It’s Super Sunday and I hope you’re ready for The Big Game: the Washington Capitals vs. Vancouver Canucks.
The Capitals will look to continue their positive momentum after a 3-0 shutout victory against the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has scored in four straight games and has at least one point in five straight. General manager Brian MacLellan placed major trade-deadline-related pressure on the team before this homestand.
Vancouver is now the league’s best team after earning a point in an overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Three different Canucks have already hit the 20-goal mark this season: Brock Boeser (30), Elias Pettersson (28), and JT Miller (22). Quinn Hughes also leads all blueliners in the league in scoring with 64 points (12g, 52a) from 52 games.
Both teams should have funky legs after playing the day before.
After a game away from Monumental Sports Network, Joe B and Locker will be back on the call for the 1:30ish pm puck drop.
Lines
Alex Alexeyev and Matthew Phillips are the Capitals’ scratches. No changes from the lineup that beat Boston other than the goaltender.
Lineys!#CapsNucks | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/iyy4aKIjRZ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 11, 2024
Tunnel weirdness
"Come on, Sugah!"#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/VfsVizx0kp
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 11, 2024
1st Period
Darcy Kuemper will oppose Thatcher Demko in net. Ovechkin-Strome-Oshie and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Nic Dowd scores 1:08 into the game! Nicolas Aube-Kubel with a perfect centering pass to Dowd driving the center lane. Dowd gets his stick on the puck for the deflection past Demko. Dowd now has eight goals on the season.
Darcy Kuemper skates out after a whistle to confront a Canucks player at the corner boards. lol
🚨 1-1 tie. Capitals turn it over in neutral as they’re changing, giving Connor Garland a breakaway. Garland beats Kuemper far side to tie. The goal comes at 11:09 of the period.
That's a good Garland goal right there. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Ns6SkvVwsT
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 11, 2024
TJ Oshie to the box for slashing Quinn Hughes at 12:38. Oshie was protesting at the penalty box.
Nic Dowd draws an interference penalty on Tyler Myers with 11 seconds left in the period.
Aside from some tough, unnecessary turnovers, the Capitals played fantastic in the first period. The Canucks outshot the Capitals 9 to 7, but the Caps held the advantage in five-on-five shot attempts, leading 18 to 12. Expected goals at five-on-five, the Capitals also lead 1.19 to 0.69. Nice!
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Connor McMichael to the box for holding Nils Hoglander at 4:42. Canucks to the power play.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scores again! He’s got goals in five straight. He’s 59 away from Wayne Gretzky. Heck yeah!! Goal comes at 7:37.
Alex Ovechkin has goals in five straight after scoring 835th of career on Thatcher Demko
🚨 2-2 tie. Nils Hoglander ties it up with a beautiful backhand shot over Darcy Kuemper right in front of the net. Hoglander teased going to his forehand, forcing Kuemper to shrink in net and opening the top shelf. Beautiful. The goal comes at 8:48.
Please enjoy this Höglander highlight. pic.twitter.com/GXjKdoTt34
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 11, 2024
The Capitals are outshooting the Canucks 22 to 19 through two periods and out-attempting them at five-on-five, 45 to 27.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Beck Malenstyn chips a pass up the ice off the rink. He’s in the box for a delay of game penalty with 3:03 remaining. Spencer Carbery is shaking his head incredulously at the bench.
Connor McMichael blocks a shot from the point off the side of his leg.
Caps kill off the penalty. Huge. Fans loudly applauding the effort.
Caps get a huge point. To overtime we go. Caps lead in both shots (30 to 29) and five-on-five shot attempts (59 to 45).
Overtime
Connor McMichael sprung on a breakaway, but he can’t score on Demko.
McMichael hits the post on another rush down the left wing.
🚨 3-2 Canucks. Connor McMichael turns it over right in front of the net with four seconds remaining as he tried to hit John Carlson with a no-look backhand pass coming out of the zone. JT Miller picks it off and scores from the slot. I feel so much for Connor.
JONATHAN❗️ TANNER❗️ MILLER❗️ pic.twitter.com/Oire1qiIgS
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 11, 2024
UGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHHGGHGHHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHHGHG
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