Photo: Graig Abel
The Capitals started their three-game road trip through Canada with a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Tom Wilson scored his first goal of the season in his hometown as Jason Chimera got his seventh to tie all of last season’s total. Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams completed the scoring for the Caps.
By Hana Imiolczyk 8 years ago
Photo: Graig Abel
At the end of this season, Jason Chimera will be 37. Nevertheless, the bottom-sixer known for his hands of stone is undergoing a revival. On November 11 against Philadelphia, Chimera scored two power play goals, his first game on the man advantage this season. In his nine games on the power play, Chimera has six points.
“Just a fine wine,” Chimera said, comparing himself to another high quality aged product. “Like French Oak or the new stuff, the steel cask maybe.”
By Chris Gordon 8 years ago
Because Hockey Night In Canada loves us, they recorded the Capitals pre-game routine in the hallway just outside the locker room. It is ridiculous and therefore I must show you.
During a Hockey Night in Canada feature in the third period of Saturday’s game, Braden Holtby and his confidence level was compared and contrasted to Jonathan Bernier’s. The Leafs netminder, winless in 9 games (0-8-1), had a bad bobble during Tom Wilson’s second period goal. Meanwhile, zen-as-f-ck Braden Holtby was singing along to Cage The Elephant’s Mess Around during a commercial break like he didn’t have a care in the world.
After their 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday, the Capitals overtook the New York Rangers for first place in the Metro. CSN, having basketball on its mind and the Caps on CSN Plus, screwed up their chart.
(Also, why are the Rangers highlighted in yellow?)
Photo: Chris Young
The Capitals came into the Air Canada Centre looking flat, getting outshot 16-4 in the opening frame. That’s understandable, given the Caps were playing back-to-back games, their seventh match in 11 nights. The Toronto Maple Leafs, meanwhile, hadn’t played since the 23rd of November. They came out swinging, wanting one last win against the boys from Arlington before Steve Whyno relocates back to the National Capital Region.
Jason Chimera, Whyno’s biggest admirer, made sure the Leafs would not get it. After a nice save by Braden Holtby, Chimmer used his speed to go two-on-one up the ice. His shot wasn’t great, but it was enough to beat Jonathan Bernier, who hadn’t played since November 15.
The Leafs got the goal back when the fourth line failed to clear the defensive zone. Maybe Tom Wilson and Michael Latta were tired after carrying all of Brooks Laich’s Black Friday shopping.
Wilson must have been rejuvenated in the second, as he picked up a loose puck in front, did a move from the Nutcracker, scored his first goal in his hometown and his first since March 3. Later in the second, Toronto tied it again when Leo Komarov deflected a puck past Braden Holtby on the power play.
The man advantage was the story of the rest of the night, as Marcus Johansson expertly deflected an Alex Ovechkin PP Bomb into the net for his second goal in as many games. Justin Williams added Washington’s fourth of the net off a brilliant assist from Jason “Yes, That One” Chimera. Nothing in the third. Caps beat Leafs 4-2.
By Chris Gordon 8 years ago
As Chris wrote earlier today, Alex Ovechkin appears to be getting back on track on the power play with power-play goals in two straight games. Saturday, the Russian machine conjured some black magic to get a power-play assist.
You have to see this.
Tom Wilson just scored an unlikely, beautiful goal in front of family and friends at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. It ends a personal goalless streak of 37 games. It was Wilson’s first goal since March 3 2015 of last season.
This just screams hockey to me.
Tonight the Caps begin a three-game trip through Canada with a four-game win streak still active. The Toronto Maple Leafs are still not very good, but anything can happen on HNIC. It’s Holtby vs Bernier, so that’ll be fun.
Puck drops at 7 PM on CSN Plus.
| Team | Record | Possession | PDO | Power Play | Penalty Kill |
| Washington Capitals | 16-5-1 | 53.3% | 100.7 | 25.0% | 84.5% |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 7-10-5 | 48.3% | 99.9 | 18.8% | 81.7% |
By Peter Hassett 8 years ago
