After the Buffalo Sabres, the Washington Capitals handed the Edmonton Oilers their second consecutive defeat on the road. In the thrilling showdown at the Capital One Arena on Wednesday, the Oilers remained painfully underwhelming.
As the season progresses, fans and analysts are growingly frustrated by Edmonton’s lacklustre performance. There is also the underlying fear that the worst could be awaiting the Oilers: McDavid exits and takes with him any hopes the team may have had of winning the Stanley Cup. On the other hand, the Capitals have secured two successive wins at home against the Los Angeles Kings and now, the Oilers.
Alex Ovechkin’s Wife Marks Her Presence as Washington Capitals Take Down Edmonton Oilers 7-4
The living legend and the captain of the Capitals recently strengthened his star power by surpassing Gordie Howe to become the NHL player with the most regular-season goals in a single arena. The Capital One Arena stands witness to some of Ovi’s most exceptional achievements, and on Wednesday, at the same site, 40-year-old Ovechkin extended his goal streak to three.
The Capitals put up a fight to remember; languishing at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, Washington appears hungry for redemption. Ryan Leonard marked his first multi-goal NHL game, scoring twice in the battle against Edmonton. Tom Wilson scored two empty-net goals, while Ovi, Aliaksei Protas, and Anthony Beauvillier scored once each to surge past the Oilers. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson made 26 saves.
Ovechkin’s wife, Anastasia Shubskaya, just could not miss the Capitals’ exuberant resurgence: she occupied a seat in the front row.
She shared moments from the cross-conference battle on her Instagram stories. The first video on her story captures the excitement of the arena as Ovechkin’s name is announced. The second video was taken right after Washington secured a goal against the Oilers.
The Oilers remain at the helm of intense scrutiny by fans and insiders alike. Darnell Nurse salvaged himself, scoring two goals. Leon Draisaitl had one goal, and so did David Tomasek.
Stuart Skinner was, unfortunately, as forgettable as ever, with a save percentage of .737. Moreover, to pile on the misfortune, the Oilers now have even fewer regulation wins than the Calgary Flames, after the latter’s victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch called the team “resilient” in a post-game media availability. Knoblaunch highlighted how, despite the team having been through a lot of rough and tumble, their energy and propensity to show up remain.
“You know, for a team that’s not happy with the way they are playing and feeling very discouraged, you know, I like the energy. Obviously, they are disappointed, but they are pushing hard.”
However, fans would like the Oilers’ energy to translate into actual wins. Edmonton’s season has been exceptionally heartbreaking for the Oilers community to witness. As the team flies to the Sunshine State to meet the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers, it must find a way to get back on its feet.
