The Washington Capitals are in store for an emotional night as they face the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena. The game marks the return of longtime centerman, Evgeny Kuznetsov — MAYBE YOU’VE HEARD OF ‘EM — who was dealt at the trade deadline after a nearly month-long stay in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program.
The Capitals will be without Tom Wilson, who was suspended six games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety due to a reckless high stick on Leafs forward Noah Gregor.
The Capitals will also be without TJ Oshie and Aliaksei Protas due to injury.
Tonight’s game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is shortly after 7 pm. Did you get your cherry blossom merch?
Lines
Scratches:Ethan Bear
Tunnel weirdness
Miro, Mr. Personality
1st Period
Darcy Kuemper will oppose Pyotr Kochetkov in net. Ovechkin-McMichael-Pacioretty and Fehervary-Carlson get the start. Evgeny Kuznetsov was out for the opening draw as well for the Hurricanes.
Alex Ovechkin jokingly slew-foot Evgeny Kuznetsov after the game’s first shift. lol. Both players were laughing.
Nic Dowd to the box for tripping Jordan Staal at 4:15.
🚨 1-0 Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho finds a soft spot in front of the Capitals’ net at the 6:53 mark of the first period. Jake Guentzel played distributor on the play as he burned the Caps for the first time as a member of the Canes. The Capitals have now given up the first goal of the game in eight of their last 12 outings.
Both teams paused during the first TV break of the game to honor Evgeny Kuznetsov’s first return to Capital One Arena since he was traded to Carolina earlier this month.
Brett Pesce to the box for tripping Alex Ovechkin at 11:05.
🚨 1-1 tie. Sonny Milano gets the Capitals on the board with a top-shelf backhand with the Caps up a man. Kochetkov had no idea where the puck was. Connor McMichael provided the primary assist at the 12:45 mark of the first frame.
🚨 2-1 Hurricanes. Jaccob Slavin slams the Canes back into the lead after Jesperi Kotkaniemi stuffed a Darcy Kuemper clearance attempt behind the Capitals’ net. Slavin found the back of the net at the 19:12 mark of the first, another goal against in the final minute of a period for the Capitals.
The Hurricanes are outshooting the Capitals 10 to 4 after 20 minutes. The Capitals have also been out-attempted 15 to 11 at five-on-five.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Darcy Kuemper is having some rebound control issues but so far he hasn’t been burned by them.
Brent Burns has the puck in the net for Carolina’s third goal but Darcy Kuemper immediately protested the goal call. The Capitals won the ensuing challenge as the on-ice officials determined Evgeny Kuznetsov kept Kuemper from making a save on the play. Phew.
Jordan Martinook to the box for interfering with Hendrix Lapierre at 12:57.
🚨 2-2 tie. Alex Ovechkin boxes out in front of the net and has a tap-in goal after a beautiful feed from Dylan Strome. Ivan Miroshnichenko also gets an assist on the tally at the 13:59 mark of the second period. Ovechkin has six goals in his last four games.
Alex Ovechkin scores 846th career goal in Capitals’ wild 7-6 shootout win over Hurricanes
🚨 3-2 Capitals. Sonny Milano chips the puck out of mid-air to put the Capitals in the lead for the first time in the game. Milano’s second of the night comes at the 14:40 mark of the second. Another assist in the game for Dylan Strome.
Jordan Martinook put the puck in the Capitals’ net just 14 seconds later but the Capitals challenged it for offside. The play indeed ended up offside and the Capitals won their second challenge of the game.
🚨 3-3 tie. This one is going to count for Carolina. Martin Fehervary misplays the puck behind the net and Sebastian Aho is wide open on the backdoor for an easy one. The goal came at the 15:23 mark of the second.
Andrei Svechnikov to the box for slashing Dylan Strome at 17:11.
Power play erased as Alex Ovechkin goes to the box for slashing Jaccob Slavin at 18:07.
Sebastian Aho receives a double-minor penalty for high-sticking Nic Dowd at 19:07.
🚨 4-3 Hurricanes. Darcy Kuemper can’t stop an elementary point shot from Brady Skjei and Carolina has another late-period goal. The “strike” comes at the 19:54 mark of the second.
The Hurricanes are outshooting the Capitals 22 to 13 after 40 minutes. The Capitals have also been out-attempted 35 to 30 at five-on-five.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Charlie Lindgren is starting the final frame in net for the Capitals. Darcy Kuemper leaves after allowing four goals on 22 shots.
Brady Skjei to the box for holding Beck Malenstyn at 3:26.
🚨 4-4 tie. John Carlson pumps a point blast by Kochetkov. Hendrix Lapierre’s initial shot was blocked but Carlson rocketed home the loose puck. The tally is the third power-play goal for the Capitals in the game.
🚨 5-4 Capitals. Someone on the Capitals scores to put the Capitals back up in the game. Sonny Milano put a shot towards the cage that caromed off of either John Carlson, Max Pacioretty, or Martin Necas and into the net. It’s Milano’s on the official scoresheet so it’s a hat trick at the 8:19 mark of the third.
Trevor van Riemsdyk to the box for interfering with Jake Guentzel.
🚨 5-5 tie. Seth Jarvis on a bang-bang play to tie things right back up. Guentzel sets it up as Charlie Lindgren gets a piece of the shot with his shoulder but not enough.
🚨 6-5 Capitals. The scoring will not stop. Connor McMichael finds a loose puck in the crease and slides it home to restore the lead for the Capitals…again.
🚨 6-6 tie. Of course, right? Carolina ties the game up with their goaltender pulled. Sebastian Aho gets his own hat trick after a lucky deflection on a puck going wide of the net.
Overtime
Puck is dropped.
The Capitals almost came up with the win in OT as Alex Ovechkin would have had a tap-in until Jaccob Slavin blocked a cross-crease past.
Shootout
- Evgeny Kuznetsov tries his slow move on Charlie Lindgren and is denied.
- Sonny Milano gets poke-checked by Pyotr Kochetkov.
- Andrei Svechnikov misses the net entirely.
- Connor McMichael also gets poke-checked by Kochetkov.
- Jake Guentzel also doesn’t hit the net.
- Alex Ovechkin had Kochetkov beat but the young goalie gets his leg up to deny his fellow countryman.
- Teuvo Teravainen gets stuffed by Lindgren.
- John Carlson finds the glove of Kochetkov.
- Sebastian Aho gets met by the pad of Lindgren.
- Dylan Strome WINS THE GAME.
Absolute, absurd chaos. Go read our recap!
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