The Washington Capitals are back in the win column for the first time since the NHL’s 2026 Trade Deadline. After ceding a three-goal lead to the Calgary Flames, the Caps roared back in the third period to end the night on top, 7-3.
Well, can’t say that wasn’t entertaining. Just wish they had maybe not taken the entire second period off.
- In the first and third period combined at five-on-five, the Capitals were up 35-33 in shot attempts, 18-14 in scoring chances, 10-4 in high-danger chances, and 5-0 in goals. In the second period, the Flames led in shot attempts 26-12, scoring chances 15-8, high-danger chances 8-2, and goals 1-0. What an utterly bizarre game. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was one of the very few games in recent NHL history to feature three separate instances of three unanswered goals.
- The Capitals were led in scoring by rookie forward Justin Sourdif, who picked up three points (1g, 2a) in the win. According to the team, with the three points, he became only the fifth Caps rookie in the past 40 years with multiple three-point games in a season, joining Alex Ovechkin (8), Nicklas Backstrom (7), Pat Peake (2), and Michal Pivonka (2).
- One of the worst stints of the game came when the Capitals allowed two shorthanded goals on the same power play. In doing so, they let Calgary tie the game and have now allowed the second-most shorthanded goals in the NHL this season. Their net power-play percentage is now 11.8 percent, above only the Colorado Avalanche (10.3 percent).
- Connor McMichael scored two of the team’s seven goals in the win. The multi-goal effort was his first of the season after he had five last year in the regular season and playoffs. He now has 10 goals this season, the 11th Caps player to score at least double digits in goals during the 2025-26 campaign.
- Hendrix Lapierre scored his third goal of the season and his third goal in as many career games against the Calgary Flames. He skated 11:57 of ice time, which was the most he has seen in a single game since he played 12:21 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 24.
- Per the NHL, with Ryan Leonard’s third-period tally, he and Sourdif have produced the first season since 1990-91 in which multiple Capitals rookies have each scored at least 12 goals. Peter Bondra (12) and Dmitri Khristich (13) were the last to do so. Leonard is now riding a three-game point streak and is fifth among Caps forwards in overall scoring (33).
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