|
 Left winger Jason Chimera, right winger Tom Wilson and center Marcus
Johansson each potted goals as Washington became the first team in
NHL history to win 39 of its first 52 games, dumping the Nashville
Predators 5-3 at sold-out Bridgestone Arena.
"We want to score and make the most of every opportunity," Wilson
said. "We're really hard on ourselves. It's nice to have guys
chipping in from every different line. That's what this team has."
In upping their record to 39-9-4, the Capitals took advantage of
Nashville mistakes on their first two goals, then struck for two
more in a three-minute stretch of the third period that gave them
the necessary cushion to hold off a frantic Predators rally.
The Chimera-Wilson-Johansson line combined for six points and a
plus-7 rating as their fingerprints were all over a game in which
Nashville (25-21-8) carried play for some lengthy stretches but
never played from in front.
Chimera's tap-in goal from the left post at 12:02 of the first
period set the game's tone. After the Predators outshot Washington
9-1 to open the game, defenseman Shea Weber gave the puck away at
the blue line. Wilson pounced on it and gave Chimera a meaty
centering pass from the right wing for his 14th goal.
Wilson then tallied his fifth goal at 4:55 of the second period on a
one-timer off a good cross-ice feed from Johansson, making it 2-0.
"An unbelievable pass," Wilson said. "We've got so many good players
in this locker room."
That depth showed in the short third-period stretch that Washington
coach Barry Trotz said was his team's best of the night. The lead
down to 2-1 after Nashville left winger Filip Forsberg's wrister at
14:42 of the second period, but the Capitals responded emphatically.
Right winger Justin Williams swiped home his 17th goal off a
scramble directly in front of the crease at 5:00 of the third
period. Johansson tacked on his 14th, jumping on the rebound of a
Williams shot and making it 4-1 at 8:03.
"We made simple plays and took advantage of their mistakes,"
Johansson said.
Those goals became huge when the Predators lashed together a
comeback that threatened Washington's 29-0-1 mark when leading after
two periods, scoring twice in just over two minutes to energize the
audience of 17,113.
Defenseman Roman Josi's wrister from the point caromed off a
Capitals defender and beat Washington goalie Braden Holtby at 9:49,
Josi's 11th marker.
[to top of second column] |
Forsberg then got his stick on a point wrister from defenseman
Mattias Ekholm for his second goal of the game and 17th of the
season at 12:00.
That was Nashville's final shot on net. Center Craig Smith missed
wide on a point-blank backhander with 4:26 left. Chimera, Wilson and
Johansson kept the puck in the Predators' zone for 45 seconds late
in the game, preventing Nashville from being able to bring on a
sixth attacker, and Ekholm took a tripping minor at 18:37.
Left winger Alex Ovechkin administered the killing blow with a
power-play empty-netter at 19:00, his 31st goal, sealing Trotz's
first win against the team he coached for the first 15 years of its
existence before he was fired in April 2014.
"Yeah, it is," Trotz said when asked if his first win in Nashville
as a visiting coach was special. "I'm not going to lie. Last year
was very uncomfortable coming back. I didn't want to say it then,
but I can say it now."
As for Trotz's old team, it was a disappointing result to an
unsatisfying 1-3-0 homestand that denied the Predators a chance to
pick up some cushion on teams chasing them for the final Western
Conference playoff spot.
"We left a lot of points on the table," Predators coach Peter
Laviolette said. "We've been chasing the game the last few games,
and it's a more difficult way to play."
Holtby (34-5-3) recorded 23 saves, while Nashville goalie Pekka
Rinne (20-18-7) made 18 saves on 22 shots.
NOTES: Washington LW Marcus Johansson returned to the lineup Tuesday
night after missing the previous four games due to injury. ...
Nashville LW Colin Wilson (lower-body injury) was activated from
injured reserve after sitting out the previous 12 games. ... RW
Stanislav Gailev was the only healthy Capitals scratch. ... The
Predators scratched D Petter Granberg and LW Austin Watson.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
