Just as “Washington” began to close in on a playoff spot, the team suffered a crucial defeat against one of their direct rivals. Philadelphia, featuring Michkov, proved superior in their head-to-head matchup, winning 4-2.
04 Feb 03:00 Philadelphia – Washington 4:2
Defeat Stems from a Late Penalty
It is an extremely rare occurrence for an NHL goalie to be named the starter for two consecutive games across two days. This is precisely what the “Washington” coaching staff opted for, tasking Clay Stevenson with back-to-back starts against the “Islanders” and “Philadelphia,” with only 24 hours separating the contests.
The “Capitals” found themselves in a precarious position: both their first and second-choice goaltenders sustained injuries simultaneously. This thrust Stevenson into the spotlight, despite the 26-year-old having previously registered only a single NHL appearance. Remarkably, prior to facing “Philadelphia,” “Washington” had an unblemished record with Stevenson between the pipes, having defeated two top-8 “Eastern Conference” teams. However, Clay’s successful streak finally came to an end.
The “Metropolitans,” mirroring their previous two outings, conceded the opening goal. Owen Tippett was the one to open the scoring. He was assisted by Russian player Matvei Michkov, who recently endured considerable criticism from Head Coach Rick Tocchet.
“Matvei arrived at training camp out of shape. It’s challenging for him to maintain his fitness independently. Look at Trevor Zegras, who had subpar seasons, but he works on himself and sees results. That’s a mandatory ingredient for success,” the “Philadelphia” bench boss recently remarked.
This statement generated such significant buzz across North America that the team’s General Manager, Daniel Brière, felt compelled to intervene, asserting that Tocchet simply desires “the best for Matvei.”
Despite this, the productive play was the Russian’s sole contribution in the game. Meanwhile, deflections came to the rescue for the “Flyers”: “Capitals” defenseman Jacob Chychrun inadvertently redirected the puck into his own net early in the second period, doubling the opponent’s advantage.
Forward Anthony Beauvillier unexpectedly stepped up as “Washington’s” potential savior, delivering a goal and an assist spanning the end of the second period and the start of the third, helping the team level the score.
The game seemed destined for overtime, but with six minutes left on the clock, “Metropolitans” forward Justin Sourdif was penalized for high-sticking. “Philadelphia” capitalized on the ensuing power play to secure the victory in regulation. This result now makes “Washington’s” fight for a playoff berth considerably tougher.
Ovechkin Remains Goalless
The “East” standings are so incredibly tight currently that virtually every matchup for the “Capitals” turns into a direct battle with a rival for a spot in the top eight. Alexander Ovechkin’s squad currently sits in 11th place in the conference, yet when adjusting the standings based on games in hand, teams like “Ottawa,” “Florida,” and “Philadelphia” itself rank higher.
In such a critical phase of the playoff race, assistance is needed from the league’s all-time top goal-scorer, but the “Metropolitans'” captain is currently silent, despite putting in significant effort. Today, he fired seven shots toward the net, four of which were on target. Nevertheless, he failed to register any points.
Ovechkin has just two goals across his last 12 appearances. This pace is far from what supporters anticipate during the crucial stretch of the season.
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