Happy FRIYAY YA FREAKS. It’s hockey night in the capital and the boys are welcoming in Kappo Kakko, the breadman, handsome Hank, and the rest of the NY Ranger bums into town tonight. We dropped a pod today previewing this and the Chicago and recapping the previous three games vs the Preds, Starts and Avs… and AB absolutely RIPPED Holtby a new one. BTW, Holtby started tonight, so keep reading to see if it was yet another disaster. So, a couple news and notes before we get started. If you recall last game, Panik and Siegenthaler collied off a faceoff and went head to head pretty hard, causing both to leave the game early. Siegs would return to the lineup tonight, but the Caps would place Panik on LTI, assuming it’s a concussion.
ALSO, quick add here… this whole thing the Caps are doing have other DC LEGENDS come in and read the starting lineup to the boys? Insanely awesome. The other night, WNBA Champ Della Don read off the lineup sheet, and tonight…. ADAM EATON
MAD MAX SCHERZER dropped the pu… BASEBALL. What a legend, I mean, the whole Nats crew is in a suite tonight as they rest up and ready for the World Series starting on Tuesday. District of Champions (except the Skins, they can GTFO) But a totally awesome scene with Scherz out there firing up Cap One and getting a huge ovation. How sick does the Mad Max eye graphic look on the new jumbotron? Unreal
Alright let’s get it going and get at it early as the Caps would get a power play early thanks to a drive to the crash by Osh Babe and he’d eventually get hooked. The power play…. WORKS, as Oshie would get about 56 chances right in front of the net and finally wiggle the 57th attempt past Hank and get the Caps on the board 2:24 into the game… TJ Oshie, that’s 5 goals on the campaign so far, what a legend.
Shortly after, Lemiux on the Rags would hit Kempny high and hard against the boards, so Gudas jumped him. Hell yeah Gudas, don’t take that shit from NO ONE…. and then Kempny nailed a guy from behind just a min later andddd we’re off to the PK. At least Kemper can thank Gudas for the backup in the box. With about 9 min left in the first, Ovie would have a stellar opportunity that went far pad to Backy’s stick andddd go wide. Tough go but up to this point, the boys are absolutely buzzin’… until Backstrom would trip Trouba and we’d go to our 2nd PK of the period. Buchnevich would get a feed in the slot, Holtby would drop immediately, and Buch would hold… and hold… and rip it into a wide open net to tie the game at 1.
Last game, the Caps would out hit the Leafs 31-9, a huge reason for winning the game, and a huge emphasis on our play style and roster construction in the offseason and.. SORRY KEMPY JUST SCORED AND I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. Welcome back Kemper, there was a pile up in front, Kemps would pinch from the blue line and tuck one home to give Red the 2-1 lead.
Shortly after, the Caps would get a power play, and the Nationals would get introduced as the ENTIRE arena would break out into baby shark song and dance. While unsuccessful, the Caps would have an incredible power play with about 5 A+ chances and ton of movement and shots. Coincidence after baby shark? I think not. Electric factory.
Theme of the game: hot starts! 3:30 min in to the second period, Orlov would rip a ping of the post right on to the stick of Dowd and he would send one home to make it 3-1 and the good guys are rollin. This would be Dowd’s first of the season. BTW, this would also give Carlson his second point of the night.. HELLO NORRIS.
Caps wouldn’t sit back after that goal either as they kept pounding the Rags with chance after chance. Hank made a laying glove save on Hathaway from a Vrana rebound about a min after or it would have been 4-1 real quick. Vrana would get sprung for a breakaway with 9:44 remaining in the 2nd, get hooked, get a penalty shot and…. get denied 
Caps would cruise all period until about 3 min left when the Breadman Panarin would convert on a bang bang play from Kreider in the corner to cut the lead to 3-2. Caps would have a 17 shot 2nd period. Not too much would go on in the third until the mid-way mark when Hathaway would drop the gloves with Smith after a debatable hit laid on Orlov just before. How great is it that we have other people than Top Line Tom to fight now? Rags would get caught with a penalty from the fight and none other than TTTTTT JJJJJ Oshie would give the Caps a 4-2 lead and guess what… another Johnny Carlson assist.. how are ya.
Rangers would pul the goalie with 2 min left but the Caps would hold strong and Hathaway, after a fight in the third, would score an ENG to make it 5-2, and the Caps would take down Metro rival NYR.
STATS!!!
Kempny – 1 G, +1
OVIE – 1 A, 8 Shots
Orlov – 1 A, 3 Shots, 2 Hits
Backy – 1 A, 2 Takeaways, 50% FO
Hathaway – 1 Goal
Dowd – 1 Goal
Hags – 1 Assist
CARLSON – 3 Assists
Holtby – 26 of 28
Chirpin' DMV 