Mistakes Galore: Capitals drop an ugly game to Predators 5-4
With captain Alex Ovechkin returning from suspension, the Capitals took the ice Wednesday looking to string together a nice post All-Star break winning streak. The opponent? The underachieving Nashville Predators. Nashville came into Washington for the primetime game with a barely-above .500 record, stumbling out of the gate, costing longtime head coach Peter Laviolette his job.
Braden Holtby took the crease for Washington, looking to kick off the second half of the season on a bright note, following a first half 19-10 record and a sub .900 save percentage that left many wondering if rookie netminder Ilya Samsonov was more suited for the starting gig.
1st Period
The Capitals jumped out in front early. A Richard Panik wrist shot beat Predators goalie Juuse Saros over the left shoulder.
Nashville responded less than 2 minutes later. Filip Forsberg found Jared Tinordi at the blue line, who bombed one through Holtby to even things up.
The Predators added to their lead minutes later on the power play, with Mikael Granlund depositing a lay-up past Holtby on the doorstep.
Rocco Grimaldi extended their lead to two with a semi-breakaway that beat Holtby five-hole.
2nd Period
Ovechkin was gifted the easiest goal of his career. Saros misplayed the puck behind his net, and it found Ovi’s stick for his first tally post All-Star break.
Washington tied it up on a Nashville own goal…(no that is not a typo).
Tom Wilson put the Capitals up 4-3 on a power play goal off of another lucky bounce. Nashville’s clearing attempt while killing the penalty ricocheted off of Ovechkin, and found the blade of Eller, and Wilson tapped home the rebound.
3rd Period
The Preds tied this up with a Ryan Johanson shorthanded goal that had absolutely no business going in the net. We’ll talk about that in a minute.
Yannick Weber scored the final tally for Nashville off of a funky bounce, hammering the proverbial nail in the Capitals coffin.
Quick Thoughts
- The defense was miserable in this game. John Carlson looked unengaged. Kempny had a litany of mistakes, and Seigenthaler looked like he needs time in the AHL.
- On the other hand, I thought Nick Jensen had his best performance as a Capital. He was all over the place, jumping into the play, and cutting off passing and shooting lanes with his speed. Well done.
- Ovechkin scored goal number 693, moving him past Steve Yzerman for 9th all-time. Don’t stop appreciating the history we are watching with Ovi. He is on a historic pace.
- I liked the 3rd and 4th lines in this game. That has been a welcome surprise this season, and it makes the Capitals difficult to play against.
- Kuznetsov = not great, Bob! It’s getting harder to watch him skate into the offensive zone, make a move, turn it over, and then completely disengage.
Alright… *takes a deep breath, cracks knuckles, takes a shot of something strong* who’s ready to talk about Braden Holtby? When talking to other writers on the staff, we argued about where we should stand regarding Holtby, and two different opinions arose:
1) Braden Holtby is a beloved member of the organization. By no means should we critique or become overly critical of the man who made, “The Save,” and lifted us to our first Stanley Cup.
2) The other portion thought that it’s clear his play has diminished to the point where he is a detriment to the efforts to win a second Cup.
We discussed his potential to be a viable starter for the Capitals for this season, whether his career accolades could garner trade interest, and how he projects performance-wise the rest of the year.
Putting that aside for a second, two things remain. 1) Holtby is a member of the most successful franchise in the NHL over the past decade, as well as the DC Metro area (don’t hurt me, Ravens fans). 2) It is nearly a given that Holtby will not be a Capital after this season due to salary cap restraints. Both are true, and frankly, that’s okay.
When the Capitals drafted Samsonov back in 2015, they had this exact scenario in mind. And that investment has paid off. Samsonov is 15-2. He has a save percentage of .927. This season, he has taken the mantle as the franchise goalie and he has run with it.
The criticism I have for Holtby’s performance both last night, where he let in at least 2 soft goals, does not belittle the joy I have for him as a player. As others on the staff noted, he won us a cup. But..the question of whether or not Holtby is even capable of filling in when needed has to be haunting the Washington locker room, Holtby himself, the front office, and fans.
From 2012, and the eight seasons that have followed it, Braden has grown from unproven and cocky to accomplished and celebrated.
But as Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie, and others grow older, I keep wondering how long they can keep leading this team. Young stars like Wilson, Vrana, and Kuznetsov have supported the core well. General Manager Brian McClellan has done a masterful job of building both defensive and offensive depth. This year is no exception. The Capitals have never had a better 4th line.
As we enter the twilight years of the Ovi-Backstrom era, I hope for just one more Cup. Ovechkin and Backstrom’s legacy deserves one. They don’t need one. They’re both first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. No doubt. But God, seeing them hoist one more would shut up a lot of folks that questioned them over the years. But Holtby’s performance is a gigantic question mark, given Samsonov’s lack of playoff experience.
Braden needs to be better. He has to be better. If Samsonov stumbles, Holtby will be asked to answer the bell. So here’s to hoping, and praying for the cocky upstart that stared down defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. The man who made the Save. The Capitals could use that guy right about now.
