The Washington Capitals kicked off a critical western-conference swing on Monday night with a grinding loss to the real-good Winnipeg Jets.
Neal Pionk (great name) was wide open after the Caps lost a battle along the boards, giving him the game’s first goal. One period later, it was Alex Iafallo, one of many Jets screening Charlie Lindgren, who deflected the puck in. In the third, Mark Schiefele sent a perfect pass to Kyle Connor, who was knocking at Lindgren’s doorstep.
Pals, it’s a shutout. Caps lose.
- Pleading ignorance: the Jets have to be the team in the NHL I’ve seen the least of this season. But what I saw tonight lined up with what I’ve read, which is that they’re a tenaciously offensive team. This visualization from All Three Zones shows how the Jets are well above average at cycle attempts and rush attempts alike. We saw that all night, and by comparison it felt like the Caps were skating in slush. Real tough opponent. I won’t sleep on them when it comes time to battle Ian and Keith, a Coin, in predictions.
- TJ Oshie played for the first time since February 22 after battling an injury to his lower back, which is part of the upper body, which is something we in the RMNB Discord get confused about a lot.
- Meanwhile, Tom Wilson missed the game with an upper-body injury of his own. Some have been wondering if he’s been playing hurt for a while now.
- From the TCRI out-of-town scoreboard: Matt Rempe is going to get suspended for this hit on Jonas Siegenthaler, who is my nephew.
Matt Rempe was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct for this hit. pic.twitter.com/xkax6SRBQw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2024
- Here’s how this is supposed to work: if you hit a player’s head – intentional or not, primary-point-of-contact or not – you should get an extra penalty. (If the other player lowered his head, they should get a penalty too.) That’s the only way to get this stuff out of the sport. We have to ask ourselves what penalties are for, which is to moderate bad play. In the meantime, Rempe is speedrunning his way to infamy.
- I think 20-year-old Ivan Miroshnichenko might have been Washington’s best skater all night. Late in the second period, head coach Spencer Carbery concurred, putting Miro with Ovechkin and Strome.
- Speaking of Alex Ovechkin, brand-new-Jet Tyler Toffoli (late of the Devils) pantsed him on a rush. If not for some good defense by Rasmus Sandin, that would have been a devastating highlight.
- Speaking of Alex Ovechkin again, his five-game point streak ended with goose eggs tonight.
- My rule is I don’t criticize a goalie on a night when they get zero goal support. I wouldn’t Charlie Lindgren either way; he was fine. I wonder how many starts he’ll get on this road trip.
- I bet Kate Middleton is fine. I bet she has just gotten really really really into making Baldur’s Gate Honor Mode Solo Tactician House of Hope One-Turn Kill clips for YouTube. That’s why I don’t go out in public anymore too.
running down the middle of the road, arms gesticulating, screaming at the top of your lungs:
PURPLE!#joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/n4NDhO8pfT— RMNB (@rmnb) March 11, 2024
Oooookay, not a good game. We knew this was going to be a very challenging road trip, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be quite this lopsided to start. Surely things will be easier next game, when the Capitals will visit – hold on, let me look this up – ah. Well. Crap. It’s McDavid. Get ready for #rmnbafterdark.
