Washington Capitals fall in Edmonton as offense goes dormant
The Washington Capitals are off on this season’s Western Canadian road trip, and it began tonight with their first trip to Rogers Place in Edmonton. But make no mistake, these aren’t the Oilers we’re used to seeing in recent years. Through opportune offense and tight defense, the northern Alberta boys sent the Caps to Vancouver searching for answers.
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The first period was controlled by the hometown team at even strength. Edmonton finished the first period with a 14-8 shot attempt advantage at 5-on-5. The Caps were the more threatening team with the man advantage however, but were unable to get anything past Talbot, who made some great point blank saves to keep the Oilers penalty kill perfect through 20 minutes, and ultimately the game. Fans arriving late thanked both teams for not putting on an entertaining show in the first 20 minutes and fans on the east coast started thinking of bed time.
Midway through the second period, the Oilers found a way through the Caps neutral zone defense. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins went one-on-one with Orlov into the defensive zone and created space between the Caps defender and himself; he got a shot that deflected off of Benoit Pouliot and behind Braden Holtby. The play was started by an Ovechkin turnover that put the puck right onto the OIlers stick. That’s the type of mistake you can’t afford to make when playing against a fast transition team like Edmonton. Considering this type of style of play was the Capitals kryptonite last season, there’s work yet to be done.
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The Caps owned much of the rest of the second period, until fate took a strange turn. The Oilers controlled the puck into the Capitals zone and got the puck on Braden Holtby. Washington’s netminder put the rebound on Pouliot, who was able to collect the puck behind the net and bank it off of Holtby and into the back of the net for his second lucky goal of this night. It was a killer for the Caps who were making a strong case to tie the game before the end of 40 minutes. The Oilers put only 7 shots on Holtby in the second period, but that turned out to be plenty.
The Caps went straight to work to mount a comeback at the start of the third. It started as it has so often in the past, with the captain. Alex Ovechkin went to the front of the net and used his body to shield the defender and quite literally bang the puck past Cam Talbot to pull Washington within one. It was Oveckin’s fourth goal in as many games, and it suddenly gave the Capitals life.
The Caps controlled the play for the next few minutes, creating glorious opportunities for Orlov and Kuznetsov to tie the game before the third period was 2 minutes old. But, as is the problem against quick teams, the threat on the counter attack is always alive. Connor McDavid picked up the puck at neutral ice and towards Holtby on a 3-on-1. Whenever that happens, it has a strong chance of ending with the same conclusion. Oilers goal.
Washington had a number of chances to tie the game as regulation dwindled down. Cam Talbot began to look more like the man he backed up on Manhattan island. Washington made one last mistake on the night, and let Milan Lucic and his frame stand in from of Holtby on the power play. Good puck movement from the Oilers proved to be too much for the Capitals penalty killers, as the former Bruin elegantly redirected a point shot past Holtby to put the game away for Edmonton
The number of grave mistakes the Caps made in this game is equal to the OIlers margin of victory. That’s the way it often goes against teams with quick-strike offensive ability. Washington can’t find too many positives in this one. Even though the game wasn’t as lopsided as the score indicates, it’s just one to throw away and move on to the next.
A date with Hockey Night in Canada awaits in Vancouver on Saturday. That’s as good a place as any to get back in the win column.
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