The Washington Capitals snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Monday night. After a disastrous second period, the Capitals rallied with four unanswered goals in the third period to pull off a 6-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
The Capitals took a 2-1 lead eight seconds into the second period. However, the Canucks responded with three straight goals. The first and second were 11 seconds apart.
Canucks center Bo Hovart deposited a rebound past Capitals netminder Darcy Kuemper to tie the game at 2-2. Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette appeared set to challenge if Vancouver was onside. However, he opted against it.
The decision proved costly as Canucks forward Curtis Lazar beat Kuemper 11 seconds later to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead midway through the second.
Vancouver added to take a 4-2 lead into the second intermission.
Washington came out in the third period ready to respond, and the club did so. The Capitals piled on four goals in impressive fashion.
First, Dylan Strome scored his first goal as a member of the Capitals 1:16 into the third period.
Just over seven minutes later, Capitals defenseman John Carlson added the equalizer.
Then, 12:44 into the period, Alex Ovechkin, who scored the game’s first goal, threaded the needle to find Conor Sheary for Sheary’s third goal of the season that proved to be the go-ahead score for Washington.
Leading 5-4, Ovechkin put a bow on the night with his second goal of the game and season. Ovechkin redirected a slap pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov for career goal No. 782.
“We were kinda pissed with what happened n the second, and it was a great response by everybody,” Ovechkin said, per The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir. “You can see when we play the right way. It doesn’t matter what kind of score. We can always bounce back and win the game.”
Ovechkin finished with two goals and two assists. Kuznetsov had three assists.
The Capitals defense bounced back from a horrid second. It took Vancouver more than five minutes into the third period to manage a shot on goal. The Canucks had just four shots on goal throughout the third.
The win improved the Capitals to 2-2. Meanwhile, the Canucks remain winless at 0-3. Vancouver head coach Bruce Boudreau acknowledged the team had a players-only meeting.
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