Washington will get the higher of Buffalo on residence ice: Capitals beat Sabres 4-2

The Washington Capitals celebrated one other Eras Night on Saturday evening towards the Buffalo Sabres. The “Coming of Age Era” proceedings included a joint puck drop from alumni: Mike Gartner, Alan May, Craig Laughlin, Rod Langway, Ken Sabourin, and David Poile. Would the alumni convey good luck?

Jason Zucker unknowingly deflected the Sabres into the lead simply 96 seconds into the primary interval. Tom Wilson tied the sport with a power-play purpose. Wilson struck once more to offer the Capitals a shortlived lead earlier than Jiri Kulich tipped residence a tying marker.

Dylan Strome gave Washington their lead again over midway by the third. Jakob Chychrun grabbed an empty netter.

Capitals beat Sabres 4-2!

• The Sabres are a sneaky group that the Capitals have struggled with lately, so the early deficit felt slightly like deja vu. However, Washington bounced again properly from that unfortunate purpose and managed nearly all of the primary body. They completed with double the variety of pictures (12-6) and bought their energy play again on monitor for the tying purpose.
• Tom Wilson has actually ramped his manufacturing again up with Alex Ovechkin out of the lineup. In his final 9 video games, Wilson has 10 factors (7g, 3a). He is now the group chief in power-play objectives this season with six, leaping over Ovechkin (4). Maybe he’ll by no means take the bubble off.
• Really nice pace and drive to the online from Brandon Duhaime to attract that first energy play. The fourth line owes the Capitals about 10 extra calls in a row. We’re not holding that later “boarding” name towards Duhaime as that was simply merely not boarding. Beck Malenstyn turned on the final second.

• Pretty tough second interval when it comes to sloppiness defensively from the Capitals. They let Buffalo see method an excessive amount of of Logan Thompson unimpeded and had been fortunate that Thompson has magnets in his pads on breakaways this season.
• Martin Fehervary bought into his second profession NHL battle. Dylan Cozens, you might be now not invited to the Marty Party. I give the choice to Fehervary, he landed the one pictures and bought the takedown.
• Not typically are you able to instantly blame the on-ice officers for an harm however that was utter incompetence to not blow their whistles on that prolonged scrum. Thankfully, Rasmus Sandin was capable of come again for the third interval. I’m undecided how groups go about reporting stuff to the league, however that play legitimately ought to be one thing they attempt to ship up the ladder.
• How did Lars Eller miss that vacant web? It appears like he nearly double-hit the puck.

• Great third interval. They actually turned it on on the finish to maneuver again atop the Eastern Conference.
• This was Washington’s first regulation win towards the Sabres since November 8, 2021. Wilson additionally had two objectives in that 5-3 win, backstopped by Vitek Vanecek. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby additionally made his NHL debut.
• Three enormous assists from John Carlson. He has discovered one other gear this yr. His second helper got here on Dylan Strome’s tenth purpose of the season. Strome is the fifth Capitals participant with double digits in objectives.

The Capitals will follow at residence on Sunday earlier than heading out on the highway for a back-to-back towards the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. They received’t be again residence for a recreation till Friday towards the Carolina Hurricanes.