Harry Lichtman
The Washington Capitals (34-27-8) got a much-needed win at home on Wednesday night. They looked strong on the ice as they beat the Ottawa Senators (34-24-9) 4-1.
Wednesday’s game marked the debut of Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson. He made quite the impression as he skated well and recorded an empty-net goal late.
Alex Ovechkin also made more history when he scored the Capitals’ first goal of the night. The Great 8 tied Gordie Howe for the most 25-goal seasons in NHL history.
Tom Wilson followed that up with a goal of his own to give the Capitals a 2-0 lead in the middle frame. Logan Thompson also put up a dominant performance in net.
Ottawa did score late to try to mount a comeback. However, the Capitals sealed it with two empty-netters from Aliaksei Protas and Hutson.
The Capitals acquired two points as they now have 76 on the season. They are currently six points behind Boston and Detroit, who hold the two Wild Card spots in the East.
Next up, the Capitals continue their four-game homestand as they host New Jersey on Friday night.
Capitals Analysis
All eyes were on Hutson as he made his NHL debut for the Capitals. The 19-year-old was paired with Matt Roy for Wednesday’s home game.
It turned out to be an impressive debut for Hutson, as he looked more comfortable as the game went on. The rookie skated well, took good care of the puck, and found his teammates on the tape.
Then, with Ottawa’s goalie pulled on a late power play, Hutson recorded his first NHL goal on an empty-netter. He finished the game with a tally and three shots through 16:24 of ice time.
The Capitals had entered the middle frame outshot 16-7 by Ottawa with the game scoreless. That’s Ovechkin broke out of his little slump.
The 40-year-old redirected a feed from Rasmus Sandin past Linus Ullmark to put the Capitals up 1-0. That marked Ovechkin’s 25th goal of the season and career goal No. 922.
More importantly, The Great 8 made more history as he tied Gordie Howe for the most 25-goal seasons in NHL history. Ovechkin is also one tally away from 1,000 combined regular season and playoff goals.
Wilson followed that up by getting to the bottom of the circle, and firing a shot past Ullmark to make it 2-0. The 31-year-old was also very physical as he helped his team by being aggressive on the forecheck.
Wilson’s Team Canada teammate Thompson was also dominant between the pipes. He stopped 34 of 35 shots as he shut down Brady Tkachuk and Ottawa for the most part.
Still down 2-0 late, the Senators did come through with six attackers as Tim Stutzle ended Thompson’s shutout night. However, the Capitals sealed it with two empty-netters from Protas and Hutson.
Capitals Report Card
Team: A-
One of the stronger team performances in recent days. The Capitals keep their playoff hopes alive for now.
Cole Hutson: A
Hutson had an impressive NHL debut. The 19-year-old skated well and finished with a goal and three shots through 16:24 of ice time.
Alex Ovechkin: A
Ovechkin broke out of a slump and recorded goal No. 922. The 40-year-old continues to make history as many question if this is his last season.
Tom Wilson: A
Wilson contributed to the Capitals’ win by tying Ovechkin with 25 goals on the season. The 31-year-old also showed his trademark physicality against Ottawa when he needed to.
Logan Thompson: A
Thompson stepped up big time in net with 34 saves. The netminder made multiple acrobatic saves to shut down Ottawa’s offense.
Martin Fehervary: B+
Fehervary did his job on defense by bailing out Thompson. He finished the game with six of the Capitals’ 21 blocks.
