The Washington Capitals finished off 2024 with a narrow win over the Boston Bruins on home ice. It wasn’t pretty, like me in high school, but at least they scored, unlike me in high school.
Justin Brazeau got a miracle bounce off Logan Thompson’s pads to put the Bruins up early. Aliaksei Protas returned the favor ten minutes later after a below-the-goal-line pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois. Jakob Chychrun did another one of those otherworldly shots to give the Caps a 2-1 lead after twenty minutes.
Things tightened in the second as the Caps got more defensively responsible. No goals were scored. Same with the third, despite a scary six-on-five sequence at the end. Aliaksei Protas got the empty-netter.
Caps win!
- You do not ever see bounces like the one Brazeau got before his goal. Bruins defender Parker Wotherspoon, of the New Haven Wotherspoons, who I believe summer in Sagaponack and winter in Provence and who must not to be confused with those nouveau riche brutes, the Wintersporks of Concord, carried the puck from his own goal line into neutral before a casual dump-and-change. The puck bounced off the boards then off Logan Thompson’s pads and right onto the Brazzos‘ stick. Wubberspunk wasn’t even on the ice when the goal happened.
- So given that opening, I thought we’d have more of the same from that disastrous Detroit defeat: a dreary start from which no back could come. And the Bruins did continue to press, and the Caps remained without the puck for most of the afternoon (attempting 39.7 percent of the shots through two periods), but they eventually got better defensively and kept the Bs out of the paint much better after that first period. Lost the possession game, won the game that matters.
- Jakob Chychrun now has 11 goals, tied with Makar and Werenski for the league lead among defenders. He has more goals than forwards like Crosby, Eichel, Bedard, Hertl, Trocheck, Gallagher, Coyle, Cooley, and Forsberg. It seems like lately he can’t make a bad pass or a mere-mortal shot.
- It’s NYE, and I know what you’re thinking: what’s the plan for tonight. Well, we’re gonna start at my house, putting on our fedoras and doing some fireball shots. Then it’s off to La Paz for an early margarita. From there we’re off to Canal, then Firestone’s for the ball drop. By last call I think we’ll be at Guido’s. By then it’ll finally be 2012. Best year of our lives, I’m sure of it. The Winds of Winter will finally come out. Or for 2025, I’m gonna binge-watch Evil and be in bed by 10:15. I’ll see midnight only if I have to pee in the middle of the night, which at my age could happen.
- Jakub Vrana got scratched today in favor of Ivan Miroshnichenko, who I mention by name to practice the spelling. That third line got pretty light minutes and did not fare well in them. In 2025, the front office needs to make a plan to shore that line up. First priority after re-signing Jakob Chychrun to whatever he wants for however much he wants. Money doesn’t matter; salary cap should hit $200M before the end of Trump II. Also, anime will be made real.
- One knock-on from the third line problem: not enough opportunity for Andrew Mangiapane, a solid role-player who instead got into a furious scrap in the third with Brandon Carlo, who is seven inches taller than Mangiapane as Katie reports. That somehow got called for only a minor.
- Six minutes into the third period, Martin Fehervary got hit in the face by Tom Wilson‘s stick. Wilson should have been a lot more careful there. My sources say the death penalty, for espionage, being considered for Wilson. I am pro-life and take no pleasure in reporting this. Fehervary did not return.
- Aliaksei Protas with another two-goal game. His last one was one December 22. He’s now got 16 goals on the season.
- Alex Ovechkin had a poor outing for most of the day but got a few looks late in the third period. Glancing at his shift chart, I think they’re still easing him into it.
mother of god
what is he wearing
UNACCEPTABLEEEEEEE#joebsuitofthenight pic.twitter.com/bZTfpgbE3g— RMNB (@rmnb) December 31, 2024
Ugly win, but I’ll take it!
It grieves me to report that there has been no explanation from the Capitals, Monumental, or Beninati himself regarding the zip-up in lieu of a dress shirt and tie today. Craig Laughlin, who returned after a brief personal absence, looked impeccable in a turtleneck. Everything looks good on him; he needs no excuse. Joe, though, I feel so betrayed.
Update, 3:38 PM: The man speaks.
"Treachery" begins and ends with Craig "I want to wear a mock" Laughlin.
— Joe Beninati (@JoeBpXp) December 31, 2024
Original post follows.
2025 predictions, let’s go: The Winds of Winter does not come out. Ovechkin hits the record, but not until the fall. The Caps win the Metro Division. The Penguins get good just in time to sell off at the deadline. Timothee Chalamee gets his comeuppance. The Captain America movie is really bad. RMNB starts a new podcast. Finland gets silver in the Four Nations thing. H5n1 goes HAM. John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun both get Norris buzz but neither gets nominated. Some friends get married; some people have babies. Ian fully crashes out over the catching vs passing Gretzky distinction as it breaks containment and spills onto Reddit. Adrian Dittman is Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. The Rangers fire Drury, either before or after the Rangers fire Laviolette, who is immediately hired by – I dunno – the Penguins? Finally, there will be zero typos from me on RMNB for the hole entire year.
See you next year, on Thursday, for a game against the other big surprisingly good team of 2024-25: the Minnesota Wild. Don’t let your old acquaintances here at RMNB be forgot and never brought to mind. Have a happy new year. It’ll be the best one of my life, and I hope it will be for you too.
