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Game preview
The Washington Capitals (35-28-9, 79 standings points) continue their road trip tonight with a 9 pm ET matchup against the Utah Mammoth (37-29-6, 80 points). The game has huge ramifications for the Mammoth, who currently sit in the Western Conference’s first wild card spot and need to continue putting up points to make the postseason. Meanwhile, the Capitals have a 3.7 percent chance of making the playoffs (per MoneyPuck) and will basically have to win out in their final 10 games to even have a chance. As Spencer Carbery famously said, the team is just running out of runway.
The Capitals come into the game 3-0 losers to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. David Kampf, who is in fact a real person, rejoined the team for the team’s morning skate and is a game-time decision tonight, per Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery.
“We’re working through a couple things, so [the lineup] may alter a little bit, so I won’t commit to anything,” Carbery said pregame.
Kampf, due to visa issues and the birth of his second child, has not played in a single game for the Capitals since being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on March 6 (20 days ago) for a sixth-round pick.
Logan Thompson is expected to start his sixth-straight game in net and will oppose former Capitals goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who holds the distinct honor of being the active goaltender with the most saves against Alex Ovechkin without allowing a goal.
The Mammoth beat the Capitals 3-2 in the two teams’ first meeting this season on March 3. Utah fell to the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in their last game out on Tuesday.
Thursday’s game will be the Capitals’ first visit to Delta Center since captain Alex Ovechkin broke his leg there on November 18, 2024.
Tonight’s game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin have the call.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Utah Mammoth
SADLY, Liam O’Brien is scratched. The Big Tuna does not swim tonight.
Goalie matchup
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. McMichael-Dubois-Wilson and Chychrun-TVR get the start.
MIRO SCOARS. WHAT A BOMB.
1-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Ivan Miroshnichenko (1). Assists: H. Lapierre (11), J. Chychrun (29). Time: 2:07
Hug this man.
Tom Wilson breaks up a Mammoth 3-on-1 after some great hustle to get back into the play on the backcheck.
Big scrum by the Mammoth net. Anthony Beauvillier and MacKenzie Weegar get matching minors for roughing at 11:59. We’ll play four-on-four. Sergachev is just shoving anyone he can find.
Joe B says Utah is billing tonight’s matchup with the Capitals as the “biggest game of the season.”
Penalty kill
Dylan Strome tripping penalty (2 mins) at 12:25
Utah starts the PP with a 4-on-3 advantage.
1-1 tie
PPG: Dylan Guenther (35). Assists: C. Keller (47), M. Sergachev (37). Time: 13:04
Martin Fehervary jumps into the play and draws a penalty as he streaks into the offensive zone open.
Power play
Sean Durzi slashing penalty (2 mins) at 14:36
Ovi tripped in the offensive zone along the boards, which gives the Mammoth a 2-on-1. Logan Thompson makes a huge save to keep the game tied.
Logan Thompson now stops Nick Schmaltz on a shorthanded breakaway.
Mammoth kill the penalty.
Keller hits Guenter, who beats Sandin to the net, and he finishes his semi-breakaway on his backhand. Bad stretch by the Capitals there. Logan needs SOME help.
2-1 Utah Mammoth
Goal: Dylan Guenther (36). Assists: C. Keller (48), M. Sergachev (38). Time: 16:59
Brandon Tanev boards Matt Roy, jumping into the hit. That’s a charge. That’s a board. That has to be a major. Everyone on the Capitals, including Tom Wilson, are going after him.
Wilson is furious. Tanev is furious. They are screaming at each others’ faces from inches away. Wilson does a “turtle motion” at Tanev for not fighting him. They are now yelling at each other from the penalty box.
UTAH GETS THE POWER PLAY… WHAT. HOW.
Tanev gets 2 minutes for boarding and a 10-minute misconduct. Wilson gets four minutes for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.
Wilson and Tanev are still yelling at each other as they leave the ice. Wilson is now challenging everyone on Utah’s bench.
“He’ll challenge anyone on the bench and anyone in the stands booing him!” says Craig Laughlin. lmao
Thompson and his glove rob Guenther wide open at the side of the net with 37.7 seconds remaining in the period. That would have been a hat trick.
Cooley finds a rebound at the far post.
3-1 Utah Mammoth
PPG: Logan Cooley (18). Assists: N. Schmaltz (38), M. Sergachev (39). Time: 19:53
At intermission: Utah leads the Capitals 3-1. Shots are 11-8 Mammoth.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped. Hope you guys are ready for some fireworks!
Clayton Keller skates around Jakob Chychrun on the right wing and generates a scoring chance. You’d think Chychy would be quicker with, uh, his specialized diet.
Carcone just dancing around PLD behind the net, who is arguably the Capitals best defensive forward. You never want to see that! Sergachev then puts a huge shot on goal from the point but Thompson is equal to the task.
Welcome to the list, Vitek Vanecek. Ovi SCOARSSSS!
3-2 Utah Mammoth
Goal: Alex Ovechkin (27) Assists: R. Sandin (22), M. Fehérváry (18). Time: 5:01
Sourdif might have knocked some teeth out of Logan Cooley’s mouth after a high stick near the net. He’s headed to the box.
Penalty kill
Justin Sourdif roughing penalty (2 mins) at 5:40
Caps kill the penalty.
Ovi from the point with Chychrun screening in front!!! It’s tied.
3-3 tie
Goal: Alex Ovechkin (28) Assists: D. Strome (36), T. van Riemsdyk (10). Time: 11:28
🥊 Brandon Duhaime fights Brandon Tanev at 11:30. Spirited tilt but not sure Tanev learned any lesson at all by fighting a smaller guy.
Tom Wilson is whistled for a major penalty for a hug hit on Jack McBain as the Utah skater moves the puck out of the corner. Officials may have called it that way so that they can review the play.
After review, the call is reduced to a minor penalty. It looked bad, but that looked clean as day to me.
Penalty kill
Tom Wilson interference penalty (2 mins) at 18:46
At intermission: The game’s tied 3-3. Great period by the Caps. Utah leads in shots 24-16.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Capitals kill the rest of Wilson’s penalty.
🥊 Tom Wilson fights Lawson Crouse at 49 seconds. Crouse approached Wilson and dropped his gloves. Angry fight.
Crouse gets an instigator, five-minute major for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct. Jack McBain receives a 10-minute misconduct for approaching the penalty box and challenging Wilson. Capitals get a two-minute power play.
Beauvi deflects a Cole Hutson point shot that was going wide past Vitek Vanecek. Caps take the lead!
4-3 Washington Capitals
PPG: Anthony Beauvillier (13). Assists: C. Hutson (2), C. McMichael (26). Time: 2:43
Chaos in front of the net, Vanecek’s out of the goal. And Sandin rips a shot into the open net. A two-goal lead for the Caps. Where was this like… ALL SEASON?
5-3 Washington Capitals
Goal: Rasmus Sandin (5). Assists: A. Beauvillier (12). Time: 6:02
It’s back to a one-goal game. Eek!
5-4 Washington Capitals
Goal: MacKenzie Weegar (4). Assists: C. Keller (49), A. Kerfoot (5). Time: 8:06
Aliaksei Protas misses a wide open net. He puts his stick on his head like “How did I miss?”
MIRO’S GOT TWO. HIS BACKHAND GOES OFF SERGACHEV AND IN! It’s his first career multi-goal game in the NHL.
6-4 Washington Capitals
Goal: Ivan Miroshnichenko (2). Assists: J. Chychrun (30). Time: 9:54
Vanecek has been chased and is being replaced in net by Karel Vejmelka. Vanecek gave up six goals on 23 shots faced good for a .739 save percentage.
Ovi gets the empty netter! That’s his 34th career hat trick!!
7-4 Washington Capitals
ENG: Alex Ovechkin (29). Assists: D. Strome (37). Time: 19:54
Capitals defeat Mammoth 7-4. Too little too late, but that was a fun game.
Mammoth more focused on Tom Wilson than winning a hockey game: Capitals beat Mammoth 7-4
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