Photo: @VegasKnights
The Washington Capitals fell to the Vegas Knights 3-2 on Monday evening at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Knights would get the scoring started just 3:43 into the contest and add another tally just before the end of the first frame for a 2-0 lead at the first intermission. The Knights would add another goal in the middle frame for a 3-0 lead after two periods. The Capitals would finally dent twine with a pair of tallies from TJ Oshie midway through the final frame, to make it 3-2, and that would be the final.
GAME STATS
STARTERS
Braden Holtby (21-11-0-4, 3.14 GAA, .896 sv%) started between the pipes for the visiting Capitals. Marc-Andre Fleury (22-14-0-5, 2.80 GAA, .905 sv%) got the start in goal for the Knights. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Capitals:
#Caps‘ lines in Vegas:
8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 43-Wilson
13-Vrana, 20-Eller, 77-Oshie
62-Hagelin, 72-Boyd, 14-Panik
28-Leipsic, 26-Dowd, 21-Hathaway6-Kempny, 74-Carlson
9-Orlov, 3-Jensen
34-Siegenthaler, 33-GudasHoltby vs. Fleury. #CapsKnights
— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) February 17, 2020
Scratches: Evgeny Kuznetsov (upper body injury)
FIRST PERIOD
The Knights quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead with a goal from Nick Holden (5) at 3:43 of the first period. It was Holden’s first goal in 22 games.
Net-front Nick! pic.twitter.com/dl69sgZkuM
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 17, 2020
The Knights would extend their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Reilly Smith (23) at 17:17 of the first frame.
This
Is
So
Satisfying pic.twitter.com/H9nadlWQet
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 17, 2020
The first period would end with the Knights leading 2-0. Vegas led in shots on goal 16-12, with the Capitals leading in shot attempts 21-20 after the first 20 minutes. There were no penalties galled in the first frame.
SECOND PERIOD
The Knights would extend their lead to 3-0 with a goal from Max Pacioretty (27) at 14:06 of the middle frame.
The second period would end with the Knights leading 3-0. The Knights led in shots on goal 8-5, and led 15-14 in shot attempts. Washington was 0 for 1 and Vegas 0 for 0 on the power play after two periods.
THIRD PERIOD
The Capitals would get on the board with a goal from TJ Oshie (23) at 8:46 of the final period. Dmitry Orlov (21) and Jakub Vrana (25) had the helpers.
T.J. cracks the 🍩 pic.twitter.com/e9yaTzoJxf
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 18, 2020
The Capitals would cut the Knights lead to one with T.J. Oshie’s second goal of the period, a power play tally at 10:40 of the final frame.
OshBabe says HOW ABOUT ANOTHER? pic.twitter.com/Ncq2ygu8Ny
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 18, 2020
The Capitals would mount a late surge, but would be unable to notch the tying tally.
The Knights led in shots on goal 29-26 for the game, with the Capitals leading in shot attempts 48-39. Capitals were 1 for 3 and the Knights 0 for 2 on the power play.
SHAVINGS
- T.J. Oshie scores his second goal of the game on the power play to cut Vegas’ lead to 3-2. Oshie now has five goals in his last five games. It marks Oshie’s 10th power play goal, which is the second most on the team (Ovechkin: 12).
- With an assist on the Capitals’ second goal, John Carlson is now two points shy of passing Calle Johansson (474) for the most points by a defenseman in franchise history.
- The game was Chandler Stephenson’s 200th career NHL game.
SCENES FROM LAS WAGES
No show again until the 3rd. Mindnumbingly bad. At this rate we’ll be in the wild card race at best.
Unfortunately, I can’t disagree. 20 minutes of strong play is not going to cut it.