On Saturday, the Capitals were on Hockey Night In Canada with the Toronto Maple Leafs in town. Rogers Communications, who have a 12-year, $5.2 billion agreement with the NHL, showed off their flashy production value all night. Example: when the Sportsnet crew focused their cameras on Alex Ovechkin coming out for warm-ups.
Photo: Geoff Burke
The Capitals beat the Leafs 3-2 in a dramatic shootout win at Verizon Center on Saturday night. Nicklas Backstrom tied the game at 2-2 with 0.8 seconds left on the clock. Alex Ovechkin tied Sergei Federov’s record for most goals in the NHL by a Russian-born player getting his 483rd career goal, and almost broke the record, until his goal was controversially waved off for goaltender interference.
By Hana Imiolczyk 8 years ago
Photo: Geoff Burke
The NHL has a conundrum on their hands. This season, NHL coaches were given the right to challenge a referee’s call on the ice to try and eliminate controversial goals. The intent was to fortify the integrity of the game. Instead the opposite is happening.
The Washington Capitals have seen two of their goals this season overturned through unbelievably strict enforcement of the goalie interference rule.
Photo: @WashCaps
The Capitals would not be denied two points Saturday night. Minutes after Alex Ovechkin’s game-tying goal was washed out due to a questionable goalie interference ruling, Nicklas Backstrom scored literally in the game’s final second to force overtime against the Leafs.
Photo: Geoff Burke
After six years, Sergei Fedorov no longer stands alone as the most prolific Russian goal scorer of all time. With a backhanded whack, kiss of the glove, and a one-footed body slam into the end boards, Alex Ovechkin tied his legendary former teammate with his 483rd career goal. The Great Eight did it in 476 fewer games. The fans gave Ovechkin a standing ovation for his second period tally. The Leafs scored earlier in the game, btw, but that wasn’t important for our biased and bloggy narrative.
In the third, Tom Wilson made a dumb and James Van Reimsdyk and the Leafs capitalized. It looked like the Leafs were in for a win.
But wait! In one of the most glorious moments I’ve witnessed at Verizon Center, Ovechkin, with his back to the goalie, flipped the 484th goal of his career, breaking the Fedorov’s record. It tied the game. Until it didn’t. The goal was called back on a coach’s challenge.
BUT WAIT!
Nicklas Backstrom scored with the goalie pulled and less than one second left on the clock, sending the game to three-on-three overtime and then — and apparently we still do these things — to a shootout.
Some stuff happened and then OVI WON IT! That was amazing! Caps beat Leafs, 3-2 (SO).
By Chris Gordon 8 years ago
Photo: @WashCaps
Alex Ovechkin just scored his first power play goal and his eighth overall of the season (Peter called it). The goal was also Ovechkin’s 483rd of his career, which ties Sergei Fedorov for the most NHL goals by a Russian all-time.
Tonight begins a stretch of games for the Caps against relatively weak competition. But there are no easy games in the NHL, and the Maple Leafs are better than their record shows, so it’s not as if there are any gimmes on the horizon for the club. Then again, tonight’s game is a perfect example of a game in which the Caps need to take advantage of the schedule. Seize the carpe, so to speak.
The Leafs are in town, fresh off an overtime loss last night to the Red Wings. Having played last night, and then travelling to DC after, Mike Babcock’s boys likely won’t be at their freshest tonight at the Verizon Center. Time to prey on the weak.
Check your local listings for channel, as the game is on CSN+ at 7 PM.
| Team | Record | Possession | PDO | Power Play | Penalty Kill |
| Washington Capitals | 9-3-0 | 55.3% | 100.6 | 22.9% | 86.1% |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-8-3 | 49.8% | 98.8 | 12.8% | 77.8% |
By Patrick Holden 8 years ago
