Preds beat Caps 3-2 to close out 2023 (Ovechkin was robbed)

The Washington Capitals finished off calendar year 2023 with a fun one – maybe too fun – against the Nashville Predators.

Luke Evangelista took advantage of some iffy defensive coverage to make it 1-0, then Roman Josi took advantage of some iffy penalty-killing to make it 2-0. Beck Malenstyn, who was one of those iffy PKers, redeemed himself with a great rebound goal to get the Caps on the board after one period.

The second period was all Nashville’s, except where it counts: Alex Ovechkin scored the period’s only goal, a one-timer from the Ovi Spot if you still believe in such things. Ovechkin’s third-period goal got overturned, so we went to overtime and eventually the shootout. One last time for the year, shootout bullets:

• Kuznetsov did NOT put the biscuit in the basket
• Nyquist put the biscuit in the basket
• Ovechkin did NOT put the biscuit in the basket
• O’Reilly put the biscuit in the basket

Caps lose in the shootout, 3-2.

• Ethan Bear made his Capitals debut – and played his first game since April 2023. On a night full of suspect play, Bear was unremarkable in his own zone, which is a good thing, and he created a stellar scoring chance in the second period. I hope this project goes great for everyone involved.
• Spencer Carbery tried something we at RMNB have been occasionally wondering about for almost ten years: what if Evgeny Kuznetsov played on the wing? He was there tonight, with Strome at center and Ovechkin on the opposite side. I don’t think we saw enough to say, but this is a very interesting experiment and I’d like to see more. Frankly, I’m just glad they’re trying something with 92. I want this to work so bad. I need it. RMNB needs it. The tristate area needs it.
• Near the end of the first period, tensions boiled over between Tom Wilson and Michael McCarron. I’ve seen fights where it’s like the guys just feel obligated to fight, and I’ve seen fights where the guys want to rip off the other guy’s head and puke into it, and this was closer to the latter.

• The power play is a mess (0 for 3 opportunities). I don’t want to talk about it. I know it’s literally my job to talk about it, but I don’t want to talk about it. You talk about it. Leave me out of it. I’m grumpy.
• Okay, but like – John Carlson. He’s a very good player, obviously, but when he is on the power play and he loses the zone because he can’t control of the puck? That makes me feel bad. I’m not going to talk about it.
• Alex Ovechkin scored career goal number 829, a one-timer from the Ovi Spot after a (very bad / not gonna talk about it) power play expired. That was Ovechkin’s first goal since December 21. He’s still on pace for under twenty goals, which is ridiculous given how many shots he has had. And yes, Nashville goalie Yaroslav Askarov has been added to The List.
• Ovechkin had a second goal, but it got nulled for goalie interference by Nic…