The Capitals won 4-2.
Entering Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, the Washington Capitals were in search of some kind of spark, with Spencer Carbery hoping that some shuffles to the lines, Nicolas Aube-Kubel’s and the return of Nic Dowd would be enough to provide that.
Ultimately, that’s just what the Capitals needed, as Aube-Kubel and Dowd ignited the fourth line and Evgeny Kuznetsov struck twice en route to a 4-2 win.
Here are all the takeaways:
Nicolas Aube-Kubel Makes Most of NHL Return, Fourth Line Finds Identity
Over the last few seasons, Washington’s fourth line was among the best trios in the NHL. However, that wasn’t the case to start this season with Dowd out and the team lacking identity there. On Friday, they found it.
Dowd made his return after missing the last nine games with injury, and he would go to work with recall Aube-Kubel and rookie Beck Malenstyn. That trio found immediate chemistry, as they provided both goals for the first period on a span of 15 seconds.
Aube-Kubel struck first on a wicked shot in front, then on the same shift, found Malenstyn charging into the offensive zone to make it 2-0 and chase Vitek Vanecek from the crease.
It was a huge game for Aube-Kubel, who not only had a multi-point night but was fast and aggressive at both ends of the ice. Dowd was also solid and looked much stronger than he was to open the season.
Lindgren Stands Tall To Help Capitals Survive Third Period As Devils Tilt Ice; PK Perfect Again
With Darcy Kuemper “nicked up,” Lindgren got the call to start the first game of Washington’s back to back up north, and he made the most of it and ultimately, made the difference.
Lindgren was agile on the crease, sprawling across to make quite a few critical saves. And in the third, with the Capitals down to five defensemen following Martin Fehervary’s injury and the Devils tilting the ice, the 29-year-old helped keep his team in front.
New Jersey did strike twice in the third, but neither goal could truly be put on him, as one came after a deflection off Rasmus Sandin while the other was slam dunk on the doorstep.
Lindgren finished the night with 24 saves on 26 shots (.923 save percentage).
Meanwhile, Dowd only helped the penalty kill in his return, as the PK again shined and went 4-for-4. It has now killed off 17 straight penalties and has not allowed a power-play goal in seven straight.
Capitals Lose Feheverary To Injury, Have Scare With Sandin
In the win, Washington saw two blueliners deal with injury, as Fehervary left the game while Rasmus Sandin suffered a scare in the third.
Fehervary blocked a shot in the second period and sustained a lower-body injury in the play. He did not return.
In the final minutes of the victory, Rasmus Sandin was hit by two defensemen and went down in pain. He ultimately returned.
Top Shelf Takes
- Kuznetsov made up for his poor positioning in Wednesday’s loss with two goals.
- Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin had assists in the win.