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Ovi in overtime: Caps beat Maple Leafs 4-3

By Chris Cerullo

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October 29, 2019 9:57 pm

The Caps have at last arrived at the end of their seemingly never ending road trip. It feels like the boys could be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship they’ve been up there for so long. The final game of said trip came against the youthful Toronto Maple Leafs.

Andreas Johnsson got those Leafs on the board only forty seconds into the first period. John Carlson continued his October tear and tied the game at one and then gave the Caps a lead. Auston Matthews and his gross mustache tipped one home late in the second and slotted one home early in the third. Alex Ovechkin’s tenth of the year restored the tie.

Ovechkin overtime winner.

Caps beat Maple Leafs 4-3!

  • Pretty rough and tumble, defensive first period from both teams at five-on-five. Half the period was played with special teams units on the ice, the Caps in particular killing off a five-on-three Leafs advantage. Caps had a rough start and a rough patch after their goal, but I liked them more than the Leafs at even strength in the frame.
  • A period of some big scares as well. First, Evgeny Kuznetsov went over the top of Alex Kerfoot and into an awkward collision with the boards. He immediately grabbed at his shoulder/arm and was helped to the dressing room. Luckily, Kuzy would return soon after with only a small cut on the bridge of his nose from his visor. The second scare, involving Nic Dowd and a possible knee injury does not look as good. Dowd went into the corner in the offensive zone and seemingly tried to avoid a hit after the whistle and instead awkwardly twisted his lower body on the way down. He went to the room putting no weight on his right leg and did not return.
  • John Carlson rocketed a one timer home for his sixth goal and 22nd point of the season. After ending his point streak in Vancouver, Carlson received a great feed off a great play from Alex Ovechkin (who also had his point streak end in Vancouver) and is already almost half way to matching his goal total from last season (13) in only 14 games this season. Oh wait…he wasn’t done?

  • The Caps were good again in the second at evens…for the first 18 minutes of the period. The last two or so minutes saw the Leafs kinda take over and led to their tying goal with less than a minute remaining from some dude with a horrific mustache.
  • Do y’all remember in 2009 when Mike Green set the record for most consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman? Does this Carlson October not feel eerily similar. Big number 74 slammed home yet another perfect shot in this game for his seventh of the season, assisted again by both Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. He has now set the Caps record for points in a month by a defenseman at 23 and tied Kevin Hatcher for the third most points in franchise history by a defenseman at 426.
  • The Caps killed off six Maple Leafs power play opportunities within the first forty minutes of the game. I think the refs were trying to set career highs.
  • Alex Bregman is a pissant. Brad Marchand of baseball.

  • Pretty great road third period from the Caps. They doubled the Leafs up in scoring chances and killed off a very late Leafs power play, their EIGHTH man advantage of the game.
  • The charge or interference on Tom Wilson was bogus, but you can live with it…I guess. Giving him a second minor for being jumped by Frederik Gauthier? Stupid. Wilson could have also just avoided the entire situation by not hitting Tyson Barrie as the puck was long gone.
  • Ovi’s tenth of the season was also his 40th career against the Leafs in 50 games. Since 1979-80, only Wayne Gretzky has more goals against Toronto than the Great Eight. He has now also tied (later taking sole possession) Luc Robitaille for 12th most goals in NHL history at 668. Backstrom recorded his third assist of the game on Ovi’s goal, the 43rd time he has had three assists in a game.
  • Make that his 11th of the season and 41st of his career against the Leafs in 50 games. That blast was for his buddy, Alex Luey.

The Caps have a home game up next! Friday night the boys will see the surprisingly dominant Buffalo Sabres at Capital One Arena. I will be in attendance…so the Caps better win.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps at Maple Leafs

Headline photo: NBC Sports Washington

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