📸: @@_katiethegr8/X
The Washington Capitals met the Detroit Red Wings in the final matchup of their highly unsuccessful road trip on Thursday night. The Caps, who dropped two in two days to the Red Wings earlier this season, were looking for just their second win in eight games.
Nic Dowd opened the scoring with a great shot to cap off a great shift. Ben Chiarot let go a shot from the point that eluded Charlie Lindgren to tie the game. Dylan Strome put the Capitals back in front with a dogged, wraparound effort. Declan Chisholm deflected home his first of the season to extend the lead. Alex DeBrincat scored two late goals, the latter being the most brutal bounce of all time.
Nothing in overtime, so the dreaded shootout bullets:
- Raymond put the biscuit in the basket.
- Strome put the biscuit in the basket.
- Kane put the biscuit in the basket.
- Leonard put the biscuit in the basket.
- Larkin did not put the biscuit in the basket.
- Dowd put the biscuit in the basket.
Capitals beat Red Wings 4-3!
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- Outside of the first five or so minutes, I thought the Capitals had a really good road first period. They were clearly out to play a physical brand of hockey, led by their captain, Alex Ovechkin, who had two bone-crunching hits on the same shift. This team needs to play one period at a time right now, and they successfully completed one of three to kick off this game.
- Patrick Kane thought he had become the new US-born all-time leader in scoring with an assist on an Alex DeBrincat power-play goal early in the first. The Capitals immediately challenged for offside and were successful. Give me Mike Modano over Kane every time.
- Nic Dowd put together what was probably his best shift of the season to get the Capitals the actual first goal of the game. He nailed two Red Wings with big hits and then ripped a wicked wrister past goaltender John Gibson from the left faceoff circle. I feel like we haven’t seen enough of that from Dowd this season.
- I thought the second was actually even better from the Capitals from a controlling play standpoint, but they were called for an absolutely bogus tripping penalty, which put the Red Wings on a third straight man advantage. Do you maybe want Charlie Lindgren to be better on that goal? Maybe; tough to say. John Carlson also had a near wide-open net later in the second and somehow did not beat Gibson.
- Here is a brief, non-all-encompassing list of US-born individuals that I would prefer be the nation’s all-time NHL scoring leader: Auston Matthews, anyone that doesn’t have the last name Tkachuk, Jeff Halpern, Air Bud, me, and probably you.
- Tonight’s ESPN commentary could best be summarized by them wondering when we might see Travis Hamonic return from a suspected injury while the camera was squarely focused on Travis Hamonic. Also, maybe when we learned the size of Elmer Soderblom’s feet for some reason.
- Some hockey insiders are now saying the Capitals are unlikely to be Artemi Panarin’s landing spot, and others are saying they’re still in the mix. At this point, I would be cool with just a general sign of life from the front office.
- They battened down the hatches in the third. Unfortunately, this team is just absolutely cursed. Thank god they randomly found some shootout skills. Leaving Lindgren in there felt suspect. Hope he’s alright.
- I thought the refs were going to call that Dylan Strome goal back. Thank goodness they did not. Unfortunately, the power play did not take advantage of the Red Wings getting put on the penalty kill. The power play hasn’t taken advantage of much this year.
- That tying goal from Alex DeBrincat is just the epitome of this season. There are no words for that.
The Capitals are now finally headed back home. They’ll play the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena on Saturday night.
