Kuemper makes 32 recoveries as flooding Capitals down Officers 4-0
Marcus Johansson, defenseman Erik Gustafsson and Lars Eller scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 32 recoveries as the flooding Washington Capitals brought down the New York Officers 4-0 on Tuesday night for their 6th consecutive street win.
The Capitals have won 10 of their last 11 games and are 13-3-1 since Nov. 23, when they entered that evening’s down against Philadelphia at 7-10-3.
Washington had a 5-on-3 benefit eight minutes into the challenge after Ryan Lindgren and Chris Kreider were punished for the Officers in 21 seconds or less. Washington immediately traded out when Johansson tapped a free puck past Igor Shesterkin at 8:44 for his 10th objective of the time. Helps went to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Gustafsson.
Gustafsson then made it 2-0 with his fifth objective of the time — all in the beyond five games — at 17:01 of the second. The understudy blueliner had his most memorable vocation full go-around in a 5-2 home win over Toronto on Dec. 17.
Gustafsson has 19 focuses (five objectives and 14 aids) 36 games, second among Capitals defensemen behind John Carlson, who was harmed when he was hit in the face with a puck during Friday’s 4-1 home win over Winnipeg. In a similar game, Alex Ovechkin scored two times to elapse Gordie Howe on the untouched objective scoring list.
Eller expanded the lead to 3-0 at 19:23 of the second with his seventh of the time.
Conor Sheary added an under-staffed void net objective at 16:58 of the third, his eleventh of the mission.
Kuemper improved to 7-1-0 of every eight vocation games against the Officers with his third shutout this season and the 28th of his profession. The 32-year-old netminder, who assisted the Colorado With avalanching win the Stanley Cup the previous spring prior to marking a five-year contract with the Capitals in July, is 10-9-2 this season.
Kuemper denied a very much coordinated diversion by Chris Kreider from the get-go in the second and gloved an opportunity by Filip Chytil at 5:21. He prevented Julien Gauthier from in-shut down at 12:18.
In the third, he denied an Officers show of dominance from the get-go in the period and obstructed another man-advantage opportunity for New York with just shy of five minutes remaining.
Tuesday’s down was just Washington’s seventh against a division rival this season and their first of four against the Officers. The Capitals are 4-2-1 in those challenges.
The Officers were falling off a 5-3 home win over the Islanders on Thursday before the Christmas break.
New York had won eight of nine and four directly at home.
NOTES: Washington defensemen have joined for 22 objectives this season … The Capitals are 20-1-1 while scoring at least three objectives this season … as well as absent harmed defenseman John Carlson and forward T.J. Oshie, Washington scratched defenseman Lucas Johansen and forward Joe Snively … The Officers scratched defenseman Libor Hajek and forward Sammy Blais … The groups meet again Walk 14 in New York, and Feb. 25 and April 2 in Washington.
Up Next:
Officers: Visit Tampa Sound Lightning on Thursday.
Capitals: Host Ottawa Representatives on Thursday.
