The Washington Capitals defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2, but they had to sweat out their victory due to a third-period strike by former league MVP Corey Perry. (Oh, the puns are just beginning.)
Skating past debris on the ice, Perry clapped a one-timer past Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, the NHL’s reigning First Star of the Week, to narrow the Capitals lead to one with 15:10 remaining.
Thompson was furious after the goal — you could even say he broke out in chives — believing that the play should have been whistled dead before the shot even occurred. The debris wasn’t a broken stick or skate blade; it was a large tray of nachos that was heaved onto the ice by an Oilers fan.
“Something went over the glass and he said it distracted him,” the Oilers’ telecast said of Thompson’s holy-chip reaction.
the beautiful game pic.twitter.com/Fdh3k2PV2o
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) January 22, 2025
But despite the goaltender’s protests, the Oilers’ goal stood. And after Perry celebrated his cheesy tally, the Oilers ice crew professionally took to the ice, not nacho-enthusiast Alex Ovechkin might I add, to cleanse the playing surface with a large shovel and scraper.
“Yeah, I’ve never seen that before,” Thompson said amused. “Obviously, I gotta play to the whistle. That one’s on me. I talked to them earlier. I don’t know what the official ruling on that is. But yeah, just play to the whistle, obviously, if there’s stuff on the ice.”
Capitals radio broadcaster John Walton asked Thompson if he was hungry and made the order himself.
“No, I should have,” he said. “It wasn’t me. I saw the guy who threw ’em. He wasn’t too happy. Credit to him, he got them a goal.”
As for Perry post-game, he was completely oblivious to how the concession stand food aided his eighth goal of the season.
“I didn’t even see them,” a crunchy Perry said. “Honestly, if they were there before, whatever, I was focused on the play. Leo made a great play.”
Across social media, the nacho goal got attention for its ridiculousness. Even Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery was amused while speaking to reporters.
Big goal and an assist to the nachos! pic.twitter.com/Ce4hQkYqBM
— Baggedmilk (@jsbmbaggedmilk) January 22, 2025
“That’s a first,” Carbery said smiling. “We just talked about that in the coach’s office. I don’t think I’ve seen a nachos on the ice in a National Hockey League game. They’re saying, ‘Did they save them so we could maybe bring them into the locker room?’ But that’s a first right there.
“There’s not much [referees] could do,” he added. “I didn’t even notice it and the guys were yelling, ‘There’s nachos on the ice!’ I don’t know – can we challenge that?”
The Capitals didn’t, and it appears they couldn’t, thus concluding their nacho-typical day at the office.
