The Washington Capitals called their shot. They said they’d play their best game and they did just that, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road in Game Four, tying the series.
What a first period. TJ Oshie cleaned up a rebound to kick it off, and Alex Ovechkin checked in from the Ovi Spot. Zach Hyman returned fire with a deflection, but then Tom Wilson scored two (2) goals to give the Caps a 4-1 lead.
JVR narrowed that lead in the second with yet another deflection on the power play. Nate Schmidt scored in the third but it was (unwisely) waved off, so Auston Matthews’ fortunate tip-in made it a one-goal game with eight minutes to go. Don’t fret, though, TJ BailamOshie exploited a breakdown to undress Andersen. Tyler Bozak made it interesting with a late goal with an empty net, but the Caps won it.
Caps beat Leafs 5-4! The series is tied at 2.
Y’all, we will discuss the game in a second, but first, let’s enjoy the hell out of some loffs Bailamos! Turn it up.
- Tom Wilson created two goals and saved a third in the first period. The kid’s never even had a multi-goal game before this, but he showed up big, like King Kong in hair gel. Each one of those was a special play — passion, speed, finesse — showing a depth to his game that we haven’t seen enough of until now, and offering the single most clutch output possible in the year’s biggest game and the best of his career.
- Sooooo Trotz made some adjustments after all. Orlov/Niskanen saw the most of Auston Matthews, Schmidt/Carlson tackled Kadri, and the Beagle line was used sparingly. The result was dominance in the first 40 minutes. Score one for the short coach.
- But that doesn’t mean the Leafs wouldn’t get deflections. They’re gonna get deflections. Every goal they score is a bounce off something. They’re the gosh darn Kansas City Royals with all those broken-bat singles against the Os. JVR got a good bounce, and Matthews got a good bounce. That’s hockey, I suppose. It sure is frustrating.
- So what the dickens happened late in the second? With a defensive-zone faceoff six seconds before the buzzer, Lars Eller covered the puck (kinda) and got busted. Then Brooks Orpik took a reckless chop and got busted. So with a two-goal lead, inside three seconds, the Caps handed the Leafs a jumbo-sized chance to get back into it.
Getting the 5 on 3 increases the #Leafs chance of winning from 9% to 16% vs the #Caps pic.twitter.com/OQ2kLk6XiO
— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) April 20, 2017
- The Leafs did NOT get back into it. The ensuing kill was some excellent hockey by the Caps PK crew and especially by goalie Braden Holtby, who I’m sure could smell the breath of his assailants, they were so close.
- Seventh defenseman Nate Schmidt had a heluva game. He had an assist and scored a goal that should have counted, but an eager call for goaltender interference by Nick Backstrom (initiated by Toronto’s defense) did not get overturned by the league. What should have been a memory he (and I) would treasure forever was still a damn fine outing, even if he put the puck over the glass once and gave up the blue line once or twice. Of the heartbreaking wave-off, I think Luongo put it best.
Goalie interference rule > NFL catch rule > immaculate conception
— Strombone (@strombone1) April 20, 2017
- Captain of the choking dogs, Alex Ovechkin, is good for a goal every other playoff game. He’s got 44 in 88. The only word I can think of for that feat is mighty. Alex Ovechkin is mighty.
- Whereas TJ Oshie is going to be a very rich dude this summer. Two goals, both full-on finesse goals to bookend a brilliant game.
- With the big kill to start the third period, the Caps were on their heels and the Leafs pressed. The shot-attempt differential started to vanish and some turtling might have occurred. But Schmidt’s goal gave them a spark, and Matthews’ goal lit a fire. The collapse was cancelled. The Caps are victorious.
Joe B suit of the night
Whatever I was sick with, the Caps have cured it. They come having tied the series, but more importantly having exorcised their demons. The players didn’t choke and the coach didn’t get outcoached. This was damn fine outing by the sport’s best team.
This was a damn fine example of the sport overall. Put aside that waved-off goal and Babcock’s mischief with icings, we got a good exhibition here. Fast, high-event hockey. Lots of big saves and lots of good goals. A grinder named Tom became a playoff legend, a gray-haired giant called Ovi cemented his legacy, a person named Timothy Leif who inexplicably goes by TJ does what he has done all season: score and score again.
But Nate’s goal shoulda counted.
