The Washington Capitals used a barrage of scoring chances to overwhelm the New York Islanders, winning Game 2 of their first-round series by a score of 4-3.
Islanders vs. Capitals Game 2 results: Capitals overwhelm Islanders to even series
New York couldn’t take advantage of Washington’s iffy goalie situation.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
New York led for most of the first half of the game despite not dominating affairs at all. The Isles broke the scoring open with a 2-on-1 breakaway goal by Cal Clutterbuck. Ryan Strome added another to pad the lead as the second period began, and it looked like the Islanders would run away with the game.
But then the Capitals started pouring on shots. Karl Alzner eventually broke through, firing a puck past Jaroslav Halak to bring the Caps within a goal. But New York held firm, and Kyle Okposo fired a dart over Philipp Grubauer's shoulder to restore the two-goal lead.
Not to be outdone, Alex Ovechkin added a goal of his own to close the gap as the second period ended. That turned the tide for Washington. The Capitals scored twice in the third to tie the game, take the lead and eventually win.
The series now shifts to Long Island with the series tied 1-1.
3 Things We Learned
1. Braden Holtby’s absence was noted.
Holtby has been a workhorse all season for the Capitals, atop the league in minutes played for a goalie. So when he's not in net, it's hard not to notice. New York broke out to a commanding 3-1 lead midway through the game, including a couple of goals that backup Grubauer probably should've stopped. Washington may not have had to dig out of such a big hole if Holtby had played.
2. The Islanders were shot-blocking machines.
Washington’s comeback attempt finally came as the second period wound down, but there was a reason why it was so delayed. The Capitals may have outshot the Isles 23-13 through two frames, but the Isles had blocked 22 more shots from even making it to the net. New York might have led for long stretches of the game, but it was pelted all night long.
3. Persistence paid off for the Caps.
That disparity in chances eventually caught up to the Isles. Fresh off Ovechkin’s late second period goal, the Capitals came out of the gates in the third and won the game. If Holtby misses any more time, Washington will need that sort of offensive output to put away the Islanders for good.
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