, leading to some terrifying moments of vulcanized rubber dribbling just centimeters wide of the net.
- Knowing this could have been their final period at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders came out ferociously for the third. The Capitals spent pretty much all of the first five minutes in their own zone.
- I thought the Caps would survive the early push in the third and then score, but no. The animosity increased, and a broken play gave Nikolay Kulemin a solo layup. Alex Ovechkin put a huge hit on Tavares (who turned away at the last moment), and somehow the puck made its way to the slot. Jason Chimera and Evgeny Kuznetsov must have abandoned the play, perhaps expecting a whistle like everyone else on the planet. Just a mess of a play, although I’m not sure it was damning moment for the visitors.
- Jay Beagle nearly tied the game with five left. You know who’s an asshole? The crossbar. Next time I see the crossbar, I’m gonna punch him in the neck. Dude owes me twenty bucks anyway.
Beagle's reaction to the announcement that it was no goal pic.twitter.com/qWovI975HE
— steph (@myregularface) April 25, 2015
Luxurious Holtbeard of the afternoon
I need a hug.
I’m mostly okay with how the Caps played this game. The Islanders were undeniably motivated, and the Caps had their usual weaknesses, but I liked the effort.
So once again, the Capitals’ postseason fate hinges on game seven. Good old gay sev. Verizon Center on Monday. Time is TBD. Prepare yourselves.
Go Caps.
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