The Washington Capitals are ready to rock in what is one of the team’s biggest games of their regular season. Washington would do their playoff chances a world of good if they were able to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation as they’d move three points ahead of their Eastern Conference foes for the second wild card playoff position and still hold a game in hand.
The Capitals will be without Tom Wilson again as he continues to serve his six-game, NHL-levied suspension due to a reckless high stick on Leafs forward Noah Gregor. They’ll also be without winger Sonny Milano as he misses out due to an upper-body injury.
Charlie Lindgren will get the start in goal despite it being Darcy Kuemper’s bobblehead night at Capital One Arena.
Tonight’s game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is shortly after 7 pm.
Lines
Scratches: Ethan Bear
Tunnel weirdness
Embrace the chaos#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/UgOe7rCBbt
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 26, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Alex Lyon in net. Ovechkin-McMichael-Oshie and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.
Rasmus Sandin to the box for interfering with Alex DeBrincat at 0:57.
Charlie Lindgren sprawls out to stop Robby Fabbri on a stuff attempt. John Carlson found the loose puck in the crease and pinned it between his skates before falling on top of it to draw a whistle.
The Capitals have their first shot of the game with 9:12 remaining in the first period. A lot of over-passing to start things.
David Perron to the box for hooking Dylan Strome at 13:10.
The officials tried to call the Capitals for a too-many-men penalty but quickly conferenced and took it off of the board.
Shots were level at seven apiece at the first intermission. The Capitals lead in five-on-five shot attempts 17-12.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 1-o Capitals. Nic Dowd finds a soft spot in the high slot and receives a nice feed from Nick Jensen to snipe the Capitals into the lead. Dowd made the initial play to win the puck off the boards that kept the Caps in the offensive zone. Dowd’s ninth of the season came at the 2:09 mark of the period.
🚨 1-1 tie. Jeff Petry made the rush up ice and fed an open Alex DeBrincat parked right in front of Charlie Lindgren. Nicolas Aube-Kubel found himself on the wrong side of DeBrincat, giving the speedy winger an easy tap-in in the crease. The tying goal came at the 4:53 mark.
Andrew Copp to the box for interfering with Hendrix Lapierre at 15:51.
Aliaksei Protas to the box for high-sticking Alex DeBrincat at 18:23.
🚨 2-1 Red Wings. David Perron converts on the man advantage after Lindgren makes several saves in tight in a row. Detroit takes the lead at 19:17 mark of the second.
The Red Wings take a 27-19 advantage in shots on goal into the second intermission. Five-on-five shot attempts tied up 35-35.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
🚨 2-2 tie. Connor McMichael has the game tied again. Alex Lyon was confused by a bounce off of the back boards and McMichael pounced on the loose puck and buried it behind Lyon before the goaltender even knew there was any danger. The game-tying marker came just 35 seconds into the third.
🚨 3-2 Capitals. Dylan Strome puts away a rebound off of a John Carlson point drive. Max Pacioretty also picks up an assist after filtering the puck up to Carlson after Strome won an offensive draw. The Capitals go back into the lead at the 4:49 mark of the period.
🚨 3-3 tie. Patrick Kane gets left alone in the slot and fires a quick slap shot past Charlie Lindgren. The game is tied again at the 14:40 mark of the third.
Alex Ovechkin thought he had drawn a penalty with a minute remaining in regulation but the referees do not agree. Ovi slams the bench door on his way off for a change.
Detroit up in shots 33-28 after three periods. Five-on-five shot attempts in favor of the Red Wings, 56-50.
Overtime
Puck is dropped.
DYLAN STROME WINS IT.
Huge, huge win. Go read our recap!
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