The Washington Capitals took care of business in a 4-2 win in Game 1 over the Florida Panthers. They’ve taken away home ice advantage and have put pressure on the President’s Trophy winners.
Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, the Caps were clutch in the final 20. They got a game tying breakaway goal from Evgeny Kuznetsov and a nice cut to the net by T.J. Oshie for the game winner.
Now the Caps have the edge in the series. Here are three reasons why they can win this series after taking Game 1.
#3 Offensive pressure
The Caps played their best playoff game since April 20, 2019 for a lot of reasons. One was that they weren’t afraid to crash the net. The Caps went toe to toe with the league’s top offensive team and outshot them 38-22.
The Caps not only drew more shots and had more chances but they took advantage of those chances in the third period with three unanswered goals. It completely stunned and quieted the building. That’s what you gotta do against a top offensive team like Florida, generate more chances and take full advantage. The Caps passed the test in Game 1.
B-E-A-UUUUTIFUL pic.twitter.com/garQt2scQD
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 4, 2022
Like they have all season, it was next man up. They didn’t let the injury to Tom Wilson distract them from getting the job done.