Live updates: Washington Capitals vs Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena

The Washington Capitals are back home after a 4-3 setback in Canada to face the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena for the first time since one of my favorite days as a Caps fan.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 893rd and 894th career goals on April 4th to tie Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goals record, sending me to tears. The Great One was in the house for the game, and it was a classic Ovi night — the Caps’ legend met the high-pressure moment by scoring two emphatic tallies and setting himself up for history with an empty-net goal in front of his home fans, which I very, very much wanted him to do. Instead, he respected the game and the milestone, wanting to score on a goalie for the record, and stayed on the bench as Ryan Leonard scored on the empty net, notching the first of his career.

From the bowing to the beer bath, it was one of the greatest nights I’ve ever gotten to see, and perhaps my second-favorite moment beyond the Caps winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. This game tonight serves as a reminder of the incredible hockey we’ve been able to watch over the last 20 years; we all have so much passion for this team and have come so bar as a fanbase. A lot of it is due to the Big Man, but it’s also due to all of us as a collective putting so much love into the team — from deciding to play hockey, reading about it so much (thank you), teaching our kids (I love you, Ethan), and buying season tickets. This is a special place to love hockey, and I’m always grateful to share my passion (sometimes fun, sometimes dumb) with you.

Now that I’m done being unbearably sentimental, I do have some bad news. Aliaksei Protas is out tonight due to injury. Justin Sourdif, who had two incredible games on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s, will play despite missing the morning skate. Logan Thompson will start in net and oppose

Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 7:00 pm. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call on Monumental Sports Network.

Lines

Washington Capitals

Chicago Blackhawks

Tunnel shenanigans

1st Period

Puck is dropped. McMichael-Sourdif-Wilson and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.

Blown assignment by Dylan Strome and Rasmus Sandin leaves Ryan Donato wide open in front of the net where he easily deflects a shot past Logan Thompson. BAD START.

Anthony Beauvillier rips one off the inside of the post after a great pass by Alex Ovechkin finds him from behind the net.

Ethen Frank stopped, but Dylan Strome scores on a huge rebound from Spencer Knight. We’re tied 1-1.

Matt Roy was destroyed via a hip check. Like he’s okay, but that was a huge hit.

Andre Burakovsky nearly scores via a rush down the right wing. Appeared to go five-hole on Thompson.

Tyler Bertuzzi wide open in front of the net, but stopped by Thompson. Caps are playing, per Joe B, some “SKETCHY defense.”

Tom Wilson takes a stick right to the Tom Wilsons and he is in huge pain. He began slamming his stick against the bench as if he was trying to break the bench.

Bertuzzi with another high-danger chance in front of the net. Can the Caps please guard this man?

Wilson slow to get up after a counter hit behind the net by Connor Murphy. He’s limping big time. Not good. He’s being helped down the runway to the locker room.

More miscoverage in front of the net and Donato nearly scores. The Capitals are playing some horrible D.

Somehow, Connor McMichael doesn’t score after multiple whacks at the puck to the side of the net. He literally shot it horizontally through the crease. Story of his season for sure.

At intermission: The game’s tied 1-1. The Caps are lucky it’s tied. Shots on goal are 13 to 9 Caps.

2nd Period

Puck is dropped. Tom Wilson is not back.

Already have a fishy icing call.

Duhaime with an opportunity near the net.

Ilya Mikheyev has a semi-breakaway but falls to the ice as he’s shooting.

This game is opening up quite a bit now.

Jakob Chychrun hits a Kirby Dach up in the face as the Blackhawks forward skates into the offensive zone. He’s called for roughing at 3:20. Chychrun’s nodding with the ref in agreement on the call lmao.

Bertuzzi finds Teravainen with a cross-seam pass and he roofs it perfectly past an outstretched Thompson.

Sonny Milano with a nice rush to the net, but can’t beat Knight.

Ryan Leonard loses his blade and has to hop back to the bench.

Dowd hits the post.

Caps have now hit the post 55 times this season.

Tom Wilson is questionable to return.

Tom Wilson leaves Capitals game against Blackhawks in first period with lower-body injury

Dowd hits the post again. 56.

Burakovsky stopped by Thompson on a two-on-one.

Burakovsky stopped again by Thompson. Thank god for LT tonight.

At intermission: The Blackhawks are winning 2-1 and are thoroughly outplaying the Caps. WSH could steal this one with a good third. Shots are 20 to 18 Caps.

3rd Period

Puck is dropped. Still no Tom.

Ovechkin is down, he got clipped up high on a hit. He’s bleeding from the bottom of the mouth.

Teravainen hauls Martin Fehervary down. No call.

Next shift, he’s the scary Ovi angry and goes right up to the ref, “How could you miss that?” lmao

Terrible terrible turnover by Sandin at the point. Thompson somehow stops another two-on-one. Burakovsky found Bertuzzi, but LT went to the splits to make the stop.

Make up call! Alex Ovechkin gets tripped by Wyatt Kaiser and the Caps go to the power play at 7:27.

Huge Ovi one timer.

Turnover in front of the net, Chychrun misses the net with his shot.

Sourdif stopped twice in front of the net.

Effective power play — five shots — but no goals.

Ryan Leonard wins a puck battle in front of the net and whacks the puck out of midair past Knight. STURDY. BIG BOI HOCKEY.

Caps really love the blind pass at the offensive blue line to the Blackhawks. Almost another goal there. JUST DUMP IT AROUND THE BOARDS. PLEASE.

Carlson almost scores at the buzzer, but this the side of the net. Great jump into the play there.

Worth noting: Duhaime-Dowd-Frank got the Caps’ final shift, you can see how Carbery is feeling about the team there. Just wanted the point.

At intermission: It’s tied 2-2. Caps had 33-31 shots on goal advantage, but I’d argue they were massively outplayed. We’re going to OVERTIMEEEEEE.

Overtime

Puck is dropped.

Leonard does a 360, drops it to Chychrun. But nothing going there.

The Blackhawks love weaving. It’s just weave after weave after weave.

Hawks ice it.

Caps win the faceoff.

Beauvillier misses the net on a one-timer. Way high. But he was very open.

Beanvillier fires, it goes off the glass, and Knight catches it. Wild.

Chychrun breaks a Blackhawks player’s stick. Blackhawks get 54 seconds of a 4-on-3 power play.

Everybody on Chicago is falling during the power play. The ice must be horrendous.

To the shootout we go.

Shootout

Capitals opt to shoot first.

❌ Ryan Leonard goes way wide down the left wing, and he misses the net.
✅ Nick Lardis beats Thompson easily to the far post in-stride.
✅ Dylan Strome dekes and scores on his backhand bar down.
❌ Ryan Donato stopped by Thompson after a lot of patience and on a sharp angle.
❌ Anthony Beauvillier goes forehand-backhand but Knight stops him in the splits.
❌ Oliver Moore approaches slow, shoots against the grain but Thompson makes the right pad save.
❌ Connor McMichael stopped by the right toe of Knight on his forehand.
❌ Crevier goes to his backhand but misses the net. To Round 5.
✅ Sonny Milano races toward the net, scores on his forehand with a lot of swag.
✅ Andre Burakovsky scores, beating Thompson past the glove to the short-side corner.
❌ Jakob Chychrun slowly approaches, lofts a backhand and misses the net.
✅ Nick Foligno wins it beating Thompson with a perfectly placed shot.

Caps now 0 for 5 in the shootout this season.

Capitals lose 3-2 in the shootout. BUT HEY. At least they got a point.

Blackhawks beat Caps 3-2 (SO), plus Tom Wilson’s hurt, so that double-sucked

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