Capitals-Maple Leafs Stanley Cup playoffs Game 2: Best and worst

July 20, 2024

Here are the best and worst moments from Game 2 of the Capitals’ first-round playoff series against the Maple Leafs on Thursday at Verizon Center.

Worst gut punch: It took nearly 32 minutes of overtime hockey, but it was Toronto that landed the decisive jab Saturday night. Capitals fans withstood repeated reminders that the Metro would, in fact, close by midnight — and no later — in hopes of seeing a second game-winning goal in as many contests. But this time, it was the Maple Leafs that skated off the Verizon Center ice with extra pep, having claimed the 4-3 victory thanks to a goal from Kasperi Kapanen in the second overtime.

Best thing: Free hockey. For the second game in a row, the Capitals and the Maple Leafs are going to overtime. Washington has now needed extra time in four of its past five playoff contests, and seven of their previous eight postseason games were decided by one goal. Tom Wilson sent Verizon Center home happy Saturday night; can the Capitals muster more magic?

Worst agita: The Capitals and the Maple Leafs played a second overtime, but it’s certainly was not for a lack of trying. The teams combined for 23 shots on goal in the first overtime period, with Toronto holding a three-shot advantage. Not to mention, the Capitals caught a lucky break after Braden Holtby earned a slashing call with 2:46 left in the period. With Ovechkin sitting in the box for the goaltender, the Maple Leafs could not push through.

It was enough to send the old blood pressure skyrocketing. Unless, of course, you took public transportation to the game.

Best (legal) hit: Sometimes on the ice, you run into a wall. And sometimes, that wall is the 6-foot-3, 221-pound Brooks Orpik. Mitch Marner’s pursuit of the puck was valiant but ultimately fruitless. And overtime rolls on.

Best backdoor goal: Finally, the shift paid off. After the Capitals missed chance after chance to tie the game at three over the first 13 minutes of the third period, Washington shifted into the offensive zone for more than a minute. It resulted in an open crease on the left side of the goal, which Nicklas Backstrom squeezed into before finishing the equalizer. Deep. Breaths.

It's never been so loud in here.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 16, 2017

Best save: Shortly after Alex Ovechkin’s goal, the Maple Leafs had a golden opportunity to get back on top in the form of William Nylander. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby used his left pad to stop Nylander’s effort, however, and shortly thereafter a messy scrum ensued in back of the net.

The Caps are treating anyone near Holtby after a whistle like it's a parking lot outside a crappy bar at 2am and someone touched their car

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) April 16, 2017

Worst timing: There’s no good time for a penalty, but Dmitry Orlov being called for tripping with 31.2 seconds left in the second period of a tied game proved disheartening. Toronto quickly capitalized as Morgan Rielly ripped a wrist shot through a sizable scrum to put the Maple Leafs back on top with 13.1 seconds left in the frame.

With two periods down and one to go, the Caps were forced to play from behind yet again. Things got a little nerve-wracking.

Best prank: Things are getting tense at Verizon Center. The second period saw four goals, two lead changes and one brutal-looking injury (feel better, Roman Polak.) In the midst of it all, Justin Williams had some playful fun, tipping Leo Komarov’s helmet from behind in the seconds before a face off.

Got to stay loose when things are so tight, right?

Best bounceback: The good vibes from Carlson’s goal didn’t last long, as Kasperi Kapanen tied the game at two on a backhander up close with 5:35 left in the second. The Capitals challenged the goal, citing off sides, but the officials didn’t reverse the call. Playoff hockey is fun.

Worst leg bend: As if Toronto wasn’t already over matched on the blue line with the absence of Nikita Zaitsev, the Maple Leafs lost Roman Polak late in the second period after a hit by Brooks Orpik. Polak,whose leg bent awkwardly underneath him as he hit the ice, looked to be in serious pain and was helped off the ice.

Best marketing ploy: 10,000 lucky Capitals fans were treated to Budweiser glasses upon entering Verizon Center. The glasses apparently light up after goals, which could create an incredible visual and make those scoring celebrations even more special. They would’ve come in handy Saturday when the Capitals scored three goals in a thrilling overtime win.

Worst finish to a penalty kill: For nearly two minutes, the Maple Leafs did all they could. But as a Capitals power play about midway through the second period wound down, Toronto fans undoubtedly were left aghast when they saw John Carlson alone with room to score. Carlson punctuated his go-ahead goal, which gave Washington its first in-game lead of the series, with an emphatic first pump.

Best first snipe: The Capitals conducted an assault on the net early in the second that culminated with Alex Ovechkin’s first goal of the series to knot the game at one. The goal, which came on a power play, was made possibly by a nifty assist from T.J. Oshie behind the net. It was Ovechkin’s 14th career postseason power-play goal.

Best first strike: Four periods into the series, the Capitals yet to lead. After Washington dominated possession to start off Saturday, James van Riemsdyk put Toronto up 1-0 on a left-handed top-shelf score with three minutes, 26 seconds left in the period on a play that saw Matt Niskanen lose his stick. Justin Williams, the hero of Game 1, was called for offensive zone interference as the period wound down and he will sit for the first 64 seconds of the second.

Worst start: The Capitals’ defense has been stout to start off, as Toronto didn’t have a single shot on goal over the first eight minutes. The Capitals weren’t much better with just two shots of their own in that span. Both teams also failed to take advantage of power-play opportunities within the first five minutes.

Almost eight minutes have elapsed and the Maple Leafs don't have a shot. Caps just have two though.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) April 15, 2017

The Leafs registered their first shot on net shortly thereafter, but one shot in over 10 minutes isn’t likely to get it done.

Game information

Washington Capitals (1st place, 55-19-8, 118 points) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Wild Card 2, 40-27-15, 95 points)
Date and time: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Channel: CSN
Location: Verizon Center

Game 1 result: at Capitals 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

Game 2 result: at Capitals 3, Maple Leafs 4 (2OT)

Regular season series: Capitals 2, Maple Leafs 1

Remaining schedule

Game 3: Monday, 7 p.m. (CSN)
Game 4: Wednesday, 7 p.m. (CSN)
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, TBD (CSN)
Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, April 23, TBD (TBD)
Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 25, TBD (CSN)

Everything you need to know

>> Both teams face questions as the series moves north of the border for Monday’s Game 3. The Leafs lost a second top defenseman when Roman Polak was helped off the ice in the secind period with a lower-body injury. But how troubling are the events of Saturday night going to be for the Capitals? They’ve played from behind for much of the series thus far and although they’ve been able to force overtime twice, this is not a safe or comfortable way to live.

>> The Leafs are a bunch of upstarts to be sure. But even though they look to be in good shape heading home for Game 3, their depleted corps of defensemen may spell trouble for them as the series continues to unfold.

>> As mentioned above, the Caps have been living dangerously. It caught up with them in a major way in Game 2 as their bad habits caught up to them. Barry Svrluga takes a look at Washington getting a stiffer test than they bargained for, and what it might expect to find upon arriving in hockey-mad Toronto in the midst of a very competitive series.

>> As the Maple Leafs now find themselves down a game and having to play their next one without defenseman Nikita Zaitsev in the lineup, Washington’s decision to acquire Kevin Shattenkirk before the trade deadline once again has been validated. General Manager Brian MacLellan envisioned a scenario just like Toronto’s when he traded for Shattenkirk in late February.

>> The Capitals’ line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie were largely kept in check Thursday night, and postseason heroics were needed from a pair of unlikely shooters in Justin Williams, a.k.a., Mr. Game 7, and Wilson. But top-line scoring could be at a premium in this series for both teams, and secondary scoring is likely to be a key factor as both teams prepare for Game 2.

>> By the time the Caps won in overtime on a top-shelf shot barely under the crossbar by their least likely sniping threat, Tom Wilson, The Post’s Tom Boswell muttered to himself, “Am I really ready for this?” It’s doubtful that he is, and it’s unlikely that many Washingtonians have any idea what we are all in for.

>> With the Capitals down early in Game 1, Justin Williams was at his best. He scored a goal on the power play by positioning himself in front of the net and staying there until he could tap in a pass from Oshie. When young Toronto defenseman Connor Carrick, a former Capitals prospect, took on the role of agitator early in the game, Williams called his bluff and shook off a glove as a challenge to fight. He sees this as his best chance to win another ring — despite that free agency looms.

>> Dave Strader has spent nine months undergoing treatment for bile duct cancer, and his battle is ongoing. After joining the Dallas Stars’ broadcast team at the start of last season, he was able to call only five games this year. But a break in treatment freed him up for the start of the playoffs, where he called the Capitals’ 3-2 overtime win on Thursday night.

>>“I’ll always have a lineage there, I mean the team that drafted me and gave me my first chance,” Maple Leafs defenseman Connor Carrick said of Washington, which traded him in the Brooks Laich deal. “I have a fondness for that, but the joke is, ‘They didn’t want you either.’ So that’s how it works.” That all funnels into Game 1, where Carrick is trying to join players such as Filip Forsberg and Cody Eakin as former Capitals who have come back to haunt their old team.

>> The Post’s Dan Steinberg argues that the Capitals actually deserve to win the Stanley Cup this year: “There’s not much more you can say about the most complete Capitals team we’ve ever seen. They had the most points in the NHL this season, the best goal differential, the fewest goals allowed, the most wins at home. They had the best goal differential in the first period, and the best goal differential in the third period. They had 59 points in their first 41 games, and 59 points in their last 41 games. They were the best hockey team out there, and it wasn’t that close.”

>> We all know the decade-long narrative for the Capitals: They’re a talented team that can’t get past the second round. Why is this year different? Here are five reasons to be optimistic about the team’s Stanley Cup chances, and because this is the Capitals, the five reasons to be pessimistic.

>> Meanwhile, Fancy Stats’ Neil Greenberg makes the case that, despite their reputation, the Capitals aren’t chokers in the playoffs: “The tendency is to set postseason expectations based on regular season performance, but history shows this to be a bit unfair. For example, only eight of the last 31 Presidents’ Trophy winners — awarded to the team with the best overall record during the regular season — have won the Stanley Cup. Just three others made the Stanley Cup Finals. In the NBA, by comparison, the team with the most wins has gone on to win a title 14 times in that same span, with two others making the NBA Finals.”

>> To that end … Like last season, the Capitals are opening the playoffs with home-ice advantage guaranteed throughout the postseason after posting the league’s best regular-season record. But if you ask players, the team is entering its first-round matchup in a completely different place than it was a year ago.

>> “I think this is the time for the Washington Capitals.” So says NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk, who is far from alone in his prediction. As for the Capitals’ Kevin Shattenkirk, he urges nervous fans to let go of the past and think happy thoughts: “I think not worrying about what happened in the past, it’s hard to do, but you need to push it out of your mind.”

>> Five years ago, goaltender Braden Holtby was a quirky curiosity who hadn’t yet endured the most discouraging developments of a young career. Entering these playoffs, Holtby is nothing short of a franchise backbone, a reason to have confidence rather than questions. There’s no overstating the importance of that development, writes Barry Svrluga.

>> How Evgeny Kuznetsov carries himself this postseason could determine how far the Capitals advance. Their superstar core of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom has never made it past the second round of the playoffs despite repeated regular season success. But it’s Kuznetsov’s play that seems to correlate most with how Washington performs.

>> The third line could also have a major bearing on whether this ends up a happy or hollow spring. Brett Connolly candidly acknowledged that he and Lars Eller were acquired for secondary scoring and that the trio, which also includes Andre Burakovsky, was essentially assembled for the Capitals’ Stanley Cup push.

>> The list of similarities between the Capitals and their first-round postseason adversary is short — Toronto is the youthful upstart team and Washington is the veteran one familiar with this stage. But nine years ago, the Capitals were in the same position as these Maple Leafs, a young core making the playoffs for the first time.

>> Tom Wilson, a Toronto native, has not reached out to extended family or friends. He has not searched ticket prices for Games 3 and 4 on the road, choosing to not know how much damage his wallet could suffer next week. All the 23-year-old has done is send his dad a four-word text. “See you next week,” Wilson wrote, and he added a tongue-out emoji for good measure.

>> Goalie Braden Holtby is a fashion maven whose wardrobe reflects his unique taste. Says former teammate Joel Ward: “It’s a bit of everything, which I think reflects him. It’s like New York meets Montana meets California.”

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