It’s me again! Coach here just dropping by to recap the second of the two Islanders game while I clean up the YouTube for the Happy Hour LIVE show we did pregame, live tweet the game from the Chirpin’ account, record the local podcast throughout the game with Bobcat, edit it afterwards, and create all the social media assets for tomorrows episode promotion, all while writing this recap. Content King? I think yes. Am I buzzed? I KNOW that’s a yes… thanks to the Happy Hour show, but hey it’s all part of the job. We all gotta battle through, grind it out, and tweet/write/record and edit when we’re a little wasted, right? You’ve been there before, I know it.
Pregame Storylines
Did you tune in to our Happy Hour Pregame LIVE show? No? Well.. are you an idiot? My answer is yes if you didn’t. Luckily for you, you can go back and rewatch on YouTube or Twitter, so here ya go. These are damn fun, we’re doing 10 all year so we have eight left. Come join us, come drink with us, and let’s have a time!
Okay but forreal tho, here’s the real big news of the night. Wilson is back in the lineup after missing the last two games due to an injury. ALSO.. Nicky Backstrom is back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game twice with an injury. Unfortunately, no Eller quite yet, which is rather expected assuming (knowing) that hit was a definite concussion as his head hammered the boards. Expect not to see him for a good two weeks possibly. Regardless, imagine if this game was without Backstrom and Wilson?? Like what in the actual hell would we have done. You thought the Hershey Caps jokes were funny last game… lolol at would you all would have done tonight missing those two. The other wild thing here is 2nd line center Oshie and man, who actually needs centers am I right? He did say during todays media availability that he played some center in St Louis.
ALSO IMPORTANT: This *should* be the Russians last game on Covid protocol. Obviously, more can be added but lets hope that’s not the case. Regardless of how tonight goes, the Caps are 2-0-1 for 5/6 points in the first three games of the four game Russian-less streak, and that’s might impressive. Here’s a A1 tweet to lead us into the game.
First Period
I swear every time we do anything with Mike Carver from the Isle Seat Podcast pre Caps vs Isles, it always ends with the Caps getting the ever living shit kicked out of them. The games not over, but… what a gross start to the first period. Oliver Wahlstrom would net his first career NHL goal (shocking) against the Caps to open the scoring for the Isles with the weirdest, lamest goal i’ve every seen. We pumped Cozens on Buffalo for sniping Vanny for his first ever goal. But this one? BOOOOOOOOO. Nonetheless, it’s the Isles on the board first.
18 seconds later… yes I said 10 SECONDS later, it’s the Isles adding to their leading and staying on the gas as they get the puck in the zone, get it to Clutterbuck at the point who simply throws it low and hard on net and it’s Cizikas with a deflection and the puck finds it’s way past VV and the Caps now find themselves in a two goal hole and yea.. I don’t feel great about this one. I’m blaming you Mike Carver. But hey, just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, they most certainly did! Caps decided to take some more penalties (shocking) at the end of the first and i’ll let you guess what happens… wait for it….. wait for it… OH SHIT the Islanders score. Barzal has his head up, see’s the commotion, throws it low and hard and Lee feeds the chickens and it’s a 3-0 hole for the home team heading into the second.
Second Period
Just when you things couldn’t get any worse… the don’t at all and they become exponentially better and the Caps play the greatest three min of hockey of all time. Sorry, getting ahead of myself here (deep breath in, deep breath out) Stop me if you’ve heard this before: feed the chickens. I mean, it ALWAYS works when it actually works, ya know? Carslon at the point and puck on net and it’s #73 picking it up and firing it home to get the Caps on the board.
Yes all my custom Chirpin jerseys are #73 (the number I wore my whole life) and am I pissed Sheary was the first Cap to wear #73 before me? Damn right I am, what the hell man? Am I pissed anymore now that he has TWO FUCKIN’ GOALS? Nope and god damn it looks good on you Shears. Caps claw back to make it a 3-2 hole thanks to this tip drill.
Oh and you thought we were done? Oh nawwwwwwww boo, we got more to come baby. The third line grind stays as hot as they come as Garny takes off down the right wall, hits the hash marks and fires it home far side to tie the game at three and all 0 fans in the arena are going BANANAS!
Sorry all, BRB while I got to Twitter to LINK A FOURTH STRAIGHT GOAL FOR THE BOYS and we have the lead and things are getting out of control. Caps get a power play and it’s a dominate one in terms of possession. The puck is moved around beautifully around the half wall, get’s up top, get’s to Ovi Carlson in the Ovi spot, one knee down, and hammers it home to give the Caps their first lead of the game.
Crazy things happened here, we were all witness. And here’s the good news, they got even crazier. Like, Chara clamp bomb for a 5-3 lead crazy. All y’all on Caps twitter are always blaming our friend Sam Pell for overtime games. Rightfully so? Maybe. But the hockey gods work both ways, and as she tweeted all the new Caps goal songs, the tweet thread combines for 3 goals this period.
Third Period
Nothing to see here. Nothing at all, just a no goal period and the score stays the same. The same score that was once 0-3 Isles and then 5-3 Caps and yea, you read the story. Let’s fuckin go.
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