Washington upsets the Islanders 5 to 1 in Belmont Park
Game Summary – Event Summary – Shot Summary – Face-off Summary – Play By Play – Home TOI – Visitor TOI – HockeyViz – Money Puck – Natural Stat Trick
In an outing the Capitals had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive they delivered, downing the Islanders in regulation to gain ground in the wildcard race.
Here’s Saturday night’s Plus/Minus:
Plus: Another three assist Rasmus Sandin outing – incredible stuff.
Minus: One bad bounce cost Darcy Kuemper a shutout.
More notes on the game:
- The Islanders jumped to a lead five minutes into the contest. While doing his best to defend Alexander Alexeyev’s stick shaft slapped the biscuit behind a sliding Kuemper. New York’s Pierre Engvall was credited with the goal.
- One minute later though Washington equalizer the score. Dylan Strome ripped a high shot up and over Semyon Varlamov’s right shoulder.
- Sandin provided the primary assist on Strome’s tally with a deft backhanded pass that landed right on the goal scorer’s tape.
- In the final minute of the first frame T.J. Oshie put the Capitals ahead. Skating through the slot with his stick on the ice Sandin delivered the puck to Oshie’s blade for an easy tap in.
- Both teams registered eight shots in the second period. Neither club connected with any of their chances.
- Early in the third Anthony Mantha extended Washington’s lead to two. He and Alex Ovechkin were atop the crease with the man advantage, eventually stuffing the puck home from five feet out.
- Nic Dowd joined the offensive party next, ripping home a slap shot for his 11th goal of the season.
- Nicklas Backstrom then completed the scoring by deflecting Sandin’s point shot past Varlamov’s glove.