Following a tough 5-1 loss to Winnipeg on Saturday, the Washington Capitals will wrap up their chilly two-game road series in St. Paul against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are feeling great after recently acquiring Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes.
“He’s a one-man breakout,” remarked Alan May during the pregame show on Monumental Sports Network.
His former coach, Bruce Boudreau, praised him, saying, “He’s as good as anyone I’ve seen.”
During his debut with the Wild on Sunday, Hughes was greeted with a standing ovation at warmups and later scored in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins at Grand Casino Arena.
The Capitals will face Hughes in a Wild uniform again, making some adjustments ahead of the game. Sonny Milano returns to the lineup, taking the place of Bogdan Trineyev, while Connor McMichael will be on the fourth line. Minnesota native Charlie Lindgren will start as goalie against the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson.
The puck is set to drop just after 8:00 PM, with Joe Beninati, Craig Laughlin, and TJ Oshie calling the action on Monumental Sports Network.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Beauvillier, Strome, Ovechkin
Minnesota Wild
Kaprizov, Eriksson-Ek, Boldy
Foligno, Hartman, Aube-Kubel
1st Period
Puck has dropped. Duhaime-Dowd-McMichael and Chychrun-Roy start the game. Vladimir Tarasenko scores early for the Wild, giving them a 1-0 lead shortly after their first shot.
1-0 Minnesota Wild
Goal: Vladimir Tarasenko (4). Assists: D. Yurov (6), B. Faber (12). Time: 2:09
The Wild hold a strong home record of 9-1-2 when scoring first. Tom Wilson gets into it with Pitlick and Jones to rally the Capitals. Justin Sourdif earns the Capitals a power play, but they fail to capitalize. Despite a few close calls, including breakaways from Dylan Strome and Connor McMichael, the period ends with the Wild leading 1-0, while the Capitals lead in shots 11-9.
2nd Period
Puck has dropped. The Wild nearly extend their lead early on, and Faber almost pokes a pass into his own net. A great shift from the Capitals’ first line creates chances, but Gustavsson continues to hold strong.
Martin Fehervary takes a penalty, putting the Wild on their second power play of the night. Kirill Kaprizov expands the lead with a rebound goal.
2-0 Minnesota Wild
PPG: Kirill Kaprizov (21). Assists: J. Eriksson Ek (17), Q. Hughes (22). Time: 12:51
Despite the Capitals questioning the goal for a hand pass, it stands. The period ends with the Wild leading 2-0 and shots at 24-20 in their favor.
3rd Period
The puck drops. The Capitals aim to stage a third-period comeback. However, Tarasenko strikes again, extending the Wild’s lead to 3-0.
3-0 Minnesota Wild
Goal: Vladimir Tarasenko (5). Assists: D. Yurov (7). Time: 4:23
The Wild continue to dominate, with Danila Yurov scoring and the Capitals struggling. Ultimately, Matt Boldy nets a short-handed goal, and Filip Gustavsson secures a shutout.
5-0 Minnesota Wild
SHG: Matt Boldy (19). Assists: M. Kiersted (1). Time: 14:12
Final score: Wild 5, Capitals 0.
Wild dominate Caps 5-0: power play struggles, scoring woes, and turnovers abound
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