Hey, the Caps have the best record in the league. How bout that? They shook off their 5v5 funk against Lumbus, recording even-strength goals from the best and second best heads of hair on the Washington roster (you decide which is which) and locking it down late.
Sixteen minutes into the first period, Justin Williams cracked a long 5v5 goal slump with a second effort after John Carlson’s rebound. That was nifty, but Cam Atkinson leveled the score two minutes later.
The second period was silent, but Tom Wilson recorded his seventh goal in the third period, a backhander from the bottom six. The Caps added insurance with a power-play goal ostensibly by Matt Niskanen but tapped in by TJ Oshie. Nick Backstrom secured an empty netter to hit the 20-goal mark and make Swedish heritage night just a bit sweeter.
Caps beat Blue Jackets 4-1! The Caps have won the Presidents’ Trophy!
Happy Swedish Heritage Night at Verizon Center. I do not know much about Swedish heritage.
- The Caps hadn’t scored a 5v5 goal in 184 minutes before Justin Williams hit the back of the net.
- And, oh yeah, that was Justin Williams’s 50th point on the season.
- Plus, this morning, Williams looked like this.
- So basically, it was a good day to be Justin Williams.
- Dmitry Orlov, on the other hand: woof. Orlov made an unwise clear from the defensive zone that quickly found its way to Cam Atkinson. Maybe there are mitigating factors (that was a weird pass from Orpik, and Orlov didn’t have a good option to reverse), but it was one too many for Barry Trotz.
- Orlov was effectively benched in the second period. Orpik was joined by Carlson, and late in the second period Orlov skated with Nate Schmidt, who is a fluffy little waffle smother in maple syrup if you ask me.
- Columbus’ Boone Jenner was bloodied by a puck in the first period. He wore a cage in the second. He wore a mask in the third. The tooth is reportedly still M.I.A.
Dentist at Verizon Ctr thinking Boone's tooth has now been frozen to ice by Zamboni. Ice crew searched Zam snow after 1st with no luck. #CBJ
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) March 29, 2016
- Jay Beagle was ferocious. I don’t really have anything else to say. He makes getting routinely outshot look good. Unlike Orpik and Orlov, who, I repeat, woof.
- The most penalized player in the league, Tom Wilson had a penalty in the first, a penalty in the second, and a lovely goal in the third. Just when you wanna write him off (or curse NHL officials for painting that target on his back), Wilson baffles you. His line with Mike Richards and Daniel Winnik was probably Washington’s best.
- Nick “Bad News” Backstrom is gonna have to get another teardrop tattoo. Pretending not to hear a whistle in the third, Backstrom kept driving towards Bobrovsky’s net. Then Backstrom sold loose cigarettes to high school kids after he parked his mom’s Grand Cherokee in the Expectant Mothers spot outside Whole Foods, where he might have shoplifted an overripe avocado.
- Killer instinct: Matt Niskanen, who assisted on two third-period goals.
- Twenty four goals for TJ Oshie. Can he do it? CAN HE DO IT?! (No, he cannot.)
Joe B suit of the night
Hey, the Caps won the Presidents’ Trophy! We have a post about that. Join the GIF party.
