In a game that featured plenty of mistakes and bad defensive coverage, plus a couple of strange redirections, the Washington Capitals beat the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, in overtime. Alex Tuch tallied two goals, including the game-winner in the extra session.
“Feels pretty good,” a smiling Tuch said afterward. “It feels really good. … I really, I loved playing for the Sabres, and I think everyone knows that. And when you play against your former team, I’ve done a couple times before, you always want to score and to be able to get the game-winner was pretty special. A lot of fun out there.”
In their previous outing, Washington blew a 2-0 lead, and managed to flip the script and rallied to erase an early deficit of their own.
Jack Quinn walked in 6:27 into the game and beat Charlie Lindgren, then just over four minutes later Jakob Chychrun gave away the puck to Ryan McLeod and Josh Doan made it 2-0.
“I mean, for me personally, I did not like my start at all,”Lindgren said. “First two goals, you know, I felt like I kind of dug the team a little bit of a hole, and, um, really appreciate the team’s effort in front of me. I thought, you know, um, just kept on working, kept on fighting.”
However, Alex Tuch got his team-leading sixth goal thanks to his former Sabres teammate Tage Thompson, who redirected a pass past his own netminder to make it 2-1.
“I told [Thompson] that, I said, I can always find your stick,” Tuch joked.
Capitals comeback
Washington then pulled even 2:59 into the second, as Dylan Strome picked up a rebound off a Jordan Kyrou tip off a Chychrun point shot and beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Strome added his second with 2:36 to play in the second, tipping a pass from Justin Sourdif behind the net in to give Washington the lead.
“It just seems like he was all over the ice,” Tuch said of Strome. “He’s showing a lot of patience, making really good plays. I thought he was the best player out there tonight.”
Buffalo tied it in the third as a pass was redirected past Lindgren, with the passer Noah Ostlund getting credit.
But Tuch ended the night in Washington’s first overtime game of the season, with his team-leading 7th tally and 9th point of the season 3:42 into the extra session.
Four of Tuch’s 7 goals this season are game-winners, which leads the NHL.
“[We] just kind of controlled the play like they did to us on that 1st shift and, and fortunate for us, um, it kind of just saw a chance to maybe go behind the net and I feel like in 3 on 3s, a lot more ice,” Strome said.
“[Tuch] made a great move to get away from the guy, and then saw him in the slot, and, uh, you know, he’s a, you know, really good shooter.”
Despite the limited shots against, Lindgren was very good for Washington in net, as the three goals were defensive breakdowns or a strange deflection.
The goaltender was not happy with his play early and felt he put his team in a hole early.
Strome had his best game of the season, netting a pair of goals after a slow goal-scoring start to the year. While Strome came into the night with 1 goal and 5 assists, he moved to 9 points with the two goals and assist in overtime.
“Obviously when you got one goal in 9 games, it feels like they’re obviously not going in, and, and I feel like I was getting good chances,” Strome said. “I think you gotta worry when you’re not getting the chances.
“So even the 1st period, for, a great chance in the slot and goalie makes a great save, and I’m just like, you know, is this gonna go on the whole year? Luckily, I got a couple good bounces after that and found a way to get on the score sheets. So it was nice.”
Kyrou picked up a pair of assists on the first two Washington goals, pushing him to 8 points on the year as well, with 2 goals and 6 assists, including a four-game point streak.
The Capitals also saw the return of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Sourdif to the lineup, so while the defense was down and Vincent Desharnais and acquiring Jack St. Ivany off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets to fill in the depth, the attack was back to full strength.
Adjustments still needed
Defensively the Capitals left a lot of work for their goaltender, so while he shouldered a lot of the blame Washington was giving up Grade A chances. The Caps continue to make unforced errors in their own zone and generating chances for the opposition.
Washington is off until Wednesday when they host the Philadelphia Flyers to end the five-game homestand. The Capitals, 6-4-0 overall, 3-1-0 in the last four, will head to Nashville after for the second stop on Alex Ovechkin’s farewell tour.
Home › Forums › Capitals: Takeaways from Buffalo Win