It was Braden Holtby return night in DC as the Stars made their only visit of the season to Capital One Arena. The Caps are hot and the Stars played yesterday.
Alexander Radulov got the Stars on the board first with a deflection that just snuck over the line. Roope Hintz doubled the lead with a breakaway backhand on an undeserved power play. Alex Ovechkin halved that lead with a power-play strike.
Hintz restored it with yet another power-play goal. Dmitry Orlov snapped home his tenth of the season to make things interesting in the third.
Stars beat Capitals 3-2.
- Pretty brutal first period from the Caps. The Stars had way too many grade-A chances and the Caps just really couldn’t create much of their own even with three power-play chances. Dallas had 15 scoring chances at five-on-five in the first alone. Yikes.
- Early in the first period, Alex Ovechkin became just the second player in NHL history to record 6,000 shots on goal. He did so with a power-play one-timer that goaltender Jake Oettinger chested down. The only player left for him to chase down in that race is Ray Bourque and his 6,209 shots.
- The Caps and all the fans in attendance at the game welcomed back beloved netminder Braden Holtby. Holts is injured right now but still traveling with the Stars so he was able to be in attendance for the tribute. Love ya, Braden.
I actually cannot believe that a player who cleared waivers this season and has a $3m cap hit next season was just traded for a 3rd.
Every single team, including the Senators, passed on Hamonic for a $3,375 waiver fee. 5 months later traded for a 3rd in the upcoming draft.
— Earl Schwartz (@EarlSchwartz27) March 20, 2022
- The second period wasn’t much better. This just was not a good game at five-on-five from the Caps. Another twelve scoring chances for the Stars in that frame. The Caps only had thirteen total through forty minutes.
- During the first intermission, Alan May talked about how Peter Laviolette switched all of the forward lines up and how he thought that was a little perplexing. I didn’t get it either. The only swap that needed to be made was Lars Eller in for Nic Dowd. Why go back to some lines that were not working and away from ones that were during the win streak? Bizarre.
- Ovi grabbed career goal number 770 and his twelfth 40-goal season which tied Wayne Gretzky for the most all-time. He probably tied or overtook 19 other dudes in like four other different statistical categories as well.
- All of the trades feel like they have already happened. Are any names still out there you’d want the Caps to jump on before tomorrow’s deadline? Give me an impact forward with some term on his contract. That’d be a spicy one.
Confirming #LeafsForever are sending two 2nd round picks and a 3rd round pick #SeaKraken in exchange for Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell. #SeaKraken retains 50% on Giordano, whose preference was to go home to play for TOR.
First to report return: @KevinWeekes.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 20, 2022
- The Caps dominated the entire third period and it’s like…why only that one, boys? Encouraging attempt at a comeback but it’d have been nice to start the game like that.
- Some absolutely brutal officiating in this game that only hurt the Caps. An early ghost tripping call on Fehervary in which the Stars struck on the ensuing power play. Then that bogus goaltender interference call on Garnet Hathaway that probably should have been a goal for the Caps when you consider the Stars own defenseman made almost all of the contact with his own netminder. Multiple goal swing.
- I wrote that bullet before Jamie Benn decided to almost kill John Carlson and got away with it scot-free. One of the worst officiated games this season and almost all calls hurt the Caps.
- Vitek Vanecek is excellent and the Caps do not need to waste assets on a goaltender. Marc-Andre Fleury is not good. He is in fact very bad.
Craig trying to show @JoeBpXp up today with some smart plaid. #joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/DHFDVOYW6h
— Good Tweet Pete 🌮 (@peterhassett) March 20, 2022
The Capitals host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday for their next fixture. The Blues whooped the Caps 5-1 earlier this season.
Screenshot via Bally Sports Southwest
