Capitals Conquer Nashville: Takeaways

Capitals fans: Sgn up at https://Betalytics.com for your no strings 5-day trial. Use Promo Code: HHS to receive a 50% special Fall discount. Plans start from $9.99/mo.

While most of the Capitals season has been played at home, Washington pulled off a road win their first game played out of the Eastern Time Zone with a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators, thanks to Cole Hutson’s first multi-goal game in the NHL and Alex Tuch’s third-period goal.

Hutson surpassed last year’s goal total with his third and fourth of the year, after scoring 3 in 14 games after being signed out of Boston University last season. Both goals put on display the 20-year-old’s deadly shot, one from a sharp angle and another off the crossbar.

Hutson also has thrived with new partner Jack St. Ivany, who continues to impress as a waiver claim, picking up a pair of assists again with helpers on the goals, bringing his total to 4 in 2 games with the Capitals. St. Ivany, who has 13 career points in 59 games, is just three shy of his career-high set in Pittsburgh last season.

Tuch stays hot for Capitals

Alex Tuch continued his torrid start to the year, notching his 10th goal – with 5 game-winners – in just 12 games, and moving him into a third-place tie in the league for goal-scoring.

“I mean, some of those are a little lucky,” Tuch said on his game-winning string. “Some of them are, I don’t know, the opponent gets a late goal or something like that.

“But, no, I think our whole group’s just been rolling. I’ve been able to cash in in a couple goals. My line mates have been unbelievable and then play with a bunch of different guys this year and we just keep on pressing and I think everyone’s kind of building chemistry with one another because we’re kind of playing the same way.”


Former Capitals coach Barry Trotz got inducted into the Nashville Predators’ Golden Hall before the game, with the entire Caps bench watching the ceremony and Alex Ovechkin taking a ceremonial face off.

Ovechkin himself got a loud ovation when he was recognized in the first period, as it is the captain’s final scheduled game in Nashville, the second of 32 scheduled last stops this season.

Nashville took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play with 7:12 left in the first, with Filip Forsberg’s shot getting past Charlie Lindgren for a 1-0 lead just before the penalty was set to expire.

”I thought we did such a good job,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “We deserve to kill that off. We just get a little bit unfortunate with the clear at the end, but we defended it really well, we did a good job.”

Hutson surprised himself

However, Hutson tied it with an impressive shot along the goal line, rifling it past Jusse Saros for the equalizer.

“I didn’t really expect that to go in,” Hutson said afterwards. “So I’m pretty shocked at the start, but definitely felt good, yeah.”

Boone Jenner gave the Caps their first lead of the night with 3:47 gone in the second, just beating Saros with traffic in front.

The lead was short lived, as Forsberg snuck behind the Capitals defense and deked in front of Lindgren for his second of the night.

But Hutson answered for Washington, sneaking in and beating Saros under the crossbar for the lead with Jack St. Ivany picking up his second assist of the night.

“He was unbelievable.” Tuch said of Hutson. “A lot of pop. I thought [he was] skating really well, his position is always there, but I mean, it is tough in the back to back. So to do it that young, it’s pretty impressive.”

The hosts tied it back up with just over 13 minutes left in regulation, with Ross Colton poking the puck in off a scramble in front.

Tuch capped the night for Washington putting a Kyrou feed past Saros with 9:51 to play.

“We’re playing together, supporting each other, and, um, no, it’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “Just want to keep it going. Just want to keep winning games because that’s the best part of it all.”

The win moves Washington to 8-4-0 overall, and 2-2-0 away from home.

Washington returns to Capital One Arena for another homestand starting Sunday, with the Minnesota Wild in town. By the time the homestand ends Saturday, the Capitals will have played 11 of 15 at home so far this season.