The Washington Capitals really needed a win and they got exactly that against the Carolina Hurricanes. The boys clad in red took down the East’s top squad 4-0.
That felt like a breath of fresh air.
- We’re just going to ignore the stats from the third period because this post is gonna be good vibes only. That first two periods from the Caps felt like the team from earlier in the season. Smothering defense only allowing the Canes seven scoring chances and really effective cycle play from really all four lines. We all could get used to watching that more often.
- Alex Ovechkin got on the board with a one-timer from his office on the power play. He really needed that, the team really needed that, I needed that, we needed that. It was his 33rd of the season and the 763rd of his career. That latter mark has him only three goals away from tying Jaromir Jagr for third in all-time goals.
- Special teams were special. Two power-play goals in a game for only the fifth time this season and the penalty kill went 3-for-3. If those two units can stay humming, the Caps can afford to have an off period here and there.
The Capitals have scored a power play goal in nine of their last 12 games and are 11 for 41 (26.8 percent) on the power play since Jan. 28.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) March 4, 2022
- Anthony Mantha came back from his shoulder surgery and played 16:22 of ice time. He didn’t really show up on the scoresheet a whole lot but he made several really fantastic plays using his size and touch that the Caps just weren’t getting from that second line when he was out. The forward group just looked so much better in this game and I don’t think him coming back the same night was just a coincidence.
- Vitek Vanecek looks like he has already found the form he was in before he got injured on the first day of February against Pittsburgh. He grabbed his third shutout of the season and is now 5-3 with a 1.81 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage in 2022. All three of his shutouts come within that same period of play. That’s him doing a whole lot more than just keeping the Caps in games.
- I gotta give another shoutout to that “fourth” line. Conor Sheary filled in for Carl Hagelin and they didn’t miss a single beat. Best line on the night for my money again. Plus-three shot attempt differential, plus-two scoring chance differential, and a plus-one in the goal column at five-on-five.
Numbers thanks to Hockey-reference.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.
