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The Capitals were not so kind to their best friend Braden: Capitals beat Stars 5-0

By Chris Cerullo

 5 Comments

January 28, 2022 11:30 pm

It was Sergei Zubov night in Dallas but it sure felt more like Braden Holtby night in Washington, DC. Could the Caps take down their former buddy and earn two needed standings points?

Tom Wilson beat his old buddy with an absolute rocket from the slot on a power play to open the scoring. John Carlson doubled the lead with a one-time blast from the point on another power play. TVR slung a wrist shot to the cop corner to extend the lead.

Connor McMichael made it four off of a pretty rush feed from Lars Eller. Nicklas Backstrom sniped the total to five late in the second.

Capitals beat Stars 5-0!

I hate to do this to Braden but we need some of this right now in Capsland.

  • Pretty fantastic first period from the Caps as they immediately roughed up their former mate, Braden Holtby in the Stars net. The forecheck was relentless, most of the passing was immaculate, and the offensive zone cycle with possession was almost unstoppable. Eight high danger chances at five-on-five alone in the first twenty minutes.
  • Um, two power play goals in this economy? Where in the world did that come from. It felt like they woke up and realized what moving the puck fast can do to a penalty kill. Everyone pray to the hockey gods that this is the start of a return to form for that unit.
  • One of the Caps’ most unsung heroes scored from the blueline to give them their third goal in this game. Trevor van Riemsdyk‘s contract is ridiculous and the team needs to be already working on an extension as far as I’m concerned. Great player for fantastic value.

  • The Stars were god awful defensively through forty minutes. Holts wasn’t great (he was pulled after the second) but his defensemen were just absolutely leaving him out to dry too. Another nine scoring chances for the Caps in the second to add on to their 19 in the first period. You love to see this sort of game because they really desperately needed it. Stick around for a while shooting percentage.
  • I really, really like how Daniel Sprong has looked in these past few games. Absolutely flying around, using his lethal shot whenever he can, getting in on forechecks as the first man in for successful puck retrievals, an active stick in the defensive zone, and per usual making zone entries look like nothing.
  • Also fantastic to see Conor McMichael on the scoresheet twice with a goal and an assist. He also drew the Caps’ second power play that John Carlson scored on by using his speed on the wing to force a restraining call on a Stars defender. That third line looks like it could actually be something. Maybe Joe Snively, who also grabbed his second NHL assist in his second NHL game gets an extended look in the lineup here.
  • I always talk a lot of smack about the ice at Capital One Arena. Why? Because the ice tonight in Dallas shows how an arena that hosts both basketball and hockey can still have a phenomenal surface.

  • Joe B and Locker labeled the third as played at a “scrimmage pace”. That was probably generous. You couldn’t pay the officials to blow their whistles.
  • Holtby ends up with 22 stops on 27 saves in his first game against his former club. Not the best night for the best Caps goaltender of all time.
  • Only the third win in regulation in Dallas for the Caps since the 1995-96 season. I had just been born six days prior to the win in 1995. Mike Eagles, Mark Tinordi, Stefan Ustorf, and Dale Hunter were the goal scorers in the 4-3 victory.
  • Vitek Vanecek with his fourth career shutout. You love to see that.

The Capitals have to go to Pittsburgh to take on Crosby and the rest of the Guins on Tuesday. Let’s hope they put a hurtin’ on those fools.

Headline photo via @capskrewetoo/Twitter

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