The Sunday Scaries hit the Washington Capitals hard early on this matinee game, giving up struggling Vancouver star Elias Pettersson’s first goal of the season less than a minute into the game, giving the Canucks a lead that would expand by 3 more goals by the second period. Washington would chip away at the lead with a late period Ryan Leonard PPG in the second, and would find themselves in position to pull off a miracle 4-goal comeback late, but it just wasn’t meant to be this afternoon.
Plus: Even before things got interesting, things didn’t look quite as bad on the ice as the scoreboard would suggest. Vancouver’s second goal came off of a Tyler Myers rush that led to a very questionable goalie interference non-call that was upheld, and Vancouver would score on the ensuing power play as the challenge failed. Despite being put in that hole, Washington largely controlled possession through the 2nd and 3rd periods, and they were eventually rewarded for that with a chance to tie a game they found themselves trailing by four in earlier.
Minus: One day the NHL will develop a consistent criteria for what is and isn’t goalie interference. I highly doubt anyone reading this will be alive to witness it.
Caps Star of the Game: Aside from his goal that cut Vancouver’s lead to 2 late in the 3rd, Jakob Chychrun had a strong performance throughout.