Just like that, Washington’s optimism was hovering once more. Oshie’s aim at 10:37 of the third interval held up because the winner Tuesday evening in a 4-2 Game 1 victory towards the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers at FLA Live Arena. Evgeny Kuznetsov had scored lower than three minutes earlier, which means Florida had coughed up a 2-1 lead getting into the ultimate interval. Lars Eller produced the ultimate score on an empty-netter with lower than a minute left.
Florida, the Atlantic Division champion and the heavy favourite on this Eastern Conference first-round matchup, gave away home-ice benefit and all of the sudden is on its heels. And Washington, with Vitek Vanecek (30 saves) holding down the fort within the crease, has taken management regardless of being a large underdog.
Kuznetsov tied the score at 2 with a clean breakaway transfer that beat Bobrovsky with 11:46 left. Kuznetsov, a dominant performer within the Capitals’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2018 who has struggled within the postseason since, was arrange by Alex Ovechkin, who stripped Panthers defender MacKenzie Weegar on the Florida blue line.
Ovechkin made a victorious return to the lineup after lacking the ultimate three video games of the common season with an upper-body harm. He skated 17:36 and put 4 pictures on aim.
The Capitals appeared useless within the water earlier than Kuznetsov’s aim, trailing 2-1 after the Panthers supplied a powerful reply to Tom Wilson’s opening tally at 3:47 of the primary. Sam Bennett obtained a while and house up the center of the ice and ripped a snipe from the excessive slot past Vanecek at 17:55, a deflating aim to finish a strong interval for Washington. Florida moved forward simply 43 seconds into the second: Claude Giroux gathered a juicy rebound together with his left skate earlier than he swiped it past Vanecek.
Kuznetsov and Oshie made that aim inconsequential, and the Capitals will strive to lengthen their series lead in Game 2 right here Thursday evening.
They might have to accomplish that with out Wilson, who was injured on the shift after his aim — a power-play bullet off a Bobrovsky rebound following an Anthony Mantha shot. It was not instantly clear how Wilson obtained harm, however he took the worst of successful he tried to throw on Weegar alongside the boards. Wilson didn’t play after that, recording solely 91 seconds of ice time on the evening.
If Wilson, who had a profession 12 months, can’t play Thursday, the Capitals are probably to flip to a rookie — Connor McMichael or Axel Jonsson-Fjallby — to fill his spot within the lineup. Neither has performed in a Stanley Cup playoff recreation.
The Capitals, who began the postseason on the street for the primary time in 10 years, had a strong recreation plan for this matchup. They have been defense-first to counteract the high-octane Panthers’ pace. Bobrovsky, who hasn’t fared significantly nicely towards the Capitals, was spectacular whereas racking up 34 saves, however he couldn’t make the important thing stops late.
In the opposite internet, Capitals Coach Peter Laviolette nonetheless has a call to make for Game 2. Washington’s goaltending points have taken middle stage all season, with Laviolette’s choice between Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov for Game 1 one thing shut to a coin flip. The goalies cut up begins within the common season, and each had stretches once they appeared able to being the long-term reply — and each had troublesome patches once they appeared something however.
Laviolette stated Tuesday morning that he gave Vanecek the primary crack on the Panthers as a result of his “body of work” was higher than Samsonov’s. Vanecek began Game 1 of the postseason final 12 months towards Boston however was harm early in Game 1 and didn’t return because the Capitals fell in 5 video games.
It wouldn’t be a shock if each groups performed two goalies within the series: 21-year-old Spencer Knight, a 2019 first-round decide, is Bobrovsky’s backup.
