Top 3 John Carlson moments

Ahead of John Carlson's 1,000th game let's look at the best Carly moments

John Carlson, Washington Capitals
John Carlson, Washington Capitals / Gregory Shamus/GettyImages
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John Carlson is skating in his 1,000th career game so lets take a trip down memory lane and relive some of his best moments as a Washington Capitals legend. Yes I say legend because he helped the Caps win the Cup and is still here.

#3 Carlson's game tying goal in playoffs against Montreal

We were just starting to learn who John Carlson was in the 2009-10 season. We really got an introductiont to him in that infamous first round of the playoffs. Sadly the Caps would get Halak'd by the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens. But this was a game the Caps would win to even up the series early on.

Carlson also assisted on an Alex Ovechkin goal and Nicklas Backstrom would go on to win it in overtime to complete a hat trick. Who would've thought this very kid would go on to join them as the only three players in franchise history to skate in all of their 1,000 career NHL games with the Capitals? Well here we are.

Carlson skated in 22 regular season games that year and would later go on to help the Hershey Bears win the Calder Cup after the Caps season ended earlier than they wanted it to.

John Carlson, Washington Capitals
John Carlson, Washington Capitals / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

#2 Dekeing Jonathan Quick

On Dec. 4, 2019 in a game in LA against the Kings, Carlson channeled his inner Ovi and put together some incredible puck stick work to totally fake out goaltender Jonathan Quick.

What I love about this goal is how Quick is slow to react to Carlson, no pun intended and Carly's little sneaky work there with the puck allowed him to tuck it just behind Quick. By the time Quick noticed it was way too late.

That goal would go on to be Carlson's second goal of the night. It would be a game the Caps would go on to win 3-1 with Tom Wilson sealing it with an empty net goal. The Caps would go on to win their fifth game in a row in what was a six game winning streak.

John Carlson, Washington Capitals
John Carlson, Washington Capitals / Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final

This one would come in at number one but for good reason. Capital One Arena was rocking. The fans and the Caps showed the entire world why they're the best hockey team and city. Whether you were inside or outside the buidling you could feel the buzz in the air.

By the time Carlson scored this goal in the second period the Caps were already up 3-0 with goals from T.J. Oshie on the power play, Tom Wilson, and Devante Smith-Pelly. Still this PPG by Carly was a beaut.

The way former Cap Cody Eaken got faked out on the play makes it even more poetic. Oshie sets it up to playmaker Evgeny Kuznetsov. Yes that spring Kuzy was a playmaker. He found Carlson and he ripped a one timer.

Cap One was alraedy loud but this goal set the building into even more bedlam. You've got a home team up 4-0 in the Stanley Cup Final. One period to go until you're one win away from hoisting it. This was the night we all knew it was going to be possible.

Those are our top 3 John Carlson moments. Congrats on 1,000 games Carly from all of us at Stars and Sticks.

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