The Washington Capitals were unrested as they took on the Edmonton Oilers on the road. Despite that, and despite an unbearable first period, they managed a solid performance, earning but blowing several leads before falling in overtime to the undisputed greatest Connor Mc on Earth.
Evan Bouchard mercifully ended a long, agonizing shift for the Capitals by giving the Oilers a 1-0 lead. That lead survived 22 seconds, until Aliaksei Protas made his team’s one shot of the period count.
Bouchard struck again in the second period, a wristshot that blew Charlie Lindgren‘s glove clean off. Justin Sourdif responded with a stunning solo effort. Anthony Beauvillier caught Edmonton goalie Connor Ingram cheating and punished him for it. The Caps took a 3-2 lead to the second intermission.
Evan Bouchard completed his hat trick during four-on-four hockey in the third, when, whoops, nobody covered him. Dylan Strome restored Washington’s lead with a wristshot on the power play aided by Tom Wilson’s screen up front. With their umpteenth power play, Connor McDavid tied the game on a modest shot. Alas, the greater Connor Mc, Connor McMichael, put the Caps ahead on a power play, but Zach Hyman tied it up with an extra skater.
McDavid won it by himself in overtime.
Caps lose.
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19:34. That was the elapsed time when the Capitals recorded their first shot on goal of the game. It was a scandalously bad first period, or it would have been if not for so many other scandalously bad first periods reducing the scandalousness by comparison, or if not for that one shot being a goal – and a well-timed one, just one shift after Bouchard’s goal.
Rasmus Sandin had an eventful shift at the end of the first period. He crashed into the boards after a hit from Curtis Lazar, and then he threw his body in front of Ty Emberson’s puck. I think it was the second one that injured him. He was unable to return in the second period.
Justin Sourdif scored his 11th goal of the season with this clever, confident shot. He had Ingram utterly fooled. Sourdif was also in the mix on Protas’s goal in the first period, plus he made Protas’s goal in Calgary happen, so it’s been a nice little weekend for the rookie.
The Sourdif goal and then some sus positioning against Anthony Beauvillier earned Connor Ingram the hook. In my opinion, he should have been pulled after he failed to make a single save in the first period. Tristan Jarry, acquired for Stuart Skinner in whatever the hell that trade was, came on in relief.
The refs were busy in the third. The Caps took a too-many-uncs penalty into the period, which overlapped with a Chychrun trip. Then Sourdif drew a double-minor from a high stick, which Tom Wilson immediately spoiled with a casual trip. That ensuing four-on-four was when the Caps defense faltered and Bouchard got his third goal of the game.
That’s the first hat trick for Evan Bouchard in his 400th career game. Wildly underappreciated player.
The Caps got busted for six penalties, compared to three for the Oilers. That’s an odd ratio considering the Caps had the puck a lot after the first period, and it’s a bad ratio because the Oilers’ power play is ranked first, 25 spots higher than the Caps’. No disrespect to the Strome goal, but every other moment of Caps PP time is agony for me and everyone around me.
It’s been a lean month for the Caps. Their five goals tonight/this morning has been beaten just once: when they scored seven on Anaheim on the 5th. All but three have had three goals or less. This reminds me that I still haven’t taken our Christmas lights down.
The Oilers’ play with an empty net is demonic. The Caps were gassed for a full minute before Hyman finally beat Lindgren.
Speaking of: Are we sure that was a great game by Charlie?
Hendrix Lapierre ice-time check: 6:34. I’m guess I’m still doing this bit even though he scored on Friday? He got super-glued to the bench in the third even though he got an assist on the Sourdif goal.
two connors mc enterone connor mc leaves#joebsuitofthenight
— RMNB (@rmnb.bsky.social) 2026-01-25T03:04:00.952Z
The last time the Capitals had back-to-back wins was December 3, when they trounced the Sharks to take first place in the conference. Feels like another universe now.
We were half a minute away from returning to that universe, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Caps still can’t strings wins together, but at least they got the standings point. If I hadn’t known the Caps would have the lead several times in this game and if you said, will you settle for one loser point? I’d say yeah and would have been in bed hours ago.
If you’re in the DMV area or are one of the other 100 million Americans facing this ice storm, please take care. Be like me: do nearly nothing on Sunday. Wait until your neighbor is almost done shoveling your walk because he’s such a nice guy and then you come out in all your snow gear and make a big show of “aw man, you got to it before I could!” That one always works.