Happy birthday, Philipp Grubauer! We got you a competent hockey team! The Capitals looked dang good at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.
The Bolts scored immediately, with Namestnikov cashing in on a Brooks Orpik hooking call in the game’s first minute. The Caps kicked it up a notch after that, and Alex Ovechkin scored a goal that felt inevitable. Devante Smith-Pelly got an assist from Jay Beagle to give the Caps the lead in the second period, then Jay Beagle earned a pretty empty-netter to lock the win for Washington.
Caps beat Bolts 3-1! Grubi’s first win of the season! Two in a row!
- Philipp Grubauer did fine for his part, but his first win of the season was something the team owed him after piss-poor efforts in every previous start. Grubi had a couple sketchy covers, but he mostly played the same style of play that made him one of last season’s most impressive backstops. Tomorrow is his birthday, and he deserves this gift.
- John Carlson took a puck to the throat in the first period. Didn’t miss a shift, plus if he’s like me he had enough calories yesterday to cover him for the rest of the weekend just in case he’s unable to swallow.
- Devante Smith-Pelly‘s third goal of the season was also Jay Beagle‘s 100th career assist. You’d think he’d have more since ever gull dern head coach plays with Alex Ovechkin for at least an hour at some point. And that ENG was a great combination of hard work and soft hands – a shoveler under pressure to the back of the net.
- Taylor Chorney and Madison Bowey were not good together, and they got benched in the final ten minutes. Brooks Orpik, apart from his opening-minute penalty, wasn’t too bad.
- Brett Connolly tried to cheat but we caught him. Connolly’s line with DSP and Lars Eller was the Caps’ best all night.
- The Caps really stunk in the game’s first eight minutes or so, but they promptly woke up and really owned the puck through the second intermission while the Bolts flatlined for much of the first period. Like I said, Eller’s line was driving the bus, but Alex Ovechkin generated a heap of individual offense. When he finally scored late in the first, it was fate. With that goal, Ovechkin ties Islanders legend Mike Bossy in career goals.
- The Caps had good discipline until Evgeny Kuznetsov committed two minor penalties in the third period. He’s just not used to playing without the puck.
- The Caps of the early third period were as lifeless as the Bolts of the late first. Grubi had to earn that W with some big saves in the waning minutes. I don’t want to gripe about turtling in the third because a) it’s so rare for them to even have a lead right now, and b) so much else in this game was solid.
#JoeBSuitOfTheNight #CapsBolts pic.twitter.com/Y5wRldx2G0
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) November 24, 2017
The Caps almost blew this one late, but let’s not fret over that. This was two solid performances in a row, and the team could build on it tomorrow in Toronto. Until then, let’s wish Grubi happy birthday with this age-appropriate jam from Veruca Salt.
