Harry Lichtman
The Washington Capitals (33-27-7) went up against a tough opponent on Thursday night. Thankfully, they came through in the clutch for a 2-1 upset win over the Buffalo Sabres (40-10-6).
It wasn’t easy though, as the Capitals got off to a slow start. Sam Carrick put Buffalo on the board early as the Sabres looked for their ninth straight win.
However, the Capitals stepped up in the middle frame as Ryan Leonard tied it up with a tally. The rookie now has goals in three consecutive games.
Charlie Lindgren was also impressive against a red-hot Buffalo squad. The 32-year-old netminder stopped shot-after-shot and finished with 29 saves.
“Again, the character of this team – just going out and continuing to fight,” said Lindgren. “It was fun to watch. I thought we played a really good last 40 minutes.”
Late in regulation, the Capitals got just what they needed as Jakob Chychrun scored the game-winner with 1:33 left. Washington keeps its playoff hopes alive as they handed Buffalo its first loss since Feb. 5.
Next up, the Capitals return home for a Saturday afternoon matchup against Boston.
Capitals Analysis
Coming off a rough 4-1 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Capitals knew they were in for a bigger test the following evening. Buffalo entered Thursday as one of the top teams in the NHL after years of futility.
The Sabres got going early on as they went up 1-0 in the opening period. Former Capital Beck Malenstyn skated around and slipped the puck to Carrick in front for the tally.
Fortunately, Lindgren was able to shut Buffalo down the rest of the way. The netminder got the start after Logan Thompson played the previous night in Philadelphia.
The Capitals also succeeded on the penalty kill late in the first. Olympic gold medalist Tage Thompson fired five one-timers in a row, but none of them went in.
The second period is when the Capitals really started to play well. Down 1-0, Leonard skated up ice with the puck and fired a wicked shot to tie it up at 1-1.
The 21-year-old recorded his 14th goal of the season in the process. He also extended his goal streak to three games and his point streak to five.
The game remained tied at 1-1 as it turned out to be very competitive. After being heavily outshot through the first two periods, the Capitals outshot Buffalo 13-4 in the third.
Then, with 1:33 left in regulation, Aliaksei Protas found a wide open Chychrun, who fired away for the game-winner. The 27-year-old now leads all NHL defensemen with 23 tallies and seven game-winning goals this season.
Additionally, Protas’ assist turned out to be the 100th of his career. The Russian forward now has 45 points this season.
Capitals Report Card
Team: A-
Despite a slow start, the Capitals got the job done against a red-hot Buffalo squad. They also keep their playoff hopes alive with an extra two points.
Charlie Lindgren: A
Lindgren was remarkable between the pipes as he stopped 29 of 30 shots. The 32-year-old made multiple key saves to shut down the Sabres.
Jakob Chychrun: A
Chychrun came through in the clutch with the game-winning goal late in regulation. The blueliner now has 23 goals on the season.
Ryan Leonard: A
Leonard continued his hot streak as he tied it up in the second period. The 21-year-old recorded his 14th goal on the year.
