Home / Game Recap / Back at it and back in the win column: Capitals beat Predators 5-3

Back at it and back in the win column: Capitals beat Predators 5-3

By Chris Cerullo

 3 Comments

December 29, 2021 9:51 pm

The Washington Capitals are back and playing hockey again. Most of their forward lineup is even skating together for what feels like the first time since 1992. Let’s do that hockey.

Lars Eller finished off an absolutely beautiful team passing play to open the scoring. John Carlson sniped home an absolutely pinpoint Nicklas Backstrom pass to double the lead. Nic Dowd tapped home a smart feed from Carl Hagelin to seal a fantastic first period.

Yakov Trenin capitalized on a garbage call from TJ Luxmore to cut the lead to two. Luke Kunin jammed home a feed from Eeli Tolvanen to draw the Preds ever closer. Filip Forsberg tipped home a point drive to tie things at three.

Evgeny Kuznetsov absolutely slung a wrister to the top shelf shorthanded to give the Caps a lead again. Carl Hagelin empty netter.

Capitals beat Predators 5-3!

  • Absolutely phenomenal first period for the Capitals. Passing, team defense, goaltending just all of it. The power play still continuing to do absolutely nothing was the only negative.
  • So good to see Michal Kempny back in a Caps jersey. He picked up the secondary assist on Nic Dowd’s goal from a great outlet pass that sprung Carl Hagelin.
  • TJ Luxmore just absolutely guessing on those penalty calls to end the first is everything that is wrong with NHL officiating. Just blatant incompetence. And he’ll receive absolutely no reprimand other than this bullet. Horrible, cost the Caps a goal.

  • Um, the second period was the opposite of good. The Caps have gotten pounced on like this for multiple goals in a row within a short period of time a few times too many recently. It’d be nice if their power play could put a single game away to prevent these things.
  • This Taco Bell commercial based on astrological signs makes me never want to eat Taco Bell ever again. Also, Drew Brees needs to shut up with this sports betting nonsense.
  • TJ Luxmore was terrible again in the second period. I am glad the Caps seemingly have avoided him a bunch this season. This dude straight up guesses.
  • Garnet Hathaway is apparently the most hated man in Music City. They could not get enough of him.

  • The third was pretty even. The Caps probably had the better of the five-on-five play while the game was tied which is good. I’m gonna go there again…the power play…good lord. Something needs to change and that change shouldn’t be with the players on the roster.
  • Evgeny Kuznetsov take a bow, son. That was some Alex Semin-level nastiness to the roof.
  • This was easily, easily, easily the poorest officiated game I have seen the Caps involved in since Tim Peel was employed by the league. These two dudes would be out of place in your house league. Clueless. Sorry about all the complaining in this recap but it was genuinely that bad.
  • The Predators’ seven-game winning streak and their overall eight-game winning streak against exclusively the Capitals both end. Good riddance.

Next for the Caps is a trip to Detroit to take on the upstart Red Wings. It will be the last game they play in 2021.

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington

, ,