Beneath the bold lettering of ‘SOMETHING TO PROVE’, mounted eloquently on the Washington Capitals’ locker room wall, Matthew Phillips sported a grin of accomplishment. His grin was in celebration of his first NHL goal, and intriguingly, he scored it against his former team, the Calgary Flames.
“Undoubtedly, it feels incredible,” admitted Phillips, allowing his joy a brief display.
Phillips, a relatively compact player at 5’7″ and 140 pounds, was a beacon of hope that evening, scoring to initiate a rally which culminated in the Capitals bagging their first win of the season. The Flames were narrowly bested 3-2 in a dynamic shootout that took place on a cool Monday night.
Picked by the Flames in the sixth round back in 2016, Phillips, during his seven-year stint with them, accrued much experience and made a wealth of team contributions. And it was with these credentials that he also assisted Connor McMichael’s goal merely three minutes after scoring his own, becoming one of the most influential players on the ice that night.
When asked if he anticipated scoring against his former comrades, Phillips responded, “It’s only natural for one to envision oneself as triumphant. I strive to outdo myself in every game, and tonight was not an exception.”
The Capitals’ goaltender Darcy Kuemper was another star of the night, showing off his prowess with a total of 38 saves during regulation and overtime. He added another three during the shootout. Celebrating his first game after the birth of his child, Kuemper, in jubilance, commemorated his victory with the endearing motion of cradling a baby.
Evgeny Kuznetsov managed to redeem his earlier dubious decisions by securing the only goal in the shootout, capping off a triumphant rally for the Capitals.
Despite being outshot 40-23, which included a hapless 18-3 in the first period, the Capitals managed to hold their ground, thanks to Kuemper’s unwavering focus and agility. Calgary Flames player Blake Coleman discovered this to his disappointment when a penalty shot just fourteen remaining minutes into the third was saved by Kuemper.
Impressed with his resilient performance, McMichael praised Kuemper, “He definitely showcased some of that newfound dad strength tonight and was absolutely phenomenal.”
The Capitals, who started off the season with a lackluster record, finally found their offensive rhythm against the Flames, the blitz of goals gifting new coach Spencer Carbery his first NHL victory.
The Flames had their moments as well, with Adam Ruzicka and Dillon Dube finding the net. However, their goaltender Jacob Markstrom found his routine struggles against the Capitals continue. In a failing effort, he let in two goals from 23 shots, marking his career record against the Capitals at a dismal 1-8-2.
Expressing positivity on the Flames’ stride, their rookie coach Ryan Huska commented, “We’ve thoroughly improved in each game, and that’s what we want to see.”
In a team side note, the Capitals substituted injured goalie Charlie Lindgren with Clay Stevenson, after a morning skate mishap required Lindgren to step aside. To accommodate the financial framework for Stevenson, Joel Edmundson, a defenseman out with a hand injury, was placed on long-term injured reserve.
A solemn moment of silence also marked the event, as the Capitals paid tribute to late Flames assistant GM Chris Snow, who passed away recently after battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, pledging to donate 50-50 raffle proceeds to an ALS organization.
