Harry Lichtman
The Washington Capitals (39-29-9) keep their playoff hopes alive for now. They put up a whopping six goals against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres (46-23-8) for a 6-2 home victory on Saturday.
Buffalo had entered the game having already clinched its first playoff berth since 2011. However, the Capitals didn’t seem so phased by the news.
Washington quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead with goals from Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, and Connor McMichael. However, Buffalo then cut the deficit to 3-2 before the first intermission.
Nevertheless, the Capitals kept the momentum in their favor with tallies from Aliaksei Protas, Ryan Leonard, and Tom Wilson. Wilson’s goal came shorthanded on a highlight-reel play.
McMichael and Protas each finished with a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois also contributed with a pair of assists each.
Logan Thompson made his 10th consecutive start in net and made a huge impression. He stopped 37 of 39 shots against the playoff-contending Sabres.
With the win, the Capitals are now one point behind the second Wild Card spot. They now head up to New York to face the Rangers on Sunday night.
Capitals Analysis
After a rough 7-3 loss to New Jersey on Thursday, the Capitals got off to the start they wanted. Chychrun recorded the first goal after Ovechkin’s shot didn’t go. Dubois recorded the secondary assist, as he now has points in three straight games.
20 seconds later, Strome made it 2-0 on a tap-in feed from Protas. Then, over two minutes later, McMichael responded after Chychrun’s shot went wide to make it 3-0, ending Alex Lyon’s night.
However, Buffalo didn’t back down as they showed why they’re such a surprising team this season. Rasmus Dahlin and former Capital Beck Malenstyn each scored on Logan Thompson to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The second period is when Protas came through in his return after colliding head-first with Nic Dowd in Vegas a week ago.
While on the 4-on-4, the 25-year-old went on a 2-on-1 with Cole Hutson and scored to extend the Capitals’ lead to 4-2. Protas now has 24 goals on the season, with 22 of them coming at even strength.
In the third, Leonard picked up a drop pass from Hutson and sniped one past Colten Ellis. The 21-year-old now has points in four straight games.
Then, the Capitals went on the penalty kill, as Wilson scored a highlight-reel shorthanded goal. He cut to the inside and backhanded the puck in the net to seal the game.
Capitals Report Card
Team: A-
The Capitals got off to a strong start, despite Buffalo attempting to rally, but finished strong. A much better performance than against New Jersey on Thursday.
Logan Thompson: A
Thompson stood tall in his 10th consecutive start. The 29-year-old stopped 37 of 39 shots against a red-hot Sabres team.
Connor McMichael: A
McMichael posted a multi-point performance, as his first-period goal made it 3-0. The 25-year-old made Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff switch goalies at that point.
Aliaksei Protas: A
Protas also finished with a multi-point performance in his return on Saturday. His 22 even-strength goals are the second-most on the team this season.
Tom Wilson: A
Wilson recorded a highlight-reel shorthanded goal to put the game out of reach. The alternate captain now has goals in three straight outings.
