The Washington Capitals delivered maybe their most entertaining game of the season in a home-ice win over the Anaheim Ducks. But we\u2019ll remember this game as Justin Sourdif\u2019s big night.<\/p>\n
Chris Kreider, nominal Caps-killer, struck first after a great pass from Olen Zellweger. Then came the first Justin Sourdif goal \u2013 a great setup from Connor McMichael. Sourdif followed it up with a gorgeous shot to make it 2-1.<\/p>\n
Enter an eventful second period, which Ryan Leonard began by tucking a goal made possible by Sourdif winning a board battle. Speaking of \u2013 the man of the hour didn\u2019t want to share the spotlight; he completed the hat trick 90 seconds later at the end of a great passing sequence. Alex Ovechkin scored career no. 913, but then the Ducks came clawing back. Alex Killorn got gifted a goal by Dylan McIlrath\u2019s turnover, then \u2013 goodness gracious \u2013 even Jacob Trouba was able to score.<\/p>\n
Beckett Sennecke (good hockey name, even better The Gilded Age character name) brought the Ducks within one with a pretty shot while falling to the ice. John Carlson got a long-range empty-netter, and then Ovi got one too.<\/p>\n
Caps win!<\/p>\n
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More Info<\/a><\/p>\n I needed this one. The last couple weeks of Caps hockey have been punishing. This game was a delight. A messy delight, but I\u2019ll take it.<\/p>\n Justin Sourdif becomes first Capitals rookie to record a hat trick since Alex Ovechkin did so against the Ducks in 2006<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Rookie Justin Sourdif, 23, has arrived. He had two points in two of the last three games, and those were just a modest prologue to this performance. He scored three goals \u2013 his first career hat trick \u2013 and added two assists. Like I said in October<\/a>, Vive la sourdiff\u00e9rence.\u00a0We all have our faves sometimes, and the thing about the random-number generator that is sports is that eventually we\u2019re all made sages and fools if we say anything at all. I wrote the Orpikalypse Test<\/a>. Being wrong on that was one of the best things ever to happen to me. Enjoy the ride. There aren\u2019t a lot of penalty shots in the NHL. There should be more. But there should not be two in one period. John Carlson couldn\u2019t keep up with Ryan Strome \u2013 I get it: it\u2019s not 2012 anymore; the legs are gone. Ryan Leonard drew the same call, a hook from behind, from Olen Zellweger. Whiffed. Cash Rules Everything Around Beninati #joebsuitofthenight<\/p>\n \u2014 RMNB (@rmnb.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-01-06T00:03:23.583Z<\/a><\/p>\n Defense: optional. Whatever the team did right, they undid it with careless passing and handling. That\u2019s the only way you can have a goal explosion and still only slightly eke out the win.<\/p>\n But consider this \u2013<\/p>\n Core forwards: unavailable. Without Protas, Wilson, and Dubois, we should have lowered our expectations for goal-scoring. But the hockey gods \u2013 or reality-simulation-hockey-rng.py \u2013 decided this was the night when Justin Sourdif becomes a legend. He\u2019ll remember this one forever, and so too will Ian.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t
\nActully, I think Sourdif\u2019s assist was even more impressive than his goals<\/a>. He fended off both Jacob Trouba and Leo Carlsson along the boards long enough to find Leonard waiting by the net.<\/p>\n
\nThe RMNB Discord \u2013 open to everyone who is a $10 subscriber<\/a> AND who is usually really mean to me \u2013 took bets on when Dylan McIlrath would fight Jacob Trouba. He didn\u2019t, but McIlrath did get in a different fight, and thus Dr. Kat wins the betting pool. The prize is she gets to be mean to me even more than usual. (Update: There is controversy on the winner. It might have been Late Stage Capitals. I will keep you posted because I know you want to know.) (Update to the update: I am now in trouble for saying it \u201cmight have been\u201d LSC. It was LSC. I am sorry. This is the final update.)
\nMcIlrath\u2019s more notable contribution was that turnover. From behind his own goal line, he just sorta handed it to Ross Johnston. He got three short shifts in the third period.
\nAlex Ovechkin scored twice. Says something about this game that this is the 75th bullet in the recap. Ovi\u2019s got 17 on the season.<\/p>\n
\nAt some point in the third, Craig Laughlin observed that two Ducks players were \u201cminus-seven combined.\u201d Aaaaaaarghhh<\/a><\/p>\n