Devils beat Caps 3-2 (SO) despite valiant comeback

The Washington Capitals did little to change the narrative on Saturday night, losing in the shootout to the New Jersey Devils.

The Caps kicked off the night with three consecutive penalties. Rookie Arseny Gritsyuk (7 out of 10 hockey name, very strong) beat Logan Thompson on the middle penalty. Luke Hughes, the last surviving Hughes brother, got a little fortunate to make it 2-0 Devils after one period. The second period was better but didn’t change the scoreboard.

One minute into the third period, Connor McMichael received a great pass from Ovechkin to score from up front. It was the man himself who tied the game with 11 minutes left. That earned the Caps one point, but overtime didn’t render a decision.

Shootout bullets!

• Strome put the biscuit in the basket!
• Cotter did not put the biscuit in the basket.
• Beauvillier did not put the biscuit in the basket.
• Bratt put the biscuit in the basket! (Nasty shot.)
• McMichael did not put the biscuit in the basket.
• Gritsyuk did not put the biscuit in the basket.
• Ovechkin did not put the biscuit in the basket.
• Nemec put the biscuit in the basket.

Caps lose.

• A team struggling mightily with special teams committed three unanswered penalties in the first seven minutes. Maybe one of those was a dive. In any case, the Caps need to tighten up immediately.
• Jesper Bratt hooked Martin Fehervary (no call), causing the latter to crash into the boards and miss a few shifts. In reply, after the Hughes goal, Ovechkin said hello to Bratt.
• Caps legend Mike Green was at the game. I’ll quote DrKat, our friend, who also provided our recap photo above: “I feel bad for Mike Green. He’s had a ton of people bug him. But goddamn his hair is [effing] fantastic.”
• Spencer Carbery conducted an experiment, putting Justin Sourdif on the second line. It went like we all thought it would: real good if you don’t think about scoring goals. His line with Wilson and Protas was on attack a lot without much to show for it. Sourdif easily surpassed his season-high in ice time.
• Connor McMichael scored his first goal since October 24. He had just one assist in the nine games between then and this brilliant pass from Alex Ovechkin, who has still got 
  it.
• No, I mean it. Alex Ovechkin scored goal 902 by working hard in the slot and out-maneuvering Luke Hughes. He was splayed on the ice just seconds earlier. I love everything about how and where he played that.
• I don’t think this is a thing, but according to whatever the RSSSF is, Cristiano Ronaldo has 956 career goals. So Ovi is just 54 behind. This is the New Chase. There will be a big promotion campaign, I’m sure.
• (14,586 behind Lebron.)
• Mark Rivera, saxophonist for Billy Joel, was also childhood pals with Ted Leonsis. Mark did Ted a solid by playing the anthem tonight. He was great, but this is just my excuse to say I don’t really like Billy Joel. You can get mad at me, but you’re more mad about the Caps. “Movin’ Out” is his best song.
• Just one power play for Washington. Small favors.
• That was a fun overtime. Lots of big plays and big saves at both ends of the ice. Sheldon Keefe detected that fans were having a good time. He called timeout and put a stop to it.

Comeback aside, this game changed nothing in my mind. The Caps are a very good, very flawed team. They need to climb the standings soon.

Next week the Caps will host their weird cousins from out west: the Kings and Oilers, one of whom is looking real good and the other one will invariably eliminate them in the first round.

Will Anderson Jr. Knows Texans Can’t Ignore Titans QB Cam Ward

The last time the Houston Texans matched up against the Tennessee Titans this season, it resulted in a commanding 26-0 shutout in favor of the Texans for their first win of the year, effectively silencing the number-one overall pick Cam Ward in the process of that dominant effort.

But heading into the Texans' second meeting vs. Tennessee, Ward certainly isn't being overlooked. The top pick has gotten a few more weeks of experience under his belt, has shown flashes of being a positive playmaker despite the Titans' dysfunction, and might be the saving grace that keeps this weekend's matchup a bit more competitive than last time.

That's why for Texans star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., keeping Ward contained and under duress will be a key for their Week 11 matchup on the horizon.

He's the number one overall pick for a reason," Anderson said of Cam Ward. "think it's ability to use his legs, roll out the pocket, get in space, make plays down the field. "

"When he has time, he's really, really good. So first, it will just be containing him, but man, he has a arm on him, he can move, and I think that's what makes him really great."

Will Anderson Jr. Won't Be Overlooking Cam Ward

Anderson and the Texans defense had a clear answer for Ward in their first time facing up against him in Week 4.

Ward finished the day completing just 10 of 26 passes, a season-low 108 yards, logged one interception and was sacked twice that paired together for a nightmarish shutout from the Titans offensive attack.

Now fast forward seven weeks later, the landscape for what this game will hold looks a bit different for both sides.

The Titans parted ways with head coach Brian Callahan to now be led by interim Mike McCoy, while the Texans won't be without their own starting signal caller as C.J. Stroud misses his second game of the year.

However, the same elite Houston pass rush will be in the face of Ward to make his day a bit more difficult, which for Anderson, will be a key for their overall success.

Houston's pass rush also happens to come fresh off one of their best performances of the year thus far, putting together five total sacks on Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, led out by a career-best 3.5 from Danielle Hunter, and of course, capitalized on it with a 19-0 comeback in the fourth quarter for win number four this season.

The Texans' defense could be what controls the pace of the game once again for this divisional matchup as it did earlier this season. If it does, that prowess could be the driving force behind Houston finally elevating to a .500 record.

 

 

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