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Capitals Rally To Douse Flames, 3-2 In Shootout; Connor McMichael, Matthew Phillips Score

By Jon Sorensen·
Photo: x/@Capitals

The Washington Capitals rallied to down the Calgary Flames 3-2 (SO) Monday night at Capital One Arena. The win improves the Capitals record to 1-1-0 on the season.

Darcy Kuemper (0-0-0) got the start in goal for the Capitals. Jacob Markstrom (1-1-0) got the nod between the pipes for the visiting Flames. The Capitals forward lines and defensive pairs:

Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – T.J. Oshie
Connor McMichael – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson
Sonny Milano – Dylan Strome – Matthew Phillips
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Aliaksei Protas

Rasmus Sandin – John Carlson
Martin Fehervary – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Alex Alexeyev – Nick Jensen

Darcy Kuemper
Clay Stevenson

Scratches: Anthony Mantha, Lucas Johansen, Charlie Lindgren (Injured – day-to-day)

FIRST PERIOD

The Capitals gave up the first 11 shots of the game in the first five minutes, with the 12th shot finding the back of the net. Adam Ruzicka notched the game’s first tally at 4:47 of the opening stanza.

The Capitals recorded their first shot on goal with 13 minutes remaining in the first period.

The Flames stretched their lead to 2-0 with a power play marker from Dillon Dube at 17:12.

The Flames held the the 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The Flames led in shots on goals 17-3 and led in five-on-five shot attempts, 18-10.

SECOND PERIOD 

The Capitals notched their first goal of the season on a tally from Matthew Phillips (1) at 6:48 of the second period. Sonny Milano (1) had the lone assist. It was Phillips first career NHL goal and first career NHL point.

The Capitals the tied the game on aa goal from Connor McMichael (1) at 9:54. Matthew Phillips (1) and John Carlson (1) had the helpers.

The second period concluded with the game tied 2-2. Calgary led in shots on goal 12-10 in the middle frame and 30-13 after 40 minutes of play.

THIRD PERIOD

The Capitals and Flames skated to a scoreless draw in the final frame.

OVERTIME/SHOOTOUT

The overtime period also went scoreless.

Shootout:

1. Capitals – Kuznetsov: Good; Flames – Huberdeau: No good
2. Capitals – Oshie: No good; Flames – Sharangovich: No good
3. Capitals – Ovechkin: No good; Flames – Kadri: No good.

SHAVINGS

  • Phillips, a Calgary native, is playing in his fifth career NHL game and his second game with the Capitals. Phillips, a sixth-round draft pick (166th overall) of the Flames in 2016, played three career games with the Flames, including two games last season.
  • Matthew Phillips recorded the primary assist on the Capitals’ second goal, his first career assist and his second point of the game (1g, 1a).
  • John Carlson recorded the secondary assist on the Capitals’ second goal, his first assist of the season. Since 2017-18, no defenseman in the NHL has more assists than Carlson (279).
  • Sonny Milano recorded the primary assist on the Capitals’ first goal, his first assist of the season. Milano registered a career-high 22 assists with Washington in 2022-23.
  • Connor McMichael scores his first goal of the season to tie the game 2-2. During the 2021-22 season, McMichael led Capitals rookies in goals with nine.
  • Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his 27th career career shootout goal to earn Washington’s first win of the season. Kuznetsov’s 45 percent shootout conversion rate (27 goals on 60 attempts) ranks first in franchise history (min. 15 attempts).
  • Spencer Carbery earned his first career win as an NHL head coach with the Caps’ 3-2 shootout win over Calgary. Carbery, the youngest head coach in the NHL at 41, was head coach of the Caps’ ECHL affiliate, South Carolina (2011-16), and their AHL affiliate, Hershey (2018-21)

Capitals Postgame Audio

Forward Matthew Phillips

Forward Connor McMichael

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper

Head coach Spencer Carbery