Photos by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals were trounced by the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1 Saturday night in Chicago. The Blackhawks would open the scoring early in the first before Tom Wilson tied things up with a tally midway through the opening period. The ‘Hawks would add two more goals, the last with less than 2 seconds left in the period, to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. The Blackhawks would add three more goals in the second period to make it 6-1 by the second intermission. The Blackhawks would add another in the third. The Capitals return to the ice on Monday afternoon in Buffalo. Puck drop is 3:00PM. 

STARTERS
Braden Holtby (28-10-4, 2.82 GAA, .913 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the visiting Capitals. Anton Forsberg (5-11-3, 3.06 GAA, .907 sv%) got the start in goal for the Blackhawks. The Capitals starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the game:

Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson
Chiasson-Kuznetsov-Oshie
Connolly-Eller-Burakovsky
Stephenson-Beagle-Smith-Pelly
Defense
Djoos-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-Bowey

Scratches: Jakub Vrana and Taylor Chorney.

FIRST PERIOD
The Blackhawks opened the scoring with a goal by Jonathan Toews at 6:19 of the opening frame. This was Toews 16th goal of the season.

Tom Wilson would tie things up with a goal at 10:03 of the first period. The goal was Wilson’s 10th of the season.

But the Hawks would regain the lead with a goal by Brandon Saad at 12:47 of the opening frame, making it 2-1.

The Hawks would add another marker just before the period expired. This time Nick Schmaltz would get in on the action, registering a tally at 19:58 of the first period.

The Blackhawks outshot the Capitals 21-6 for the opening frame.

SECOND PERIOD
The period would go scoreless until the Blackhawks picked off a Brooks Orpik pass at center ice and converted a 2-0 breakaway, with Patrick Kane driving home the tally at 16:22 of the middle frame.

The Blackhawks would make it 5-1 with a goal from Ryan Hartman at 17:32 of the second period.

The Hawks would add a sixth goal before the second intermission, making it 6-1 after 40 minutes.

THIRD PERIOD
The Blackhawks would continue the scoring in the third period. Alex DeBrincat would make it 7-1.

SHAVINGS

• NHL box score is here.

By Jon Sorensen
Follow @nova_caps

SCENES FROM CHICAGO