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Isn’t he great: Caps beat Senators 5-3

By Chris Cerullo

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January 31, 2020 10:05 pm

The Washington Capitals traveled north to the great country of Canada to take on the Ottawa Senators. Ovi is still chasing history, Ilya Samsonov was back in net, and the Caps looked to find a good result after a poor outing at home on Wednesday.

TJ Oshie deflected home a layup after a precision slap pass from John Carlson. Evgeny Kuznetsov snuck one into the bean bag pads of the net. Chris Tierney got the Sens on the board in the second, Alex Ovechkin extended the Caps lead once more, and Thomas Chabot pulled the Sens within one again.

Carl Hagelin struck shorthanded. Artem Anisimov responded soon after on a separate power play. Ovechkin empty netter.

Caps beat Senators 5-3!

  • The Caps jumped all over the Sens in the first. They got the quick two goal lead and then leaned back and got a little too comfortable, but their rookie goaltender was there to cover up for that. Overall, very good road period against a Sens team that isn’t as atrocious at home as they are on the road.
  • John Carlson earned the primary assist on the Caps first goal. His slap pass was right on the money and became the 361st assist of his career, tying him with Calle Johansson for the most assists by a defenseman in franchise history. He would later claim that record for himself on Ovi’s empty netter.
  • Ilya Samsonov made that Namestnikov breakaway chance look entirely ordinary when it was very much not so. That is especially impressive when you consider it’s his first game grade A chance in like two weeks and the Senators hadn’t tested him at all until that point. Did not like the Chabot goal against though.

  • The second was basically the opposite of the first. It felt like to me that the Caps hapless, garbage power play caused a shift in momentum and got them out of their groove at five-on-five. They were downright atrocious at even strength.
  • Alex Ovechkin has goals in five straight games (11 total). This time it’s his 694th career goal which ties him with Mark Messier for eighth all time in NHL history and brings him exactly 200 goals away from Wayne Gretzky. And his 695th which gives him sole possession of eighth.
  • Tom Wilson grabbed a point on Ovi’s goal and now has a six game streak going. Big Willy is currently on pace for a 60-plus point season.
  • The Caps power play makes me want to break multiple objects. So much talent wasted by what I guess we can now call “arrogance” that teams haven’t figured out how to limit the unit more often than not. Also yet another shorthanded goal against (five in last eight games) which is just ridiculous. When does a coaching change come into question? Only after the man advantage has another inept playoff series?

  • Caps third was much better and what we expect from them against a team like the Sens. Stupid penalties negated some of that though.
  • Isn’t that Ovi dude great?
  • Peter claims that I have an evil Twitter persona. Find out yourself @CJC_95.

Super Bowl Sunday is the next time we will see our favorite boys and said time will be the Caps first meeting with the Pens of the season. Yay. Great. Love them.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps at Senators

Headline photo: NBC Sports Washington

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