The Washington Capitals’ journey through late-night games in western Canada began on Monday night and the Vancouver Canucks, where the road team put up maybe their best sixty-minute effort of the still-young season.
Scoring began as scoring so often does, with John Carlson recording a goal after a great feed from Jakub Vrana. Vancouver tied it in the second as defenseman Troy Stecher got a deflection off Nic Dowd’s glove to beat Holtby. Kuznetsov got a power-play goal, and Ovechkin crashed the net to make it 3-1 after two period.
Sven Baertschi got a very lucky rebound to bring the Canucks within one goal early in the third, but Alex Ovechkin replied with his second of the night, a screamer on the power play. TJ Oshie got the empty-netter and ended it.
Caps beat Canucks 5-2!
(it’s too late at night for bailamos)
- Andre Burakovsky has had a miserable season so far, so he was demoted to the fourth line on Monday night, where he might’ve had his best game of the season, including some scoring chances and this very atypical Andre hit.
- Elsewhere on the lines, Devante Smith-Pelly got an unexpected promotion to the Ovi line, which didn’t work out well. It’s well worth noting that Alex Ovechkin scored a sensational crash-the-net goal as he double-shifted with Backstrom and Oshie.
- Late-night games mean we get a little off-topic. We asked folks to score popular Disney Afternoon cartoons, and the results were scandalous (if you’re a Gargoyles fan).
- Here’s something you don’t often see: a reverse Ovi Shot from the Ovi Spot – coming from Evgeny Kuznetsov (his fifth) on the other half of the ice. Kuzy told Alan May the goal was “pretty lucky.”
Alex Ovechkin with the powerplay goa…. HEY WAIT THATS KUZY pic.twitter.com/xTLOARcxCW
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) October 23, 2018
- We got the real thing in the third period as Ovi made it a two-goal night from his office (his third of the season), meaning he’s got eight goals in eight games. Auston Matthews better sit up straight.
- Ovi’s second goal was also Nicklas Backstrom‘s 600th career assist. Very fitting.
- Beloved ex-Cap Jay Beagle did not dress for Vancouver while he recovers from injury. Beagle was well enough to receive his championship ring and have a reunion with his former teammates and fellow champions.
#JoeBSuitOfTheNight #CapsNucks pic.twitter.com/rm7b2dS0nV
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) October 23, 2018
Aside from the laughers that opened the season, this was the most solid effort I’ve seen from the Caps this season. They’ll have the chance to improve further on Thursday night in Edmonton. Time for another slumber party. See you there.
Full RMNB Coverage of Caps at Canucks
Headline photo: Jeff Vinnick
