The Washington Capitals withstood an early surge from the Vegas Golden Knights and then struck back with some surprising depth scoring to secure an important road win in Game Two. Also, Brooks Orpik scored.
James Neal scored first, out-jousting Dmitry Orlov on a solo effort. Lars Eller tied the game after a pair of perfect passes from Kempny and Burakovsky. The Caps kicked it up a notch in the second period, adding a power play goal from Alex Ovechkin and a goal from, jesus christ, Brooks freaking Orpik. With TJ Oshie in the box for a bad penalty, Shea Theodore threaded the needle to make it 3-2 heading into the third period. The Caps had to kill some big penalties, and Holtby had to make the save of the year, but they survived to earn the win.
Caps beat Knights 3-2! The series is tied 1-1! Brooks Orpik scored!
- Evgeny Kuznetsov left the game in the first period after absorbing a hit from Brayden McNabb. I didn’t think the hit was very bad, but I know opinions differ. McNabb’s elbow was wild, but it didn’t seem to hurt Kuznetsov much. Looked to me like it was McNabb’s back jamming Kuznetsov’s wrist. Kuznetsov did not come back. That injury could be anything from a mild stinger to a season-ending fracture. We’re standing by.
- With Kuzy out, the top nine looked like this:
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson
Vrana – Eller – Oshie
Burakovsky – Stephenson – Connolly
- Lars Eller looked like he was playing on easy mode. The passes on his goal were gorgeous, but Eller’s effort to make the Ovi goal (a cross-crease one-time pass) and the Orpik goal (good play-reading on the rush) happen were crucial. A well-earned three-point night from the ersatz second-line center.
- The Knights started Game Two much like they did Game One: furiously. The forecheck was relentless, and they were doubling up the Caps in attempts for a while. The Caps didn’t have an answer for it until they took the lead, after which the puck just started bouncing in their favor.
- The Caps have been curiously unable to draw penalties lately, perhaps as a result of the playoffs being officiated by men with Brain Clouds. When the Caps finally got one, off an egregious cross-check in the crease against John Carlson (sound familiar?), the Caps made it count. Backstrom’s PPQB work remains flawless, and it turns out that Alex Ovechkin can score from the Ovi Spot and also from five feet south of the Ovi Spot. He does it all, folks.
- Meanwhile, during even strength, Ovechkin got shadowed by Nate Schmidt and could not get any offense going. Now that the Caps are coming home, Trotz has to try and get Ovechkin away from Schmidt. Yes, I see the joke there, and no, I’m not going to stoop to your level.
- So. Brooks Orpik scored. Before we get to that sheer absurdity that has got be doubting everything I know to be true about existence, let’s talk about Orpik’s illegal check to the head of James Neal. It did not happen. It was a phantom hit.
- But anyway, like I said, Brooks Orpik scored. It was great. It had been 824 days since his previous goal. I don’t know what to think anymore, but I’m happy. (Check out that article for some oracular BS.)
- Self-sabotage is in the Caps’ blood. TJ Oshie halved the Caps lead with an unnecessary cross-check in the offensive zone, then Tom Wilson imperiled the remaining lead with a bad interference in the third period, which Eller doubled-down with a hook to make it 5-on-3 for a minute. Braden Holtby had to be superhuman to shut that power play down. And he was.
You can get the Holtbeast shirt and many more in our store.
- The Holtby save in the final two minutes – a desperate stick to close an open net on Alex Tuch. I’m supposed to write, but I don’t have the words.
1️⃣4️⃣,4️⃣8️⃣5️⃣ watching from home.
You guys are the best!#ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/xGiPMmAFMJ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 31, 2018
- The Caps said 14,485 fans packed Capital One Arena to watch the game together. That’s huge. I love it, and I love you all.
- Jakub Vrana had 7 shot attempts. He was playing possessed but went unrewarded.
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) May 31, 2018
Smize of the night
Soooooo Brooks Orpik got the game-winning goal in Washington’s first ever Stanley Cup Final win. Alright. Sure.
With victory in tow, the Caps will now leave the desert of Vegas and return to the swamp of Washington. We’ve got a couple days off, and then DC will host the biggest sporting event it has seen in a few decades.
It’s gonna be great.
Headline photo: @NHLGIFS
