The hometown kid given limited opportunities to play for Calgary was the key to Washington's comeback 3-2 shootout win.
In predictably tragic comedy fashion, Matthew Phillips was the catalyst for the Washington Capitals as the Calgary Flames suffered their 3-2 shootout loss on Monday.
While there are a handful of funny-but-not-ha-ha-funny turns of events for the Flames — a blown two-goal lead, two wasted third-period power plays, the inability to score in a shootout — the fact it was the diminutive Phillips who sparked Washington to victory is the definitive example of “of course it would happen.”
After all, it was Phillips — the AHL standout who received very little opportunity with his hometown team that drafted him before he was allowed to walk via free agency — who put the Capitals on the board with his first NHL goal.
Then, to make more of a mark, it was his pass that helped lead to Connor McMichael’s game-tying goal.
Oh sure, Evgeny Kuznetsov was the hero with his shootout winner, but Phillips was deservedly the first star. Not far behind was Washington goalie Darcy Kuemper and his 38-save performance, as well as blanking the Flames in the shootout.
Adam Ruzicka and Dillon Dube both scored once and added an assist, while Noah Hanifin’s two-assist outing was just part of his best game so far this season for Calgary, but it simply wasn’t enough.
Even the performance of Jacob Markstrom can be hard to digest. He made several great stops among his 21 saves, but McMichael’s tally —even if it ricocheted ever so slightly off a defender’s stick — is yet another softie surrendered.
And now the Flames, with their 1-1-1 record, must find a spark of their own with three more games on this road swing, starting with Thursday’s clash against the Buffalo Sabres.