On Saturday afternoon all of Caps nation experienced something that we have not seen in a long time. Alex Ovechkin logged his first hat trick since January 22, 2011. It looked like The Great Eight from the past that we all know and hope is here to stay. He scored two of his three goals in the third period to seal the deal on the Devils 5-1. Troy Brouwer and Eric Fehr would add the other tallies in the third period. Eric Fehr would score his fourth goal of the season shorthanded which was the Caps first one of the year.
The Capitals would go two for three on the power play making them currently second in the league with a 28.8%. The PK also saw great success killing all three of the penalties. Braden Holtby proved consistent again in his sixth straight game saving 21 of 22 shots. He also stopped a penalty shot from Steve Bernier in the second period that definitely built some momentum for the red sweaters. The only goal allowed was a Ilya Kovalchuk wrist shot that hit off the post and beat Holtby.
The Caps played their best third period of the year logging four of their five goals. Alex Ovechkin played his best game of the year on Saturday logging four points. His three goals and one assist is what this team needs to get back on their feet. He logged seven shots and played his season low 16:40 minutes in the game. I keep saying that with the amount of shots he is getting and playing with Mike Ribeiro the goals will eventually come. Well they definitely came Saturday and we finally saw Ovi excel at his new position. Each game we have seen progression from Ovi at the right wing and his second goal against the devils was bold proof of his transformation. He entered the zone from the right side, dangled a little, and shot it between the defenseman’s legs to beat Johan Hedberg. My first response was, “That’s vintage Ovi”!!! Ovi now has eight goals and 14 points on the season.
All the Caps players played well in this contest making it a very important team win. Yes, Ovi had his first hat trick in two years, but that game meant a lot more to this struggling team. They saw their captain that is capable of anything succeed and lead the team to a victory. Mike Ribeiro continues to play exceptional and Ovi is benefitting from that as well as the rest of the team. Troy Brouwer scored his eighth goal of the year on the PP from a beautiful pass from Ovi. Boruwer and Ovi are now tied for the team lead in goals. Nicklas Backstrom also continues to improve his game even though we don’t see it on the stat sheet every game. Backstrom logged one assist in the game for his 12th of the season.
It was a great defensive game played by the Caps, allowing only one goal on 22 shots. Mike Green missed his third consecutive game, but he will return tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals are always a better team with him the lineup because of his offensive presence and puck moving abilities. Look for Tom Poti to be a healthy scratch because of Green’s return. George McPhee also revealed that the Caps will probably call up a forward from the Hershey Bears soon because of the injuries to Brooks Laich and Marcus Johansson. Stay tuned to see who it will be. Keep the Faith. Rock the Red. Unleash the Fury.
Player of the Game: Alex Ovechkin (3 goals, 1 assist)
Stat of the Game: Ovi’s 1st hat trick in 2 years
Unsung Hero: Braden Holtby
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