A bad loss to the Philadelphia Flyers put the Washington Capitals behind the 8-ball again in their race to make the playoffs.
Now they return home to face the Nashville Predators for their last game before the Olympic break — and they are getting some important reinforcements back.
Pierre-Luc Dubois will play for the first time since October after core surgery. Logan Thompson is also back after missing the last four due to an upper-body injury. He’ll start in goal and oppose the Predators’ Justus Annunen on the other side.
Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 7:00 pm. Today’s game is on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Nashville Predators
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Tom Wilson, Logan Thompson, and Martin Fehervary are getting an Olympic sendoff and being honored before puck drop.
Puck is dropped. Duhaime-Dowd-Lapierre and Sandin-TVR get the start.
Birthday boy Ethen Frank shoots from the doorstep but his shot hits the outside of the net.
Tom Wilson beats Justus Annunen from the top of the circles for his 23rd goal of the season.
1-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Tom Wilson (23). Assists: P. Dubois (1), J. Chychrun (25). Time: 4:15
Justin Barron rings one off the post.
Predators are taking it to the Capitals.
Ozzy Wiesblatt to the box at 10:54 for tripping TVR. Wiesblatt fell over in the offensive zone by himself and took out TVR with him.
Capitals nearly give up a shorthanded goal to the Predators.
It’s quiet in Capital One Arena.
Capitals are doing nothing on the power play.
Broken play… Strome sends a backpass to Dubois and he rings one off the crossbar and in. Caps needed that. No energy.
2-0 Washington Capitals
PPG: Pierre-Luc Dubois (1). Assists: D. Strome (30), J. Carlson (36). Time: 12:48
Pierre-Luc Dubois scores first goal of season in first game back from extended injury absence
Alex Ovechkin to the box for interfering Michael McCarron at 15:35.
Preds have nothing going here.
Alex Ovechkin gets hauled down by Brady Skjei coming out of the penalty box. That’s two minutes for tripping. Now the Caps are going back to the power play.
At intermission: The Caps look bad, but they’re winning 2-0. Shots are tied 11-11.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Ryan Leonard cross-checks Ozzy Wiesblatt at 2:52.
Both teams are now going to 4-on-4 for 1:09 after Jonathan Marchessault slashes Nic Dowd at 3:39.
The Predators have a clear 2-on-0 coming out of the box somehow. Thompson stretches out and robs Marchessault at the far post. He got his glove on it somehow.
Jakob Chychrun does a spin-a-rama at neutral, gains entry into the offensive zone, and rips a huge shot past Justus Annunen for his 20th goal of the season. WOW.
3-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Jakob Chychrun (20). Unassisted. Time: 8:42
Uh oh. John Carlson is out for the rest of the game due to a lower-body injury. Chychrun is jumping over the boards every other shift.
John Carlson leaves Capitals game against Predators after suffering lower-body injury
Erik Haula to the box for high-sticking Jakob Chychrun at 15:15.
Justin Sourdif goes for hooking at 15:19. The two teams will play 4-on-4 for 1:56.
Marchessault gets a crazy bounce as a double doink goes off his skate and in. Nothing LT could do.
3-1 Washington Capitals
Goal: Jonathan Marchessault (10). Assists: E. Haula (20), A. Wilsby (10). Time: 17:40
Ethen Frank on a breakaway, he tries to finesse a backhanded shot through the five hole, but he just misses, hitting Annunen’s right pad.
At intermission: The Caps lead 3-1. Shots are 23-21 Caps.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Tom Wilson was tripped but no call.
Nic Dowd scores on a one-timer from the top of the circles fifty-four seconds into the period. What a shot to the top corner.
Nashville calls timeout to review if the play was offside.
They’re challenging it.
No goal. Brandon Duhaime was in ahead of the play by centimeters.
Twenty-three seconds after Dowd’s tally is overturned, the Predators go hard to the net against a soft Caps defense and score. Not a good swing here.
3-2 Washington Capitals
Goal: Michael McCarron (5). Assists: C. Smith (4), A. Wilsby (11). Time: 1:17
A long delay to figure out if there’s a penalty or not on the Preds. There is not.
Wilson nails Wiesblatt with a big hit as he curls in neutral ice. Wiesblatt is ailing at the bench and in some serious pain holding his shoulder/clavicle area.
Aliaksei Protas, wide-open in the slot, he shovels the puck toward the net and it goes off the crossbar and out of play. He buried his head in his hands after that.
McCarron slashes TVR big time behind the play. No call.
Dowd tries to score on the same one-timer but Annunen nabs it with his glove.
Ryan Leonard with a jockstrapper, deking Brady Skjei to the ice. Skjei hauled him down and the Caps are going back to the power play at 10:14.
Ovi with a big shot but it’s stopped by Annunen.
Caps can’t score. We’re back at five-on-five.
Capitals back to the power play. Jonathan Marchessault to the box for slashing at 13:07. Dowd dove 100 percent.
Chychrun walks down broadway and scores high past the glove. The Preds’ penalty killer just let him have the space — not smart.
4-2 Washington Capitals
PPG: Jakob Chychrun (21). Assists:D. Strome (31), A. Ovechkin (26). Time: 13:11
Rasmus Sandin slashes Tyson Jost at 15:26. Big penalty kill here.
Huge shot by Josi. Thompson makes a pad save.
Preds pulling their goalie for an extra attacker.
Evangelista wide open in front of the net but he can’t beat Thompson.
Capitals win 4-2. They did not look very good in this game, but their skill players did just enough to win.
Caps beat Predators 4-2 as Team Canada snub Jakob Chychrun pops off
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