The Washington Capitals are winless and standings-pointless in their first two games of an important five-game road trip, losing to their first two opponents — Winnipeg and Edmonton — a combined 10-2.
Now they’re in Seattle — a place they’ve never won — to take on the Kraken — a fellow team that is fighting for its playoff life. Seattle sits nine points out of the final wild card spot in the West as the Capitals are three points out the eighth spot in the East.
After playing Edmonton Wednesday night, the Capitals will turn to some fresh legs in the lineup, giving jerseys to Aliaksei Protas and Alex Alexeyev. Charlie Lindgren will reclaim the net from backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
Tonight’s game is on Monumental Sports Network + and puck drop is shortly after 10 pm. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin has the call of the game.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Scratches: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Michael Sgarbossa, and Ethan Bear
Tunnel weirdness
Ch-Ch-Ch-👨🏻#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/nhJq0iWoYu
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 15, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Joey Daccord in net. Ovechkin-McMichael-Oshie and Sandin-Jensen get the start.
Super-duper angry Tom Wilson to the box for roughing Yanni Gourde at 1:26. Kraken to the game’s first power play – this is a similar start as last night against the Oilers.
Big hit by Miro.
Not much happened in the first period. And honestly, if you turned it off and went to bed, I get it. Joe B called it “low-event hockey” which is a nice way of saying [yawwnnnnnn].
Shots were SEA 9 – WSH 8. We’ll check shot attempts next period.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Yanni Gorde races in on a breakaway. He beats Lindgren but the puck hits the post.
Burky to the box at 6:07 for holding Nick Jensen.
TJ Oshie ends the Capitals power play three seconds later after hooking Adam Larsson.
Ryker Evans to the box for interfering Hendrix Lapierre at 9:11
Miro loses control of the puck on a breakaway. Almost an accidental Miroschnikucherov.
Brian Dumoulin trips Tom Wilson at 13:26. Caps back to the power play.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. TJ Oshie scores a hometown goal against Seattle! It’s career goal no. 301. Goaltender Joey Daccord tried to clear the puck on a Capitals power play and sent it right into Oshie’s shin pads. Time of goal 14:20.
Miro getting a ton of good lucks on this shift. Doesn’t score but gets close.
Burakovsky with a huge chance at the buzzer. Lindgren makes the save.
Capitals lead in shots 20 to 12 and dominating in five-on-five shot attempts 38 to 21. Caps dominated the second.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Jordan Eberle puck handles through a few Caps and nearly scores on a broken play in front of the net.
Alex Alexeyev to the box for tripping Jordan Eberle right off the draw at 2:11.
🚨 1-1 tie. Oliver Bjorkstrand scores from the slot after some chaos in front of the net. It’s a PPG at 3:32.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Connor McMichael, after a turnover by Andre Burakovsky (weird!), scores on a breakaway on his backhand. LETS GOOOOOOOO. Time of goal 11:36.
Deja vu, Burakovsky turns it over to McMichael again. This time it’s a semi-breakaway but Connor can’t score.
Caps hold on to win. GUTSYYYYY.
The Kraken outshot the Caps 24 to 23, but the Capitals out-attempted them 44 to 43 at five-on-five.
Read the RMNB recap:
Two costly Kraken errors give Capitals their first win on road trip out west: Caps beat Kraken 2-1
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