Washington Capitals: Philipp Grubauer Blanks Los Angles Kings

Feb 5, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer (31) prepares to make a save on Los Angeles Kings center Nic Dowd (26) in the first period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer (31) prepares to make a save on Los Angeles Kings center Nic Dowd (26) in the first period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philipp Grubauer was at the top of his game Sunday against the Kings. 

The Washington Capitals hosted a hot LA Kings team Sunday that had been on a five-game winning streak. However, backup netminder Philipp Grubauer was up to the challenge and showed up in  big way at Verizon Center. Grubauer stopped all 38 shots he faced and helped propel the Caps to a 5-0 victory.

It was a busy day for the backup netminder, as LA put a lot of pressure on him. However, he made some masterful saves and looked like a star at the back of the Washington defense.

Grubauer’s fellow goalie, LA’s Peter Budaj, entered the contest as one of the hottest goalies in the league. He had two straight shutouts entering Sunday and had allowed just three goals in his previous five games.

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Washington continued to get secondary scoring when Lars Eller opened the game with a goal just three minutes in. Brett Connolly picked up the assist on the goal and later added a goal of his own.

Overall the Caps put five pucks in the net. Marcus Johansson had a multi-point performance by scoring a goal and adding an assist. Alex Ovechkin, who was celebrated before the start of the game for reading the 1,000-point plateau for his career, assisted on T.J. Oshie’s second-period tally.

The Caps took just 19 shots on the day, but were very efficient on their chances. With the win, Washington continued its dominance against the Western Conference and extended its current win streak to three games.

Washington will next take the ice on Tuesday evening at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.