Playing against the Carolina Hurricanes requires you to accept that no matter what you do, no matter how well you play, there is no escaping your fate; you are going to be outshot by a significant margin. You are going to lose the MoneyPuck “Deserve to Win O’Meter.” Your starting goaltender is going to face a barrage of shots from the point that will paint him in the same light as Dominik Hasek if he can make it through the night with fewer than three goals allowed.
This was the reality the Washington Capitals found themselves in through the first 25 minutes of their Thursday night tilt against their Metro Division rivals. Capital One Arena was lulled to sleep through a start that saw Carolina dominate possession, hurdling past double digits on the shot counter while Washington struggled to test Canes goalie Brandon Bussi at all. They’d finally get a chance to do so with Connor McMichael breaking through the neutral zone off an Alex Ovechkin feed to wake the crowd up:
Nikolaj Ehlers would quell the celebration later in the period, picking up a rebound that bounced around Logan Thompson’s net and putting it home to tie things up heading into the third. It was a third period that saw the Caps find some success turning up the offensive pressure on Carolina, aided by the jolt of energy Nic Dowd had given them throughout the night. After throwing a few big hits in the second period and answering for them with a fight to open the 3rd, Judy would put himself on Gordie Howe Hatty Watch after being on the receiving end of a Rasmus Sandin dime:
The Caps would hold onto the lead for the bulk of the third period, with some breathing room in the Metro Division standings in their sights. It appeared as though this was heading towards a frantic last minute rush from the Canes, with Bussi heading towards the bench as the clock creeped towards two minutes left. Logan Stankoven wouldn’t let it come down to that.
A scoreless overtime period would lead the Capitals to their fourth shootout of the season, where they would resign themselves to what’s become another inescapable fate. A Seth Jarvis goal to open the frame would stand as the lone tally, as Bussi turned away attempts from Anthony Beauvillier, Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano to send Washington to 0-4 in the skills competition. If you’ve lost patience for their deficiencies in this area, you’re not alone:
The Caps now stand dead even with the Canes in the Metro Division race.