Capitals Don’t Need Ovechkin to Handle Red Wings Again

The Washington Capitals will give opponents their fun over the two first periods and then in the third period they transform into the monstrous offensive force they truly are.

They have outscored teams 95-47 in the final 20 minutes to lead the NHL in third period goal-differential.  In the second period, the Red Wings badly outplayed Detroit.

Then it’s like the Capitals changed from Bruce Banner into the Hulk.

Alex Ovechkin is eight goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky for the NHL goal scoring record. However, they don’t always need his scoring touch in the third. He was scoreless in this game, with only one shot on goal. Yet the Capitals scored three unanswered goals in the third period to turn a tight-checking tie game into a 4-1 win.

That gives Washington a plus-7 goal-differential in the third period against Detroit over the last two games.

“That’s two games against this team that we were in, and they found a way to win and we didn’t,” Red Wings center J.T. Compher told the media in Washington.

This comes 11 days after the Capitals netted four goals in the third period to thump the Red Wings 5-2.

Costly Loss

Tuesday’s loss was particularly hurtful because the Red Wings were hoping they could win and have the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens lose in regulation. Detroit could have been tied for the final wildcard spot Eastern Conference. The Rangers did lose (to Calgary), but Montreal beat Ottawa, giving the Canadiens a three-point lead over Detroit for the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.

“There’s still time and it hasn’t gone our way, but we’ve responded,” said Captain Dylan Larkin, who netted Detroit’s only goal. “We talked about that before. I wish we would have capitalized tonight and felt like we were right there to get points again.”

The Red Wings, who statistically have the NHL’s toughest schedule down the stretch, are off until they play the Golden Knights in Vegas Saturday. They then stay on the road with games against Utah and Colorado.

“(The Capitals) play fast, they play north,” Larkin said. “But we countered it all night and then we just stopped doing it in the third. “

Elmer Soderblom left the game in the third period, and didn’t return. Coach Todd McLellan didn’t have any information about him after the game.