In a game that will go a long way towards settling the standings in the east, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets.
After a quiet first frame, the Caps were dominant in the second. TJ Oshie broke Bobrovsky with a backhand, then Andre Burakovsky made it two with a tap-in off Eller’s twister pass. Before the period was up, Matt Niskanen returned to the goal-scorer’s list with a break enabled by Burakovsky’s brilliant takeaway at the other end of the ice.
Jack Johnson made a fool out of Carlzner in the third period to crack Holtby’ shutout, then Kyle Quincey found the five hole to make it 3-2. The Caps withstood an intense prolonged final push to get two huge points.
Caps beat the Jackets 3-2!
- In the battle of the Vezina winners, Braden Holtby bested Sergei Bobrovsky. Bob was good, but leaked three in the second period, whereas Braden got beat when his skaters got all discombobulated in the third. I think Bobrovsky’s got the edge for the Vezina, but Holtby’s no slouch either.
- Andre Burakovsky‘s line had a quiet first period with only five shifts and zero offense. Then, in the second, with more ice, they lit up Columbus. Lars Eller‘s moves behind the goal line were superb, as was Burakovsky’s steal to set Niskanen free. When Oshie’s gone next year, and he will be, Burakovsky will do very well in the 1RW spot.
- Brooks Orpik had yet another solid game, so CSN wanted to speak with him during the first intermission. I have no idea what the heck he said though.
YOUR STICK IS ALL SET NOW, BOSS. pic.twitter.com/UDFtteLYF1
— CSN Capitals (@CSNCapitals) April 2, 2017
- Young Jackets star Zach Werenski left the game in the third period after absorbing a big hit from Alex Ovechkin. He’s had 11 goals and 36 points in his first season.
- The Jackets got ornery in the third period. After Alex Ovechkin refused to exchange shoves with Josh Anderson. Anderson, in his infinite wisdom, cold-cocked Ovi. This Tom Wilson could not abide. The rumble left the Jackets shorthanded (after a length deliberation by Gord Dwyer) and the Caps unscathed.
- Fine if it went the other way. Columbus is ice cold during the power play lately.
- I died.
.@russianmachine Ummmmm…. pic.twitter.com/RAfb8Y7ZmQ
— Amy (is fully vaccinated) 🏒🥅❤️ (@AMYKINSSS) April 2, 2017
- The defensive pairing of John Carlson and Karl Alzner got matched up against the Dubinsky line and got completely throttled, but it was Jack Johnson who made them look like pylons on the shutout-busting goal halfway through the third period. Alzner’s final shot attempt tally was 6 for Washington and 27 for Columbus. That is an abject failure to manage matchups.
- My anxiety levels are going up every day. I can take any kind of hockey from October through March, but once April hits I am an emotional mess. I’m yelling, groaning, shouting at the TV. I find myself carving Alzner’s name into my coffee table. This game had a vibe heavily reminiscent of loffs hockey, and it wrecked my body and soul. Bring it on.
Joe B suit of the night
Didn’t love the finish, but that was a good win until it got wild. The Caps now sit at 112 points, six ahead of CBJ and five ahead of PIT. It’s gonna come down to a wire, but I like that padding.
Enjoy wrestlefest or whatever. I hope Bob Backlund wins the the towel match against Doink or whatever. Eh, who am I to talk? I’ll be watching The Walking Dead, which is basically a pamphlet for fascism.
