The Washington Capitals are in Music City tonight to play the Nashville Predators. And it will be no easy test.
The Preds are the best team since in the NHL since November 18, posting a 12-3-0 record good for 24 standings points. Though their energy will be blunted. The Predators played the Carolina Hurricanes last night in Raleigh, winning 6-5 in overtime.
The Capitals will get Evgeny Kuznetsov back in the lineup while Charlie Lindgren will get the start.
Tonight’s game is on Monumental Sports Network and puck drop is a little after 8:00 pm (EST). Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call.
Lines
Alex Alexeyev and Lucas Johansen are the Caps’ scratches
Lineys!#CapsPreds | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/htffaJSXvQ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 17, 2023
Tunnel weirdness
*loud noises*#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/nGdf3h08H9
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 17, 2023
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Juuse Saros in net. Beck Malenstyn, Nic Dowd, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Joel Edmundson, and Nick Jensen get the start.
The first penalty of the game goes to Trevor van Riemsdyk as he sends the puck off the rink and gets called for delay of game.
🚨 1-0 Predators. Colton Sissons grabs his 10th goal of the season on a deflection while up a man.
Sissons ends up the only goal scorer in the first period. The Predators are outshooting the Capitals 8-4.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Capitals get their first power play of the game after Cole Smith trips Nick Jensen. Ryan McDonagh nearly took TJ Oshie’s head off with a high stick and gave the Capitals a five-on-three advantage.
🚨 1-1 tie. TJ Oshie slides home a loose puck in the crease after Dylan Strome deflects an Alex Ovechkin shot through Saros.
🚨 2-1 Predators. Philip Tomasino scores the most against the run of play goal of all time to give Nashville their lead back. The strike came after over two minutes of nonstop Capitals offensive pressure.
Tomasino’s breakaway is the game-winner heading into third. Twenty minutes left to see if the Capitals can come back. Shots are 19-14 in favor of Washington after two periods.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Alex Ovechkin kicks off the third period with a slashing penalty on Filip Forsberg.
🚨 3-1 Predators. Yakov Trenin punched home a weird bounce right after Ovechkin exited the box to extend the Nashville lead to two.
TJ Oshie draws his own slashing call on Nashville’s Alexandre Carrier.
With Charlie Lindgren pulled for an extra attacker, Cody Glass takes a penalty to give the Capitals another dude.
Dylan Strome literally tackles Cody Glass to prevent an empty netter and heads to the box with just 13 seconds left in regulation.
Nashville holds on for their fourth win in a row while the Capitals have now dropped two in a row. The Caps are right back at it tomorrow night in North Carolina.
Comment on the game below along with us!
