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Stop me if you’ve heard this one:
The Capitals started strong, finished even stronger, but in the middle there it all went to kringle.
That was the story Sunday afternoon, as an atrocious middle frame doomed Washington against the Detroit Red Wings.
Here’s Sunday afternoon’s Plus/Minus:
Plus: Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 33rd goal of the season, in characteristically sexy-barbarian fashion.
Minus: The Capitals got outshot so badly in the second period, they looked like the henchmen in a Bond movie.
And now, this…
Ten more notes on the game:
1. After sitting out Friday’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets as a *dun dun dun* healthy scratch, 23-year-old winger Andre Burakovsky was back in the Capitals lineup on Sunday, replacing Alex Chiasson. Would Dr. Dre show that he deserved his shiny red sweater?
2. Also back on the ice in Washington was Detroit defenseman Mike Green. Green, whom you mayyyyyy just recall, played 10 seasons for the Capitals, including a whirlwind go-go ‘08-09 campaign in which he scored 31 goals. With trade rumors heating up and Washington perpetually on the hunt for a past-his-prime veteran defenseman, would Sunday’s game be but a preview of things to come? (Author’s Note: Lord, I hope not.)
3. The Capitals commenced the festivities by continuing their recent, healthy habit of scoring first. On an early power play, John Carlson found Alex Ovechkin on duty in his office, and despite the Detroit Red Wings, the Capital One Arena crowd, and the entire world seeing it coming, Ovechkin still blasted a slap shot past goalie Jimmy Howard to put the Caps out front 1-0. It was Ovechkin’s league-leading 33rd goal, and Carlson’s league-leading 10th primary assist on the power play. Just load the cannon and get out of the way, baby.
4. As the first period wound down, a particularly ugly center ice miscue by Matt Niskanen led to a Justin Abdelkader breakaway the opposite way. Abdelkader thoroughly undressed a helpless Holtby, tying the game at 1-1. Yikes, Nisky.
5. The second period proceeded thusly: the Red Wings buried the Capitals in shots. Halfway through the frame, Holtby was called upon for the second time in as many games to perform some dazzling goal line heroics. Holtby put on his Cirque du Soleil slippers and went to work, single-handedly keeping Washington in the game.
6. In a period where the Capitals decided to do yoga instead of play hockey and just held their Happy Baby pose for twenty minutes, Detroit outshot them 17-2. Holtby miraculously held the score knotted as long as he could, but eventually the levee broke, and when it rains, it splats. Luke Glendening finally struck for the Red Wings, and just 9 seconds later, Henrik Zetterberg picked Matt Niskanen’s pocket behind the Capitals net and found Anthony Mantha all alone to make it 3-1 Detroit.
7. Then, with just 10 seconds remaining in the period, and because sometimes in life you get exactly what you deserve, Detroit’s Tomas Tatar scored again to make it 4-1 Red Wings at the final intermission.
8. Jay Beagle and Brett Connolly did all they could to bring the Capitals back in the third period. Two and a half minutes into the frame, a crashing Beagle twisted his body like a Twizzler to slide the puck to Connolly. Connolly ripped it home with authority, cutting the lead to 4-2.
9. And Washington wasn’t done! With six minutes left in the game, a beautifully aware Devante Smith-Pelly saw Dmitry Orlov creeping towards the net unnoticed, and fed him a perfect ham sandwich. Orlov, ravenous, smashed the one-timer home to bring the Capitals within one 4-3, and guarantee a thrilling finish.
With 1:16 remaining, Detroit’s Danny Dekeyser got called for holding Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals pulled Holtby, and decided to let it ride. AND WITH 16 SECONDS REMAINING, BACKSTROM MADE THEM PAY, RIPPING HOME A GAME-TYING ROCKET TO SEND THIS ONE TO OVERTIME!
10. But with time winding down in the bonus frame, Tomas Tatar swooped in from the right circle and beat Holtby high, sending Detroit home victorious 5-4.
The Capitals take 3 of 4 possible points this weekend, and 5 of 6 this week. All told, not a bad week, despite that nasty second period. Next up is the Jets in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
Game highlights: