The Washington Capitals kicked off their mentors trip to the southern coastal lowlands with a well-contested win over the defending champion Florida Panthers.
Niko Mikkola got a step on Trevor van Riemsdyk to put Florida up seven minutes into the first period. With an outrageously good pass from Jakob Chychrun, Lars Eller scored his first goal of his second administration. That 1-1 tie lasted through the second period and until Jakob Chychryn scored a goal of his own during a five-on-three early in the third. Lars Eller got an empty netter, then Ivan Miroshnichenko got another. Miroshmcnuggets.
Caps win!
- Needed this W.
- The Caps and Cats spent the first few minutes feeling each other out, but in the end the Caps did a decent job controlling the flow of play again. For most of the game it seemed like shooting-percentage regression was going to sink them again, but the team’s big offseason acquisition on the blue line hard-carried the team to the win.
- Another way of saying that: Florida goalie Spencer Knight was terrific.
- Lars Eller‘s last goal as a Washington Capital was December 27, 2022. He had two tonight. I’m so glad he’s back. I don’t even know if he’s good. I just like having unc in town again.
- I have to practice spelling Jakob Chychrun. It shouldn’t be allowed to have a Jakub and a Jakob on the same team. But then again, they had a Nick, Nic, Nikolas, and Nicklas last year, so maybe this is my problem and I need to get over it. Anyway, Chychrun is amazing. Every play he makes is so confident. That includes his goal and that includes this bonker pass.
The Tiger is back to scoring goals for the good guys
(and how about that feed from the Florida kid) pic.twitter.com/355d0RRUdI
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 26, 2024
- When Chris’s numbers post comes out tomorrow morning, I’d bet it’s going to sing Chychrun’s praises. That said, the RMNB Discord has completely ruined the player for me, due to overuse of one particular photo of him. #crashers: Please stop. Or at least just like cap it to five or fifteen times a day. It’s too much.
- In the second period, a puck jumped off Trevor van Riemsdyk‘s stick and into Anton Lundell‘s teeth. A few minutes later, a puck more-than-glanced off Trevor van Riemsdyk’s cheek. Both players remained in the game.
- I was not keeping a close count but I believe the first infinity penalties went against the Caps – to the point that Pierre-Luc Dubois got in trouble for unsportsmanlike conduct from the bench. But then the calls evened out, starting with a daring softy against Mackie Samoskevich. A five-on-three early in the third was decisive, so the refs got heavy-handed later in the third period, calling it in whatever way would ensure even power plays for each team.
They are our daddies #joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/8llDPE45Mn
— RMNB (@rmnb) November 26, 2024
(Just want to note that Joe Beninati’s glasses are more than a little Harry Caray-y. I love it.)
Me and the RMNB team have been whining about the Capitals playing just one good period in each of recent games. That wasn’t the case against a very good – but recently flailing – Florida team. If Knight were lights out, this would have been a rout. The Caps did well for their father and grandfathers and mentors and big bros and FILs and daddies and zaddies and billionaires and whoever else.
This my last recap until after the Thanksgiving holiday, so here’s me wishing you a happy time with families (of all types) and gratitude (big and small) and absolutely no green bean casserole (gross).
