Final Score: Capitals 3, Golden Knights 0
Plus: Charlie freaking Lindgren. As starter Darcy Kuemper shakes off some rust and injury, the Caps’ net has been in pretty good hands between Lindgren and Hunter Shepard, each of whom has put up some gems – and this was easily the best of the bunch by #79, posting a 35-save shutout, his first as a Cap.
Minus: There have been plenty of nights this season where the Capitals’ 30th-ranked power play has simply been unlucky, and a few where it’s just been downright bad. Tonight…was the latter. Getting a five-minute power play and squandering it, spending more than half of it outside of the offensive zone? Not ideal.
Key Moment
Every single save made by Charlie, but since that would be a lot of video, this game-winning goal was pretty darn sweet as well:
Caps Player of the Game: It can’t possibly be anyone but Lindgren. The power of the ‘stache, baby. Happy Movember.
Final Thoughts:
Look, it wasn’t exactly pretty, as the Caps got hemmed into their own zone more than one would like to see and sputtered (again) with the extra man – but it was a solid team win, a gutsy one at that, over the defending champs. Hats off to the team, and especially the man between the pipes, for a huge two points at home.