The Washington Capitals closed out 2025 with a big win. Now let’s see if they can start the new year with another.
Twenty-four hours after dispatching the New York Rangers 6-3 in DC, the Capitals traveled up to Canada’s capitol city, Ottawa, for another matinee game.
The Capitals will keep the same forward lines as yesterday. Trevor van Riemsdyk will re-enter the lineup, in favor of Dylan McIlrath, while Logan Thompson will start in net. The Senators will counter with Leevi Meriläinen.
Please note that Hershey Bears legend and two-time Calder Cup-winning goaltender, Hunter Shepard, will serve as backup for the Senators today.
Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 1:00 pm. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call on Monumental Sports Network.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Ottawa Senators
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Brady Tkachuk and Tom Wilson having a moment before the puck is even dropped. Both guys are swinging their sticks at each other in what could be a Canada-USA preview in the Olympics.
Puck is dropped. McMichael-Sourdif-Wilson and Chychrun-Roy get the start.
Tkachuk sends Wilson to the ice — I’d call that interference — right as the puck is dropped.
Hendrix Lapierre nearly ended his long goal streak.He won a faceoff, Martin Fehervary put a shot on goal, and the rebound popped to him crashing the net. But he couldn’t get his shot to go. Great play though.
Wilson and Tkachuk are jawing with each other again. This seems like it’ll be a theme of the game.
Alex Ovechkin to the box for high-sticking Michael Amadio at 4:21. Senators go to their first power play.
Caps kill the power play.
Fehervary sends an indirect shot to Lapierre skating in front of the net, and he nearly redirects the puck in. Two great chances for Hendrix in the first period. Good to see.
Tom Wilson gets on the board after some great puck-hounding by Justin Sourdif in front of the net. 1-0 Capitals 8:13 in.
1-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Tom Wilson (22). Assists: J. Sourdif (7). Time: 8:13
Hoping Aliaksei Protas is okay after being tripped and going hard into the end boards. He’s lying on the ice, face-first, and not moving much. Scary.
Protas is able to get up and skate off under his own power down to the locker room. Very slowly though.
Caps will get a two-minute power play out of this. The penalties are Artem Zub — two minutes for tripping Pro and two minutes for roughing with Strome — and Dylan Strome two minutes for roughing at 9:16.
No offense going on the power play, but Justin Sourdif with a huge hit behind the net on the power play. Had the look and sound of a Tom Wilson bodycheck.
Sourdif fights Drake Batherson. Batherson dropped the gloves to avenge the Thomas Chabot hit behind the net. Batherson absolutely clocked Sourdif, but he got up and you love the effort there.
Aliaksei Protas is back, thank god.
Ethen Frank misses on a semi-breakaway attempt on his backhand. He got pushed from behind as he shot the puck.
Brandon Duhaime draws a high-sticking penalty on Nick Jensen at 17:53.
2-0 Washington Capitals
PPG: Dylan Strome (9). Assists: R. Leonard (15), J. Chychrun (16). Time: 18:59
At intermission: Caps lead 2-0 at the end of the first period. When the Caps are in games physically, they play so well. They outshot the Senators 16-6. Have to give Justin Sourdif huge props. That was his best period of his NHL career. Impact plays everywhere.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Sourdif’s knuckles are bandaged up.
Nick Cousins slew-footed Ryan Leonard and then cross-checked him while he was on the ice. He’s going to the box at 3:13.
Nothing going on the Capitals power play.
Jake Sanderson rings one hard on the crossbar. The puck then ends up finding Nick Jensen who rips a shot that is deflected past Logan Thompson by a Capitals teammate. Seemed like everyone on the ice was confused on if Sanderson scored or not, hitting the backbar.
2-1 Washington Capitals
Goal: Nick Jensen (2). Assists: J. Sanderson (20), S. Pinto (7). Time: 7:42
Ugh, Connor McMichael takes a penalty shortly after the goal, slashing David Perron at 8:21.
Aliaksei Protas is tripped up at 9:23 and the Senators power play is gone. Both teams will play 4-on-4 for 58 seconds and then the Caps will get a 1:02 power play.
Senators kill 30 seconds of the power play just playing keep away.
Power play over.
Ryan Leonard with a great cross-ice pass to Ovechkin, but he can’t score.
Sourdif takes a huge hit, but pops right back up.
Batherson rings one hard off the post. The referees wash it out but Batherson was pointing to the back post. Want to see a replay on that one.
Ahhhh dang it, Logan accidentally kicked the puck into the net. We’re tied now.
2-2 tie
Goal: Ridly Greig (5). Assists: S. Pinto (8), M. Amadio (9). Time: 19:31
At intermission: The game is tied 2-2. The Caps owned the first period, the Senators the second. Shots are 23 to 21 Caps.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Martin Fehervary with a huge hit in the defensive zone, erasing Pinto.
Caps have given up three unanswered. Not a great one from Logan.
3-2 Ottawa Senators
Goal: David Perron (8). Assists: S. Halliday (6), N. Cousins (4). Time: 2:47
Dumb penalty by Matt Roy taking out Brady Tkachuk near the net. Senators to the power play.
Senators score again, but officials waive off the goal because they say Thompson had the puck frozen. I dunno. They got lucky there.
Anthony Beauvillier to the box for slashing Michael Amadio at 11:22. A weak call.
Senators don’t score.
Capitals seem dead tired, which is understandable.
And then the second line strikes! Sourdif with a great set up feed to Pro, who ties it up.
3-3 tie
Goal: Aliaksei Protas (16). Assists: J. Sourdif (8), T. Wilson (20). Time: 15:53
Caps McMichael and Strome blow an assigment and the Senators take the lead right back.
4-3 Ottawa Senators
Goal: Fabian Zetterlund (10). Assists: T. Chabot (11), T. Stützle (23). Time: 17:38
Thompson is off the ice for an extra attacker with two minutes remaining.
Caps lose 4-3. Tough L.
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