The Washington Capitals have a gift in front of them if they choose to take it. Sunday they take on the San Jose Sharks at home.
The Sharks are bad. Like really, really bad. They are 0-7-1 to start the season. San Jose’s single standings point has them dead last in the NHL. Their minus-24 goals differential is nearly double the second worst team, the Edmonton Oilers (-13).
It’s a classic trap game. One better team underestimates the bad team and then things get hairy.
“We have a mature group that understands going into this game there is not a team in this league that we should be taking lightly,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said. “I guarantee you that group over there from the puck drop believes that they can beat the Washington Capitals and they’re right. It’s important that we’re playing a mature game in these situations from our compete level to our energy levels to our attention to detail. All of that is at its highest level this afternoon.”
Today’s game is on Monumental Sports Network with an early start time of 5 pm.
Must read RMNB content
- With no Nic Dowd or Sonny Milano, prospect Hendrix Lapierre will play in tonight’s game
- Charlie Lindgren is back
- RIP Adam Johnson
- Carbery impressed with McMike’s two-way play
- The wild shootout against the Wild
- The Capitals’ Hockey Fights Cancer skate
- Miro’s first multi-point night in Hershey
- Andrew Cristall hatty
Lines
Lineys!#CapsSharks | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/6qZIAcXuQV
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 29, 2023
1st Period
🚨 1-0 Sharks. Luke Kunin scores on the doorstep after the Capitals lose sight of the puck behind the net. The Capitals have now given up the first goal in seven of their first eight games to start the season.
Drumroll, please… 🥁
We present to you a #SJSharks goal highlight‼️ pic.twitter.com/vQRAdEPJrs
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 29, 2023
Sharks have eight of the first 10 shots in the game.
Ovi just entered the zone offside, negating a two-on-one with Dylan Strome.
Alex Ovechkin with consecutive shots off offensive faceoff wins in the final minute of the period, but Mackenzie Blackwood makes big saves stops on both.
Important pregame content: https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2023/10/29/tj-oshie-welcomes-hendrix-lapierre-back-to-capitals-with-loud-butt-slap-oof/
The Capitals ended up out-shooting the Sharks 12 to 10 in the first period but the Sharks out-attempted them at five-on-five 21 to 19.
2nd Period
Martin Fehervary leaves the game early in the second after crashing into Tomas Hertl. Incidental content.
Fehervary is back after only missing a couple shifts.
The Capitals are out-shooting the Sharks 25-21 through two periods and lead in five-on-five shot attempts 38-33. Just nothing to show for it. At all strengths, the Capitals have a 3.15 to 2.20 expected goals advantage.
3rd Period
🚨 1-1 tie. Dylan Strome has his team-leading sixth goal of the season to tie the game. Strome beat Blackwood five-hole from the point after a beautiful screen in front of the net by Tom Wilson. Strome has six goals and no assists this season.
right down the middle pic.twitter.com/Ozx5V0mqyI
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 29, 2023
🚨 2-1 Caps. Tom Wilson continued his dominant third period, scoring in front of the net after banking his shot off the backside of a Sharks’ defender. Caps just have to hold on for four minutes and 45 seconds more.
🚨 3-1 Caps. An Evgeny Kuznetsov empty netter! He tapped the glass where his daughter is sitting after scoring the insurance goal.
Three unanswered goals gives the Caps the win and their third-straight win.
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