This is your place to check for updates and comment along with the Washington Capitals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs game on January 29, 2023.
The Washington Capitals have just two games remaining before the whole NHL breaks for All-Star-related festivities. Both of those games will come on the road and first up they’re across the border up north in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs.
The Caps will see a familiar face across them in net once again while playing Toronto. Due to an ankle injury suffered by Matt Murray, Ilya Samsonov will be making his third start of the season against his former club. The Caps will also be without winger Tom Wilson as he won’t play again until after the All-Star break due to a lower-body injury.
Tonight’s matchup is on NBC Sports Washington and puck drop is slightly after 5 pm.
Links
- Check out super young Alexander Semin taking a picture of super young Alex Ovechkin
- Ovi’s positive controller disconnected moment
- Like we said before, Sammy in net for the Leafs
- ESPN’s GR8TNESS special preview
- Vitek Vanecek answering questions in the third person
- Tom Wilson out for at least two games
- New Oshie baby
- Ovi beats Ovi
- New Stadium Series-themed goalie gear
- John Carlson skates for first time since injury
Lines
Lineys!#CapsLeafs | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/UXeV5DCCsx
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 29, 2023
Pregame Shenanigans
⚽️ faces pic.twitter.com/Ed5tpEOJr2
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 29, 2023
1st Period
NAK-Eller-Hathaway and Orlov-Jensen get the start. Darcy Kuemper will face Ilya Samsonov in net.
Congratulations to Peter Laviolette on coaching his 1,400th career game.
Congrats to Lavi on becoming the 13th head coach in NHL history to reach the 1,400-game mark!#ALLCAPS | @LeidosInc pic.twitter.com/auksKqxEOg
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 29, 2023
Mark Giordano takes the first penalty of the game with a hold but Lars Eller interferes with Samsonov just seconds later. Some early four-on-four.
Alex Kerfoot trips TJ Oshie and the Caps will get the first power play try of the evening.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Nicklas Backstrom rips one home on the PP. It’s his first goal since returning from offseason hip surgery. The tally came with 2:43 left in the first period.
Nicklas Backstrom scores first goal since returning from major offseason hip surgery
That’s how period one ended. The Leafs hold the lead in shots 10-7 but trail on the big board.
2nd Period
NAK takes an early second-period holding penalty to put Toronto up a man for the first time in the game.
🚨 1-1 tie. Michael Bunting scores on a rebound up front on the power play.
Justin Holl covers the puck up with his hand for too long and will sit for two minutes.
🚨 2-1 Maple Leafs. Morgan Rielly finds a loose puck in front of the net and pots his first goal of the season. Yeesh.
🚨 3-1 Maple Leafs. William Nylander converts on a delayed penalty 3-on-1 rush chance. Leafs are now up two.
🚨 4-1 Maple Leafs. Pierre Engvall makes it four for Toronto. Darcy Kuemper is leaving the crease for Charlie Lindgren.
Rasmus Sandin takes a high-sticking penalty. Time for the Caps to try and get back into the game.
The second ends as Toronto are unlucky to score a fifth. Lindgren with a few beauties with around 30 seconds left. Safe to say it wasn’t a good twenty minutes for the Caps. Four unanswered in the frame for the Leafs.
3rd Period
The Caps will go back to penalty-killing duties early in the third as Erik Gustafsson will sit for hooking.
🚨 5-1 Maple Leafs. Zach Aston-Reese beats Lindgren with a breakaway backhand. Things are going poorly.
Late power play for the Caps that they did nothing on.
The Capitals didn’t put up much of a fight in the third. The Leafs outshot them in regulation 27-24. Expected goals finished 3.02 to 1.89 in favor of Toronto.
Comment below. Refresh this article throughout the night as we’ll be updating it live.
