Hockey is back! I’m so glad. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m here too. Let’s go.
Basically a whole week after the season began, the Washington Capitals finally got into the action by hosting the New Jersey Devils, who I forgot are coached by Sheldon Keefe now. Ha. So let’s talk about goals.
Trivia alert: the first Caps goal of the 2024-25 season belonged to John Carlson, off a power-play slapshot set up by Pierre-Luc Dubois, recording his first point with the team. The Devils returned serve thanks to Seamus Casey, recipient of a fast-moving puck from south of the Caps goal line, courtesy of Jesper Bratt. Paul Cotter put the Devils in the lead after one period with a layup goal Aliaksei Protas couldn’t quite counter.
The Caps lost ground in the second period, but not until after Dylan Strome scored off a rebound in the first minute. Tomas Tatar’s fadeaway beat Charlie Lindgren on a second opportunity, then Cotter got his second goal, significant only because it was the first Devils goal for which the Lapierre line was not on ice.
In the third, Tom Wilson got the Caps back into melee range with a quick shot from the slot, wrapping up a heavy shift that Pierre-Luc Dubois was instrumental in extending. Dawson Mercer got the empty-netter.
Caps lose 5-3.
- Hey! I’m back! I have no idea what to expect this season! But let’s have fun! Exclamation!
- The pregame ceremony was wonderful. I was having a minor tech-related meltdown at the time, but seeing all these fellas who have meant so much to me – and to you all – made me smile real wide. When Peter Bondra was speaking with Joe and Craig, he talked about the alumni are like a family. I’m usually too cynical for that kind of talk, but I buy it. I really do.
- A big night for Paul Cotter, whoever that is. (A Michigander who played for Vegas until this summer). His first goal was due to an unfortunate night by one line whom we’ll talk about later, but the second goal was even sadder. Marty Fehervary was hanging back to retrieve Charlie Lindgren’s lost stick as the puck turned over in neutral. The gap was just too big for Fehervary to manage.
- Matt Roy clocked eight minutes of ice time before leaving the game with a lower-body injury. I didn’t see a thing. For a dark reason, I immediately thought of that time Connor Brown played three and a fraction games for the Caps that one time before his leg exploded or whatever.
Matt Roy leaves first game against Devils early with lower-body injury
- Pierre-Luc Dubois is here to put up points, and I can see why. He made the play for Carlson on that initial PP, and he outworked the Devils to keep a dominant shift by the second line going leading up to the Wilson goal.
- Speaking of Tom Wilson: if he gets the right chemistry, my preseason prediction for his goal total will be comically low. I’m fine with that. Wilson and PLD might be good chemistry, but I can’t pretend I wasn’t scandalized when he was sassing young Jonas Siegenthaler.
Willy putting that new dad strength to good use pic.twitter.com/wyRT8k1YiZ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 13, 2024
- Two minor penalties for Nic Dowd. He was second on the Caps last year in PIMs, behind you-know-who. I want to see him pull back a bit this time out.
- Meanwhile, up north:
Hershey Bears raise 13th Calder Cup championship banner to rafters at Giant Center
- Okay, Hendrix Lapierre‘s line with Aliaksei Protas and Sonny Milano was very bad. They were on ice for three Devils goals. I’m not sure they had a single shot attempt of their own at that point. I am sure they had hardly gotten past New Jersey’s blue line. By the third period, Spencer Carbery didn’t seem overly concerned with getting them shifts.
- The Alex Ovechkin line was not good at five-on-five either except for the Strome goal. I’m going to be super down on that trio until they prove me wrong. I’ve been begging the team to properly support Ovi for years now. I don’t think they have done that yet, and Carbery’s late-game shake-up make me think he agrees.
#joebsuitofthenight mamma mia here we go again my my how can i resist you mamma mia does it show again my my just how much i missed yooooou I've been broken hearted blue since the day we parted why why did i ever let you go pic.twitter.com/xv9B8rX2xu
— RMNB (@rmnb) October 13, 2024
You’re insane if you think I have something wise or insightful to say here. It’s one game. I barely remembered how to turn on the cable box. I’m seeing a new guy with the number six, who is this, surely it is not Max Pacioretty. Nay, it is Jakob Chychrun, who I understand enjoys raw milk, which is perfectly safe if you boil it first. I have no idea what’s going. Do you?
Vegas on Tuesday.
