NHL Gamecenter – Corsica – Natural Stat Trick
Guess who’s back. Back again. Kuzy’s back. Tell a friend. WIth Evgeny Kuznetsov returning to the ice, could the Washington Capitals get back in the win column against the Dallas Stars?
Here’s Tuesday night’s Plus/Minus:
Plus: Evgeny Kuznetsov wasted no time getting back in the goal column for the Caps.
Minus: As my grandpappy used to say: a W is a W, and an L is an L – even in overtime. (My grandpappy was a weird guy.)
And now, this…
Ten more notes on the game:
1. After dropping their home opener at Capital One Arena to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime on Saturday, could the Capitals get their mojo back flowing and get a fat, juicy W on home ice against the Dallas Stars?
2. If they could, it would be with the renewed services of one Mr. Evgeny Kuznetsov! Back from a three-game suspension, Kuzy would look to give a much needed jump up the middle and to the Capitals’ power play.
3. Well, just 4:49 into this contest, The Birdman of Goalcatraz got the Caps on the board with a gorgeous backhand goal to make it 1-0 Washington early. That tally would hold until the first intermission.
4. But just two and a half minutes into the second stanza, a costly turnover in the Capitals’ offensive zone would spring Dallas, and Roope Hintz caught the pass and beat Braden Holtby high to knot this one at 1-1.
5. Braden Holtby is more beast than man, however, and would quickly make up for it with an early Goal of the Year candidate.
6. The scoring wasn’t done in the second. With four minutes remaining in the middle slice, John Carlson tossed a sneaky-easy shot towards the Dallas goal, and it squirted under Ben Bishop’s sizeable armpit to give Washington a 2-1 lead at the second intermission.
7. The final frame was (nearly) all Stars. Alexander Radulov – guy who went to the KHL then decided, “I Like American Money” – knocked home a junk goal just outside the crease, knotting this contest late at 2-2.
8. And much to the dismay of the home fans, Dallas’ Nicholas Caamano made Washington pay for a defensive lapse, going forehand-backhand-fivehole, AKA “the Chandler Stephenson,” to give the Stars the lead 3-2 and force the issue back to Washington.
9. BUT IN THE DYING SECONDS AND WITH THE GOALIE PULLED, Nicklas Backstrom would NOT be denied, and Slick Nick With The Quick Stick tapped home a loose puck to TIE THIS CONTEST 3-3 AND SEND IT TO OVERTIME!
10. And………in the extra frame, Alexander Radulov and Tyler Seguin got free on an odd-man rush that caught John Carlson between a rock and a Stars place, and Seguin tapped home the easy feed to send Dallas home winners, and the Caps home with the loser point.
Well, Washington has now amassed points in four straight games. They also have a two-game losing streak. They’ll look to get back in the win column on Thursday against the Nashville Predators.