Photo: @Capitals/X
The Washington Capitals defeated the Seattle Kraken by a score of 2-1 Thursday at Climate Pledge Arena. The win improved the Capitals’ record to 31-25-9 and 71 points on the season. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves in the victory.
The Lineup
Alex Ovechkin — Connor McMichael — T.J. Oshie
Ivan Miroshnichenko — Dylan Strome — Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty — Hendrix Lapierre — Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Aliaskei Protas
Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin — Nick Jensen
Alexander Alexeyev — Trevor van Riemsdyk
Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratches: Center Michael Sgarbossa, right-wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and defenseman Ethan Bear
Injuries: Nicklas Backstrom (hip)
First Period
The opening frame would go scoreless.
Quick Stats
SOG: 9-8 Kraken
Face-Off Win %: 65% (Kraken), 35% (Capitals)
Hits: 15-11 Capitals
Second Period
With 5:40 left, Oshie (11), who played in his 999th career game, would strike first on a power play after Seattle goaltender Joey Daccord failed to clear the puck.
That’s a dang-it pic.twitter.com/ZbI9rFuwHB
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 15, 2024
Quick Stats
Total SOG: 20-12 Capitals
Face-Off Win %: 57% (Kraken), 42% (Capitals)
Total Hits: 22-17 Capitals
Third Period
The Kraken would equalize at the 3:32 mark with a goal from right-wing Oliver Bjorkstrand on a man advantage.
OLIVER BJORKSTRAND.
RIGHT PLACE. RIGHT TIME. pic.twitter.com/hU8W66Qdaw
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) March 15, 2024
McMichael (14) gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead on a breakaway with just over eight minutes to go in the final frame.
Mikey coming up HUGE late pic.twitter.com/8FGndG6k0y
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 15, 2024
Quick Stats
Total SOG: 24-23 Kraken
Face-Off Win %: 58% (Kraken), 42% (Capitals)
Total Hits: 28-18 Capitals
Notes Through the Game
- Wilson passed Brooks Laich (742) for the 10th-most games played in franchise history tonight against Seattle. Wilson ranks third on Washington in games played.
- Oshie, a native of Everett, Washington, scored his first career goal against the Kraken and his first goal at Climate Pledge Arena.
- The Capitals have scored a power-play goal in nine of their last ten games and 12 of their previous 14 games. Since Feb. 8, the Capitals have converted on 17 of 53 power-play opportunities (32.1%).
- McMichael has now scored in back-to-back games.
- McMichael’s goal marked the first goal he has scored on Daccord at the NHL level. During the 2023 Calder Cup Finals, McMichael scored on Daccord in Games 6 and 7 en route to Hershey’s 12th Calder Cup Championship.
- McMichael was credited with the game-winning goal, which marked his third game-winning goal this season, tied for second on Washington (Strome: 4; Wilson: 3; Oshie: 3).
- Over his last four starts, Lindgren has stopped 119 of 124 shots faced (.960 save percentage) and has posted a 1.25 goals-against average.
- Following the results of tonight’s games, the Capitals (31-25-9, 71 pts. in 65 GP) trail the Detroit Red Wings (33-27-6, 72 pts. in 66 GP) and the New York Islanders (29-22-14, 72 pts. in 65 GP) by one point for the final Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals continue their five-game Western road trip and clash next with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday at Rogers Arena. Monumental Sports Network 2 will have the coverage beginning at 10 PM ET.
By Della Young
Caps on a ventilator, but still breathing
Pretty good gut-check game after two REALLY stinky turds on road trip
Nice of everybody Caps are chasing to mail it in tonight ….
And TvR has been MUCH better last four weeks than earlier in season. Injuries were making him ineffective
VAN and CGY coming up. Piece of cake
That’s some optimism there, PD! Can you share with me some of that whatever u been… ahem, having lately? Could surely use some! 😁
calgary maybe…vancouver piece of cake? you clearly are delusional. vancouver is young fast and talented, which is exactly what the caps struggle with
PD voiced his perfect optimism before the Flyers game. Result – resounding comeback win, even after that dismal start. He’s the last person you would expect optimism from – usually, just the opposite, all gloom & doom. So I’m wondering… 😄
That said, the Canucks are in the midst of a downturn lately, plus Demko is out week-to-week. Still a tough team, but not what they used to be a couple of months ago. And we almost beat them last time, they were playing from behind, plus we had them on the ropes all of OT (if it weren’t for CMM’s careless giveaway at the very end, SO could have gone either way).
With Calgary, they’re trending up lately, so no pushover, that’s for sure. Anyway, hope he responds, would be interesting to hear his logic 🙂
I think you mistake optimism with sarcasm.
Because Chucky was in net.
And the game’s #2 star, with a timely giveaway on a Caps PP in a scoreless game, with a neat tuck-in with his goalie stick, for good measure – Joey Daccord!
The game’s #1 star, former Capital, our good friend – Andre… Burakovsky, ladies and gentlemen!
👏🤝
I feel like we’d be in the playoffs if Kuemper was at least decent.
NYI just lost in OT to the Sens… Devils down to ARI… PF playing Boston
But Wings beat Sabres. Bolts up 1-0 on Cats.
Not a bad thing, as such, with the Sabres surging recently)