WASHINGTON, DC — As the Washington Capitals prepared for an early-evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Spencer Carbery emphasized the importance of a strong start after a day off — especially against a Blue Jackets squad that had a game the night before.
“Our start is going to be really important, especially them coming on a back-to-back, us taking the day off yesterday to rest, recuperate,” he said pregame. “So it cannot be a sluggish start for us tonight.”
Well, Carbery certainly got what he wanted. The Capitals burst out of the gate with their best first period in more than a decade, scoring five times on their first seven shots on their way to a 7-2 victory as Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, Andrew Mangiapane, Alex Ovechkin, and Nic Dowd each got one past Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov.
Per Capitals PR, Washington last scored five or more goals in the first frame on March 3, 2008.
“It was an eruption of goals,” John Carlson said after the win.
The Capitals wasted no time getting to work. Within three shifts, they shot twice and scored both times, going up 2-0 in just 1:42. They’d score again less than six minutes later, recording three goals before Columbus got a single shot on net.
Twice, the Caps scored back-to-back goals within a minute: McMichael scored just 46 seconds after Protas broke the ice, while Ovechkin and Dowd’s goals came just 24 seconds apart. Each line got at least one goal, and the Caps ended the period with a monstrous 62.5 shooting percentage.
Saturday’s explosive start marked the ninth time in the Ovechkin era that the Caps recorded five or more goals in a single period, and just the third time in that span that they’d managed the feat in the first 20 minutes, per Stathead Hockey.
“It was pretty crazy honestly,” Connor McMichael, who scored 1:42 into the game, said. “I don’t remember the last time I was in a situation like that. But it felt really good. I think we want to come out with a good start. Them coming off a loss last night, we knew they were going to come out. I thought we just came out better. We were all over them. Didn’t give them any time and space. Thankfully a couple dropped early and from there we were able to just take control of the game.”
Carbery, for one, could hardly be more pleased with what he saw from his team in the first period.
“That was exactly what we talked about,” he said postgame, later adding, “We really wanted to pay attention to our start. You do most nights, but I think it was extra emphasized today. And man, we started on time. And our execution was as good as I’ve ever seen it in a year and a bit.”
The fountain of goals came from up and down the lineup, with 11 different players earning a point in the first 20 minutes. Dylan Strome, who notched an assist in the first and goal of his own late in the third period, noted how the variety of scorers infused confidence throughout the team, especially against a Columbus Blue Jackets squad that had outscored their first 10 opponents 11-5 in the first 20 minutes.
“Carbs told us before the game they were a good starting team and they’ve outscored some teams the first nine or 10 games,” he said. “So it felt like we just had some good jump. It was nice scoring the first shift of the game in the first minute and then we just kept rolling from there.
“We’re obviously having a good time scoring goals right now. Offense is coming from every line. Nice to see everyone chipping in the first period. Each line had a goal. It makes you feel good about yourself.”
While they’ve hardly made a habit of five-goal periods, the Capitals have been one of the strongest offensive teams in the league to start the season. With an average of 4.4 goals per game, the Caps rank third behind only the Winnipeg Jets (5.2) and Vegas Golden Knights (4.55), while their 2.9 goals against per game ranks seventh in the NHL.
That offensive dominance stands in stark contrast to last season, when the Capitals struggled to string multiple goals together and never hit the seven-goal mark. Over 82 games in 2023-24, Washington scored five or more goals just 10 times. In just 10 games so far this season, they’ve done it five times.
The Capitals won’t have long to celebrate Saturday’s milestone win, however. After traveling to Raleigh Saturday night, they’ll face a formidable Carolina Hurricanes team for the second half of a back-to-back, where they’ll look to notch their ninth win of the season.
