There’s a smell of desperation in the air tonight wafting over from Detroit, MI. That’s where two of the most Mid Teams in the NHL will do battle for the final wild card spot in the East, that prior behavior suggests no team wants.
The Washington Capitals, losers of six straight, will take on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesar’s Arena. As I laid out early today (you can read here), the Capitals need a regulation win to re-assert themselves in the playoff picture. A regulation loss is about a death blow. Anything else – a OT/SO win/loss keeps things murky with four games to go in the season.
“I feel like this is why you play the game of hockey — for games like this,” Connor McMichael said pregame.
Spencer Carbery will turn back to Charlie Lindgren, arguably the team’s MVP this season (forgive me, Ovi). Nicolas Aube-Kubel will get a jersey for the first time in a week as Ivan Miroshnichenko sits as a healthy scratch. TJ Oshie is back after missing four straight games (BUF, PIT, CAR, OTT) and will skate on the first line with Connor McMichael and Alex Ovechkin.
Tonight’s game is on ESPN. No Joe B. and Locker. (We get Mike Monaco and Ryan Calahan.) Puck drop is a little after 7 pm.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Scratches: Ivan Miroshnichenko, Michael Sgarbossa, and Lucas Johansen
Detroit Red Wings
Scratches: Jake Walman and Justin Holl
Tunnel weirdness
Revvin' up in Motor City#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/CJa0r276gh
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 9, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Alex Lyon in net. Ovechkin-McMichael-Oshie and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.
Dylan Larkin tests Lindgren on his glove side on the game’s first shift. That’s a big scoring chance early.
The Red Wings are coming in waves.
With the puck rolling, Hendrix Lapierre misses a yawning net after Max Pacioretty causes some chaos in front of the net.
Just imagine Lindgren making stop after stop after stop and that’s what the first 20 minutes were like. No score though!
Red Wings outshot the Capitals 16 to 8 in the first period and out-attempted them 26 to 21 at five-on-five.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Patrick Kane to the box for hooking at 9:12. Capitals get their first power play.
Martin Fehervary is ailing at the bench after blocking a 95 MPH shot.
Lapierre misses another empty net in front of the net.
🚨 1-0 Capitals. Dylan Strome scores from the right circle. The Capitals were being outshot 26 to 13 at the moment he scored. Time of goal 17:47.
🚨 2-0 Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scores his 30th goal of the season with 8 seconds remaining in the period on a 2-on-1 break.
Alex Ovechkin becomes first player in NHL history to have eighteen 30-goal seasons
Capitals are playing about as bad as possible yet they are leading 2-0. Hockey’s wild sometimes.
Red Wings are outshooting the Capitals 27 to 16 and out-attempting them 51 to 43 at five-on-five.
3rd Period
Puck is droppped.
Red Wings are going hard for the comeback.
Capitals to the box for too many men at 6:33 mark. Red Wings to their first power play.
Perron nearly beats Lindgren on the power play – off Lindgren’s shoulder and the post and out.
Caps kill the power play. Ovechkin’s out of the box.
An octopus has been thrown on the ice with seven minutes remaining.
Mo Seider draws an offensive zone hooking penalty on TJ Oshie.
A couple huge blocks by Caps penalty killers, including Tom Wilson and Beck Malenstyn, on the PK. Lindgren remains a brick wall.
2:06 remaining. Timeout Red Wings.
🚨 2-1 Capitals. Patrick Kane beats the buzzer with 1 second remaining. Lindgren’s shutout ruined.
Capitals win 2-1 and now jump into the second wild card spot in the East. The Red Wings outshot the Capitals 43 to 23. The W ends the Capitals’ six-game losing streak.
Comment on the game below along with us! The comment section will close shortly after the game ends and we hope you’ll continue the conversation in RMNB’s recap.
