The Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night by a score of 6-3! This is good because the Tampa Bay Lightning are mean and boring and do not deserve goalie hug lines.
Also, Alex Ovechkin scored his goal number 50 of the season! That makes this his eighth 50 goal season! And then he scored goal number 51 because he’s extra like that and he really loves hugs.
For a recap of the game, please see Mr. Hassett’s sumptuous summary. To mull over the math of it all, Mr. Cerullo has the morning numbers. For everything else, here’s misc!
Pregame
Did you know this man’s name is Snarls, not Smiles? Weird.
During the “game”
If you haven’t read The Very Secret Diary of Legolas, Son of Weenus please ignore this tweet.
"Hagelin definitely not prettier than me. Cannot understand it. Am feeling a pout coming on."
-the very secret diaries of nickas bäckström pic.twitter.com/ph9hNPbvKE
— b. (@youripides) March 31, 2019
Do you ever feel like the players can see you through the TV?
tfw you express an emotion in public where people can see you pic.twitter.com/hTaU1J1KEs
— b. (@youripides) March 30, 2019
Okay. There were a lot of fights. Too many fights. No shenanigans, kerfluffles, scrums, or polite inquiries about one’s opponent’s health or life outside of work. We shan’t discuss it further.
HUGS.
The thing about this game is that TJ Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alex Ovechkin all scored two goals, and two of the hugs were nearly identical in personnel and placement. This makes it very difficult to GIF and analyze; I apologize for the delay.
Also did you ever notice how Christian Djoos swoops in for hugs like a condor with its wings spread wide? It’s a thing of beauty.
Is this a condor, or is it Christian Djoos? There no way to tell for sure. But it is definitely Christian Djoos.
Source: Agencia CTyS
The “Choreographed Twirly” Hug
Alex Ovechkin did not get an assist on Nicklas Backstrom’s first of the night–those apples went to Christian Djoos and Tom Wilson–but the time and effort that the two of them have put into the Capitals franchise over the last decade definitely paid off in this beautifully choreographed goal hug. What a spin.
The “…nah let’s look at the choreo one more” Hug
Okay, just one GIF of the actual goal hug TJ Oshie’s first of the night. Although do take note of how well newcomer Carl Hagelin is fitting in!
But more importantly here’s the twirl again from a different angle!
The “TJ’s Magnetic Allure” Hug
Imagine there’s a magnet in the middle of TJ Oshie’s second goal hug but it attracts good huggers instead of metal and that’s this hug in a nutshell.
The “Belly Celly” Hug
Nicklas Backstrom scored his second of the game, did a graceful belly slide, smoothly got back up to his feet, and sandwiched Dmitri Orlov in the middle of an 8+19 hug because of how pretty his assist was. It’s always nice when Snarls forgets he’s a defender and just goes for the goal.
He sure does love scoring, eh?
"hooray. i scored." pic.twitter.com/hoodOo8a13
— b. (@youripides) March 30, 2019
THE “FIFTIETH GOAL OF THE SEASON” HUG
Not only did Ovi give us a milestone 50th goal hug for the Capitals’ fifth of the night, he had so much bonus hug energy that he gave Brayden Coburn a little bearhug smoosh on his way to Backstrom. So generous. Such Gr8ness.
Backstrom gave Ovi a fistbump afterwards, so between that and the Coburn smoosh, Ovechkin basically got two goal hugs for one goal, which is what he deserves.
Backstrom with a little fistbump for Ovi's 50th goal of the season pic.twitter.com/OI7eOOMELj
— b. (@youripides) March 31, 2019
The only bad thing about this hug is how sad Andrei Vasilevskiy looked afterward. He’s got Ovi’s milestone puck on his stick. He just wants someone to play with him. 🙁
Photo: Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images
The “Who Even Knows Anymore” hug
For those of you playing along at home: This is Ovi’s second goal of the game, his fifty-first goal of the season, and the sixth goal of the night. I’m so tired.
