GLB's three stars of the game:

⭐️ Logan Thompson (30 SV, .968 SV%)
⭐️⭐️ Brandon Duhaime (1G, 7 blocks, 2 hits)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alex Ovechkin (1G, 1A, +2, 1 block)

#ALLCAPS

Now we see if the Capitals can keep this going. They're headed back to Florida on Thursday to tangle with the Panthers, also an 8-7-1 team. With an effort like this, nothing bad can happen. It can only good happen.

Duhaime opened up the scoring, threw some hits, and blocked a whopping seven shots, far and away a game high. There were a lot of players that came up big today, but he might have been the biggest momentum swinger across all 200 feet.

Carlson might have heard the slander, because he had himself a great game. Two (secondary) assists, on the game winner and the PPG, a drawn penalty, and good defense and PKing to boot. Doubt it's a coincidence that he only played 23 minutes instead of pushing 30.

Ethen Frank, in his second straight game, made a noticeable impact up and down the ice. He did good Dowd line stuff, drew a penalty, created the Duhaime goal, and at (at least) one point got sent out with Strome and Beauvillier. Just a great presence all game. He doesn't wanna lose that spot again.

Craig Laughlin at one point wondered aloud why all the Caps wanted a piece of Sebastian Aho, which was funny. Not only is he annoying to play against (complimentary), but he's smaller than Ryan Leonard. I'd be concerned if they weren't trying to get at him.

A big thing is that, seemingly, no Cap got hurt. I was worried about that coming in, not from intent but from the type of game it would be, and I'm glad both teams were relatively unscathed. Andersen unfortunately had to leave late after getting ran over by Staal, but hopefully just precautionary.

Both teams came prepared to play this one physically, which you expect in a rivalry game and after the way the Caps' postseason was ended. The official count was 35 total hits, which is an undercount, and there was the huge scrum in the first period that led to 16 PIM. Not *too* bad though.

It would be very nice if they didn't have to go out there five times, though. Duhaime between periods mentioned that it'd be key to stay out of the box, and 33 seconds into the next frame, Chychrun takes one of his two penalties. Can't make it up.

The penalty kill was great, stopping all five Carolina power plays and not letting them get good looks in the process. I feel vindicated in not thinking it needed work, and tonight showed maybe they don't even need fewer deployments. They executed even on a four-minute kill with PKers in the box.

The power play went 1/5 tonight, which believe it or not is a huge improvement. It looked competent all night, especially in the stretches where Ovechkin wasn't on the ice. Not to knock him in a win, he got a great assist and ENG, but hopefully the energy a replacement brings is noticed.

This was a great one to watch from start to finish. Good play on both sides, great goaltending, the Caps never let up and the Canes never stopped trying. Washington was just the better team tonight and got two points out of it.