The Washington Capitals finished their western swing with a commanding performance against the Calgary Flames. A win as impressive as it was important.
Dylan Strome had all the time in the world to open up scoring with a sharp release. Alex Ovechkin made it 2-0 with the puck-moving assistance of Tom Wilson and Max Pacioretty. He did it again three minutes later, scoring off a one-timer from the Ovi Spot. Kevin Rooney narrowed the lead with a up-close goal that survived a challenge from the Caps, but Hendrix Lapierre responded with a gorgeous goal after Sonny Milano whipped the puck to him from way out at the blue line.
Mackenzie Weegar made it 4-2 off a set play following a faceoff – a monster of a slapshot from the high slot. Tom Wilson scored on the empty net.
Caps win!
- The game got so much better after a sterile first period, in which the Flames made the neutral zone a gray, lifeless void where no happiness could traverse. When the Caps managed to get the puck deep and past the trap, they successfully funneled play to the net-front.
- With his first goal, Alex Ovechkin added Flames goalie Dustin Wolf to the victims list and reached the twenty-goal marker on the season. With his second goal, his career total hit 843.
- With his goal tonight, Dylan Strome hits 23, tying his career best. That’s how many he scored in 81 games last season. He’s got almost a month of hockey left to beat it.
the Washington Capitals are threatening to become the first team to make the playoffs against their own will
— Acting the Fulemin (@ATFulemin) March 19, 2024
- I miss Mike Sgarbossa. I understand why he’s out, but I’m allowed to feel how I feel.
- The Caps had an unsuccessful challenge on the Rooney goal, alleging goalie interference. I don’t know why they thought they had a chance to win that.
- Can we pause to appreciate this play where Milano gets the puck near the blue line and shovel-scoops it so that it flies right through Lapierre’s strike zone.?
needs to be on replay in the smithsonian pic.twitter.com/G5Zb9piAd3
— dj (@gingsnapz) March 19, 2024
- That Milano – Lapierre – Pacioretty line was the team’s best, even if they were on the Rooney goal.
- Yet another strong game from Charlie Lindgren, who faced more than a dozen high-danger chances in this one. I wish he could have sunk that goalie-goal attempt, but some terrible Flame blocked it.
ho boy one more big game and then the team can come home #joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/DsuQXfdNQZ
— RMNB (@rmnb) March 19, 2024
The Washington Capitals should not be considered to have about a 50 percent chance to make the playoffs. This is very surprising, very good news (for most of us). If there’s a person in your life who said they saw this coming, then that is not a credible person. You should not trust this person. but we can still be happy for them in a superior, patronizing way. And let’s be happy too for the Caps, who took six of 10 points from a very tough road trip.
And it’s about to get tougher once they get home. The remainder of March goes like this: Toronto, Carolina, Winnipeg, Detroit, Toronto again, and then Boston. Those are all Cup contenders plus the villains whom the Caps will be dueling for the wild card spot. The average standings points pace of those teams is 105.5.
So really, the playoffs have already started.
