The Washington Capitals saw T.J. Oshie and more step up, but a late go-ahead goal led to a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. All the takeaways.
The Washington Capitals saw T.J. Oshie and more step up, but a late go-ahead goal led to a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. All the takeaways.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals' final dress rehearsal ahead of their season started off a bit quiet on Saturday, and while the second period was loud, the third period led to a loss in the tune-up.
Washington had a one-goal lead in the second period, but three goals against — including a go-ahead-goal from Adam Fantilli with under four minutes to go in regulation — led to a 4-2 loss.
Here are all the takeaways:
Oshie Packs A Punch, Skates On Top Line With Ovechkin & Backstrom
A vintage line took center stage at Capital One Arena for the preseason finale, as T.J. Oshie skated with Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on the Capitals' top unit — and he made the most of his time in just his second preseason game.
The 36-year-old was high-energy and generating chances, and by the end of the first, he was credited with four of the team's shots (though that number was adjusted as time went on).
His hard work paid off with a secondary assist on Ovechkin's goal, and he also made waves with a booming hit on Adam Fantilli and a good strip of the puck to keep play alive on a third-period 5-on-3 power-play chance.
Oshie said at the start of camp that he was feeling 100 percent healthy and was no longer second-guessing himself or his playing style after having dealt with back issues last season that led to a double ablation in April. It appears that's still the case.
Fringe Players Get Final Shot With Capitals As Johansen & Alexeyev Battle Hard
Matthew Phillips, Hardy Häman Aktell and Johansen survived a major round of cuts on Friday, which saw the likes of Nicolas Aube-Kubel and more head down to Hershey. However, the battle for a roster spot is still in full swing, with the team still needing to make a couple more moves to get down to 23 men by Monday.
Saturday's game proved to be their last chance to impress the coaching staff as they suited up in a mostly NHL-caliber lineup, and they made the most of it.
Phillips was shot out of a cannon on his first shift of the game, as he earned a jersey over the likes of Anthony Mantha and Ivan Miroshnichenko and went to work with Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano. He was moving his feet well and generating speed and a couple of chances, and in the third period, he got to work with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Connor McMichael.
Meanwhile, Alexeyev and Johansen were among the defensemen to stand out in their finals showing. Alexeyev had a handful of strong defensive moments, including breaking up an early 2-on-1, and was aware and sound at both ends. Johansen also showcased his speed and skating and didn't shy away from joining the rush, which ultimately led to a primary helper on Ovechkin's goal.
Power Play Sees Different Looks
Washington had a two-man advantage in the third period, and Spencer Carbery and Kirk Muller used it to generate some different looks.
Ovechkin and Carlson were rotating, leaving defenders guessing while there was plenty of good movement all around and work by the Capitals to keep the play alive. And though it didn't convert, it offered some optimism with the team's PP struggling last season and needing a makeover.
Ovechkin Nets Bizarre Goal
Meanwhile, Ovechkin was hungry to get on the board in the final tune-up before the real deal on Friday, and he did just that — albeit in strange fashion.
The captain crashed the net in the second and redirected a point shot from Lucas Johansen past Elvis Merzlikins. As it started to trickle past Merzlikins, Ivan Provorov slid into the net to defend. Though the goal was waved off at first, it ultimately counted when the video review revealed Ovechkin's deflection did make it completely over the line.
Top Shelf Takes
- The Rasmus Sandin-John Carlson pairing continues to have ups and downs, but they did a lot of good things together on Saturday. Carlson notched his third goal of the preseason and Sandin had an assist, while they also generated some good chances, bounced off each other and made some good reads. A miscommunication in the third, though, led to Columbus' game-tying goal off the face-off.
- The Malenstyn-Dowd-Protas pairing did a great job of generating pressure and speed. It was a physical unit, with Malenestyn leading the way with four hits. Dowd also had an assist and generated some great looks, including one that resulted in Carlson's goal.
- Milano continues to look good, generating speed and making the most of his chances.
- Connor McMichael was also one of the standouts, getting to the right places and battling hard.