Photo: @Capitals
The Washington Capitals fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday to fall to 0-2-0 this season. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 36 saves in his Capitals debut while former Washington netminder Ilya Samsonov, who was not qualified by the team as a restricted free agent on July 11, pitched 24 in his first game with Toronto.
Capitals’ Lines at Maple Leafs
Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Connor Brown
Aliaksei Protas – Dylan Strome – Anthony Mantha
Marcus Johansson – Lars Eller – T.J. Oshie
Conor Sheary – Nic Dowd – Garnet Hathaway
Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Dmitry Orlov – Nick Jensen
Erik Gustafsson – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratches: LW Joe Snively, C Connor McMichael, D Matt Irwin
Injured: LW Carl Hagelin (hip, missed second straight game, out indefinitely); RW Tom Wilson (ACL, second, out indefinitely); C Nicklas Backstrom (hip, second, out indefinitely)
The Capitals made no line changes from their 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday other than in net.
First Period
Scoring
1-0 TOR, 6:40 (PPG): Center John Tavares finished a pass by defenseman Morgan Reilly from the dot at the doorstep into a wide open net after Reilly received one by right-wing Mitch Marner from the top.
Tavares breaks the ice with a PPG for the @MapleLeafs. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wkAedGCvFM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 14, 2022
1-1, 9:59: Dowd tapped one through the arm of Samsonov down low after getting a pass by Gustafsson after he pinched high. The point was the 32-year-old’s second in as many games.
The verdict is in: JUDY GOAL pic.twitter.com/L985DelYwi
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 14, 2022
2-1 WSH, 13:52: Johansson picked up a loose puck down the wing and ripped one through the arm pit of Samsonov from the right dot after Sheary backhanded it to him at the blueline.
Rip it gooood pic.twitter.com/ye6mekhoJL
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 14, 2022
Shots: 22-11 TOR
Other notable stats: Toronto had six takeaways while the Capitals had seven and Washington led 14-10 in hits. At five-on-five, Toronto also had 64.29% of the scoring chances and 72.58% of the expected goals.
Second Period
Scoring
2-2, 3:53: Right-wing Calle Jarnkrok buried a cross-ice feed from center Alexander Kerfoot who was at the high half-wall in the crease to the blocker-side on Lindgren.
Calle Järnkrok’s first goal with the @MapleLeafs: ✅ pic.twitter.com/CzMHbevb0B
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 14, 2022
Shots: 30-20 TOR (9-9 in second)
Other notable stats: Toronto led 26-23 in hits and had 10 giveaways while Washington was credited with 11 while the Capitals led 7-4 in both takeaways and blocked shots. Washington had 52.66% of the expected goals but scoring chances were even at five-on-five.
Third Period
Scoring
3-2 TOR, 6:55: Defenseman Mark Giordano wristed one from the point over the blocker of Lindgren that squeaked through after getting a cross point feed from defenseman Rasmus Sandin and the shot was deflected by center Auston Matthews.
First of the season for Auston Matthews. 🚨
The @MapleLeafs take the lead in the third. pic.twitter.com/LIpfJMZbTZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 14, 2022
Shots: 39-26 TOR (including 9-6 in the third)
Other notable stats: The Capitals were 0-for-five on the power play while Toronto led 37-33 in hits and 17-9 in blocked shots. Each team tallied 10 takeaways but the Capitals had 14 giveaways while the Maple Leafs were credited with 15.
Next game: Saturday vs. Montreal Canadiens (7 PM ET, NBC Sports Washington in-market, ESPN+ out-of-market)
By Harrison Brown
Caps game plan: Dig hole early. Don’t press the opposing goalie. Give the opposition as much zone time and high quality chances as they want. Don’t mark opposing players, just follow them like a little duckling. On the offensive side, be as inefficient as you can.
Without looking at stats, I feel Lindgren did better than Kuemper. Caps defense didn’t help either one.
Those dasher ads are very irritating. I don’t like them moving and they change too often. I was watching online and got video jitters which I will blame the changing ads for. I didn’t notice them on the TNT broadcast.
Any truth to the rumor that the Caps are trying to bring Jagr back?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that the game plan (issue) last season as well?
yep.
The video did stutter a couple times on cable, which I attribute to those dumb rolling adds on the boards.
Lindgren looked great. The PP is still limp. They need a new PP coach.
I missed the stuttering video (thank god).
New season. Same old power play. Worse penalty kill. Maybe we have a coaching issue?
Ya think?
Lindy was fine in the net….made some tough saves that were probably goals last season.
Forsythe needs to go. It doesn’t take Alan May or anyone else to say it; we ALL see it and know it. it’s too predictable, too much standing around and not enough puck movement.
I thought Lindgren and his porn stache powers were better than fine.
Forsythe is the easy blame here, but there are other issues at 5-on-5 as well.
Agree, Jon. Lindy looks like a really good pick up!
And yes, Forsythe is the easy spot light subject because 0-9 doesn’t look good! Sling shotting and killing time for the PK units, ugh…
True, the top line was a non factor last night. When guys like Dowd and Majo are keeping you in the game, well, it says the top line guys ain’t getting it done…. it’s only 2 games, but this is not how they should be playing with all that talent. 😣
You have a problem when your highest paid players, Ovi, Kuzy and Carlson, are playing awful. Can’t blame that on the youth we don’t have. Too early to panic as we have played two good teams. But to much similarities to last season.
Spot on. No points for the big paychecks.
4 straight PPs… 0… last 4 min and should have taken the TO with 4 min left…
BAD!