Welcome to another edition of RMNB After Dark.
The Capitals are in a tailspin and are falling further out of the playoff picture. Tonight, they arrive in Vancouver, and hopefully the experience gives them a shot in the arm.
Tom Wilson is back and Vancouver is awful, like really, really bad. They’ve lost 33 of their 49 games and have the fewest standings points in the league. They’ve lost 11 straight games, including the last 7 in regulation. So, the Caps better win this one or our favorite team may have hit rock bottom.
Logan Thompson will get the start in net and oppose Kevin Lankinen at the other end.
Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 10 pm. Today’s game is on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Vancouver Canucks
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. Protas-Sourdif-Wilson and Chychrun-Carlson get the start for the Capitals.
Ryan Leonard, the birthday boy, with a huge shot from the top of the left circle 1:39 in, but Lankinen makes the save.
Canucks with some heavy pressure for about 30 seconds in the offensive zone.
Thompson falls down but still makes a glove save on a backhand shot from the slot.
Per Joe B, Thompson has received 35 of the first 50 starts of the year for the Capitals.
Delayed penalty call, Caps doing a lot of dangerous backward passes near the net with Thompson pulled for an extra attacker. My anxiety is through the roof.
Capitals get the first power play of the game. Max Sasson holds Hendrix Lapierre at 7:11.
Marcus Pettersson high-sticks Tom Wilson at 8:02. Caps go to a 5v3 power play.
Carlson to Wilson to Strome. That’s a layup. A tap-in. Easy peasy.
1-0 Washington Capitals
PPG: Dylan Strome (12). Assists: T. Wilson (21), J. Carlson (30). Time: 8:25
Caps still have a power play for another 90 seconds.
Sourdif from about 5 feet away after a great pass by Strome.
2-0 Washington Capitals
PPG: Justin Sourdif (10). Assists: D. Strome (27), A. Ovechkin (23). Time: 9:42
Sourdif turnover, panicky pass into a defenseman’s skates. Canucks get extended time in the Capitals zone for about 30 seconds, generate multiple chances.
Caps are winning 2-0 but the Canucks, who again are the worst team in the league, are taking it to them at five-on-five. Concerning trend at least at this point.
Sandin turnover in the corner and Boeser scores. Again, do not think this is gonna be a cakewalk, the Caps do not look good at least at this point.
2-1 Washington Capitals
Goal: Brock Boeser (10). Assists: D. Kampf (3). Time: 13:32
Tom Wilson’s timing is noticeably off, at least in the first period. Some of his decisions with the puck are un-Tom-like.
Fehervary turnover, Evander Kane then shoots it off his skate and in. This is brutal.
2-2 tie
Goal: Evander Kane (9). Assists: J. DeBrusk (11). Time: 18:22
At intermission: It’s 2-2. Shots are tied 10 to 10. This looked like it was gonna be a blowout and then the Canucks just took it to the Caps for the rest of the period at five-on-five. Not sure what to think about this.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Canucks continue to take it to the Caps at five-on-five.
John Carlson to the box for Cross-checking David Kampf at 3:33.
Now the Caps are going two men down for holding. Canucks will get a 1:14-long five-on-three power play.
Elias Pettersson rings one off the crossbar and off the ice.
Caps kill the power play, they barely held on there.
Bad coverage. Caps have given up three consecutive goals to the Canucks.
3-2 Vancouver Canucks
Goal: Drew O'Connor (12). Assists: D. Kampf (4). Time: 8:58
Ryan Leonard and Evander Kane both to the box for holding and cross-checking penalties. Both teams going to 4-on-4 now.
Sourdif blind pass to no one in front of the net. Why’s Chychrun behind the net in the offensive zone? Uh oh. No one’s covering Chychy. 2-on-1. Carlson wanders out to play 1-on-1 defense… leaving Hronek wide open on the right side. And the Canucks score. What in the heck was that?
4-2 Vancouver Canucks
Goal: Filip Hronek (4). Assists: J. DeBrusk (12), T. Willander (11). Time: 11:43
Ryan Leonard to the box for interfering Brock Boeser at 15:12.
Caps kill the penalty.
Leonard misses the net with a high-danger chance.
Sandin stopped on a big shot toward the far post. Some life from the caps.
Carlson and Strome combine on another bad turnover near the corner boards.
At intermission: The Capitals are losing to the worst team in the league 4-2. Breathe that in for a second.
3rd Period
Gonna need a monumental comeback here to avoid an embarrassing loss. Fingers crossed.
Puck is dropped.
Carlson turnover after he just falls over, Canucks hit the post on a semi-breakaway.
Caps almost get caught on a bad line change.
Matt Roy and Nils Hoglander both to the box for slashing at 7:03. Back to four-on-four where previously, the Canucks scored.
Caps net is empty 4:01 remaining. Thompson pulled for an extra attacker.
Strome finds a loose puck and scores.
4-3 Washington Capitals
Goal: Dylan Strome (13). Assists: J. Sourdif (11), J. Chychrun (19). Time: 16:37
Thompson returns to the Capitals net.
Thompson leaves with 1:51 remaining and the Caps trying to break out in their defensive zone.
Capitals lose 4-3 to the Canucks.
Losing to a team that had lost 11 games in a row: Canucks beat Capitals 4-3
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