‘Laich vs. Legwand’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

The Washington Capitals finally showed up for their game against the Nashville Predators near the end of the second period. Outplayed for a good portion of the game, the Caps finally got goals from Alexander Semin and Tomas Fleischman to tie it up in the third and force overtime.

Alexander Ovechkin drew a tripping penalty less than two minutes into OT; with Preds defenseman Ryan Suter in the box, Ovie hammered a slap shot near the blue line that Brooks Laich redirected into the net behind Anders Lindback. And just like that, the Caps netted their fourth win in a row and gave Nashville their first loss on the season.

“They outplayed us so badly in the first 27 or 28 minutes of the game,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “You look up and you see that you’re only down a goal or two goals, you’ve still got a chance. Every time we play these guys is like this. They’re so fast. The fastest team, easily that we’ve seen.”

Nashville outshot the Caps 30-20 in the first two periods and outplayed the Caps for much of the game. But in the third period, the Caps power play succeeded with Semin’s second goal less than 5 minutes in. The penalty kill continued its stellar success, denying five chances for the Preds, including 30 seconds of a 5-on-3 late in the first.

Just like most of last season, the Caps roared back in the third and stole the game from their opponent. Michal Neuvirth continued to shine for the Caps in net, stopping 37 shots. The team returns to the Verizon Center for a home-and-home series against Boston on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Ben H. Rome

Having lived in the DC area for ten years, Ben still loves to wander the city with his wife, shooting lots of photos and exploring all the latest exhibits and galleries. A certified hockey fanatic, he spends some time debating the Washington Capitals club with friends – but everyone knows of his three decade love affair with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A professional writer, gamer, photographer, and Lego enthusiast, Ben remains captivated by DC and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.