The Washington Capitals played maybe their best game of the season against a tough New York Rangers team on Tuesday night. Even a lights-out goalie could not stop them.
The game began as all games should: with Alex Ovechkin scoring a goal. Will Cuylle responded with an impressive rush goal against the fourth line. Alex Ovechkin got his second of the night thanks to an expert pass from Aliaksei Protas. Connor McMichael doubled that lead with some paternal power, some father fortitude, some dad durability, some pappy potency, some begetter brawn, some donor domination, some adult aptitude, some sire sinew, some hefe horsepower, some vader vigor, some tata truculence, tipping Taylor Raddysh’s shot.
On a power play at the top of the second period, Chris Kreider banked a shot off his skate and in. We were crestfallen for precisely four minutes, until Aliaksei Protas harried the Rangers in their own zone, shook the puck loose to Sandin, and got it back in time to score a big goal. Of course, seconds later Filip Chytil got another deflection, making it 4-3 after two periods.
Shesterkin did a headstand for 18.5 minutes of the third period until he said F it and left, letting Nic Dowd hit the empty net.
Caps win 5-3!
- What a fun, eventful game! If you had maybe checked out of Caps hockey over the last couple seasons, come on back, dude. Give it a try. These guys – I dunno, I think they’re pretty good. And even if they’re not, they’re still pretty fun to watch.
- Against supposedly the best team in the east, the Caps confidently controlled play and certainly outshot their opponent. Were it not for Igor Shesterkin, and yes I feel like an unmasked Scooby Doo villain here, the Capitals would have gotten away with it.
- Dylan McIlrath continues to make an impression, bloodying Matt Rempe in a first-period fight.
Dylan McIlrath flexes after defeating Matt Rempe in heavyweight fight
- I have to add that Tom Wilson got a free jab on Rempe at the tail end of the first period.
- Alex Ovechkin scored twice, meaning he has 4 goals in 8 games, meaning one goal every other game, meaning in an 82-goal season he’d get 41 goals, meaning he’d finish the season at …. 894, Gretzky’s total.
- Jakob Chychrun played two shifts in the first period before ending his night with an upper-body injury. It really isn’t clear what happened.
- It’s a good night to be an Aliaksei Protas fan. Pro assisted on both Ovi goals in the first period, got his own in the second period by making his own play, and then he did… this: playing without a stick for much of a PK, then grabbing a new one off the bench as he went on attack, nearly scoring with it.
- It didn’t pay off, but the Caps tried some new stuff on the power play with Andrew Mangiapane and Jakub Vrana getting some time on the top unit. There was some creativity there, but I’m going to adopt a cynical pose until they bury me in goals.
- Speaking of Vrana and Mangiapane, their line with my boy Mike Sgarbossa was the only one not to dramatically tilt the ice. Lapierre was struggling in that spot too. Something to keep an eye on.
Subban costume of the night. Not sure who the person on the right is. pic.twitter.com/UOxWSVgezn
— RMNB (@rmnb) October 30, 2024
When I look back on this game, I’ll say the Caps lit up the scoreboard but somehow also got goalie’d at the same time. Igor Shesterkin got beat a few times early, but he pretty much locked down the slot after the McMichael goal. The Caps could have gotten silly with it.
See you for the Habs on Halloween. Chris has recap duty. I’ll be dressed as Gandalf, baking a Claire Saffitz cake and handing out full bars and slap bracelets to halflings like the Istari of old.
