The Washington Capitals, the franchise currently pacing the NHL standings, are a resilient bunch. They'd have to be to post a league-leading 49-13-5 record. And considering a hefty handful of those 49 wins have come via third period assaults with the Caps chasing, not leading, it's clear that Barry Trotz's group has developed something of a knack for comebacks, maybe even what you could term a flair for the dramatic.
So when the Caps traveled west to take on the hard-charging (on the ice and in the standings) Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night in what could potentially be an early look at this year's Stanley Cup matchup, it was assumed that there would be fireworks aplenty at both ends of the ice. Fans were not disappointed.
The Capitals almost immediately surrendered a three-goal lead to the Kings, who looked as though they were channeling the Cup-winning Kings of 2012 and 2014. Utilizing their big bodies and a stifling brand of defense, the Kings battered the Caps and worked themselves to a 3-0 lead behind markers from Jake Muzzin, trade acquisition Vincent Lecavalier (thought it was originally credited to Kris Versteeg) and Milan Lucic, who was able to tap home an easy goal on a nifty pass from new linemate Jeff Carter.
But as the Caps are wont to do when their backs are against the wall in the third, they poured it on. Suddenly the Kings looked more like the team that had let their imposing Pacific Division lead slip away these past couple of months and the Caps looked like a group poised for a deep postseason run. T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom and Dmitry Orlov scored during a furious final period to even things up and send the game to an overtime finish that almost seemed destined for a big play or three.
Carter, just settling in on his new unit with Lucic and Anze Kopitar, would eventually play the hero. Lucic, taking a smart pass from defenseman Drew Doughty that caught the Caps napping on a line change, returned the earlier favor from Carter, who beat Washington netminder Braden Holtby to seal the game for Los Angeles.
Afterward, both teams seemed to count themselves fortunate for having experienced the taught, hard-fought affair, with Lucic calling it "a good lesson" for the Kings, and Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin noting it was "a good experience" for the Caps to bounce back as they did in the third against a good team.
