The Washington Capitals ground out a win Saturday afternoon, defeating the New York Rangers in no small part thanks to TJ Oshie. After returning from injury Thursday against the Seattle Kraken, Oshie got a last-minute promotion to the Capitals’ first line against New York when a lower-body injury held Alex Ovechkin out of action.
Playing alongside Dylan Strome and Max Pacioretty, Oshie made the most of the opportunity, leading Washington with four shots and eight total shot attempts. His efforts were rewarded midway through the third period when he netted the game-winner in the 3-2 victory.
The tally not only got Oshie back on the scoresheet for the first time in nearly a month, but it also signified a personal comeback that perhaps was once thought to be in question. Oshie raised eyebrows when he recently left the Capitals for Minnesota to get treatment on an undisclosed ailment.
A little over a week ago, head coach Spencer Carbery revealed that Oshie had returned to his home state. Midseason trips away from the team are not common and after Nicklas Backstrom’s early season departure, Oshie’s trip north had fans fearing the worst for the 37-year-old winger.
Instead, Oshie returned from his brief absence with a bang, pushing the Capitals to defeat the division-leading Rangers. Only Strome (18:28) saw more ice time in the victory among Capitals forwards than Oshie (18:22).
Oshie’s go-ahead goal came less than two minutes after Nic Dowd tied the game at two in the third period. As Strome carried the puck into the offensive zone, Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick squared up to him, closing down a potential shot but leaving the back door open. Strome saw that and fired a pass to a net-crashing Oshie, who got just enough of the puck to give the Capitals their first lead of the night.
#ALLCAPS 3-2. TJ OSHIE! CAPITALS TAKE THE LEAD IN THE 3RD PERIOD pic.twitter.com/M06ZJEYY58
— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) January 13, 2024
The tally also marked the 183rd goal that Oshie has scored in a Capitals’ uniform. That total lifted him past Dennis Maruk and into sole possession of 10th-most goals in franchise history.
Not only did T.J. Oshie net the game winner, he moved into sole possession of 10th on the @Capitals all-time goals list.#NHLStats: https://t.co/gCU8UtYGp5 pic.twitter.com/k2KR6AWv1b
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 13, 2024
When asked about the play postgame, Oshie deflected praise to his linemates.
“I just went to the back door and sat there,” he said. “The whole play was developed from our end and then up the ice and Stromer made everything happen. I was just sitting there.”
The Pacioretty-Strome-Oshie trio saw quick success in their first game together: at five-on-five, they outshot the Rangers 6-2, out-chanced them 9-4, and recorded 72.9 percent of the expected goals during their ice time. Though both wingers have separately played with Strome this season, Saturday marked the first time Oshie and Pacioretty shared time on a line.
“I think Patch does such a good job at settling down the puck on forechecks and things like that, and getting the puck–not necessarily stopped, but to an area where we can come support him,” Oshie said. “And then that turns into an O-zone shift and possession and from there we can get to the inside. So, Patch and myself, obviously two guys that really like to get to the net, so when those shots were coming through, we had some guys there.
“We’re happy with the one. Maybe felt like we could have had two or three. But it’s nice to get that chemistry rolling with those two guys.”
When head coach Spencer Carbery highlighted the goal in his postgame locker room speech, Strome and Oshie each pointed at the other in an attempt to deflect the credit.
Keep finding a way#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/BuiKpkGKgK
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 13, 2024
“I thought that line was real good today,” Carbery said. “I thought they were strong for us, had some really good sequences where they just missed in third period, first period. They had a couple really good looks.”
Oshie’s strong performance Saturday came in a season largely dominated by injury. He has missed 18 of Washington’s 40 contests so far, losing a six-game stretch to a concussion shortly before an upper-body injury kept him out of the lineup again for more than three weeks. Even when healthy, Oshie has struggled to produce, recording just five points (3g, 2a) in 23 games.
With Ovechkin’s health status still up in the air, Oshie could see more top-line minutes in short order. The Capitals will face the Rangers once again Sunday afternoon, traveling to New York to complete their ninth back-to-back of the season.
Screenshot via Capitals/NHL.com
