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The Capitals came from behind to tie the Blues twice on Sunday and pulled themselves to within one with seven minutes left to play in the third period. All of the effort wouldn’t be enough as St.Louis took two points from Washington with a final score of four to three. Washington backup goaltender Justin Peters got the cage from Head Coach Barry Trotz but between Washington’s sputtering play and Peters’ .900 Save Percentage the visitors escaped with two points on Super Bowl Sunday.
First up, Super Bowl Sunday’s Plus/Minus:
Plus/Minus:
- Plus: Alex Ovechkin had a busy afternoon for himself, firing ten shots and burying two behind Blues goaltender Brian Elliott. The Captain had his arms and legs moving all night as he led by example on home ice. His best, however, just wasn’t enough for the Capitals in this one.
- Minus: St. Louis jumped to their third lead of the game with a little more than four minutes left to play in the second period and never looked back. Vladimir Tarasenko‘s third period goal would prove to be the back breaker as the Blues exerted their will against Washington for more than half of the final frame of play.
And now, this… your Captain’s 30th goal of the year.
Nine more notes on the game:
- Alexander Steen got the Blues on the board first tonight by finishing off the third of three quick power play shots against Peters. The puck was put on net by T.J. Oshie from the point and Jaden Schwartz got a stick on it but it would end up being Steen’s goal – a nice snap shot into a gaping net.
- Ovechkin would respond a little more than seven minutes later, however, with Washington’s own first period power play goal. With Ryan Reaves in the box for Interference against Jack Hillen the Capitals’ Captain made the Blues play with a classic one-timer from the right circle.
- The second period would look identical to the first, for at least the first two goals of the middle frame. Both Steen and Ovechkin scored to tie the game at two goals apiece – Ovechkin’s goal coming at four on four play with five and a half minutes to play in the second period.
- Blues rookie Dmitrij Jaskin would silence the Verizon Center barely a minute later, though, as he swatted his own rebound past Peters’ right pad to put St. Louis in the lead for the third time this afternoon.
- The Capitals needed to come out and assert themselves with the puck after the second intermission but found themselves on the wrong side of a two on one that ended with Tarasenko burying a slap shot past (an overcommitted to the near post) Peters.
- Tarasenko’s twenty-fifth wouldn’t be the game’s last as Karl Alzner flipped a puck from the right point that floated through Ovechkin and past Elliott’s blocker pad. The goal, with more than seven minutes left to play in the third period, gave Verizon Center a reason to be excited as Washington was beginning to turn the game’s momentum in their favor. Unfortunately, Alzner’s tally would by the game’s last.
- Ovechkin’s 30th goal of the year makes it ten straight seasons in the NHL with 30 or more goals – making him only the fifth player in League history to start their careers with ten seasons as a thirty goal guy. Congrats Alex!
- His second period goal also made this afternoon his 94th multi-goal game in a Capitals sweater, a feat dating back to his NHL debut (2 goals) against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ovechkin’s 94 games puts him in first place in Washington franchise history, passing Peter Bondra’s 93 multi-goal games with the club.
- Peters was given the net by Trotz after Holtby’s performance yesterday but his four goals against on forty shots was one too many. The Blues’ second goal, a quickly distributed three on two orchestrated by Oshie, didn’t offer Peters much of a chance but you’d love to see him have either Jaskin’s or Tarasenko’s late.
Washington will watch the Super Bowl tonight with this one hanging over their heads, a great night from their Captain wasted by one too many unfinished chances or missed saves. The Capitals will regroup to host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night with their eyes set on a full sixty minutes of play, and two standings points.
Game Highlights: