This is your place to check for updates and comment along with the Capitals vs. Canadiens game on October 15, 2022.
The Washington Capitals are winless but have a great opportunity to end that 0-fer streak tonight at Capital One Arena. The Montreal Canadiens are coming to town after being shut out by the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 on Friday night. Last season, the Canadiens finished dead last in the Eastern Conference. This is essentially a schedule win.
“It’s a big game for us. Everybody wants to win,” Dmitry Orlov said per the Capitals. “Montreal played last night, so we should have a good start, try to get first goal, and go from there.”
What to look for? Peter Laviolette tinkered with the lines and the power play during the team’s morning skate on Saturday. The biggest changes surround center Dylan Strome, who replaces Evgeny Kuznetsov on the first line and on the half-wall on the first power play unit.
Darcy Kuemper will get his second start in net after giving up four goals to the Bruins on opening night. Alex Ovechkin remains goalless to start the season, but my prior experience watching the legend suggests, uh, that’s gonna change real soon.
Jonathan Drouin will make his season debut for the Habs while Sam Montembeault will start in net.
Tonight’s game can be watched on NBC Sports Washington.
Pregame Links
- Report: Laviolette will likely get extended during the season
- All the Caps’ power play changes
- A deeper look at the power play’s early issues
- More opportunity for Strome
- The Leafs already have goaltending issues [grabs popcorn]
- Alan’s pics from the Red Carpet (they’re great)
- Hershey Bears’ Opening Night roster
Lines
Connor McMichael and Joe Snively scratched a third consecutive game.
Lineys!#CapsHabs | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/7n2pw1Kdkw
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 15, 2022
1st Period
The Canadiens have already peppered Darcy Kuemper with several awkward chances. Dmitry Orlov and Nic Dowd couldn’t connect on a two-on-one after some over-passing. Montreal has five of the first six shots on goal. The Capitals generated several consecutive chances. They have the last seven shots on goal. The Canadiens got the game’s first power play.
😩 Goal waved off: Alex Ovechkin scored via a deflection, but the goal was overturned upon a Montreal challenge. Aliaksei Protas was offside entering the zone as TJ Oshie carried the puck in.
Dmitry Orlov landed a big hit on Nick Suzuki in the neutral zone, drawing oohs and ahhs from the Capitals crowd.
The Capitals led the period in shots 12 to 8, but that was not an impressive period against a likely non-playoff team playing in a b2b.
2nd Period
🚨 1-0 Montreal: Nick Suzuki scored on a wraparound. Darcy Kuemper got beaten five hole. (Video)
It’s very quiet at Capital One Arena. The Capitals killed off a tripping penalty to Conor Sheary. The Canadiens are now 0-2 on the power play.
🚨 1-1: Right out of the box, Conor Sheary redirects the puck home at the 9:02 mark of the second period after a great feed by Nick Jensen. (Video)
🚨 2-1 Caps: A Caps lead! Anthony Mantha scored in front of the net after Evgeny Kuznetsov found him with a slick pass from the corner boards. Mantha leads the Capitals in goals. He has two the first three games. (Video)
🚨 3-1 Caps: TJ Oshie ends the Capitals’ long power-play drought to start the season. Picking up a rebound, Oshie deked past Montembeault and scored after two attempts in the crease. The goal came at the 15:20 mark of the second period. Alex Ovechkin registered his first point of the season on the play – a primary assist. (Video)
It started slow, but that was the most dominant period of the Capitals’ young season so far. Though to be fair, Montreal seemed to be wilting as time elapsed. The Capitals now lead shots on goal 26-13. The 5v5 shot attempts are 35-23 WSH. The Caps had three unanswered goals in the period after Nick Suzuki scored.
CAPS TRANSACTION: The Caps have singed Sonny Milano to a one-year, $750k deal.
3rd Period
The Capitals and Canadiens had a mostly quiet period until Anthony Mantha dropped the gloves with Habs’ 2020 first-round pick Kaiden Guhle with 3:03 remaining. Both players get five minutes for fighting and first dibs on the showers. Mantha seemed upset by a cross-check Guhle gave him along the end boards.
The Capitals won 3-1. TJ Oshie went after Brendan Gallagher as the horn blew after Gally took a few pot shots at Nic Dowd at center ice. Both players screamed at each other before they were separated by officials. This marks Darcy Kuemper’s first career win as a Capital. He made 21 saves in the victory.
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