The Caps have had a couple of rough outings of late, and were desperately in need of some kind of strong showing – especially on this homestand, the first two games of which were really bad losses.
They got that yesterday with their victory over the visiting Kings, a team that has also been struggling lately and that entered Capital One Arena on a four-game losing streak in their own right. With two goals from their fourth line (three, really, if you count their lead-in to John Carlson’s GWG) and a new-look top line getting the other, the Caps rolled to a win that wasn’t easy but had plenty of character and grit and all the things they’re going to need down the stretch.
Three Takeaways:
- About halfway through the game, Spencer Carbery juggled his lines, creating a new top line of Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Max Pacioretty. The newly united trio not only put together some good scoring chances but got on the scoreboard, with Strome tipping in an Ovechkin pass on a give-and-go in front of goalie Cam Talbot. The whole two-on-zero scenario doesn’t happen without Pacioretty’s smart play to poke the puck over to his linemate, giving #67 a well-deserved first point as a Cap (and his first since January 10, 2023). Congrats, Patches!!
- The penalty kill is having…a moment. And not a good one. With the two power-play strikes against yesterday, the Caps’ once-stalwart PK squad has now given up eight PPGA in their last seven games, and two in each of their last two games. Oof.
- This was a gutsy win for the boys, who, after having a lot of recent experience with letting leads slip away, bounced back from doing so in this one, and clawed their way back to a tie not once but twice before potting the eventual game-winner in the final minute of regulation.
They Said It: These happy postgame locker room videos are always fun, but this one, with an emotional Max Pacioretty, is truly special.