After a three-absence, the Washington Capitals are back to take on Eastern Conference behemoth, the Toronto Maple Leafs, though now the Caps are the behemoth.
Hendrix Lapierre will suit up at third-line center with Lars Eller unavailable. (Yes, if you are behind, the Capitals traded for Lars Eller last night). The Capitals will turn to Logan Thompson in net as he appears to have taken ahold of the primary starting spot, at least for now.
The Maple Leafs are without superstar Auston Matthews due to injury. Joseph Woll will start for the Leafs.
Freshly baked RMNB stories with a sprinkle of sea salt
- Oh HEY, Lars Eller is back
- “[We’re] getting the band back together”
- Sgarbs to Hershey
- Not quite the best Connor Mc- in hockey
- Dylan Strome jokes about assisting on Alex Ovechkin’s possible goal to break Wayne Gretzky’s record: “I’m gonna get 35 straight assists and then not on that one”
- Nicklas Backstrom has given Dylan Strome advice on how to be Alex Ovechkin’s center: “He’s always very, very supportive and very kind to me”
- Wayne Gretzky recalls how obsessed Alex Ovechkin was about getting one of his game-used sticks after winning the Stanley Cup
- Todd Reirden reportedly the next head coach of the KHL’s Avangard Omsk
The Capitals-Leafs game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Puck drop is shortly after 7:30 pm.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tunnel Shenanigans
1st Period
Bob McDonald sang the Canadian national anthem and Voices of Service (feat. Caleb Green) just absolutely slayed The Star-Spangled Banner.
Puck is dropped.
Logan Thompson with two huge saves to start the game. Chaos in the Caps zone.
🚨 1-0 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Taylor Raddysh (3). Assists: C. McMichael (7), P. Dubois (8). Time: 11:12.
Raddysh’s centering pass clanks off a Maple Leaf and in.
🚨 1-1 tie. TOR Goal: Bobby McMann (4). Assists: J. Tavares (7), P. Holmberg (2). Time: 12:11.
Fifty-nine seconds after Raddysh’s scoar, McMann answers after a brilliant set-up feed by Tavares.
🚨 2-1 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Dylan Strome (5). Assists: A. Protas (9), M. Roy (2). Time: 18:33.
It’s Strome’s first goal in four games. He would not be denied after his initial shot was stopped. The tally marks Dylan’s first goal against his hometown Maple Leafs.
At intermission: Capitals outshoot the Leafs 11 to 5 and out-attempting them at 5v5, 27 to 8.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Logan Thompson with a huge save on a Max Domi breakaway. He still has 0 goals to start the year.
Huge scrum after Pontus Holmberg boards Nic Dowd. Caps to their first power play.
Chychrun negates the rest of the power play after a slash on William Nylander, who was about to be sprung on a semi-breakaway.
A John Carlson point-shot goal is waved off due to (very light) goaltender interference by Nic Dowd.
Matthew Knies catches Nic Dowd from the blindside in the head. Dowd left the ice bleeding from the nose. Officials reviewed the play and called it incidental contact. Spencer Carbery has a quizzical look on his face at the bench.
🚨 3-1 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Aliaksei Protas (6). Assists: R. Sandin (6), A. Ovechkin (9). Time: 17:48.
At intermission: Capitals outshooting the Leafs 17 to 15 and out-attempting them at 5v5, 40 to 28.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
The Leafs’ Steven Lorentz has a goal disallowed with 10:51 remaining in the third period after he appeared to kick a popped up rebound in with his leg. Each team has had a goal takena way tonight. Basically, this ain’t soccer, bro.
🚨 3-2 Washington Capitals. TOR Goal: William Nylander (12). Assists: M. Knies (4). Time: 15:51.
Matthew Knies shakes-and-bakes the puck to the net and William Nylander slams home the rebound. Tom Wilson committed the turnover that led to the Leafs goal.
Dan O’Rourke waves off a Knies deflection goal with 3:13 left for a high stick, but it’s close. They’re reviewing it.
No goal.
Woll is pulled for an extra man.
Brandon Duhaime hits the side of the net with a shot on Toronto’s empty net.
🚨 3-3 tie. TOR PPG: Mitch Marner (5). Assists: M. Rielly (9), W. Nylander (8). Time: 19:12.
After Nic Dowd takes a cross-checking penalty, the Leafs score with 47.8 seconds remaining to tie using some great triangulation with Nylander and Marner.
At the end of regulation: The Leafs outshot the Capitals 33 to 24 and out-attempted them at 5v5, 55 to 50. Capitals only had 13 shots combined in the second and third periods.
Overtime
Puck is dropped.
Thompson stops Marner point blank in front of the net.
Woll makes a big save on an Alex Ovechk shot near the top of the circles.
John Carlson misses the top corner on a semi-breakaway down the right wing. He clanged it off the top of the crossbar.
🚨 4-3 Toronto Maple Leafs. TOR OTGWG: John Tavares (5). Assists: M. Marner (17). Time: 04:13.
John Tavares scores on a breakaway after Alex Ovechkin is stopped wide open in front of the net by Joseph Woll.
Leafs win 4-3. The Maple Leafs score three unanswered to take the win. They outshot the Capitals on the night, 35 to 27. Caps just squandered this one at the end. Nic Dowd seemed cursed.
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