Tag: Washington Capitals

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Sharks win in overtime with a power-play goal against Capitals

San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals

William Eklund scored a power-play goal just 39 seconds into overtime, helping the San Jose Sharks defeat the Washington Capitals 2-1 on Tuesday.

The Sharks got a power play late in the third period after Washington forward Tom Wilson was penalized for high-sticking rookie Macklin Celebrini. The Capitals managed to hold off San Jose during regular time to secure a point, but Eklund’s one-timer from the right circle slipped past Logan Thompson for his fifth goal of the season.

Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks late in the first period, and Celebrini recorded an assist on Eklund’s goal, extending his point streak to five games.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves for the Sharks, who have won four of their last five games. San Jose is now 2-0-0 on their six-game road trip and 4-7-4 away from home this season.

William Eklund celebrates after a goal

Nic Dowd scored for the Capitals in the second period, and Thompson stopped 29 shots. Washington’s winning streak was stopped at four games, as they were aiming for their second five-game win streak of the season. The Capitals had previously won five games in a row from October 15-23.

Ivan Miroshnichenko assisted on Dowd’s goal, marking a three-game point and assist streak for him.

Toffoli scored the opening goal with exactly one minute remaining in the first period, using Washington defenseman Rasmus Sandin as a screen for a shot from above the circles that beat Thompson. Toffoli’s goal was his team-leading 10th of the season and his first since November 18.

Blackwood kept the Sharks in the lead, stopping all 16 shots he faced in the first period.

Dowd, however, tied the game at 1-1 with 6:58 left in the second period, scoring his seventh goal of the season. He one-timed a pass from Martin Fehervary past Blackwood.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Lightning look to build on offensive surge against Capitals

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

The Tampa Bay Lightning found their rhythm on Monday night against the Colorado Avalanche and are aiming to keep their offense going when they face the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper had criticized his team’s tendency to overpass and try to make flashy plays during two winless games (0-1-1), but he had no complaints on Monday when Brandon Hagel was on fire. Hagel, known for his speed and scoring, set a franchise record with four assists in the first period, tying an NHL record for the most assists in the opening frame, during the Lightning’s 8-2 win over the Avalanche.

Hagel didn’t stop there, adding a fifth assist on Brayden Point’s power-play goal in the second period, giving Point his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Hagel’s five assists tied the franchise record held by Mark Recchi, Martin St. Louis, and his teammate Darren Raddysh.

The most amusing praise came from Nikita Kucherov, who jokingly asked Hagel if he was Bobby Orr after the first period. Hagel laughed it off but was happy to take the compliment.

The Lightning had a dominant performance, moving to 4-1-1 in their last six games. In the first 10 minutes of the game, Nick Perbix, Jake Guentzel, and Kucherov all scored, causing the Avalanche’s starting goalie Justus Annunen to be pulled from the game. Backup Alexandar Georgiev allowed three more goals before being replaced. Annunen returned but allowed more goals in the third period from Guentzel and Michael Eyssimont.

Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets

Tampa Bay played without Nick Paul for the third consecutive game. Cooper confirmed that Paul will be out for the rest of the week.

Meanwhile, in South Florida, the Washington Capitals showed they could still win without their star player, Alex Ovechkin, who is out with a broken leg. Goaltender Logan Thompson was excellent, making 20 saves to improve his record to 9-1-1, while Lars Eller scored twice and Jakob Chychrun had a goal and two assists to lead Washington to a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers, handing Florida its sixth loss in seven games.

Washington controlled the game, keeping Florida’s defense on its heels by pressuring goalie Spencer Knight and staying relentless with the puck. Chychrun scored the game-winning goal on the power play in the third period, and Washington coach Spencer Carbery was impressed with the way his team played in the final frame.

“I thought the third period was our best period by far, starting with the power play to get us the lead there,” Carbery said. “We completely locked it down and carried the majority of the play in the third. I was really proud of that third period. That’s got to be what it looks like.”

The victory was Washington’s first win in three games without Ovechkin. Wednesday’s game will be the second of six road games for the Capitals over an eight-game stretch.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Jakob Chychrun’s three-point performance leads Capitals to victory over Panthers

Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers

Defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who grew up near the area, scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and added two assists, helping the Washington Capitals secure a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday in Sunrise, Fla.

Lars Eller scored twice for Washington, while he and Ivan Miroshnichenko each added an empty-net goal.

Logan Thompson made 20 saves in goal, improving his record to 9-1-1 in his first season with the Capitals.

Chychrun, who is from Boca Raton, a short drive from Sunrise, shared the spotlight with Eller and Thompson. The Panthers, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, have now lost six of their last seven games. Niko Mikkola scored for Florida, and backup goalie Spencer Knight made 27 saves.

Sam Reinhart’s 13-game points streak was snapped in this game. During that streak, Reinhart had 11 goals and eight assists, tying the longest points streak in the NHL this season.

Washington Capitals (NHL)

The first period ended in a 1-1 tie.

Florida scored first, seven minutes into the game. Sam Bennett held the puck in the center, drawing two defenders before passing to Mikkola on the left wing. Mikkola then scored his first goal of the season with a shot off the crossbar.

Washington responded with a goal at 17:49. Chychrun stopped just inside the blue line and made a perfect pass to Eller, who scored from close range, lifting the puck over Knight’s blocker.

After a scoreless second period, Washington took a 2-1 lead early in the third with a five-on-three power-play goal. Just 78 seconds into the period, Chychrun scored from the point, using Pierre-Luc Dubois as a screen to beat Knight on the glove side.

The two penalties that set up the five-on-three were for tripping against Uvis Balinskis and slashing against Aaron Ekblad.

With 2:24 left in the game, Florida pulled Knight for an extra attacker, but Washington capitalized with two empty-net goals.