Photo: Patrick McDermott

It’s a Saturday night and all of you get free Egg McMuffins in the morning. That’s what happens when you play the Colorado Avalanche. Let’s go wild.

The scoring started just three minutes into the pre-holiday tilt when Jason Chimera fed the puck to Justin Williams from behind the net just after an Avs penalty expired, suggesting that Chimmer, despite previous evidence to the contrary, may in fact have motor skills.

Then, just over four minutes later, Nicklas Backstrom made another slick pass from behind the net, as Alex Ovechkin put home the one-timer for his 485th career tally.

Not to be outdone, Evgeny Kuznetsov decided to make his own awesome pass from below the red line, giving John Carlson his first point in seven games.

Then… unabashed glory. With 43 seconds left in the opening frame, Nate Schmidt, your favorite hockey player and also the best hockey player, scored, firing home an unassisted tally that was pure fake money. What a period.

The Caps jumped on the struggle bus in the second as Cody McLeod and Nathan MacKinnon cut the lead in half.

In the third, the Caps got back to doing their thang, with Kuznetsov giving the fans some free wings to go with their McDonald’s breakfast item. Dmitry Orlov chipped in with the world’s most ridiculous goal, before the Avs got one back on a deflection. Karl Alzner then added the cherry to your hockey game sundae. Ten goals, four by Washington defensemen, three by Russians. Fourteen Caps had points. Fun night!  Caps top Avs 7-3!

• So, yes, that first period. Very good. After giving up the game’s opening goal in nine straight games, the Caps scored four unanswered in the first period against Denver’s finest Mites team. The most popular player is the coach.

• Lately, Andre Burakovsky has been bad. That led to Stan Galiev‘s reinsertion into the lineup, playing on a line with Jay Beagle and Jason Chimera. Stan also got time on the second power play unit, playing in the Ovi spot, a position he played with the Hershey Bears last season. The Avs left him wide open and he responded with some 50 mile per hour slappers that went vaguely in the direction of Colorado netminder Reto Berra.
• Three assists for Chimera (!!!), good for 100 as a member of the Washington Capitals.
• Nice game for Timothy Leif “TJ” (?) Chorney. The world’s most anonymous defenseman registered his second point in as many games. He and Dmitry Orlov had the best even-strength shot-attempt differential on the Caps.
• Dat Orlov goal tho.
• Horrible stat line for the aforementioned Berra with four goals against on 11 shots. He was pulled after one period, but he was hung out to dry. Calvin Pickard was okay in relief as Colorado tried to recover from the early hole. The Avs, near the end of a franchise record 15-game road trip, may get starter Semyon Varlamov back as soon as Monday. He’s been suffering from a groin injury, because of course.
• Tom Wilson and Michael Latta continue to try to bring all-important grit and energy to the fourth line. Latta got his third fight of the season in a little elementary school recess scuffle. Wilson dropped the gloves, because I don’t know.
• Evgeny Kuznetsov continues to drop saucer passes like nobody’s business. He should have had an assist on Schmidt’s goal which would have given him three assists in just one period. He leads the team with 14 helpers and continues to make Ian clap his hands like a toy monkey. He added Washington’s fifth goal. Three point night. Again.
• Nate Schmidt is shining brightly without Brooks Orpik in the lineup. Playing on the top pairing with John Carlson, Schmidt played a career high 23:15 against the Stars (at least for a regulation game). Tonight, he scored his first goal since March.
• Braden Holtby: still tied for the league lead in wins.

Locker is wearing disco in tie form.

The Avs are very bad and the Caps are very good. So the Caps won.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Avs