WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nerves got to Ilya Samsonov.
For days, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender had been thinking about his return to Washington and facing the club that cast him aside.
And although he arrived back in town with the shiniest save percentage and goals-against average in the entire league — looking, perhaps, like The One That Got Away — Samsonov delivered a rare leaky performance for his new squad.
“I have nervous. A lot of emotion. The result, not too great,” said Samsonov, taking ownership for Toronto’s 5-2 loss.
“It’s hard loss for me. I think I played bad this game.”
With Alex Ovechkin (800) all revved up to leap ahead of Gordie Howe (801) on the all-time goal list and leave just one man standing between him and history, the Washington Capitals were jacked-up for this one (Ditto the Caps’ vociferous fans, who were razzing Samsonov, urging on Ovechkin, and giddily singing along to every jam the in-arena DJ cued up.)
“They came at us hard,” Justin Holl said.
“They were definitely motivated. They came out really hard and heavy — and they got a lot of big guys on that team. So, gotta give them credit. But it’s on us to match it and exceed it.”
When the Leafs first faced Washington, at home, back in Game 2 of the season, the veteran Capitals looked every bit like the league’s oldest team. Sluggish. Outmatched.
Maybe they just needed to warm up, because the Capitals have now won six of their past seven and are climbing into the thick of the playoff race.
“They were playing at some pace tonight. I think it just caught us a little bit on our heels,” Auston Matthews said. “We gave way too easy of looks.”
Washington drew first blood on an unlikely strike by defenceman Erik Gustafsson, who not only notched his first as a Capital but added a couple more for his first-career hat trick.
Matthews fed William Nylander for a one-timer that ticked off Trevor van Riemsdyk stick to tie the contest. But van Riemsdyk avenged his bad luck by clicking his own shot off Mark Giordano’s stick and through Samsonov’s blocker.
Matthews sniped a beauty in the second frame, but Sheldon Keefe needed more.
“We had a dominant second period. Dominant,” the coach said. “At the very least it should’ve been tied going into the third period, if not us in the lead.
“Their goaltender was good. We don’t bear down.”
Garnet Hathaway scored 10 seconds into the third period to salt the night away.
Charge the first two Capitals goals to Samsonov’s shakiness, but credit some loose defensive play for the rest.
Grade A opportunities abounded, with the Maple Leafs edging the Capitals 17-14 in high-danger chances, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
A game like that comes down to goaltending and burying your open looks.
“We didn’t take care of the puck well enough,” Keefe said, “especially on goals 3, 4 and 5.”
The good news is that these defensively-improved Maple Leafs were the last NHL team to surrender five goals in a game and lose by three-goal margin.
The bad news is that they’ve dropped two consecutive matches in regulation against decent teams that mix some high-end skill with a rugged style.
“That’s what happens when we’re buzzing around and winning a lot of games,” Nylander said. “Teams play extra hard against you, and that’s just the way it goes.”
The Maple Leafs should expect another hard test Tuesday, when the nemesis Tampa Bay Lightning come into Scotiabank Arena.
Plenty of time for Samsonov and the Leafs to settle down and refocus.
“It’s history right now,” the goalie said, before leaving D.C.
“Tomorrow new day.”
Fox’s Fast 5
• Despite downplaying his new five-forwards power-play unit, Keefe debuted the look on his first opportunity.
Unfortunately for Toronto, the best scoring chance on that power-play belonged to Washington’s Marcus Johansson.
The formation looked more dangerous the second time around but failed to score.
• Hits favoured Washington 37-17.
“Their guys who are physical were very much so,” Keefe said.
Ovechkin had six hits. Hathaway registered five.
• Sonny Milano couldn’t make the Calgary Flames on a tryout this fall but is carving out a niche for himself on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s wing.
The 26-year-old’s three-assist night bumped him to 14 points through his first 20 games as a Capital.
• Conor Timmins has six assists in six games since getting swapped to the Six.
• Nice moment during warmups, when D.C.-born and-bred Duante’ Abercrombie was invited on the bench and given a warm welcome home.
Abercrombie, who went to high school right around the corner from Capital One Arena, is on a one-year deal as a coaching development associate for the Maple Leafs.
He took time to meet up with other black coaches in Washington prior the game. He’s living the dream and would love to see more diversity behind the bench.
His story is an inspiring one.
