📸: Eva from YCDT, my fave podcast
The Washington Capitals wrapped up the work week with a workman-like win over the Chicago Blackhawks. My advice for pro hockey teams is, if you can, try to infect the other team’s goalies with the flu.
The Caps took an early lead when the Hawks failed to clock Anthony Beauvillier at the goal mouth. Connor McMichael, the best Connor in the game, doubled the lead with a breakaway goal that we’ll discuss below. Ethan Frank made it 3-0 heading into the first intermission.
Oliver Moore put the Blackhawks on the scoreboard with a brilliant shot to beat Logan Thompson. Justin Sourdif stayed hot by crashing the net. 4-1 after two periods.
Alex Ovechkin did it himself on a rush play to make it 5-1.
Caps win! Bailamos!
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The flu is going around, you guys. Goalies Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom are both down and out (north and south?), so the team called up Drew Commesso. I’d say that was their first mistake, but their first mistake was lack of PPE in an era of declining public health.
Commesso gave up three goals on the first seven shots he faced. That was the game right there.
With Knight and Soderblom AFK, and the call-up on the ice, that meant we had a treat: EBUG!
Connor Bedard, Team Canada snub, returned to play after missing time with a shoulder injury. He was fine. Second best Connor in this game’s Connor power rankings.
Okay, that’s enough about the Hawks.
I’ve seen Connor McMichael get a semi-break many times in the last two seasons, and I have to rack my brain to think of a time he finished one of those chances. On Friday he did: five-hole.
Another crackerjack game from Justin Sourdif. He scored the purest kind of hockey goal: uh, just get up in there and whack at it. Then he drew a penalty with this clean hit.
Sourdif has speed, he’s won battles, he’s made good passes, and it’s infectious how happy he is to be here. But now he’s added scoring and rabble-rousing to the kit. Love it.
What I wished for was Alex Ovechkin to score on Commesso to add him to the list, and then that goal forces Blashill to play the EBUG, and then Alex Ovechkin scores on him to add him to the list. I got half that. Ovechkin has 19 goals, goals in three straight, and 916 in his career – not counting shootout goals, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that.
Look the hell out. It’s Friday night and Joe is wearing a three-piece #joebsuitofthenight
— RMNB (@rmnb.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T01:06:51.179Z
We needed a game like this after that disappointment with Dallas. Chicago kinda has nothing going for them except for a good PK and the hope that Bedard can regain his form.
Preds on Sunday. I know they look like trash, but they’re a sneaky team. If they can finish some shots and get some saves, everything else they’ve got is pretty okay.