Last time the Caps had a big, emotional win over a divisional rival, they then followed it up with an absolute dud against a visiting Western Conference bottom-feeder. It was a concern, perhaps, that the pattern would repeat itself after slapping a 6-0 win on the Penguins only to return home to face the last-place Blackhawks at home.
Thankfully, last night – unlike their miserable outing against the Coyotes – the Caps were focused on the task at hand, jumped out to an early (and important) lead, and took care of business against a Chicago team that they definitely needed to beat.
Three Takeaways:
- While we always encourage the Capitals to score early and often, taking a big lead with a lot of hockey left to play can be dangerous. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, the Caps let off the gas just a little bit in the remaining 40, and were out-attempted 33-20 in the second and third. It ultimately ended up not mattering, but only thanks to Charlie Lindgren’s heroics (and the Blackhawks being…well, not super scary, outside of their superstar rookie).
- Hendrix Lapierre is having himself a Moment, and it is thoroughly enjoyable. Since returning to the Capitals in late February, Lapierre has played in six games and scored seven points (five of them goals), earning him time on the top line alongside none other than Alex Ovechkin. That hot hand was on display again last night, as he got himself to the front of the net and tipped a John Carlson shot past Petr Mrazek for the game’s opening tally.
- Lapierre isn’t the only one helping to carry this team of late. The impact of guys coming from Hershey has been strong, whether it’s those who graduated to the NHL over the summer like Aliaksei Protas (another excellent game for him, btw) or those who have come up in recent weeks like Lapierre and Mike Sgarbossa.
They Said It: