WASHINGTON — Things didn't start off exactly how the Washington Capitals planned against the Dallas Stars, as the team faced a tall task of handing them their first loss of the regular season.
Then, Tom Wilson and the second line struck, and from there, the Capitals stayed on mission.
Wilson scored his third goal in as many games, and a flurry of offense in the second and a huge defensive effort in the third led to a 3-2 victory.
Here are all the takeaways.
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Wilson Stays Hot As Second Line Helps Jumpstart Capitals After Slow Start; McMichael & Dubois Shine
After a slow first period saw the Capitals trailing 1-0 after a shorthanded goal and managing just four shots — including none through the first ten minutes of play — the team entered the second period needing a spark. It was the second line that stepped up to deliver, with Tom Wilson extending his hot streak.
It all started with a nice forecheck from Connor McMichael, who got the puck to Pierre-Luc Dubois. From there, Dubois fed Wilson charging the slot for his third goal in as many games to open the 2024-25 campaign.
The second line was in for a tough assignment, as it went up multiple times against the likes of Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. That trio did the job well, though, especially McMichael, who was moving his feet, getting in the right spots and very aware at both ends of the ice. He not only looked strong and generated some plays up ice, but he broke up quite a few plays going the other way as well.
Not only that, but Dubois deserves credit; he moved the puck well and made several strong passes and plays to create quality scoring chances.
Capitals Tilt The Ice With Strong Second, Raddysh Gets First As Strome Also Strikes From Long Range
After Wilson's goal, the Capitals found some much-needed life to surge in the second period as Washington cleaned up, played a simpler game and generated a lot more pressure in the offensive zone.
Dylan Strome would take a shot from long-range to make it a 2-1 game, with Alex Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas providing screens in front. It extended Strome's point streak to three games.
Then, with the game tied late in the second and the second line setting the fourth line up for sustained pressure in the offensive zone, Taylor Raddysh followed suit with a long-range try of his own. It went past Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime to make it a 3-2 game. The goal was Raddysh's first goal as a member of the Capitals.
Protas Leads Way As Penalty Kill Continues Strong Start, Power Play Needs Work
Through two games, the Capitals' penalty kill ranked as the eighth-best in the league, and it kept the momentum going with a strong showing against the Stars.
With Aliaksei Protas leading the charge on the penalty kill with a handful of strong shorthanded chances, the Capitals went 4-for-4 on the PK to bolster their percentage and keep things tight.
On the flip side, the power play needs a bit of work. There were broken entries and plays that led to multiple clears and failed chances, and ultimately, a missed catch from John Carlson led to a breakaway shorthanded goal for Colin Blackwell in the first.
Washington went 0-for-5 on the man advantage after managing power-play goals in the first two games of the season.
Fehervary & Lindgren Help Capitals Hang On For Win
Washington had a tough objective going into the third, as the Stars would come out pushing hard in an attempt to tie things up. D.C. got the job done, though, with a strong third period.
Dowd and more led the charge and played some smart defensive hockey, and all the while, Martin Fehervary made some great blocks late and Charlie Lindgren stood tall to stop 22 of 24 (.917 save percentage), including all 10 against in the third period, for his first win of the season.
Top Shelf Takes
- John Carlson is on a three-game point streak after recording an assist on Strome's second-period goal.
- Protas has points in back-to-back games and led the team with four shots.
- Hendrix Lapierre drew two penalties and looked stronger than he had the last two games.
- Fehervary led with five blocks.
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