The Washington Capitals brought two fresh faces into their Sunday evening game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson returned to action for a game that was… well… not very good, aside from the winning part.
Erik Gustafsson continued his improbably hot streak, thanks to a fortunate bounce near the crease. Then we went a million years without a goal. Kuemper secured his league-leading fourth shutout of the season.
Caps win!
- Yikes on this one. The Caps played for their first few shifts, but after the first goal they struggled to get into the offensive zone at all. It was a choppy, unpleasant game, and Columbus controlled the neutral zone for most of it. The Caps didn’t really get any energy until the final 6 or 7 minutes of regulation.
- When you get totally stomped everywhere but the scoreboard, you have to give it up for your goalie, Darcy Kuemper, who was clutch in a low-key fashion, which is always the fashion you want your goalie to be clutch in. He deadlifted the Caps to victory. This was a very difficult shutout (about three expected goals for CBJ), and it’s marvelous that Kuemper earned it to take the league lead.
- Including this one, I now count three stinkers in the last couple weeks: the loss to the Senators in December and the loss to the Predators just the other night. Anything to worry about long term?
- I’m not gonna talk about Anthony Mantha, who was a healthy scratch. You already know how I feel, and you probably saw how the Lars Eller line did in this one without him.
- The shot on defender Erik Gustafsson‘s goal might have been intended as a pass. Either way, he’s recorded his 7th goal in 11 games, a next-level hot streak that more than makes up for his defensive shortcomings unless you’re Ian, famous Gus-hater.
- Check out this sign below. “We’re gonna party like it’s 1943.” Get it?! Because Backstrom is no. 19 and Wilson is no. 43? And it kinda sounds like that Prince song? Pretty cool. No, I will not be looking up any historical details about the year 1943, but I have to assume it had some good parties. (Our schools are failing our children.)
"we're gonna party like it's 1943"
jesus christ almighty dude pic.twitter.com/NrwYLc3uLy— Peter Hassett (@peterhassett) January 8, 2023
- Tom Wilson played his first game since May 3, 2022, when he suffered an ACL injury. He threw a bunch of hits but didn’t really have the puck much. Seemed like just a few shifts shy of a normal workload.
- Nicklas Backstrom played his first game since May 13, 2022. He underwent a hip surfacing injury to address chronic pain and limited mobility that had bothered him for years. Hip resurfacing is totally gnarly so do not, under any circumstances, click this link to a video of surgery happening. Backstrom hardly got any time on attack, and he got busted for a marginal boarding call. Here’s my about Backstrom’s first game back: 🤐
Another crackerjack #joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/RuQORGZygt
— Peter Hassett (@peterhassett) January 8, 2023
Maybe this game was simply fated to be known as the game where Backstrom and Wilson came back, and what happened on the ice would always be a footnote. We don’t know how Backstrom and Wilson will compete for the rest of the season; it’s just a blessing to have them both back. That and a win is more than enough.
Headline photo: @clairehardie7
