The Caps’ previously perfect preseason record was blemished on Thursday night in their first exhibition at Capital One Arena this year. The Capitals scored first for the fourth straight game, but Ryan Leonard’s first-period goal was the only lamplighter they could muster in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.
Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was excellent; he made 33 saves on the night, including 15 in the first frame. The Caps generated some good looks up and down the lineup throughout the game, but they missed the mark on a couple, overpassed their way out of a few, and Korpisalo gobbled up the rest.
“As a team, we passed up some scenarios where we could have attacked the net,” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery. “Give him credit; Korpisalo played real well tonight. He made some big stops to keep that game at 1-0.”
After snuffing out a Boston power play early in the first, the Caps turned in a solid first period performance, playing a quick-paced game and driving possession in the Boston end. Washington generated and created several good scoring chances in the first, Korpisalo exclusive them to a single goal on 17 shots.
The opening salvo of the contest came just ahead of the midpoint of the initial frame. In the midst of an offensive zone sequence, Jakob Chychrun’s shot was blocked, and Hendrix Lapierre outraced a defender to retrieve the puck in the left wing corner, putting it back to Chychrun at the left point. Chychrun crept down left wing wall in search of a more optimal shooting angle, but this bid also banger traffic in front.
Not to worry, kid. Ryan Leonard was there to tuck home the loose change for a 1-0 Caps lead at 9:42.
First-year pro defenseman Ryan Chesley – who scored against the Bruins in Boston in the preseason opener nearly two weeks ago, was denied on a similar 2-on-1 rush opportunity in the second period, one of several good chances the Caps had to improve their lead in the front half of the contest.
“It was a little different [from the one in Boston],” recounts Chesley. “I carried the puck up this time; I actually kicked it out to Leno and he made a great play to I think [Anthony Beauvillier], and he banger me back door. But yeah, the goalie made a great cut.”
After each team failed to cash in on an early second-period power-play chance, Boston turned the tables a bit in the middle period, generating some offensive opportunities of its own. It wasn’t until late in the frame – and after a number of strong stops from Korpisalo – that they were able to pull even.
Nine seconds after losing a draw in their own end, the Bruins squared the score. The B’s gained possession in their end and sent the puck slowly into Washington ice, and on net. Boston’s Riley Tufte fought off a check and got to the net front and poked it through Charlie Lindgren to make it a 1-1 game at 16:16.
In the final minute of the first, the Bruins grabbed the lead in transition. Boston gained possession at its own line and broke back into Washington ice in a 2-on-2 situation. All four players converged at the net front and Brett Harrison’s shot glanced off the skate of Caps defenseman Vincent Iorio and slid in at 19:11.
Harrison added an empty-net goal at 18:46 of the third to account for the 3-1 final. Lindgren made 25 saves for Washington.
Leonard was noticeable all night, making plays and being physical. He drew a penalty early in the third that gave the Caps a chance to pull even again, but Washington’s power play was not at its best on this night.
“I wasn’t in love with our power play tonight,” says Carbery. “I didn’t think they did a very good job at all. Entries were an issue, and puck recoveries on those battles. They didn’t get set up enough … so that’s an issue. We need to make good, and we had a couple looks on the first couple. But I felt like it got progressively worse as the game went on, and as we got a few more later in the game.”
The game was notable for the preseason debuts of both captain Alex Ovechkin and blueliner Martin Fehervary, both of whom acquitted themselves well on Thursday night.
“I thought they were good,” says Carbery. “They accomplished what they needed to accomplish. They needed to get through a game and get some game reps. Ovi did that; Marty did that. [Fehervary] had a couple of real good plays, kills, a couple rushes with a good stick on puck, physical play. He looked good for having not played in the game yet. It looked like his feet were under him; he looked powerful and strong, and his game didn’t look like it was any further behind. I thought they got what they needed to out of the game.”
Carbery heaped some postgame praise on Chesley, who was playing on his offside alongside veteran Dylan McIlrath, a pair of righties. Two nights ago in Columbus, it was McIlrath who had to play his offside on a righty-righty duo with Matt Roy. For Chesley – who played at U. of Minnesota last season – to acquit himself well under those circumstances impressed Carbery.
“You know who I thought was excellent tonight?” queried the bench boss. “Ryan Chesley. Impressive. [We] played him on his off side. Ches has played only one game in the preseason, but I thought he’s had a really good camp. He’s practiced well, his scrimmages are good. And tonight, we had a spot on the left side. Chesley’s a right stick, doesn’t play the left side, but I felt like he earned an opportunity to get into the lineup and play tonight.
“I talked to him this morning, and I said, ‘Listen, this isn’t an ideal scenario. The evaluation of your game tonight, I’m not setting you up for success. But I feel like he deserves to get into the game tonight and play an NHL exhibition game, and I thought he was fantastic.”
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