Game information/links
Game preview
Welcome to Game 66 of the regular season. Tonight, our heroes will take on the Philadelphia Flyers, who have had about as successful a season as our favorite team. The Flyers (69) sit just two points behind the Capitals (71) in the standings with two games in hand.
The Capitals’ meager chances of making the playoffs have dropped to a woeful 11 percent, as they remain eight points behind third-place-in-the-Metro Isles and seven points behind the second-wild-card Bruins. At this point, they’d have to win something like 13 of their final 16 games to get in the dance.
Trade deadline day acquisition Timothy Liljegren will play his first game as a Washington Capital after sitting out Monday’s 7-3 win over the Calgary Flames. David Kampf will miss another game due to visa issues. The lineup will remain the same as Monday’s victory beyond Liljegren’s insertion.
Logan Thompson will get the start for the Capitals, his second against the Flyers after the Olympic break. He made 23 saves on 24 shots faced in a 3-1 win over the Flyers at Capital One Arena on February 25.
Matt Roy will also wear an “A” for the first time.
“Yeah, I just think from the backend with John moving on, we’re going to need some leadership from the backend,” Carbery said. “Matt Roy, I think growing into a leadership role and where he’s at in his career and now being in his second year here, just feel like he’s a guy that can sort of step up.”
Puck drop for tonight’s game is at 7:30 pm. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call. The matchup is the first of a mid-week back-to-back. Thursday, the Capitals travel up to Buffalo to take on the Sabres.
Team USA Olympic jerseys restocked for “one final production run”
See the special event restock here.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Philadelphia Flyers
Goalie matchup
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. McMichael-Dubois-Leonard and Chychrun-TVR get the start.
Two quick offsides to start the game. Always a good sign.
Ethen Frank misses a wide-open net off a rebound, shooting the puck right into Jamie Drysdale’s skates.
Penalty kill
Timothy Liljegren holding penalty (2 minutes) at 4:16
Caps kill the penalty.
Hendrix Lapierre draws the Capitals’ first power play of the night.
Power play
Trevor Zegras hooking penalty (2 minutes) at 9:03
Leonard gets the puck out of the corner, uses a Flyers player as a screen, and fires a scorching shot past Ersson.
1-0 Washington Capitals
PPG: Ryan Leonard (13). Assists: A. Ovechkin (27), P. Dubois (3). Time: 9:50
Penalty kill
Jakob Chychrun hooking penalty (2 minutes) at 11:57
Caps kill the penalty.
Capitals and Flyers go 4-on-4 after Brandon Duhaime and Nikita Grebenkin get matching minors for roughing.
Caps go to a 4-on-3 power play for 49 seconds after Rasmus Sandin walks a Flyers player at the blue line in SENSATIONAL FASHION.
Power play
Rasmus Ristolainen tripping penalty (2 minutes) at 5:14
Capitals now have an abbreviated 5-on-4 power play.
Sean Couturier held as he skates into the offensive zone, no call. He’s screaming at the ref.
At intermission: The Capitals lead 1-0. Shots are tied 7-7, but it was a pretty entertaining period.
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