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Capitals Takeaways

Takeaways: Hathaway Plays Hero, Capitals Secure Big Win In Philly

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2 years ago

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Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway

After a big win in Nashville, the Washington Capitals wanted to avoid falling into the “win one, lose one” habit that’s plagued them over the last month and a half and close out their two-game road trip on the right foot. In a game that was slow at times, Garnet Hathaway stepped up in the final minutes to carry Washington to a much-needed win.

Hathaway struck twice, and Joe Snively, John Carlson and Michal Kempny also scored en route to a 5-3 win.

Here are all the takeaways from the big road victory that marked back-to-back W’s:

Kempny Makes Impact In First Game Back For Capitals

Head coach Peter Laviolette wanted to see a “big game” from Kempny as he returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 26 while slotting in for Justin Schultz. And after taking a bad penalty to open the first, he made up for it with a solid outing.

Kempny scored his first goal in nearly two and a half years, giving the Capitals an early 1-0 lead with his first tally since Oct. 25, 2019 (60 games). The 31-year-old finished with.

Through 16 minutes, Kempny picked up a goal, four penalty minutes and a hit.

Snively Stays Hot For Capitals

Snively has had an outstanding start to his NHL career, and he kept it going for Washington against the Flyers. The Herndon, V.a. native picked up his first career power-play goal in the second period, marking his seventh point in nine games so far.

The 26-year-old rookie now has five points in his last four outings, which includes goals in back-to-back games and four strikes in his last four games overall. Snively has been an outstanding addition for the Capitals and is proving his worth as a full-time NHLer. He is also showing that he belongs in the lineup on a night-to-night basis and could make a case to stay when Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie eventually return.

Hathaway, Fourth Line Comes In Clutch To Secure Win After Flyers Take Lead Late

Washington nearly suffered a late collapse at the end, when the team allowed Gerald Mayhew to score his second goal of the night. However, the fourth line — and Hathaway — came up big for the Capitals once again to force overtime.

In the dying minutes of regulation, Hathaway got to the front of the net and deflected John Carlson’s point shot past Martin Jones to make it 3-3. Then, Carl Hagelin found Hathaway again just 1:45 minutes later for his second goal of the game. He finished the night with two goals and a helper, along with a team-leading four shots and a +/- rating of plus-4 through 13:40 minutes.

Hathaway now has six points in his last four games. Hagelin, meanwhile, has six points in his last five appearances. Nic Dowd also got on the board with two assists and now has four points in his last five appearances. Both Dowd and Hathaway are closing in on 100 career points.

Sammi’s Top-Shelf Takes

  • Carlson picked up an empty-net goal and assist in the win and now has points in five straight games.
  • Ilya Samsonov continued his hot streak, stopping 30 of 33 shots (.909 save percentage) in the victory. Meanwhile, a report during the game indicated that the Montreal Canadiens have expressed interest in Samsonov.
  • Nicklas Backstrom was outstanding in the faceoff dot, winning 8-of-11 draws (73 percent).
  • Hagelin now has two multi-point showings in his last five games.
  • Martin Fehervary led the way with four blocks.
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