Live updates: Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders at UBS Arena

The Washington Capitals are on the road after a four-game homestand and won’t return to DC until late next week. The New York Islanders represent the first of the road tests, hosting the Capitals for the second time this season on Sunday afternoon.

After winning three straight at Capital One Arena, the Capitals currently occupy the first wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders, who lost key forward Kyle Palmieri to a knee injury earlier this week, are one point behind the Caps.

Against the Islanders, the Capitals will continue to be without Nic Dowd, who remains out with an upper-body injury. Logan Thompson will oppose Ilya Sorokin in net.

Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Long Island. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call on Monumental Sports Network

Lines

Washington Capitals

New York Islanders

Tunnel shenanigans

1st Period

Puck is dropped. Duhaime-McMichael-Leonard and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.

Logan Thompson absolutely robs Anders Lee on an early 2-on-1 chance.

Jakob Chychrun gets stripped of the puck, and Thompson makes the breakaway save on Simon Holmstrom. The Capitals are sleepy to start.

Ryan Leonard draws a tripping penalty on Matthew Schaefer at the 7:25 mark.

Tom Wilson redirects a perfect feed from Alex Ovechkin past Ilya Sorokin on the power play.

Leonard dumps Tony DeAngelo to the ice with a big hit and laughs at the now very angry defenseman.

Another mess of a shift in the defensive zone needs Thompson to make two or three more big saves.

More brilliance from Thompson as he stops Mathew Barzal on a wraparound chance. Huge first period from the Capitals’ number-one netminder.

At intermission: The Capitals lead 1-0. New York created more of the high-danger chances and came out of the period up 9-7 in shots.

2nd Period

Puck is dropped.

Wilson takes a tripping penalty on Bo Horvat just 1:22 into the second period.

The Capitals successfully kill off the man advantage. New York has just one power-play goal in their last 29 attempts.

Chychrun immediately takes another tripping penalty on Maxim Tsyplakov with 4:02 gone in the frame.

Another penalty killed off, but the Islanders rang the inside of the post behind Thompson.

The Islanders have 16 of the 19 shot attempts through the first half of the second.

Ilya Sorokin literally hand-delivers a goal to Wilson, his second of the game. Wow.

Barzal almost has a breakaway from center ice, but the pass is too long, and Thompson comes out to clear.

Leonard blocks a last-second “shot attempt” from Adam Pelech, which causes a commotion after the horn to end the period.

At intermission: The Capitals lead 2-0. The Islanders lead in shots 22-14, and five-on-five shot attempts 40-35.

3rd Period

Puck is dropped.

Scott Mayfield to the box for slashing Justin Sourdif just 55 seconds into the third.

Chychrun and Leonard both ring the post on back-to-back shots.

Islanders kill off the penalty, we’re back to five-on-five play.

Beautiful move by Scahefer, but the Islanders can’t finish. New York is starting to push hard, down two goals with half the period left.

Anthony Beauvillier is heading to the box for high-sticking DeAngelo. There is 7:36 remaining in regulation.

Bo Horvat slams home a rebound for a power-play goal to get the Islanders back into the game.

Timeout for the Islanders with 2:38 remaining in the third and still down one.

Aliaksei Protas beats everyone down the ice to a loose puck and buries it in an empty net.

Alex Ovechkin pokes a puck into the Islanders’ zone and finishes the game with the Capitals’ second empty netter.

Capitals win 4-1. It was a close game throughout, and Thompson put on a fantastic performance in Washington’s net.

Logan Thompson with the hard carry: Caps beat Islanders 4-1

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