The Washington Capitals got pretty well throttled by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday evening.
Although Nicklas Backstrom kicked us off with a power-play goal in the first, the Leafs piled on four goals in the second period: Michael Bunting on the power play, Morgan Rielly for his first of the season, William Nylander on a rush, and finally Pierre Engvall chasing Darcy Kuemper from the net.
Zach Aston-Reese finished ’em off in the third period.
Caps lose.
- I want to start on a very bright note: Nicklas Backstrom scored his first goal since March 26, 2022. I wasn’t sure we’d ever see him on the ice again, and while his long-term viability is I guess a bit of an open question, his skill with the puck remains undeniable.
- I understand that the NFL dominated most sportsfans’ attentions today, and maybe that’s a good thing. The Leafs put four goals on the Caps in the second period, which was really un-fun. Washington couldn’t create any sustained pressure, and they seemed uncoordinated in their own zone. As a result, Toronto generated way more chances and made life hell for the Caps goalies.
- Darcy Kuemper got relieved after the fourth goal of the second period, and though I don’t think he made any massive goofs it felt like the right move to give him the rest of the night off. Really, it feels weird that we’ve only seen Charlie Lindgren for one half of one game in the last two weeks.
- Real bad game. A short intermission:
- Washington head coach Peter Laviolette coached his 1,400th game tonight.
"Forget about the record…I'm so happy [Ovechkin] won a Stanley Cup…he deserves all the credit and the accolades he's getting. I couldn't be more happy to be around a guy that has a chance to break my record."
–Wayne Gretzky 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Z405HzNxRk
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) January 29, 2023
- The Caps didn’t have much energy left in the third. It was a low-effort loss.
- Wayne Gretzky was in the building. Number 99 crashed the NBC Sports Washington booth late in the first period for another typically gracious tire-pumping from the Great One. He really is a great ambassador. Just a bit dry.
- Alex Ovechkin did not score.
two kings #joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/UANsmhrpjt
— Peter Hassett (@peterhassett) January 29, 2023
That one was a lemon. Scheduled win coming up Tuesday in Columbus. Let’s hope for better.
Headline photo: @rashelle_wilcox
