Capitals Fall To Knights 5-3: Jakub Vrana Scores Twice; Tom Wilson Leaves Game With Injury

Photo: @Capitals

The Washington Capitals fell to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 Tuesday night in Las Vegas. The loss dropped the Capitals record to 15-9-3 (33 points) on the season. The Caps are now off to Arizona for a battle with the Coyotes on Thursday. Puck drop is 10PM ET.

The Knights would strike first but Jakub Vrana would tie it up late in the opening frame for a 1-1 tie at the first intermission. Alex Ovechkin would score midway through the middle frame to give the Caps a 2-1 lead at the second intermission. The Knights would grab two quick goals to start the final frame to take a 3-2 lead. Jakub Vrana would tie the game with his second tally of the game midway through the final period, but the Knights would answer with a goal from Nate Schmidt to make it 4-3, and Schmidt would add an empty net goal late for the 5-3 the final.

STARTERS
Braden Holtby (10-6-2, 2.94 GAA, .910 sv%) started in goal for the visiting Capitals. Marc-Andre Fleury (14-9-1, 2.38 GAA, .913 sv%) started between the pipes for the Golden Knights. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Capitals:

Scratches: Jonas Siegenthaler, Travis Boyd. T.J. Oshie missed his ninth-straight game due to an upper body injury (concussion) he sustained in Winnipeg on November 14. Brooks Orpik missed his 17th-straight game due to a knee injury.

FIRST PERIOD
Vegas would waste little time in firing the first salvo. Brett Connolly was called for goaltender interference just 1:03 into the contest, and the Knights would cash in. Ryan Reaves would finish from close range at 2:30 for the 1-0 lead.

The Capitals would tie the game on a break away goal from Jakub Vrana at 15:33 of the first period. Brett Connolly made a nice defensive stop in the neutral zone and found Vrana on the rush for the finish. Connolly was credited with the lone assist.

The first period would end tied 1-1. The Capitals out-attempted the Knights 15-11 and led in shots on goal (SOG) 9-7. The Capitals were 0 for 1 and the Knights 1 for 3 on the power play after 20 minutes.

SECOND PERIOD
The Caps would grab their first lead of the game with a goal from Alex Ovechkin at 11:42 of the middle frame. Brett Connolly and Madison Bowey were credited with the helpers.

Tom Wilson would take an illegal hit from Ryan Reaves late in the second period, and would have to leave the game. Reaves was handed a five-minute major for the hit.

The period would end with the Capitals leading 2-1. The Capitals out-attempted the Knights 13-9 but the Knights led in SOG 10-9 for the middle frame. The Caps were 0 for 2 and the Knights 1 for 4 on the power play after 40 minutes of play.

THIRD PERIOD
The Knights would tie the game early in the final frame with a deflected goal by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare at 2:33 of the third period.

16 seconds later the Knights would grab the lead with a goal from Cody Eakin at 2:49 of the third period, making it 3-2.

The Capitals would tie the game with a goal from Jakub Vrana, his second goal of the game, at 11:40 of the final frame. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Matt Niskanen would be credited with the helpers.

Nate Schmidt would give the Knights a late lead with a tally at 18:35 of the final frame, and add an empty net goal to make it 5-3, and that would be the final.

SHAVINGS

Jakub Vrana scored two goals. That’s his second career two goal game (Nov. 22, 2017).
2018-19 marks the third time that @ovi8 has reached 20 goals in 27 or fewer team games in a season (also 2013-14: 24 GP; 2007-08: 27 GP). He scored at least 51 goals in each of the other two campaigns, including a career-high 65 tallies in 2007-08.
With an assist on Ovechkin’s goal, Brett Connolly has tied his assist total from last year (12) in 43 fewer games.
Alex Ovechkin is on a nine game point streak (8g, 5a).
The NHL box score is here.