This game started with some stupidity from both the Capitals and the officials.
Pierre-Luc Dubois was called for a lazy hooking penalty on Quinn Hughes, which led to PLD getting frustrated and going right back at the Canucks’ captain with a couple of stick swings. Given how clear it is that Hughes is playing through an injury, nobody wanted to see Hughes getting into the skirmish, but Dubois pulled him into it, clearly targeting the injured Canucks captain.
Anyways. Back to the game. The Canucks got a four minute power play out of that sequence, but it didn’t really matter, because the officials also put Quinn Hughes in the box for his role in this sequence. Two minutes for clearly getting targeted? Alright then.
The Capitals got the next power play of the game after Vinny Desharnais challenged Dubois for his boneheaded targeting of the Canucks’ captain.
In the final moments of the ensuing Washington power play, Kevin Lankinen made a huge save off of Andrew Mangiapane to keep this game scoreless.
The first period didn’t end scoreless though, as *checks notes* PL Dubois scored to make it 1-0 Capitals.
Capitals Twitter was all over me for this tweet tonight after that goal.
I stand by what I said and will be sure to reply to every single one of them when Dubois quits on the team by the time the 2026-27 season rolls around. Onto the second period.
The Canucks had some more jump to begin the second, and you really hoped that the shenanigans that took place in the first period would light a fire under the Canucks after getting just three shots on goal in the opening frame. The Canucks spent more time in the Capitals’ end and got more shots on goal to open the period, but Logan Thompson stood tall on multiple occasions.
Miraculously, the Canucks didn’t let that stop them, as they continued to pour the pressure on the Capitals and Thompson. Eventually, the Caps took a penalty, sending the Canucks to the power play with roughly two minutes left in the second.
It was there that Quinn Hughes made his mark on this game, picking up an assist on Conor Garland’s goal to make it 1-1.
This one was tied heading into the third after the Canucks matched their season-high for total shots in a period with 20. Jakob Chychrun took a puck over the glass penalty to put the Canucks onto the power play 43 seconds into the third. The Canucks had a great chance off the rush with Miller sending a pass that was too hot to handle and ultimately out of Brock Boeser’s reach. Ultimately, the Canucks tested Thompson just one time on the man advantage.
The Capitals got a power play of their own six minutes into the period, and while Washington had some extended zone time, Teddy Blueger was glued to Alex Ovechkin, effectively neutralizing the Capitals’ biggest PP threat.
Max Sasson nearly gave his team the lead as the third dwindled down, then Jonathan Lekkerimäki nearly did the same, but Logan Thompson again stood in the way.
At the other end, Carson Soucy made the save of the night when he laid out and blocked a shot from Mangiapane that would have given the Capitals the late lead.
This one needed overtime, with the Canucks outshooting the Capitals 31-14 at the end of regulation.
The Canucks played Hughes as much as they could in OT, but it was yet another OT loss in the end, as PL Dubois put a bow on this one.
Some other takeaways from tonight:
-Nice to see Kiefer Sherwood didn’t hesitate to jump to the defence of his captain in the first.
-Brock Boeser has been increasingly less of a factor as of late. I know the goal-scoring was there recently, but Boeser had a few shifts tonight where he just looked disengaged and slow. That’s becoming a theme the past few games. Boeser’s OT shift alone would be enough justification to criticize his game tonight.
-Logan Thompson is so much fun to watch. Crazy that he didn’t make Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
-JT Miller played well tonight, even if he didn’t put up four points again. Miller is clearly playing through an injury, which seemed to get re-aggravated a bit tonight. Hopefully that’s nothing that hinders him too much. It didn’t appear to tonight, as he was involved and dangerous all night long.
-That second period sequence is the first time in a long time that it’s felt like the Canucks were building the kind of pressure where you just knew a goal was coming.
-Canucks play this type of game on Monday in Montreal, they win, and the game isn’t close.
-First time since December 3rd that the Canucks got over 30 shots in a game.
-14th overtime of the season for the Canucks.
What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game?
