Caps lose Oshie, Carlson to injury in 3-0 win over Predators originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Two days after they were shut out for the first time this season, the Capitals found themselves on the winning side of one as the beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Saturday night.
Beck Malenstyn and Aliaksei Protas provided the offense for the Capitals on a night in which they lost both winger T.J. Oshie and defenseman John Carlson to injury. In net, goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Juuse Saros put on a show to keep both offenses at bay for most of the game.
Here are three takeaways from the Capitals’ victory over the Predators.
Oshie, Carlson exit with injuries
Not even a period into the game, the Capitals lost both Oshie and Carlson to lower-body injuries that sent them to the locker room.
Oshie left the game first, pulling up on a power play and failing to backcheck when the Predators got a shorthanded breakaway chance. He went to the bench following the play and didn’t return the rest of the game.
Not long after that, Carlson was fighting Predators winger Michael McCarron for positioning along the boards before slipping into the wall. He returned for one seven-second shift but departed shortly after.
The Capitals announced that both players were doubtful to return during the first intermission and neither made it back to the bench before the game ended.
Strong goaltending on both sides
The goalies came to play Saturday night. Kuemper had been a solid netminder for Washington to begin the season, but he went into Nashville still looking for his first truly dominant performance as a member of the Capitals.
Kuemper delivered exactly that against the Predators, stopping all 33 shots he faced on his way to his first shutout since he blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of last season’s Stanley Cup Finals. His outing saw no shortage of highlight-reel stops.
On the other end of the ice, Saros put together one of his better games of the young season as well. Among the favorites to win the Vezina Trophy this season, the 27-year-old racked up 32 saves on 34 Capitals shots — with several shots coming in quick succession.
Ultimately, it was Kuemper picking up the win to move to 4-3 on the season. Saros fell to 2-4-1.
Malenstyn scores first goal of season
The Capitals’ third line was at it again Saturday, giving the Capitals the only goal they needed when center Nic Dowd found an open Malenstyn in the slot during the second period.
It was Malenstyn’s first goal of the season in just his third game after he was recalled from the AHL to replace the injured Connor Brown. In 15 career games heading into the year, Malenstyn had scored only once across the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons.
Protas then gave the Capitals some breathing room seven minutes into the third, picking up a deflected puck and beating Saros through the five-hole amid some traffic in front.
Alex Ovechkin iced it with an empty netter at the 2:45 mark to secure Washington’s victory.
With the win, the Capitals moved to 5-4 on the season with an even 10 points toward the Metropolitan Division standings. Their next game is scheduled for Monday against the divisional foe Carolina Hurricanes in the first leg of a back-to-back.