Tonight, the Caps came out roaring against the Penguins. The Caps played one of their best games this season: smart, fast, aggressive hockey. They scored left and right, up and down, and in every way imaginable.
Instead of sputtering, the offense was ferocious. The first period showcased some serious offensive firepower, as the Caps scored while shorthanded, at even strength, and on the power play. Two of the three goals scored in the first were courtesy of T.J. Oshie.
In the second, resident golden god Marcus Johansson casually passed the puck to Dmitry Orlov. One Scoarlov later, the Caps were leading 4-0.
By the third period, it was beyond obvious that the Penguins were putty in the Caps’ hands. I like to think that the mysterious killer instinct Barry Trotz has been pushing for finally reared its head. Justin Williams tallied his second of the season, Alex Ovechkin got on the scoresheet, and Nicklas Backstrom capped off the evening with his second goal of the night. The Caps were utterly dominant.
Caps destroy Penguins 7-1. ¡BAILAMOS!
- Oh, what a night. Where to begin?! Maybe the end of the scoring slump. Lately, the Caps’ offense has been tepid at best. After tonight, say no more: twelve Caps got on the scoresheet.
- Evgeni Malkin had an exceptionally terrible night. Let me count the ways:
- His pseudo-goal was disallowed. (Note: Just as one cannot bend matter, one cannot kick a puck past Braden Holtby and be credited with a goal.)
- He contributed to TJ Oshie’s first goal of the night
- He whacked his own goalie whilst getting chippy with Karl Alzner
- He took a penalty
- Whatever issue you have with Brooks Orpik–at least he hasn’t demolished Braden Holtby whilst bear-hugging the opposition.
- It was a bad night to be Malkin, but a great night to be Marcus Johansson. MoJo is absolutely killing it. That he didn’t score a goal tonight astounds me, and he will be missed when he inevitably leaves DC for a pay raise.
- The penalty kill was, for the most part, dominant. Namely when a Penguins power play was flipped on its head as Oshie and Jay Beagle combined for the most savory shorthanded goal you did see.
- HOLY OFFENSE, BATMAN. Backstrom had a five-point night; Ovechkin showed once again that Russian Machine Never Breaks; TJ Oshie hustled like there was no tomorrow to notch four points by the night’s end. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Suck it, Penguins.
- The Caps were unstoppable, like the crowd in attendance. What happened when the mic cut out for Capitals anthem singer Caleb Green? Chill-inducing awesomeness, of course.
Could this game have been any better? Maybe if Oshie had come through with a hat trick, but that’s all I’ve got. Or if Phil Kessel hadn’t scored in the dying minutes of this incredible game. But who cares, really? I’ll take another one of these games. I’ll take a LOT more of them.
Break out the bubbly and celebrate everything that’s good in this world. Tonight, that includes your Washington Capitals.
