NHL Gamecenter – Corsica – Natural Stat Trick
Happy 12:30pm puck drop, everybody! Today’s game was as drunk as a boozy Sunday brunch, let me tell you. The Capitals were all but locked in for a loss after Logan Couture’s empty netter with one minute to go, but Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie decided to make things interesting and force overtime. Overtime was absolute firewagon hockey, and Lars Eller managed to find the back of the net to cap off Washington’s comeback win.
Here’s Sunday afternoon’s Plus/Minus:
Plus: Washington’s fourth line was seriously clicking today. They scored a beautiful goal in the second period and were out there on the next shift drawing a penalty. Boy are they fun to watch…
Minus: The Caps’ special teams did not look good. The power play went 0-for-2 and the penalty kill went 2-for-4, and both units seemed to struggle.
And now, more best friend content:
Ten more notes on the game:
1. After a sleepy first period, it looked like Barclay Goodrow got the Sharks on the board first in the second. However, the goal was immediately waved off after a high stick on the play. Carry on, boys.
2. Goodrow may not have gotten the Sharks on the board first, but Evander Kane sure did. Richard Panik was called for high-sticking with 14:47 left in the second, and Joe Thornton set Kane up beautifully for a power play tally. 1-0 San Jose.
3. A mere 1:04 later, Nic Dowd tied the game after a stellar sequence from the Caps’ fourth line. Brendan Leipsic slid the puck over to Dowd on a beautiful pass, and Dowd fired a wrist shot past Martin Jones for his fifth goal of the season. Tie game at 1-1.
4. At the 10:06 mark of the second, Evander Kane got his second of the game. He exited the penalty box and immediately found the back of the net. 2-1 San Jose.
5. Radko Gudas was called for slashing with 4:31 left in the second period, and the Sharks were quick to capitalize with a goal from who else but Evander Kane. Garnet Hathaway blocked a shot, but the puck bounced off his body and directly to Kane. This natural hat trick was Kane’s third career hatty, and his second of the season. 3-1 San Jose.
6. Jakub Vrana got one back for Washington with 1:18 to go in the second. T.J. Oshie snuck in behind the net and stole the puck from an unsuspecting Marc-Edouard Vlasic before flipping it over to Vrana, who fired a sick top shelf shot to bring the Caps within one.
7. Braden Holtby left for the bench with 1:41 to go in the game, but it was Logan Couture who found the back of the net with a minute left on the clock. This empty netter made it 4-2.
8. Jakub Vrana saw fans leaving and said, “Not so fast!” With 0:46.9 left in the game, Vrana got his second of the game after a bounce went his way. This is Vrana’s eighth career multi-goal game and his third goal in his last two games. 4-3 Sharks with less than a minute to go.
9. T.J. Oshie! With 14.2 seconds left! This game is wild! With Holtby once again pulled for the extra attacker, Oshie decided to singlehandedly will this game into overtime
10. Time for some Sunday matinee overtime, y’all. Braden Holtby made a series of incredible saves before Lars Eller played OT hero on a beautiful pass from John Carlson. The secondary assist on the goal? It belonged to Braden Holtby. Alexa, play “Eye of the Tiger” while the Caps celebrate a 5-4 OT win.
Up next for the Caps: Pride Night at Capital One Arena against the visiting Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.