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Meaningful-ish: Bolts beat Caps 3-2 in shootout

By Peter Hassett

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August 3, 2020 6:51 pm

I guess the Washington Capitals are still emerging from the sleepiness of the pause. Judging by their intermittent effort in Monday’s first round-robin game, it’s not going to be throwing a switch. To get the Caps back at the appropriate level of playoff intensity will be a process.

Lars Eller goofed up a breakout to give Nikita Kucherov a gimme against Holtby for the game’s first goal. Mitchell Stephens made it 2-0 with a funky rebound in the second period, but the Caps struck back. Richard Panik grinded out a trash goal to get the Caps on the board, and then Evgeny Kuznetsov got one on the power play to tie the game late in the second period. The third period didn’t change that score, so we got to see some three-on-three overtime.

Overtime gave us nothing, so here they come. You know you missed them…

Shootout bullets!

  • Victor Hedman did not put the biscuit in the basket.
  • TJ Oshie put the biscuit in the basket. Of course he did. So reliable.
  • Brayden Point put the biscuit in the basket.
  • Evgeny Kuznetsov did not put the biscuit in the basket.
  • Nikita Kucherov put the biscuit in the basket. Off the post and in.
  • Nicklas Backstrom did not put the biscuit in the basket.

Caps lose.

  • Up front, let’s be real: this is not the playoffs. This is a formality before the playoffs. While some teams are playing high-stakes, best-of-five play-in series, the Caps are doing a fun li’l four-game round robin. I don’t think I had set my expectations for this properly. If I had seen only the ice tonight, I could have thought this game were being played in January.
  • That said, the Bolts probably outplayed the Caps, especially through neutral. First passes by Washington were a crap shoot, and Tampa did not give the breakout much room.
  • Part of the reason for Washington’s iffy transition game was the absence of John Carlson, who took the day off as he recovers from a funky fall he took in the exhibition game. Radko Gudas took his place.


Our masks are for sale in our store. You should wear them over your mouth/nose. Don’t be like me.

  • After a half hour of uninspiring hockey, TJ Oshie and Yanni Gourde fought each other, and then the Caps started playing better. Coincidence? Yes. Almost certainly.
  • Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s power-play goal was the first non-garbage goal of these non-playoffs. Apologies to Richard Panik, but that was silly.
  • At even strength, the Caps got outclassed when their top-six forwards were on the ice. Shot attempts were roughly two-to-one in Tampa’s favor while either Backstrom or Kuznetsov were on the ice. I’m not in love with these combos, but it’s still super early.

Joe B suit of the night (and story!)

Being real: this was a warm-up. It wasn’t meaningless, but it also wasn’t exactly overflowing with meaning. Round-one seeds are whatever. The Caps are rusty. RMNB is rusty. I haven’t seen your comments yet, but you’re probably rusty too. No worries. Yet.

More hockey soon.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Lightning

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