Photo: @jryon29
Trailing 3-2 on the brink of elimination, the Washington Capitals needed their fans to get behind them. From the drop of the puck at the opening face-off, to the T.J. Oshie goal in the second period, all the way to “Unleash the Fury” in the third period, Capitals fans brought it and helped their team to a 3-0 win, forcing a Game 7 on Wednesday night.
The game was scoreless in the opening period but the crowd didn’t let up. Brooks Orpik acknowledged the crowd in his postgame interview.
“I think it’s important obviously, playing at home, trying to get the crowd involved… They were loud right from the start, which I think we fed off of,” said Brooks Orpik. “You want to give them something, something back so while we didn’t get a goal early I think some of the physical play kind of helped carry that and they were great for us from start to finish.”
The physical play throughout the game caused problems for the Lightning, making it tough on them to get in a rhythm. The Capitals outhit the Lightning 39-19 with six hits coming from Tom Wilson and Brooks Orpik, five from Devante Smith-Pelly and four from Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.
T.J. Oshie would put the Caps up 1-0 at 15:12 of the second to set the arena into bedlam. In the third, Devante Smith-Pelly banged in a goal off a great no-look pass from Chandler Stephenson. We’ll let this video shot from the crowd on the DSP goal do justice to how loud it got.
Just listen to @CapitalOneArena explode for @smithpelly23!! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/bRpVKFbwyC
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 22, 2018
Later in the third fans “Unleashed the Fury” at a decibel level of 110.9, the type of noise you would hear at a rock concert.
Sound on! That’s how you #UnleashTheFury!#ALLCAPS#CapsBoltspic.twitter.com/AxjQRfRAy8
— MonumentalSportsNet (@MonSportsNet) May 22, 2018
As Oshie sealed the game with an empty net goal and the team mobbed Braden Holtby, who stopped all 24 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season, fans filed out of Capital One Arena and headed into the streets to celebrate.
The hype leaving @CapitalOneArena is REAL!#ALLCAPS #CapsBolts pic.twitter.com/KEQ1hTaHbV
— MonumentalSportsNet (@MonSportsNet) May 22, 2018
Where did they head? The steps of the National Portrait Gallery across the street!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO#ALLEFFINGCAPS pic.twitter.com/AXpDs57kAK
— InsideThaDugout (@InsideThaDugout) May 22, 2018
@NoVa_Caps Hell yes !!!! pic.twitter.com/D5quwghAx7
— Brian (@blakesdad2) May 22, 2018
The Capitals will now take off for Tampa Bay. They’ll leave behind those 18,506 fans and then come out to the ice on Wednesday night in front of 19,092 blue clad fans that will be rooting against them. Despite the hostility, Capitals players will look to take the love and support that was given to them Monday night into Game 7 and bring it back to DC as Eastern Conference champs.
“If you can’t win at least one game on home ice, you probably don’t deserve to move on,” Orpik added. “Like I said, we were trying to give something back to the support the fans were giving us and we got one win. Now it comes down to one game.”
By Michael Marzzacco
Follow @marswaggo
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