The Washington Capitals have hit the road for the first time in the 2023-24 season after picking up their first win of the campaign against the Calgary Flames. The Ottawa Senators were their first host on Wednesday as the first of three battles this year between the North American capital cities went down.
Vladimir Tarasenko wasted little time getting the Senators on the board first with a perfectly timed net drive. Josh Norris, who returned from injury for this game, doubled Ottawa’s lead on a power play not long after. John Carlson finished off the first period sniping home his first of the season to get the Capitals back into the game.
Norris grabbed his second of the game shortly into the next frame, Artem Zub blasted home from the point, and Claude Giroux made it five in a very bad, not fun second period. Jake Sanderson added another in the third for the touchdown.
Senators beat Capitals 6-1.
- The Capitals ended up down 2-0 during the first period but their effort really didn’t deserve that. I thought they were excellent and really should have left the first frame with a lead instead of the 2-1 deficit they ended up with. That penalty call on TJ Oshie was bogus and it took some real heroics from Anton Forsberg in the Ottawa net to keep the Senators out of a multi-goal hole.
- Little bit of a worrying start to the season for the penalty-killing unit. They’ve now given up four goals in three games. That part of the special teams felt like somewhat of a strength last year so perhaps it’s just bad luck and Nic Dowd clearly not being fully healthy.
- Congratulations are in order for Nicklas Backstrom as this was the legendary Swede’s 1,100th career NHL game. The Senators did an announcement of Nicky’s feat during the game and he got a smattering of applause. One of the best passers to ever touch NHL ice.
🇸🇪 Only 9️⃣ Swedish players have met the 1,100 NHL games played mark, congratulations to @backstrom19! pic.twitter.com/DHSN54F79q
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) October 18, 2023
- So, in the second period…individual mistakes and not being able to buy a save from their goaltender absolutely sank everything good that I pointed out in the first bullet of this recap. Yes, before you bite my head off, Darcy Kuemper was definitely left out to dry multiple times as well. Forsberg was also great again in Ottawa’s net.
- One of those mistakes came from Nick Jensen who has been far behind the pace to start the season. That time he missed during the preseason could not have helped him as he sure looks like a player trying to catch up to those around him right now.
- Don’t love Tom Wilson fighting Mark Kastelic. The Senators win that trade every single time and it’s not like Kastelic really took a run at Rasmus Sandin. The fight also put the Capitals on another penalty kill.
- At some point one of these 800 pucks hitting posts and crossbars are going to go in, right? Right? RIGHT? Someone tell me I’m right. Please.
Security wouldn’t let Seguin through so he had to prove he played for the Stars 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Flz5yihqSS
— S Λ Μ (@sighsamuel) October 18, 2023
- Nothing really doing in the third period other than the fans in Ottawa doing the most annoying “Woo” thing in the crowd endlessly. Made me want to never hear again. The Capitals looked completely checked out with like eight minutes or so left in regulation.
- I really didn’t like how careless with the puck the power play was. It’s really early in the season and they’re trying to learn some new wrinkles but the one thing they can definitely control is effort and I felt like that wasn’t there watching them. Maybe the usual suspects get a break from the top unit and need to earn their spots back while some younger faces get a shot to contribute?
- I’m jealous of how well the Senators are built. They went through a rebuild (yes, that’s a thing) and some tumultuous time with ownership/front office stuff but have come out on the other side looking really young and really good.
First road #JoeBSuitOfTheNight of the season! pic.twitter.com/Bg9QKsC7A5
— RMNB (@rmnb) October 18, 2023
The Capitals will pack up their suitcases and take them to Montreal for one more on the road in Canada on Saturday before returning home. They’ll then meet the Toronto Maple Leafs in DC for already their fourth game against north of the border based opposition on Tuesday.
Headline photo via @real_jon_c/X
