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Top 5 best Capitals games of 2023-2024

Time to look back real quick before we look forward

By Michael Marzzacco |
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals / Winslow Townson/GettyImages
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If you look at what the Washington Capitals dealt with throughout the 2023-24 season, getting back to the playoffs in the first year of the Spencer Carbery era you can call a massive success. These were the games that helped push the Caps over the edge.

A win in February in Beantown

This was a big 3-0 win for the Capitals behind a 3-0 shutout from Charlie Lindgren. It was a massive dubya in the fact that the Caps went 18-11-4 in that strtch to get their way back into the playoffs.

The Caps would get goals from T.J. Oshie in the second period. Dylan Strome doubled the lead in the third while Alex Ovechkin put it away with an empty net goal. It was just the beginning of Ovechkin's turnaround.

The Caps has a team had a 47.4 percent Corsi For percentage and a 46.2 face off win percentage in that stretch of games in the second half, per hockey reference.

That goal by Ovechkin was in the midst of a eight game stretch where the great eight had eight goals. It began in Dallas then after a tough loss Ovechkin skipped the All Star Break to ride a camel in Dubai. We all know the rest.

Max Pacioretty, Charlie Lindgren, Sonny Milano, Washington Capitals
Max Pacioretty, Charlie Lindgren, Sonny Milano, Washington Capitals / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

March Madness in Pitsburgh

March Madness is usually a basketball time but for the Capitals it was total madness as they dealt with the noise of the trade rumors. Still, Carbery had them playing their best night after night and on March 7 the Caps got a big win in Pittsburgh on trade deadline eve.

Connor McMichael drew a high sticking penalty, then Tom Wilson scored shorthanded. Alex Ovechkin added a power play goal at PPG Paints Arena. Nick Jensen and Hendrix Lapierre joined in on the fun. Then Ivan Miroshnichenko scored his first career NHL goal. Sonny Milano added a goal in the third.

This was a week where the Caps lost a lot of pieces. They first lost Anthony Mantha to the Vegas Golden Knights but it turns out they won that trade by getting a good second rounder in the future. Then they lost Joel Edmundson to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins took care of them in the first round.

The big loss is Evgeny Kuznetsov who got traded the day after the game to the Carolina Hurricanes, who face the New York Rangers. But that March 7 night the Caps scored a touchdown to the tune of a 6-0 win to take over Pittsburgh.

Charlie Lindgren, Washington Capitals
Charlie Lindgren, Washington Capitals / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Mid November win over Vegas

This is the legend of Charlie Lindgren. We knew about it after his effort in late October in a win at New Jersey but this was his coming out party to the home crowd. He compltely blanked the current until soonish Cup champ Vegas Golden Knights in a 35 save shutout performance.

Dylan Strome put the Caps up early in the first period. Then in the final minute the Caps got not one but TWO goals, an empty netter from Connor McMichael then a breakaway goal from Beck Malenstyn. But other than that it was all Chuck who had his first shutout of six on the season.

Lindgren said to Stephen Whyno of The AP:

"It's been a long time coming. Boy, that's a really good Vegas Golden Knight team over there: a lot of talent, a lot of skill. They definitely made us work for it tonight, but again the Caps come out on top. Big time win."
Charlie Lindgren to AP

To put more praise on Lindgren the Caps power play went 0 for 3 on the night. Sorry had to get the bad out of the way. But a win over the defending Cup champs when you blank them it's top five worthy.

T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Winning in Philly to advance to the playoffs

The Caps may be knocked out but so are the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings. That kind of feels good to type. What helped the Caps was the power of friendship as it was Alex Ovechkin to open the scoring for his 31st goal of the season and what might have been T.J. Oshie's final NHL goal.

Oshie as we remember was dealing with pain throughout the season. He said so in his final media availability so again the key word is might.

Ovechkin it was his 31st of the season to put him 41 away from Wayne Gretzky.

But perhaps the rewarding part was the Oshie goal being an empty netter. The Flyers didn't necessarily have to do that as the others lost their games. Instead of scoreboard watching, Oshie went for the home run to push the Caps through across the street from the Phillies.

Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals
Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Oshie hat trick against the Blues

The Caps and Blues went toe to toe on this cold January night but our hearts were warmed when Oshe recorded a hat trick against his former team. We got to sing along to Country Roads multiple times on Country Music night at Capital One Arena but perhaps that third goal was heard from the vault to the Anacostia and beyond. Name your county. You heard it too.

Oshie got things started with a PPG and there was ghosts of the past throughout the night. Nathan Walker, former Capital, tied it late in the first.

Nicolas Aube Kubel gave the Caps the lead while Oshie made it 3-1 with another PPG. Dylan Strome made it 4-1 before Walker scored again. With the Blues pulling their goalie, Oshie completed the hat trick to rain down the hats and conduct the Country Roads signalong heard around the world.

Oshie looked emotional as not only did regular ballcaps rain down but so did the cowboy hats the team gave away from Country Music Night. Oshie waved to the crowd, put on a cowboys hat and went back in.

Meanwhile another ghost of the Blues past Charlie Lindgren made 18 saves. The Caps defense was excellent and the power play clicked. It was an all around good night on 7th and F.

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