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Power play still utterly powerless: Maple Leafs beat Capitals 3-2

By Chris Cerullo

 5 Comments

October 13, 2022 10:16 pm

Thursday, the Washington Capitals traveled to Toronto for a matchup with the Maple Leafs and Ilya Samsonov. Would Sammy be able to stymie the club that drafted him or would he hand them their first victory of the season?

John Tavares kicked things off with a tap-in goal on a power play. Nic Dowd and Marcus Johansson would burn their former teammate in the Toronto net to turn things all the way around for the Caps after the first twenty minutes.

Calle Jarnkrok tied things back up early in the second via Caps defensive breakdown. Auston Matthews deflected one past a stunned Charlie Lindgren to give Toronto a third-period lead.

Maple Leafs beat Capitals 3-2.

  • Uh, so, a big welcome to the Capitals cage for Charlie Lindgren. He had to face 22 shots in just the first period alone and he stopped 21 of them. If not for him, I think the Caps are facing another early three or four goals against. For a team that talked a ton about needing to get off to a better start after the loss to the Bruins…they failed everywhere but the scoreboard.
  • The first period gave us a back-to-back look at the Capitals’ power play and Maple Leafs’ power play. It could not have been more of a rigid dichotomy. The Caps have one option and one option only and it’s very predictable outside of that one option. The Leafs had all five players involved in their man advantage touching the puck and interchanging with one another. It was scary for more than one reason.
  • Uh, The Rock was at the game. No word on if he acknowledged his Tribal Chief.

  • The second period was excellent from the Caps outside of like the last two minutes. They really ramped it up and finally spent extended amounts of time in the offensive zone. Their first five high-danger chances of the game came in the second frame.
  • The Capitals’ defenders have been downright awful to start this season. I think Erik Gustafsson has somehow been the best of the six. The sheer amount of thoughtless step-ups, pinches, and gambles combined with lazy, positionless defending has been absurdly aggravating to watch.
  • Aliaksei Protas has been the team’s best forward in both games for me. If he ever adds some finish to his game he’s going to be a monster in the NHL. He’s still just 21 years old and his ability to make the small skill plays paired with his big frame and workman-like nature digging out pucks behind the net and in the corners is impressive.
  • That second line overall is really gelling. I’ve been really impressed with Dylan Strome’s defensive game which is weird because he’s not exactly known for his work on that side of the puck. Anthony Mantha also looks like he’s working really hard to start the year.

  • I need a personal fast-forward button where I can just skip watching the Capitals’ power play. I am so tired, folks. So tired. 0-for-9 to start the season and I think the opposition has had more chances shorthanded.
  • Ilya Samsonov was meh in his first game against his former mates. There was the good and there was the bad. A very typical Sammy start.
  • The Caps had won the defensive zone draw clean as day prior to the Leafs’ third goal and Nick Jensen immediately fired the puck into his own bench under no pressure. Tough goal to give up but was completely avoidable.

The Caps will have a day off tomorrow before they’re back home to take on the Montreal Canadiens. Need a win there.

Headline photo via @JohnWaltonPxP/Twitter

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