The Washington Capitals were so ready for the all-star break, but they had this one last road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in their way. That’s okay, it’s just Columbus. They’re terrible, right?
Right?!
Garnet Hathaway tipped Lars Eller’s shot to give Washington an early lead, which Trevor van Riemsdyk extended with a blue-line bomb. That two-goal lead lasted 12 seconds, which is when Andrew Peeke needed two deflections to beat Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren.
Trevor van Riemsdyk received a great pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov to restore the Caps’ two-goal lead, but it didn’t last long – Eric Robinson smoked TJ Oshie’s line to score on the rush.
Johnny Gaudreau knotted the game at three goals with seven minutes left. The Jackets pushed late, but the Caps survived through regulation. Kuznetsov scored 26 seconds into overtime, thanks to a great setup from Johansson.
Caps win!
- Columbus is a terrible possession team. They rank 29th in the league in shot-attempt percentage, and yet they controlled play against these Washington Capitals. Hmm.
- Garnet Hathaway was a demon. He got a shorthanded chance early on, turned Eller’s shot into a goal, and took a puck to the foot.
- Hathaway’s linemate, Lars Eller, shared in that success, and maybe he needed it. He was the subject of trade rumors earlier today.
- Two goals for Trevor van Riemsdyk, the first time he’s done so in his NHL career. With all the tumult on this team this season, watching his gradual, well-earned promotion through the ranks has been lovely. He’s a fine player. He took a puck to the hand in the third period, and he’ll now have a week and a half to move it in and out of various ice baths.
- Nick Jensen took a funky high hit from Sean Kuraly that led to a minor rumble, with Martin Fehervary taking umbrage in particular. Jensen seemed fine afterward, and that’s really all that matters.
- Columbus isn’t a very good defensive team, so I was keen to see Alex Ovechkin score some goals. That didn’t happen, and it seemed like Laviolette was restless with his linemates. I saw Sheary out there with Ovi as well as Nicolas Aube-Kubel, plus at least one shift with Eller. Weird how nothing felt right there.
Joe's wearing purple. Gonna be a good game. #joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/fs8abHZc54
— Peter Hassett (@peterhassett) February 1, 2023
Man, the Caps need a break. In addition to their full-fledged injuries, there are clearly some players playing through stuff: Oshie and Ovechkin are on the record. I wouldn’t be surprised if Orlov is hurting too. Really, if the name starts with O, this is a good time to kick back and get a tan. Ten days of rest begins now.
And when we come back, the Capitals community will be without Washington Post beat writer Samantha Pell, who has been a dauntless, tireless reporter during hectic times. I don’t have the imagination to really understand how tough her job has been – the schedule, the chaos, the travel, the personalities, the pressure. I just know that her work has superb. Farewell to Sam, one heck of a writer.
Headline photo: @imhopper
