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Back even: Caps beat Blue Jackets 4-1 in Game Four

By Brendan Doyle

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April 19, 2018 10:09 pm

The Caps came into Thursday’s Game Four in their series against Columbus looking to even things up. Thankfully, the Caps decided to spare us overtime in a strong performance from start to finish.

Top-line Tommy Wilson started us off with a blistering one-timer to the top corner.

In the second period, TJ Oshie finished a delightful flurry on the power play to extend the Caps lead to 2-0.

In the third, Alex Ovechkin gave the Caps some much-needed insurance, beating Sergei Bobrovsky five-hole. Then, Boone Jenner tipped a point shot past Braden Holtby to cut the lead to two. But Evgeny Kuznetsov would score an empty-net goal to seal the deal.

Caps win 4-1! Caps tie the series 2-2!

  • Not unlike the first three games of the series, the Caps quickly committed an unnecessary penalty. This time it was Evgeny Kuznetsov instead of Tom Wilson. The Caps killed it off just fine, though.
  • Speaking of Tom Wilson, he showed just about everything he has to offer: a beautiful goal, great offensive chances, big hits, questionable penalty. He laid a perfectly good hit on ‘Lumbus d-man Ian Cole, only for it to be called tripping. It didn’t come back to haunt the Caps, thankfully, as Artemi Panarin committed a hooking penalty just two seconds into the power play.

  • Another Tommy tidbit: he had six (6) shots on net through two periods. That’s downright Ovechkinian!
  • However, Ovechkin did not make much of an impact offensively at even strength in the first couple of frames. From the Pat Holden “you don’t see this very often” department: Through two periods, the Great 8 had a grand total of zero shot attempts at five-on-five, until he scored on his first shot attempt in the third period.
  • Tlue Jackets Oshie may be a bit banged up, missing the past few morning skates, but he looked quite all right tonight. His powerplay goal padded the Caps lead in the second period. He did look like he was ailing a bit early in the third, but assuaged the fears of many a Caps fan with a beautiful, beautiful forechecking shift with about seven minutes to play.
  • John Carlson recorded his seventh assist and eighth point of the series on Oshie’s goal. Take that, Norris Trophy voters!
  • Braden Holtby came up with a number of huge saves after Caps miscues, including a crazy stretch after the Caps made it 2-0. In the second period, Columbus out-chanced the Caps 10-6, according to Natural Stat Trick, but Holtby stood tall. Dude has been nails since he entered the series in the third period of Game Two.
  • Midway through the second, Devante Smith-Pelly was nicked up after blocking a shot off what looked like the inside of his ankle. He would return to the game in the third period.
  • I was impressed with Chandler Stephenson on the Backstrom line. He looked like he belonged. On the flip side, Jakub Vrana only saw 5:58 of ice through the first two frames, which is not nearly enough for a player who has been as good as anybody on the team this postseason.
  • One might have expected the Caps to turtle after Jenner cut into their lead part of the way into the third. But it wasn’t in the cards tonight, as they continued to apply pressure on Bobrovsky, keeping the puck away from the Jackets.

Joe B Suit of the Night

Monday night, after Game Two, Alex Ovechkin told reporters that the Caps would come back home tied 2-2 after dropping the first two games of the series. He repeated the promise at Tuesday’s morning skate.

Now, after Game Four, the Caps are coming back home tied 2-2.

Don’t doubt Alex Ovechkin.

Full Coverage of Game Four

Headline photo: Kirk Irwin

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