Stanley Cup Playoffs 2017: Capitals Show Resilience In Game 1 Win
The Washington Capitals will need their resilience they showed in their Game 1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs didn’t have the best of starts for the Washington Capitals. They fell behind 2-0 early to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner scored just 95 seconds into the game after he beat Brooks Orpik and Lars Eller to a loose puck in the middle of the defensive zone. Jake Gardiner made it 2-0 after sustained pressure thanks to a screen from Nazem Kadri.
At this point, many teams would have panicked. Being down 2-0 early in a game when you’re the favorite is tough. However, the Caps refused to panic or give in. After Gardiner’s goal, they stepped up their game. Washington trailed 11-7 in shots on goal and 12-9 in scoring chances after Toronto’s second goal. From that point forward, the Capitals outshot the Leafs 37-26 and outchanced them 26-16.
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Gardiner’s goal served as a wakeup call for the President’s Trophy winner. Head coach Barry Trotz noted he didn’t like the way the Caps played in the first 30 minutes, but they played better in the final 37. Washington showed impressive resilience to handle the pressure of being down 2-0 as the favorites and come back to win.
Naturally, the comeback started with a man who is no stranger to postseason comebacks. Justin Williams has been instrumental in winning three Stanley Cups with the Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings. He picked up two goals to tie the game. Williams’ first goal came on the power play after Toronto briefly left him wide open next to the crease.
His second goal came because Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen lost the puck for a split second. The goal was certainly not a fluke, as you need to take advantage when your opponents make mistakes like this. In the third period, the Capitals took over the game, making a final push before overtime. Their dominance carried over to overtime with unlikely hero Tom Wilson scoring the first playoff goal of his career.
Maybe being down 2-0 in Game 1 served as a wakeup call for the Caps. They steadily improved their play before eventually taking over in the third period. Toronto came out very strong, which might have surprised the Caps a little bit. Looking at the shot chart, Andersen had to make some incredible saves and Washington clearly got the best chances.
Moving forward, the Capitals need to have the same resilience they showed. Of course, it would be best if they didn’t need to show it. But it’s good to know the Caps have it in their back pocket when they don’t play their best game. Great teams find ways to win even when they don’t play great. If the final 37 minutes of Game 1 is a hint of what’s to come, Washington should be in good shape moving forward.