The Washington Capitals closed out their 2022-23 season Thursday night with a 5-4 (OT) loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Capitals end the season with a 35-37-10 record (82 points), 6th place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals erupted for three goals in the first 10 minutes of the first frame. Joe Snively started the scoring less than five minutes into the contest, Rasmus Sandin followed with his seventh goal of the season less than 90 seconds later and Craig Smith potted his 200th career goal just past the midway point of the first period. The Devils answered late for a 3-1 total at the first intermission.
Tom Wilson added his 13th goal of the season just over a minute into the middle frame, but the Devils added a power play goal with less than 90 seconds remaining in the middle frame to make it 4-2 at the second break.
The Devils closed the gap to 4-3 early in the final frame and tied the game with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation, eventually sending the game to overtime. The Devils won it in overtime with a goal from Luke Hughes, his first career goal in the NHL.
LINEUP
Darcy Kuemper (22-26-6, 2.83 GAA, .910 sv%) got the start in goal for the Capitals. Mackenzie Blackwood (10-6-2, 3.04 GAA, .899 sv%) got the nod for the visiting Devils. The Capitals forward lines and defensive pairs for Game 82:
Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Craig Smith
Conor Sheary – Dylan Strome – Tom Wilson
Sonny Milano – Evgeny Kuznetsov — Joe Snively/Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn – Aliaksei Protas – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin – Nick Jensen
Alex Alexeyev – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Darcy Kuemper
Reid Cooper
The Capitals announced Thursday morning that they have signed goaltender Reid Cooper of Curry College to an ATO to serve as Darcy Kuemper’s backup tonight, with Charlie Lindgren out with an injury. [MORE HERE]
FIRST PERIOD
The Capitals opened the scoring on a snipe from Joe Snively (2) at 4:36. Sonny Milano (22) had the lone assist.
Second Snively Snipe of the Season
🐍🐍🐍🐍 @Capitals | #CapsDevils pic.twitter.com/75x51DSIcg
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) April 13, 2023
Less than 90 seconds later the Capitals made it 2-0 on Rasmus Sandin’s seventh goal of the season at 5:59. Nicklas Backstrom (14) and Alex Ovechkin (33) had the helpers.
BULLSEYE! pic.twitter.com/9zjTIvmnJC
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 13, 2023
The Capitals stretched their lead to 3-0 at 10:18 with a close-range goal from Craig Smith (9) at 10:18. It was Smith’s 200th career NHL goal. The goal was unassisted.
Craig Smith picks off the pass from Jack Hughes and tallies his 200th NHL goal to put the Capitals up by 3!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/6ck2Ed65UB
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 13, 2023
The Devils finally dented the twine at 17:06. Erik Haula (13) notched the Devils first tally, assisted by Yegor Sharangovich (17) and Luke Hughes (1). It was Hughes’ first career NHL point.
Erik Haula gets New Jersey on the board with a terrific clap bomb tally, Devils within 2!#NJDevils pic.twitter.com/UshB8ilzPX
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 13, 2023
The first period concluded with the Capitals leading, 3-1. The Devils doubled up the Capitals in five-on-five shot attempts, 26-13 and xGF 1.27 to .63 in the first.
SECOND PERIOD
The Capitals stretched their lead to 4-1 on Tom Wilson’s 13th goal of the season at 1:05 of the second period. Nick Jensen (24) and Dylan Strome (42) had the helpers.
Tom Wilson jams the rebound across the goal line to restore Washington’s three goal lead!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/TxYLAVKqYp
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 14, 2023
The Devils added a power play goal from Miles Wood with less than 90 seconds remaining in the middle frame to make it 4-2, the score at the second intermission.
THIRD PERIOD
The Devils closed the gap to 4-3 early in the final frame. Erik Haula scored his second goal of the night at 3:17 of the final frame.
The Devils eventually tied the game late in the final frame on a Dougie Hamilton shot from the point at 12:23 of the third period.
The third period ended with the game tied 3-3.
OVERTIME
The Devils won it in the extra frame. Luke Hughes had the honors.
Luke Hughes is going to be special 👀#NJDevils pic.twitter.com/hSpIHYMg2J
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 14, 2023
SHAVINGS
- Joe Snively scores his second goal of the season to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead. The Herndon, Virginia native has recorded 11 points (6g, 5a) in 24 career NHL games with the Capitals (0.46 P/GP).
- Sonny Milano recorded the primary assist on the Capitals’ first goal, his 22nd assist of the season. Since making his Capitals debut on Nov. 5, 2022, Milano ranks fourth on the team in even-strength points (28).
- Rasmus Sandin scores his seventh goal of the season to extend the Capitals’ lead to 2-0. This season, Sandin has set career highs in games played (71), goals (7), assists (28) and points (35), more than doubling his previous career-high point total (2021-22: 16p).
- Nicklas Backstrom recorded the primary assist on the Capitals’ second goal, his 14th assist of the season. It marks Backstrom’s 761st career assist, tying him with Bernie Federko for the 43rd-most assists in NHL history.
- Alex Ovechkin recorded the secondary assist on the Capitals’ second goal, his 33rd assist of the season. Ovechkin, 37, is just one of 14 players in the NHL to record at least 40 goals and 30 assists this season.
- Skaters with 40 or more goals and 30 or more assists this season followed by their age: Alex Ovechkin (37), Connor McDavid (26), Leon Draisaitl (27), David Pastrnak (26), Jason Robertson (23), Matthew Tkachuk (25), Mikko Rantanen (26), Jack Hughes (21), Tage Thompson (25), Brayden Point (27), Auston Matthews (25), Kirill Kaprizov (25), Carter Verhaeghe (27), Jared McCann (26).
- Craig Smith scores his ninth goal of the season and the 200th of his career to extend the Capitals’ lead to 3-0. Smith, the 98th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, is the 12th player from his draft class to reach the 200-goal mark.
- Tom Wilson scored his 13th goal of the season, extending his his goal and point streaks to four games (4g, 2a). Wilson’s current goal streak is the second longest of his career (6 games, 11/21/18-12/2/18: 7g). Wilson has recorded 11 points (5g, 6a) in his last 12 games.
- Nick Jensen recorded the primary assist on Wilson’s goal, his 24th assist of the season. Fourteen of Jensen’s 24 assists this season have been primaries and 23 have come at even strength.