The Washington Capitals had another late-game lead to protect, and on Thursday, they did what it took to close things out.
Connor McMichael personified the collective team effort most when he sold out to make an unbelievable defensive play late in the Capitals’ 3-1 victory in Game 2. With just 6:23 left in the third period and the Capitals nursing a 2-1 lead, McMichael dove to prevent a cross-ice pass from reaching a wide-open Jalen Chatfield.
He then had enough wits about him, while lying face-first on the ice, to somehow chunk the puck out of the zone, forcing the Hurricanes to clear.
The play was made even sweeter by the fact that McMichael prevented Chatfield specifically from potentially becoming a hero for Carolina. Chatfield slammed a helmet-less McMichael to the ice with a UFC-style takedown during a fight between the two players in a penalty-filled Capitals-Hurricanes game on April 2.
McMichael’s sacrifice, combined with Trevor van Riemsdyk and Tom Wilson’s gritty play, was key to the Capitals preserving a slim lead in another offense-starved game.
“There’s no doubt it’s tight out there,” Caps head coach Spencer Carbery said postgame. “There’s not a lot. It’s two teams competing every second of that 60 minutes. It is tight. It is back and forth. The pace is extremely high. You’re trying to build the lead, but it’s tough. There was a couple good looks in there, same thing in Game 1, but both goalies are playing great.
“It’s just not one of those series where I think anybody is going to feel comfortable. Two hard teams – really, really heavy, and the pace is extremely high.”
McMichael also scored his fifth career playoff goal in the 3-1 win, capitalizing on a breakaway chance created by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker clearing a puck off teammate Shayne Gostisbehere’s neck. The goal put the Capitals up 1-0 just 2:16 into the second period.
“Yeah, I think it took a weird bounce,” McMichael told Monumental Sports Network’s Al Koken postgame. “I think it hit their D-man there in the face, and I was able to take advantage of a loose puck and take off there. And then, I think it was in my head that we didn’t have too many shots last game, and I didn’t want to get too cute with it. I just wanted to shoot one, so thankfully it went in.”
Ryan Leonard, scratched for Game 2, had a breakaway chance late in Game 1 that would have put the Capitals up a goal near the end of regulation. Leonard decided to try a deke to his backhand instead of shooting on goaltender Frederik Andersen, but he lost control of the puck before getting an attempt off.
McMichael, who has 237 more games of NHL experience than Leonard, kept his attempt simple and picked his spot. He converted for his fourth goal of the playoffs, which is tied with Alex Ovechkin for the team lead. McMichael’s six points (4g, 2a) in seven games rank third on the Caps behind just Dylan Strome (10) and Wilson (7).
“Yeah, it’s a huge goal,” Carbery added. “With Carolina’s pressure, they’re going to give you a few opportunities a game, whether it’s a two-on-one, three-on-two, breakaway. You’re going to get a few of those, hopefully, if you’re doing things correctly. We got one in Game 1, Ryan Leonard. Mikey gets a breakaway. So, it’s a huge goal from Mikey to finish in that spot, build us a lead.
“To get a lead in a game is a significant goal. So those moments where you’ve got a team vulnerable, whether it’s a two-on-one, breakaway, to capitalize – those are massive moments inside of the games which have huge impacts on the series.”
The Capitals were at their best five-on-five with McMichael on the ice, seeing positive differentials in shot attempts (+2) and shots (+1). They also went even (2-2) in high-danger chances. The Caps will want to see a similar effort on the road in Carolina for Game 3 on Saturday night.
