Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images
After playing a hard-hitting, tense game at Capital One Arena on Friday, in which they combined for 79 penalty minutes, the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning continued to take their frustrations out on one another on Sunday at Amalie Arena in a 6-3 defeat of Washington by the Lightning.
The tension between the two clubs began after the Capitals’ Nicolas Aube-Kubel hit Lightning defenseman Cal Foote in the head, a play for which he was suspended three games.
Things began to heat up late in the first period, when, down by 4-0 (and starting netminder Darcy Kuemper pulled in favor of Charlie Lindgren), Capitals defenseman Matt Irwin and Lightning forward Patrick Maroon dropped the gloves as time expired, the frustration mounting for the visiting Capitals.
While the Caps managed to get on the board late in the second, tempers began to flare once more, after a collision between Garnet Hathaway and Maroon (who fought in the teams’ last meeting, and who were fined for the incident) near the benches resulted in a melee. Irwin and Pierre Edouard-Bellemare soon dropped the mitts, ending the second.
Irwin has never recorded more than two fights in a single season in his career.
Irwin with TWO fighting majors tonight. Per @hockeyfights, the 34-year-old never has had more than two in a pro season. #Caps
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) November 14, 2022
The third period was largely uneventful, with several small dustups sprinkled through a period that saw the visitors fall to a larger deficit save for goals from Conor Sheary, Lars Eller, and Garnet Hathaway.
The two clubs finished with a combined 42 penalty minutes on the night.
By Michael Fleetwood
I think it was more Caps frustration than any direct carryover. Irwin did win the award for most time in the Pit of Misery – 10 minutes – with Pat Maroon second at 9. 42 PIM total, but I never felt lingering animosity. I had expected Tampa to come out looking for goals more than hits and I think they stuck to that gameplan. Much more disciplined play tonight.
I thought the Irwin brawls were early in the game, but that still could mean they came after being a few goals down.
Michael wrote: Things began to heat up late in the first period, when, down by 4-0 (and starting netminder Darcy Kuemper pulled in favor of Charlie Lindgren), Capitals defenseman Matt Irwin and Lightning forward Patrick Maroon dropped the gloves as time expired, the frustration mounting for the visiting Capitals.
I know that it was already 3-0 and perhaps 4-0 before the Caps had a single shot on goal recorded. That makes for a lot of new frustration.