Jeff Curry/NHLI via Getty Images
The Washington Capitals beat the St. Louis Blues 5-1 on Saturday night at Scott Trade Center. The win improved the Capitals record to 56-17-8 (120) points. The win also gave Braden Holtby 48 wins for the season, tying Martin Brodeur’s single season record. The Capitals wrap-up the regular season tomorrow (Sunday) night back home at Verizon Center when they host Bruce Boudreau and the Anaheim Ducks. Puck-drop is 7:30 PM EST.
The starting lines for the Capitals:
Offensive lines:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Burakovsky-Kuznetsov-Williams
Chimera-Richards-Johansson
Winnik-Beagle-Wilson
Defensive pairs:
Orpik-Carlson
Alzner-Niskanen
Weber-Orlov
Michael Latta, Taylor Chorney, Nate Schmidt and Stan Galiev were the healthy scratches for tonight’s game. The goalie match-up provided by @washcaps:
QUICK TAKES
The Capitals would once again give up a goal within the first two minutes of a period (third time in the last four periods), this time just 75 seconds into the game. However Alex Ovechkin would add two quick goals of his own to ease the anxiety of Caps fans, and give the Caps a 2-1 lead after one period of play. The Caps would add two more goals in the second period, clicking on all cylinders and closely resembling the Caps team that took the ice each night earlier in the season. Alex Ovechkin would complete the hat trick in the third period. This was T.J. Oshie’s first game back in St. Louis since being traded to the Capitals last summer.
Thank you, @TJOshie77.https://t.co/UkHkjkP1pC
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 10, 2016
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The Capitals once again gave up a quick goal to start the game.Vladimir Taresenko would sink one just 1:15 into the game.
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But Alex Ovechkin would tie it quickly at 4:04 on a sweet feed from John Carlson.
Ovi. #48…https://t.co/TY8GDY39bO
— NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2016
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Alex Ovechkin would score his second of the game at 6:49 of the opening frame, his 49th goal of the season, to give the Caps a 2-1 lead.
Ovi. #49.https://t.co/bHBVE4tx3B
— NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2016
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The period would end with the Caps leading 2-1. The Caps led 14-6 in shots on goal.
The Capitals started the second period on the penalty kill due to a Mike Richards tripping penalty as the first period expired. The Capitals penalty was extremely stingy and stifled any Blues offensive zone momentum. The Caps held the St. Louis to no shots n goal for both of the Blues first two power plays. The Caps held the Blues out of their offensive zone for a healthy portion of the first five minutes of the middle frame. John Carlson would stretch the Caps lead to 3-1 on a nice feed from Tom Wilson at 5:21 of the middle frame.
The Caps would get their first power play at 8:37 on a tripping call on the Blues Patrik Berglund. The Caps had several decent looks but could not finish. Jason Chimera would stretch the Caps lead to 4-1 at 10:56 and a nice backhanded feed from Kuznetsov.
The second period would end with the Caps holding on to a 4-1 lead.
The Capitals backed into a more defensive game to start the first half of the final frame. Alex Ovechkin would complete the hat trick at 10:35 of the final period, also his 50th goal of the season.
The Caps would finish off an impressive game, winning 5-1. The Caps 120 points is one point shy of matching franchise record for most points in a single season (2009-10: 121).
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