TJ Oshie did not register a point Sunday night, but he still made a big impact on the game.
Oshie leveled a huge hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic midway through the second, flying in to send both players toppling to the ice. The play led directly to Dylan Strome’s 2-1 goal, capturing a lead that the Capitals would hold onto for the rest of the night.
“That was a great play to pretty much set up a goal,” Strome said.
Stromer's 11th goal of the season
Eddy's first point as a Cap pic.twitter.com/5j0micYafZ— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 11, 2023
Vlasic had just picked up the puck behind the Blackhawks’ net, barely turning around before a speeding Oshie delivers a shoulder-on-chest check. With neither player able to keep their balance, a “thunk” rang out through the United Center as Vlasic careened into the boards.
Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin grabbed the loose puck. He passed it to Joel Edmundson, who snapped it to Strome for a quick redirect past goaltender Arvid Söderblom and into the net. The assisst would be Edmundson’s first point as a Capital.
Full team effort#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/txAtkr1Ii1
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 11, 2023
A least two Chicago players–Anthony Beauvillier and Connor Murphy–got into something of a shoving match with Oshie after the play before the right wing joined his teammates in the post-goal celebration.
Nic Dowd would get the team on the scoreboard twice more to give the Capitals three consecutive goals after the hit, with the team ultimately winning 4-2.
When asked postgame, Carbery emphatically agreed that Oshie’s check gave his team a lift.
“One hundred percent. Tons of energy on our bench from a play like that that creates the goal,” he said. “But just a physicality part of it…The added part of it is a skill guy that can score that that does things like that, and finishes a check like that, that gets everybody excited. And on a back-to-back Sunday where you’re looking for sparks, that’s one of them right there.”
Chicago wasn’t the first team this fall to end up on the wrong end of a big Oshie hit. He gave Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli a “welcome to the NHL” moment during the preseason, leveling a shoulder check hard enough to send Fantilli’s stick spinning in the air.
welcome to the league, rook pic.twitter.com/vezw2w6I4q
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 8, 2023
With Oshie playing just his second game back from an upper-body injury, Strome was glad to have his physicality back on the ice.
“That’s just what Osh brings to the table,” he said. “He can do so many different things night in, night out. He’s unbelievable at just being an unreal team guy. Good in the power play. He chips in whenever he needs to, with anything, really. He scores goals, sets up plays, and obviously makes big hits. So he’s a huge part of our team and everyone’s happy he’s back.”
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
