The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets need two overtimes to decide Game Three.
Since everyone’s blood pressure is currently through the roof, let me indulge you with two very stupid GIFs.
One night after arguably the best goal of the season was scored by Sidney Crosby, Cam Ward scored maybe the strangest goal of the season. On, um, himself.
Thursday night, Cam Ward summarized the goaltending of the 2017-18 Carolina Hurricanes in a single play.
Late in the third period, Jakub Vrana went on a free skate, but it didn’t end well.
Taking the puck out of the defensive zone, Vrana lost his edge and fell over face first in the neutral zone like he was wearing figure skates.
The Washington Capitals fell behind 2-0 early against the Philadelphia Flyers. Coming out of the All-Star Break, the Metropolitan Division’s first-place team looked out of sorts to start the game. With only five games in 19 days, the unevenness is understandable.
What isn’t understandable is why Matt Niskanen forced his way into the penalty box when he wasn’t actually called for a penalty.
There’s one cardinal sin in hockey: never pass the puck in front of your own net unless you’re 100 percent sure you can make the play.
Caps defenseman John Carlson broke that rule against the Carolina Hurricanes, and he paid for it literally two seconds later.
There’s nothing quite like watching an awful whiff on a breakaway. We’re all familiar with watching a player barrel down the ice at full speed, their eyes on the only person between them and a goal, only to watch them completely miss the puck when they try to knock it home for their team.
Well, this might just be the biggest breakaway fail of all time.
If you needed a laugh today, I have a video that you may enjoy.
During KHL action on Wednesday, Barys Astana forward Talgat Zhailauov had an embarrassing moment after serving a two-minute minor for hooking.
After a weird bounce off the boards, Official Dan O’Halloran became an unlikely participant during the New Jersey Devils’ forecheck in the third period, crashing into Braden Holtby.
In a world where Alex Ovechkin doesn’t score but Daniel Winnik flirts with the hat trick, anything is possible. And for a fleeting moment in the third period, the realm of possibility included a beautiful skill goal set up by Jay Beagle and finished by Tom Wilson.
But the moment passed, as if the fates themselves decreed, “Uh, hell no. I mean, it’s Beagle and Wilson. Get real.” So instead of a highlight-reel goal to be played on loop for the next week, Tom Wilson crashed into the net like a bag of laundry shot out of a cannon.
Photo: Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images
Team Switzerland had a porous performance at the World Championship. Led by Roman Josi and Damien Brunner, the Swiss failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing fifth in Group B due to Mikhail Grabovski’s game-winner for Belarus. Eliminated before the end of the preliminary round, the Swiss played spoiler for Latvia, who needed a win to make the quarterfinals.
Late in the third period, Latvia trailed 3-1. After pulling goalie Kristers Gudlevskis, the Latvians got a goal back from Zemgus Girgensons on a deflection. Soon after, Kaspars Daugavins turned the puck over, giving the Swiss a chance to seal the deal. Reto Suri and Thomas Rufenacht went two-on-none towards an empty net.
And then they blew it.
