The Washington Capitals lost their fourth game in a row in a matinee home game against the New York Rangers. I dunno what to say, which is a bad sign since this is just the second sentence of a game recap that I am paid to write.
K’Andre Miller pounced on Darcy Kuemper’s vulnerable rebound to give New York the lead to start. Alexis Lafreniere made it 2-0 with a gorgeous play. Early in the second period, Kaapo Kakko got a lucky bounce to make it 3-0, but Dylan Strome banked a below-the-goal shot off Igor Shesterkin’s skate to keep Washington within two goals. In the third, Vladimir Tarasenko’s rush goal made it 4-1. Aliaksei Protas crashed the net to bring the Caps back within two. Mika Zibanejad got a power-play goal to make it a reverse Bailamos game, which is such an inside bit that maybe we should abandon it.
Caps lose.
- The Capitals have two wins (Chicago, Buffalo) in their last ten games.
- I don’t know how, but Alex Ovechkin managed to escape this game without being on the ice for a Rangers goal. Everyone else did. Everyone except…
- ….Backup goalie Mitchell Gibson, who signed an amateur tryout contract for the day. We think he’s got a real contract in the works, but time will tell.
- The five-on-five stats described a more even game that what I saw or what the scoreboard shows. Both teams seemed to allow more close-up shots from the slot than I bet they’d have preferred, but one thing holding Washington back was a lack of offense from Alex Ovechkin, who had just three attempts. He has struggled to get looks since the Pittsburgh game, and the frustration boiled over when he was dismissed from the game for losing his temper.
- (TNT went to commercial when all the dramatic stuff with Ovechkin went down. I’m looking forward to local broadcasts from here on out.)
- Also a liability for Washington was goalie Darcy Kuemper, who saved fewer goals than expected, especially that rebound he served up to K’Andre Miller.
- All credit to New York for some high skill plays. This, from Alexis Lafrienere, was next level:
ZERO HESITATION. ALEXIS LAFRENIERE. pic.twitter.com/R1u4yADQPA
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 2, 2023
- I think the cherry blossom jerseys look great. (I bought a similar thing from the Overwatch League’s Washington Justice last year, so you all are just copying me.) I think it’d be cool if the NHL used novelty jerseys in games.
- Aliaksei Protas scored his first goal since November 11 by finishing off a frenzy in front of the Rangers net. That’s exactly the kind of goal that gets an under-appreciated player more ice time from a skeptical coach, which would be a bright side if there were more than five games left on Peter Laviolette’s contract.
- On the bright side, there are five game left on Peter Laviolette’s contract.
No Joe B photo. This was the last national broadcast of this cursed season. Speaking of curses, here’s some humiliation:
https://twitter.com/pennybacker/status/1642607009815056385
It’s my devout belief that this is the worst it’s going to get. The Caps are sputtering their way into the offseason, but a lot of what’s ailing them feels transitory to me. Their problems seem solvable – or like they’re destined to resolve themselves automatically after the summer. Some will take tough but obvious decisions. But it’s fixable.
Don’t get me wrong: today sucked. It was a blowout. Ovi had nothing. And it seemed like Caps fans were outnumbered in their home arena by New Yorkers.
But I don’t think it’s going to be like this forever. Let’s hold fast, enjoy whatever fun we can get, and look forward to the brighter days ahead.
Headline photo: @KurtLinke3
