The Washington Capitals have a big opportunity tonight. With a win against the Calgary Flames, they can jump into the second wild card spot in the East. Playoffs???? Yes, you Jim Mora-sounding skeptic. The playoffs.
After defeating the Vancouver Canucks — the best team in the West — 2-1 on Saturday, Capitals head coach will roll with the same lines, pairings, and goalie against Calgary.
Can the same magic work again? Let’s hope so.
Tonight’s game airs on Monumental Sports Network. Puck drop is shortly after 8:30 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
What's in the water up there?#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/Oum1NAlDuf
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 19, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Dustin Wolf in net. Ovechkin-McMichael-Oshie and Sandin-Jensen get the start.
Nick Jensen down the tunnel after being run awkwardly into the side boards. His leg appeared to get caught awkwardly as he was pushed into the glass.
Jensen is already back for his next shift.
Flames have 9 of the first 12 shots on goal.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Dylan Strome ends his seven-game goal-less streak with a rip from the right circle. Strome’s 23rd of the season comes at 14:59.
Calgary outshot the Capitals 12 to 8 in the first period and out-attempted them 27 to 20 at five-on-five.
2nd Period
🚨 2-0 Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scores his 842nd career goal, beating Calgary Flames’ Dustin Wolf with a redirect in front of the net. It’s his 20th goal of the season and the 19th time he’s done that in his career. Time of goal 5:58.
🚨 3-0 Capitals. It’s an Ovi shot from the Ovi spot. PPG! No. 843. Alex Ovechkin’s got his second of the night. Time of goal 9:16.
🚨 3-1 Capitals. Kevin Rooney scores in front after a great drive to the net by Brayden Pachal. The Capitals challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal was ruled good. The time of the tally was 10:41.
🚨 4-1 Capitals. Hendrix Lapierre shows off his fantastic hand-eye coordination and bats home a heave to the net by Sonny Milano. Time of goal 14:22.
The first period was boring. The second was ELECTRIC.
Shots are tied up 23 to 23. The Flames lead in five-on-five shot attempts 43 to 34.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Ovi’s going for the hat trick. He nearly scores off a set play off a faceoff on one of his first shifts.
🚨 4-2 Capitals. After a faceoff loss by Nic Dowd in the defensive zone, the Flames’ MacKenzie Weegar walks down broadway and blasts a slap shot off the pipe and in past Lindgren. Time of goal 7:12.
Dustin Wolf is pulled.
🚨 5-2 Capitals. Tom Wilson scores an emphatic empty-netter with 2:29 remaining.
Capitals hold on to win.
The Flames outshot the Capitals 36 to 33 and out-attempted them 62 to 55 at five-on-five.
And oh yeah… the Capitals are currently in a playoff spot!!!
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