The Washington Capitals were determined to end a three-game losing streak on Sunday night in Buffalo, but it was not realistic of us expect them to sustain that enthusiasm for longer than a Ramones song.
The Caps burst out to an early lead, notching two goals in the first 135 seconds — a rebound from Strome, back from injury, and a give-and-go from Protas with the help of Connor McMichael. Washington looked triumphant for all of 15 seconds, which is when Tage Thompson got a sweet setup from Jason Zucker below the goal line. Alex Tuch tucked the puck under Chuck to tie the game, and Isak Rosen (awesome hockey name) banked a shot off Martin Fehervary to give Buffalo a 3-2 lead after one period.
The second period featured just one goal, but it was a good one. Sonny Milano tied the game with a deflection. It was his first goal in 567 days.
Referees Garret Rank and Liam Maaskant gave the Caps three power plays in the third period, and they did positively butt with it. Tied 3-3 after three, on we went to overtime. There the Capitals had absolute control over the puck but did nothing with it.
Shootout bullets!
- Quinn did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Strome did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Thompson did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Beauvillier did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Tuch did NOT put the biscuit in the basket. Postage.
- McMichael did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Dahlin did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Ovechkin did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
- Byram put the biscuit in the basket. Finally, was wondering if that was possible.
- Leonard did NOT put the biscuit in the basket.
Caps lose. Four games in a row.
- Tom Wilson did a lot. Arguably too much. He assisted on Protas’ goal in the first period, and then recorded, um, 19 penalty minutes before intermission. He got caught lipping at ex-friend/fake-friend Beck Malenstyn (unsportsmanlike conduct), and then he interceded for Jakub Chychrun in a fight against Jordan Greenway, who seconds earlier had put an illegal check to the head of Declan Chisholm, of the New Haven Chisholms, what summer in the Vineyard.
- Chisholm got pulled by the concussion spotter but returned to the game.
- Aliaksei Protas rang the post in the second period. I looked it up, and it turns out that was the 19th time the Caps have narrowly missed a goal in this still-young season. Only five teams have more.
- Alex Ovechkin took a faceoff in the third period. One day I’m going to look up the last time that happened, and I’m gonna search for that text, and I’m gonna find this recap. Ovi sure as heck didn’t score on any of his three shots. He came closer to giving Buffalo a goal — a possible shorty in the third period.
- Sonny Milano scored for the first time since April 13, 2024. He had two that game, setting a new career high. Chris had recap duty, and he remarked on how impactful Milano is when healthy. Hmm. Yeah. Should of played him in the shootout.
- I’m still rooting for Charlie Lindgren to get his game back on track. He allowed three goals in the first period: two more than expected (i.e. how league-average goalies fare on the same profile of shots).
- This was my first recap in a couple weeks, and I had this fantasy that I’d be the one to write about the Caps power play finally turning it around. This would be the game when they’d start scoring. No. No, this was not that game. The team still has to do some fine-tuning on PP details like finishing chances, generating chances, zone entries, making crisp passes, making any passes at all, skating– forward or in other directions, demonstrates personal responsibility, is a good listener, attendance.
Three-game losing streak. Game faces on. #joebsuitofthenight
The Caps now have three days off to sit at the foot of their beds, towel over the heads, heads in their hands, dead-eye stare into the middle distance, thinking about the power play and cursing in their tongues.
I don’t know what they’re doing wrong. I think they should start with everything and narrow it down from there. Blues on Wednesday.
