The Washington Capitals got their 2022 playoff run off to a fantastic start as they went into the Presidents’ Trophy winning Florida Panthers’ home barn and came away with a 4-2 Game One victory. Oh boy, that was ridiculously encouraging.
Do that fifteen more times, please.
By Chris Cerullo 2 months ago
Wilson, Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, Oshie. The stars of the Washington Capitals showed up in a big way in their postseason debut against the Florida Panthers. It took a lot of effort to crack Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, but it was worth all the time that it took.
Tom Wilson scored Washington’s first goal of the postseason as a lengthy power play expired. Then he ninja-smoked out of the game entirely and the Panthers started scoring. First it was Sam Bennett, who tied the game with a goal that Washington’s skaters should have prevented and Washington’s goalie should have stopped.
Early in the second, Panthers legend Claude Giroux made a nifty move, kicking the puck then backhanding it to put Florida in the lead.
In the third, Alex Ovechkin forced a turnover in the Panthers zone that Evgeny Kuznetsov converted into the tying goal. Nick Backstrom sent a perfect pass to TJ Oshie to put the Caps in the lead with nine minutes left in regulation. Eller got the empty-netter.
Caps win 4-2. Caps lead the series 1-0.
By Peter Hassett 2 months ago
