It’s too early to say that this is a must-win game, but folks, tonight’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes is a mighty important one.
If the Capitals are going to go dancing in April, these are the games they need to win to distinguish themselves.
“I can’t overstate the importance of the next couple weeks for our group and the teams that we play,” Spencer Carbery said this morning. “This is no different tonight against a really good team that’s rolling really well. In our division, it’s challenging, but this is where we need to prove and show that we’re capable of keeping up with these teams and being in the conversation with these type of teams.”
To stay in the conversation, the Capitals will turn to Darcy Kuemper, who stopped just enough pucks the other night to deliver a win over the Penguins.
Tonight’s game returns to Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is a little after 7:00 pm. Yep, I’m gonna do it tonight. LETS GO CAPS!
Lines
Alex Alexeyev and Matthew Phillips are the healthy scratches. TJ Oshie is in Minnesota somewhere.
Lineys!#CapsCanes | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/o9YpJVtVYp
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 5, 2024
Tunnel weirdness
Whatever you do, please do not vote for THE GOAT.
O out here makin' dreams come true
…and listen to what the big man has to say and go to https://t.co/hA3xGvBe5Y#NHLAllStarVote | John Carlson pic.twitter.com/SSUGlCtiqN
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 5, 2024
1st Period
Darcy Kuemper will oppose Pyotr Kochetkov in net. Pacioretty-Strome-Lapierre and TVR-Bear get the start.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Nic Dowd skates the puck across the goal and beats Kochetkov with a perfectly placed shot. NAK and Beck Malenstyn get the assists. Goal came at the 7:06 mark.
Took his time and picked his spot pic.twitter.com/EAvr6V4OsO
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 6, 2024
TVR to the box for hooking at 10:39.
OMG THE DMITRY ORLOV TRIBUTE VIDEO.
The Hurricanes power play ends early as Andrei Svechnikov interferes with John Carlson 1:07 into their power play. We’ll play four-on-four until the Caps get a brief power play.
🚨 2-0 Capitals. After a great feed by Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome scores a power-play goal right in front of the net. John Carlson registers his 500th career assist on the tally. Strome’s 14th goal of the year came at 16:29.
FIRE. US. UP!!!!!#EasyToCelebrate | @budlight pic.twitter.com/UtvQUy3Pid
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 6, 2024
The Caps have the lead but YIKES. The Hurricanes outshot the Capitals 10-6 in the first period and out-attempted them 30-12 at five-on-five.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Brent Burns scores 5:17 into the period to narrow the Capitals lead. Svechnikov beat like three dudes out of the corner. Burns pinched and scored five-hole on Kuemper.
Strome and Pacioretty go in on a two-on-none and Patches hits the crossbar.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 2-2 tie. Seth Jarvis scores on a leaky Kuemper in front of the net. The goal was created by Dmitry Orlov who skated the puck deep into the offensive zone. The goal comes 3:23 into the period. This is a goal you need Kuemper to make.
Canes have a bad turnover right in front of the net to Aliaksei Protas, but Big Pro cannot score.
Beck Malenstyn to the box for slashing right off a faceoff. He broke a Canes’ stick in half. Huge PK upcoming with under 8 minutes to go in the game.
🚨 3-2 Canes. On the resulting power play, Svechnikov scores on a huge one-timer from the right circle. Only took 28 seconds.
Kuznetsov further compounds hte problem by taking a slashing penalty right after the goal, striking Michael Bunting as the Hurricanes were celebrating. Completely undisciplined.
🚨 4-2 Canes. Brent Burns with a huge slap shot and beats Kuemper. Canes score on the power play Kuzy gives them. This game is kaput. Caps have surrendered four unanswered.
Kuemper pulled with 3:33 left.
Caps get a power play with 3:23 left after Jaccob Slavin gets a delay of game penalty for rifling the puck out of play.
🚨 5-2 Canes. Dmitry Orlov scores the empty netter to seal the victory for the Hurricanes. P A I N.
🚨 6-2 Canes. Darcy Kuemper surrenders a goal to Vasily Ponomarev in his first NHL game. Kuemper has given up five goals in three of his last four starts.
Caps get obliterated. The wheels began coming off after that leaky Jarvis goal from Kuemps.
The Hurricanes doubled up the Capitals in shots, 34-17, and 5v5 shot attempts, 68-34. They scored six unanswered goals, five of which came in the third period.
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