Well it was a homecoming Friday night for defenseman John Carlson in Jersey. With the Devils needing to pretty much win out to make the playoffs the Caps knew it would be no easy task leaving town with a win. A fresh face was back in the lineup for the Caps after missing five games, it was Nicklas Backstrom.
Washington despite a slow start they would get the scoring going with a very unfamiliar face lighting the lamp. Jeff Schultz was the first to beat Martin Brodeur. Schultz? It was his first goal in 82 games. He was assisted by Mike Knuble and Dennis Wideman. Knuble was just getting started on the stat sheet.
The Capitals couldn’t get many shots on net for some reason. After the first period they had only logged 8 shots. Despite this, the shot selection was what put the Caps up one more goal deep in the second. A beautiful goal by Knuble was setup with 2 great passes from Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson. The Caps would go in to the locker room at the end of the second with a 2-0 lead and just 8 shots on goal.
Mike Knuble would put the nail in the coffin in the final period capping off his great night. Ovi found him on a nice stretch pass leaving Knuble open for the shot. Michal Neuvirth recorded his fourth shutout of the season with 33 saves last night. He now leads all rookies in the shutouts category. Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johansson, and Mike Knuble seem to be really clicking as a line. Ovi and Mojo lead the team with a +3 ice rating and Ovi had two assists. John Carlson in his homecoming also had two assists with a +2 ice rating.
Overall it was a great all around game played by the Capitals in New Jersey despite having 12 shots on goal. Washington is still trying to get healthy for the playoffs with a few weeks remaining. They now have a three day break before they take on the first place Flyers on Tuesday. A lot will be riding on this game. Tune in to Versus on Tuesday for the first place showdown.
Player of the Game: Michal Neuvirth (33 save shutout)
Stat of the Game: 2 goals, 1 assist (Mike Knuble)
Unsung Hero: John Carlson
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